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From Emmanuel Uzor, Awka
It is no longer news that there is no love lost between Governor Chukwuma Soludo and the Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Council over the precipitating crisis arising from suspension of some traditional rulers in the state.
Daily Sun reports that the crisis reached crescendo when the Anambra State government through the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Tony Collins Nwabunwanne, announced the suspension of Igwe Damian Ezeani of Neni, Anaocha Local Government Area of the state, and others, for allegedly breaching the code of conduct for traditional institution in the state.
In a letter from the Chairman of Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Council and Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, the council expressed sadness over the way the Anambra State Government led by Governor Chukwuma Soludo has been treating traditional rulers in the state.
Achebe, who described as humiliating, the action meted on Igwe Neni for conferring chieftaincy title on Senator Ifeanyi Ubah warned Governor Soludo to respect the traditional institution.
Igwe Achebe also expressed sadness over what he described as embarrassing, the way Governor Soludo treated them as hungry people.
“Their (traditional rulers) livelihood does not depend on selling chieftaincy titles or the N175,000 monthly stipend from the state government, but on their own hard-earned modest personal resources. By their office, age, attainment and standing in society, they deserve far better respect and dignity, than being publicly bullied and unfairly shamed at every opportunity by people in the government. The federal and other state governments hold the traditional institutions in high esteem. What then has gone wrong in Anambra State?
“The current impression to the general public is that the issue of honorary chieftaincy title is on the foremost front burner for Ndi Anambra. On the contrary, the traditional rulers would state for the umpteenth time that their key community challenges include lack of basic amenities, electricity, potable water, healthcare, good access roads, and youth unemployment, leading to other delinquencies, security and the inability of the communities to fund their contingents of the Anambra State Vigilante Group.
“The traditional institution of Anambra State feels strongly that the present administration is progressively dehumanizing and deprecating the institution against the trend in the rest of the country, where the Federal and State Governments accord dignity and respect to the institution.
“The traditional institution is mindful of the awesomeness of the executive power and authority in our democratic dispensation, but prays fervently that such powers and authority, which derive from God through the governed, should be exercised with due sensitivity and humaneness over the governed.
“This response also provides a fuller context of other events relating to the suspension of lgwe Damian Ezeani, the traditional ruler of Neni.
Your letter was hand-delivered to me at Onitsha at 6:55pm on Tuesday, January 9, 2024. I was curious about the timing of the delivery considering that I had presided at the meeting of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council (ASTRC) at Awka earlier in the day, where such a letter would normally be presented to me by the ASTRC secretariat.
“The letter was a justification for the government’s suspension of lgwe Ezeani as traditional ruler of his domain. My suspicion that your letter was an after-thought was buttressed by the fact that your letter of suspension to lgwe Ezeani on the same date, January 8, 2024, was already trending virally on social media for well over 24 hours prior to my receipt of your letter. I was embarrassingly inundated with phone calls and messages from traditional rulers and other persons seeking clarification from me as chairman of ASTRC regarding a situation to which I was not privy.
“The furious Igwe Achebe further berated the Anambra State Government for embarrassing the traditional rulers in the state, adding, “Your letter to lgwe Ezeani was copied to the Commissioner of Police and Director of DSS, Anambra State, but not to the chairman of the ASTRC”
“This act, among many others, was seen by the traditional rulers of Anambra State as a measure of the worth of the traditional institution to the present administration.
“You were right in your letter that the Code of Conduct for traditional rulers in Anambra State is the creation of the traditional institution. It became effective as a self-regulating code following the 2013 annual seminar of Anambra State Traditional Rulers where it was presented and adopted. It was subsequently published in the book, “The Traditional Institution in a Modern Society,” being the proceedings of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Seminars held in 2011, 2013, and 2014.
“The Code of Conduct was also re-issued in March 2020 under my signature as Chairman of the ASTRC. The ASTRC worked harmoniously on most occasions with previous administrations in the application of the Code, such that the ASTRC monitored compliance and recommended sanctions for non-compliance to the government for necessary action. Now, it would appear that the present administration has completely appropriated the entire application of the Code of Conduct without the involvement of or reference to the ASTRC.”
The Obi of Onitsha disclosed that Governor Soludo had complained against a traditional ruler in which he (Achebe) took him on and the governor never responded.
“In my said conversation with Mr. Governor on October 4, 2023, I had also reminded him of the WhatsApp message he forwarded to me on November 9, 2022, in which graphic allegations were made against a traditional ruler of Anambra State. I further reminded Mr. Governor that he never responded to my prompt advice by WhatsApp on the options for dealing with the allegations expeditiously. I also re-sent our WhatsApp exchange on the matter to Mr. Governor, but still did not get any reaction.
