The Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo has reinstated the three traditional rulers who were suspended over chieftaincy title announcement to a Senator.
The traditional ruler of Neni Community in Anaocha Local Government Area of the state, Damian Ezeani, and two other Igwes were suspended after conferring chieftaincy titles to Senator Ifeanyi Ubah; this the governor felt was off the way it should be (by tradition), he therefore suspended all three of them.
The traditional rulers have respectively apologised to the State government, and withdrawn and canceled the chieftaincy titles conferred on the senator. They stated that the action was in direct contravention of the state traditional rulers code, which outlines the rules and regulations regarding the granting and revocation of chieftaincy titles.
In Tuesday, 23rd meeting with Traditional Rulers to review progress, the Governor also magnanimously addressed some of their welfare issues. He also announced that the State government has accepted their apologies.
Gov. Soludo subsequently reinstates the Traditional Ruler of Neni, Traditional Rulers of Ojoto and Aguluezechukwu.
The suspension of the traditional ruler in Anambra State has been a significant event, with far-reaching implications for the state’s political and cultural landscape.
The Anambra State Government, led by Soludo, suspended Igwe Damian Ezeani as the traditional ruler of Neni. This suspension was conveyed in a letter titled, ‘Notice of suspension of your recognition as traditional ruler of Neni’, signed by the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Mr Tony-Collins Nawbunwanne.
The state government accused the traditional ruler of not seeking clearance from the state government before bestowing titles on people, including “persons with questionable character.”
The government received reports that Igwe Ezeani conferred such Chieftaincy title on Ubah in violation of the traditional rulers’ code and without clearance from the ministry.
Following the suspension of Ezeani, two other traditional rulers and the suspended Igwe, who conferred different chieftaincy titles on Ubah, withdrew them. These traditional rulers are Igwe Ebelendu of Aguluezechukwu in the Aguata Local Government Area; Igwe Onwuamaeze Ezeani of the Neni in Anaocha Local Government Area and Igwe Gerald Obunadike Mbamalu of Ojoto in the Idemili South Local Government Area.
Earlier, Labour Party group, under the aegis of Forum of Labour Party State House of Assembly Candidates, Anambra State chapter, slammed Governor Chukwuma Soludo, for suspending monarchs.
The group also knocked the state government for setting ablaze the properties and wares of traders in the state, saying that such action is “traumatising the Anambra people”.
They stated this in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Mr OCN Okafor, and made available to journalists on Sunday.
The statement read, “On January 8, 2024, the state government, through the office of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs via a widely circulated letter in the media, suspended the Traditional Ruler of Neni community, H.R.H Igwe Damian O. Ezeani, for conferring a Chieftaincy title on a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Also, on January 16, 2024, there were viral videos on social media of public destruction and burning of goods and wares of some street hawkers in Awka by men armed with cutlasses and axes, working in the office of Awka Capital Territory Authority.
“We condemn these two actions of the state government on her citizens, as they are barbaric, inhuman and wicked, and we warn the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, not to throw our dear state into anarchy with his tyrannic tendencies.”
The group, however, said it is not encouraging lawlessness.
It said, “As much as we are not encouraging the disobedience to existing laws in the state, from our investigations, there was no existing law/code of conduct prohibiting Anambra State traditional rulers from conferring chieftaincy titles on non-indigenes of their community.
“This was affirmed and validated by the widely circulated letter by the Chairman of Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, H.R.M Igwe Dr Nnaemeka Achebe, a first-class traditional ruler of repute.
“Furthermore, after a careful study of the Anambra State Land Use Law, there was no clear contravention by the street traders that warranted the trauma, intimidation, humiliation and threat with cutlasses and axes before destroying and burning their goods and wares.
“However, assuming without conceding that they contravened any law or agreeing with the state government’s claim that they were constituting a nuisance, they could have been removed peacefully, even though no neighbourhood market was constructed by the state government for proximity for the residents of the area.”
The group, therefore, requested that the state government pay compensation to those whose goods were destroyed within 21 days, adding that failure to do so shall encourage its members and their indigenes or residents in the affected local governments to seek redress in court.
“Finally, we commend the chairman of Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Dr. Nnaemeka Achebe and the House of Representative member representing Awka North and South Federal Constituency, Prof. Lilian Orogbu, for publicly speaking against these intimidations and barbaric acts by the Anambra State Government,” the statement added.
