Court restrains monarch from functioning

ANAMBRA State High Court sitting at Ogidi, has granted an interim injunction, restraining the traditional ruler of Alor community in Idemili South

Local Council of the state, Igwe Mac Anthony Okonkwo,

from further parading himself as the Igwe of Alor.

The order followed a counter- claim filed by the second defendant/ counterclaimant, Chief Uzoma Igbonwa, through his counsel, Bona Oraekwe, challenging the recognition and certification of Okonkwo, the third plaintiff as the traditional ruler of Alor ( Ezedioramma III), since 2014, by the state government.

Okonkwo and two others, Frank Nwabufo Okoye and Ifenna Okafor, had in Suit N0. HID/ 354/ 2019, through their counsel, S. C. Udemezue and F. I Obiekwu, sued Incorporated Trustees of Alor Peoples Assembly ( APA) and Igbonwa to court.

They sought a declaration that the APA, registered under Part C. of Companies and Allied Matters Act ( CAMA) of 1990 is not a town union government and as such cannot perform the functions and duties of Alor Peoples Convention ( APC), which is the authentic town union government for Alor people.

The plaintiffs also sought a declaration of the court that the purported change of name of the APC to APA at the Corporate Affairs Commission ( CAC) by the defendants is null and void, adding that the court should restrain the APA from acting as APC and from holding parallel meetings of Alor yearly General Assembly comprising all adult male and female of Alor extraction in any way whatsoever.

The plaintiffs further prayed the court to restrain APA from conducting any form of election for the purposes of selecting a new traditional ruler in place of the third plaintiff, Okonkwo who has already been recognised and certified by the state government as the Ezediohamma III of Alor since 2015.

However, Justice Pete Obiorah while delivering a ruling, yesterday, ordered Okonkwo to forthwith desist from occupying or using the Palace of Obi Eze Agbudugbu ( the original ancestral abode of Alor people) and generally, intermeddling in the various customs and practices as well as administrative affairs of Alor town.

Justice Obiorah, who is also the administrative judge of Idemili Judicial Division, further granted an order, directing the second defendant/ counter- claimant Igbonwa as the PresidentGeneral of APC elected in compliance with court judgment in suit. No. A/ 14/ 2015, delivered on February 5, 2019.