HOW MY LATE FATHER LEFT OUR FAMILY ESTATE IN IHO-DIMEZE, IKEDURU—HON. SIR CHARLES EHUCHIE REVEALS
The patriarch of the Ehuchie family, 85-years old Honourable Sir, Charles Ehuchie a retired school Teacher, a Councillor and a firm community leader with esteemed integrity is the only survival son of Amadiocha the first born of late Ehuchie who got married to a woman who begot 5-children two males and three females. The estate of late Ehuchie vested in land property located at Umugamara kindred of Amaeke village in Iho-Dimeze town in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo state has been a subject which Hon Sir Charles Ehuchie the said survival son of the late Amadiocha first son of late Ehuchie brought before the Iho-Dimeze Council of Chiefs lead by Traditional Prime Minister Honourable Chief Sam Aka who is holding brief in the absence of a substantive Traditional Ruler Eze Ernest Onwuegbu who died few years ago. Nature abhors vacuum and empowered with the RULES of Iho-Dimeze Town Development Union set up in1977 and reviewed in 2005, Traditional Prime Minister by virtue of Rule —–is empowered to hold the traditional Stool until a new Eze is crowned. In the light of that, the disputed Estate of late Ehuchie were shared according to Igbo tradition in the presence of the Council of Chiefs of various Villages in Iho Dimeze which took place on Saturday 11th of February, 2023 after the demarcation and identification of the lands were undertaken by the Council of Chiefs on 4th of February, 2023.
The Ear Witness Publisher/Editor-In-Chief, Emeka Amaefula +234(0)8111813069 covered the deliberations and here presents a brief narrative of what transpired with the interview of the first son Honourable Sir Charles Ehuchie. Read On.
May I meet you?
I am Honourable Sir Charles Ehuchie a native of Umugamara kindred in Amaeke village of Iho Dimeze town in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo state Nigeria.
What have you been doing as a profession before now?
I was a School Teacher, a PSS (Principal supervisor of school under Ikeduru Local Government Area) and I retired in 1997.
Tell us about your family background?
My grandfather Ehuchie had five Children, who are Amadiocha my Father, David, Onwukwe, Ugonma and Esther. But Amadiocha Ehuchie was the first son of Ehuchie’s family.
Among the five children are they all alive till now?
No, they are all dead.
Before your late father died, did he share what he had as regards to his estate?
When my father died, I was a very small boy then. My uncle David Ehuchie took me to Imo River area in Igboland. I was there until 1947 when he came back home and he asked me to start school at Iho Dimeze here in 1948. I started school in 1948, by then his wife had died. So, my mother Late Norah Ehuchie and himself were taking care of his children including myself, my cousins Dee Clement, Obed, Juliana and Lois who is my only sister who is still alive presently. My late mother took care of all of us as at then. Meanwhile when I came back from Imo River to start school in 1948, I started schooling in 1948 to 1950. Then in 1950 Late Papa Sampson Iwuagwu wanted to give me out to a Teacher to serve him but my uncle late David Ehuchie refused and said I should follow him back to Imo River town. I went back with him to Imo River from 1951 to 1956, I was at Imo River town when I sat for Primary 6-Examination. Then in 1957, I started teaching in Imo River town. Then, during that period, late Papa David was looking after us including my mother, and there was no division as we were cooking and eating from one pot. Then, in 1959 I passed examination to Teachers’ Training College in Obizi in Mbaise now in Imo state, and during that time we have relocated from our ancestral home to where we are living today.
