Demands immediate reinstatement and apology for deposed traditional rulers
The Distinguished Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District Dr Patrick Ifeanyichukwu Ubah, has called on the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano who holds the traditional title of ‘Akpo kue dike Aguleri’, to as a matter of urgency quickly reinstate the traditional rulers that he withdrew their certificates in the recent past for accompanying Chief Arthur Eze on a-thank-you visit to the President and Commander- In -Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Muhammad Buhari.
In a statement made available to the public through his media office, Senator Ubah laments the fact that the State Governor by this ill thought out action has exposed our revered traditional institution to public opprobrium and ridicule.
According to the Senator, Alhaji Dangote, the owner of Bua Cement Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu and Oba Otudeko to mention a few are examples of entrepreneurs that have the record in this same country of having taken their traditional rulers to the villa to seek one strategic business favour or the other or to reassure Mr President of their loyalty and support, adding that the aforementioned traditional rulers were not harassed on their return by their state governors.
“I want to use this medium to appeal to Governor Obiano to as a matter of urgency quickly reinstate the affected traditional rulers, return their certificates and staffs of office as well as tender unconditional apologies to the traditional rulers for the embarrassment his actions had caused them, ” said the distinguished Senator.
“Anambra traditional Institution today under the leadership of the highly referred Obi of Onitsha , Igwe Alfred Achebe, has an ancient and robust history as the custodian of our rich cultural heritage and tradition that has carved a niche for itself in the minds of our people over the years
“In this state , we have witnessed the lives and times of great traditional rulers who held the ‘Offor” of their various communities as the custodians of their cultural heritage and stood as spiritual intercessors for our highly egalitarian sons and daughters as they sojourn different parts of the globe and conquer in their various fields of human endeavour.
“We also have on the throne today great sages like the 95-year-old Igwe Nnewi Igwe Kenneth Orizu 111 whose long reign and blessings have hugely impacted on our people and greatly assisted our sons and daughters in their exploits in various spheres of life both within and outside the state.”
The Senator frowns at this sustained desecration of our Traditional Institutions which according to him started from when the State Governor through the Commissioner for Local government and chieftancy affairs embarked on creating an aberration known as Caretaker Igwes especially in communities that the Government views as not being politically amenable to the ruling APGA party.
“Our traditional rulers must be insulated from partisan politics. These attempts by the State Govt to introduce politics into our traditional stools has not augured well for our Traditional Institutions since then and all these anti people acts needs to stop, ” the Senator concluded.
