Obiano’s administration insulted traditional rulers – Igwe Chijioke
By Jennifer Obioma, Onitsha
The Traditional Ruler of Nawfia, Njikoka Local Government Are, Anambra State, Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo has accused the former Governor Willie Obiano’s administration of insulting traditional rulers when he was the Governor of the State.
Buttressing his point, the embattled monarch said that from the suspension order placed on some traditional rulers for going to Abuja to meet with President Mohammadu Buhari on bodering State issues, degraded the institution of traditional rulers council in the State.
“There is no more culture and tradition as Anambra is known for, people don’t respect Igwes anymore because Obiano’s administration insulted the igwes, now in many towns, communities, there is squabbles between the traditional rulers and the town unions. It has been tagged politics, politicised such that it is no longer what people want, it is what politics want, he stated.
He advised Governor Charles Soludo’ to ensure the order of the court is obeyed stating, “Now the court has said go back to status quo, that is an order, give me all my benefits, if somebody else parades himself as traditional ruler of Nawfia, the government will take decisive action, I dont want to take laws into my hand, that is what he will do.
“Let him select people that are very straight forward, go back to the towns in Anambra and start the correction and I think his history will remember him because it is now that nobody will remember the language another person is speaking, ” Chijioke added further.
Recalling his trouble with Obiano, Chijioke said that,”The whole traditional institutions selected seven igwes to go and meet Obiano, with seven different topics, my own topic was to talk to Obiano about the five per cent of our stipend, our salary, I have spoken to Obiano first face to face about this five per cent, he knows it and I know.
“There was never any intention, to dethrone him, do we have power to bring Obiano down? we don’t have that power, the only people that have this power are the state House of Assembly, we dont have any problem with Obiano, only to get what belongs to us, traditional law 2007 law, that’s all.
“The law is very straight forward, section 16 and section 10 Anambra traditional rulers law 2007, it is quite straight forward that it requires two-third (2/3) of the House to remove any Igwe and before that two-third (2/3,) you must set a panel of inquiry to see what Igwe committed in that code of conduct not outside, that law notwithstanding, November 5th 2020, Obiano had made a quick U-turn and went to the House of Assembly to change the law, and said he passed a new law that the House is no longer inquiry.
Unfortunately when a law is passed, it is prospective, it goes forward, there is no reverse in law, it is forward, so the law does not affect us, even though I personally know, but if somebody decides to challenge that law, that it was not properly passed, subject to the standing order of the Anambra state House of Assembly, you can quote me,” he stated.
On the allegation that a third person has also emerged to contest for the Igweship stool he said that, “They all have the same illegal election, I have the video, they were all working together, then one separated and started his, they were all together initially, at a time,they sacked each other.
“The Court has given ruling on 21st June 2022, specifically directed to Dan and everybody in Nawfia to stop parading themselves except Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo, and come back before 11th of Aug 2020, It is specific without quantum of a doubt, the ruling of the court, go to status quo, that case died on that 21st,” he stated.
“Again the court repeated itself on 28 October 2022, asking the Attorney General and Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Council, not to accord Dan any privilege of the traditional constitution, not to recognise him, this was the order on 28th Oct 2022, Dan thinks that money can buy everything, only time can tell,” he further stated.
