Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, National Vice President, Apex Igbo Social-Cultural Group of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, said that there is an urgent need to control the manner with which chieftancy titles in Igbo land are conferred.
Okeke-Ogene said on Thursday in Awka, that there is need to legally control the spate of awards of traditional institutions in Igbo land.
He said if controlled, the system would ensure that only deserving personalities get rewarded and decorated.
Okeke-Ogene said that such high-profile honors need to be accorded to persons with known and verifiable sources of livelihood and impeccable characters and those who has selflessly served their communities and the state at large.
“Traditional titles are not to be bought with money but earned in every sense of it so as to append true value to the title.
“When titles are conferred meritoriously to people, it preaches message of soundness to the community and promotes cultures of hard work, respect, lessons for younger people to emulate good behaviors.
“If titles are only given to wealthy people, it signals wrong impressions to growing adults that may push them into seeking for wealth by any means just to belong,” he said.
Okeke-Ogene said that restrictions on number of titles to be given and clear cut criteria need to be stated in black and white to guide traditional rulers on what qualifies a recipient.
He called for the training of traditional rulers to get them familiar with current trend of traditional leadership and their roles in nation building as well as to tap quality knowledge from rulers who have spent over 30 years on their thrones.
Okeke-Ogene said Igbo traditional institutions should be cherished and nurtured than been dragged into the mud.
This, he said, will leave a message of discipline, respect to traditional values and good morals to young adults.
He cited “Igwe Kenneth Orizu III, the 20th monarch of Nnewi community who has stayed on his throne for 60 years, saying Orizu had not conferred up to 50 titles which means he takes his time to confer a title so other rulers need to emulate such steps”.
Ogene-Okeke said the suspension of the traditional ruler of Neni Community in Anaocha Local Government Area of the state, Igwe Damian Ezeani, is not a political war as is being speculated in media space.
He said that the suspension is in line with the state law because the conferment was done in contradiction with the code of conduct of the traditional institution.
He said the code provides that no traditional ruler should confer a title on anyone outside his community without obtaining permission from the traditional ruler of the recipient’s community.
Okeke-Ogene said a letter signed by the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Mr Collins Nwabunwanne, dated January 8, invoked the state law on Igwe Ezeani.
“I will like to see state laws made effective in all sectors so that the culture of responsibility, good manner and behavior associated with Igbo people will be returned in its fullness,” he said.
