Newscenter Media News An elder statesman from Mburubu Community and a stakeholder, Mr. Edwin Ezeh, has countered the lies told by one Chief Simon Aniobi over the Mburubu traditional leadership tussle.
Mr. Anobi, through media publications made on March 6, 2025, entitled “Enugu: FACTS BEHIND MBURUBU IGWESHIP TUSSLE,” told what many see as selfish-induced lies against his community.
Mr. Ezeh, in a letter sent to newsmen in Enugu on Monday, deflated all the lies and called for all parties to withdraw their court cases, go to the field, and test their popularity among the people.
According to him, Mburubu Community Igweship started in 1976 when the community chose their late Igwe, HRH E.M.O. Ezeh. Before his coronation, the community gathered and called him to lead them because of his love and contributions to their growth. Prior to his emergence, Mburubu had chiefs who represented them, such as Chief Chukwu Anyiene from Obinagu, another from Uhuagu, and others before him. The late E.M.O. Ezeh hailed from Umudara.
In line with the military regime’s directive, Mburubu Community agreed to have an Igwe, and they crowned him in April 1976. Around July 1976, the government of the day, led by Col. Arthur Mkpere, gave him a certificate of recognition and a staff of office. During his coronation at Umudara village square, the late Igwe asked Ndi Mburubu if he could be succeeded by his son whenever his reign came to an end. The community said, “No,” stating that his Igweship was a result of his good deeds to them. Thus, his successor would come from any other village except Umudara and must be someone accepted by the majority of Ndi Mburubu. That was the origin of the rotation system, which means the Igwe would come from a village that was not that of the late Igwe and must be elected by the majority. This agreement was signed by the late Igwe and other stakeholders in the community as a constitution for Igweship selection, also known as “The 1976 Mburubu Autonomous Community Constitution,” which is gazetted with the Enugu State Government.
At that time, despite the late Igwe being the majority’s choice, the late Anthony Nweke Chukwu from Uhuagu village and another man from Umudara contested against him. However, the late Igwe E.M.O. Ezeh was not selected based on the seniority of his village, Umudara, but on his popularity and good deeds to the community. In 1976, Uhuegbe village was recognized as the eldest village in Mburubu and received every accolade associated with that status. However, in 1977, a man from Umudara village named the late Ogbede Nwaonyeabor took an oath and swore that Uhuegbe village was not the eldest in Mburubu, but rather Umudara. He argued that Umudara village had settled in Mburubu before Uhuegbe, as Mburubu people were made up of different settlers from different areas. The villages did not originate from one place.
In Igbo tradition, when someone takes an oath or swears before a deity over something, they are given one year to die or stay alive. If they survive, the other party is expected to purify them through ị́gwa ehụ (traditional purification). However, Uhuegbe village refused to perform the purification after that period, which was in 1978. It was Umudara village that later carried it out and claimed the position of the eldest village in 1978. This means that Uhuegbe village still contests the seniority issue to this day.
Moreover, no other village has taken any action to establish who comes next in seniority after Umudara, which means there is no known or verifiable order of seniority documented. It is now clear to everyone that the late Igwe was not elected based on village seniority.
The 2003 Mburubu Town Union Constitution
Before 2003, many people had led Mburubu unions since 1970 after the war under the name Mburubu Progressive Union (MPU), which independently ran the affairs of the union. It had leaders like Chief Nweke Onovo, Chief Sylvanus Njoku, and the late Chief Emmanuel Ezechukwu, with their union constitution at that time.
In 1993, a team of intellectuals from our community, led by Engr. Dr. D.C. Chukwu, came together to advocate for the establishment of a proper constitution to guide the union, which they did perfectly. In that constitution, there was nothing linking the town union’s regulatory system with that of the traditional leadership. We had other Town Union Presidents like Chief Boniface Ogbede, the late Patrick Ifediora, and Mr. Livinus Edeh, who led well with the 1993 constitution.
