The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned former Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, on nine counts of alleged N4bn fraud during his time as governor of the South-East state from March 2014 to March 2022.
The 68-year-old was arraigned today (Wednesday) before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja.
Obiano pleaded not guilty for the money laundering charges levelled against him.
The prosecution said he has 14 witnesses lined up to testify against the former governor.
On his part, counsel for the EFCC, Sylvanus Tahir, asked that he be remanded in the custody of the anti-graft agency.
Obiano is currently on administrative bail granted him by the EFCC, which includes providing two sureties who are directors in civil service, own landed properties in Abuja.
Justice Ekwo adopted the administrative bail and added that Obiano remains within Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and travel documents be summited to the court going forward.
The court also stated that the immigration be alerted that all travel documents are with the court.
Shortly after he handed over power to Governor Chukwuma Soludo in Marhc 2022, the EFCC had arrested Obiano at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos on his way out of the country to Houston, Texas in the United States.
The EFCC later granted Obiano bail after five days in detention whilst the anti-graft commission continued the probe of the ex-governor.
Things have actually falling apart – thanks to Chinua Achebe who saw today decades ago . The major difference between Nigeria and America lies with law and order . A society that does not have capacity to sanction wrong doing and reward good behaviour is bound to collapse and that is the case with Nigeria .
Coming home in the South Eastern region , I can simply recommend that south eastern Governors and genuine NGO like GGM mobilize our people in Diaspora towards a desired economic development. We as ndigbo have exported one basic resources – human resources and with higher exchange rate , we can make best use of the created opportunity by encouraging our export to start investing in critical areas . It is the responsibility of the State Governors to create enabling environment that will attract the needed investment. Again , NGOs like ADF, GGM and others should be encouraged to play a greater role in engaging both Government and the citizens towards achieving an organized and modern society.
Mobilizing the human resources of our people in Diaspora will create the needed jobs in the south Eastern region . Since the exit of M.I . Okpara,the number of factories that were abandoned throughout the region is more than 200.
Among the companies estimated to worth N10 trillion in valuation, are: the Golden Guinea Breweries, Umuahia; Ceramics Industry, Umuahia, Abia Hotels in Aba; the Hotel Presidential, Niger steel, Niger Gas, the Premier Cashew Industry in Oghe, Eastern Plastics Ltd all in Enugu state; Premier Breweries, Onitsha, Anambra state; several cocoa and farm settlements among others.
The Governors can identify all the Companies and search for our people in Diaspora and home to put the factories back to operations with the necessary Government supports devoid of politics .
Experts reckoned that the legacy companies are some of the missing links between the economic woes and potential of the region, but for the nonchalant disposition of successive administrations in the Region.
Golden Guinea for instance, is a massive investment comparable to the Nigeria Breweries that turned in N402 billion revenue in the third quarter of 2023.
These investments in their present locations are in the heart of the Southeast region. If you go to Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt, it ranks among the best and remains highly competitive. The one in Enugu could have played such a role for the Southeast if it is working . Unfortunately,those in Government in the south east will rather destroy public interest in pursuit of personal interest.
Alas,these establishments in other states of the federation are revenue earners, employment creators and what have continued to impact development. These are the essence of investments, not what we have presently in the Southeast.
Sadly, the abandoned industries, warehouses and dilapidated structures now stand as reminders of lost opportunities. The unemployment rate and poverty levels in the Southeast persist, stubbornly resistant to improvement in the absence of these operational industries. The dreams of countless individuals and families remain unfulfilled, limited by the absence of these once promising ventures.
The region could have easily solved her unemployment and revenue challenges and probably continued as a blossoming economy, had successive governments that inherited these establishments after the Nigeria/Biafra war and when the old eastern region was carved into two (Southeast and South-south regions) continued to fund and maintain them.
For instance, while the governments of Rivers and Bayelsa states have continued to run and maintain the Presidential Hotel in Port Harcourt, taking it to an enviable international standard with employment for over 500 people; the one in Enugu that was built at the same time has become obsolete.
The four-floor 100-room edifice located inside Enugu urban can best be described as a carcass as block works remain the only identity it has acquired now. The glass windows, roof, electronics, and other appliances have been removed or stolen. The place degenerated to the point of providing safety for criminal elements and other notorious activities in the state.
Recently, Governor Peter Mbah indicated interest in rehabilitating the hotel but started by carving out portions of the premises for sale to private developers.
