Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, is chairman, South-east Council of Traditional Rulers and chancellor, Federal University, Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State. He weighs-in in the pro-Biafra protests sweeping across the cities of southern Nigeria, and on his position as head of traditional rulers in the South-east. He spoke to MIKE UBANI.
As chancellor, Federal University, Birnin-Kebbi, what is your vision for that institution?
First of all, let me thank God for the honour He has given me, and the federal government for finding me worthy to serve as chancellor of this university. We all agree that the standard of education in the country has fallen, and I believe this is an opportunity to contribute to the raising of that fallen standard of education. I can assure you that this university will have a new face by the time my tenure ends as a chancellor, so much so that graduates of that university will be proud to say that they attended Federal University, Birnin Kebbi.
What is the position of the Southeast Council of Traditional Rulers on the pro-Biafra protest?
First of all, let me say that this country will never break up. We are so much inter-woven. Some of our children are married outside Igboland, and we have people from other ethnic groups married to our daughters. So we are one country, and we must remain one. And that is why we have been calling on our children to stop the demonstrations. However, there is need for the government to dialogue with those who are doing this demonstration. We need to sit down around the table to discuss how we can live together in one country. We are not in support of this agitation.
There are rumours that the South-east Council of Traditional Rulers has elected a new chairman. What is the correct situation in that council?
I am still the chairman of South-east Council of Traditional Rulers. We have not had any change in the leadership of the council. My tenure as chairman will expire in November 2016. During a meeting of traditional rulers held in Enugu in 2007, we agreed to have a forum that will bring all traditional rulers in the zone together. First of all, we agreed to have a steering committee, and my colleagues agreed that I should be the chairman of that committee.
Why do you think your colleagues made you chairman of the steering committee?
When I came in as a chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, I changed the face of traditional institution in Imo State, by ensuring that our traditional rulers were given vehicles, and their salaries increased. Indeed, I ensured that the traditional institution earned respect.
What was the assignment given to the steering committee which you headed?
We wrote a constitution to regulate the activities of the South-east Council of Traditional Rulers, and that constitution was adopted in 2010. I was thereafter, elected chairman of South-east Council of Traditional Rulers. In fact, that same day, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnanyelugo Alfred Achebe, came to participate in the election held in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. He contested against me, but failed.
Is it correct to say that the constitution provides for a three-year tenure?
That is true.
Why didn’t you vacate office after serving for three years?
In 2013, we had a meeting In Enugu, and the Council of Traditional Rulers unanimously agreed that the tenure of the executive be extended for another three years. That decision was documented. In other words, the tenure of the executive was renewed for another three years. This means that our tenure will end in 2016.
What have you achieved so far?
The traditional institution in the South-east under my leadership has grown from strength to strength. We have been able to go to the North to hold meetings with our counterparts there. After that meeting, the northern traditional rulers led by His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, came to the South-east to hold a meeting with traditional rulers in the South-east. During those meetings, the traditional rulers from the North and their counterparts from the South-east agreed to work together as brothers to move the country forward.
Did you leave out traditional rulers from the South-west in those meetings?
No. I led our people to the South-east to have a meeting with South-west traditional rulers. Later, the South-west traditional rulers also came to the South-east to hold a meeting with the South-east traditional rulers. Again, we discussed how to maintain peace and unity of the country. The relative peace that is reigning in the country today is as a result of those meetings.
How did the issue of electing another chairman, South-east Council of Traditional Rulers arise?
The whole thing started when we attended a meeting in Umuahia, and somebody said we should have an election. I didn’t know that there was a gang-up against me. I said the constitution spells out the tenure of the council; how elections should be handled, the time when elections should be held. I said, we cannot have an election because our tenure has not ended. I suggested we should set up an electoral committee that will look at the constitution, and tell us whether there should be an election or not. Then I adjourned the meeting to hold in Enugu on 11th of September.
But there was a meeting of traditional rulers in Umuahia where another chairman was elected. What actually happened?
There was no such meeting, and there was no election. Who elected who? We have never had a change of leadership. I am still the chairman of South-east Council of Traditional Rulers, and I remain the chairman because I got it through due process. When I heard that some traditional rulers planned to hold a meeting in Enugu to elect a new leadership, I went to Enugu High Court for the court to decide who should convene a meeting, and the court presided over by the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Innocent Umezuluike, gave an order that nobody should convene any meeting except the chairman of the Traditional Rulers Council according to our constitution. They now ran to Umuahia to hold the meeting. First of all, they paid a courtesy call on Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State. And they were only three of them – the chairman of Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, and his counterparts from Abia, and Imo. But unknown to them, I had written to Governor Ikpeazu, intimating him on the development in the council, and so when about three of these traditional rulers arrived, Governor Ikpeazu, asked them to ensure unity in the traditional institution. If they elected a new chairman, why didn’t they present him to the governor? What I know is that there is a conspiracy going on behind me.
Do you think this conspiracy is coming from the governor of your state?
Of course, you have said it. You are 100 per cent right.
So, you have not resolved your differences with Governor Rochas Okorocha?
I don’t know what I did to him. We have gone to the Supreme Court, and the court gave judgment in my favour. And I have said: Your Excellency, what do you want. You are a governor and I am a traditional ruler, and the two positions are not the same. I am from the same zone with the governor. I don’t know what his problem is. He accused me of sponsoring a meeting of traditional rulers in Enugu where we decided to strip him of all his traditional titles.
What actually happened?
You remember that Governor Okorocha invited the so-called Ezeigbo in Diaspora to Government House, Owerri, and gave them certificate of recognition. The traditional rulers had a meeting in Enugu where we passed a resolution that since Governor Okorocha has recognized the so-called Ezeigbo in Diaspora, he should be stripped of all his traditional titles. Thereafter the governor called me on phone and said that since I have stripped him of his traditional titles, he will strip me of all my titles too. The next day, I heard that he has dethroned me as chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers. How can he dethrone me when the Court of Appeal in its judgment ruled that he should not tamper with my office and throne until the expiration of my tenure?
What is the position of the South-east Council of Traditional Rulers on the ban recently placed on Eze Igbo in Akure by the Deji of Akure?
The South-east Traditional Rulers Council had in its meeting in 2008 banned the so-called Eze Igbo in Diaspora. There cannot be two kings in a kingdom. Why should you come to another person’s kingdom and answer “His Royal Majesty?” We appreciate the need for Ndigbo to have a place where they will gather to discuss affairs affecting them in their places of residence. And we said, they can have what we call ‘Onye Ndu Ndigbo’ (Leader of Igbos) in their respective places of abode, so we can have somebody to relate with. Ohanaeze agreed with us, the South-east governors agreed with us, the leaders of the South-east agreed with us. But some of these people said no, they will answer “His Royal Majesty,” in another man’s land. We have written a letter to the Deji of Akure, informing him that he has our support.

Whenever these fools talk, are always outside Biafra, now this mad man is in kebbi state talking down Biafra, now watch, when IBB said he will vote for whatever, he made that statement in Minna Niger state, Obj in Ota in Yoriba land, the fairs dullard even threatened fire and brim stones in his home town, but look at these so called Igbo leaders,they are always in Lagos, Abuja, and in this case kebbi, far away from the people they claim to represent, how can they really talk for us? Without knowing what we want

**grins** Who cares Kanu's Dad is also a Traditional ruler. You obviously don't speak for him. **grins**

Always doing Eze ndi Igbo in faraway land.