Court Sacks Occupant Of Nyenwe Ali Ubima Stool

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has nullified the certificate of recognition given to Eze Iheanyi Williams by the state government as the Nyenwe Ali of Ubima community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state, describing the said recognition and installation as illegal and non-existent.
The monarch, until the court’s decision, was the paramount ruler of Ubima community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The court also held that the state government’s action to recognise the sacked paramount ruler of Ubima community, during the pendency of the matter in the court, amounted to “executive rascality and abuse of power”, saying that no court would allow such disobedience and disrespect to its orders to thrive.
The trial judge, Justice Chigozie Igwe of the state High Court 17, in his judgment delivered, last Wednesday in Port Harcourt, in a matter bordering on the rightful occupant to the Nyenwe Ali Ubima community chieftaincy stool brought by Eze Michael Dikewoha of Ubima.
The trial judge held that the action of the state government was an affront on the sanctity and the independence of the Judiciary, adding that the law frowns at any action that would jeopardise any matter before the court.
He said the court’s order sacking the former Ubima monarch was to serve as a deterrent to others, noting that Prince Iheanyi Williams shot himself in the leg by his accepting to align himself with the state government’s action when he was aware of the pendency of the suit before the court for the last 10 years.
“He is barred from the benefits of this judgement, the state government’s action by recognising Prince Iheanyi Williams during the pendency of this matter is null and void, and has no effect on the stool in contest”, he stated.
The claimant, Eze Michael Dikewoha, who was laying claim as the rightful occupant to the Ubima chieftaincy stool, had prayed the court, among other things, to declare him as the only qualified person for the stool since he was the oldest serving village head in Ubima in accordance with the custom and native laws of the people as well as urged the court to declare the action of the state government a nullity for issuing a certificate of office and recognition to Prince Iheanyi Williams, even when the state government was a party in the matter.
Justice Chigozie Igwe, however, dismissed the claims of the claimant, Eze Michael Dikewoha, and the counter claims of Eze Christopher Okah, 2nd defendant in the matter, as well as the third set of defendants, and the Omuobunwo family who are fourth to seventh defendants in the suit for inconsistency and lack of coherence in the various evidence of fact in their claims.
The third and set of the fourth to seventh defendants sought for court declaration that they were the bona fide occupants of the disputed Ubima Nyenwe Ali chieftaincy stool.
The trial judge while dismissing the prayers of both the claimants and that of the third and fourth defendants, averred that they did not prove their case beyond reasonable doubt, adding that they failed to justify their claims through the evidence and facts before the court.
Justice Igwe, therefore, ordered the three families of Omuahiaume, Omuahua, and Omuobunwo, who are the original descendants of Ubi, the founder of Ubima community to bury their selfish interests, and go home and nominate a suitable candidate for recognition and subsequent installation as the new Nyenwe Ali of Ubima.
Earlier in an interview with newsmen after the judgment, the counsel who represented the Omuobunwo family, who were fourth to seventh defendants in the matter, Winston Churchill Madume, said he would study the judgment, and inform his clients on the next line of action.
Other defendants in the suit include, Rivers State Government through the Attorney General as first defendant, and Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, as second defendant.