Home Blog Page 1260

OPINION: Soludo And Promotion of Peace, Community Dev

January 18, 2024

Charles Soludo - Governor of Anambra State

By Ifeanyi Okeke

The South-East states in Nigeria were abuzz with colourful celebrations and multiple social events during the 2023 Christmas season, as it is now customary in Igboland during festive periods.

In Anambra state, it was more than just Christmas but a carnival of colours, enchanting rhythms, dance steps and ululations of celebrations and expressions of very rich cultural heritage across the 179 communities in the state. All these would not have been possible if not for the peace and tranquillity that has gradually returned to the state. Thanks to the hardwork and efforts of the state Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, his commissioners, aides, security agencies, traditional rulers, Presidents General, and the resilient spirit of Ndi Anambra who are heeding the Governor’s call to take back their communities.

According to Miss Vera Onyia, a native of Odekpe, in Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state, “The turnout of people who came home for the festivities was massive. People returned home from various cities in Nigeria and the diaspora, for what is now a yearly pilgrimage to spend the holiday period with family and friends in Anambra state.”

Findings indicate that flights to Chinua Achebe airport in Anambra state, and the entire South-East region were fully booked during the past Christmas celebrations, despite the high air fares. Even the cost of traveling from major cities to the South- East by road was not also pocket friendly, but that didn’t deter Anambra state holiday makers from returning home to join in the celebrations.

Interestingly, during the period, wherever one turned to in the 179 communities, there were beehive of activities and celebrants at one event or the other, glowing in brilliant colours of cultural attires and glorious sounds of native flutes, gongs and other traditional musical instruments, that produce soul-lifting melodies that seemingly transformed the whole state into an open carnival, to the admiration of both residents and visitors to the state.

Many people never knew that a beach existed in Anambra state until pictures and videos of Anam Beach Festival in Anambra West LGA surfaced on the internet. There were also other events that were celebrated across the state such as masquerade festivals, chieftaincy, ozo, oba, Iyom and other titles, Ofala, Igu-Aro festivals etc.
Many have attributed this huge turnout of people for different events in the state, to the increasing confidence people now express in the intentional restoration of peace and order in the communities in the state by the government of Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, through strategic support to the security agencies, and re- engineering of community leadership system – Town Unions, by the state government.

According to Chief Ikenna Okonkwo, a native of Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area of the state, who visited home from Denver, Colorado, United States of America, “Development is not measured only by the provision of physical infrastructure. The soft side of infrastructure – peace and community harmony – also rank among the indices that a responsible government could be evaluated.”

Speaking further, Chief Okonkwo said: “In my interactions with many people, even before I made the decision to visit home for Christmas, I can attest to the fact that Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the Governor of Anambra state has been silently carrying out a revolution in the local government system and community development in Anambra state”.
“The Governor has been doing this through the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, headed by the Commissioner, Mr Tony-Collins Nwabunwanne and his team”.
“You know that it is only a stable and peaceful community that would provide the right atmosphere for physical and human capital development.”

Apparently, in the last 18 months, the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs has successfully conducted many town union elections without the usual rancour and acrimony. Even during the busy period of December 2023, during the festive period, over 40 of such elections, were conducted.
It is on record that several communities that have not known peace in the last few years, this includes communities where the traditional rulers and the Presidents General are at war with each other have been reconciled.

Observations have shown that the state government does not conduct such elections directly, but rather, it supervises the elections to ensure that it was done in line with the provisions of the constitution of the individual towns and laws of the state, as enacted by the state House of Assembly. And where any town failed to conduct such election successfully, the state government would set up a caretaker committee to oversee the affairs of the town until a proper election is conducted.

Giving more insight into the Town Union leadership system in Anambra state, a prominent businessman from Enugu state, who has been living and working in Onitsha, Anambra state, for a number of years, Mr. Boniface Obeta, said, “In Anambra state, Town Unions function like a fourth-tier arm of government after the federal, state and local governments”.

“Significantly, the state government accords town unions recognition as its agent of implementing development programmes in the communities. So, the state government relies on town unions to generate priority development programmes for every community because different communities have their peculiar development needs”.

“Anambra state has 179 communities. Each of the Communities has a local leadership christened town union executive headed by a President-General (PG), Secretary and other executive members, including Vice-President-General, Treasurer, Publicity Secretary, Auditor, etc, depending on the constitution of individual town union. Every town has its individual town union constitution which defines the composition of the executive, tenure and functions of each executive.