When outrage greeted the exercise, the state government responded that it had given “approval for Enugu State Housing Development Corporation (ENSHDC) to sell an undeveloped area of the hotel lying fallow for more than five decades without adding any value to the hotel.”
At the time Golden Guinea Breweries (GG) in Umuahia, Abia state, was fully operational, it had over one million people engaged directly and indirectly including staff, drivers, artisans and distributors.
The brewery was founded in 1962 and first named Independence Brewery was a notable indigenous competitor to foreign manufacturers in the country. It produces Golden Guinea beer, Eagle Stout, Bergedorf beer and Bergedorf Malta.
Following a fire incident of 2003, the brewery closed for over 16 years and used the period to search for funds and inventors.
After 16 years, about N1.2 billion capital was injected through Pan Marine Investment Company as a core investor.
Although production and business activities resumed in 2019, the challenges posed by poor economy, foreign exchange increase, increasing labour and other costs, competition among competing brands affected it to the point that sales fell below expectations.
It was gathered that this scenario affected payment of salaries and procurement of production inputs. Currently, skeletal activities go in the company; but funds are needed to restore full production.
The Modern Ceramics Umuahia (MOCERAM) is another establishment by the government of the Eastern Region under the Premiership of Michael Okpara as part of the industrial revolution of that era. The factory operated optimally until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1967 which affected its operations.
The factory was reactivated in 1972 but collapsed completely in 1996 due to obsolete equipment, vandalisation and asset stripping by successive management over time.
It was privatised in May 2003 by the Abia State Government to UCL Resources and Investments Ltd (UCL) and became UCL-Modern Ceramics Industries Limited (UCL-MOCERAM).
Under the present arrangement, UCL owns 80 per cent of Modern Ceramics Ltd, Abia State government, five per cent with the remaining 15 per cent reserved for undisclosed investors.
The Premier Brewery in Onitsha employed over 1,000 people directly when it was in operation. The industry has long been privatised.Efforts to make the Company operational has not been successful .
Lack of political will and commitment to enthrone lasting legacies that could benefit the people were responsible for the inability of the establishments to work again.Multiple taxation, over dependence on oil revenue, poor patronage of local products, new culture of buying and selling, importation of virtually everything has relegated industrialisation to the background in the region and successive leaders have paid lip services on things concerning the region.
It is very sad that when you go to the southwest, there is what they call the O’dua Investment, which is a consortium of establishments of those who ruled the region before now. Their present governors came under Odua Investment to make these establishments work, employ their people and generate revenues.
This is not the case with our Governors. When they started the Southeast governor’s forum, one felt that they came together to address this challenge but that has not been the case. The present crop of leaders seems uninterested or unable to revisit these moribund industries that were established by their predecessors. It is obvious that if those companies were put back to life, they would contribute in no small measure to alleviate the acute unemployment and the rising incidence of crimes in the zone.
There is an urgent need for our Governors to mobilize our experts around the world to look inwards and tackle our Regional challenges instead of waiting for monthly allocation to drop from the federal government(paymaster ).
We must use our best around the world to develop these industries and get our farm settlements and industrial villages to work. Pay competitive wages to attract the best. Build power station and power our farm and industrial villages on 24 hours basis. These actions will bring a new dawn in the southeast. The good thing is that the structures laid several years ago are still there. If we cannot develop regionally ,we can go on State by State basis . Dr Alex Otti has started on good note by setting up a global economic forum . All we require is the political will to put them back to work.
Friday afternoon saw a gunman go on the rampage in the capital city of Anambra State, Awka.
At the Regina Caeli intersection in Keke Park along the Enugu-Onitsha road, they robbed tricycle drivers. In addition, they stole phones and cash from POS operators on the Eke-Awka axis.
The gunmen, who were thought to be members of a cult in Awka, robbed the Keke drivers and passengers at Regina Junction of their phones and cash.
An eyewitness who did not want his identity to be published out of fear of violence said, “The gunmen entered the Keke park on tricycles and gave the drivers and passengers orders to lie down and made away with their money.
The individuals suspected of carrying out the operations are Awka cult youngsters.
The park operators have not paid any of the people they had been paying a specific amount to each week since January. I refuse to identify the powerful individuals who are making the money.
Additionally, an insider revealed that they had been paying N30,000 a week to a few individuals he declined to name out of fear of reprisals.
He claimed that the attack came after they had been unable to make payments for a few weeks.
He urged the state authorities to assist them in thwarting a cult attack in the state capital, stating that they were in immediate danger at the park.
