By Karen James



As controversy in Okposieke family of Onitsha community rages over who represents the family as the principal counsel in all its dealings with the public over their landed properties scattered all over the Onitsha metropolis.

Mr.Nnabuenyi Igweze Ekwerekwu elder and head of Okposieke family in an emergency meeting of the entire Okposieke family members including the elders, youths and the principal family members at Onitsha stated that the contentious issue of who is the legitimate family lawyer that represents the family is not a matter to be contested anywhere, as the entire Okposieke family of Onitsha community years ago in unionism appointed Bar. Harold Ekwerekwu as the legitimate legal counsel that will oversee their affairs particularly in legal cases concerning their landed properties scattered within the Onitsha metropolis and beyond with a mandate to recover all their lands that their lease aggrement had expired which some are still with private individuals and the State Government.
Also,Speaking to newsmen at the emergency meeting of the family members conveyed in Onitsha, Mr. Ben Ezedinobi said that Bar. Harold Ekwerekwu had been carrying out this mandate to the satisfaction of the entire Okposieke family of Onitsha. His efforts and success in recovering the lands were roundly supported by the late diokpa of the family Akunnia Ustesc Ojekwe that died few months ago, family elders, the entire youths and principal family members.
He however regretted the actions of two or three dissidents in the family championed by Nnanyerugo Chike Agha that had decided to scuttle the collective efforts of the entire family in recovering their expired leased lands in the Onitsha metropolis by approaching the state government and the state judiciary to discredit the family and the family lawyer Bar.Harold Ekwerekwu by saying that he does not have the authority of the family to represent them and also execute all legal cases he had been doing.
Mr.Ben Ezedinobi Ekwerekwu said that the entire Okposieke family members frowns at the behavior of Nnanyerugo Chike Agha and his cohorts who had already tarnished the image of the entire Okposieke family through their actions and antecedents by jeopardizing the collective efforts of the family in getting back their ancestral lands leased to the Government and individuals which had already expired.

“Nnanyerugo Chike Agha had being acting like a paid saboteur, I wonder what he stands to achieve by going against the family,” he decried!

“For him to partner with Anambra state government ,the state judiciary and other individuals to fight against the family is what beats my imagination”.

Also, he had being laying claims to the Diokpa position in the family forgetting that his father is till alive as he has not told Onitsha people about his demise by performing his full burial rites(second burial) according to the native laws and customs of Onitsha people. He cannot be the Diokpa or the head of the family so long as the Onitsha native laws and customs is at place.”

“Nnanyerugo Chike Agha is an imposter, the entire Okposieke family did appoint Nnabuenyi Igweze Ekwerekwu as head and elder of Okposieke family pending the second burial rites of the late Diokpa of Okposieke familyals.
We have collected all our family members signature to discredit his actions, to attest also and reaffirm our support and mandate to Bar. Harold Ekwerekwu as Okposieke family lawyer,for him to continue his drive legally to recover all our family ancestral expired leased lands from the hands of Anambra state government, the state judiciary and private individuals also.

In addition, Nnabuenyi Igweze Ekwerekwu added that ,”the entire Okposieke family at this emergency meeting says that, Bar.Harold Ekwerekwu is still the legitimate Okposieke family lawyer and it is not disputed anywhere,for he had been in that capacity for years now and the entire Okposieke family members are at his back in full support of his efforts which had been yielding positive results ever since he was appointed as our legal representative”.

We advise Nnanyerugo Chike Agha and his cohorts of saboteurs and dissidents to desist from their ugly acts and channel their energy elsewhere and allow Bar.Harold Ekwerekwu to continue his good works in securing back our family ancestral lands that were tyrantly held against our collective wishes as these lands had already expired under the lease agreement with the occupants.