The Nation Newspaper

Tag: leader

  • Without a Leader like Him…?

    Without a Leader like Him…?

    Preamble

    All roads, national and international, led to Sokoto last Wednesday. The Caliphate city became like a Makkah of sort as thousands of people from near and far trooped into it. The occasion was to mark the 10th anniversary of Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar on the Caliphate throne.

    How time flies. It has been ten years since His Eminence, Dr.  Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni ascended the Sokoto royal throne as the 20th Sultan. The historic date was November 6, 2006. Until then, the lofty man’s name did not ring any bell in Nigeria. And he was probably not conscious of the royal blood in him. If he was ever conscious of that at all, his humble nature did not reflect it. But the thinking of man is quite different from the will of Allah. And when the thinking of man clashes with the will of Allah, the latter automatically prevails.

    Ascension to the Throne

    For Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, ascending the throne of the great Sokoto Empire was like the rise of the sun anon meridian. When it beams its rejuvenating ray over the world, all the stars in the galaxy take their bow.

    History and man are like Siamese twins. The one cannot do without the other. History makes man just as man makes history. And the reciprocal baton continues to change hands between them as long as they mutually remain in existence.

    Thus, the sudden emergence of the 50- year-old Brigadier General Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar as the successor to the exalted throne of the great Sokoto Empire without controversy came as a surprise to many Nigerians. His own father, Sultan Sadiq Abubkar ascended the same throne at the age of 37. Surely, the name ‘Muhammad Sa’ad’ played a significant role in the emergence of its bearer as Sultan.

    The Mystery in Name

    There is something mysterious about name which humanity is yet to comprehend fully. A puzzling secret seems to exist in the vocabulary of life which sticks to every man like a second skin. That secret, pearled in the yoke of name, is an effective evidence of destiny in man. Our names are the light that glows at night to lighten up our ways in the glares days through the threshold of life. And when the dawn comes to render the glowing light ineffective, the bearer bows out into the recluse of death leaving behind an indemnified signature on the sands of time.

    This was the case with Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the greatest man that ever lived on the surface of the earth. Even as an unlettered son of Arabia who was born in an era of blatant ignorance, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) introduced into the world, an unprecedented civilization that opened the eyes of humanity to everlasting guidance. In recognition of his human exemplariness, the Almighty Allah said of him in Q 33: 21 thus: “You have a good example in Allah’s Apostle for anyone who looks to Allah and the Last Day and remembers Him always”.

    Peculiarities in Name

    Sultan’s first name is Muhammad which he bears in emulation of the Prophet. His second name is Sa’ad meaning ‘Good ‘Luck’ which makes him a name-sake of one of the Prophet Muhammad’s companions (Sa’d BnAbi Waqqas) who was a great Army General of Islam. And his (Sultan’s) surname is Abubakar which means ‘father of youths’, an inherited name which he shares with the first Caliph in Islam (Abubakr Siddiq). In every one of these names is a profound meaning with profound influence on the personality and conduct of the current Sultan.

    As an Army General, like Sa’d Bn Abi Waqqas, Sultan is demonstrating the courage of a brave leader. As the father of the youths, like Abu Bakr, he is bridging the gap between leadership and follower-ship by breathing a breeze of hope into Nigerian Muslim youths from time to time.

    Identity of a Leader

    A leader is known, neither by the aura of the office he occupies, nor by the enormity of the power wielded in that office. Rather, a leader is known   by the magnanimity with which he exercises the power entrusted to him and the humility he demonstrates in his interaction with the people. This is the lesson that Prophet Muhammad’s leadership taught Muslim rulers in one of his Hadith when he said: “A powerful person is not the one who can suppress others (with the instrumentality of office) but the one who can resist the temptation to use such power”.

    Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar seems to have exemplified this prophetic teaching as a Muslim ruler and a faithful one for that matter. And through his humble interaction with all Muslims in Nigeria irrespective of tribal or geographical boundaries, he has become the first Sultan to create a strong feeling of a united Muslim Ummah in Nigeria under a competent leadership.

    An evidence of such unity is the powerful delegation of the entire Southern Muslim Ummah led by the Deputy President General (South) of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Dr. S. O. Babalola, OON, to the tenth anniversary of His Eminence’s coronation in Sokoto last Wednesday. Members of that delegation which included the Aare Musulumi of Yoruba Land,  Alhaji Dawud Makanjuola Abdul Salam Akinola and the President General of the League of Imams and Alfas of Yoruba Land were drawn from all the geographical zones in Southern Nigeria including the Southwest, the Southeast and the South-South.

