Rumueme community kicks against Wike’s monarch imposition
Barth Ndubuwah, Port Harcourt
A section of Rumueme Kingdom in Obio/Apkor Local Government Area of Rivers State has kicked against the choice and consequent pronouncement of HRM Omunnakwe Nsirim as the Nye Nwe Eli and Paramount Ruler of the community by Governor Nyesom Wike, describing it as an imposition on the people.
Nye risi Mbam Oro Anwanwor,Chief Appearance Godwin Elikor disclosed this on Saturday when he spoke to journalists at the community, in Port Harcourt.
Elikor said that Governor Wike’s decision to choose and pronounce Chief Omunnakwe Nsirim as paramount ruler in a First Class status was not in order.
He pointed out that the matter was still pending before the Supreme Court of Nigeria and wondered why the Governor will go on his own frolic and decide on a matter in an apex court.
According to him, he was to be the rightful occupant of the chieftaincy stool instead of Eze Omunnakwe Nsirim.
The retired military man, who went down memory lane, recalled how Akaniwo and Chida fought and liberated the kingdom during the Rumu Opara war about 100 years ago, and alleged that Eze Nsirim’s father absconded from the community then.
He was of the view that such recognition should have been for those who risked their lives for the community, especially the Anwanwor family where he hails from.
“Omunnakwe’s father ran away during the Libration War that brought the Kingdom to stay. Chida and Akaninwor fought and liberated the kingdom,” he said.
The Eze Rumueme further revealed that they have won the matter up to the Court of Appeal and expressed worries that Governor Wike could stand against them during this trying period.
Another point of worry in Wike’s decision, he said was the issue of pronouncing Chief Larry Nyeche Chuku as the Nye risi Mbam Oro Anwanwor against the wish of the people.
He also said that the community now operates two parallel Council of Chiefs, one loyal to Eze Nsirim and the other loyal to Chief Ikeguru Ihunwo, the Chairman of another faction.
To end the internal wrangling in the area, he appealed to the Governor to use his good offices and call both factions to a roundtable discussion before deciding on the matter in order to foster peaceful coexistence among the people.
“If nothing is done to effect change about the decision, Rumueme may find it difficult to operate under one Council of Chiefs,”he said.
All attempts to contact Chief Larry Nyeche Chuku and Eze Nsirim proved abortive, as at the time of filing this report.
