By Princely Onyenwe, Imo
Traditional rulers in imo state numbering thirty five (35) who were reportedly of their legitimate rights to stop Operating dispossess of their authorities to administer their differing Autonomous Communities have vowed to disregard such order, saying it was unfounded.
The embattled Traditional Rulers alleged that they have paid every fee and levies they were billed by the legislature, thereby insisting they will never do bey any directive on the contrary.
The Ezes who have already been Issued Letters Of Recognition wondered the twist and vowed to fight the course
Meanwhile, member representing Ideato-north constituency, Rt. Hon. Arthur Egwim, Isu Rt. Hon Ngozi Obiefule, Nkwerre, Rt. Hon. Obinna Okwara, have been suspended indefinitely by the speaker, Rt. Hon. Kennedy Ibeh on Thursday 23-12-2021.
Following the recent publications in the public domain restricting Eze-Elects to stop parading themselves as Ezes and also stopped from wearing traditional regalia in their Communities and public functions have continued to raise tension at various Communities affected by this order.
Our checks revealed that the order restricting the so called Eze-Elects is permissable but the truth of the matter is that there are 35 Traditional rulers already issued letter of recognition on 6th day of May in the year 2019 by the former governor Rochas Okorocha that led to the Arthur Egwim’s panel constitution that investigated their mandate.
However, Chairman Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Autonomous Communities,9th House has released another harmonization form to same Ezes already recognized by the evidence of letters in this news.
Meanwhile, the position is to release the staff of office to the 35 recognized Ezes and allow them to operate in their respective Communities than to start a new harmonization payments exercise after virtually all of them have been drained of huge resources in the quest to become traditional rulers.
It is the fault of the committee set up by Government to delay the issuance of staff of office to those recognized Ezes and add them in the order to stop operation.
The truth of the matter is that, among the 117 Eze- Elects, 7 were given staff of office then While 35 out of the remaining 110 were approved by Owelle Okorocha in 2019 through a letter signed by Hon. Mark Uchendu authorized by the governor to give Staff of Office to the 35Ezes as evidential in this news.
In furtherance, the 2019 order of approval by Rochas Okorocha should not be halted while the Ezes have already started administering leadership at respective Communities across the state.
Recalling the Resolution number 36 of march 2021, targeted at issuing staff of office to the duly qualified 35 Ezes, the question now is Which group of Ezes are the committee referring to?
Is it those who have not been recognized and approved as Ezes cum Traditional Rulers or those already issued letter of recognition since 6th may 2019, which Issuance of the recognition followed due process as reported.
It is not new to note that Letter of recognition stay years before the
Staff of office is given but in this order released by same Arthur Egwim’s panel/ committee, the recognized traditional rulers said they are being cheated and trampled of their human rights.
For clarification sake, it behooves on the House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to tell “the-awaiting-staff- of-office-Ezes” their reasons for giving out another harmonization form to these already recognized Ezes of various autonomous communities to fill after going through series of payments from 2015- 2021.
See documents attached here for clarifications:
