By Richard Elesho
The face-off between the Kogi State Government and Ohinoiyi of Ebiraland, His Royal Majesty, Dr. Ado Ibrahim may be far from over. The Government has given the royal father 48 hours to re-submit his response to a recent query given to him with the appropriate title of the stool as recognised by the Kogi State Chieftaincy Law 2006 and his letter of appointment.
The Ohinoyi title apart, there were five other reasons the Yahaya Bello issued another query. First, the Ohinoyi, in his letter, accused the government of not giving him any official letter “informing me about the visit of His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari … regarding his visit on 29th December, 2022.”
The king said the government misled him by asking him to “stay back in my palace while the president will be coming to pay me a courtesy visit upon his arrival.”
He added that Mr. President was meant to commission the Ohinoyi’s Palace at 10:10am. “This observation implied that Mr. President was to commission another Palace other than my current Palace that I have been occupying since I was crowned in 1997.”
He complained further that as Paramount Ruler of Ebiraland, “I have not been officially informed of the existence of any new Palace.”
As if to buttress the African proverb that you don’t shave a man’s head in his absence, the Ohinoyi argued that a “person unknown to me represented me and read out a welcome speech to Mr. President on my behalf, which was not sanctioned by me.”
In his reply, the Ohinoyi added that the government did not send any commiserations or enquiries about the unfortunate bomb blast that led to the “intended disruption of Mr. President’s programme, loss of lives of innocent Ebira people, massive damages on my Palace…”
With the above, not a few in government thought that the Ohinoyi’s reply was more of a query to Governor Yayaha Belllo! Hence, the monarch was issued another query.
He had, in his response letter marked: “Ref. No. ETC/CHI/35/VOL.II/33”, dated January 6, 2023, addressed himself as “Atta Ebira” instead of Ohinoyi of Ebiraland.
Declaring that the Atta Ebira title is unknown to the law of the state, the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Barr. Salami Ozigi Deedat, in a letter addressed to the monarch on Monday, noted that any correspondence with the Atta title was unacceptable for official purpose.
“Your personal decision to use the title of Atta Ebira and not Ohinoyi of Ebiraland in your official communication is at variance with sections 19a, 27(2b), 33 and schedules II and V of Kogi State Chiefs (Appointment, Deposition and Establishment of Traditional Councils in Kogi State) Law, 2006 and your letter of appointment issued to you with Ref. No. GHLK/KGS/22, dated 2nd June, 1997.
“The title of Atta Ebira is alien to law and not recognized by Government. Therefore any correspondence with that title is unacceptable for official purpose,” the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs stated.
The monarch had allegedly disrespected the offices of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State when the President visited the State on Thursday December 29, 2022 to commission landmark projects executed by the current administration in the state.
Prominent indigenes of Ebiraland had, following the controversy generated by the state government’s query, flayed their traditional ruler on the issue, saying that monarchs must respect constituted authority “and not play God”.
The Commissioner’s letter read in full: “I wish to refer to your letter Ref. No. ETC/CHI/35/VOL.II/33, dated 6th January, 2023, in respect of the above subject matter and to inform you that the said letter under reference, which ought to be your response to a letter of query was not conveyed with the appropriate title of your stool as recognized by the Kogi State Chieftaincy law 2006 and your letter of appointment.
“Your personal decision to use the title of Atta Ebira and not Ohinoyi of Ebiraland in your official communication is at variance with sections 19a, 27(2b), 33 and schedules II and V of Kogi State Chiefs (Appointment, Deposition and Establishment of Traditional Councils in Kogi State) Law, 2006 and your letter of appointment issued to you with Ref. No. GHLK/KGS/22 dated 2nd June, 1997. The title of Atta Ebira is alien to law and not recognized by Government. Therefore any correspondence with that title is unacceptable for official purpose.
“In view of the above, you are hereby requested to kindly re-submit your reply to the query with the appropriate title within 48hours to enable further necessary action to be taken.
“It is expected that Your Royal Majesty will respond accordingly, please.”
