Confusion in Nanka, Anambra community over traditional stool

There is confusion in Nanka community, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State over the replacement of the late monarch of the area, Igwe Gilbert Ofomata.
Investigation by Southern City News showed that the community had been polarised into two on the matter; the rich and the masses.
A source that pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that “the rich in the community are working with the family of the late monarch against the community’s interest.
“The community has an eye on somebody to replace our late ruler, but certain people who think they are rich have a different agenda.”
On Saturday, the community performed what it called the rite to sever their relationship with the late traditional ruler, Igwe Gilbert Ofomata,who passed on about a year ago.
The ceremony was boycotted by the family members of the late monarch and certain prominent members of the community.
But performing the ceremony, the community noted that the rite was necessary for peace to reign in the area.
According to the community, if the rite was not performed to traditionally cut off their spiritual link with the late monarch, the community would know no peace.
Speaking about the event, the Secretary to the Igwe-in-Council, Chief Godwin Nwafor, said, “We are predominantly Christians, but this last Ofala rite is a duty we owe our late monarch to bid him farewell.
“That’s the way the community can have peace and chart a new course on how to install a new traditional ruler for the town.
“It’s a spiritual severance to disengage the community from the apron strings of the late monarch, spiritually,” the Secretary maintained.
The community made up of seven villages, presumed to be the late ruler’s offspring, had to file out in turns (according to seniority) to pay their last respect to their late king.
One of the features of the severance was for each male adult of the community to dress like a spirit of his imagination while masquerades crisscrossed the length and breadth of the community to announce the last Ofala rite of the demised ruler.
In their tribute, the Igwe-in-Council noted, “Igwe Gilbert Ofomata, Obu Nnaka, commanded respects of his people and beyond.
“His social life remains unbeatable. Even when he became challenged with poor health, he was still very eager to attend functions and perform the traditional dance to the admiration of his people.”
In his own tribute, an Air Commodore, Ifezue Chukwukadibia, a native of the community said, “For a man like Igwe Ofomata, whom I refer to as a man of peace, to leave us at this point in time, has really left a big shoe for the next Igwe (monarch) to wear.”
The late Igwe Ofomata ruled the Nanka community from 1991 to 2015.