Owerri Nshi Ise And Her Age-long Tradition On Ezeship Stool: IS There Need For Crisis?

By CHINEDU Max Egere. mnge. 

Investigations have indicated that there are a few communities in Igbo land that have traditionally anchored their royal stools on heredity.They jealously stick to those processes in that traditional aspect to select or choose their royal fathers. Among them include Owerri Nshi Ise; Emekuku; Egbu; Oguta; Nguru Mbaise etal.

In a hereditary system over ‘Ezeship stool’, the community would usually lean on the traditions, cultures and customs and as such cannot give room for political interferences.

Following the history of Owerri Nshi Ise and her ancient tradition as they affect her paramount rule, Owerri Nshi Ise cannot easily be balkanized or its tradition breached through political interferences.

In event of the death of the late Eze Emmanuel Njemanze, the Ozuruigbo V of Owerri, the people have no options than to swim and sink with their normal traditional processes to replace him. No stopping them.

History has it that the first son of Owerri, Oparaugo willingly
Bequeathed the Ezeship stool to Ekeonunwa and from where the reign peacefully moved from one to another within the family…. from Okorie to Ihenacho to Njemanze, who had encountered the colonial masters sometime in 1902 before the amalgamation of Nigeria.

It was he that royally decreed, for the convenience of identity, to stamp the royal stool on legacy in the name of ‘Njemanze’. In Igbo parlance, it is in summary called ‘Ahamaefula’. That apart, the large
Njemanze families know themselves and so, no iota of mistake can bemade in respect of the tradition towards the selection of an ‘Eze’. A book authored by the retired Chief Judge of Imo State, Hon. Justice B.A. Njemanze which harmlessly distinguishes between the ‘Umu Njemanze and Umunga Njemanze’ will always pose a background.

When the Njemanzes select one of their own they will, as the
tradition demands, present him to the village head of Amawom, where the village head must traditionally come from, who will in turn,invite their kit and kin in Umuororonjo.

History has it that the royal stool would have been domiciled in Oparaugo family in Umuororonjo, but it was bequeathed to the Njemanze family in Amawom by the first son of Owerri.

In Owerri Nshi Ise, each village has her head in line with the
tradition and they have their traditional roles to play in respect of the royal stool. Who could impede that?

The Amawom village head would endorse the selected ‘Eze’ from the Njemanze dynasty and a date fixed to present him to Azuzi (Onyeche’s children) otherwise called Umuonyeche where the Mere family maintains the village headship till date.

It is traditionally noted that Umuoronjo being the first son of the first wife of Owerri had Oparanozie to whom till date tenaciously holds the ‘ofo’ as the ishi oha (Council of elders) is his responsibility. There, the head of the village is domiciled in Anozie Emeto.

Oyima, which is a village, still in line with the records, is reported not to be a descent to the throne rather a relative by marriage who was co-opted with a larger heart. There in Umuoyima, the Ukaegbu family is where the head of the village comes from.

History would dispassionately reveal that Umuodu was the last son of Owerri and by being the last child holds till date the custodian of the deity (Onye isi ala Owerri) that is the Chief priest. The reason adduced to this remains that it is generally believed that the cry of the last child in a family evokes the ‘spirit’ of the parents (dead or alive).This traditional position is held by the Ejiogu family which is reflected in their name. Ejiogu, still in line with history is from Umuihugba kindred in Umuodi village.

The various traditional positions reside in the various villages and none of the other families can comfortably relate themselves to the various lineages of the village heads.

However, the contest between the Oparaugo of Umuororonjo and the bequeathing and donating of the rights of traditional rule to
Ekeonunwa whose mother was the last wife of Ikenegbu persisted until sometime in 1978, when the then Military Administrator, Col. Sunday Adenihu demonstrated his solomonic wisdom.

He had relocated the headquarters of Owerri Local Government to Umuneke Ngor and where he summoned the two parties which were represented accordingly by their gladiators.The Oparaugos and the Njemanzes.

He was reported to have made a profound decision that since the Njemanzes had agreed that the headship of Owerri naturally belongs to Oparaugo and that since the Oparaugos had also accepted that their father in his life time had donated the mantle of rule to Ekeonunwa entailed a resolve that the lingering issue of who rules in perpetuity would be determined by a ‘toss of the coin’ in Umuneke Ngor.

The major stake holders on both sides were Barrister Duke Njiribuako, who later became a judge (now late); Prince Oparaugo of the blessed memory, who stood for Umuororonjo while Barrister Dan Ohiri Njemanze who later became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN and of blessed memory and ofcourse, the then incumbent traditional ruler, Alex Anumaku Njemanze represented the Njemanze family of Amawon.
The toss of the coin favoured the Njemanzes in the presence of the people and in a show of maturity, the Oparaugos piously bowed to the rule of the Njemanze family.

Little wonder that the late Justice Duke Njiribuako would in the later years under the administration of Rochas Okorocha made moves that were not a wit, in tandem with the peaceful harmonization made in the past where he was present. The rest is history.

Many Owerri stakeholders had believed that it was an interest in the acquisition of land that spilled the ploy for the autonomy of Owerri villages though the former governor, Rochas had denied this on a few occasions.

The Owerri people would not compromise with their traditions and so,they have selected a crown prince in the person of Hon. Justice Eze Ohiri Fred Njemanze (Rtd) who will be coronated according to the tradition, the Ozuruigbo VI.
Owerri by history and tradition would always have a paramount ruler which traditional method has been re-enacted by the ongoing processes.

The new crown prince is a descendent of the royal blood of Njemanze and so I ask: Is there any need for crisis in this traditional aspect of Owerri Ezeship?

Chinedu Max Egere ,member Nigerian Guild of Editors writes from Owerri.