Meanwhile I told late Dee Clement to wait until after my schooling so that we can then build our own house here, and he replied Okay, but before I finished schooling, he had already started building the house. While he had built the backyard, he has also started the main building. In 1962 when I started working, every month I will send money to him for the building until October in 1962 when I stopped sending money to him. Then by December of the same year, late Papa David his Father divided the rooms for us, he gave me my own room, gave late Obed his own room and he gave late Dee Clement his own room. But by January, 1963 unfortunately Papa David died. (His blessed memory). Also, before he died, he told us that there’s land called ‘Oke Ohia’ which he wanted to sell to late Papa Sampson Iwuagwu but my mother interrupted him asking Dee” why do you want to sell the land? Late Papa David answered that he wanted to sell the land to settle late Dee Clement who just finished learning Electrical work then, also to pay off his training. Then my mother told him that he could have told him before selling the land. My mother asked whether he had sold the land or had late Papa Sampson Iwuagwu given him the money for the land? He said no. Then, the next morning my mother late Norah Ehuchie went to her daughter who’s married out in Ubakuru Mbieri now in Mbaitoli Local Government Area and told her about the land and she gave her my late mother the money 3Pounds to come and give late Papa David Ehuchie so that he should leave the land for her. So, when she gave him the money, then late Papa David told late Dee Clement his son that he should give back three Pounds for the land to my late mother, also repeated it several times before he died. Unfortunately, until his death, my mother’s death and late Dee Clement died, he did not refund that money to my mother up to date. Then there was also another land he told us about it located at Umueche in Amaeke Iho Dimeze as he said that we should go and reclaim that land as the land was not sold. That it was his senior uncle who gave it to one woman to be working there but unfortunately the man died and the woman still maintained the land. But throughout his life time he didn’t go to ask for that land and when I told him late Dee Clement let’s go and reclaim that land, he would say wait it’s not yet time. Until that time, we have been living in peace. Then during the Nigerian/Biafran Civil war, we came back home here in Iho Dimeze and we all were feeding from one pot, but at a time, late Dee Clement, the two wives and my uncle’s other wives started to divide the home for feeding. While the other one was feeding his children the other wife too was feeding her children. But his first wife was taking care of myself and my mother though I was providing the food stocks and money for the cooking. At a point I saw that I was disturbing her and I told late Dee Clement that he should allow me to be cooking my own food he said okay, that I should go on. I was giving late Cecilia the first wife of late Dee Clement money to buy somethings and cook for me and my late mother until 1969 when I started to marry. I completed my married in 1970 and wedded 28th of March 1970. Then, my wife now took over our feeding, So, from that time we have been living in peace and there was no problem in the family.
But, in 1973 late Dee Clement brother late Obed Ehuchie died, after his burial the wife stayed at home and the wife of late Dee Clement so they all stayed at home. Then about palm trees, we didn’t share it but agreed that anybody that see’s first should cut and carry it. Then, at a point there was a day my wife cut a Palm tree but the Dee clement wives fought her claiming that palm tree was their own that they saw it already but they did not cut it. But Dee Sunny told them that he saw it and he cut it as there was no sign that somebody had put something there before. So, when they came back, they told their husband late Dee Clement that he should go and divide the land for us so that they can take care of their own. At that point Late Dee Clement went to my late maternal uncle Dee Osuji in Umuduru-Orie Mbieri now in Mbaitoli Local Government Area and asked him how two of us will share the land. Then, my late uncle told him pure and white how we’re going to share the land. So, he came back and told the wives that they should continue cutting the palm tree like that hence he’s not ready to share any land. That the father didn’t share any land. They continued like that until in 2000 Okechukwu late Obed Ehuchie”s son came to me one day and asked me whether late Dee Clement told me something but I replied no, because I was told nothing as at then. Okechukwu said that late Dee Clement asked me to show him Okechukwu where he will build his own house. He went to ask Dee Clement whether he had not told me that already. Late Dee clement said Okay let him call me, behold late Dee Clement called me and I said Okay let him tell him where to build his own house.
