Imo lists conditions, criteria for approving monarchs

Imo State government has pledged to follow laid down procedures and laws in granting approvals for the crowning of monarchs in various autonomous communities.

Sole Administrator of Owerri North Local Council, Tony Umezurike, who disclosed this when representatives of Mbaoma autonomous community in the council presented a former General Manager (Operations and Maintenance) of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company, Callixtus Osuji, to the council as Ezeoma II of Mbaoma.

According to him, the selection of Osuji by the Mbaoma Development Union (MDU), was in line with the laid down rules and guidelines for picking the right candidate from the two homes, as provided for in the constitution of the community and as contained in ‘’Aro Holding Families and Ancient Ruling Homes.’’

Umezurike said the state government would follow the due process during the screening exercise.

He spoke on the need for the communities to look inwards and choose persons of unblemished track record to preside over their kingship stools.

He said: “Imo state government will follow laid down rules in screening the candidates. This is important.”

Mbaoma autonomous community was created in 2002. But its first monarch, B. O. Nelson was crowned in 2014. He died in 2022, after ruling for eight years.

In their speeches, the head of Oha (elders in the community); Njoku, the President General of the MDU; and Ishiguzo, representatives of the youths and women, said their presence was to show that they followed due process in the peaceful event, and pleaded with the government to grant their request.

Osuji, a member of the Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), In his acceptance speech, said he has offered few selfless services to his community, in the past, including donation of two transformers and getting jobs to some youths and members of the community.

Osuji said he made those sacrifices as a “payback time to the community and society,” following the financial contribution they offered him as a child in primary school.