Governor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State has revoked the chieftaincy titles conferred on the Senator representing Ebonyi Central Senatorial zone, Chief Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu and former Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Valentine Okike.
The duo were said to have been conferred with chieftaincy titles by the traditional ruler of Ishinkwo autonomous community, Eze Josephat Ikegwu, outside his jurisdiction.
The governor, who announced the revocation after a three-hour closed-door meeting with stakeholders in Onicha Local Government Area of the state in Government House at the weekend, said the revocation also affected other persons conferred with titles by other traditional rulers outside their areas of jurisdiction.
Elechi said the installations would not be recognised on the ground that the monarch went beyond the bounds of his domain to officiate in a different community outside his area.
The governor also declared that there was no traditional ruler for Ukawu autonomous community and warned that nobody should parade himself as the traditional ruler of the community until a new one was be installed.
The throne became vacant following the death of the traditional ruler of Ukawu.
“The traditional ruler went beyond the bounds of his domain to officiate in a different community. Reason for that, we don’t want to go into. Whether it was done by consensus or cabinet members of the late Eze or for some other reasons that is not important but the good thing should be done.
“We think that he should restrict himself to his own domain. So, we do not recognise those acts of coronation of Senator Paulinus Igwe-Nwagu and former Deputy Speaker, Mr. Valentine Okike. We believe all concerned will accept these decisions in good faith as indeed there is no victor, there is no vanquished,” he stated.
On the leadership of development union of the area, Elechi dissolved the caretaker committee set up by the council chairman of Onicha and promised to conduct election within one month for the substantive union leadership that would be supervised by his office.
According to him, no local government chairman or development centre coordinator had any right to dissolve or constitute development unions in the state.