“All the town unions have a central umbrella known as the ‘Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU)’. This umbrella co-ordinates for the state government all activities of various town unions in the state. And it has its secretariat in the Government House, Awka. It has a president, secretary and other executive members. ASATU was a brain-child of the late Chief Chimezie Ikeazor (Oboli Obosi), a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, who emerged as the pioneer president”.

“Town unions maintain security in their respective towns. So, the state government encourages every community to set up a vigilante group to maintain security in the town. The state gives subvention to the town unions to maintain community vigilante, and also supports them with security operational vehicles and other items”.

“The philosophy behind this system is the saying that ‘no crime can successfully take place in any community without an insider’s connivance. The state government sometimes uses the town unions to execute direct-Labour projects, they build primary and secondary schools, construct rural roads, provide pipe-born water, electricity, cottage hospitals, etc, either directly or indirectly.”

A former member, House of Representatives, who represented Anambra East and West Federal Constituency, Anambra state, in the 7th Assembly, Hon. Chinedu Obidigwe, said that the PG leadership system, when well-coordinated, helps to attract development to communities as it acts as a bridge between the communities and the state government.
According to him, a purposeful PG leadership could also help in bringing about relevant review of some identified traditional practices in some communities that hurt progress or bring individuals under undue societal pressure, such as burial ceremonies or diverse other money gosling social practices. But he added that a meaningful community town union leadership should also work in synergy with the traditional leadership of the place in order to avoid internal conflict.

Beyond the encouragement of transparent and credible Town Union leadership in each community, the Soludo administration, in a bid to protect and preserve the traditional institution from abuse, also insists that traditional rulers must abide by some code of conduct, especially as regards the conferment of chieftaincy titles to individuals, in order to stop the abuse of such practice by conferring such titles to only credible people of integrity who have evidently contributed to the development of the communities.

Some relevant portions of the Traditional Rulers Code of Conduct says: “Igwe can only confer title on indigenes of their community after they must have obtained security clearance from the relevant security agencies and approval from Mr. Commissioner, Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs. If the Igwe must confer title on an indigene of another community, he must get the consent of the Igwe of the recipient’s community. The title must be that of the conferring community.”

Checks made at the office of Anambra Commissioner for local government affairs, Mr Tony-Collins Nwabunwanne, confirmed that since the advent of Soludo administration, 134 PG and town union elections have been successfully conducted, while six traditional rulers – Ndi Igwe – have been issued with certificates of recognition by the state government. There are many more in the pipeline.

One can only hope and pray that the present sweet breeze blowing across Anambra communities continues under the administration of Professor Charles Soludo and beyond.

Okeke, a public affairs analyst wrote from Awka, Anambra State

Imo: Police Rescue Kidnapped Imo Traditional Ruler, Eze Ohiri

The Source

January 18, 2024

By Charles Igbo

About two weeks after he was kidnapped from his Palace, His Royal Highness, Eze Samuel Agunwa Ohiri, the immediate past Chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, has, reportedly, been rescued by Operatives of the Imo State Police Command.

Ohiri, the Traditional Ruler of Orodo in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area, was abducted by gunmen who invaded his Palace on January 6, 2024.

He was in the company of his younger brother who returned from the United States of America, USA, to spend the Christmas and New Year vacation when he was abducted.

However, while the gunmen were dragging them into their operational vehicle, his younger brother, identified as Solomon, managed to wriggle out and escaped.

Since his abduction, nothing had been heard of him until Thursday when a report said he has been released unhurt.

According to the report, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Imo State Command, SP Okoye, confirmed that Ohiri has been successfully rescued. He, also, said some arrests have been made.

Okoye was quoted to have said: ” Recall the Command has been working assiduously in synergy with other security agencies towards ensuring that Eze Ohiri is released and some arrests have been made.

“To the glory of God, he has been released after a hot chase on his kidnappers at the forest by Operatives of the Command’s Anti Kidnapping Unit.

“The Command will continue to work towards stamping out all forms of violent crimes in the State. As CP Danjuma reaffirms the Command’s resolve to work harmoniously with the Military and other Security Agencies in stamped out violent crimes in the State”.

Ohiri was the Chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers under the Government of Senator Rochas Okorocha.

Zamfara: Gov Lawal Bans Illegal Mining After Ibadan Blast

James Orji

January 18, 2024

Dauda Lawal - Zamfra State Governor — Governor Dauda Lawal

In a bid to contain the activities of illegal miners in the state, Governor Dauda Lawal, has signed an Executive Order prohibiting traditional rulers from issuing consent letters for mining activities across the state.

Governor Lawal signed the order today at the government House, Gusau, the state’s capital.

