Top Monarch Flays Governor For Missing His Festival

The ongoing conflict between Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Soludo, and the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, has intensified after the governor skipped the 2024 Onitsha Ofala Festival. It is an event the governor had regularly attended in previous years.

Governor Soludo has been a key guest at the festival in the past, where he showed his dedication to working with Achebe to enhance the importance of the annual celebration.

In a harsh open letter to the state government, the Obi of Onitsha accused Governor Soludo of disrespecting traditional institutions in Anambra. He expressed concern that while other regions in Nigeria are working to strengthen the role of traditional leaders, Anambra is seeing a decline in the status and influence of its own traditional institutions.

At the Ofala festival, Achebe voiced his disappointment with the government’s actions, particularly criticizing the dissolution of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council (ASTRC), which he called an illegal move. “This is most unfortunate at a time when other states, as well as the Federal Government and the National Assembly, are seriously seeking ways to enhance the relevance of the traditional institution in the country,” he stated.

Achebe further discussed the government’s failure to hold meetings for the ASTRC, which has prevented the council from engaging in important discussions about state matters. He noted that since March 2024, the government has effectively excluded the council, labeling it illegal despite its previous operation under state supervision.

Additionally, he mentioned that he had to write to the Honourable Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Community Affairs in January 2024 regarding the suspension of the traditional ruler of Neni and the demands for apologies from other royal leaders.

As the tension between the governor and the Obi of Onitsha escalates, Governor Soludo has not yet publicly addressed the situation.
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