Group rejects ‘bill’ seeking to elevate Sultan, Ooni as traditional rulers’ sole co-chairs
The Igbo Community Association in the Federal Capital Territory (ICA FCT) has rejected a purported senate bill seeking to elevate the Sultan of Sokoto and the Ooni of Ife as the sole co-chairmen of the National Traditional Rulers Council. The group described the move as a recipe for ethnic and social unrest, warning that it […]
FILE PHOTO:
From left: Sultan of Sokoto Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, Emir of Kano Aminu Ado Bayero, Emir of Kazaure Dr Najib Hussaini-Adamu, Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II and Obi of Onitsha Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe
The Igbo Community Association in the Federal Capital Territory (ICA FCT) has rejected a purported senate bill seeking to elevate the Sultan of Sokoto and the Ooni of Ife as the sole co-chairmen of the National Traditional Rulers Council.
The group described the move as a recipe for ethnic and social unrest, warning that it undermines Nigeria’s diversity.
In a statement signed by the Secretary General, Mazi Emmanuel Onah, and issued by the President General, Engr. Ikenna Ellis-Ezenekwe, the ICA FCT called on the National Assembly to retrace its steps.
The group argued that the bill, which recently passed its second reading in the Senate, is insensitive to Nigeria’s multi-ethnic composition and risks institutionalizing marginalization.
“We, the leadership of Igbos in Abuja, call for the National Assembly to retrace its steps and avoid being put to public spectacle,” the statement read.
The ICA FCT emphasized that the Sultan of Sokoto is primarily a religious figure, not a traditional ruler, and rejected the notion that the Ooni of Ife or the Sultan of Sokoto represent all ethnic groups in Nigeria.
“The Kanuris are not under the traditional umbrella of the Ooni of Ife or the Sultan of Sokoto. Neither are all the Igbos. The ethnic groups that populate the North Central and South-South regions are not under their traditional rulership,” the statement added.
The group further warned that Nigeria, still recovering from past mistakes, must not be taken back to an era of federally funded marginalization.
“This beautiful country comprises three major tribes: the Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo. The National Assembly must respect and appreciate this reality,” the statement asserted.
The ICA FCT demanded that the three major ethnic groups be equally represented as chairmen of the National Traditional Rulers Council and urged members of the National Assembly to speak out against what they termed an “unfolding injustice.”
“We, the Igbo, will resist it. We will join all willing and good-minded ethnic groups to resist this bold-faced disrespect to other ethnic groups in Nigeria,” the statement declared.