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Tension has formed in Amai Kingdom, in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State over an unresolved kingship tussle that is still undergoing judicial interrogation at the courts.

But despite the case still pending in court, the Delta State Government is alleged to have concluded plans to install Chief Paul Ifenezuchie as the new monarch today, Wednesday, 20/6/2018, even as his claim to the throne is being keenly opposed by the kingmakers.

Already, the Deputy Governor of Delta State, Barrister Kingsley Otuaro is said to be on his way this morningto install Ifenezuchie as monarch, even when it is said that there is a subsisting court injunction issued by a High Court which sat in Kwale on May 7, 2018, and restrained the state government from issuing staff of office to any party in the dispute pending the determination of the case by the court.

Sources disclosed however, that in the next sitting which was on May 31, 2018, the counsel representing the state government tried to vacate the injunction, but that the trial judge over ruled the request, and the case was fixed to resume hearing today, Wednesday, 20th and Thursday, 21st of June 2018.

Wagging tongues are alleging that there is a high political under tone in the matter to undermine the judiciary in the case.

To forestall the issuing of staff of office to the disputed king, as said to have been planned by government, sections of the aggrieved community have been embroil in protest, with gun shots being fired since as a way of expressing their disagreement.

A community leader, (names withheld), during the protest, accused the government of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of taking sides unjustifiably, alleging that it is because of the forthcoming elections that it is doing all it can to garner votes, at the detriment of the people, he is supposed to protect.

Meanwhile as a way making complaint of their disagreement known, one of the aggrieved quarters in Amai community has informed leaders of Ndokwa nation and the state government of the looming danger. The Secretary of Umuekum Quarters, Chief Alfred Onyenwosa, in a statement addressed to the Ndokwa Ethnic Nation and the Delta State government, drew the attention of the state government to the existing court injunction, pointing out that disregarding the court injunction in the kingship tussle was nothing but incubating tension.

Onyenwosa in the letter recalled that from available information, the state Executive Council held a meeting on 12 June, 2018, on the matter, and lamented that the surprising thing about the executive council meeting was that it took a decision on the 12 of June, 2018, and decided to issue staff of office on the 20 of June, 2018.

“This is an obvious injustice to the people of Umuekum Ruling House, who are known to be very peaceful without a single history of community violence,” the letter stated, and quarried the decision of the EXCO, under the watch of Governor Okowa, who recently was widely quoted as saying that gazetted procedures must be followed in kingship succession.

Chief Onyenwosa again stated in the letter: “Government’s decision to wrongly back someone who not only lost the kingship election, but was never duly presented by the appropriate authority (the Onotu Uku, or Ugo of Umuekum Ruling House) at “Isu Asua” is inconsistent with Governor Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa’s stand that gazetted procedures must be followed in kingship succession.”
The statement warned of the consequences of such action that tantamounts to muzzling the people against their will, as it will do no good but to only generate tension.
Pointing accusing fingers on some politicians in the area for instigating the problem, the Umuekum Quarters scribe stated: “The recent interest to bypass truth, tradition and to foist an individual sponsored by inordinate politicians who believe in muzzling people can only generate tension.”
He appealed to the people of Ndokwa nation and the state government to allow the law to go its full length, to allow peace to reign.
“Umuekum Ruling House is therefore alerting all concerned people of Ndokwa ethnic Nation in particular, and Delta State in general on the foregoing development, and to appropriately guide the powers that be to allow status quo to remain pending the full determination of the case in the Court of Law,” the scribe declared.

Contacted on the matter, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah said he was not aware of any court injunction, and that he was also not aware of the installation of a monarch in Amai. He promised to find out and get back to banneronlinenews.com