The entire Ngwoma Obube community and Nde Oha Ngwoma Obube were again insulted by a faceless author instigated by the Onukogu family in Ngwoma in an article captured in the Horn Newspaper of July 12th and National news break of July 11th , 2025, including other social media platforms, suggesting that the community was boiling. Firstly, the author arrogated to himself and his enablers the status of “Ngwoma Obube Community”, a blatant falsehood born out of a hopelessly desperate effort of a group in deep frustration of a lost battle and sinking ship.

At the right time, Ngwoma people will seek to know how members of a broken, pitiably desolate family in dire desire of holding unto past glory and without recourse to the actual will of the people will refer to itself as “Ngwoma Obube community”.

In that article, the author failed woefully in his attempt to create a false impression of tension and anarchy in the peaceful community as an ultimate effort to discredit a well accepted plebiscite that brought about the emergence of Engr Evang Chinedu Maxwell Ekeocha as the Eze elect of Ngwoma Obube Autonomous Community.

 The author also failed to appreciate that all relevant government agencies (including the DSS, the Police, the Ministry of local government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Owerri North Local Government Council as well as the media) witnessed the plebiscite and were impressed with the turn out and outcome. Also, the presentation of our Eze elect Engr Evang Chinedu Maxwell Ekeocha to the Owerri North local government council on 13th June was testified by all as the best outing in the history of Eze elect presentations to the Owerri North Local Government Council.

Eye witnesses who visited the community, following that publication, including the author of this article, were shocked to discover that the author of the article and his story were not in existence, and they have apologized for not verifying before the publication.

Interviews with the ordinary people seen in the community during the time of making this report showed that they were not aware of any tension or fear, how much more the community boiling.

All the people interviewed categorically stated that the said article must be the handiwork of some mischief makers and enemies of the community. In an interview with some members of the Ngwoma Obube Elders Council (Nde Oha), they expressed surprise and disappointment that members of one family could go out of their way to attempt to destroy the entire community just to hold unto power.

They clarified that the false claim by those who failed in their bid to use the word “hereditary” to deceive people was indeed unfortunate and against the ethos of justice and fairness which they, Nde Oha, stood for. 

Ngwoma Obube has a constitution that was in use during the reign of the last Eze [Eze Dr Andrew I Onukogu]. The members of the Onukogu family at various times have stated, and we agree, that the British colonial masters gave their forefather the Warrant Chieftaincy in 1906.

Oral tradition makes us know that the handing of the warrant chieftaincy to the Onukogus involved some treacherous manouvre misleading the Whiteman to giving it to them instead of the person intended for that chieftaincy.( an issue that is still pending)
That office was held by the Okeremgbere Onukogu, who wielded so much power at the time. Many unspeakable things that happened under his leadership then are well documented in oral tradition, including involvement in slave trading. Having intimidated the community, he handed over the leadership to his son Chief Stephen Onukogu. This son towed the path of his father and did more scandalous and sacrilegious things than his father. These very shameful activities were documented in a book by an insider, a member of the family, Dr Donatus Onukogu.

With the full knowledge of the community, and with no one daring to raise a voice, young girls and house helps were raped and forcefully converted to wives, men lost their wives to a man who saw the entire community and its members as his personal property.

At his death, the family of Onukogu, in their stock in trade style, out maneuvered the entire old Obube community and installed the son Late Eze Dr Andrew Onukogu. A man who everything in nature was against him as a leader. Yet he was made to take the stool. Little wonder then that for the nearly fifty years of his reign, the community continued to grope in the dark.

For the records, Eze Andrew Onukogu (Eze Udo 1 of Obube) was the first and only Eze who had an official coronation in the Ngwoma community.

The elders further stated that even those who are claiming the heredity know that it is a mischievous lie being bandied around to justify their unfortunately futile effort at destroying the community.

The facts are so clear:
Does the Onukogu have any document anywhere to support their claim of hereditary? The clear answer is “NO”
Should Eze Andrew Onukogu have taken the title of Eze Udo 1 of Obube if his title were hereditary? Again, the answer is “NO”
Should there have been a contest for the Ezeship by the former communities in the old Obube when Chief Stephen Onukogu died if it were hereditary. Again, the answer is “NO”

Having established that the Warrant Chieftaincy was given to Okeremgbere Onukogu in 1906, did the Ngwoma Obube community start to exist from 1906. Again, the answer is a big “NO”
Was Ngwoma Obube without leadership before the white man came? Again, the answer is a big “NO”
Did the constitution of the community used by the late Eze Andrew Onukogu and his cabinet state that the Ezeship is hereditary? Again, the answer is a big “NO”
It is clear that the article is one of the mischievous antics of the haters of the Ngwoma community in their frustration of a failed attempt to continue to hold the community under hostage.

The Onukogus obviously miscalculated in thinking that by bypassing and jumping the process and hinging on a false claim of heredity that never existed anywhere, they could deceive everyone to the end. Unfortunately, you can only deceive some people, some of the time.

Anyone who wishes to know the truth can visit the community, which is less than twenty minutes’ drive from Owerri Municipal, and confirm the true situation in Ngwoma Obube..

A family torn apart by the sins of their fathers and the center has refused to hold for them is now trying to bring the entire community down with their family squabbles. It was clear that theirs was a mission destined to fail when two different camps in the same family nominated two candidates (Nkemakolam Onukogu and Ejike Onukogu) for the same Ezeship

These two nominees are basically alien to the community. Neither of them has ever spent up to one week at a time in the community, they know nobody, and nobody knows them, none of them has ever contributed to any matter concerning the community either by their words or resources, they know absolutely nothing about our people or our culture. How then can any sane person who wishes well for the beloved community even try to compare the popular choice of the community, Engr Evang Chinedu Maxwell Ekeocha, who is on ground, an excellent personality, who relates well with all and sundry, philanthropist who has a good grip of our culture and tradition, an eloquent communicator and peace lover, with the candidates from the Onukogus?

The author of that article and his Onukogu enablers gave away their helplessness by quoting Chief Arufuaku, as a way of authenticating their false claim. Chief arufuaku, who was reported in the news a couple of days ago to have been declared wanted by a competent court of jurisdiction, is the last person any sensible journalist would want to quote on any matter.

Let it be known that Chief Arufuaku is a man on the run who has been chased away by his community. He is not from Ngwoma Obube and is only a vagrant busy body and fugitive in a hopeless search for a place of abode.

In an interview with the spokesman of the Eze Elect Prince Azomukwu, he reiterated that the Eze Elect, Engr Evang Chinedu Maxwell Ekeocha has gone through all the relevant processes of selection as stipulated by the law and is eminently qualified for the government staff of office.

He was borne and brought up in Ngwoma by a happily married husband and wife, The father, Mr Athanesius Ekeocha, is a bona fide son of Ngwoma Obube Autonomous Community and the mother Mrs Agnes Ekeocha [nee Ihekuna] from Umuawuka Mbaoma Autonomous Community.

The spokesman further stated that the Eze-Elect has his eyes on the ball and refuses to be distracted. However, all that has been said and written are being noted. At the right time, those who have written or spoken, will be called up to explain or prove their allegations.

He warned that those who are wishfully trying to build up tension in the community by sponsoring such publications should watch it. They must know that the eyes of the law are already on them, and sooner or later, the long arm of the law will catch up with them.

Signed
Ngwoma Obube Elders forum/ nde Oha a.k.a nde Ngwo orie