    Philosophers’ Theory

    Philosophers who assert that every new century has a way of producing a great leader may be right after all. The example of His Eminence, Dr. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, is a manifestation of that assertion. Ever since he assumed the exalted royal office ten years ago, this great man has convincingly exhibited all the qualities of genuine leadership by all standards. Every statement he has made socially, religiously or politically and every action he has taken privately or publicly has proved to be a school from which all well-meaning people of Nigeria have learnt one lesson or another.

    Reformation of NSCIA

    At the instance of His Eminence, a forward looking reformation has been going on. A number of committees have been set up to take charge of certain necessities concerning the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and the National Mosque. These have given the Nigerian Muslim Ummah the needed comfort with which to surge ahead as a single body of believers.

    Besides, the Abuja National Mosque has also been reformed in such a way that no Muslim part of the country feels neglected again. Thus, today, the Friday sermon in that Mosque is not only delivered in the three major languages (Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba) in addition to Arabic and English, three deputy Imams have also been appointed to assist the Chief Imam in rendering the Jum’at sermon in rotation every Friday. These Deputy Imams were from the North, the Southwest and the Middle Belt respectively.

    As Chancellor of ABU

    At his first convocation as the 6th Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University in November 2010, His Eminence told the crowd that the current socio-economic indices in Nigeria were a clear indication that the country had begun to drift. He lamented the dwindling standard of education and the growing rate of poverty in the land despite the nation’s unprecedented wealth which he said had failed to aid national development.

    In his words: “…Corruption has emasculated our progress even as poverty and unemployment have pushed citizens to the brinks thereby fuelling social conflicts and inter-communal crises which have extracted heavy toll in both human lives and property…. ”He went further by saying: “Persistent insecurity has generated panic and anxiety; our social and physical infrastructures are far from meeting the needs of the nation; the country appears to be adrift and at the core of all these is moral decay engendered by ignorance and greed.”

    His Emphasis on Education

    To further emphasize his fervent belief in education, he also noted that the reform of the tertiary education sector in Nigeria could not be effective without putting in place the required progressive developments at the basic and senior secondary education levels. He insisted that: “our state governments, especially those of the North, must begin to realize the enormity of the challenges facing the education sector and take urgent and necessary steps to address these challenges.”

    That is a renascent Sultan for you, a man who is at the topmost echelon of the tree of comfort but feels so much concerned about the condition of the peasants who feel deliberately consigned to the weeding of shrubs at the bottom of that tree by the system in place.

    At home in Nigeria, he has never relented in his advocacy for good governance and denunciation of corruption and religious intolerance just as he has consistently campaigned for religious peaceful coexistence at the international forums.

    His Royal Agenda

    In what looked like his royal agenda in respect of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, His Eminence rolled out at that conference certain fundamental programmes to the utter delight of all Nigerian Muslims. Please read an excerpt from his speech at the above mentioned Interfaith Conference as presented below:

    “….we initiated, as we had done for the Jama’atu Nasril-Islam (JNI), a thorough review of the activities of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs [NSCIA] and an extensive reform of its structures”.

    “It is our firm belief that these reforms are not only desirable but necessary to reposition the Council to play its strategic role as the apex Islamic body in the country and to respond, effectively and meaningfully, to the challenges facing the Muslim Ummah in a multi-cultural and multi-religious society. We have had extensive consultations over the last one year and have received very useful inputs on the reform agenda from all the constituent bodies of the Council. Our strategic objectives in this exercise had been and shall remain the following:

    • The promotion of Muslim Unity and Solidarity to accord the Ummah the ability to speak with one voice and to act and work together for the advancement of Islam.
    • The development of Education and Economic Enterprise, to enable the Muslim Ummah play an active role in the socio-economic life of Nigeria.
    • Promotion of peace and religious harmony both within the Muslim Communities and between the adherents of Islam and Christianity.
    • Establishment of effective linkage with Government, at local, state and federal levels, to safeguard the interest of the Ummah and to build consensus on those vital issues that bind us together as a nation….”

    “It is therefore our hope that as we bring this reform process to its logical conclusion, we will receive the support and patronage of the entire Muslim Ummah as well as the co-operation of all stakeholders, including state governments and indeed the Government of the Federation”.

