KINGSLEY EBERE
This may not be the best of times for the indigenous people of Umuchu town in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State over alleged disappearance of about N400m said to have been realized during the Igwe Godson Ezechukwu’s Ofala Festival held on 30th December, 2025.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the crisis has thrown the three blocks in Umuchu town namely Amanasaa, Ihite and Okpu na Achalla into deep crisis and suspicion over the whereabouts of the money realized during the festival.
Igwe Ezechukwu’s Cabinet Chiefs were said to be divided over the demands from the Committee to present detailed account of the money realized during the Ofala festival.
The fate of the Palace Secretary, Professor Echezona Ifejirika, is hanging in the balance as some of the Cabinet Chiefs, popularly referred to as the cabal, in support of the Ofala committee are shopping for his replacement over his alleged conduct.
Professor Ifejirika was alleged to have written a purported letter said to be inciting the Ofala committee demanding the committee to render account.
So far, a prominent cabinet member, known as Ide of Umuchu, has been removed from the cabinet’s platform for his vocal support for Professor Ifejirika and insisting that the Ofala committee must render account of all the money realized.
The members of the cabal within the Cabinet were said to be furious about the manner Professor Ifejirika and Ide Umuchu were pushing the demand for the Committe to render account, which has polarized the Cabinet Chiefs.
Trouble was said to have started after the Ofalla committee was constituted and Chief Chucks Ononuju was appointed as the Chairman with other members. The Committee was said to have mobilized and raised the money through donations and mandatory payment of N10.2m for each person nominated for Chieftaincy title awards during the celebration.
The money was said to have been paid into the private account of Ikenga Umuchu, Chief Abraham Otti, for the sake of transparency. And due to the influence of the members of the Committe led by Chief Ononuju, huge sums of money were realized.
The Committee also made encouraging promises including empowerment of 45 indigenes from the three blocks, which prompted impressive support from the Indigenes.
After the event, the committee was said to have announced to give empowerment of N500,OOO to 15 persons from each block comprising Ihite, Amanasaa and Okpu na Achalla making the total of 45 beneficiaries for the empowerment.
However, the Chairman of Ihite block, Ozo Bonaventure Mokwe, raised alarm that he did not receive the N500,000 empowerment meant for 15 indigenes from his block as was announced by the Ofala Commiittee.
The alarm triggered suspicion, which prompted the some aggrieved Cabinet members to demand for an account of how the money was realized and spent. And it eventually triggered crisis in the Cabinet, which spread to all the blocks in the town.
The clamour for the Ofala committee to render account of the festival was said to have been rebuffed by the Committee members, who insisted that Ofala festival is exclusively for the Igwe family and they cannot render any account to the cabinet members except Igwe Godson Ezechukwu.
They recalled that when Igwe Ezechukwu was younger, he usually organized the Ofala festival and did not render any account to the Cabinet Chiefs. Therefore, if they indeed wanted to render account it will be solely to Igwe Ezechukwu and not Cabinet members nor any group in the town.
This has been a contentious issue tearing the town apart as those in favour of rendering account were said not to be making any compromise while those against rendering account were said not to be shifting grounds.
The President General of Umuchu town, Hon. Ifeanyi Emegwa, was said to be helpless because of the complex nature of the situation as he had no inputs in the Ofala festival said to be Igwe Ezechukwu’s affairs. Besides that, the gladiators in the battle are prominent men in the town and he solely depends on their support to run the affairs of Umuchu town. However, if the matter is not resolved promptly and peacefully, it may be difficult to raise such substantial amount of money in the future.
When our correspondent contacted the Chairman of the Ofala committee, Chief Chucks Ononuju, his known phone number was switched off while the Cabinet Palace Chief Public Relations Officer, Chief Emmanuel Obiagwu (Ohamadike) could not be reached as at the time of filing this report.