The development comes on the heels of an explosion that went of in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital on Tuesday. The state government blamed illegal miners for the blast which killed at least seven persons, and also got over 80 persons seriously wounded.

According to a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, disclosed that the Executive Order was necessary to combat banditry.

The order said all consent letters for mining in the state have now been effectively banned.

Governor Lawal said while signing the order: “Today, in my administration’s resolve to tackle insecurity, I signed an executive order prohibiting traditional rulers from issuing consent letters for mining across the 14 local government areas of Zamfara.

“As the Attorney General rightly stated, the mining activities in Zamfara have been identified as a significant factor contributing to the worsening security situation of the state, especially the menace of banditry.

“As a responsible government, it is crucial that we take decisive action to resolve the issue of illegal mining operations that have been contributing to the crisis. That’s why I have signed the executive order. We are taking all necessary steps to rectify the problems bedevilling the issuance of consent letters, which have been recklessly abused.

“We beseech Almighty Allah to guide us as we serve and safeguard the lives and properties of the people.”

OPINION: The Road to Thanksgiving

The Source

January 18, 2024

By Azu Ishiekwene

I hope Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, can finally get some sleep. He deserves it. After the ruling of the Supreme Court on Friday, upholding his election, the governor told a crowd of his supporters who came to rejoice with him at the State Government Lodge in Abuja, that he had not slept for seven days, in spite of the comfort of his waterbed.

Mohammed, a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), said he had been awake, seven days and seven nights, “fighting former leaders” to secure the mandate of voters.

I can imagine. This was an election that took place nearly one year ago. And yet, the governor, like his colleagues in seven other states or nearly one quarter of Nigeria’s 36 states, has spent one quarter of his tenure in court, waiting for what has now become the most important vote of all – the ballot of the court.

If it were in my place to do so, I would have asked the governor what he spent seven days and seven nights doing in Abuja. Was he involved in a nonstop nocturnal spiritual wrestling match with the principalities and powers who wanted to steal his votes?

Was he in strategy sessions with ecclesiastical hosts? Was he combining these with visits to some renowned marabouts who may have been obliged to camp outside the Supreme Court, as part of the ritual of success?

If it were in my place, I would have asked what exactly he was doing in Abuja, the domain of their Lordships, without sleeping for seven days and seven nights.

Thanks offering

From what Mohammed said, however, it was not only the court that deserved the credit for the favourable outcome of the matter. Two of the other seven governors specifically thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his deputy, KashimShettima, for their non-interference. According to the Bauchi State governor, some people had gone to tell the president that he was a threat to him.

“I’m grateful to the government of President Tinubu,” Mohammed said, “who believes in good governance – for allowing the rule of law to persist irrespective of lies and mischievous acts that have been perpetrated against me.”

If the governor commended his legal team at all, that part may have been omitted in the statement published in the press, which contained nothing but heartfelt praise for the Supreme Court and the president for not beating the justices.

We die here

Another point of interest was the physical presence of five of the eight governors at the Supreme Court when the judgment was delivered. Of course, they all have a right to be there, to receive firsthand, the much-expected good news, after days, weeks, and perhaps, even months of tension. Who wouldn’t?

There was once a time, though, when the drama, the intensity, the sheer uncertainty, and especially the fearsome reputation of the court in matters like these would have kept the main parties far away from the precincts of the court.

There was an exception, of course. In 1983, the federal election body, FEDECO (as it was then called), declared that Bola Ige of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), who had just completed his first term as governor, had lost his reelection to Omololu Olunloyo of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

Ige petitioned the election tribunal and was in court as part of the UPN’s legal team, though not as the lead counsel. Not even during the equally bitter 1979 contest between the UPN and the NPN after the controversial presidential election, did either Obafemi Awolowo or Shehu Shagari appear in court, though at an earlier stage, Awolowo appeared at the tribunal in Ikoyi in his famous suit.

One crooked step

Of course, that dispensation was different. The electoral act mandated the disposal of election cases before swearing in. But the law is just as good as those who make them and those who are supposed to implement them. Some aspects of the election law have improved in the last 24 years. In spite of the improvements, however, politicians, with plenty of help from lawyers, have also found a way to stay one crooked step ahead. And perhaps one of the most perverse outcomes of all of this is that there’s hardly any solid, reliable set of electoral jurisprudence.

Jurisprudential jiggery pokery has a very long history in Nigeria, even though it wasn’t always rampant or brazen. It was with a heavy, tormented heart, for example, that Justice FataiAtanda-Williams said the judgment of the Supreme Court in the famous case of Awolowo v Shagari in 1979 was never to be cited as precedent.

