Governor Soludo dissolves Anambra state traditional rulers’ council

The Anambra State Governor Prof Charles Soludo has dissolved the Anambra Traditional Rulers Council, explaining that the present composition of the council was in violation of the law establishing it, and that the law establishing the council will need to be amended for their existence to be legal and decisions binding.

Penpushing reports that   the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Christian Aburime made this known in a statement, adding that the Governor gave the order during a meeting with traditional rulers in the state.

The statement said the Governor, at the meeting which was attended by 94 traditional rulers in the state, addressed the controversy that greeted the suspension of a traditional ruler in the state for conferring a chieftaincy title on a Nigerian senator.

Penpushing further reports that Aburime in the statement said the Governor in the same vein spoke on the reason for querying two other traditional rulers in the state for similar offence, and subsequently announced the reinstatement of the suspended traditional ruler and pardon for the two other monarchs.

‘In the course of the discussion that followed, it was observed that the body operating as the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council as constituted was unknown to the law as the State Government has observed that the body was improperly constituted in violation of the provision of Section 2 (F) of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers (Amendment) Law, 2020’, Aburime wrote.

Penpushing also reports that the Governor noted that the section provides that the council should be composed of a chairperson, two deputy chairpersons, and one member each from the 21 local government areas of the state – all to be appointed by the governor.

‘The above provision of the law therefore mandates that the Traditional Rulers Council shall be constituted with not more than 36 members. The record of the State, however, shows that the body currently acting as the Traditional Rulers Council is composed of 52 persons in utter violation of the law’, Aburime said

‘The implication of which is that the body is not the Traditional Rulers Council known to law. To that extent, that body as presently constituted cannot make any valid decisions or function legally; and could not have done so in the light of the provisions of the law’, the statement reads

Penpushing reports that he explained that Section 30 of the Traditional Rulers Law 2007 and 2020 as amended provides that each member shall be appointed to the council for a term of four years only and shall be eligible for appointment for second and final term of four years.

‘However, the state government has observed that most members of the said body as presently constituted have held their positions beyond the eight years limit in violation of the law’, Aburime wrote.

‘The cumulative effect of the above is that the present body cannot legally function as the Traditional Rulers Council as it is made up of persons who are legally disabled from being members of the council’, he stated.

‘Unfortunately, this body has been functioning as the Traditional Rulers Council of Anambra State for several years. In order to purge the state of this illegality, Mr Soludo suggested that all traditional rulers in the state shall become members of the council rather than a select few’.

Penpushing further reports that Abumire said the Governor claimed that the monarchs accepted his suggestions, adding that he(Soludo) told the traditional rulers that for the suggestions to work out, there was a need for amendment of the relevant sections of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Law.

‘Consequently, it was agreed that a committee made up of five traditional rulers, plus officers of government to urgently meet to consider the amendment of the relevant sections and any other section of the traditional rulers law deemed pertinent for a review’.

‘As quickly as the law is amended there shall be a meeting of traditional rulers for the governor to formally inaugurate the council so that it can function in strict compliance with the Law’ Aburime emphasised.

Penpushing reports that, however, the statement as at the time of its release did not indicate if the council will continue to function while the law establishing it was being amended, while the latest development came days after the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, attacked Governor Soludo for suspending the monarch.

The monarch, in a letter signed by its chairman, Alfred Achebe, said Soludo’s administration was being disrespectful, with the way it was maltreating and suspending some traditional rulers, and equally accused him (Soludo) of dehumanising and deprecating traditional institution in the state.

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