Onitsha Family Dispute: Elders, others Converge, Reaffirm Family Counsel

FROM AFAM AMIUN CHIMEZIE, ONITSHA

The aged long crisis, which has rocked one of the most popular family in Onitsha, (Okposieke family) comprising descendants of Ekwerekwu and Agha family in Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State seems to have come to an end following the  uniamous reaffirmation of the current family’s counsel and solicitor, Barr Harold Ekwerekwu who has assumed the position as the authentic representative of the family in all legal matters.

Barr.Ekwerekwu whose office was ratified by all the representatives and principal members of the large Okposieke family, Onitsha at  Government Reserved Area(GRA) yesterday, enjoyed the support of other family members following a  claim by two members of the family,  Messsrs Chike Agha and Ikenna  Ekwerekwu that Barr. Harold Ekwerekwu had since seized to be  the family’s counsel and was not qualified to represent the family in any capacity as the solicitor and family advocate.

Addressing journalists shortly after their meeting, a member of the family and Chairman, Okposieke Family Land Committee, Ezedinobi Ben Ekwerekwu said that the claim by the two dissident members of the family to cause disunity and disaffection among Okposieke family, Onitsha has been buried by the recent resolution.

He noted that in consonant with Onitsha native law and custom, the family has also appointed the oldest man in the family, Nnabuenyi Igueze Ekwerekwu to hold forth as head and “Diokpa” of the family pending the second burial of the late family head, Eustace Orjekwe Ekwerekwu who passed on last year, 2020 according to the tradition of Onitsha people.

The family’s spokesman however, cautioned any family member, person or group against promoting disaffection among members of the family as recently witnessed in the outburst and false claims by the two family members, whom he alleged had been feeding the public ,Anambra State Government and Judiciary with frivolous information that Harold Ekwerekwu and Nnabuenyi Igueze Ekwerekwu were no longer the Okposieke family counsel and family head(Diokpa) respectively.