The Anambra State Government has disowned the chieftaincy title of ‘Anyanwu N’Awalu Ora’ reportedly conferred on the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, insisting that the title was bestowed by an impostor and did not follow due process.
The government made its position known in a letter dated December 31, 2025, signed by the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Tony-Collins Nwabunwanne, and made available to journalists on Thursday.
According to the state government, the conferment of chieftaincy titles in Anambra is “the exclusive prerogative of recognised and certified traditional rulers in their respective communities,” adding that such titles are usually conferred on indigenes or residents of the community concerned.
Nwabunwanne explained that where a prospective title holder is not from the community, the approval of the traditional ruler of the conferee’s community and the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs must be sought and obtained, in line with the Traditional Rulers’ Code of Conduct.
He stated that none of these requirements was met in the case involving Ambassador Ojukwu.
The letter, titled ‘Amb. Bianca Ojukwu and the fake chieftaincy title from a fake traditional ruler,’ noted that social media posts by the minister announcing the title had “caused massive confusion in the camp of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and across the state.”
It partly read, “The attention of the Anambra State Government has been drawn to a publication by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Amb. Bianca Ojukwu, indicating that she has been conferred with a chieftaincy title of ‘Anyanwu N’Awalu Ora’, which, according to her, was conferred at the Igu Aro Cultural Festival by His Majesty Obi Austin Ndigwe (MON).”
The government, however, maintained that “Chief Austin C. Ndigwe is not a traditional ruler in Awka or Anambra State,” describing him as “simply an impostor.”
It added, “We have sighted a letter signed by him under a letterhead as the ‘Eze Uzu III’ of Awka, a clear criminal offence under Anambra law, when the recognised traditional ruler of Awka, HRH Gibson Nwabueze Nwosu (Eze Uzu II), is still alive and officially certified by the government.”
The letter highlighted the pedigree of the recognised monarch, describing the 92-year-old Eze Uzu Awka as a respected elder statesman who was the first Nigerian to fly a fighter jet solo, served as second-in-command of the Biafran Air Force and lived in exile for 15 years.
It also recalled that the same monarch, HRH Gibson Nwabueze Nwosu, conferred the chieftaincy title of Omenife Awka on President Bola Tinubu in 2004.
Describing the alleged conferment on Ojukwu as an affront to tradition, the government said the episode amounted to an insult on Awka people and the cultural institutions of the state.
“Sadly, it is this aged veteran, now blind but still agile, who this dance of infamy is denigrating, as well as insulting the sensitivities of Awka people and Anambra traditions and culture,” the letter stated.
The government also faulted the minister’s role in the matter, noting that given her background and pedigree, she “knows or should know these facts.”
It recalled that Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo had previously warned Ndigwe to desist from impersonating the traditional ruler of Awka, a warning that went viral.
The letter further stressed that describing Ndigwe as “His Majesty” and “Obi” was contrary to the Traditional Rulers Law of Anambra State.
Concluding, the government declared the chieftaincy title invalid, stating, “We therefore state that the chieftaincy title she purports to have received from Mr Austin Ndigwe is fake and not recognised under Anambra culture, tradition or law.”
It urged Ambassador Ojukwu to desist from addressing herself with the said title, while assuring residents that the government would take all lawful steps to protect the state’s culture and traditional institutions.
“To the great and law-abiding people of Awka, we have your back,” the government added.
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