Today, the Supreme Court has made so many conflicting and confusing judgments that even if it were to make exemptions it would find itself too entangled in the knot of its own self-inflicted misery to know where or how to start.

How can the court which, four years ago, sacked the entire government in Zamfara in an election in which the winner, Mukhtar Shehu Idris, won 67.41 percent of the votes, on the grounds that the APC failed to conduct valid primaries (clearly a party matter), now give judgments, like that in Plateau State for example, that suggest that it is alright for courts to meddle in party pre-election matters?

Or how can the same Supreme Court which affirmed the ruling of the tribunal and the Court of Appeal that the PDP had no business dabbling into whether Vice President Shettima had been doubly nominated by the APC because it was that party’s internal affair, reject the decisions of the lower courts that Senator Ahmed Lawan who didn’t participate in the party’s primary was the validly nominated candidate of the same party?

And how, for sanity’s sake, did the Supreme Court, which set aside the ruling of the Court of Appeal that Senator Godswill Akpabio was not the validly nominated candidate of the APC for Akwa-Ibom North-West senatorial seat because it was a party affair, justify plunging into the arena of internal party politics and pre-election matters in Zamfara and Plateau?

Thank the king?

It’s not too hard to see why politicians prefer to camp outside the court or to thank the president when cases favour them. They think that if, with the help of senior lawyers, you can purchase the courts and be in the president’s good books, your problems are nearly solved, regardless of what happened at the ballot.

I’m still trying to figure out a situation where a politician in the UK, the US, or even in Ghana or South Africa, wins a case in court and immediately grants a press conference afterwards thanking the king, president or prime minister for not interfering. This must be a uniquely Nigerian contribution to jurisprudential courtesies.

Some progress has been made in our elections, no doubt.

Yet, if the point of elections is to make the voter’s ballot count, and also give all parties a fair chance of settling any disputes that may arise, two things need to happen immediately: we must return to the era where all election petitions are disposed of before swearing in; and limit all disputes to not more than two layers of adjudication.

The regrettable, perhaps unintended overall effect of last Friday’s ruling, is that it may have further undermined the judiciary as a whole, but particularly, thrown the Court of Appeal under the bus which has had, I’m told, only five percent of its cases overturned in the last two election cycles. That, quite frankly, is not only a sad but frightening thing. It is a trend capable of keeping the whole country awake at night.

Ishiekwene is the Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP

“Why I Will Not Ban Mining In Oyo State” – Governor Makinde

Akinwale Kasali

January 18, 2024

By Akinwale Kasali

Following the call from different quarters urging Governor Seyi Makinde to Ban Mining in Oyo State as a result of the tragic blast in the State which led to the death of, so far, five persons with over 78 Persons sustaining various degrees of injuries, Makinde thinks otherwise. He said he will not ban mining.

Makinde said this in an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday.

When asked if he was going to ban mining in the state following the incident, Makinde said, “My approach has been a little bit different.

“I will not go out to ban mining activities because there are people who are legally mining in the state.

“They may be international investors. You will give the impression that this is a lawless environment where we will not obey our contracts, what we signed with people.

“It is a difficult route to take. When we are swimming through the situation we have found ourselves, we will not have a knee-jerk reaction to the issue.”

The areas affected by the incident include Bodija, Agbowo, Eleyele, and Orogun.

The Governor had since blamed illegal miners, who stored explosive devices in one of the buildings in Bodija for causing the explosion.

But he said that his government was on top of the situation, as President Bola Tinubu moved to help the state.

Makinde added that his government has provided temporary shelters for the victims and their families.

Pan Yoruba Group, Apapo O’odua Koya, AOKOYA, has alleged that the explosion on Tuesday in the State is an act of terrorism, blasting the Governor for saying it is as a result of the Mining activities in the State.

It, also, said the Governor was only making political statement , stating emphatically that it was a planned attack on the Yoruba State.

Group Asks Gov Aiyedatiwa To Appoint Deputy, Says 21 Days Vacuum Unconstitutional

Ayodele Oni

January 18, 2024

By Ayodele Oni

Twenty one days after inauguration as executive governor, Ondo Redemption Front(ORF) has accused Lucky Aiyedatiwa of breaching sections of the constitution which created the office.

Aiyedatiwa became substantive governor of Ondo state on December 27 after the demise of Oluwarotimi Akeredolu following a protracted ailment.

Several political schemings have been going on over the choice of a deputy governor among intending candidates from central and northern senatorial districts of the state.