According to eyewitness, the state administration claimed to have halted touts in the state, lamenting the fact that they weren’t terrorizing the Keke operators on a daily basis, but rather regrouping.
According to the source, “These touts have changed their tactics and are still frightening Keke operators, despite the state government’s claims to have formed an anti tout outfit to fight touting and others.”
A semilar occurrence saw armed individuals robbing POS workers in Eke Awka, taking their money and phone with them.
Witnesses claimed that the thieves arrived on their property on tricycles and told them to put their money in their bags. However, the witness did not want his name to be published out of fear of being attacked.
According to a POS operator, the criminals caused her to lose N860,000.
It was unsuccessful to get the Anambra State Police command to respond to any of the attempts made.
The Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas, (ANPA), is to hold free medical outreach in Abia State to complement the efforts of the state Government towards improving the healthcare sector of the state.
During the 10-day medical mission, scheduled for April 4 – 10, 2024, free surgeries would be conducted on patients with different medical cases, while thousands of others would be given free treatment.
According to a statement jointly signed by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo; and the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee-cum-Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, Professor Azubuike Onyebuchi; a team of over 60 physicians and experts in different branches of medicine from North and South America, would be involved in the exercise.
The statement said that surgeries would be conducted simultaneously at three designated centres that house the necessary facilities: namely – FMC Umuahia, Abia Diagnostic Centre, Umuahia, and Abia Specialist Hospital, Amachara, Umuahia.
It, however, explained that beneficiaries must have been screened and approved before the arrival of the experts from the Americas.
The statement enjoined residents of the state with various health challenges to present themselves for screening at the designated desk offices in all 17 General Hospitals in the state, as well as designated health centers.
According to the statement, date for the commencement of the screening exercise will soon be made public, adding that the screening will be bankrolled by the State Government.
The statement also said that free transport, to and fro the three surgery centres, would be provided by the State Government for patients from distant locations to ease the burden cost on the beneficiaries.
It said various complicated cases including screening for cancer would be carried out during the mission, adding that the foreign doctors will be working with Nigerian-based medical personnel including House Officers, as part of the effort to build capacity and transfer knowledge to the locals.
The statement urged residents of Abia with various complicated health challenges to take advantage of the rare opportunity to receive quality medicare free of charge.
It, however, stressed that only patients who had been screened and booked for surgery during the free registration exercise that would soon commence in all 17 LGAs that would be attended to by the ANPA team.
The statement further explained that the gesture was in recognition of the commitment of the Dr. Alex Otti-led administration towards improving the health sector.
According to the statement, the deliberate allocation of 15% of Abia’s 2024 budget estimate to health, is a demonstration of both the commitment and passion of the Governor for a transformed health sector.
It further noted that ANPA’s choice of Abia for the medical mission, was an acknowledgement of Governor Otti’s special attention to the health sector, demonstrated by his decision to, within the first six months of his administration, renovate and upgrade the Abia Specialist and Diagnostic Centre, Umuahia; Amachara General Hospital, Amachara; and the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), Aba, which facilitated the restoration of Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) accreditation of the Abia State University Medical College. The accreditation was lost under the immediate past administration in the State.
The Anambra State Road and Traffic Maintenance Agency, ARTMA, has visited the Onitsha-Owerri road by Upper Iweka to install road signs with the inscription, ‘NO LOADING, USE THE PARKS’.
This was contained in an official release tagged, ARTMA REPORT.
The Agency through the report lamented the continuous turning of the sides of the roads into parks while there were designated points created by the State for the purpose.
It states, “For a very long time, bus drivers have turned the stretch of the road into motor parks while assigned parks are left empty. This trend has to stop as the Agency is working round the clock to align with Mr. Governor’s dream for a livable, smart, and prosperous homeland.
“We took time to clearly inspect and properly mark the parks of transport companies that load in the axis”.
The report further stated that the team also thoroughly cleared the Eze-Iweka junction that leads into Awada Obosi where commercial tricycle operators, fondly called, ‘Keke’ riders often block the road even for pedestrians.
“All the keke riders are to henceforth load and offload in the park provided, away from the junction.
“Finally, we impounded the Agbor and Asaba buses that load by the Bridgehead after several warnings and numerous road signs.
According to the Managing Director of the Agency, Engr Emeka Okonkwo, “it is very important to note that after proper enlightenment, the agency would impound defaulters without an option of fine. Vehicles would be impounded for 7 days for first offenders and 14 days subsequently.”
