The raging controversy over the disputed recognition of HRH Chinedu Uzoukwu as Traditional Ruler of Umuojisi Autonomous Community in Ideato South Local Government Area has taken a dramatic turn, following the reported disassociation of the Imo State Government from a publication in the Nigerian Horn newspaper of August 13, 2026, titled, “Govt Reaffirms Recognition of HRH Chinedu Uzoukwu As Traditional Ruler Of Umuojisi Autonomous Community.”
The state government’s position, conveyed through the Head of Department, Chieftaincy Affairs, has triggered fresh demands from members of Umuojisi for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the publication and the persons responsible for the purported government position. The community had earlier embarked on a peaceful protest by its Umuada, women and youths against what they described as an attempt to impose and secure recognition for Uzoukwu through the concealment of crucial information, including a pending appeal. The protesters insist that such a process cannot be reconciled with the rule of law and respect for judicial proceedings.
At the centre of the fresh allegations is the Executive Chairman of Ideato South LGA, Hon. Okechukwu Okwara, whom aggrieved members of the community accuse of improperly interfering in the constitutional, cultural and traditional processes governing the emergence of their traditional ruler. More seriously, they are demanding that authorities investigate whether the council chairman misrepresented the position of the state government that halted the purported coronation as demanded by the protesters; in responding to their grievances through the newspaper publication.
According to the community, the protesters did not approach Okwara’s office to seek a response to their protest. Rather, they allege that the chairman directed them to proceed to Government House and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Owerri, where matters relating to state recognition of traditional rulers are officially handled. They therefore question how a purported response attributed to “Ideato South Government” could subsequently appear in the media as though it represented the position of the state authorities.
The development has raised serious concerns over what the community describes as an attempt to drag the administration of Governor Hope Uzodimma into a dispute that should ordinarily be resolved through established procedures and respect for the courts. The people contend that any attempt by a local government official to speak or act in a manner capable of creating the impression that the state government has taken a position on a sensitive traditional matter, without clear authorisation, deserves thorough scrutiny.
They further recalled that the dispute had existed under Okwara’s predecessor, Hon. Pastor Bede Ikeaka, who, according to them, handled the matter with greater restraint after receiving the Notice of Appeal in Suit No. CA/OW/333/21. The former chairman was said to have respected the pending judicial process and did not recommend Chinedu Uzoukwu for state recognition. The community argues that the same respect for due process should guide every subsequent official intervention in the matter.
Stakeholders are now calling on the Imo State Government and relevant law-enforcement and administrative authorities to establish the facts behind the disputed publication, identify those who authorised or supplied the purported government position and determine whether any public officer abused his office or misrepresented the authority of the state. They further demand appropriate sanctions, including prosecution where criminal wrongdoing is established, and the resignation of the council chairman if an investigation finds that he abused his office. Above all, they insist that their traditional institution must not become a casualty of political interference and that the rule of law must remain superior to personal, political or administrative interests.
