South East Traditional Rulers’ Council Calls for Peace and Nnamdi Kanu’s Release
The South East Traditional Rulers’ Council has reiterated the call for peace in the region and the release of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Speaking during their meeting in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, the monarchs said that releasing Kanu from detention by the Federal Government would help to drastically reduce insecurity and usher in peace in the region.
Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, the Chairman of Enugu State Traditional Rulers’ Council, HRM, Igwe Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, who led other monarchs from the state, including HRH Igwe Dr. Herbert Nwanosike Ukuta, JP, the Agbalakata III of Igga Ancient Kingdom to the meeting, emphasized that peace was essential to every community. He stated that they have been doing everything possible to ensure peace prevails in their domains.
“We, the traditional rulers, are advocating for peace in the South East. Peace is the bedrock for development, and we can’t make progress without peace,” Igwe Asadu remarked.
“We deal with security issues in our areas through our neighborhood watches; we encourage our youths to obey the laws of the land, and by so doing, we maintain peace amongst our people.”
Igwe Asadu, the traditional ruler of Edem-Ani Ogwugwu in Nsukka LGA, Enugu State, the immediate past Chairman of the South East Traditional Rulers Council, and a Board of Trustees (BoT) member of the Council of Traditional Rulers in Africa, Nigeria chapter, expressed their commitment to working closely with state Governors to tackle insecurity and bring lasting peace to the region.
“Traditional rulers are deeply concerned about the insecurity in the Eastern States. We are united in our resolve to work alongside our governors to ensure our region is secure,” Igwe Asadu said.
Igwe Asadu also commended Governor Otti for his remarkable contributions in Abia State since assuming office, describing him as a revolutionary.
Additionally, the Chairman of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Eze Linus Nto Mbah, renewed his appeal to President Bola Tinubu for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu.
The monarch stressed that Kanu’s release is crucial to restoring peace in the South East region and beyond.
Governor Otti, in his address at the event, expressed his joy over the vital role that traditional rulers play as custodians of culture. He emphasized the importance of preserving the values that bind the people together.
The Governor lamented the destructive infighting and materialist tendencies that often overshadow the selection of traditional rulers, urging communities to prioritize competence and tradition over financial influence or political support.
Otti cited the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, as an example of the rightful emergence of leadership, which was achieved through the integrity of leadership selection in the traditional institution.
He commended the South East traditional rulers for choosing Abia for the meeting and assured them of their security during their time in the state.