Street traders were also warned “to immediately quit such activities on the road”.
… accused approached us with eight hundred and fifty thousand naira for settlement – Complainants
Anambra State Government has taken a mortuary attendant, one Mr. Ugochukwu Joseph Uchenna to court over missing corpse of a twenty-six-year-old female, Chinonso Okeke.
Mr. Uchenna is said to be the owner of New Centuary Medical Complex Mortuary Isuaniocha, Awka North Council Area, where he also works.
Complainants in the matter, Mrs. Rejoice Odogwu, sister to the deceased, and Mr. Sopuruchukwu Okeke, husband to the deceased, told the Anambra State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs Ify Obinabo, that the late Chinonso’s body was deposited at New Centuary Medical Complex Mortuary Isuaniocha on the fourth of August, 2023, and when they were ready to bury their dead, they were given a different corpse.
Upon inquiry, they said Mr. Uchenna insisted that the corpse they were given was the one they brought, which according to them is not true.
They further alleged that the corpse handed over to them was that of an older woman, whereas theirs was a twenty-six-year-old female, and that the body deposited was on low cut before and after death, but the body given to them had her hair weaved, and has been operated upon, whereas theirs has never undergone any form of surgery, among other things.
Mr. Okeke notified the Commissioner that after they refused to take the corpse, Mr. Uchenna started threatening them.
When asked why they never visited the mortuary, Mrs. Odogwu said that her in-laws’ elder sister was denied access to the place because the mortuary attendant told her that they don’t give pregnant women access to the facility.
She also hinted that all the while the sister in-law was going to see the corpse, the mortician kept denying her access and asking of the date of the burial, which they didn’t take as anything, but rather trusted their services; only to get defrauded in October when they went to carry the remains of the late Chinonso.
The complainants further stated that Mr. Uchenna later approached them with the sum of eight hundred and fifty thousand naira for settlement after the matter has been reported to people.
After listening to the complainants and asking necessary questions, the Women Affairs Commissioner assured them of justice, and further handed the case over to the legal unit of the ministry.
It was gathered that the case has been filed and called up at Magistrate Court Achalla for hearing.
Four people, including two soldiers have been reportedly killed by gunmen who invaded some communities in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State on Friday.
The armed men were said to have attacked some communities in the local government leading to the death of two people . Some of the villages attacked include Abugbe, Okokolo, Ugboju, Odugbeho and Olegobidu
Two of the soldiers stationed at the council area on peacekeeping were said to have been shot dead when the armed men ambushed them while on patrol of the areas.
Some natives told our correspondent that the attack had started for a few days until it became worse when the armed men moved to Okokolo and attacked the people.
Confirming the attacks on Agatu communities, the lawmaker representing the Agatu state constituency in the state House of Assembly, Godwin Edo said two villagers were killed.
Edo said, “Yes, the attack was from herdsmen, It happened yesterday, (Thursday).
The 6 Division, Nigerian Army, has uncovered a bunkering site with 14 reservoirs used to stock over 3 million litres of crude oil meant for illegal refining activities in Odagwa community, Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State.
This was discovered on Wednesday, when the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 6 Division, Nigerian Army/ Land Component Commander, Joint Task Force, South South, Operation DELTA SAFE, Major General Jamal Abdussalam, led an operation to the site.
Speaking with journalists, the GOC said the operators of the illegal reservoirs had about 49 crude oil boilers where they refined crude and moved it out through various channels.
Abdussalam noted that even with helicopter or drones, it would be difficult to discover the level of illegality existing in that forest. He disclosed that the discovery was made possible based on discreet intelligence, which led to locating over 14 reservoirs containing over 200,000 liters of crude oil each. He said “The idea of this movement is to let Nigeria and Nigerians know exactly what is happening.
This place is totally forested, even from the air using helicopter and drones, you will not be able to see what we actually saw on the ground.
“Based on credible intelligence which led us to this location, we have discovered so many illegalities taking place here. We have seen over 14 reservoirs which can contain upward of 200,000 litres of crude, in this bush.
“We also discovered about 49 boilers which are capable of processing crude oil, all located inside this forest. And you have seen the network of pipes and cables and other tools connected around the whole area.”
He further explained that “The crude we discovered in this site is in excess of daily crude export of Nigeria, which is very pathetic and very sad.
“Outside this bridge, we have a lot of well heads, most of them are not in use. It is from these well heads that these our people (bunkerers) put pipes and siphon this crude oil.”
