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A man, Chief Olisa Igbonwa, who was allegedly buried alive by his kinsmen in Alor, the hometown of the former Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, in Idemili South LGA in 2022, resurfaced at the Anambra State House of Assembly last week and confronted his elder brother, Chief Uzoma Igbonwa.

Lawmakers and workers in the legislature were surprised as the two brothers faced each other. 

A member of the House personally had to lock the gate of the assembly complex to prevent outsiders from coming in to witness the show of shame.

Olisa Igbonwa was said to have suspected that his elder brother orchestrated the ceremonial burial two years ago.

According to an eyewitness, his elder brother was surprised seeing Olisa and the confrontation caused a significant commotion in the hallowed chamber of the State House of Assembly. 

It was gathered that their quarrel stemmed from Olisa’s demand for certain property documents belonging to their late father, which his brother allegedly concealed from his siblings.

Olisa also accused his brother of failing to repay a substantial sum of $45,000 he allegedly sent to him during his stay in Switzerland some years ago.

In fact, the people of Alor had gone to the House of Assembly following the summon by the House committee on public petitions for them to appear.

A section of the community had petitioned the assembly against the traditional ruler of the town, Igwe Mac Anthony Okonkwo. 

Olisa’s brother was accused of masterminding the prolonged Igweship crisis in the town, leading to the emergence of a rival traditional ruler in the area at some point.

Following the confrontation at the House of Assembly, Olisa’s brother alleged that it was Igwe Mac-Anthony Okonkwo that hired thugs to attack him at the State House of Assembly, where he had previously lodged a petition against the traditional ruler regarding the decade-long crisis.

Reports indicate that the petition presented to the Anambra State House of Assembly against Igwe Mac-Anthony Okonkwo was dismissed by the house, with a stern warning that the people should refrain from spreading rumors.

Appearance

Olisa’s appearance at the House of Assembly coincided with the handling of the petition by his elder brother against the traditional ruler, leading to a significant commotion in the vicinity. His alleged ceremonial burial was also said to be connected with his support for the traditional ruler.

It was gathered that the Anambra State Assembly House Committee on Public Petitions had invited key stakeholders of the community and the traditional ruler, in respect of the pending petition on the issue of traditional rulership. 

Ahead of the day’s sitting, Okonkwo had presented a written reply to the petition to the state assembly, stating his own side of the story. 

It was on that occasion that Igbonwa allegedly rushed to the petitioner and confronted him, leading to chaos in the assembly premises.

According to a reliable source, that was the first time the people of Alor community were seeing Olisa Igbonwa since his ceremonial burial in 2022.

Following their strained relationship over the family issues, which worsened when Olisa Igbonwa demanded certain property documents belonging to their late father, Olisa decided to join an opposing group in the community’s Igwe tussle.

“It was, therefore, not surprising that when the Igweship tussle reared its head in Alor, the two brothers supported opposing candidates,” an indigene of the community said.

The indigene added: “In September 2023, the same group of people, led  by Olisa’s brother and his anointed President General, sent a letter to the Anambra State Attorney General, claiming that Igwe Mac-Anthony Okonkwo had been sacked by the courts and should not be allowed to perform the annual New Yam Festival of the town.

 ”It took a strongly worded letter from Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, Igwe Mac-Anthony’s lawyer, who promptly wrote the Anambra Attorney General to clear the air concerning the fictitious and deceptive petition. 

“The Alor Peace and Reconciliation Committee, set up to mediate in the decade-long crisis in the community, indicted the Igbonwa-led group for rejecting the harmonized and consensus selection done in February 2022, which was supervised by the Anambra State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, which was supposed to bring peace to the town”.

VANGUARD

2nd March, 2024.

C.E.

Tags: Chief Olisa Igbonwa Chris Ngige