Aiyedatiwa is reported to have zeroed in on a serving commissioner from the Central, while pressure is mounting from groups in Owo, country home of late Akeredolu that the community should be compensated with the number two position.

At present, Aiyedatiwa is from the south, House of Assembly Speaker, central with the north vacant.

Another major consideration for the number two position is that the governor does not want anybody that will create unnecessary tension, which prompted the long delay.

Another expectation is that President Bola Tinubu will have a say about who occupies the number two position.

The Ondo Redemption Front however expressed concern and disappointment over the continued delay by Governor Aiyedatiwa in appointing a deputy 21 days after assuming office.

ORF, in a statement by its chairman, Ologun Ayodeji noted that “The absence of a deputy governor in Ondo State is not only a dereliction of duty, but a direct violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The Constitution explicitly mandates the presence of a governor and a deputy governor for each state in the federation to ensure the smooth functioning of the government.

“This delay raises serious questions about the commitment of Governor Aiyedatiwa to uphold the constitutional principles that govern our democratic system.

“The Ondo Redemption Front insists that this oversight hampers effective governance, leaving the state vulnerable to potential challenges that may arise in the absence of a fully constituted leadership.

“The Ondo Redemption Front calls on Governor Aiyedatiwa to act swiftly in fulfilling this constitutional obligation by appointing a deputy governor without further delay.

“The people of Ondo State deserve a government that operates within the confines of the law and is dedicated to their welfare.

“We implore all relevant stakeholders, including the judiciary and the House of Assembly, to closely monitor and address this constitutional lapse, ensuring that the democratic principles enshrined in our Constitution are upheld for the collective well-being of the people of Ondo State.

“The Ondo Redemption Front remains committed to advocating for good governance, adherence to the rule of law, and the protection of democratic values in Ondo State and beyond.”

Obi Of Onitsha Tells Soludo Off, Says Governor Is Disrespectful, Slams Him Over Igwe Neni, Chides Him Over Senator Ubah

The Source

January 18, 2024

Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe - Obi of Onitsha and Charles Soludo

By Charles Igbo

In an open letter which has been applauded by not a few people, the revered Obi of Onitsha, His Royal Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, has accused the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Soludo, of being disrespectful to the Traditional Institution in the State.

In a polished but stinging letter, where he spoke truth to power, Igwe Achebe accused the Governor of uncouth language and a deliberate humiliation of Anambra State Traditional Rulers, most of whom, the Igwe pointed out, are wealthy, accomplished, highly educated, entrepreneurs who only took up the “Igweship” just to render services to the people.

Achebe who chided Soludo’s Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, for addressing Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in a condescending manner, said he was shocked that the Commissioner could refer to Ubah, a ranking Senator, wealthy entrepreneur and a high profile stakeholder in the State as “one Ifeanyi Ubah”

The Igwe also frowned at the Commissioner’s allegation, without proof, that Traditional Rulers in the State were giving out Chieftaincy Titles for pecuniary benefits. He wondered what Soludo and his Commissioner think the Traditional Rulers, who are very accomplished, would do with such money or the N175,000 a month the Government pays each Traditional Ruler.

Trouble started when the Governor and his Government suspended the Traditional Ruler of Neni, Igwe Damian Ezeani, for honouring Senator Ubah with a chieftaincy title in December of 2023. The Government, in a very condescending letter to Igwe Ezeani, threatened to withdraw his Certificate of Recognition.

Igwe Achebe not only condemned the tone of the letter, but dismissed the action as high-handed and discriminatory.

In response to his suspension from office, Igwe Ezeani has publicly apologized to Governor Soludo, and, along with two others, withdrawn the Chieftaincy Titles bestowed on Senator Ubah.

Following, the full text of Igwe Achebe’s letter to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

Notification for the Suspension of HRH lgwe Damian O. Ezeani, The Traditional Ruler of Neni

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 (ASTRC) 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 after-thought 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 twentyfour 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.