The GOC also revealed that the discovery was part of their efforts to ensure that the federal government gets what is due to it, adding that the budget has been passed by the National Assembly and assented to by Mr. President which has become law.
He stressed that the budget is based on some parameters, “and one of those parameters is the crude oil production that we churn out everyday. So, any drop in that crude oil production will affect everybody in this country. But, our people are not aware of that and that is why they engage in this criminal and dirty business”.
Abdussalam, however, vowed that the military would sustain the fight against economic sabotage, assuring that the key players in the illegalities would be tracked.
“Few arrests have been made; but, those arrested are not the key players in this business. They are basically labourers.
“The main players have not been caught; but, now that we have discovered this place, with proper intelligence and investigation, we are going to apprehend them”, the GOC assured.
The traditional rulers, in a letter signed by Igwe Alfred Achebe, the chairman of Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council (ASTRC), said the way and manner the government maltreated and suspended members were disrespectful.
Igwe Achebe said Mr Tony-Collins Nwabunwanne, the Commissioner in the Ministry, disrespected the traditional institution by taking unilateral action against traditional rulers and communicating with them through the social media.
He condemned the suspension of Igwe Damian Ezeani, the traditional ruler of Neni in Anaocha Local Government, for conferring chieftaincy title for alleged “non compliance with the Code of Conduct” as dehumanising and selective.
“Assuming that lgwe of Neni did not strictly comply with the Code of Conduct, would the foregoing factors not be sufficiently extenuating to warrant a far less sanction on him as was meted to some other tiny few that also failed to comply?
“The severity of suspension and threat of withdrawal of Certificate of Recognition suggests that there may be other issues with either lgwe of Neni or Distinguished Senator Ubah which are being stealthily ventilated in this circumstance.
“Your letter to lgwe Damian Ezeani was copied to the Commissioner of Police and Director of DSS, Anambra State, but not to the chairman of the ASTRC.
“This act, amongst many others, was seen by the traditional rulers of Anambra State as a measure of the worth of the traditional institution to the present administration.
“You publicly visited the sins of an unrecognized self-acclaimed traditional ruler on the entire State traditional institution, to which he does not belong,” he said.
Igwe Achebe said the traditional institution in Anambra comprised some of the finest sons of the State who achieved sterling academic heights and professional/vocational attainments.
He said the claim of the Commissioner that traditional rulers had demonstrated a penchant for trading chieftaincy titles for money was not supported by any evidence, adding that their stool was not sustained by it or government stipend.
He described the handling of the matter of conferment of honorary chieftaincy titles as the apogee of the progressive dehumanisation and dismantling of the traditional institution of Anambra by the present administration.
“The livelihood of the traditional rulers does not depend on selling chieftaincy titles or the N175,000 monthly stipend from the State government, but on their own hard-earned modest personal resources.
“By their office, age, attainment and standing in society, they deserve far better respect and dignity, than being publicly bullied and unfairly shamed at every opportunity by people in the State Government.
“The Federal and other State Governments hold the traditional institutions in high esteem. What then has gone wrong in Anambra State?
“The traditional institution of Anambra feels strongly that the present administration is progressively dehumanising and deprecating the institution against the trend in the rest of the country.
“The traditional institution is mindful of the awesomeness of the executive power and authority in our democratic dispensation but prays fervently that such power and authority, which come from God through the governed, should be exercised with due sensitivity and humaneness over the governed,” he said.
Achebe said contrary to the impression that the issue of honorary chieftaincy title was on the foremost front burner for the Anambra people, the communities were still faced with many development challenges.
According to him, key community challenges are the lack of basic amenities, including electricity, potable water, healthcare, good access roads, youth unemployment leading to other delinquencies and the inability of the communities to fund their contingents of the Anambra State Vigilante Group.
“We also demand respectable stipends from the five percent of the statutory allocation to the Local Government Councils as is applicable in other States of the Federation,” he said.
FULL TRANSCRIPT OF IGWE ALFRED ACHEBE’S OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR SOLUDO
ANAMBRA STATE Traditional Rulers Council
Office of the Chairman
Government House Awka.
Hon. Tony Collins Nwabunwanne,
Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Government of Anambra State, Awka.
