Anambra monarch denies meeting Buhari was to unseat ex-Gov.Obiano

Anambra monarch denies meeting Buhari was to unseat ex-Gov.Obiano    

By Chinwe Nwacha, Onitsha

                        

Facts emerged Monday that the  meeting with President Mohammadu Buhari by the  traditional ruler of Nawfia, Njikoka Local Council Area of Anambra State, Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo and 28 other monarchs was not to unseat former Governor Willie Obiano but to demand for certain statutory share from allocation due to the traditional institution.

Igwe  Chijioke denied insinuation that the billionaire business mogul, Prince Arthur Eze, took the 28 suspended monarchs to the Presidency for the purpose of unseating the former Governor, Willie Obiano.

 Fielding questions from newsmen at his palace, Monday, Igwe Nwankwo, lamented that the misinformation was responsible for the August 2020 action of the former Governor in suspending the monarchs some of whose certificates of recognition were withdrawn.                  

He said, contrary to the insinuation, the monarchs actually undertook  the Abuja trip to demand for the release of certain statutory share  from allocation due to the traditional institution.                                                

 The monarch  also admitted to have used the letter-headed paper "Concerned Anambra Traditional Rulers" rather than the State Traditional institution to  author the letter for the intervention of the Presidency on the matter, dismissing the allegation that the trip had some political undertones.        

Igwe Nwankwo said he did not apologize to the state government over the trip, believing that he was not under any indictment to tell anybody about his movement  before any trip.      

 He asserted that getting a permission before traveling was contrary to his freedom of movement as provided in Section 41 and exercise of Fundamental Human Rights in Section 36(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) respectively.           

 He recalled that the former Governor had in the March 11th 2021, few days to his exit from office issued  Certificate of recognition to another person, despite the restraining order of  the court he secured stopping government from doing so.                   

 He stressed that the situation is such that, for some years now, three persons are laying claim to the traditional stool of Nawfia community because of the seeming ill-informed decisions of State authorities on the issue.

                     

 Igwe Nwankwo  disclosed that he went to court to challenge his suspension and withdrawal of certificate of recognition and got an interlocutory injunction restraining the government from issuing the certificate to another person on March 1st, 2021.             

He said he did advise Governor  Soludo not to toe the path of his predecessor, but to assess the situation in the community objectively and taking unbiased decision no matter whose ox is gored.                     

He further said he had written Governor Soludo on two occasions urging him to look into the activities of  both the State Ministries of Justice and the Local Government, Town Unions and Chieftaincy Matters resoectivelybon the matter to ascertain their positions, as according to him, they may have misinformed the Governor that the court gave an interlocutory injunction rather that declaratory order.                 

 Igwe Nwankwo urged the Governor to do the needful regarding the favoyrable order, ruling or judgment of the court he got observing that non-compliance has resulted in the stalling of payment of salary and stipends to him as the authentic monarch.