    “Finally we must all work hard to limit the influence of wealth in our society and to support those values that promote social responsibility, excellence and hard work”.

    Conclusion

    That is Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, a leader who knows the problems of his followers and associates with them in solving those problems. Without a leader like this, the Nigerian Muslim Ummah would have gone asunder.

    This column, ‘The Message’ and its teeming readers hereby join millions of other Nigerians home and abroad in saying CONGRATULATIONS to His Eminence on his tenth anniversary on the throne of the great Sokoto Empire. We pray the Allah to continue to guide him aright in his life’s odyssey.

    Long live the Sultan! Long live the NSCIA! Long live Nigeria

  • Community leader hails Ambode

    The Baale of Langbasa in Eti-Osa Local Government of Lagos State, Chief Saheed Adeniyi Sanni, has hailed Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for constructing 114 roads.

    Sanni, who spoke at his installation on Saturday, said Lagosians were reaping dividends of democracy.

    He said people expected more from the governor, such as good roads, potable water, housing and electricity among others.

    The monarch thanked God and his subjects for his successful installation, promising that   his reign would bring more development to the town.

    He vowed to support Ambode‘s administration by educating his subjects to pay taxes to boost government’s revenue.

  • Bello urges calm after Fulani leader’s murder

    •We’re investigating, says police

    Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has condemned the murder of the leader of the Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association in the state, Ibrahim Abubakar Jalindo.

    Jalindo, who was killed in his Lokoja residence on Saturday, was a two-term secretary of Miyetti-Allah.

    Bello, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary Petra Akinti Onyegbule, said the government was working with security agencies to unravel Jalindo’s death.

    He appealed for calm.

    The statement reads: “I received with sadness, news of the death of Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar Jalindo today. On behalf of the people, I express my condolences to the Miyetti-Allah Association.

    “As painful as this must be, I enjoin all to be calm as the government is working with security agencies to fish out the perpetrators as soon as possible. They will also be made to face the consequences of their actions.

    “May Allah grant Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar Al-Jannah Firdaus.”

    The police said they were investigating Jalindo’s death,  spokesman William Aya has said.

    Jalindo’s predecessor Shaibu was killed by kidnappers about four months ago. His family paid N5 million for his release.

    But his body was later found by his family.

  • Drop death charges against six human rights activists, UN urges Sudan leader

    Human rights experts at the United Nations yesterday urged the Sudanese government to drop charges with death penalty against six human rights activists.

    Maina Kiai, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, said: “The charges brought against them appear to be directly linked to their work in the defence of human rights, while exercising their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association.

    “This sentence is likely to have a chilling effect among activists and human rights defenders in Sudan.”

    The six individuals were affiliated with a Khartoum-based human rights organisation, Training and Human Development (TRACKS). They were detained for three months without facing trial. After that, the State Security Prosecution Office charged them with criminal conspiracy, undermining the constitutional system, waging war against the State, espionage, and terrorism.

    All the charges carry the death penalty.

    “The death penalty is an extreme form of punishment. lf used at all, it should only be imposed after a fair trial that respects the most stringent due process guarantees as stipulated in international human rights law,” said Agnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. “I am seriously concerned that any trial of these six people would not uphold such principles.”

    The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has noted that for the past two years, the Sudan’s Intelligence and Security Service constantly targeted activists. They raid offices, confiscating documents, equipment, and passports.

    On several occasions, they also allegedly detained and tortured activists at the intelligence services office.

  • Why we support Alade Market’s relocation, by leader

    Traders at Alade Market support its relocation because the new place is secure and has more parking space, the Iyaloja, Chief Aina Adenuga, has said.

    Speaking when she visited Ikeja Local Government Sole Administrator Mr Abiodun Taiwo last Friday. She thanked Governor Akinwnmi Ambode for his systemic, people-friendly approach towards the relocation of the market.

    She said: “We are happy that government provided a better, bigger and more conducive place for us before asking us to relocate. We are happy coming to the new Alade Market which we see as a movement to our ‘Promised land.”

    Mrs Adenuga told Taiwo that of the 299 bona fide traders in the old Alade market, 250 have collected their allocation papers for the market after paying the N150,000 allocation fee.

    On those protesting the market’s relocation, she said most of them were squatters and those who over the years erected shanties and illegal shops within the market.

