By Austin Ogwuda
The suspended traditional ruler of Neni in Anaocha local government area, Anambra State, Nigeria, Igwe Damian Ezeani who recently incurred the wrath of the State government over the controversial conferment of chieftaincy title on Senator Ifeanyi Ubah has been pardoned and subsequently reinstated.
This latest development was contained in a press release issued by Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Christian Aburime in Awka on Wednesday morning (today) obtained by the Townhall.
The statement announced that governor Soludo apart from reinstating the suspended Neni monarch also pardoned two other traditional rulers for their alleged similar offence during a meeting attended by about 100 monarchs at the Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia, Awka South local government area, Anambra State.
According to the statement, “Governor announced that with the apologies of the affected Traditional Rulers, the State government accepted their apologies, and subsequently reinstates the Traditional Ruler of Neni, and forgives the Traditional Rulers of Ojoto and Aguluezechukwu.
“Mr Governor further clarified the legal status of the Igwe Nawfia as advised by his legal team.
“As part of the vote of thanks, both the Obi of Onitsha and Igwe Ojoto passed the votes of thanks and requested for regular meetings with Mr Governor which Mr Governor graciously accepted to hold at least twice a year”, it added.
Recall that the Obi of Onitsha Obi, Igwe Alfred Achebe, who is also the Chairman of Anambra Traditional Rulers Council faulted the Anambra State government over the suspension of Igwe Damian Ezeani, traditional ruler of Neni community and making sweeping statement to the effect that chieftaincy titles were being traded.
Obi Achebe particularly lambasted the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Tony-Collins Nwabunwanne who wrote the offending letter conveying the suspension order.
Said Obi of Onitsha in response to the Commissioner’s letter, “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 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.
“I was embarrassingly inundated with phone calls and messages from traditional rulers and other persons seeking clarification from me as Chairman of Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council (ASTRC) regarding a situation to which I was not privy”, the Obi of Onitsha fumed.