The Anambra State government has invalidated a chieftaincy title of Anyanwu N’Awalu Ora recently conferred on the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Bianca Odimegwu-Ojukwu by the traditional ruler of Awka Obi Austin Ndigwe.

The Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs TonyCollins Nwabunwanne claimed that Ndigwe is not a traditional ruler in the state.

He said: “The conferment of chieftaincy titles in Anambra State is the exclusive prerogative of recognised/certified traditional rulers in their respective communities, and they do so only to residents/ indigenes of their communities.” The commissioner added: “Chief Austin C. Ndigwe is not a traditional ruler in Awka or Anambra State.

“To put it mildly, he is simply an impostor. We have sighted a letter signed by him under a letterhead as the ‘Eze Uzu III’ of Awka (a clear criminal offence under the Anambra law) when the traditional ruler of Awka, HRH Gibson Nwabueze Nwosu (Eze Uzu II), is still alive, and with the official certificate and recognition by the government as the traditional ruler of Awka.” Nwabunwanne said Nwosu during the Civil War fought for the Biafran Republic and left with the late Head of State of Biafra Chukwuemeka Odimegwu-Ojukwu, who was Biance’s husband .

The commissioner said: “He was the secondin-command in the Biafran Air Force, who left with Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu-Ojukwu to Cote d’Ivoire and later to Zambia and was in exile for 15 years.