Alor crowns New Monarch, Igwe MacAnthony Okonkwo, Ezedioramma 111 of Alor Kingdom alias Elibe-Agwuagwu against all odds, as Prince Arthur Eze doles out N100 Million

 www.odogwublog.com reports that Alor in Idemmili South Anambra state is today a great town. This is
because there is existence of functional basic amenities in the community.
Their two sons , Engr Emeka Ezeh , Director General Bureau of Public Procurement and immediate past senator representing Anambra central senatorial zone and former Governor , Senator Chris Ngige attracted road infrastructure in access to the communities. Other basic amenities are not lacking.
There are even adequate water reticulation and street lights that grace the town at night. The main market day in Alor is Nkwo.
And the traditional government of Alor consists of the Igwe (King) followed by the Ndi-Ichie (Lords), Ndi-Idi, Ndi-Ozo (orzor), Ndi-Nze (Dukes) and other titled individuals and groups E.g.:, Umu-Nna, Umu-Ada, Otu Ogbo (Age Group), Ndi-Ikom, Ndi-Nne to mention but a few.
 They control the enforcement group in the community like the Igwe-In-Council, Alor Peoples Convention (APC), Alor Development Union (ADU), the vigilante groups etc.
Some entrepreneurs opened businesses in Alor making it an urban like rural setting. There are people into Animal husbandry, Block industries, Printing Press, Wine depot (palm wine), Palm oil mills, and Soap industries are among the few industries that can be found in Alor etc.
And finally despite the stunning opposition from within, Igwe MacAnthony Okonkwo on Sunday the 14th day of June, 2015 ascended the throne of Alor as Ezedioramma 111 of Alor Kingdom alias Elibe-Agwuagwu.

 

He performed all the traditional rites and pre-requisites of being enthroned as the traditional ruler of Alor with dignitaries from all walks of life in attendance at his palatial palace of Igwe MacAnthony Chinedu Okonkwo at Umuokwu village Alor.
The kingmakers in Alor crowned him and coroneted him king amidst jubilation and pomp, and each of the 8 villages had representation as demanded by customs and traditions of Alor town.
The coronation was preceded by a thanksgiving mass at St Charles Parish Umuokwu Alor by 10am, followed by the coronation proper which kicked off by 2pm.

Chief Chuka Udoagwa, handed the sword on behalf of Okebunoye village, while Chief Nicholas Onyechi, Agubanze of Alor crowned the Igwe on behalf of Uruezeani Village and the Aka ji Ofor, Chief Oranyelu Eze-Ofor handed the Ofor Alor over to the new monarch on behalf of the people of Umuoshi Village.
With the performance of these rites as administered by the ruling class of Alor town, it has put to rest all bickering and antagonism against the emergence of Igwe MacAnthony Okonkwo as the choice candidate for the stool after subjecting himself to a screening panel one year ago.
 It would be recalled that the court judgment which brought about the administration of these rites, states clearly that Igwe MacAnthony Chinedu Elibe Okonkwo emerged as Igwe of Alor town through a well structured and constitutional process according to the customary laws of Alor town and as such all rights, privileges and obligations of the royal stool should be totally accorded to him.
 The court cases and other issues bogged the coronation since June 24, 2014 Governor Willie Obiano issued certificate of recognition to Chief Chinedu Okonkwo as the traditional ruler of Alor, after a Caretaker committee appointed by former Governor Peter Obi selected him among the lot that presented themselves for the screening. The community has known no peace and many of his challengers said his father is still alive and therefore he should not be crowned but Okonkwo insisted following his heart, having gotten the consent of his father to carry on.
Then, it was Chief Emeka Ikegwuogu, Agujiegbe Alor, who stood against the decision to crown Okonkwo the traditional ruler as according to him it was wrong for a man whose father was still alive to be crowned king. He added that the caretaker committee that selected Okonkwo erred in its action.