NOTIFICATION FOR THE SUSPENSION OF HRH LGWE DAMIAN O. EZEANI, THE TRADITIONAL RULER OF NENI
I am writing in response to your letter, Ref: MLGCCA/HC/2022/T/025/001/103, of the above caption to me dated 8th January, 2024. This response also provides a fuller context of other events relating to the suspension of H.R.H lgwe Damian O Ezeani, the traditional ruler of Neni. Your letter was hand-delivered to me at Onitsha at 6:55pm on Tuesday, 09 January, 2024. I was curious about the timing of the delivery considering that I had presided at the meeting of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council (ASTRC) at Awka earlier in the day, where such a letter would normally be presented to me by the ASTRC secretariat. The letter was a justification for the Government’s suspension of lgwe Damian Ezeani as traditional ruler of his domain.
2. My suspicion that your letter was an after-thought was buttressed by the fact that your letter of suspension to lgwe Damian Ezeani of the same date, 8th January 2024, was already trending virally on social media for well over twenty four hours prior to my receipt of your letter. I was embarrassingly inundated with phone calls and messages from traditional rulers and other persons seeking clarification from me as chairman of ASTRC regarding a situation to which I was not privy. Your letter to lgwe Damian Ezeani was copied to the Commissioner of Police and Director of DSS, Anambra State, but not to the chairman of the ASTRC.
This act, amongst many others, was seen by the traditional rulers of Anambra State as a measure of the worth of the traditional institution to the present administration.
3. You were right in your letter that the Code of Conduct for traditional rulers in Anambra State is the creation of the traditional institution. It became effective as a self-regulating code following the 2013 Annual Seminar of Anambra State Traditional Rulers where it was presented and adopted. It was subsequently published in the book, “The Traditional Institution in a Modern Society” being the proceedings of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Seminars held in 2011, 2013, and 2014. The Code of Conduct was also re-issued in March 2020 under my signature as Chairman of the ASTRC. The ASTRC worked harmoniously on most occasions with previous administrations in the application of the Code, such that the ASTRC monitored compliance and recommended sanctions for non-compliance to the Government for necessary action. Now, it would appear that the present administration has completely appropriated the entire application of the Code of Conduct without the involvement of or reference to the ASTRC.
4. You may recall, Hon. Commissioner, that on 04 October 2023, Mr. Governor had called to tell me in a late-night telephone conversation that the Government was considering establishing rules to govern the actions of traditional rulers. The conversation was sequel to a chieftaincy conferment ceremony by a traditional ruler that was deemed inappropriate by the Government. I promptly drew the attention of Mr. Governor to the subsisting Code of Conduct which had served previous administrations and the traditional institution well and suggested that the present administration may need to review the Code for its current efficacy. I thereafter called the same night to brief you on my conversation with Mr. Governor. I also directed that copies of the above-mentioned book be made available to you and Mr. Governor the following morning before a meeting where the matter will be discussed. Having since not received any feedback from you or Mr. Governor, I assumed that the same order with previous administrations would continue to prevail.
5. In my said conversation with Mr. Governor on 04 October, 2023, I had also reminded him of the WhatsApp message he forwarded to me on 09 November, 2022 in which graphic allegations were made against a traditional ruler of Anambra State. I further reminded Mr. Governor that he never responded to my prompt advise by WhatsApp on the options for dealing with the allegations expeditiously. I also re-sent our WhatsApp exchange on the matter to Mr. Governor, but still did not get any reaction.
6. On the events over the last eight days or so, you will also recall that you called me severally on Saturday, 06 January, 2024 between 15:34 and 22:31 hours without reaching me. At 08:06 hours on Sunday morning, I called you and explained the circumstances that made me unreachable on the previous day. In our long conversation, you said that you were seeking to bring to my attention a press release that you were under pressure to issue. This was in connection with traditional rulers conferring honorary chieftaincy titles in violation of the Code of Conduct for Traditional Rulers and the Government directives. You specifically mentioned two cases only, namely, Igwe Ojoto, who conferred an honorary chieftaincy title on Senator Ifeanyi Ubah on 30 December, 2023, and the self-acclaimed traditional ruler of Nawfia, who conferred honorary chieftaincy titles on forty (40) persons on 04 January, 2024. You further confirmed that the press release had been issued, which I later found to be on 04 January, 2024, that is, the day prior to your unsuccessful attempt to reach me. In the conversation, you categorically did not mention, in any regard whatsoever, lgwe Neni who celebrated his Ofala on 29 December, 2023
7. In our above conversation, I made the following points:
A. Your desire to reach me on Saturday night seemed merely to justify a fait accompli, considering that you had already issued the press release two days earlier “under pressure”, as you said.
