Traditional rulers in Anambra have expressed displeasure with the way the government of Charles Soludo is treating the traditional institution.
In a letter signed by Igwe Alfred Achebe, the chairman of Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council (ASTRC), the traditional rulers said the way and manner the government maltreated and suspended members were disrespectful.
The Anambra government, through the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, suspended a ruler for conferring a chieftaincy title on Ifeanyi Ubah and threatened others if they did not reverse the recognitions.
No fewer than three traditional rulers, including Gerald Mbamalu of Ojoto, Damian Ezeani of Neni, and F.E. Ebelendu of Aguluezechuwku, had bowed to pressure by apologising to the governor for conferring such titles and withdrawing their recognition.
Mr Achebe said Tony-Collins Nwabunwanne, the government disrespected the traditional institution by taking unilateral action against traditional rulers and communicating with them through social media.
He condemned the suspension of Mr Ezeani, the ruler of Neni in Anaocha, for conferring chieftaincy title for alleged “non-compliance with the Code of Conduct” as dehumanising and selective.
Mr Achebe noted, “Assuming that Igwe of 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 other tiny few 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 of Neni or Distinguished Senator Ubah which are being stealthily ventilated in this circumstance.”
The ruler added, “Your letter to Igwe Damian Ezeani was copied to the commissioner of police and director of DSS, Anambra state, but not to the chairman of the ASTRC.
“This act, amongst 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 publicly visited the sins of an unrecognised self-acclaimed traditional ruler on the entire state traditional institution, to which he does not belong.”
Mr Achebe said the traditional institution in Anambra comprised some of the finest sons of the state who achieved sterling academic heights and professional and vocational attainments.
He said the claim of the government that rulers had demonstrated a penchant for trading chieftaincy titles for money was not supported by any evidence, adding that their stool was not sustained by it or government stipend.
“The livelihood of the traditional rulers 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,” Mr Achebe stressed.
He added, “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 state government.
The federal and other state governments hold the traditional institutions in high esteem. What, then, has gone wrong in Anambra state? The traditional institution of Anambra feels strongly that the present administration is progressively dehumanising and deprecating the institution against the trend in the rest of the country.”
