By Chuks Eke
Traditional rulers in Anambra state, under the umbrella of Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, ASTRC have charged Nigerians to tow the path of peace against the backdrop of the most recent killings in Uromi in Edo state and Bassain Plateau state
Chairman of the council and traditional ruler of Obosi Kingdom, His Majesty, Igwe Chidubem Iweka III (Ogalagidi) who gave the charge in his palace at Obosi, described the incidents as very unfortunate and condemnable.
He warned that the reprisal killings which happened in 1966 where innocent Nigerians were massacred for what they did not know about should not be allowed to repeat itself in Nigeria.
He commended the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun for the reported arrest of the man who in a viral video, threatened mass killing of southerners living in the North and for deploying more troops to Plateau state.
The Royal Father pleaded with the federal government to find a permanent solution to crisis between herders and farmers which according to him has led to the killings of many Nigerians across the country.
According to Eze Iweka, “The Federal government should as a matter of urgency find lasting and permanent solution to the crisis between herders and farmers because many precious lives have been lost across the country as a result of this, adding, in various parts of the country, farmers don’t visit their farm lands anymore because of fear of killer herdsmen”.
He further observed that the crisis of herders and farmers has contributed to the food shortage in the country thereby creating hunger and sufferings among many Nigerians.
On the ongoing bill at the National Assembly proposing a constitutional role for the traditional rulers’ in Nigeria, Igwe Iweka III described the bill as a right step in the right direction.
“If you look at the role of the traditional rulers in their communities, making sure that there is peace in their communities, bringing government policies to the masses and if there is crisis people ran to their kings for protection among many other functions, you will notice that the traditional rulers needed that constitutional right and recognition by federal government, he maintained”.
He further urged those states mostly in the southeast that are yet to pay five percent local government allocation to traditional rulers to do that now as according to him traditional rulers are saddled with enomous responsibilities in their communities, nothing that it will encourage them to take care of those responsibilities within their communities.
On the security situation in Anambra state, the traditional ruler commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo for taking the bull by the horns through the creation of Udo ga achi,. Agu-nechemba security outfit which he said has reduced crime to the barest minimum in the state.
“Our governor, Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo has done much on security, you all know that crime cannot be totally eradicated but Gov. Soludo through his wisdom created this Udo ga achi/Agu-nechemba which we all see that crime has drastically reduced to the barest minimum” he insisted.
Igwe Iweka further applauded governor Soludo for the wonderful infrastructural developments put in place by his administration in the state and many other projects across different sectors. He advocated that governor Soludo should be given the chance to go for a second tenure so as to complete the monumental projects he has started.
