...State govs stoke crisis through imposition of unwanted persons
...Quest for power fuels Ezeship tussle -- Enachoken Abiriba
...Kingship should not be for politicians, moneybags --Ezeogo Oketa
...Making kingship hereditary'll end tussles
...Politicization of kingship by political leaders major problem
IN time past, traditional rulers in Igbo land were revered, highly respected by all and they carried themselves with respect and absolute dignity.
And the occupants of the stools were truly eminently qualified. But this is no longer the situation as all manner of characters now occupy the seat of monarchs in Igbo land.
The royal stool in Igbo land has sadly, been messed up, politicized, fragmented, and bastardized. Many communities have ended up having their traditional rulers being decided by the courts. And this is because political leaders, particularly state governors, have turned royal stools to a political tool.
State govts ignite problem by politicizing the kingship seat
State governments in a bid to politicize kingship stools arrogate to themselves the power to issue and withdraw at their convenience, the staff of office given to the traditional rulers. Also, the actions of some state governments in imposing traditional rulers on communities are part of the reasons for the tussles for the stools. The imposition and faulty appointment of royal fathers are always challenged in courts by aggrieved communities.
In Anambra State, for example, many communities that had at one time or the other got locked in disputes over who should mount their thrones include Nawfia, Njikoka Council Area, Azia and Lilu, Ihiala Council Area, among others. And most of the cases were as a result of unnecessary interference by the state government against the communities' choices.
Speaking to the issue, a public analyst, Chief Gregory Muoka said: "More than two-thirds of communities in Anambra State are in crisis over the appointment of traditional rulers and that is because the state government is meddling with the process.
"Stakeholders in the various communities know the right person to be their traditional ruler, but oftentimes, they are not allowed to present the person they want. Unless the state government hands off its involvement in chieftaincy matters, apart from providing administrative functions, the problem will remain."
Wrong choice and imposition of wealthy persons fuels crisis --Ezeogo Oketa
The traditional ruler of Nkaliki Echara Unuhu autonomous community in Ebonyi State, Ezeogo Sunday Oketa (Onu Oha lll), blames the kingship tussle on wrong choice imposed on the people by political leaders against laid down traditional way of selecting the monarch. The monarch admonished the government and wealthy men in Igbo communities to desist from using money to buy traditional stool but allow due process in the choice of traditional rulers.
His words: "The crisis being experienced during and after election of a traditional ruler is caused by the politicians and money bags who believe that with their money, they can buy the stool without recourse to the laid down traditional way of selecting Ezeogo. There will always be problems when you want to impose a candidate against the community's choice.
"You may have money to buy the stool but the natives will never recognise you as their monarch. Every community in Igbo land has its unique method of selecting their Ezeogo which must be followed for peace to reign; if not, both human beings and gods will continue to fight the injustice meted against the community.
"There are people that know the customs and traditions. There are people that the Chief Priest of the community selects to be their Ezeogo and nobody can contest that when the process is concluded and endorsed by the community. In some places, there are some kindred or clan that the stool is meant for and nobody can change it.
"But in Igbo land, politicians have bastardized the traditional institution. They use traditional stool to settle their cronies who turn the community upside down. Most of them don't know the custom and tradition; they are interested in selling community land and buying them from behind to build their estate.
"So, for peace to reign, politicians and money bags should desist from hijacking the traditional stool. The selection of traditional rulers should be strictly on merit not by imposition. The stool should not be for sale.
"It is the money bags coming from the back doors to be traditional rulers that cause or sponsor crises in the community to have their way, but in most cases, the natives will resist them and blood will be shed or legal battle will ensue in the community," Ezeogo Oketa submitted.
Not happy with the situation, Imo royal father, who pleaded anonymity, said: "I can tell you that I am not happy with the multiplicity of autonomous communities in this state. We are almost losing our respect and dignity in the comity of royal fathers in this country.
"I must commend communities like Egbu, in Owerri North Council Area for stoutly resisting the balkanization of their place."
