‘You Went Too Far’ – Obi Of Onitsha Knocks Anambra Government For Suspending Monarch

The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, has criticized the Charles Soludo-led Anambra government for penalizing traditional rulers in the state for giving chieftaincy titles to specific individuals.

Naija News recalls that the traditional ruler of Neni was suspended last week by the Anambra State Government’s Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Community Affairs, Tony Nwabunwanne.

In response to the suspension, Achebe who chairs the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, stated in a news release on Wednesday that the state government should respect the traditional institution.

In the 14-point letter, Achebe criticized the state government’s handling of Ezeani’s suspension.

The letter, titled ‘Notification for the suspension of HRH lgwe Damian O. Ezeani, the Traditional Ruler of Neni’, was signed by the monarch on behalf of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers.

The letter read, “I am writing in response to your letter, Ref: MLGCCA/HC/2022/T/025/001/103, of the above caption to me dated 8th January, 2024. This response also provides a fuller context of other events relating to the suspension of H.R.H lgwe Damian O Ezeani, the traditional ruler of Neni. Your letter was hand-delivered to me at Onitsha at 6:55pm on Tuesday, 09 January, 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 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 Damian Ezeani as traditional ruler of his domain.

“My suspicion that your letter was an afterthought was buttressed by the fact that your letter of suspension to lgwe Damian Ezeani of the same date, 8th January 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. Your letter to lgwe 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.

“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 the 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 receqnt cases.”

Naija News had earlier reported that three traditional rulers in the states withdrew the chieftaincy title conferred on Ifeanyi Uba. The withdrawal came after disciplinary action was taken against Ezeani .