By Chidiebere Iwuoha
Owerri
The controversial Eze tussle of Itu Autonomous Community in Ezinihitte LGA of Imo state was last Friday partially resolved when Governor Rochas Okorocha directed that the community should forward a formal letter to his office, stating the health condition of the Eze-elect, Chief Luke Nnadede Dimgba, whom many believed had died.
The staff of office was not delivered to him, but to the brother and wife who received it on proxy on the day of presentation, thereby contravening the laws of the land.
Some elders of the community who spoke to our correspondent after their meeting with the governor, Pharmacist Remigius Muonaka, Hon. Augustine Oguikpe and Chief Mayor Uzoma, said Chief Dimgba had won the Ezeship election of Itu in 2012 in controversial circumstances when he was declared winner by a panel which discarded the popular and acceptable option A4 system of voting and used instead the open secret system to the chagrin of many who wanted a popular candidate, Chief Ben Adindu as Eze.
“The result was that a few months later, the purported winner of the election, Chief Dimgba took ill and all efforts made by the community to know his state of health and later his whereabouts proved abortive as his wife and family members refused to let us in.”
The elders said the high point of the situation was when the governor decided to give Staff of Office to Ezes-elect of Autonomous Communities in the state, the Eze-elect, Dimgba could not appear physically to receive his own, but that his wife and brother Godson came forward and received it on his behalf, an action which the community frowned upon and protested to the governor.