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Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State
By Gabriel B. Agbonika
Two months after an appeal from the Ame-Acho Ruling Family to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State urging him to intervene and inaugurate a new Attah Igala, there is a complete air of silence from the State Government over the controversial matter. This has caused serious worriedness amongst the Igala people of Kogi State in particular as well as those who believe generally that there is an external influence to distort and weaken the power/influence of the exalted throne of Attah Igala
It will be recalled that in April, 2021, a private legal practitioner, S.A. Akpala, petitioned the State Government urging Governor Yahaya Bello to intervene and inaugurate the rightful candidate in accordance with the provisions of section 6 of Chiefs (Appointments, Deposition & Establishment of Traditional Councils Law) of 2006.
His petition was as a result of the records of nomination process in his possession. He believes strongly that Mr Samuel Opaluwa has been dully nominated, having been screened, interviewed and his name forwarded to the Igala Traditional Area Council for onward transmission to Kogi State Council of Chiefs and thereafter to the State Governor for inauguration.
In the petition, Lawyer A.S Akpala, emphasized that the ruling house (Ajuameachor) as listed in the law has, in a meeting of 19/11/2020, chosen Sam Opaluwa to the applause of all family members including some contestants.
He explained that Mr. Samuel’s name was sent by the Ruling Family to Igala Mela Kingmakers along with his application dated 11/12/2020.
Surprisingly, Igala mela Kingmakers, headed by the Etimaye of Igala land, Chief Abel Etu, bungled the entire exercise as they went completely outside the Igala Native Law & Custom and the Kogi State Legal Notice (No.2) of 2015. to recommend Mr Ocholi Opaluwa, someone who was never interviewed, screened or nominated for appointment to the throne.
In his letter of 8/2/2021, Barrister S.A. Akpala, pointed out that “this gross anomaly was caused by the Igalamela Kingmakers, whose responsibility is only to forward the name of a selected candidate to the Igala Area Traditional Council for submission of same to the state Council of Chiefs and thereafter transmit to the Kogi State Governor for inauguration ceremony.”
The decision of Igalamela Kingmakers to replace Prince Samuel Opaluwa’s name with Ocholi Opaluwa, “someone else who was not nominated and forwarded by Ajuameachor Ruling Family, clearly usurped the sacred right of the Ajuameachor Family,” he explained.
In the words of Barrister Akpala, “the illegal decision of Igalamela Kingmakers by their deviation from the rule has brought about seeds of discord and politicised the process of selecting a new Attah Igala.”
He further pointed out that the Igala Area Traditional Council, apparently trying to correct the mistake created by the Igalamela Kingmakers, set up a six man Review Committee, headed by Onu Ife, Chief Boniface Musa.
Unfortunately, the Committee committed more damaging blunder by recommending Mr Mathew Alaji Opaluwa who is a far more junior brother to Samuel Opaluwa and who had earlier conceded defeat during the Aju-Ameachor Ruling Family screening meeting of 19/11/2020.
Meanwhile, Mr Jacob Etu, one of the elders of the. Ruling House, in a recent interview said that the Igalamela kingmakers and the Igala ATC did not revert back to Ajuameachor in arriving at their own polarising choices thereby created unnecessary confusion for the selection process of a new Attah Igala almost one year after the demise of Michael Idakwo Ameh-Oboni.
He maintains that the Igalamela Kingmakers and Igala people must know the truth: Ajuameachor Ruling House has its choice in Sam Opaluwa as the candidate for the throne of Attah Igala, stressing that other groups are merely interfering and manipulating selection process for selfish end.
Mr Jacob Etu, a retired Deputy Commissioner of Police who presided over the Ruling House nomination exercise of 19/11/2020, said that as members of the current Rulling House, ” we have successfully and peacefully carried out the required screening, interview and nomination of a candidate for the throne of Attah Igala with a high sense of diligence and transparency. A candidate, in the person of Samuel Opaluwa has already emerged from that peaceful exercise of 19/11/2920. It is therefore, in my opinion, futile for anyone with an inflated self-ego or inordinate ambition to think of circumventing the outcome of that exercise, either through political manipulation or financial inducement, without incurring the anger and punishment of our ancestors. This issue should not be considered as a mere Ruling house affairs but in the general interest of Igala race.”
He concluded, “we stand by our choice of Samuel Opaluwa and we are united on this. May God shame divisive elements either from within or outside the State.”