I said Okay, we have not divided our land that they should wait until we divide the land. I had it in mind that this 2000 that I will tell him dee Clement for us to divide our own land and I said but I didn’t want us to go to Umugamara Amaeke Iho Dimeze. That I wanted us to use ‘Umu Nwanwa anyi’ and ‘Umu-Ngboto anyi’ and let them come and share the land for us. So, we agreed between 2001, I took them to that place and showed them all the land estate that we have about 14-of them, but one of the lands, late Dee Clement Ehuchie used it to exchange where he built his house today, Also, in applicable I used one to exchange where I built my own house. Then, from that day we decided to share the land, but any time we fix a date, late Dee clement will not show up, but Okechukwu will come back but he late Dee Clement will not come back. Then, one day all of us told him that these ands sharing, you late Dee Clement are making it difficult for us. I said to him, let’s divide the lands now that we are alive as I have children, you have children and Okechukwu have children also. Then, late Dee Clement asked me, how are we going to share the lands? He said that I should choose and I said let him go and ask people and let me go and ask people. But before then, he had told Okechukwu that we are going to share the land among the male children that we have in this house but Okechukwu said no, that, it is not like that they share land, but late Dee Clement said no either. Then, when he came back home again from Aba where he was based, I asked him what did you get from the other people. He said how are we going to share the land? And I said that we are going to share the lands between I and you. You will stand on the side of your father and I will stand on the side of my father. Then, my father happened to be the first son, the Opara of Ehuchie. He has ‘Ishi Obi’ and ‘Imapu-Aka-na-Oku’. He said why should I get two lands before him? No! No! Saying that we will not share the land again. Meanwhile I continued worrying him and by April 2003, he came back and said Okay, that this land is going to share on July 31st of 2003 unfortunately by June his second wife died. So, we started to look for how we will do for the burial first. After the burial we did not still share the lands again, suddenly by 31st of December, 2003 he became ill. From time to time he was ill, then, I asked some people what am I going to do about the land sharing hence Late Dee Clement is not well. Response I got from different individuals was to wait until he recover’s otherwise if he goes there and falls down and die, they will say that I killed him. I said Okay and I waited and waited until 2008 sadly he died of his illness, and was buried in January, 2009, then, it ended there. In 2017 I went to my kindred Umugamara Village meeting and reported about the sharing of the lands with late Dee Clement Children, but they asked me whether I have called the children of late Dee Clement and late Obed to share the lands? And I said no that their father could not agree during his life time, therefore I want you my kinsmen to come and share the lands for us. They said no that I should go and call them and if they refused that I should come back to them.
So, I went back home, and called them let us share the lands. However, I have called them uncountable times, Whenever I called them, they do not respond. I continued calling them, even in some occasions, I have travelled from Iho Dimeze to meet my late cousin’s son Okechukwu Ehuchie who at the moment is the eldest of his brothers at home, leaving messages to his mother but very difficult to get back to me. Since they never responded on my invitations, then I reported back again to Umugamara kindred my kinsmen. Then, Uzowuru one of the sons of late Dee Clement told them that their elder brother in abroad, and another in Ukraine said that before we share the lands that we shall first of all come back and divide our compound, after that we can go ahead and share the lands. I said how are we going to divide the compound where we’re living together since 1960, I also said since in my life we have been working together. Then, some people said no, but Barrister Chukwuezi, and Iheanyi Ukachu the President of Umugamara said that the best thing is for me to agree that they share the lands, share the compound and divide it into two. I said okay and I picked up a date for us to divide the compound hence they so wish to do so. On that date, they came back and asked me to show them the boundary, and I said that I don’t know the boundary, because we have been living together in the same compound peacefully from day one and never heard about boundaries neither from their late father alike, therefore Let those who want to divide the compound come and show them the boundary. Then, Dee clement son Uzowuru came and pointed a place as the boundary which myself as a father to him do not know where is boundary in a compound we all have been living together and peacefully from the ages past. So, I said well wherever he show’s me that is the boundary I will agree as I do not look for anyone’s trouble, but later our Home Chairman Reverend Chibuzo Aginwa, called Okechukwu Ehuchie the elder son of late Obed and had one on one talk with him which ended up for Okechukwu to ask not to divide the compound while he will look into it and get back to Umugamara kindred during their meeting coming up soo then, and the people of Umugama people went home.
From that day, Okechukwu did not do anything and I reported back to Umugamara and they said that they will write him a letter to come and tell them what he has done so far. More than 3 meetings has taken place on this matter, but Umugamara was unable to act accordingly or bring Okechukwu to table to give them feedback based on the compound division and concerning the lands sharing from Umugamara and Dee Clement’s children were doing me ‘only the more I look the less l see,’ therefore based on the fact that we are going nowhere with Umugamara on the said matter which have lingered for decades without any solution or agreement and for the fact I am an elderly man who do not want my children and Dee Clement children to live in dispute because of Ehuchie’s lands, I decided to bring the matter before the Iho Dimeze Council of Chiefs under the leadership of The Traditional Prime Minister Honourable High Chief Sam Aka to look into the matter and help us share the lands according to the Igbo tradition of sharing ancestral land without fear or favour.