B. I noted that the self-acclaimed lgwe Nawfia, whose recognition was withheld by the Government due to pending matters in court, was consequently not considered a member of the State traditional institution. His activities should therefore not be associated with the State traditional institution in any manner. C. I distinctly pointed out that picking on the above two cases (Ojoto and Nawfia) by your office was selective and appeared to be a deliberate favoritism towards other cases which you were well aware of.
D. I reminded you that there had not been any reaction from you or Mr. Governor to our conversations of 04 October 2023 on the Code of Conduct for Traditional Rulers. You apologized for the failure to revert.
8. Fast forward to the meeting of the ASTRC on 09 January, 2024. The normal practice of the ASTRC secretariat is to immediately send electronic copies of important correspondence to me as they are received in the course of the month. On the day of the monthly meeting, a folder is presented to me with all correspondence for my attention, including the last-minute arrivals that were not forwarded electronically.
9. The folder presented to me on 09 January, 2024 included a press release and a letter to the Chairman of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council. Both documents were under your signature and were the same in caption, “Directives on Conferment of Chieftaincy Titles by Traditional Rulers”, date of 5th October, 2023, content and reference number. The twin documents raised further curiosity in me as follows.
A. A document from your office dated 05 October, 2023 for the attention of ASTRC should normally have been presented at its October monthly meeting on 10 October, 2023. Why, therefore, did three monthly meetings elapse before the above documents were presented at the 09 January 2024 monthly meeting? Categorically, this was the first time that either document had come to the attention of myself or the ASTRC.
B. There is an uncanny sequence of events whereby the two documents, presumably issued on 05 October 2023, the day following my late-night discussions with you and Mr. Governor on 04 October 2023, were not delivered until the ASTRC meeting of 09 January 2024, thus contradicting your apology to me on 07 January for lack of action since 04 October 2023. Is it, therefore, possible that both documents were after-thoughts which were created after the suspension of lgwe Neni on 08 January, 2024 and back-dated as a coverup and rationale for the suspension?
10. Back to your reference letter of 08 January, 2024 to me, you stated on the first paragraph that “a minority of traditional rulers have demonstrated a penchantfor trading chieftaincy titles for money thereby bringing the traditional institution to ridicule and disrepute”. Further, in the second paragraph, you stated that “A vast majority of traditional rulers conduct their exalted office with dignity and integrity and stick to the Code of Conduct. . . However, a tiny few still act reckless”‘. These statements were repeated in your letter of suspension to lgwe Neni as published on the social media. The effects of both letters are:
A. You publicly visited the sins of an unrecognized self-acclaimed traditional ruler on the entire State traditional institution, to which he does not belong.
B. Without providing evidence for your sweeping statement about trading chieftaincy titles for money you also, wittingly or not, thereby indicted the entire traditional institution of the State. Your press release to a global audience put the institution into disrepute when a direct circular letter to all traditional rulers as the parties of interest would have sufficed.
C. The tone and language of your letter were, by any measure, a public riot act and pontification to the same majority of traditional rulers that you extolled as acting with dignity and integrity. The letter lacked respect and sensitivity in addressing the traditional rulers of Anambra State who, by any standard, are held in very high esteem in the comity of the traditional institutions of Nigeria and beyond.
D. Your letter also stated that “lgwe Damian Ezeani, as traditional ruler of Neni, conferred such a phantom chieftaincy title on one Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in violation of the Code of Conduct and without clearance from the Ministry.” The ASTRC cannot yet take a view on the violation of the Code of Conduct until it receives a report from the ad-hoc committee it set up to meet with lgwe Neni. Nevertheless, it is very manifestly presented above that no written directives from your Ministry on conferment of chieftaincy titles existed before 08 January 2024 when lgwe Neni was suspended.
E. Your reference to a second-term Right Honorable Distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as “one Senator Ifeanyi Ubah” is most disrespectful, offensive, and unbecoming of one holding a political office as Commissioner. It is noteworthy that a person can only qualify to contest elections after scaling through the highest level of security checks at the federal level. Furthermore, Distinguished Senator Ubah holds a chieftaincy title of his hometown, Nnewi, conferred on him by his monarch and Grand Patron of the Anambra State Traditional Institution, His Majesty, lgwe Kenneth O. Orizu. He is also a well-known business investor in Anambra State and a generous philanthropist.
