THE JOURNEY TO EZESHIP

HRH Eze Fidelis Elugwaraonu was among the new traditional rulers who were recognized by the
Executive Governor of Imo state, His Excellency, Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha on March 31, 2014 when they received their Staff of Office and Certificate of Recognition at the Government House, Owerri. By this recognition, HRH Eze Fidelis Elugwaraonu becomes EZEOHA II OF UVURU AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY as he succeeds late Eze R.U. Mbalewe who was Ezeoha I of Uvuru until his death in 2006.
As presently constituted, Uvuru autonomous community made up of Akuwa, Umuaghara and Umuorobara (collectively called Okwunakuwa) was what remained of Uvuru Ancient Kingdom after four other autonomous communities were created from it. Late Eze R.U. Mbalewe who ruled over Uvuru Ancient Kingdom for more than three decades transferred his Ezeship to Uvuru autonomous community and ruled over it until he died in 2006. After a period of mourning, the Ezeship of Uvuru Autonomous community was declared vacant. It was at this juncture that the journey to Ezeship started. The town union, Uvuru Progressive Association (UPA) under the leadership of Chief  Malachy Nwaogu had set up the Ezeship Screening and Selection Committee with Chief Felix Akwuole as Chairman and Mr. Augustine Nwaiwu as secretary to collect applications from aspirants for the vacant Ezeship stool and harmonize procedure for selection of an Eze for Uvuru autonomous community. The position of Eze of Uvuru autonomous community was zoned to Umuorobara and Akuwa while Umuaghara should not contest because they produced the last Eze. In the process, five Ezeship aspirants emerged including: Chief Fidelis I. Elugwaraonu (Umuorobara), Chief Jala M.C. Ohanwadi (Umuorobara), Mr. Chris Mbah (Umuorobara), Mr. Ngozi Njoku (Umuorobara), and Mr. Gad Njoku (Akuwa). Each of the five - aspirants paid a non¬refundable application fee of N100, 000.00. When a consensus candidate could not emerge between the five aspirants, the Executive committee members of Uvuru Progressive Association and members of Eze's cabinet met on April 30, 2011 and gave a three-month ultimatum to Umuorobara and Akuwa to produce a consensus candidate from the aspirants. At the expiration of the three months on July 31, 2011, Okwunakuwa people assembled at Community School Okwunakuwa for the purpose of selecting a consensus candidate from the five aspirants to no avail. To break the Jinx, the President-General of Uvuru Association, Chief Malachy Nwaogu gave Chairman of Ezeship screening committee, Chief Felix Akwuole two weeks to conduct election for the five Ezeship aspirants which was scheduled for August 13, 2011, at Community School, Okwunakuwa by 9.00am. The election was conducted on delegate basis according to "AKWAWA" system of sharing in Okwunakuwa with Umuaghara producing 100 delegates while Umuorobara and Akuwa produced 100 delegates (i.e. 50 delegates each), making a total of 200 delegates. Public awareness for the election was created through public Address system and text messages were sent to the aspirants to inform them about the election even as it was resolved that the election will go ahead in case any section or candidate failed to appear for the election. At the end of the election, total of 95 votes were cast, out of which Chief Fidelis Elugwaraonu got 92 while two votes were credited to Mr. Gad Njoku and one to Mr. Chris Mbah, though they did not participate in the election.

Following the declaration of Chief Fidelis Elugwaraonu as Eze elect, Chris Mbah and two other aspirants to the Ezeship of Uvuru autonomous community, Chief Jala M.C. Ohanwadi and Umuorobara towns of Uvuru went to court in suit No. HAM/31/2011 to challenge the election of Chief Elugwaraonu to fill the vacancy of Ezeship Stool of Uvuru autonomous community. Joined in the suit as defendants were Chief Malachy Nwaogu, (President-General of Uvuru Progressive Association), Chief Felix Akwuole (Chairman of Ezeship Screening and Selection Committee), and Chief Barr. Kenneth Amadi; (Chairman of Constitution Review Committee), Chairman, Aboh Mbaise LGA, Governor of Imo State and Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Imo State.
On September 13, 2011, the people of Uvuru Autonomous Community presented their Eze-elect, Chief Fidelis Elugwaraonu to the authorities ofAboh Mbaise LGA as their next Traditional Ruler after late Eze R.U. Mbalewe with the title of Ezeoha. In an address signed by community leaders of Uvuru autonomous community including: Chief Malachy Nwaogu (president-General of Uvuru Progressive Association, UPA), late Chief O.I. Odemene (former Traditional Prime Minister), Chief Felix Akwuole (chairman Ezeship Screening and Selection Committee), Mr. Eugene Otti (Secretary UPA), Mr. Augustine Nwaiwu (Secretary, Ezeship Screening and Selection Committee) and Chief L. Ehiudo (Cabinet Secretary), Chief Malachy Nwaogu asserted thus: "in line with the act establishing the Traditional Institution in lmo State of Nigeria, we hereby formally present our Eze-elect: Chief Fidelis Elugwaraonu, Eze Oha of Uvuru Autonomous Community, to you for appropriate recommendations as an "Eze" in Imo State" He observed that the action is consequent on a consensus agreement reached on Saturday, August 13, 2011 (Afor market day) at Community School, Okwunakuwa when the community gathered to elect their traditional ruler emphasizing that a large convocation of Uvuru people elected the named Eze-elected as the community's choice for the Ezeship stool of Uvuru. Chief Nwaogu, pointed out that there was no single dissenting voice among the people of Uvuru autonomous community in the choice of the Eze-elect even as he insisted that the choice is in compliance with the provision of section four (4) of Uvuru Autonomous Community Ezeship constitution as amended. According to him, the Eze-elect completely satisfied the requirements of this section of the constitution. Chief Malachy Nwaogu, however warned that any other letters or documents which may present any other person as Eze-elect which do not bear the signatories of the principal officers of the community should not be acceptable as emanating from Uvuru autonomous community.

