jim10000The silent war in the family of the first civilian governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo was blown open Friday when his deceased first son, Dr Ifeanyi Nwobodo Jnr was denied burial in his father’s compound.

Nwobodo’s Amechi Awkunanaw country-home in Enugu South Local Government Area within the Enugu state capital was thrown into confusion as several dignitaries who had come from different parts of the country left in total disappointment without witnessing the funeral of the former governor’s son.

The former governor reportedly disagreed with Ifeanyi’s brothers given birth to by his first wife, Mukosolu and members of his extended family over where the remains of his deceased son would be laid to rest.

Nwobodo and Mukosolu were said to have had four children – three males and a female before their separation and thereafter . Pat was married by the former governor..
Dr Nwobodo jnr died recently from cancer and was slated for burial Friday but the funeral ceremony ran into a hitch on account of the disagreement in the family which observers described as very embarrassing.
Trouble began when Chief Nwobodo refused the children of his first wife’s request to bury Ifeanyi inside his father’s compound where he had lived with members of his family any time he was in the village.

Nwobodo was said to have regarded his deceased first son as a tenant in his house insisting that since he (ifeanyi) could not build his own house he should be buried outside his compound.

He had built a new bungalow opposite his massive compound shortly after Ifeanyi’s death and directed that a grave be dug there for his burial which was done ahead of Friday’s funeral ceremony. This development was opposed by Ifeanyi’s brothers and friends who insisted the first son was the right person to inherit his father’s compound if he was alive according to Igbo customs and tradition. Villagers said the house was erected within two weeks.

But 24 hours to the funeral, ADVOVCATE NIGERIA learnt that some unknown persons went to St Martin’s Hospital Mortuary and took away Ifeanyi’s corpse to forestall his father’s plan to bury him at the newly erected building.

Thousands of mourners who converged at Amechi to pay their last respect to the deceased medical doctor, however, met a tensed environment as aggrieved youths in the town took over the premises in protest against the former governor, The chased the guests away insisting that the funeral would not hold.

The protest continued until about 2 pm when the Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu and other personalities arrived the compound and decided to intervene in the matter.

After meeting with Nwobodo for about 15 minutes, Ekweremadu, Nwobodo and his wife, Pat drove to St, Mathew Anglican Church parsonage where they held peace talk with the former governor’s relations and some church leaders including the Anglican Archbishop of Enugu Province, Rt. Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Chukwuma.

The meeting which lasted for about 50 minutes yielding no result as the participants came out with dissenting voices. The church leaders said they agreed to bury the corpse at the church’s premises to ensure peace among the feuding parties but Ifeanyi’s brothers and friends refused the decision to bury him in the church saying Ifeanyi was neither a Priest nor a Cannon that should be buried in church premises.

In spite of the plea by the church leaders, Ekweremadu and other dignitaries, the aggrieved family members refused the decision to conduct the burial in the church premises and vowed that the corpse which whereabout was unknown would not be produced until Nwobodo acceded to their request to bury him in his compound.

Between 2.50 pm and 5pm when this report was filed, the corpse could not be found as the dignitaries left after waiting for several hours amidst confusion.

Among the dignitaries were Chief Victor Umeh, National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Nnia Nwodo, Ambassador Fidelia Njeze, Mr. Frank Nweke, Chief Nwabueze Okafor, Chief Ugochukwu Agballah, Senator Gilbert Nnaji and Chief Chekwas Okorie, National Chairman of United Progressive Party, UPP.