There is tension in Governor Willie Obiano’s five communities that make up Aguleri in Anambra East local government area, as they demand the removal of two traditional rulers for being part of the trip to Abuja.
As a result, they marched round the area yesterday, protesting against the two monarchs who followed 12 others to visit President Muhammadu Buhari last week
Obiano, had last week suspended 12 monarchs for visiting Abuja without permission from his government.
The protesters numbering over 1,000 carried placards with different inscriptions and marched round Aguleri
Although President Buhari could not see the traditional rulers, the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari later gave them audience.
Those who protested consisted of elders, custodians of the customs and tradition of the people, women and youths.
They blocked the popular Otuocha roundabout and vehicles to and from Onitsha and other parts of the state were held at the traffic gridlock for some hours as the leaders of the various communities accused the two royal fathers of committing sacrilege by joining others to undermine the government headed by their brother, Chief Willie Obiano.
Their spokesman and the president general of Aguleri, Chief Chidi Onwuegbune, said their decision to embark on the peaceful protest was to let the world know that the traditional rulers went to Abuja without the consent of the people in their domains.
He said: “Our people were taken aback at the unbecoming conduct of the two Igwes. They embarked on a journey to Abuja with Prince Arthur Eze without telling our people and the state government.
“Although they have already been suspended by the state’s Traditional Rulers Council and government, we know that the whole world is watching to see what our position on the matter is.
“We want to inform the state government that we are not part and parcel of the action they took. We absolutely condemn their action which had portrayed our community in bad light, especially as the governor is our son.”
The Nation
