By Polycarp Onwubiko, media commentator
Vanguard January 24, 2024 carried a story titled “Why south east Governors should stop interfering in traditional institution matters–Monarchs”. Reading between the lines, the opinions of the selected traditional rulers across the geopolitical zone, left the unrealistic impression that they are de facto and de jure ‘Governor’ of their Communities.
The news emanated from the unflattering fallout from the issue of conferment of chieftaincy titles by some traditional rulers in Anambra State on a Senator and other top political appointees which didn’t go through the directives of the Ministry of local government and town union matters.
It is pertinent at this occasion to draw every Igbo man’s attention including the traditional rulers to the fact that Igbo people are NOT on the same page with the major ethnic groups mainly Hausa-Fulani and Yoruba pertaining to how they regard traditional institutions. Igbos from creation were congenitally republican in mindset and pursuit of life. They believe in individual struggle to overcome existential challenges, hence the saying: “ina enyemu nni” (meaning: do I depend on you for daily food and other necessities of life; okwu oto ekene Eze” (meaning: I don’t worship kings nor shivering and kowtowing and rolling on the ground before king in the name of respect and false humility as seen in Yoruba and Hausa Fulani areas).
Since Igbos were ‘wired’ to be Republicans, they had in the 1950s relegated kings to the backyard because of unspeakable impunity and monstrosities and abominable practices all in the name of “rich cultural heritage” of the forefathers in the hoary past. In other words, it was a revolt against tyranny embedded on Monarchy. In its stead, Town Union governance was instituted which led to the provision of amenities and infrastructure which changed the landscape of communities and gradually changing the lifestyle of otherwise primitive people for transformed standard of living, good healthcare delivery, education and more importantly cooperating with the government through the Edicts on traditional rulership and Town Union to birth civilized way of governance in the communities.
Sadly, as there was less importance attached to kings and people were no longer interested in crowning kings in many Igbo land, a Hausa Fulani military head of state, in his exuberant posturing to impose the decadent values of their people, decreed traditional rulership in ALL Communities throughout the country. Consequently, it was a destabilization tool and Communities in the entire Igbo land were set on fire as there was fierce rivalry for ascension to the traditional rulership stool. Court actions were everywhere and mortal enemies were made which lingered.
Normally Military regime, nobody would have the guts to challenge Decree, you just have to obey irrespective of whatever reservation you may have. As Republicans, Igbo state governments had to put in place Edicts on traditional rulership and Town Union governance ostensibly to infuse into the mindset of Traditional Rulers that they should be observing the provisions of the Edicts to avoid abuse of Law and more importantly Fundamental Human Rights which hallmarked the mindset of kings in the medieval times and hoary past. Kings in Igbo land committed abominable monstrosities and even human beings were used in burial of kings in the name of rich cultural heritage.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo should be commended for handling the chieftaincy tangle as a civilized and erudite Professor. He was not impressed with the supposed “Code of conduct for traditional rulers in the state” because it is not an integral part of the Edict on traditional rulership. Government has the right to overrule the code of conduct especially in line with his new vista of governance and leadership guiding his administration.
He has critically dissected the provisions in the Edict with respect to the composition of Traditional Rulers Council and said that it would be reviewed. Reading his mind, what the Governor meant was that time has gone when kings conduct themselves according to their whims and caprices, brazenly commiting monstrosities and abominable practices including fragrant violation of Fundamental Human Rights without remedies to the victims.
Nigeria is practicing Constitutional Democracy which goes with Rule of Law. In other words, traditional rulers have to observe the laws including Edicts on traditional rulership and Town Union. They should realise that they are only for ceremonial things like explaining issues on cultural practices in their respective Communities and should refrain from interfering in the Town Union governance which is like a Fourth Tier of Government as they are under the radar of the Ministry of local government and community matters.
Pertaining to conferment of chieftaincy titles, traditional rulers ab initio were not doing that. Traditional title is within the power of Nze na Ozo society in every Community hence members have to meet up with the guidelines and choose any title to be known for. It is the brazen-faced commercialization of chieftaincy titles by traditional rulers that led to one mainly political office holders having up to 20 traditional titles from Communities and giving the traditional rulers million of Naira, especially when the politician have eye at Government House. One traditional title is enough; you cannot be called “Dr. Chief, Chief, Chief…; it is sheer frivolity, gimmickry and brazen-faced posturing. I believe that is what Soludo intended to stop, let sanity prevail in the entire Igbo land.
In some Communities, traditional rulers who throw their weight about, banned police from adjudicating matters that border on infringement of human rights as the traditional rulers believe that they are Executive Governors of the respective communities. It is not compulsory for people to appear before Cabinet of the traditional ruler; and peradventure they appear, the person if he is not satisfied with the judgment, should be at liberty to proceed to the law court because Nigeria is practicing Constitutional Democracy and not Monarchy. Some traditional rulers sanction and banish people which is against Fundamental Human Rights. One traditional ruler went to another traditional in Anambra State and asked him to tell his town’s man living in his Community to pack out of the compound he has lived for over 18 years because agents of darkness levied unfounded accusations on the tenant. This was the traditional ruler who had called the two parties together in his palace and after hearing from them found the tenant NOT guilty even as the traditional ruler confirmed that he had known the man for years and with him in the community’s Agriculture Cooperative society, as an honest man. But later, he was he sold his conscience for a mess of porridge and shamelessly caved in to the silly demand to go to the man’s traditional ruler and ask him to vacate the compound even to the extent that the traditional ruler promised to get alternative accommodation for him in the same Community. This is the extent of traditional Rulers dabble into Fundamental Human Rights of people in the mistaken belief that they are the Executive Governor of the community. This is what the Edict on traditional rulership and Town Union was meant to curb, the Rule of Law must prevail over Monarchy.
By Polycarp Onwubiko, media commentator
