Imo State Traditional Rulers Jittery Of Stripping Titles, Stools Over Mode Of Appointments

Some Traditional Rulers of autonomous communities in Imo state are now jittery over loosing their titles following the declaration of their mode of appointments or selection as null and void in a ruling by Imo state high court.

OPTIMUM TIMES recalls that the Imo state government under former Governor Rochas Okorocha had adopted cherry picking process via of balloting as mode of selecting or appointing traditional rulers, which the state high court had declared not in tandem with customary practice known to the people.

OPTIMUM TIMES gathered that the current administration under Governor Hope Uzodinma may relying on the recent ruling of the Imo state high court presided by Justice Benjamin C. Iheka, move against the traditional rulers whose appointments dates back to the tenure of his predecessor, Sen. Okorocha.

Consequently, uneasy calm now reigns in Imo State autonomous communities, whose traditional rulers were either handpicked by the former governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha or through casting of ballots organized by the former administration.

The court declared it as “illegal, null, void and of no effect, the action of the state governor of casting ballots as a means of identifying and recognizing traditional rulers in the state”.

Justice Benjamin C. Iheka made the declaration while delivering judgement, which lasted over three hours, in a suit, HOW/383/2014, instituted by Chief Gabriel Nwosu against Imo State Governor, Attorney General of Imo State and Samuel Ordu.

Justice Iheka said: “The first defendant (governor) has no powers to choose and recognize the the third defendant (Samuel Ordu) as Eze or traditional ruler of Obiangwu autonomous community in Ngor Okpala local government area of Imo State, when the third defendant was not identified, selected, appointed and installed as Eze or traditional ruler by the people of Obiangwu autonomous community in accordance with their constitution.

“I declare as null and void, the action of the governor, by casting ballots as a means of identifying and recognizing the third defendant, as Eze or traditional ruler of Obiangwu autonomous community, is contrary to the customs and traditions of Obiangwu autonomous community, the constitution of the community and the Traditional Rulers and Autonomous Community Law number six of 2006, as amended.”

The Court not only issued an order, setting aside the purported identification or selection and recognition of Samuel Ordu as Eze or traditional ruler of Obiangwu autonomous community by the governor, but also gave an order of perpetual injunction, restraining Samuel Ordu from howsoever conducting or parading himself as the traditional ruler of the community.

He held that the claimant’s suit was competent and within the jurisdiction of the court to determine and discountenanced the preliminary objections of the defendants.
Justice Iheka awarded N500,000 costs against Samuel Ordu.