    “I cannot understand why a few people who do not have legitimate papers in the market will want to frustrate the good intentions of the government at relocating us to a better and secure place where even our customers will have enough parking space,” she said.

    According to her, the traders are already putting finishing touches to their shops in preparation for the July 18 opening.

    Responding, Taiwo said his administration would listen to anyone who has a genuine case regarding the movement of the market especially if such persons are allottees of the old Alade market.

    He said: “The good thing is that we have more than enough shops to go round both the old traders whom we are obliged to give back their shops in the new location and to sell to new traders.”

    The council chief urged those interested in having a shop in the market to approach the council.

    Taiwo said: “It will be totally unfair for any group to play down government’s good intentions of relocating the old Alade market which has turned into a nuisance around the ever busy Allen Avenue and environs.”

    Explaining the reasons behind government’s determination to move the market to its new site, he said with the mega city status of Ikeja, the old market can no longer stand the test of time. He added that most of the structures in the market failed integrity test, hence the need to pull them down.

    ‘’I wonder how a market like Alade in the heart of Ikeja can function without a car park and having just two units of toilet,” he said.

    The market has 504 lock up shops, 200 units of open stalls, 20 toilets, 350kva and 150kva generators, crèche, three boreholes and a car park that can take up to 350 vehicles at a time, among others.

  • Tension in Akure as Ogboni leader dies

    There was palpable fear in Akure, the Ondo State capital, at the weekend following the death and burial of the President of the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity (ROF) in Nigeria, Chief Araba Ajemoju.

    Ajemoju, who until his deathwas the head of ROF, died on Saturday and was buried according to traditional rites at his home, Araromi Street in Akure,the state capital.

    Akure,his home town, was enveloped in fear as rumours prevailed that many people would be killed for rituals for the funeral of the late traditionalist.

    Traditionalists from the six states of the Southwest region

    converged in Akure for the burial and it was widely speculated that travellers would be used as sacrifice by the spiritualists.

    The news, which went viral on the social media, prevented many people from travelling out of Akure.

    Many businesses in the town were affected by the development as shops and other commercial places in the town were locked.

    Police spokesman Femi Joseph said the culture and tradition of the people should be respected,stressing the need for people to co-operate with the

    traditionalists.

    He added that the security of the people in Akure would be guaranteed.

  • Sheriff remains our leader, says Ogun PDP

    Sheriff remains our leader, says Ogun PDP

    Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is still the national chairman of the party. It said that it will not support the caretaker committee headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, a former governor of Kaduna State.

    The chapter said that it also stands by the rule of law on the matter, adding that the Port-Harcourt national convention of the party was invalid.

    Its factional Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Adeniji, said in a statement that two separate court orders barred the conduct of elections into three and 18 offices respectively.

    He said the National Chairman postponed the convention on the basis of the court order. Citing the Article 33 of the PDP constitution (as amended 2012), he said: “No convention of PDP can stand without the presence and convocation of same by the National Chairman.”

    “The gathering in Abuja and a caretaker committee purportedly constituted on the Port-Harcourt convention ground after the Chairman’s press briefing suspending the convention, is ‘ultra vires’, illegal, null and void and of no binding effect.

    “Ogun PDP clearly stands by the rule of law and consequently, we support the National Working Committee under the leadership of Ali Modu Sheriff.

    “The aborted Port-Harcourt national convention of our party remains suspended and invalid. Two separate court orders barred the conduct of elections into three offices and 18 offices respectively and for this reason, the National Chairman postponed the convention; making it ‘fait accompli’. Subject to article 33 of the PDP constitution (as amended 2012), no convention of our party can stand without the presence and convocation of same by the National Chairman.

    Adeniji said: “The gathering in Abuja and a caretaker committee purportedly constituted at the Port-Harcourt convention ground after the Chairman’s press briefing suspending the convention, is ‘ultra vires’, illegal, null and void and of no binding effect. Ogun PDP clearly stands by the rule of law and consequently, we support the National Working Committee, under the leadership of Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff.”

    He added” The State Executive Committee also adjudged the congresses in Ogun state that brought into office as very successful, remain valid and that the new executives is a composition of credible people with the required capacities for their various offices.

    It also lauded Senator Buruji Kashamu for his unwavering commitment to sustain the PDP in Ogun State in the last few years, despite the distraction by detractors.