Ikegwuonu had a support to his agitation in the person of Chief Benson Chinedu Igwe, Idi Omeka Ozueluoha of Alor, who was also an aspirant to the throne.
It would be recalled that the traditional stool of the Alor community in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State became vacant as a result of the demise of the traditional ruler of the town, Igwe J. C. Nkwoka.
Anambra state government instituted a 12-man caretaker committee which selected one of the aspirants, Mr Okonkwo alias Elibe-Agwuagwu and the government issued him with a certificate of recognition.

Chief Igwe, insisted that Alor was yet to elect its monarch, describing what the caretaker committee instituted by the state government did on the replacement of the late Igwe as unconstitutional and void.

According to Chief Igwe on the genesis of the Alor crisis: ‘’ Alor community comprises two traditional sections, namely: Ezi and Ifite sections. Ezi section is made up of three villages in Alor: Umuoshi, Etiti and Ebenesi-Okebunoye villages, while Ifite section is also made up of three villages in Alor: Uruezeani, Ide and Umuokwu villages. The stool of the traditional ruler of Alor rotates between the Ezi and Ifite sections. The procedure for ascending to the throne is contained in the Constitution of Alor Peoples’ Convention. However, the constitution of the community is not being followed; it is not being respected, as such, the whole process of electing a new traditional ruler now is devoid of due process.
If Alor people want to fill the Igweship stool, the procedure as stipulated in the Constitution of Alor community is: first, to put in place a democratically elected town union government which comprises the President-General and Vice, Secretary-General and other elected officers of the town union exco; members of the former Igwe-in-Council, (now the Regency Council), which is 18 traditional Ichies from the 18 kindred units in Alor; the representatives of Idi Alos which is one Idi Alo from each kindred unit, totaling 18 Idi Alos; hononary chieftaincy title holders who are Alor indigenes, and we have 21 high chiefs in our community; three elected delegates (two men and one woman) from each kindred unit, which is three multiplied by 18 kindred units which is equal to 54 delegates; one representative from the established Alor Development Union (ADU) branches, and so far we have about eight ADU branches; one representative from each of the known age grades in Alor community, we have about six or seven established age grades in our community; chairman and secretary of Nze na Ozo Council, and so on. If you add up all these, you will have between 130 to 140 individuals from Alor community who would be saddled with the responsibility to midwife the process of selection of our traditional ruler in accordance with our town union constitution.
Second, after the one year mourning period for our late traditional ruler, the President-General of Alor community would convene a general meeting of the town comprising those I mentioned above and announce to them the vacancy of the Igweship stool and charge the section, in this case, Ifite section, whose turn it is to produce the next traditional ruler to go and select a suitable person for the position.
Third, when this is done, the section, in this case Ifite section, will make their choice and now present the person to the general meeting of Alor Peoples’ Convention for screening. If and when that individual passes the screening, then he would be declared the Igwe-elect of Alor community by the full convention and not by any caretaker committee, like in this case the 12-man caretaker committee.
But assuming without conceding that we are to accept the caretaker committee doing anything in our community, then they are the equivalent of the town union executive committee, but even the elected town union executive committee does not have the powers to pronounce anybody the Igwe-elect, it is the full town union members (Alor Peoples’ Convention) that has the powers. Thereafter, the town union government would kick-start arrangements for the coronation of the new Igwe.
After the coronation, the president-general and the town union exco, the newly installed traditional ruler with his cabinet would then go for presentation of the new Igwe to the state government and then the
governor satisfying that due process was followed and has the general acceptance of the community, he would then issue the new Igwe with the certificate of recognition. Unfortunately, this was not the case in what happened in my community.
Already the new Igwe immediately after his recognition had attracted, the oil magnet and businessman , Prince Engr Arthur Eze who doled out N100 Million to the community for building of an Ultra modern palace for Igwe MacAnthony Chinedu Elibe Okonkwo , Ezedioramma 111 of Alor kingdom. Prince Eze immediately gave out a cheque of N20 Million instantly to be shared to women and youths around the palace to eat while the Alor Peoples Convention got another N10 Million. Senator Uche Ekwunife was there too among other prominent citizens and friends of Emeka Eze.  
Written by Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, a Blogger, Online publisher, Journalist and social crusader based in Awka Anambra state