It was with the emergence of Chief Simon Anobi as a factional Town Union President and Chief Boniface Ogbede as another factional President in July 2003 that a crisis arose. This prompted the inauguration of Chief Simon Anobi and his faction in August 2003. He then set up a committee led by his then-leader, the late Mr. Aniebonam Igbudu. Along with his factional executives, they wrote a new constitution for the town union as an administrative organ in the community, claiming there was no other constitution for the town union.
No member of the Igwe’s cabinet was involved, no Igwe’s representative participated, and there was no discussion on the traditional institution during the drafting of the constitution, as stated by the then-factional treasurer. This was because they knew fully well that the traditional stool is a larger institution with well-defined rules. The former treasurer also opined that the late Aniebonam Igbudu managed to smuggle several items into that factional constitution without their knowledge, likely due to his selfish personal interest. In the 2003 Mburubu Town Union Constitution, Mr. Simon Aniobi elongated his tenure from three years to five years.
They made our Ìgwe the Board of Trustees Chairman and patron of the town union, which warranted his signatory to the constitution. However, our village chairmen, as well as other town unions, refused to sign it, and it was later rejected by the whole village. Chief Aniobi and his cohorts later used their colleagues to sign for them. This constitution was rejected by the community because it was created by a factional executive.
On January 4, 2004, the community came together at Obodo Uhuegbe Village Square to resolve the town union issue. They agreed that everything done by either of the factional Town Union Presidents be null and void as stakeholders preached for peace. They ordered that a confirmatory election be held, where all male members of the community, 18 years and above, would vote to select the Town Union President between Chief Simon Aniobi and Chief Boniface Ogbede. Whoever won would continue with his executives. Based on the aforementioned, votes were cast, and Chief Simon Aniobi won, bringing peace to the community. It should be noted that the 2003 town union constitution was drafted and signed between August and December 2003, but it was thrown out by the community, and a confirmation election was conducted by the people of Mburubu—not by delegates.
Town Union Elections
These cabals at the time became so powerful in Mburubu that they always had their way, disregarding the majority opinion in the community. They had no challenger due to their economic power and connections, making it difficult for them to respect the manipulations they inserted into their so-called 2003 town union constitution, especially concerning the zoning of executive positions within the union.
It was Prince Engr. Lawrence Ezeh and Chief Simon Aniobi who always imposed their choices against the will of the villagers. They brought in the late Mr. Celestine Chukwu from Uhuagu Village and imposed him on the community, even when his own people rejected him. Because there was no force to challenge them, they had their way. However, as fate and justice would have it, they had serious issues with the late Celestine Chukwu and his executives due to the amendments they suggested in the 2003 town union constitution, which was already due for revision.
The late Chukwu, having fallen out with his cabal leaders, decided to set up a constitutional amendment committee. He selected men of wisdom from villages and branches, and the late Igwe nominated a representative. The 2013 amendment of the constitution was completed, but Prince Ezeh Lawrence became angry when he saw that the power of constituting the town union election screening committee was removed from his father, the Igwe, as stated in the 2003 constitution as amended in 2013. He then went to court to challenge the amendment process. Since the late Chukwu and the community had limited resources to pursue the case, it remained dormant in Agbani High Court from 2013.
After the expiration of the late Chukwu’s tenure, Prince Lawrence Ezeh, through the power of the town union election committee, zoned the presidency to Uhuegbe Village in favor of Ọzọ Kenneth Igbudu. However, Chief Simon Aniobi opposed Ọzọ Kenneth Igbudu’s candidacy, arguing that he was a cousin to the late Celestine Chukwu, who had issues with them during his tenure, and that Ọzọ Kenneth Igbudu was from the Ifediora lineage. To him, nobody from the Ifediora lineage would ever lead Mburubu again. Chief Simon Aniobi then convinced Prince Lawrence Ezeh to support his choice candidate, Chief Cornelius Okolie, and the two agreed.
