…Insists he’s a placeholder, stooge
After a couple of tumultuous weeks over who rightfully becomes the traditional ruler of Mburubu community, the situation has continued to evolve quickly. Barely 24 hours after a group presented one Chief Linus Igbudu to the Chairman of Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, Hon. Sydney Okechukwu Edeh as the Igwe-Elect, the Igwe Cabinet members seem to have reached the conclusion to abandon every other candidate for the traditional stool, except Chief Ozor Patrick Jerry Onuokaibe earlier endorsed by the entire community and presented to the State government as the Igwe-Elect for recognition.
The aggrieved Igwe Cabinet, it was gathered, insisted that Chief Igbudu was just a placeholder in preparation for imposition of stooge by the community cabal, which they vowed to resist
Apparently to show they disapproval, members of the Igwe Cabinet never showed up at the presentation of Chief Igbudu as Igwe-Elect to the Nkanu East Local Government chairman on Friday, incrementally stepping back Onuokaibe’s oppositions who have joined forces to resist imposition of any monarch.
Mburubu General Assembly had also refuted the viral report that Chief Onuokaibe was no long the Igwe-Elect, dismissing it as mere rumour.
Confidently asserting that Chief Onuokaibe was duly elected by the people of Mburubu, the General Assembly insisted that he remains the sole Igwe-Elect of Mburubu community.
Meanwhile, the entire community has also rejected the process that produced Chief Igbudu as Igwe-elect, saying that Mburubu Town Union was working against its cardinal principles, laid-down procedures and rules, as no election was held to producing an Igwe-Elect.
“Mburubu Community will not leave its destiny in the hands of a man who has no mind of his own and will continue to be few elements’ stooge even as traditional ruler,” a community leader who don’t want to be mention said, adding that the upsurge of dissatisfaction and resentment about how the MTU allegedly walked back on the promise of transparency in the choice of Igwe was regrettable.
Chief Onuokaibe is the front-runner by far. What set him apart is his independence and workings to bring about a much-needed reset in the community.
It is expected that upon being issued certificate of recognition by the Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah as the substantive traditional ruler of Mbuburu community, Chief Onuokaibe will replace the buffoonery with maturity. His achievements ate more impressive than critics admit. Their assumptions about Chief Onuokaibe were naïve and their debate futile.
What heralds the atmosphere wherever Chief Onuokaibe’s name is mentioned is passionate testimonials that he is the only candidate to be trusted, the exclusive remedy to “our system”, the lone meaningful defender of the people of Mburubu community.
That’s not to say Chief Onukaibe’s legion of admirers is a “diehard,” as critics like to claim. They are not mindlessly mesmerized. They are also not enemies of Mburubu. To the contrary, his supporters are patriotic Mburubians who believe the community is at a tipping point politically and culturally, and that no other candidate is sufficiently impervious to pull the community out “the swamp” to effect a rescue more than Chief Onuokaibe.
No torrent of smare campaigns lined up against Chief Onuokaibe will derail him, neither will blackmail. In fact, such things are seen as evidence of a corrupt bureaucracy aligned against him.
Chief Onuokaibe is originally an agent of change. This opportunity cannot be squandered by the people of Mburubu .
Chief Onuokaibe has energized his community people whose values and traditions are mocked as backward or too naive. Other neighbouring communities are hurtling past them at breakneck speed. The belief that he is the last hope of Mburubu people is bequeathing.
