Govts need traditional rulers to succeed, shouldn’t meddle with affairs – Says Eze Eva Iwuji as Umuezeala Nsu erupts with joy at 20th anniversary

Through its highly illustrious sons, Umuezeala Nsu has made a great impact and contributed to national development.

The relatively large community is made up of 12 villages and five towns. It became an autonomous community about 20 years ago. This December, precisely on the 27th, the community is rolling out the drums to celebrate its anniversary as well as to mark the 20^th anniversary of the coronation of its traditional ruler, 66-year-old Eze Evaristus Iwuji, Ogu Ugo 1 of Umuezeala Nsu.

In this brief discussion with the monarch of the community, and a few others, Eze Iwuji bared his mind on some touchy national and local issues and called on the government to transform the local communities through the provision of essential amenities in order to avoid the rush to the cities by the youths in search of better opportunities.

How has it been?

It has not been easy but I thank God. It has been the grace of God all along. As is natural, some people would agree with you while others may not. This is especially so when they bring cases to you. Those who lose would say all sorts of things because they don’t want to hear the truth. If you handle ten cases, you would be sure of ten friends or ten enemies. Those that lose would count themselves as your enemies and start saying all kinds of nonsense whereas those that lose would regard you as a friend. Some feel that they matter so much you cannot do anything without them, and get annoyed if you don’t agree with them.

However, a good leader should not be swayed by this either way. He must trust God for the wisdom to stick to the truth and how to manage the people. Generally, the community is blessed by very many great minds, and I am proud of them; it is an honour to be their leader.

What are the challenges you have experienced on the throne since your ascension?

There are many challenges but God sees one through. When you come up with an idea, some people insist on having it their way, and there will be trouble if you don’t agree with them. However, if God put you in a position of leadership, He would also direct you on how to go about it. It’s not easy but when God is on your side, you manage. When you are leading people that are older than you, it is not an easy task. The only thing is to fast, pray, and ask God to direct you.

You talk so much about God…

Yes, because I cannot do without God. There is nothing anyone can do without God. If you ask Him, He will direct you on how to overcome. There are different churches in my domain. I relate well with all of them. I have worshipped with all the churches here and I ask them to come around me. I operate an open-door policy. I ask God to direct me.

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We are predominantly Catholic but we have Pentecostals, and Apostolic, Lutheran churches here, even Cherubim and Seraphim, C&S. We cooperate very well. I have donated chairs to all and whenever I visit them, they bring one of the chairs for me to sit down and they pray for me. They are also at peace with one another. All I expect of them is to do what is good. If they bring their ideology, it will not work. Some would tell you that what you are doing is not good but if you pray and God leads you, then you will accept.

The community seems to have some good infrastructure

I thank God for our children through whom some infrastructures have been located in our community. One of our illustrious sons, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, a former minister, who also aspired to become Nigeria’s president, brought the JAMB Centre and the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, campus to our community. He also brought the Mother and Child Hospital to Umuezeala Nsu. Chuks Anamekwe too, the former acting Accountant General of the Federation, AGF, helped to tar some of the roads in the community although, sadly, it did not reach my side.

I believe when the time comes, my side too shall benefit, even as I appeal to the government to do more in this regard. We also need electricity. Though we are connected to light, we hardly see the light; it is a rare occurrence despite the bills that are too high for the rural folk to bear. We need water supply too. We depend on people’s personal boreholes for our water needs.

Worse still, due to the topography of our area, many people have spent millions sinking boreholes but were unable to get water. I believe the government can do better by making water available to the people. Our schools also need attention. They need to be well-equipped and provided with modern teaching aids as well as update teachers to make learning interesting for the pupils.

How do you see the security situation in the South-east?

It is a very worrisome development and I urge both the perpetrators and security operatives to be considerate. Nothing can be achieved by warfare and needless bloodshed. However, truly, I am grateful to God for our safety in this community. I also thank our Chief Security Officer, Chief Emma Ogbu, a retired police officer, and his team for the great job they are doing.

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There have not been many crimes in this community but even when criminals tried, they could not succeed. They had attempted to vandalise the NOUN but failed. Our youths are doing well too. I have told them to work hard to see that whatever our children brought here for our use must not be destroyed and they are doing that.

They share the belief that when the community is good, it is good for all of us and vice versa. I have encouraged everyone to manage whatever has been brought here since nobody knows when another one will come.

Having stayed 20 years on the throne, what vision do you have for your domain?

I believe I should be divinely guided to move Umuezeala Nsu forward and glorify God. The other time, Rev. Faith brought some church people here to pray in the community so that evil people would repent or face the repercussions of their evil deeds.

