Imo Traditional Rulers' Council and Its Proposed Election

IMO COUNCIL OF ROYAL FATHERS AND ITS PROPOSED ELECTION

     Penultimate week, I reportedly learnt that, henceforth, the leadership of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers would be produced via an election process to be conducted among the overall members of the body, contrary to the ongoing scenario whereby its leaders are being selected or appointed by the state’s governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha.

     The last time I checked, according to the report, the said resolution was occasioned by the joint meeting that recently took place at the Imo Government House between the governor and the entire members of the union in question. During the meeting, the number-one citizen equivocally disclosed to the traditional rulers that the era of appointment or imposition as regards leadership of the body had gone, stating that everyone needed to be carried along.

     It would be recalled that the moment Governor Okorocha came on board in 2011 as the Imo State governor, he unequivocally appointed Eze Samuel Ohiri, the present Chairman of the council, to pilot the affairs of the body in order to end the unrest that was occurring among its members. He further appointed other traditional rulers to fill other vacant executive positions in the union owing to the outright dissolution of the entire executive council.

     Though such action was rebelled against by the then Chairman of the union in the person of Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, who sought justice in the court on the ground that, according to the constitution of the union, an executive member shall only cease to be recognized as a member of the executive council if he dies or voluntarily resigns from the position.

     The aforementioned resolution initiated by Governor Okorocha, which was long overdue, is undoubtedly a way forward and a step in the right direction. I, as a Constitution activist, had in various occasions pleaded with the governor to find a way of settling the leadership crisis between these traditional custodians, which is liable to degenerate into an unspeakable circumstance if adequate measure isn’t taken towards addressing it.

    There’s no need repeating the past since a genuine remedy has been found, thus this piece is quite more interested in the way forward. To this end, since the governor had succeeded in getting to this point regarding conflict resolution among the royal fathers, without further ado, to prove that his intention is truly sincere, he’s required to mandate the said rulers to fix a date for the proposed election.

     Another remarkable step taken by the Imo governor was the lifting of the ban he placed on one of the traditional custodians, Eze Desmond Oguguo of Ezi-Udo Autonomous Community in Ezinihitte-Mbaise LGA. The recalled Eze was some time ago dethroned by the governor as well as banned from any activity taking place among the royal fathers due to an act of rebellion he indulged in.

     It would also be recalled that aside sacking the former Chairman of the Imo Traditional Rulers’ Council, Eze Ilomuanya, the governor went further to dethrone him as a result of the unending misunderstanding that existed between them. Having been dethroned, the man in question, out of neglect, hosted the former Nigerian President Dr Goodluck Jonathan at the official office-complex of the council situated in Owerri in the company of other royal fathers of like minds including Eze Desmond Oguguo, Eze Emmanuel Njemanze, Eze E.S. Okoro, and Eze Edward Njoku, among others, having broken into the complex with the effort of some security personnel. The rest is history.

    This was the reason the governor dethroned the recalled Royal father alongside the other alleged accomplices, in line with the Sections 11 and 14 of the 2006 Imo State Traditional Rulers’ Autonomous Communities Law. Notwithstanding, I thank God normalcy is gradually retracing its steps. As much as I wholeheartedly commend the governor for this giant stride taken by his person, I also wish he could try as much as possible to extend similar hands of fellowship to other aggrieved royal fathers. Reconciliation is a two-way thing because it takes two to tango; hence, the aggrieved persons are equally expected to reciprocate accordingly. 

     One of the good qualities of a good leader is ensuring that he makes a path for others to follow. Just like in the words of Jim Rohn, “The challenge of leadership is to be strong but not rude; be kind but not weak; be bold but not bully; be thoughtful but not lazy; be humble but not timid; be proud but not arrogant; have humour but without folly”. More so, Henry Ford also stated in his leadership quote, “Don’t find fault, find a remedy”.

     However, the royal fathers must as well do me a favour; they ought to refrain from indulging in politics. It’s not anymore news that most of these traditional custodians, rather than doing the needful, end up participating in institutional politics, which is highly prohibited in their profession. This is why their activities often conflict with that of the politicians. Pathetically, most of them aren’t residing at their respective autonomous communities.

     They are only meant to issue blessing to anyone found worthy to contest for any political post, and not to pilot his/her electioneering campaign thereafter. More pitiably, some of them are card-carrying members of one political party or the other. We keep compounding problems for ourselves.
      Notwithstanding, all I seek right now is maximum peace in Imo State and nothing more. Hence I urge all concerned to swallow their differences towards ushering in the anticipated peace; enough of these altercations. Think about it!

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

(TheMediaAmbassador)

-Public Affairs analyst & Civil Rights activist-

Chief Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research

& Career Development - Owerri

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