By Dr Azubike Okoro
Background
Issues pertaining to challenges in the leadership of the two wings of Nzuko Arochukwu have always been a source of concern to many citizens. Of course, the apprehension heightens during election season when contest for positions usually occur and trigger permutations by various groups to out compete each other. The campaign by individuals and groups during the electioneering process, and its capacity to create tension and endanger peaceful and harmonious co-existence, makes it particularly dangerous, a must-watch and controlled situation to secure communal peace. Both wings of Nzuko Arochukwu Worldwide are exposed to this state of affair, so it is not peculiar to a particular wing. Interestingly, some people find circumstances such as these positive and exciting because they constitute the laboratory for human social engineering. Perhaps, it is important to state upfront one’s belief that crisis is endemic in every society, so should always be expected given the interactions amongst individuals, groups and social institutions that produce it. However, what makes it a bit worrisome is when its anticipation is faulty. Consequently, it would be impossible to manage it effectively to either avoid its occurrence or full blown appearance or reduce its impact, thus making its effect less damaging to the society. Also, the idea that ‘conflict often leads to progress’ make many people to adopt the position that conflict is not ultimately a bad idea as it would provide an environment that will ultimately spur progress.
But no matter how comforting this thinking may be, the damaging impact of conflict in the society before whatever progress that it would produce manifests is considered enough reason to adopt the strategic position of its anticipation and possible avoidance and management to reduce its impact. Within both wings of Nzuko Arochukwu, I have overtime had more exposure to issues of conflict as it affects the Inyom. This is not unrelated to my past roles in Aro News newspapers, Aro kingdom’s foremost quarterly publication. When I founded the medium in the late 90’s, issues pertaining to building consensus and aggregating interests amongst different groups in the kingdom was an overriding necessity. As we may recall, Arochukwu Kingdom was immersed in multiple crises from the late -80s to the 90s that made a vibrant communication medium essential. Thus, a few Umu Aro in the group that I led committed themselves to corporate social responsibility via community-based mass communication projects. That decision led to the birth of Aro News and its sister publications, and as pioneer publisher/editor in-chief, I was personally involved in news reportage and whatever that could restore order and sanity in the community. But that role exposed me to constant confrontation and misunderstanding with certain persons and interest groups who were pursuing varying goals.
In a particular instance that had to do with Inyom Aro, Lagos branch, a court process was instituted by 13 women who were challenging their leadership at the branch and Aro News was joined. Our primary concern was to resolve the crisis quickly due to its tendency to grow and engulf the entire union, and possibly endanger communal peace. We spent precious time and enormous resources on the court sessions. Later, the conflict degenerated and the central body was somehow affected and another court process was instituted solely against Aro News. The then Eze Aro, His Majesty, Ogbonnaya Okoro intervened by setting up a 3-man committee to resolve the matter, including directing Nzuko Aro to assign its publicity secretary to take-over my private court appearances since I was still a public servant then but the situation lingered. It took another round of intervention initiated by Mazi Kanu Ivi and the out-of-court settlement that he brokered and financed, for the matter to be fully resolved. This background is just to show how closely one has been to the issues of electoral conflict as it affects Inyom Aro. Aside from the above, the kingdom have also managed multiple cases of crisis that effected the Inyom group since then in which one was opportune to play certain roles. A few were somewhat completely dealt with while others went underground only to surface again later from a different angle. Hence, as of today, Umu Aro could recall several instances of crisis of different proportion in the leadership of Inyom Aro culminating in the instant case which the Executive Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex .C. Otti, OFR and His Eminence, Dr Eberechukwu Oji, Eze Aro have had to intervene with a view to resolving it at different times only for it to keep rearing its ugly head. What makes this piece compelling is the fact that another round of elections to select the leadership of Inyom Aro is scheduled for December 29, 2025, against the background of an unfolding scenario of rancour with capacity to explode into a major crisis that could extend and adversely impact the Men’s Wing and the entire kingdom, unless quickly checked.
The Current Challenge and Setting
Let’s unmask the identities of the people in the current challenge. In specific terms, two groups of Inyom Aro members are involved in this matter: The Ada-Mazi, meaning women born to Aro fathers and are married by Aro husbands and The Nnye-Mazi, meaning non-Aro women who are married to Aro husbands. The story about the love-lost between both groups is not new and it goes back in history. It usually exists as a latent factor and only manifests during election time, especially if candidates see opportunity of capitalizing on it to win election. At times, it masks itself in complexity as the criteria for classifying people becomes loose and confusing. For example, whereas ladies from Aro diaspora communities (Izuogu and Ajalli, for instance) are sometimes classified as Nnye-Mazi, at other times they are classified as Ada-Mazi. Also, many Inyom Aro don’t want to be bothered by such classifications and distinctions, and would rather prefer a common cohesive group to be in place catering for the interest of everyone. At other times, some ladies who act as power brokers switch their category and support a different one to score political points. In fact, several women in both camps are known to have adopted lukewarm attitude to the union affairs, some have even completely dropped off, thus leaving their husbands to be attending Nzuko Aro meetings alone, thus denying the kingdom the benefits of the potentials of its citizens.
