The traditional ruler of Onitsha and Chairman of Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Council, Igwe Alfred Achebe, has faulted the suspension of a monarch by Governor Charles Soludo – led state government.
Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo had by a release two days ago through the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Mr Tony-Collins Nawbunwanne, and in exercise of his powers under Section two (C) of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Law 2020 as amended, suspended the Igwe Damian Ezeani as the traditional ruler of Neni community in Anoacha Local Government Area of the state, for honouring Senator Ifeanyi Ubah with a chieftaincy title.
The release also required Igwe Ezeani to show why his certificate of recognition should not be withdrawn in line with the Traditional Rulers Law and advised him to stop parading himself as the traditional ruler of Neni community.
Igwe Ezeani has afterwards apologized.
But reacting through a copious letter addressed to the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Collins Nwabunwanne, Igwe Achebe the state government went too far, reckoning that the action translated to bullying the traditional institution and subjecting the members to public ridicule.
He said the government’s allegation that some monarchs trading traditional titles for money was misplaced and unsubstantiated.
The revered monarch also took exception to the state government’s use of “one Senator Ifeanyi Ubah” while referring to a distinguished senator of the Federal Republic, describing the action as disrespectful.
“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.
“Your reference to a second-term Distinguished 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, Distinguished 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, Igwe Kenneth O. Orizu.
“He is also a well-known business investor in Anambra State and a generous philanthropist.”