F. Thus, assuming that lgwe Neni did not strictly comply with Code of Conduct, would the foregoing factors not be sufficiently extenuating to warrant a far less sanction on him as was meted to some other “tiny fen/’ that also failed to comply? The severity of suspension and threat of withdrawal of Certificate of Recognition suggests that there may be other issues with either lgwe Neni or Distinguished Senator Ubah which are being stealthily ventilated in this circumstance.
11. In conclusion, I would like to state very clearly that your handling of this matter of conferment of honorary chieftaincy titles is the apogee of the progressive dehumanization and dismantling of the traditional institution of Anambra State by the present administration. The institution comprises of some of the finest sons of Anambra State who achieved sterling academic heights and professional/vocational attainments. At the behest of their communities, they took up the role of traditional rulers as shining examples for selflessly giving back to their communities in particular, and society at large. They are the custodians of the culture and traditions of their people and lead on peace building, security, development issues, etc. Their livelihood does not depend on selling chieftaincy titles or the N175,000 monthly stipend from the State Government, but on their own hard-earned modest personal resources. By their office, age, attainment and standing in society, they deserve far better respect and dignity, than being publicly bullied and unfairly shamed at every opportunity by people in the State Government. The Federal and other State Governments hold the traditional institutions in high esteem. What then has gone wrong in Anambra State?
12. The current impression to the general public is that the issue of honorary chieftaincy title is on the foremost front burner for the Ndi Anambra. On the contrary, the traditional rulers would state for the umpteenth time that their key community challenges include lack of basic amenities (electricity, potable water, healthcare, good access roads, etc), youth unemployment leading to other delinquencies, security and the inability of the communities to fund their contingents of the Anambra State Vigilante Group (AVG), massive urban renewal for our sprawling cities, respectable stipends from the 5% of the statutory allocation to the Local Government Councils as is applicable in other States of the Federation, membership and structure of the ASTRC, etc. To sum up:
A. There were no formal or written directives from your Ministry on chieftaincy titles prior to the suspension of lgwe Neni by your letter of 08 January, 2024.
B. The Government’s suspension of lgwe Neni was selective and consciously ignored other recent cases of violation of the Code of Conduct which have been brought to your attention.
C. Your claim that traditional rulers have ‘{demonstrated a penchantfor trading chieftaincy titles for money/’ was not supported by any evidence.
D. Distinguished Senator Ifeanyi Ubah is not an unknown entity in Anambra State or Nigeria, including to the present administration. Thus, the suspension of lgwe Neni and threat to withdraw his Certificate of Recognition for apparently violating the Code of Conduct by giving him a chieftaincy title was extreme in comparison with other recent cases.
E. The traditional institution of Anambra State feels strongly that the present administration is progressively dehumanizing and deprecating the institution against the trend in the rest of the country where the Federal and State Governments accord dignity and respect to the institution.
F. The traditional institution is mindful of the awesomeness of executive power and authority in our democratic dispensation but prays fervently that such power and authority, which derive from God through the governed, should be exercised with due sensitivity and humaneness over the governed.
13. Dear Hon Commissioner, I thank you for your attention and express my whole-hearted willingness to engage further with you on all the points in this letter in the hope of restoring the dignity of the traditional institution of Anambra State. Please, also, bear in mind that Mr. Governor has made two promises that remain outstanding, namely, to meet with a small number of traditional rulers on issues of concern to the traditional institution, and to address all traditional rulers once more. Kindly make these two commitments happen soon, as well as at regular intervals.
14. Finally, since your communication to the traditional rulers of the State on this matter has mainly been through press releases and interviews, it would be fair and proper that this response is also made available to the media for the purpose of balance.
For and on behalf of the Anambra State traditional rulers,
Yours sincerely,
Nnaemeka A. Achebe, CFR, mni
Obi of Onitsha
Chairman, ASTRC
In furtherance of Public, Private, Community Partnership of the Soludo administration, a German based clinic has volunteered to fix the dilapidations noticed in some rural schools.
The Chief Executive Officer and Manager of the clinic, Mr Ekene Henry Arize, disclosed this during a courtesy call to the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh.
Mr Arize states that he was deeply touched by dilapidation in some schools when he visited the rural communities. “I have come to receive government’s authorisation to rebuild them”
Responding, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh said that the thinking of Mr Arize was in line with Gov. Soludo’s program of turning our public schools to smart schools and Public Private Community Partnership.
She applauded the benefactor for coming to the assistance of the State and promised to provide the needed support.
Credit: Nnaemeka Egwuonwu
