James Azania, Lokoja
Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello has banned traditional rulers across the 21 local government areas from creating chiefdoms or conferring titles on individuals without approval of the State Government.
According to the governor, the rate of land and chieftaincy crises arising from doling out of titles in the state, had become overwhelming, occasioning serious security challenges.
Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Barr. Salami Ozigi, stated this on Tuesday, in Lokoja, at a meeting with the members of the state traditional council and local government sole administrators.
“No traditional ruler must take any step to create any chiefdom without the notice or authority of the state government.
“No traditional institutions must create or crown any chief or district head either temporarily or permanently without government authority.
“The creation of such chiefs and heads by traditional rulers has caused a lot of crises in the state. Majority of the insecurity witnessed in the state, and 70 percent of legal matters against the state government stem from chieftaincy and land crises.
“Any undue appointments or creation of traditional head without recourse to the government will be dealt with, there will be consequences; both the appointed and the traditional ruler that made such appointments will not be spared,” he warned.
He said that the decision was not to undermine the traditional institutions, adding “crime and criminality have left the local area, because of government efforts. What is left in the rural areas are chieftaincy/land crises.
“We are asking you to make sacrifice for peace. The state government is spending heavily to tackle insecurity. When you create such positions and crises ensue, then the state government will now be running around to settle it. Such money used to curb such crises would have been used to handle other projects.
READ ALSO: We will make Kogi greater- Gov Bello
“We have to be proactive and curb future occurrences. We are not doing this to withhold or reduce the power of traditional institutions, but to prevent such crises even before it arises.”
He further revealed that the state government has taken action to address all such conflicts, even those before the courts; just as he promised to make the welfare of the traditional institutions priority.
The Attah Igala, Ameh Oboni II, urged the State Government to look into the land and traditional laws operating in the state, saying that they were created without the involvement of the traditional institutions.
He said: “The state government must look at the gazette used for traditional institutions. There is need to amend the foundation. The structure was not good, that is why the house is shaking.
“Presently, the traditional rulers are finding it difficult to operate between the traditional law and modern law. There is need to review the law. All is not well with the gazette used for traditional institutions in the state.”
He took a swipe at some traditional rulers in their quest to acquire higher positions, saying: “the rush for traditional rulers to get First or Second Class is not ideal. Many First Class rulers have no responsibility for their positions.
“It is high time traditional rulers put into consideration the check and balances of our land. There are First and Second Class rulers who have no power on land matters; they are just holding on to ‘juju’ tittle.”
He however commended the state government, saying that the present administration has been good to the traditional institutions in the state.
Leave a Reply