By Ken Asinobi
The Nsirim Royal Family of Rumueme Kingdom in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State has strongly condemned a rumour making the rounds about the alleged proclamation and coronation of one Dr. Larry Azunda Nsirim as the new Nyenwe-Eli of Rumueme Kingdom.
In a strongly worded statement issued on behalf of the family, the Nsirim Royal Family described the reported coronation as an abomination, a traditional aberration, sacrilegious, unlawful, and politically motivated, warning that it poses a serious threat to peace and order in the kingdom.
According to the family, the purported action is a total betrayal of the legacy of their late patriarch and monarch, His Royal Majesty, Omunakwe Nyeche Nsirim (MON), the Apiti of Rumueme and a founding father of the modern Rumueme Kingdom, who laboured tirelessly to establish and protect the kingdom’s traditional institutions.
The family categorically dissociated itself from what it called a sham and nefarious act, accusing the Chairman of the Rumueme Kingdom Council of Traditional Rulers, Chief Larry Nyeche, of deliberately attempting to create confusion in the succession process and provoke a crisis in the kingdom.
They stressed that the so-called coronation lacks legitimacy and credibility, as it did not follow the laid-down traditional process for succession to the revered Nyenwe-Eli stool.
The family alleged that the exercise was carried out secretly, under questionable circumstances, and by individuals bent on committing taboo acts to advance personal and political interests.
Describing the development as a political action rather than a traditional process, the Nsirim Royal Family stated that the conduct of the Rumueme Council of Chiefs was not guided by truth, custom, or established norms. Instead, they said it reflected political expediency, greed, and hurried convenience, all of which undermine the integrity of the traditional institution.
The family warned that while ambition is not wrong, it becomes dangerous when pursued outside accepted norms, noting that unchecked ambition could divide families, destabilize communities, and plunge the kingdom into unnecessary conflict.
Reaffirming their long-standing cordial relationship with successive governments in Rivers State, the Nsirim Royal Family emphasized that they would not allow themselves to be drawn into any manufactured political conflict or used as bait by individuals seeking relevance through chaos.
They declared unequivocally that they would never sell their birthright, no matter the pressure, inducement, or propaganda, insisting that the Nyenwe-Eli stool is sacred, ancestral, and historically defined.
The family therefore called on Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Rivers State Ministry of Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, and the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers not to recognize or relate with anyone claiming to have emerged as the new Nyenwe-Eli of Rumueme Kingdom through the disputed process.
They also appealed to sons and daughters of Rumueme Kingdom, elders, stakeholders, and authorities to remain calm, peaceful, and committed to due process and truth, stressing that only a legitimate and customary pathway can produce a rightful occupant of the sacred stool. The statement was signed on behalf of the Nsirim Royal Family by Crown Prince Nyeche Henry Omunakwe Nsirim, Prince Ezenwo Omunakwe Nsirim, and Chief Nsirim Nsirim.