You were right in your letter that the Code of Conduct for traditional rulers in Anambra State is the creation of the traditional institution. It became effective as a self-regulating code following the 2013 Annual Seminar of Anambra State Traditional Rulers where it was presented and adopted. It was subsequently published in the book, “The Traditional Institution in a Modern Society” being the proceedings of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Seminars held in 2011, 2013, and 2014. The Code of Conduct was also re-issued in March 2020 under my signature as Chairman of the ASTRC. The ASTRC worked harmoniously on most occasions with previous administrations in the application of the Code, such that the ASTRC monitored compliance and recommended sanctions for non-comliance to the Government for necessary action. Now, it would appear that the present administration has completely appropriated the entire application of the Code of Conduct without the involvement of or reference to the ASTRC

You may recall, Hon. Commissioner, that on 04 October 2023, Mr. Governor had called to tell me in a late-night telephone conversation that the Government was considering establishing rules to govern the actions of traditional rulers. The conversation was sequel to a chieftaincy conferment ceremony by a traditional ruler that was deemed inappropriate by the Government. I promptly drew the attention of Mr. Governor to the subsisting Code of Conduct which had served previous administrations and the traditional institution well and suggested that the present administration may need to review the Code for its current efficacy. I thereafter called the same night to brief you on my conversation with Mr. Governor. I also directed that copies of the above-mentioned book be made available to you and Mr. Governor the following morning before a meeting where the matter will be discussed. Having since not received any feedback from you or Mr. Governor, I assumed that the same order with previous administrations would continue to prevail.

In my said conversation with Mr. Governor on 04 October, 2023, I had also reminded him of the WhatsApp message he forwarded to me on 09 November, 2022 in which graphic allegations were made against a traditional ruler of Anambra State. I further reminded Mr. Governor that he never responded to my prompt advise by WhatsApp on the options for dealing with the allegations expeditiously. I also re-sent our WhatsApp exchange on the matter to Mr. Governor, but still did not get any reaction.

On the events over the last eight days or so, you will also recall that you called me severally on Saturday, 06 January, 2024 between 15:34 and 22:31 hours without reaching me. At 08:06 hours on Sunday morning, I called you and explained the circumstances that made me unreachable on the previous day. In our long conversation, you said that you were seeking to bring to my attention a press release that you were under pressure to issue. This was in connection with traditional rulers conferring honorary chieftaincy titles in violation of the Code of Conduct for Traditional Rulers and the Government directives. You specifically mentioned two cases only, namely, Igwe Ojoto, who conferred an honorary chieftaincy title on Senator Ifeanyi Ubah on 30 December, 2023, and the self-acclaimed traditional ruler of Nawfia, who conferred honorary chieftaincy titles on forty (40) persons on 04 January, 2024. You further confirmed that the press release had been issued, which I later found to be on 04 January, 2024, that is, the day prior to your unsuccessful attempt to reach me. In the conversation, you categorically you did not mention, in any regard whatsoever, lgwe Neni who celebrated his Ofala on 29 December, 2023
In our above conversation, I made the following points:

Your desire to reach me on Saturday night seemed merely to justify a fait accompli, considering that you had already issued the press release two days earlier “under pressure”, as you said.

I noted that the self-acclaimed lgwe Nawfia, whose recognition was withheld by the Government due to pending matters in court, was consequently not considered a member of the State traditional institution. His activities should therefore not be associated with the State traditional institution in any manner.

I distinctly pointed out that picking on the above two cases (Ojoto and Nawfia) by your office was selective and appeared to be a deliberate favoritism towards other cases which you were well aware of.

I reminded you that there had not been any reaction from you or Mr. Governor to our conversations of 04 October 2023 on the Code of Conduct for Traditional Rulers. You apologized for the failure to revert.

Fast forward to the meeting of the ASTRC on 09 January, 2024. The normal practice of the ASTRC secretariat is to immediately send electronic copies of important correspondence to me as they are received in the course of the month. On the day of the monthly meeting, a folder is presented to me with all correspondence for my attention, including the last-minute arrivals that were not forwarded electronically.

The folder presented to me on 09 January, 2024 included a press release and a letter to the Chairman of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council. Both documents were under your signature and were the same in caption, “Directives on Conferment of Chieftaincy Titles by Traditional Rulers”, date of 5th October, 2023, content and reference number. The twin documents raised further curiosity in me as follows.

A document from your office dated 05 October, 2023 for the attention of ASTRC should normally have been presented at its October monthly meeting on 10 October, 2023. Why, therefore, did three monthly meetings elapse before the above documents were presented at the 09 January 2024 monthly meeting? Categorically, this was the first time that either document had come to the attention of myself or the ASTRC.

There is an uncanny sequence of events whereby the two documents, presumably issued on 05 October 2023, the day following my late-night discussions with you and Mr. Governor on 04 October 2023, were not delivered until the ASTRC meeting of 09 January 2024, thus contradicting your apology to me on 07 January for lack of action since 04 October 2023. Is it, therefore, possible that both documents were after-thoughts which were created after the suspension of lgwe Neni on 08 January, 2024 and back-dated as a coverup and rationale for the suspension?