Inordinate quest for power fuels Ezeship tussle --Enachoken Abiriba
Renowned monarch, the paramount ruler of Abiriba Ancient Kingdom, Eze Kalu Kalu Ogbu, Enachoken Abiriba, blames it on the inordinate ambition for power by some people.
"This tussle may not end because everybody just wants to be Eze. Before now, people were scared but today, everybody just wants to be crowned the king of his community.
"Even in communities where Ezeship is hereditary, you will see some people from outside the royal lineage get up and begin to contest for the royal stool.
"You remember what happened in my own community many years ago. We have a tradition that it is hereditary, and my people knew it was my compound that should produce the Eze but some people just came up and wanted to try something funny. I can't explain what is wrong with people."
On what attracts people to the royal stool, Eze Ogbu said: "I think it has to do with the honour although the honour is not as you get in the West or Northern parts of Nigeria. Anambra is even better, but in Abia, the honour is not even there. So I don't know why everybody still wants to be Eze. Maybe it is the quest for power."
The monarch urged Ndigbo to show respect for the royal stool and allow only the royal family to produce kings according to the custom and tradition of their people.
Igbo now sell kingship to the highest bidder --Ibeabuchi
A traditionalist, Chief Chibueze Ibeabuchi, the Akajiofor-Oha in Idima Osina, Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State traces the tussles to offering kingship position to the highest bidder. He maintains that kings in Igbo land are born and not made by way of contesting for the royal seat.
"The Igbo sell royal seats to the highest bidder. In Igbo land, Eze is born, not made. You don't contest to become Eze in Igbo land. The community knows the family royalty resides in. The gods of the land know who should be the king. In my community, nobody contests to be the Eze till today. In Benin, you don't contest to be the Oba of Benin.
"Today, a governor decides on who ascends a royal throne that is bigger and older than him; it is an aberration."
Govt should stop imposing traditional rulers on communities --Nwaohanmuo
A former commissioner for transport in Abia State, Ekele Nwaohanmuo also blames it on the governors that impose kings on the people. "Today, to become a traditional ruler is a question of who you know; which political party you belong to; how much money you have. This should not be, because the traditional stool is meant to be apolitical.
"You see people campaigning for political parties during elections. And the government uses the opportunity to reward those who supported it to win the election. Election of traditional rulers is now based on political affiliation because the government will go to any extent to manipulate the election process to favour its candidate. This is the major cause of kingship disputes in Igbo land.
"In Abia State, the issue of kingship disputes became more pronounced since the return of democracy in 1999. What caused it? It is the balkanization of communities to impose traditional rulers and the determination of the people to resist such imposition. That is why today all kinds of shady characters have been made traditional rulers by the government in many communities, leading to litigations.
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"As a lawyer, I have about five cases in my office where communities are in court over the imposition of traditional rulers. In these cases, the communities are divided. You can agree with me that there will never be peace and development in such communities. For peace to reign, the government should allow the people to choose their traditional rulers," Nwaohanmuo said.
A community leader, Nnamdi Ohanekwu, is of the opinion that the problem of Igweship tussle is as a result of the emergence of autonomous communities and government interference in the selection of traditional rulers.
The leader of the Community Initiative Movement, Elder Matthew Ibeh wants government to hands off kingship selection for peace to reign in Igbo communities.
"The cause is simple; government at all levels must stop interfering in the process of selecting a traditional ruler. If you watch carefully the cases of traditional rulers in court, you will agree with me that the matter is between the government-supported king and the community preferred traditional ruler. This is just the problem. The community will gather and select their king but before you know it, the government will oppose it and pick a loyal person from the community to be the king. And the community will reject such person thereby triggering crisis. In most cases, you see killings and burning of houses by the opposing groups," Ibeh said.
A lawyer and community leader, Chief Chris Ogom Adimora blamed traditional rulers' tussles on the churches and government interference.
, saying: "There must also be zero interference by the government," even as he advised that the church should face their church activities and should focus on crowning whosoever excelled in their various churches with knighthood and not Igweship.
