The deposed traditional ruler of Umuona community, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, Igwe Humphrey Ejesieme, has maintained his innocence of the allegations that led to the state government revoking his certificate of recognition. He claimed that if Governor Chukwuma Soludo from Isuofia had given him a fair hearing, he would have realized that the petition written against him by Chief Kenneth Okoli was baseless.
In June 2023, the Commissioner for Local Government, Town Union, and Chieftaincy Matters withdrew Igwe Ejesieme’s certificate of recognition issued in 2014 by former Governor Peter Obi. Consequently, a cross-section of the community elected and crowned Chief Ikechukwu Ezeofor as their new traditional ruler, while others boycotted the exercise. In spite of this development, Ejesieme still insists that he is still the rightful Igwe due to unfair treatment.
Speaking at his palace in Umuona recently with journalists present,Ejesieme recalled how Okoli wrote a petition alleging an attack on him during their December 28 Annual General Meeting organized at Umuona Civic Centre. The said attack was supposedly carried out by armed thugs who were alleged to be affiliated with Ejesieme himself, but he denied these claims vehemently.
According to him,the government acted on this petition without giving him adequate time or a chance to defend himself, probably because Okoli has some connections within Governor Soludo’s corridors of power. He explained further that during his ten-year reign as king over Umuona Kingdom,his efforts towards developmental strides within his domain cannot be overlooked. He therefore appealed passionately to Governor Soludo for another opportunity to prove himself before any final decision is taken against him, even as he has already filed legal actions contesting what he sees as gross violations against his fundamental human rights.
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