Back to your reference letter of 08 January, 2024 to me, you stated on the first paragraph that “a minority of traditional rulers have demonstrated a penchantfor trading chieftaincy titles for money thereby bringing the traditional institution to ridicule and disrepute”. Further, in the second paragraph, you stated that “A vast majority of Traditional Rulers conduct their exalted office with dignity and integrity and stick to the Code of Conduct. . . However, a tiny few still act reckless”. These statements were repeated in your letter of suspension to lgwe Neni as published on the social media. The effects of both letters are:

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, 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 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 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 from your Ministry 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 “tiny fen/’ 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.

11 In conclusion, 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, etc. To sum up:

There were no formal or written directives from your Ministry on chieftaincy titles prior to the suspension of lgwe Neni by your letter of 08 January, 2024.

B The Government’s suspension of lgwe Neni was selective and consciously ignored other recent cases of violation of the Code of Conduct which have been brought to your attention.

Your claim that traditional rulers have ‘{demonstrated a penchantfor 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.

Dear Hon Commissioner, I thank you for your attention and express my whole-hearted willingness to engage further with you on all the points in this letter in the hope of restoring the dignity of the traditional institution of Anambra State.

Please, also, bear in mind that Mr. Governor has 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. Kindly make these two commitments happen soon, as well as at regular intervals.

Finally, since your communication to the traditional rulers of the State on this matter has mainly been through press releases and interviews, it would be fair and proper that this response is also made available to the media for the purpose of balance.

For and on behalf of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers,

Yours sincerely,

Nnaemeka A. Achebe, CFR, mni,Obi of Onitsha

Chairman, ASTRC

“We Have No Business In Government If We Cannot Protect Lives And Property” – Wike

Akinwale Kasali

January 18, 2024

By Akinwale Kasali

Jolted by the deteriorating security situation in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister Nyesom Wike has given the deadly criminals who have wreaked death, blood and agony on Abuja residents a red card.

The Minister, who a couple of days ago, surprisingly, heaped the blame on Council Chairmen, seem to have suddenly woken up to the ugly situation and told the criminals that: enough is enough.”

Wike had come under criticisms for concerning himself with the politics of Rivers State while FCT, his primary assignment burns.

In the past two weeks, kidnappers have ran riot in Wike’s FCT, kidnapping whole families, and gruesomely murdering some of the kidnapped for not being able to raise and pay the ransom money to free their beloved ones.

Speaking during a confidence-boosting visit to Bwari, the area most hit by Kidnappers, the Minister read the riot act and told kidnappers and other criminals that there is no hiding place for them. He emphasized that those in Government have no reason to be in Government if they are unable to protect lives and properties.

Wike told those at the Townhall meeting held at the headquarters of Bwari Area Council with the residents, traditional rulers, security, defence and intelligence personnel in the area and other stakeholders that all shall be well.

The Minister is expected to also visit other Councils in the coming days.

At the event, Wike declared that enough was not only enough, but that informants working for the bandits would not be able to sleep among decent residents.

He said: “Security is one of the key priorities of Mr. President’s administration. Yesterday (Tuesday), Mr President summoned a high-level security meeting, which includes all the service chiefs, minister of defence, and my humble self, because of recent attacks, particularly in Bwari.

”So, currently, it is one of the key priorities Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda will want to face squarely.

“It is no longer going to be business as usual. My coming here today is to show you that we are serious. To all those bandits, enough is enough. We will do everything in our power to make sure this does not happen again.

“Everything has to be done to protect lives and property. Without protection of lives and property, we have no business in government. My coming here today is to assure you that we are very serious.

”That is why just this morning (yesterday), Mr. President has given me approval to provide everything required to the security agencies. And just like what Etsu-Bwari and Sarkin-Bwari said, it is not by merely talking, we are serious.

“ Security agencies will not have any reason to say they are not equipped; we will provide everything required. I know how big Bwari is, I know you have boundaries with three states – Niger, Kaduna and Nasarawa.

”I know because these bandits were chased away from the Northeast, so they are making their way here, we will make it hot for them.”

Wike also sought the assistance of the people, especially with regards to providing information to security agencies.

“Without information, there is nothing we can do and that is where you come in. Traditional and community leaders, you have a great role to play. You need to assist security agencies with information.

“In the next few days, you will see action from the security agencies. There could be informants, even here within this meeting hall. I don’t care who you are. I don’t care. I am the minister of FCT. You won’t sleep again. Informants, you won’t sleep again.

“This message is not just for Bwari but to all the area councils. From time to time, we will come here and interface with you. We won’t sit down in the city,” Wike said.