Against their choice, the people of Uhuegbe unanimously selected Mr. Calistus Chukwu, who was next in line after Ọzọ Kenneth Igbudu. However, the cabals rejected this and imposed their own choice on the community as the town union president, along with other executives.
After the expiration of his tenure, Prince Lawrence Ezeh, in his selfish interest, zoned the presidency of the town union to Obinagu Village to favor his personal driver, Hon. Emmanuel Edeh. The people of Obinagu, unhappy with this, rejected Hon. Emmanuel Edeh, conducted their internal election, and chose Ọzọ Sylvanus Chukwudi, popularly known as Morgodor. This led to tension in Mburubu. Obinagu village leaders then called Morgodor and Hon. Edeh together, conducted an election between them, and Morgodor won with over 50 votes against Hon. Edeh’s 3 votes.
However, Prince Engr. Lawrence Ezeh rejected the village’s choice and imposed Hon. Edeh on the community. He is currently serving as the town union president, despite the principles of equity, fairness, and natural justice.
Engr. Dr. Jerry Patrick Onuokaibe Was Chosen as the Igwe-elect of Mburubu
After the death of our late Igwe in December 2021 and his burial in April 2022, Mburubu people mourned him for over a year. We (Mburubu people) decided that we wouldn’t continue without an Igwe, who is the traditional head of the community, and called for a meeting of all Mburubu people through the Mburubu General Assembly and the late Igwe’s cabinet leaders. The meeting was held at Obodo Uhuegbe village square. The aim was to determine who the cap fits because there was no Traditional Prime Minister (Onowu Igwe) when the Igwe was alive, and the cabinet was led by its secretary.
The choice of our late Igwe’s successor became the top discussion. Many said that we needed someone who would serve us like the late Igwe E. M. O. Ezeh, someone who had the community’s interest at heart, someone who could bring development, someone who was young and vibrant, as well as an Ọzọ titleholder in line with our tradition.
After much deliberation by the people on how the late Igwe was selected and the agreement reached during his coronation in 1976, the choice of Ọzọ Jerry Patrick Onuokaibe was agreed upon by the overwhelming majority in attendance. The choice of Onuokaibe was accepted as he fell within the same age bracket as our late Igwe when he was chosen. A delegation was sent to inform him of the community’s decision and his choice as our new Igwe based on his deeds in the community and his desire to serve. He told them that he would need to make a series of consultations before giving his response. After his consultations, which took months, he accepted.
His name was submitted to the local government, which accepted him, and then to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development, and Chieftaincy Matters between December 28, 2023, and January 6, 2024.
On February 2, 2024, the community held a grand reception for him. Our people donated money to ensure that this was done. During this process, Prince Lawrence Ezeh and Simon Anobi brought their own candidate, which the community saw as madness, as their era of imposing leaders on us was over. He did everything possible to frustrate the February 2024 grand reception, including using thugs, but none worked. The grand reception was attended by the who’s who in Mburubu, including the parents of the town union president, the publisher of Time Africa Magazine, Dr. Chidi Peters Okorie (now Prince Lawrence Ezeh’s media propagandist), Chief Chinedu Ezechukwu, Hon. Njoku Ifeanyi, Ndi Nze na Ọzọ, cabinet members, Ndi omenala, among others.
Before the grand reception, Prince Lawrence Ezeh attempted to arrest Hon. Njoku Ifeanyi a day before the event to frustrate the occasion, but that was stopped by the intervention of good people and Ọzọ Jerry Patrick Onuokaibe. After the grand reception, the vulnerable villagers who attended were battered and molested by Prince Lawrence Ezeh’s men. They had warned people not to attend or face a fine of ₦100,000, which fell on deaf ears because of the freedom of association. The people can now decide for themselves because they now have people who can defend them. The then PDP chairman in Mburubu Ward, Hon. Stephen Egbo, was attacked, as well as his family and other villagers. The news was carried by radio, social media, and print media. It took the intervention of Chief Jerry Patrick Onuokaibe, who came with security agencies to rescue those they arrested and placed under house arrest. What manner of a wicked son is this?