Past Actions by Nzuko Aro
Successive leadership of the Men’s wing adopted subtle and cautionary approach to deal with the problem until in the recent past when a group of Ada-Mazi Aro wanted to make it a legibility criteria for leadership of the Women’s Wing, thus denying ladies married from outside Arochukwu right to attain certain leadership levels. Nzuko Arochukwu rose vehemently and defended the Nnye-Mazi group, and subsequently made it a constitutional provision (Article 3 (i) and Article 5 (ii). Hence, every member of the Women’s Wing, irrespective of her place of birth is currently qualified as per Nzuko Aro constitution to aspire, vote and be voted for any office in the union. Furthermore, as recent as the last Aro Kingdom Honours Award; a clique of the women who were bent on embarrassing the ladies who are married from outside Arochukwu made an unsuccessful attempt to influence the Palace and Nzuko Arochukwu to deny them the Ada Ukwu Aro award. Again, Nzuko Arochukwu and an overwhelming number of Umu Aro made strident effort in defence of the group, thus made it possible for them to be bestowed with the highest honour due to women in the kingdom. Perhaps, it was these recent actions that triggered the current challenge whereby the ladies married into Arochukwu have organized themselves into a cohesive group with legal anchor. It is dubbed an NGO that goes under the name, Ugochinyere Care Initiative. You must be an Inyom Aro person who is married from outside Arochukwu to gain membership. Hence, a condition precedence for admittance into the group is not being an Aro person. And, the NGO will operate on Arochukwu soil. Nzuko Arochukwu considers such criteria for membership ‘discriminatory’ as it is against its constitutional provisions. Added to it, the excluded women are threatening to establish their own organization and its membership won’t be made available to the other group. As we can see, the pressure is building up. If this situation is allowed to exist, what will be the fate of Nzuko Arochukwu, Women’s Wing the body approved by the kingdom to cater for the interests of all Aro women? Also, what potentials do the activities of both bodies have to impact Nzuko Aro, Men’s Wing, and the entire kingdom?
A bit of indebt analysis will be necessary here. The unfolding development is complex because of several factors: – One, the group of Inyom Aro who are behind the NGO in question are educated professionals who understand the need for strategy and good preparation, so employed a tactical mind-set and framework to pursue their goal. Two, number one factor in view, they took their time and got their approach somewhat legally wrapped, though luckily a little short of compliance with Nzuko Aro constitution. So, as it is, their framework and activities run afoul of some provisions of the law. Three, they do not lack sufficient financial resources to pursue their objectives. Four, they are arguably in the league of the exemplary cohort that easily glow with Aro values, and they seem determined to pursue their aspiration on a long haul. Hence, they incorporated things that would, on the surface, conceal the major danger which the project poses to the kingdom in the immediate and long-term. In the light of the aforementioned, the best approach to resolving the current challenge is to confront this elite Inyom Aro with facts about how and why their decision and activities do not support the those traditional, cultural values and constitutional ethos which they committed to uphold and for which they have been publicly acclaimed. Moreover, the threat by the opposing group to incorporate an alternate body is real, and like the earlier group, they are equally blessed by an abundance of well-endowed women who have what it takes to pursue their goal strategically.
Competition has Limits: – Suggestions for a way forward.
Aside from prior exposure and experience in Aro affairs, I have in the last decade and more operated in the policy making organ of Nzuko Arochukwu Worldwide as an exco member. So, I have sufficient background knowledge and understanding of this matter from the perspective of corporate Aro interest, which is what ordinarily should bother every persion of good conscience. I have no doubt that the Aro Palace would have similar reservations as were pointed out above. Moreover, in the current Aro renaissance era, one of the groups that I am opportune to belong to always scan the environment and strategically take position on issues that could impact the kingdom negatively. Therefore, we must get this matter as straight as it is: the group of Inyom Aro who are behind Ugochinyere Care Initiative are among Aro’s best. Their ilk are also handsomely available in the other group. The initiative itself and its professed objectives are bold and exemplary, and its sustenance will make positive impact in Aro development. However, the ingenuity must be built around the core values and standards that promote unity, integrity and civility. Of course, two wrongs do not make a right. Hence, masking its good intentions with geo-marital considerations and practising discriminatory selection of membership on Arochukwu soil defeats their avowed ethos completely. Let’s consider the following:
a) Are all persons bestowed with Aro’s highest honour and value (Ugwuaro, Adaukwu) not expected to be in the vanguard of defending its cause? Won’t the essence of the privileged honour been defeated if the contrary obtains?
b) Nzuko Aro provided UNITY amongst Umuaro as one of its cardinal objectives, enshrined same in its constitution.
C) Nzuko Aro constitution granted full membership and eligibility for leadership to both Aro and non-Aro women married to Aro men, thus guaranteed their qualification to vote and to be voted for in all elections.
d) When some group of women wrongly campaigned against extending full honour and awards to non Aro women, Nzuko Aro coordinated efforts, and stopped it and they were honoured.
In the light of the above, would it not be considered as an effrontery against the kingdom for any Ada Ukwu Aro to promote business or service of any kind that discriminates against any section of the community? Won’t it run counter to the ideals that are manifested in the actions taken by the community as enunciated above to protect and ensure that they do not suffer any form of discrimination in the kingdom? Non-Aro ladies have emerged and led the Women’s Wing in the past. So, the actions of a few women who were not well intentioned, no matter how concerted it was did not succeed in preventing it from happening. Even as another election cycle is fast approaching, it is expected that Inyom Aro would gravitate towards choosing a leader who has what it takes to complement the strategic leadership model required in a renaissance Aro environment irrespective of her geographical credentials. Let the affected women group therefore, take practical steps to dismantle or modify their activities to purge same of all discriminatory tendencies to ensure it meets expected standards, as enshrined in the constitution, thus save the kingdom chaos now and in the future. Since competition must have its limits for co-existence in a harmonious space to be possible, nothing less is expected.