AWKA – Nri, one of the ancient king­doms in Anaocha Local Gov­ernment Area of Anambra State, is about to erupt into a crisis of succession to the vacant stool of Eze- Nri if urgent steps are not taken by the Anambra State govern­ment to intervene and ensure that the amended Nri Traditional Constitution agreed to by the six villages in the town is adopted before the selection of the next Eze- Nri early next year.

The President of Akamkpisi Na Diodu section of Nri, Chief Godwin Uzoegbo, told Daily Independent in Awka on Sunday that the kingship crisis in Nri started in 1976, about 48 years ago when the then military administrator of old Anambra State, Col.John Atom Opera, ordered every community in the state to produce a traditional constitution containing all matters that had to do with their king­ship, town union as well as customs and traditions.

According to Uzoegbo, Nri is di­vided into two sections-Agukwu and Akamkpisi NA Diodu with each sec­tion having three villages.

He said that Kpera’s directive came at a time both the President General and Secretary of Nri Progressive Union came from the Agukwu section of the town who were then custodians of the town’s kingship institution.

It happened, he said that they met and conspired to write a constitution that was not only obnoxious, but vexa­tious sectional and oppressive without consultation with the Akamkpisi for their input.

He alleged that the Agu Ukwu sec­tion wrote the Nri traditional Consti­tution as it suited them and smuggled same into the state government files on traditional institutions in the state.

“We the Akamkpisi Na Diodu sec­tion didn’t know about this fraudulent constitution smuggled into govern­ment circle until later.

“Following our findings, we made representation to the then military ad­ministration of after the new Anam­bra was created. We protested vehe­mently and took some steps to stop such ignoble and unpatriotic act and followed up with negotiations.

“The military government of Col Attah came up with a White paper on the kingship dispute in Nri and ad­vised that we should all go back and renegotiate and come up with a con­stitution that has broad support and input of all the sections of the town in line with the Anambra State chief­taincy edict,” he said.

Uzoegbo, however, explained that the state government’s directive was ignored by the Agukwu section while the constitutional issue remained unresolved leading to the split of Nri town into Agukwu and Akamkpisi sections with each crowning its own king.

“The whole thing resulted in the installation and coronation of two Eze-Nris who reigned concurrently in their respective domains until their untimely demise.

The two monarchs of blessed mem­ory were HRM EzeNri Peter Ogbum­mo (Nrinamoke V111) from Diodu Vil­lage of Akamkpisi section and HRM EzeNri Onyeso (Nrienweluani11) from Obeagu village of Agukwu section”,he said.

Uzoegbo said both kings who were popular in the section of town they held sway died prematurely even as he said that the scenario was distasteful and an anathema to peace which he noted eluded the community.

“It was Chief Shedrack Mbanefo, the Adams Nri from Akamkpisi loyal to Eze Ogbummo that crowned the undisputed Igbo leader, the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the “Eze Igbo Gburugburu”which was not disputed till he died.

“Didn’t that tell you anything”, he asked and expressed pains that his town couldn’t reconcile the chieftaincy issue and talk with a voice.

He said there was still room for me­diation and reconciliation of the two sections of the town and move it for­ward, a reason he said the Akamkpisi section after reflection wrote another petition to the state government which prompted another invitation to both parties by the state commissioner for local government and chieftaincy Matters, Chief Tony Collins Nwabun­wanne, to discuss the issue of Nri amended traditional constitution on August 23,2023.