That is my vision, a prosperous and forward-looking community where God comes first; where God would bless the people and we glorify His name for what He has done for us. We have recorded more good than bad in this community, thanks to God. Of course, there is no society without bad people but our people are a lot better.

The problem we seem to have now is the Yahoo Yahoo menace. We also need jobs for our children. We need productive industries in my community so that our children can get work to do be productive, and shun criminality. We pray for divine protection and guidance so that our children will not be deceived.

I pray that more job opportunities are provided for the youths so that they will be steered away from social ills. We may not have big cars and houses but we have not deviated from our fathers’ mode of life; to live is to tell the truth.

Looking back on the last 20 years, what can you point to as your achievements?

It would not be proper for me to name my achievements. I think other people would be in a better position to do that. However, my greatest achievement on the throne of my forefathers is the sustenance of peace in my domain. God has ensured that there has been no violence in the land. We have also not witnessed armed robbery cases. Our community has been safe and peaceful.

Are you content with the role of traditional rulers in the scheme of things?

I thank the government for what they have done for traditional rulers. However, like all human beings, our wants are insatiable. The government needs the traditional rulers to succeed. Government should not meddle in the affairs of traditional rulers and how they are selected as long as it follows due process of their communities.

The government should give traditional rulers a constitutional role to play in government since they are natural rulers and closest to the people. It is time the government spelt out the roles of traditional rulers and backed them up legally.

What advice do you have for the government?

I thank God for Nigerian politicians. They should know that there is God. They are in charge of the people and should not allow bloodshed under their watch. There is much bloodshed in the land, and it is not good.

I also want to advise the government to provide basic infrastructure, such as roads, electricity, water, etc. to the people. They should make food available and affordable. If the basic needs are provided for us in the rural communities, there would be no need for anyone to leave in search of greener pastures in the already congested cities.

That will kill the urge to travel out because what you are seeking in Sokoto is in your shokoto.

Also, speaking on the anniversary, Chief Cajetan Mahakwe Anyanwu, Chairman of the Anniversary Planning Committee, threw more light on the event.

He said: “Our Eze, HRH Evaristus Emereonye Iwuji, was given the Staff of Office and Certificate of Recognition as the Traditional Ruler of Umuezeala Nsu on 23rd of December, 2003, by the then Governor of Imo State, His Excellency Chief Achike Udenwa. HRH has, therefore, been on the throne for 20 years, a period characterised by peace and steady progress in our land.

“The 20th Anniversary is being celebrated to glorify and worship God for his ever-abiding presence and abundant provisions for our community. It is meant to celebrate our Eze for his good leadership qualities; and share love, friendship, and communion amongst our people, in-laws, friends, and well-wishers.

“As a memorial to this great event, HRH Eze E E Iwuji, the Ogu-Ugo1, and his cabinet will confer chieftaincy titles on our deserving sons and daughters, in-laws, and friends of our community.

“In addition, HRH and the President General shall bestow Achievement Awards on those who have made substantial contributions to the development of our Autonomous Community.”

To a member of the community’s Works Committee, Emma Nwosu, “celebration is part of life, especially realising how many benefits we share because of God’s grace. For me, 20 years anniversary as an autonomous community is quite in order. Secondly, it’s time to appraise our strength and unity as other communities are moving on well. The spark the programme has garnered so far should be a tonic for our community to look in direction  of good, high impact projects in the community.

“Since the autonomous community status, Umuezeala Nsu has moved from five villages status to about 12 to villages. This in my thinking will bring governance much closer to rural people. So many of the social issues that made police stations viable in the past have actually had a settling platform at Eze‘s Palace, etc.”

 Similarly, Barr. Magnus Agu, President General, Umuezeala Nsu Autonomous Community, counted some of the community’s blessings.

“Twenty years down the line, we have been blessed, flourished, developed, expanded, and grown in love, unity, and the fear of God.  Some of our people have secured one form of employment or another,” he noted.

 “Within the last twenty years, we have witnessed unprecedented development in areas of infrastructure and human capital building powered by our brothers and sisters in the areas of the network of roads, industrial water scheme, hospitals, JAMB center, massive employment, youth empowerment, scholarships, and many more. I thank these good sons and daughters and pray God to reward them abundantly… Amen.

 “All we have achieved within this period would not have been possible without the man on top HRH Eze Evaristus Emereonye Iwuji who is a gift to this Autonomous Community. I pray God to continue to expand his coast and wisdom in Jesus name, Amen.”