From CHIDI NNADI, Enugu
There is anxiety in 126 autonomous communities in Imo State as their elected traditional rulers (Eze-elects) have not been installed, some of them over one year after their election.
Governor Rochas Okorocha had upon assumption of office created the fourth tier system of government, where traditional rulers in the state would be the pillars of the community government with liaison officers as assistants.
Okorocha in the wake of the flag off of the community government had dissolved the traditional town union governments, which hitherto provided grassroots administration in the state, thus throwing the concerned 126 communities into near anarchy domains.
Saturday Sun investigation reveals that the 126 Eze-elects whose coronations are no longer certain had paid N510, 000 for the state government to give them staff of office over a month ago.
But despite the payment, the Chieftaincy Affairs ministry, the awaiting royal fathers recently discovered that a certain member of staff of the ministry (names withheld) had substituted some of their names with persons who were not originally elected by the communities.
Saturday Sun gathered that the ministry had forwarded the names to Okorocha who signed them for the staff of office to be issued to the traditional rulers when the anomaly was discovered.
When the governor met with the royal fathers on December 14, he confirmed that there were discrepancies in the names submitted to him by the ministry, which he needed to correct as he apologised to the would-be royal fathers.
Saturday Sun can authoritatively reveals that 19 names of traditional rulers elected by their people disappeared from the list sent to Okorocha and substituted with names of persons who were not brought out by the people.
Already in some communities like Iwuorie in Oguta area whose stools are hereditary, the government had thwarted the tradition by recognising persons outside those the people had chosen, making the people to go to court to seek redress.
When Saturday Sun visited some of the affected communities early in the week, some elected traditional rulers who do not want their names in print said that the delay in their installation had cast doubt on the sincerity of the state government on the community government of which they should be the engine room.
One of them said he had tasked his subjects to pay N510, 000 demanded by the government for the issue of staff of office, saying that his people are doubting if he actually paid the sum.
Further investigation showed that these communities without any form of local administration are drifting as nobody now organises them again to carry out communal work.
Thus when recently Okorocha gave out N200, 000 to each autonomous community to celebrate the Christmas, a few people shared the money in some of the 126 communities without kings.
Some of the community people told Saturday Sun that should Okorocha fail to recognise their elected traditional rulers urgently, they may be forced to coronate them without the government staff of office and damn the consequences.
The Sun