Ebonyi State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Uchenna Igwe, has issued a veiled threat to Clement Nweke Nwoga, the Eze of Amana Community.
Igwe allegedly warned the traditional ruler to either support grassroots political mobilization for Governor Francis Nwifuru’s All Progressives Congress (APC) or risk being stripped of his chieftaincy title.
“We are one and we are APC… Go and make sure that in your community, APC is what you are campaigning for. Are you getting me? That is why the governor will give you [the] staff of office. But if you fail to do the right things, he will collect it from you through this office,” Igwe told the traditional ruler.
In March, Nwoga was elected as the traditional ruler of the autonomous community, securing 560 votes compared to fellow contender Zachaeus Nwennewor’s three. The community had been without a ruler since 2014 until Nwoga’s emergence.
While the exact date of the meeting captured in the video clip could not be confirmed at press time, it appeared to be a recent formal engagement between the newly elected ruler and the commissioner in his office.
The commissioner—whose ministry oversees traditional institutions in the state—advised the monarch to collaborate with local political appointees to promote peace in the community.
“Take the governor, his administration and policies seriously, take the local government chairman seriously, take your coordinator seriously, take these red cap chiefs seriously. Take everybody, both woman and man, both daughter and son, everybody in Amana Community, take them seriously,” Igwe said in the three-minute-long clip.
“Everybody has one or two things he contributes to the community; both the good ones and the bad ones are your subjects. You have the good ones and the bad ones are also doing something for you, but you may not know. Try to carry everybody along.
“The people who contested against you, put them in your cabinet. There are some things you may not […] from them that others whom you think are supporting you may not have. And that is the essence of reconciliation. You reconcile by bringing both parties together because I believe that somebody contested against you.”
The commissioner emphasized that the top priority seemed to be how the traditional ruler would leverage his position to advance the success of the APC within his domain.
He added that the ruler’s dedication to the party’s success was the reason the governor intended to formally install him with a staff of office.
“We are one and we are APC. More importantly, go and make sure that in your community, APC is what you are campaigning for. Are you getting me? That is why the governor will give you [the] staff of office. But if you fail to do the right thing, he will collect it from you through this office,” Igwe said.
“It is left for you to support the administration of Euphemia Nwali [Ezza South Local Government Area] as long as he still remains the council chairman.
“It is left for you to support him, support the coordinator. You are already supporting the state governor. The government is one, including yourself who is being handed over to the ministry today.
“On this note, I want to assure you that in no distant time, His Excellency will present officially the staff of office to you.”
Meanwhile, the commissioner was suspended by his superior in December for misconduct. According to the governor, he failed to act on complaints about the payment of gratuities to local government employees.
(FIJ)
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