We'll resist bill seeking to elevate Sultan, Ooni above other traditional rulers'– Igbo Community in FCT

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By Madu Obi

The Igbo Community in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, has backed Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Middle-Belt Forum in their total opposition to the Senate bill seeking the elevation of the Sultan of Sokoto and the Ooni of Ife as the permanent co-chairmen of the National Traditional Rulers Council.

President General of Igbo community in Abuja, Ikenna Ellis-Ezenekwe emphasized that the Igbo Community Association (ICA) in the Federal Capital Territory sees no merit or logic in such bill, which has passed second reading in the Senate.

Stating that ICA represents more than one million members of the igbo community in Abuja, Ezenekwe emphasized that people of Igbo extraction in Nigeria and the Diaspora feel concerned that there seems to be a deliberate ploy to foist the two traditional rulers over others in Igboland and other parts of the country, adding that it has potentials to create ethnic and social unrest.

"It smacks of insensitivity towards the ethnic diversity of Nigeria; we, the leadership of Igbos in Abuja call for the National Assembly to retrace its steps and do a rethink so as to avoid returning Nigeria to the days of institutionalized bigotry and federally-funded marginalization.

“We the Igbos, will resist it; we will join all willing and good minded ethic groups to resist this boldfaced disrespect to other ethnic groups in Nigeria.

“The Sultan of Sokoto is not a traditional ruler, he is a religious figure. The Kanuris are not under the traditional umbrella of the Ooni of Ife or the Sultan of Sokoto and neither are the Igbos; the ethnic groups that populate the North Central region and the South South geo-political regions are not under the traditional rulership of either the Ooni of Ife or Sultan of Sokoto.

“Nigeria as a country is still recovering from the mistakes of the past and the National Assembly must not take the country back to those days. This beautiful country comprises of three major tribes - the Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo; so, the national Assembly must respect and appreciate this reality.

“Our demand is for the three major tribes of Nigeria be represented as co-chairmen of the National Traditional Rulers Council. We demand for members of the National Assembly to raise up their voices against this unfolding injustice,” he said.