Reprieve may soon come the way of the 12 royal fathers in Anambra State recently suspended by the state government.
This follows the intervention of the state House of Assembly, and some elders in the state.
Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano had suspended for one year the 12 traditional rulers who travelled with the billionaire and oil magnate, Prince Arthur Eze to Abuja last week for a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari. This resulted in muscle flexing between the state government and the “Concerned Anambra State Traditional Rulers.’
The peace initiative was based on the legal advice to Governor Obiano, by the offices of the State Chief Judge and Commissioner for Justice on the seeming hasty suspension act and disregard of the state legislature in the entire scenario.
It was further gathered that the House of Assembly, Elders Forum led by the former Secretary-General of Commonwealth, Emeka Anyoku, and some political allies of the governor, have moved in to save the governor’s face with the reconciliation moves.
Last Friday, Rt. Hon. Uche Okafor, the Speaker of the House of Assembly; Nnamdi Okafor, Majority Leader and member representing Njikoka II and Peter Ibida, House Committee Chairman on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters and Pius Udo, the Clerk of the House held a special peace parley with 10 out of the suspended monarchs on the way forward.
The monarchs who attended the peace initiative were Igwe Dr. Emeka Ilouno (Ifitedunu), Igwe Alex Edoziuno (Mkpunando, Igwe Chukwuma Bob Vincent Orji (Ezinifite), Igwe Engr.Godwin Mbakwe (Abacha), Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo (Nawfia), Igwe Anthony Onyekweere (Owelle), Igwe A.N. Onwuneme (Ikenga), Igwe Simon Ikechukwu Chidubem (Umumbo), Igwe S.O. Uche (Ezira),) and Igwe Udoji (Eziaguluotu).
The traditional rulers of Igbariam, Igwe Nkeli Kelly, and his Alor counterpart, Igwe Mark Anthony Okonkwo (Alor) who had shown remorse and apologised publicly shunned the meeting.
The Guardian reporter said the speaker informed the attendees he had had a meeting with the governor who, according to him, was visibly angry and disapproved of the monarchs’ trip with Prince Arthur Eze to President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja to express happiness with him for undertaking some capital projects in the state.
But the traditional ruler of Abacha, Igwe Mbakwe told The Guardian that the deliberations during the meeting were instructive and exposes the dangers of dirty politics and blame games.
Igwe Mbakwe said: “We went there to broker understanding and to commence enthronement of fair hearing and kindness of man between the two parties and by so doing, reduce the level of misunderstanding that prevailed in some media over the past few weeks since our noble outing with our illustrious and noble son, Prince Arthur Eze, who knows what leadership is and what challenges governments face.”