  • Ahmadu Bello: Passionate leader

    Ahmadu Bello: Passionate leader

    The first and the only Premier of the defunct Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello was a victim of the January, 1966 coup. LEKE SALAUDEEN writes on the legacies of the famous politician.

    Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, was the first and only premier of the Northern  region from 1954-1966. He died on January 15, 1966, in a bloody coup spearheaded by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu. Ahmadu Belle was one of the founding-fathers of the modern Nigerian nation state, which came into being on October 1, 1960 when his party Northern People’s Congress (NPC) forged an alliance with Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe’s  National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC). As leader of the NPC, he dominated Nigerian politics throughout the early Nigerian Federation and the First Republic.

    Despite his popularity and political support, Bello chose to remain in the North, instead of accepting the post of national Prime Minister, which would have required living in the South.

    In the 1940s, he established the Jamiyya Mutanen Arewa which later transformed into NPC in 1951. In 1948, he got a government scholarship to study Local Government Administration in England which broadened his understanding and knowledge of governance.

    After returning from Britain, he was nominated to represent the Province of Sokoto in the Northern House of Assembly. In the Assembly, he was a notable voice for northern interest and embraced a style of consultation and consensus with the major representatives of the northern emirates: Kano, Bornu and Sokoto.

    As the movement for independence from the British Empire gathered momentum, Bello emerged as a strong advocate of federalism as the system of government; his view was most suitable for Nigeria. This was especially attractive to northerners, who had a history of sharing power. He may also have wanted to protect the North from what he perceived as the possibility of Southern domination. He was a member of the national constitutional drafting commission.

    In the first election held in the North in 1952, Sir Ahmadu Bello won a seat in the House of Assembly, and became a member of the regional Executive Council as Minister of Works. Bello was successively minister of Works, of Local Government, and of Community Development. In 1953 and  1957, he led the Northern delegation to the independence talks in London.

    In 1954, Bello became the first Premier of Northern Nigeria. In the 1959 independence elections, Bello led the NPC to win a plurality of the parliamentary seats. Bello’s NPC forged an alliance with Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe’s NCNC (National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons) to form Nigeria’s first indigenous federal government which led to independence from Britain. In forming the 1960 independence federal government of the Nigeria, Bello as president of the NPC, chose to remain Premier of Northern Nigeria and devolved the position of Prime Minister of the Federation to his deputy Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. He apparently did not want to live in Lagos and preferred the political climate of the North from that of the South. His refusal to head the national government also suggests that he was not interested in power for the sake of power; but in serving the people whose votes had elected him to office.

    Bello’s many political accomplishments include establishing the Northern Regional Development Corporation (NRDC) which later changed to the Northern Nigeria Development Corporation (NNDC), the Bank of the North, the Broadcasting Company of Northern Nigeria (BCNN) the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and the Nigeria Citizens Newspapers; now New Nigeria Newspapers.

    Bello’s eldest surving daughter, Hajiya A’ishat Marafa Danbaba, said of him: “I had a very close relationship with my father. He showered us with great love and we will continue to cherish those moments. My dad was a simple man despite being an aristocrat. He was temperamental but easily forgets after sometime.

    “He doesn’t bear any grudge against those who offended him and forgives those who wronged him. My father was kind and just to people and never discriminated against anybody based on his ethnic group or religion.

    “He was a man of the people. He always sat on the floor in his house, to eat food with his bare hands, from the same bowl with his drivers and relatives. He maintained an open house, and anybody who wanted to see him got audience. He listened to people’s problems and helped both the high and the lowly.

    “My father was generous and loved to give out gifts to people. He never had material accumulation instincts, did not accumulate wealth and gave out whatever came into his possession. He was scrupulous and prudent with public finance but generous with his own money.

    “His happiest moments were always when he was in the company of people. He constantly toured the length and breadth of the Northern Region, always on the move persuading, cajoling, mobilizing, urging, inspiring people to be disciplined and law abiding, to work hard for common goals, to measure up to their potentials. My father had the desire of transforming the North so that the country can attain its true potentials.”

  • Tributes to a community leader

    Tributes to a community leader

    Of late, the sleepy town of Usokun in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State has witnessed great influx of visitors from all works of life. This was because of the burial ceremony of the late Madam Skin Igoju, grandmother to one of the Pastors of Salvation Ministries in Port Harcourt the state capital, Ibiso Williams.