He advised the public against resorting to crowd-funding in a bid to raise funds for ransom, saying it helped terrorists to launch more attacks.

He stated further: “We have to stop this idea of going to radio to say we are going to raise money. When you do that, these bandits are happy that people are concerned and raising money. I know you are concerned that your loved ones are with kidnappers but we must do everything to discourage them.”

Rising Insecurity: Obi Reminds VP Of Promise To Lead Troops To Bandits

The Source

January 18, 2024

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi has challenged the federal government to urgently tackle the rising insecurity in the country, especially in the nation’s capital.

Obi particularly reminds Vice President Kashim Shettima of his vocal pledge in August 2022 at the NBA conference in Lagos for Presidential candidates when he represented his boss that if they are elected he will tackle security frontally and lead the troops to the bandits personally while the President tackles the Economy where he is a wizard.

The Labour Party leader wondered what happened that after seven months in the saddle, the security situation is worsening and the VP is not insight.

Writing in his X handle platform, Obi said “As terror attacks, banditry, kidnappings, and violence continue to rage through the country, it is more concerning now with the surge of violence spreading through the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“The recent killings of two abducted young girls in Abuja makes it more depressing and urgent.

“It is now time for we the leaders, to take all forms of serious measures to tackle the situation. It is unfortunate that President Muhammadu Buhari, in 2015, campaigned and won the elections on three items; Security, Economy, and C,orruption (SEC). After his Eight years in office, the situation has worsened in all three areas.

“The present administration, on assuming office, promised to deal decisively with the same situation – Security, Economy and Corruption.

“Today, however, the situation is getting even worse than ever.

“At the Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association held in Lagos in August 2022, the then Vice Presidential Candidate, Sen Kashim Shettima categorically stated that if APC is elected, he as Vice President would be in charge, while the President as in expert in the economy would handle the economy.

“Nigerians therefore now implore them to fulfill campaign promises.

“Even if they do not achieve 100% results, we want to see 100% effort.

“It is now time to stop all forms of foreign trips from people in government, until we deal with the ugly situation facing us at home. No foreign investor or partner will would invest in Nigeria, with the situation we now find ourselves in.

“We must make sincere efforts to end the spread of violence and insecurity in our nation, into any meaningful progress” PO

Ondo To Tackle Sea Incursion In Coastal Communities, Adopts Dialogue To Resolve LG Caretaker Committees’ Stalemate

Ayodele Oni

January 18, 2024

By Ayodele Oni

Reprieve may be on the way for the troubled people of Aiyetoro community in Ilaje council area as Ondo state government is set to confront the age long coastal erosion which has almost wiped away the community.

Substantial part of the community including houses and farmlands have been washed away, while efforts to tackle the menace gave defied solution.

At its weekly state executive council meeting in Akure, critical issues of development were discussed and a wide range of actions approved for implementation.

Top among those is the approval of an action plan on finding lasting and sustainable solution to the incessant ocean surge in Aiyetoro community in Ilaje local government area of the State.

This was revealed at a press briefing after the EXCO meeting by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs. Bamidele Ademola-Olateju.

Olateju disclosed that the Governor expressed deep concern over the challenges faced by the community over several years, promising government’s commitment to finding lasting solution to the sea-related problems.

The government, she assured, is actively working towards implementing measures that would not only mitigate the immediate impacts, but also provide a permanent and sustainable solution in order to safeguard the affected coastal areas.

Also, the Executive Council approved the immediate assumption of office by the newly appointed Oloje of Igasi in Akoko North West local government and the Ibini/Lebú of Ojuala in Ese-odo local government.

Additionally, two warrant chiefs were appointed to facilitate the selection of a new Olusupare of Supare Akoko, and a new Arogbo of Akotogbo was also approved.

The State government has also taken a significant step towards fostering economic development by approving the State Action Plan on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programs.

This includes an initiative to illuminate Akure and major cities in the state through a solar-powered project. The pilot project, having received Council’s approval, is set to commence immediately with sample installations underway at the front of Government House, Alagbaka, Akure.

On the issue of cleanness in the state, the Commissioner for Environment, Sunday Akinwalire, highlighted progress in clearing refuse in the metropolis and the weeding of curbs, as well as plans to improve overall sanitation standards.

Also, the State Commissioner for Justice, Sir Charles Titiloye, said the government, acknowledging pending court cases initiated by opposition parties regarding the appointment of careraker committees for Local Government councils and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), is committed to resolving these issues amicably through constructive dialogue with the relevant stakeholders.

1...1,2591,2601,261...2,905 Page 1,260 of 2,905