PH Mundial – Port Harcourt Online Newspaper News Across The Region
Related Articles
A front-line traditional ruler in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, HRH Eze Owabie Tobin, has cautioned traditional rulers in the state to stop making unguided utterances and statements against their fellow rulers in the state.
He was speaking in an interview with this publication in Port Harcourt against the backdrop of a statement credited to HRH Eze G,B Odum, paramount ruler of Oginigba Community, captioned ‘Sanitization of Traditional Institution Will ensure Peace.’
Eze Tobin, who is the Eze Omini 1 of Mgbundukwu community in Diobu, Rebisi Kingdom, said the statement credited to Eze Odum was capable of causing disaffection among traditional rulers in the state, and called on people of good conscience to disregard the statement in its entirety.
He wondered how the sanitization of the institution in the state will stop crisis, giving the facts that majority of those recognized traditional rulers are having one issue or another in their various communities, adding that most of those claiming to be recognized are either not operating in their domain because some of them may not have been choosing by their people.
Eze Tobin maintained that by experience, and research which he has carried out, one of the remote causes of crisis in the community is government interference in traditional institution.
“Let me tell you, most of the problems in our communities are caused by government interference. They politicized issue. They ensure that their loyalist becomes the paramount ruler of a particular community against the interest and wishes of the community,” he said, adding that the issue in question is that most of the act(s) in the traditional institution are sometimes carryout to weaken the strength of their perceived opponents.
He however suggested that the way forward on the issue was for government to remain natural and allow the community(s) to select or crown whoever they deem fit according to tradition and custom of the people.
He commended the Rivers State governor, Barr Nyesom Wike, for maintaining neuturality when it comes to traditional issue in the state, adding that his style of development will continue to endear him to the people of the state, indigenes and non-indigenes alike.