Responding, Hon. Kenneth Onwuharaonye, member of Aboh Mbaise LGA transition Committee in charge of Agriculture who represented the Chairman accepted the Eze- elect as presented by his people and promised that authorities of Aboh Mbaise LGA will forward the file to Owerri who will install the Eze-elect as Eze.
However, the journey to the Ezeship did not end here as the Government of Imo State set up various panels to fill vacant Ezeship stools in different parts of the state. Panel No.5 was responsible for Aboh Mbaise LGA and Ngor Okpala LGA and on May 9, 2012, the panel conducted election at Community School Okwunakuwa where people from Umuaghara, Akuwa and Umuorobara gathered to choose their Eze in a plebiscite (option A4) and Chief Fidelis Elugwaraonu emerged victorious with 148 votes to win the election as Eze-elect, thereby re-affirming his earlier victory as the people's choice for the Ezeship of Uvuru autonomous community. Earlier, the panel appealed to aggrieved parties to withdraw any matter pending in court which they did and based on this, a fresh election was conducted, setting aside result of election conducted before now.
This development necessitated another presentation of the Eze-elect to the Local Government Authority at Aboh Mbaise LGA on June 19, 2012 during which Hon. Atudume, then LGA Transition Committee Chairman accepted documents from Executives of Uvuru autonomous Community for onward presentation to the Government at Owerri.
Even so, the other party involved in the Ezeship tussle filed an interlocutory injunction in which the Honourable Judge of Aboh Mbaise High court, His Lordship, Mrs. U.D. Ogwurike ruled to restrain the Eze-elect from parading himself as Eze-elect until the substantive case is determined, and even restraining the State Governor from recognizing the Eze-elect as Eze until the determination of the substantive suit pending in court.
Nevertheless, on March 31, 2014, Governor Rochas Okorocha issued Staff of Office and Certificate of Recognition to HRH Eze Fidelis Elugwaraonu as the Eze and Traditional Ruler of Uvuru Autonomous Community with the title of Ezeoha II of Uvuru with effect from July 16, 2013.
Back home on Easter Sunday April 20, 2014, the people of Okwunakuwa gathered at Community school, Okwunakuwa to coronate their new Eze as Chief (Dr) Patrick Kemdi Njoku, Omenuko Aku Uvuru and Chairman of National Examination Council (NECO) decorated HRH Eze Elugwaraonu with throne crown, beads and other paraphernalia of royalty amidst jubilation, thanksgiving and feasting as he ascended the throne. Earlier in the day, a thanksgiving service was conducted at St. Raphael Catholic Church Okwunakuwa to give thanks to God Almighty for the victory which ultimately came in spite of all opposition.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON HRH EZE FIDELIS ELUGWARAONU

HRH Eze Fidelis Ihekoronye Elugwaraonu was born about 1938 to the family of late Chief Elugwaraonu Amaechi of Umuemereonye kindred of Umuorobara Okwunakuwa Uvuru in Aboh Mbaise LGA, Imo State, Nigeria.
He was educated at St. Mary's School Uvuru from 1950 to 1955 where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate. He proceeded to the prestigious Mbaise Secondary School Aboh Mbaise where he studied between 1956 and 1960 for the Cambridge School Certificate.
Young Fidelis Elugwaraonu worked briefly with Lagos City Council after school between 1961 and 1963 as Building Inspector before proceeding to England for further studies where he read Insurance Education at Leicester College of Technology.
He returned to Nigeria in 1967 in the heat of the Biafra war. When the war ended in 1970, he was employed as Insurance Manager with Arrowhead Insurance Company Limited at Aba, from where he opened a branch of the company in Umuahia. In 1974, he joined SCOA at Port Harcourt, and moved to Onitsha as Area Representative of the Company before retiring as Branch Manager of Warri branch of the Company in February 1990. It will be recalled that Fidelis Elugwaraonu had served his people as Councilor of Umuorobara and Akuwa ward in 1970 and joined politics as Assistant Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He resigned from politics to join the Ezeship race after death of late Eze R.U. Mbalewe in 2006 and won election as Eze-elect of Uvuru autonomous community. Today, HRH Eze Fidelis Elugwaraonu is the Eze and Traditional Ruler of Uvuru autonomous community with the title of Ezeoha II.

In the past, HRH Eze Elugwaraonu has been honoured with various chieftaincy titles in recognition of his contribution to the growth of society. He holds the title of Ozurumba I of Mbutu by late Eze Onwumere in 1995, and Ochualiri I of Uvuru by late Eze R.U. Mbalewe in 2002.
He was also honoured in the church with the title of Ezinnaoha of St. Raphael Catholic church, Okwunakuwa in 2009.
HRH Eze Fidelis Elugwaraonu got married to Ugoeze Grace Elugwaraonu (nee Ahamefule) a retired Vice Principal- in 1967 and the marriage is blessed with 4 children - 3 sons and one daughter.
His interests/hobbies include prayers and Church Affairs. He is a great Agriculturist.
Asked how he felt with the development, Chief Felix Akwuole who spearheaded the Ezeship struggle and presently, Secretary of Uvuru Autonomous Community said he was happy because that is prayer of the Community to have a traditional ruler of their own after so long a time.


Source: Mbaise Development Digest