Chieftaincy Title: Chief Ogene, Ozo Ijerenze Battle Over Control Of Igwe’s Cabinet In Umuchu

KINGSLEY EBERE 


“The battle just began. Those involved are my people and it became golden to keep mute.”

The above was the submission of the Secretary of Nze na Ozo and Ezendigbo in South Africa, Eze Martin Emechebe, as Chief Chris Ezeoguine (Ogene) and Ozo Chinedu Ezeoha (Ijerenze) engage in fiece battle over the control of Igwe’s cabinet in Umuchu town. 


Though Eze Martin Emechebe may have decided to keep mute because his boss,  Ozo Ijerenze, was directly involved, the fact remains that the controversial Chieftaincy title awards code named “Nicodemus” given to 21 indigenes in Umuchu town has been canceled by the Anambra State Government.


 P.M.EXPRESS gathered that the real battle is between the two gladiators and brothers from Amanasaa village in Umuchu, Chief Chris Ezeoguine (Ogene Umuchu) and the Chairman of Nze na Ozo, Ozo Chinedu Ezeoha (Ijerenze) over the control of Igwe Gody Ezechukwu’s cabinet in Umuchu town. 


Both Ogene and Ijerenze are members Igwe Gody Ezechukwu’s cabinet and by convention, Igwe Umuchu is rotational and it is the turn of Amanasaa village to produce the next Igwe through an Electroal College voting by the Cabinet members. 


According to some indigenes of Umuchu, Chief Ogene is the third in command in the hierarchy of the positions in the cabinet and has formidable members like Chief Fidel Ononuju, Chief Abraham Otti  supporting him and were said to be against the chieftaincy title awards. 


But Ozo Ijerenze was said to be influencial and close to Igwe Umuchu, which made him more outstanding and powerful over other cabinet members.  Besides, Ozo Ijerenze is the Chairman of the prominent Nze na Ozo comprising  influencial decisions makers in the town. 


 However, the rumour going on in town is that since both Ogene and Ijerenze are from the Amanasaa village, they may likely be interested in the Igweship because it may be zoned to Amanasaa village. 

Both Ijerenze and Ogene are yet to make any such declaration in public because the Patriarch, Igwe Gody Ezechukwu, is still alive and healthy. 

Those who know the politics going on in Umuchu revealed that the calculations by the group loyal to Ijerenze is to bestow the chieftaincy title awards on great number of their loyalists in order to dominate the Igwe’s cabinet for any future election. Thus, the nomination of the 21 Chieftaincy titles was said to have been done in secrecy and confirmed by the members of the cabals led by Ijerenze without making their names public. 

Jolted by the unprecedented decision to  bestow Chieftaincy titles on 21 indigenes in one day since the history of Umuchu town, the cabinet was thrown into crisis and factions. 

The group led by Chief Ogene was totally against it on the basis of not only the numbers, the criteria for the selection and the secrecy of the selection process. 

Again, for the Ogene group, the whole thing shouldn’t be done when Igwe Umuchu is mourning and yet to bury his late wife.

Thus, a petition was written to the Anambra State Government through the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs over the purported plan to cause confusion in Umuchu town with the chieftaincy titles. 

Hence, the Ministry wrote to the President General of Umuchu Improvement Union directing the town not to bestow the chieftaincy title awards during the December period in 2024. 

But the members of the cabal ignored the State Government’s directive and went house to house to present certificates and the beneficiaries installed themselves as Chiefs in Umuchu town. 

Hence, there was another petition to the State Government through the Ministry informing them that the Government’s directive was ignored and the members of the cabal still went ahead to issue certificates. 

Thus, the big hammer of the cancellation of the Chieftaincy title as contained in a letter dated 19th February, 2025, to the President General of Umuchu Improvement Union, Chief Charles Ezenwabasili, through the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs signed by Hon. Tony Collins Nwabunwanne. 

It appears that the decision may negatively affect Ozo Ijerenze’s group because they may have to refund all the money they had collected for the chieftaincy title as Chief Ogene’s group celebrates the cancellation.

Just as Eze Martin Emechebe, who is a known allly of Ozo Ijerenze has just warned that the battle just began, it may indeed be the beginning of another battle between two gladiators, Ozo Ijerenze and Chief Ogene in Umuchu town.