The Amanfo Duruokpalanne

 

TRADITIONAL RULERS AND ADDITIONAL RULERS

 

IN IGBOLAND EZES ARE THE RULING HEADS WHILE THE CHIEFS ARE THEIR MINISTERIAL EXTENSIONS. AFTER THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR THE NUMBER OF CHIEFS INUNDATED.  COL. OCHEFU DECIDED THAT THE CONDITION OF CHIEFS SHOULD BE IMPROVED AND REVIEWED ,TO LOOK LIKE THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN THE NORTH AND WEST.

 

THE AGADA PANEL WAS SET UP; THE GOVERNMENT HAD THE VIEW OF BRINGING AWO-OMAMMA, AMIRI AND OTULU TO ONE AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY BECAUSE CHIEF MICHAEL MMEREM AMANFO  WAS THE CLAN HEAD OF OF MBANATO (THREE CLANS). THE MBANATO  WERE  AMIRI, OTULU AND AWO-OMAMMA.

 

CHIEF MICHAEL MMEREMEGBULEM AMANFO  WAS THE FIRST SON OF  DURUOPKALANNE AMANFO MGBAFURU. HE SUCCEEDED HIS FATHER AMANFO AND  REIGNED FROM 1948 TO 1978. HE WAS RECOGNIZED  AS A SECOND CLASS CHIEF ON THE 1/9/1960 BY THE THEN MINISTER OF STATE, CHIEFTANCY AND ESTABLISHMENTS OF THE THEN EASTERN REGION MR. OKON UDO AFFIAH.

AFTER THE DEATH OF  DURU ONONENYI MICHAEL AMANFO 11 , THERE STARTED AGITATION FOR  EZESHIP IN AWO-OMAMMA.

IT WAS RUMORED THEN THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL GIVE THE RECOGNIZED CHIEFS SOME MERCEDEZ CARS. THIS SPECULATION WENT WILD IN THE AIR, AT THE SAME TIME SOME WEALTHY CHIEFS DWARFED THIER TRADITIONAL RULERS WITH THEIR GORGEOUS DRESSES. 

THE AGADA PANEL CAME FIRST TO RECOGNIZE AWO-OMAMMA AS  AN AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY.

 

IKWUECHEI PANEL WAS SET UP TO FIND OUT THE CHIEF OF EACH AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY. EZE AMANFO WAS AGAIN IDENTIFIED AS THE PARAMOUNT RULER OF AWO-OMAMMA AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY  IN 1976. 

IT WAS PROPOSED AGAIN THAT ONLY A RECOGNIZED CHIEF SHOULD ANSWER CHIEF. NUMEROUS PEOPLE WERE DISCONTENTED WITH THIS. IT IMPLIED THAT SOMEONE WHO HAD ENJOYED ANSWERING CHIEF WILL HAVE TO DROP THE ONLY TITLE THAT GIVES HIM HONOR IN THE SOCIETY. THIS MATTER WENT UP  AND THE GOVERNMENT HAD  TO MAKE SOME AMENDMENT. THE AMENDMENT WAS THAT ONLY A RECOGNIZED CHIEF SHOULD BE  TITLED EZE OR TRADITIONAL RULER. THOSE NOT RECOGNIZED SHOULD CONTINUE TO ANSWER CHIEFS.

AS TIME WENT ON,  MANY AUTONOMOUS COMUNITIES WERE CREATED AND MANY MORE WILL BE CREATED IN IGBOLAND AS MANY WHEALTHY MEN SPONSOR  AND LEAD THIER PEOPLE INTO AGITATION FOR AUTONOUS COMMUNITY IN OTHER TO BECOME TRADITIONAL RULER THERE AFTER.