•Okorocha
Shock and disbelief greeted the passage of paramount ruler of Owerri ancient kingdom, Eze Emmanuel Emeyounu Njemanze whose transition was announced yesterday.
The late monarch, who was a trained
pharmacist had ruled Owerri for 27 years with the title of Ozuruigbo the
V of Owerri. He reportedly died in his palace at the age of 84 during a
brief illness.
Njemanze, who retired as a pharmacist from General Hospital, Owerri, succeeded Eze Linus Njemanze.
In mid 2012, his
ultra modern palace was gutted by a mysterious fire, a development
which forced him to relocate to his private home within Owerri
municipality where he resided till his death.
His face-off with the administration of
Owelle Rochas Okorocha, which arose from alleged violation of
government’s directive to all traditional rulers in the state to
dissociate themselves from the activities of the former chairman of the
Council of Ndieze – Dr Cletus Ilomunanya, Obi of Obiugwu, earned him
suspension from the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers and the
balkanisation of the ancient Kingdom of Owerre into five separate
autonomous communities which further alienated the late monarch from
state government activities.
It is not clear as to who would succeed the late monarch as there had been bitter rivalries within the Njemanze family.
Meanwhile, Okorocha has described the late monarch
as a foremost traditional ruler in the country. The governor said this
when he led senior government functionaries on a condolence visit to the
family of the late monarch. He was accompanied on the visit by his
deputy, Prince Eze Madumere, Secretary to the State Government, Sir.
George Eche, Chief of Staff, Chief Uche Nwosu, Principal Secretary to
the governor, Dr. Paschal Obi, Head of Service, Mr. Calistus Ekenze, and
serving commissioners.
Okorocha and his team were received by
the late Eze’s widow and son, Ugoeze Pauline and Prince Iheanyi Emenyonu
Njemanze on arrival at the family house.
“We have come to pay special condolences
to one of the foremost traditional rulers in the country who had
ensured that the dignity of the traditional institution was sustained.”
“To every sunrise there must be a sunset
and for every man that is born, there must be death someday. This is a
notorious fact that we have come to live with. Eze Njemanze was such a
humble spoken gentleman, who cared for his people, and a man who lived
to say the truth no matter how bitter it was,” the governor said. In his
response, the late monarch’s son, Prince Njemanze thanked the governor
and his entourage for coming to sympathise with the family with all
those who matter in his administration, adding that such action had only
demonstrated how highly he had placed his father.
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