    Madam Igoju, mother of four daughters, 18 grandchildren and five great grandchildren, passed away during a brief illness four years ago. She was 74.

    In their separate tribute to their late mother, every member of her family praised her rare virtues such as hard work, love, care, forgiving heart and peace-loving among others and wished she was undying.

    Speaking to Niger Delta Report, one of her sons-in-law, Mr. Churchill Gudi described her as mother of inestimable value, who cared and loved her sons-in-law and grand children to a fault. He noted that her memories would remain indelible in their hearts.

    “I missed her very well. She was a mother indeed. She treated me not like her son-in-law but as her direct son.

    “My late mother-in-law was someone who spread happiness and peace wherever she was. Each time she was in my house, my children would remain happy and would not like to play far away from the house,” he said.

    “Mama’s care will be missed forever. Her discipline, pieces of valuable advice, jokes, hard work and dance steps, among other virtues. I wish she had lived longer to reap the fruit of her labour; but since it pleased God to call her home now, we pray that her soul rests in the peace of the Lord,” he prayed.

    Also speaking about her late mother, her last daughter, Mrs Gudi said: “I was my mother’s pet. She cared and loved me so much so that she would not want me to go far from her. My mother was very peace-loving, she didn’t keep malice.

    “Mama loved every of her grand children to a fault.”

    Asked about lessons she learnt from her mother that would keep her going on in life she said: “I learnt so many Godly virtues from my mother such as praying at all times, being happy and spreading same anywhere. In fact, my mother’s religious practice was a big challenge to us her children, and we tried as much as possible to emulate her in fearing and serving God.”

    One of her grand children Ibiso Williams described her grandma as a God-fearing woman who trained her children in a God-fearing way. She was one who cared for the well-being of her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, extended relatives and anyone who came her way. She was a disciplined and peaceful woman.

    “Memories of our late grandmother will forever remain in our hearts,” he said.

     

     

  • Monarchs ratify leader at peace meeting

    Monarchs ratify leader at peace meeting

    After a long period of bickering and leadership challenges, the Council of Southeast Traditional Rulers has found peace. On October 23, the region’s monarchs ratified their leader who was elected earlier.

    The body of traditional rulers had been hit with leadership crisis following the alleged inability of its former chairman and one-time chairman of Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Eze Cletus Ilomuanya to vacate the seat at the end of his tenure.

    The council has now come together to put its house in order in Umuahia by ratifying the election of the Abia State chairman of traditional rulers, HRM Eze Eberechi Dick as its chairman for the next three years.

    The body had at a meeting on October 19 elected Eze Dick as its chairman and has now ratified the election. The kings also presented their new leader to the state governor Dr Okezie Ikpeazu who is expected to inform his counterparts in the region.

    At an earlier meeting, the body resolved that the tenure of Eze Cletus Ilomuanya had expired as both the chairman of Imo state council of traditional rulers and South East council of traditional rulers. They also dissolved the executive committee headed by Eze Ilomuanya,who has been deposed in Imo State.

    The Southeast traditional rulers decided that any traditional ruler who is not recognised by his state government or who maybe recognised but not nominated as a delegate to the zonal body by his state council of traditional rulers, should not be accredited as a member of the council, which means that Eze Ilomuanya ceases to be their member.

    Eze Dick described the job of leading the entire traditional rulers of the zone as a daunting one which requires the prayers of all and sundry from the zone for him to succeed.

    The new Southeast traditional rulers chairman said that from now on wards that the people of the zone will be speaking with one voice and that the era of crisis in the council is over, while they will be attending all meetings required of traditional rulers in the country as united body.

    He explained that the executive council headed by Eze Ilomuanya had been dissolved on August 7 during their meeting in Umuahia, adding that the attempt by the former chairman to disrupt the election was foiled since he had no right to lay claim to a body he is no longer a member.

    Eze Dick said that at the end of his tenure in the next three years that the seat will move to Anambra state which is what their constitution said which Eze Ilomuanya refused to follow for nine years, adding that the seat had always been rotated among the five Southeast states.

    The new Southeast traditional rulers council chairman urged his colleagues to give him their support so that his best will come out for the benefit of all and the entire zone, stressing that together they can achieve a lot while alone nothing will be achieved.

    He said that he expects challenges during his tenure but that he has strong believe that with God on his side that he will surmount the challenges and forger ahead in the task of leading the body to greater heights.