Igwe Julius Nnaji: My role is to stop any form of anarchy in my community
The President General of Iji Nike Community in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, and Chairman of Ekpe Masquerade, Hon Chukwuemeka Anike, has warned of dire consequences following his removal from office by the traditional ruler of IjI Nike Kingdom, Igwe Julius Nnaji, saying that his removal did not follow laid down rules and procedures.
Speaking with journalists in Enugu, the Enugu state capital, Anike lamented that Igwe Nnaji had two weeks ago stripped him of his leadership position as the President General of the community, saying that according to their custom, the traditional ruler does not have the sole right to appoint or remove Chairman of Ekpe from office without the consent of the eldest man in the community known as (Onyeisi).
According to him, “The problem is that as PG, I was sworn in about a year and eight months ago, and it was the traditional ruler Igwe J.U. Nnaji, that gave me the oath of office.
“… I am surprised over what he did two weeks ago. We have a culture. There are some things I will do and they will remove me. Two weeks ago, Igwe on his own decided to do a kangaroo meeting in his palace and removed me.”
He said he doesn’t want me to complete my five-year tenure.
“Our youths are boiling, they have decided that this Friday, if the government did not say anything about it, we will protect ourselves. We have culture,That is why I am calling on the Inspector General of police, Commisioner of Police, Enugu state, DSS in Enugu and Abuja, and the Governor of Enugu State Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to come to my rescue” he said.
Our correspondent who visited the eldest man in Iji Nike Community, Mr. Okorie Ifenze, known as Onyeisi to get the side of his story, quoted him as saying that “Emeka Anike Ogbuene, still remains the Chairman/PG of Iji Nike Community until Igwe Julius Nnaji tells the elders and members of the community the offence that Emeka Anike committed that warrants his removal as PG.”
The traditional ruler of IjI Nike Community Igwe Julius Nnaji, told our Correspondent that Emeka Anike, who is the Chairman of Ekpe in their community, was accused by members of his community of imposing illegal fees on them.
He was also alleged to have disparaged the Ekpe masquerade under his watch in public.
“It is spelt out that my my duty as a traditional ruler in Enugu State is to control any form of anarchy in my community. I must not consult elders before I excercise my authority as a traditional ruler. He has failed us and we have decided that he will no longer be the Chairman of Ekpe,” he said.