How Prince Ezeh Wanted to Impose an Igwe on Us
While his father’s remains were still lying in the morgue, he did the unthinkable with Mr. Simon Anobi when they raised the issue of outcasts, which nobody had in mind in Mburubu, only for Chief Simon Aniobi to have access to the Igwe stool. That could have caused serious unrest in our community because they started segregating some people, but it was quenched and subdued by our people, as we now have people who can match them penny for penny, contact for contact.
What people keep asking Prince Lawrence Ezeh and his cohorts is: Where was the 2003 Town Union constitution when Prince Lawrence Ezeh took Chief Simon Anobi to the then-governor after his father’s death to recognize him—Chief Simon Aniobi—as the Igwe to replace his father? Where was the 2003 Town Union constitution when Hon. Emmanuel Edeh was busy campaigning to be the Igwe after the death of E. M. O. Ezeh? Where was the said constitution they always refer to when he was imposing leaders on us as Town Union presidents?
Igweship Selection/Election
Prince Lawrence Ezeh, Chief Simon Aniobi, and their cohorts resorted to using a controversial 2003 Mburubu Town Union constitution that is not approved by the ministry and not gazetted with the Enugu State government over the 1976 Mburubu Autonomous Community constitution, which is gazetted with the Enugu State government, to conduct an Igweship election for us. God forbid—a constitution that recognizes only six villages instead of seven in the community and states that the Igweship election is by delegates, with only 18 designated people to vote, as each village is expected to select three persons. The land of our community will never allow such sacrilege. Thank God for the timely court injunction.
Prince Ezeh, Hon. Emma Edeh, and Simon Anobi wanted to use 18 people to choose an Igwe for a community that has over 30,000 people. “Arụ” (abomination). That would have been an aberration to the gods and man. The imposition of a Traditional Prime Minister (Onowu Igwe) by Prince Lawrence Ezeh on the cabinet members after the demise of the late Igwe E. M. O. Ezeh is a taboo in Igbo land. It is the duty of the Igwe to appoint his Traditional Prime Minister, not his son. Doing so after the death of the Igwe is a taboo.
We say no to all these impunities in our community, Mburubu! The head of the Igwe cabinet after the demise of the Igwe is the cabinet’s secretary, Chief Ọnwụka Ezekwe.
Court Judgment of February 12, 2025
For the court to choose a Town Union constitution that is not gazetted with the Enugu State government over the 1976 Mburubu Autonomous Community constitution is something to look into. For a court to give the Town Union power to conduct an election of Igwe in Mburubu community outside the process of election of Igwe in the 2003 Town Union constitution it chose is still questionable.
For the court to say that the late Igwe was elected based on village seniority, whereas Uhuegbe village still had recognition as the eldest village during the coronation of the late Igwe from Umudara village, is a big fallacy that we believe the appeal court will overrule if all court cases are not withdrawn.
Our Appeal for Peace
Let our people know that courts do not give communities traditional rulers—the people do. Mburubians must come together, withdraw all court cases, and allow what happened in 1976 to happen again if a few cabals feel they were not carried along. Let all parties go to the field and test their popularity among the male and female indigenes of Mburubu aged 18 and above for a confirmation election, as was done in January 2004 when there were two factions of the Town Union executive.
Let the gods be consulted by Eze Anị Mburubu for spiritual approval.
Let me cap it like this: “Court anaghị enye Igwe. Obodo ga eweta udo.” Anybody who emerges from the court process will be known as “Igwe Court.” He will not receive the needed accolade from the people.
God bless Mburubu people.
God bless Nkanu East.
God bless Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.
God bless Enugu State.
Mburubu: Enugu community leader unveils truth about traditional leadership crises, way forward