“On the events over the last eight days or so, you will also recall that you called me several times on Saturday, January 6, 2024, between 15:34 and 22:31 without reaching me. At 08:06 on Sunday morning, I called you and explained the circumstances that made me unreachable on the previous day. In our long conversation, you said that you were seeking to bring to my attention a press release that you were under pressure to issue. This was in connection with traditional rulers conferring honorary chieftaincy titles in violation of the Code of Conduct for Traditional Rulers and the Government directives”
“You specifically mentioned two cases only, namely, Igwe Ojoto, who conferred an honorary chieftaincy title on Senator Ifeanyi Ubah on 30 December, 2023, and the self-acclaimed traditional ruler of Nawfia, who conferred honorary chieftaincy titles on forty (40) persons on 04 January, 2024. You further confirmed that the press release had been issued, which I later found to be on 04 January, 2024, that is, the day prior to your unsuccessful attempt to reach me. In the conversation, you categorically did not mention, in any regard whatsoever, lgwe Neni who celebrated his Ofala on 29 December, 2023”
“I noted that the self-acclaimed lgwe Nawfia, whose recognition was withheld by the government due to pending matters in court, was consequently not considered a member of the state traditional institution. His activities should, therefore, not be associated with the state traditional institution in any manner. I distinctly pointed out that picking on the above two cases (Ojoto and Nawfia) by your office was selective and appeared to be a deliberate favoritism towards other cases which you were well aware of.”
The traditional rulers through Obi of Onitsha further accused Governor Soludo of deliberately picking some traditional rulers for destruction for political reasons.
“I reminded you that there had not been any reaction from you or Mr. Governor to our conversations of October 4, 2023, on the Code of Conduct for traditional rulers. You apologised for the failure to revert. Fast forward to the meeting of the ASTRC on January 9, 2024.”
Achebe also accused Governor Soludo of visiting the entire traditional rulers with anger over actions of a non member.
“You publicly visited the sins of an unrecognised self-acclaimed traditional ruler on the entire state traditional institution, to which he does not belong. Without providing evidence for your sweeping statement about trading chieftaincy titles for money you also, wittingly or not, thereby, indicted the entire traditional institution of the state.
“Your press release to a global audience put the institution into disrepute when a direct circular letter to all traditional rulers as the parties of interest would have sufficed. The tone and language of your letter were, by any measure, a public riot act and pontification to the same majority of traditional rulers that you extolled as acting with dignity and integrity. The letter lacked respect and sensitivity in addressing the traditional rulers of Anambra State who, by any standard, are held in very high esteem in the comity of the traditional institutions of Nigeria and beyond.”
On the reason for the suspension of Igwe Ezeani for conferring a chieftaincy title on Senator Uba, Igwe Achebe chided the Anambra State government for disrespecting a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Your reference to a second-term Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as “one Senator Ifeanyi Ubah” is most disrespectful, offensive, and unbecoming of one holding a political office as Commissioner. It is noteworthy that a person can only qualify to contest elections after scaling through the highest level of security checks at the federal level. Furthermore, Senator Ubah holds a chieftaincy title of his hometown, Nnewi, conferred on him by his monarch and Grand Patron of the Anambra State Traditional Institution, His Majesty, lgwe Kenneth O. Orizu. He is also a well-known business investor in Anambra State and a generous philanthropist.
“Thus, assuming that lgwe Neni did not strictly comply with the Code of Conduct, would the foregoing factors not be sufficiently extenuating to warrant a far less sanction on him as was meted to some others that also failed to comply? The severity of suspension and threat of withdrawal of Certificate of Recognition suggests that there may be other issues with either lgwe Neni or Senator Ubah which are being stealthily ventilated in this circumstance.”
He said Anambra State government in the exercise of this action had clearly shown hidden political agenda.
“I would like to state very clearly that your handling of this matter of conferment of honorary chieftaincy titles is the apogee of the progressive dehumanization and dismantling of the traditional institution of Anambra State by the present administration. The institution comprises of some of the finest sons of Anambra State who achieved sterling academic heights and professional/vocational attainments. At the behest of their communities, they took up the role of traditional rulers as shining examples for selflessly giving back to their communities in particular, and society at large. They are the custodians of the culture and traditions of their people and lead on peace building, security, development issues”
Finally, since your communication to the traditional rulers of the State on this matter has mainly been through press releases and interviews, it would be fair and proper that this response is also made available to the media for the purpose of balance”
