The Imo State government has urged 40 suspended traditional rulers to resolve the issues that led to their suspension by the Council of Traditional Rulers, instead of involving Governor Rochas Okorocha.
In a statement yesterday in Owerri, the state capital, by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, the government noted that the embattled monarchs were paying for their disrespect for constitution of their council.
It advised them not to hide under political sentiments.
The statement said: “The traditional rulers in question are only being hunted by their miscalculation during the 2015 elections. They have begun to run when no one is pursuing them. The traditional rulers allowed themselves to be deceived by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and they went beyond their bounds; the fear of that costly mistake is now their palaver.
“We have read reports in newspapers of a purported court order granted to about 40 traditional rulers in the state, restraining Governor Okorocha from suspending them as traditional rulers.
“The reports in question also said the traditional rulers had gone to court to challenge the ‘alleged excesses’ of the governor. In all the reports, the traditional rulers did not tell Nigerians what is the crux of the matter or the bone of contention.
“Having carefully dodged the issue of telling Nigerians and Imo people in particular what the problem is all about and the main reason for which they went to court because the ‘alleged excesses’ of the governor would not have made them to go to court, we conclude that they are being hunted by their unfortunate actions during the 2015 elections. In fact, they are being battled by their consciences.”
The statement added: “The truth is that Governor Okorocha or his government has neither suspended any of the 40 traditional rulers nor queried any of them for any reason to warrant their going to court. So, the reported court order restraining the governor from suspending the traditional rulers is questionable or even suspicious. We, therefore, challenge the traditional rulers to publish the referenced court order for Nigerians to read because we strongly believe that an order cannot be given in the vacuum. It must be anchored on something.
“What happened, which the traditional rulers didn’t want to tell the world is that the state Council of traditional rulers, led by HRM Eze Samuel Ohiri had suspended four traditional rulers from the Council and set up a panel to look into the conduct of fifty others over their gross involvement in politics and disobedience to a directive given by the Council during the election time.”