The suspension of 12 traditional rulers in one fell swoop is an unusual invocation by any measure.
And even so, was the outrage that trailed the impunity of the band of Anambra State’s traditional rulers, who were unwisely led into confrontation against the constituted authority of Anambra State Government by controversial businessman, Arthur Eze.
If the arrowhead of the affront could afford to be careless, being a private citizen, what could have given the community chieftains, who are answerable to the authority of the State Government, the leave to take `flight of fancy’ that they had undertaken?
Along with an earlier suspended member of the tribe, `the Dutch courage’ of the group is associated with financial inducements contained in a video that has been trending on social media.
Two days before the hammer of Aug. 13, fell on the ambitions of the `12 apostles of doom’, the State Traditional Rulers Council had proposed sanctions on these members, who ventured on a doomed trip to the Presidency in the name of the Council.
Condemning the illegality of the undertaking, the leadership of the Council equated the action of the errant members to usurping the powers and mandate that they, the traditional rulers did not have.
After Peter Uyanwa of Ukwulu was suspended on account of petitions against his ascension and reign, the maverick businessman, Arthur Eze who had earlier promised to take the Willie Obiano administration to court for Constitutional breaches, paid Uyanwa a solidarity visit.
The meeting was an offensive political rally except in name. The Daily Orient Newspaper of July 30 reported the event with the headline: ‘Suspended Anambra monarch dares Obiano, pledges loyalty to Arthur Eze, Buhari’.
The Vanguard Newspapers of the same date quotes the relieved traditional ruler as saying: ‘At the end of our interaction, Prince Eze promised to take us to President Buhari’.
One can only shudder at the drooling of the group of 13 in this misadventure. They were deadened to their limitations as public servants under an approving authority.
They were blind to the absurdity of make-believe, self declared monarch of Awka exercising headship over them.
They were oblivious to the fact that the traditional ruler of Eze’s Ukpo town, who is blood relation to their mentor, was conspicuously absent from the picnic.
The misconduct of the suspended traditional rulers says a lot about their sense of judgment. I doubt if they have actually read the Traditional Rulers Law of 1981.
Some of them still arrogate to themselves the title of `His Royal Highness’ even when the law rejects that coronation.
Gov. Obiano has done the needful by sanctioning the rebellious group of 13. The Government should ensure that the full weight of the indictment is applied to the letter.
Anambra State is not anybody’s playground. The idea of leading deviant traditional rulers on a spiteful visit against the Governor of Anambra State clearly borders on the godfather syndrome.
But Eze will have to search elsewhere to indulge his godfather fantasies. Obiano earned the administration of Ndi Anambra by being his own man from day one; it’s inconceivable that he will reverse himself at this late hour.
From Premier Breweries to Orient Bank, Ndi Anambra knows too well the number of companies that have crashed under an incompetent chairmanship of the military regime apologists.
The belief that money confers super citizenship on anyone and that people out there all have a price tag is a delusion
