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By Madu Obi
The controversy trailing the conferment of chieftaincy titles on Senator Ifeanyi Ubah by some traditional rulers in Anambra State has taken a new dimension, with the Obi of Onitsha and chairman of Anambra State Council of Traditional Rulers, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, accusing Governor Chukwuma Soludo of not showing respect to Anambra monarchs.
One of the traditional rulers who conferred a chieftaincy title on Ubah, Igwe Damian Ezeani, was suspended by the state government, but he had since apologized and withdrew the title on Ubah.
Two other monarchs, Igwe Ebelendu from Agulezechukwu in Aguata and Igwe Mbamalu from Ojoto in Idemili South, have also apologized to the governor for conferring titles on Ubah.
In a strongly - worded reaction addressed to the state Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Town Union Matters, Collins Nwabunwanne, Igwe Achebe urged Governor Soludo to exercise the powers he has with due sensitivity and humaneness.
He said the Commissioner's statement that minority of traditional rulers have demonstrated a penchant for trading chieftaincy titles for money, thereby bringing the traditional institution to ridicule and disrepute, was insulting.
"You publicly visited the sins of an unrecognized 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, indicted the entire traditional institution of the State," the Monarch said.
According to Igwe Achebe, the press release by the governor to a global audience had put the traditional institution into disrepute, adding that a direct circular letter to all traditional rulers as the parties of interest would have sufficed.
Achebe's reaction read: "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 letter also stated that lgwe Damian Ezeani, as traditional ruler of Neni, conferred such a phantom chieftaincy title on one Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in violation of the Code of Conduct and without clearance from the Ministry."
"The Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council ASTRC, cannot yet take a view on the violation of the Code of Conduct until it receives a report from the ad-hoc committee it set up to meet with lgwe Neni."
Nevertheless, it is very manifestly presented above that no written directives on conferment of chieftaincy titles existed before 08 January 2024 when lgwe Neni was suspended.
"Your reference to a second-term Right Honorable 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, 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 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 traditional rulers 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 Distinguished Senator Ubah, which are being stealthily ventilated in this circumstance."
"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, etc."
"Their 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 state 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 the 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, etc), youth unemployment leading to other delinquencies, security and the inability of the communities to fund their contingents of the Anambra State Vigilante Group (AVG), massive urban renewal for our sprawling cities, respectable stipends from the 5% of the statutory allocation to the local government councils as is applicable in other states of the federation, membership and structure of the ASTRC."
Noting that there were no formal or written directives from the Ministry on chieftaincy titles prior to the suspension of lgwe Neni, Achebe described government action as selective and consciously ignoring other recent cases of violation of the Code of Conduct which have been brought to the attention of government.
He said further: "Your claim that traditional rulers have demonstrated a penchant for trading chieftaincy titles for money was not supported by any evidence."
"Distinguished Senator Ifeanyi Ubah is not an unknown entity in Anambra State or Nigeria, including to the present administration. Thus, the suspension of lgwe Neni and threat to withdraw his Certificate of Recognition for apparently violating the Code of Conduct by giving him a chieftaincy title was extreme in comparison with other recent cases."
"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 executive power and authority in our democratic dispensation, but prays fervently that such power and authority, which derive from God through the governed, should be exercised with due sensitivity and humaneness over the governed."
He expressed the willingness of Anambra monarchs to engage further with government on all the points raised, in the hope of restoring the dignity of the traditional institution of Anambra State.
He also reminded the Commissioner that Governor Soludo made two promises that remain outstanding, namely, to meet with a small number of traditional rulers on issues of concern to the traditional institution, and to address all traditional rulers once more, advising him to kindly make the two commitments happen soon, as well as at regular intervals.
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