HRH Eze Ike Obasi
In this interview with Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka in at the weekend, the traditional ruler of Ezimba, Ihite Uboma LGA of Imo state, HRH Ike Obasi Ignatius, who doubles as the MD/CEO, Ignobis Hotels Limited, Kubwa, Abuja the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), among other businesses, says that the Traditional Rulers as major part of governance the National Assembly is causing confusion in the country but traditional rulers will address many anomalies in the system and bring developments to the rural areas. Excerpts
In Igboland, with the existence of a President General (PG), do you think that there is a need for a Traditional Ruler (TR) in a community?
Yes, there is a need, because the position of a traditional ruler is for life, while that of a PG is tenured. The PG ensures that there is a meeting in a community, while the TR, among others is in charge of tradition. His position is higher than that of a PG, and the PG takes order from the TR. Knowing the importance of the tradition, the government had to make the TR superior to the PG. In some states in Igbo land, the PGs are not paid, but the TRs are paid. The government buys cars for the TRs and even builds houses and palaces for those who don’t have, but they don’t do such for the PGs
What exactly is the role of a traditional ruler in your place, Ezimba?
In my community, Ezimba Autonomous Community, the traditional ruler is the mouthpiece of the people and the gods. Members of each community have what they serve as their gods and the TR is the head of both the living and the ancestors.
Although they reign at the mercy of the governor and recognized as such, do you think that their roles are needed at the centre (FG)?
Yes, there roles are needed at the federal level. Even though in Igbo land, too much argument and dragging of it has made it so porous, that every small community wants to divide itself into two, or three in order to have its own TR; although it is for development, but the essence of establishing the seat of a TR is to, among others, make him number one citizen in his community. The government at the federal, state and local governments know this and they use the TR to penetrate the people, thereby creating a chance for them to control the TRs. Like what is happening in Kano now, each governor has his candidate or friend as the case may be, and dethrones the one on the throne who isn’t his candidate or friend and enthrones his candidate or friend, thereby causing confusion. This method isn’t healthy and it is against the tradition itself.
How do you see the roles and performance of the 10th Senate in Nigeria?
I think that Nigerian senators are the ones killing Nigeria, because as a governor, he packs all the money in the state to contest and become a senator. This, a former governor does, in order to continue to have an immunity to cover himself and for this, he forces himself to the senate and remains there for over 12 years, to acquire more wealths, without allowing a change of ideas and views by any other person.
Don’t you think that theirs is a selfless service to the people and should be hailed for that?
Selfless service indeed. The salary of a senator and his maintenance will pay the salary of about 1,000 workers in a month and they neither establish industries, nor companies for employment generations and yet they say they are representing the masses, while they are actually the ones killing the masses.
They collect the money meant for infrastructural development in their districts without doing anything. Let the senate, house of representatives be either abolished or have their pays slashed and local governments made autonomous. Let them be replaced with governors and state assemblies. With that, the greed for political offices will reduce. To me, the workers demanding are justifiable, to be compared with the pays of legislators, heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
What is your take on the suggestions by some that the TRs be made the forth arm of the government at the centre?
It is very necessary and will go a long way to address many issues, as they concern tradition. If done, the TRs as fourth arm of the government will checkmate the excesses of the senate and other arms of the government, for the interest of the rural dwellers. When a state wants to send a message across to the community, they usually invite the TR, give him the message and he in turn would take the message down to his people.
You know that the governor doesn’t know the rural dwellers, but the TRs do, and as I am speaking to you now I know who is who in my community, Ezimba. When the government wants to bring palliatives, scholarships, among others, it is through the TRs that those things get to the right people, because I as a TR knows how to reach the right people, like the less privileged in the society. So if the TRs are made the forth arm of the government, it will be very helpful and bring government very close to the rural dwellers. And should any member try to do like the legislator, by diverting what is given to him for the development of his community (s), the Gods will come after him, because tradition is neither toyed with nor treated with unimportance and ignorance. Tradition is sacred and should be seen as such and anybody that thinks that he can treat it any how will have himself to blame. The traditional rulers as fourth arm of the government will bring sanity in the system.
If that is the case, don’t you think that the position of PG isn’t necessary?
No! It is necessary, because the PG is like the messenger in a community. He helps in organising meetings, among others for the community, although the governors respect and recognize the TRs more than the PGs.
To have your view on this, are you for or against inheriting throne from father to son or rotating it from village to village, giving room for competitive contest?
The reason why sons inherit it from their fathers was caused by the colonial masters. During the colonial days, the colonial masters who introduced it, usually give the rulership to a very strong man who would be able to subdue his subjects. In order to secure the throne for his children, he would go and bring gods or a shrine as the case may be, make it in a way that anybody that comes to contest it after he has secured it will die. As such the throne remains from father to son.
But as the time goes on, ideas starts to come up and people start to challenge the system, and that is why in some areas, it is rotational and I am in support of rotation. The reason is that by inheritance, the person to inherit the throne may not be as strong and wise as his father. But through rotation, the best, both in wisdom, strength, knowledge, among others will emerge.
What efforts are traditional rulers making to intervene in the stay at home in the South East (SE)?
The stay at home hasn’t been up to three years and those who organised it said they were fighting for the freedom of Ndigbo, without the consent of the TRs. They fight with guns and matchets, but we the TRs shouldn’t fight action with action. It isn’t a national thing. We have been having series of meetings to proffer a way out. But remember that it has been publicized that the real purpose of sit -at -home has been diverted to an avenue for some politicians to eliminate their perceived enemies. For the fact that they use it in killing people, among others is the reason why it doesn’t have the support of the TRs.
What is your view on the reinstatement of the deposed Emir Sanusi of Kano?
That is very bad, because that shows how the governors are using their power against the tradition and the TRs. The governors know that the traditional rulership is a very revered authority and administration and they have been penetrating the TRs either to wrong what is right or right what is wrong. Look at how Sanusi who was enthroned by Kwankwaso was replaced with Ado Bayero by Ganduje. It is because of things like this, the TRs want the government to stop interfering in traditional rulership. In Imo state, a governor once dethroned a TR and in some cases you see a governor splitting a small community into three or even four and crowns some people there. So I implore the government to remove its hand from traditional rulership.
What efforts are TRs in the SE making to secure their son, Nnamdi Kanu’s release?
A wise man uses one leg to enter into a stream he doesn’t know its depth. It isn’t a matter of Nnamdi Kanu, the government doesn’t like people in the SE. You can remember the Apo Six and how the government treated it, if it were people from the other geopolitical zones that were killed, the government would come out, but since they were from SE, nothing happened.
In the civil service and other areas, government doesn’t promote people from the SE. Sunday Igboho from the South West was fighting the same cause with Nnamdi Kanu, but he has since been released. The government sees us as people who were defeated during the civil war and they wouldn’t like anybody from the SE to grow or be in power in Nigeria.
Should there be TRs outside Igboland?
You can’t come to another man’s land and say you are a TR and you don’t know the tradition of the people and can’t appease there gods. Due to the roles I played as the PG of Imo state for six good years, here in Abuja, my people invited me and crowned me and Gov. Hope Uzodimma of my state gave me staff of office.
In line with their mandate, why is it that most TRs are not in their domains permanently?
If we abandon our businesses for the throne, it will not only affect our subjects, but also our family. Apart from traditional functions, a TR is expected to contribute financially and otherwise to the development of his domain. He should also take care of his family problems, such as paying children’s school fees, among others. If you abandon your sources of income, it will affect your domain and family. However, a TR should have capable hands in his domain and ensure that he travels home regularly as I do every two months and stay for about two weeks to sought things out traditionally.
