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OHANAEZE REJECTS SENATE BILL ON STATUS ELEVATION OF SULTAN, OONI
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The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has condemned a bill in the Nigerian Senate that seeks to elevate the Ooni of Ife and the Sultan of Sokoto as permanent Co-Chairmen of the National Council of Traditional Rulers.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Enugu, the group described the bill as unjust, warning that it sidelines apex traditional rulers from other ethnic nationalities and geopolitical zones across the country.
The National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Ezechi Chukwu, expressed deep concern over what he termed an asymmetric bill by the Senate, emphasising that it disregards the principles of fairness, equity, and federal character enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
Chukwu said the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide is astounded by the rationale behind the bill, which threatens the spirit of inclusiveness and equality in the nation’s traditional leadership structure.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the bill has already passed its second reading in the Senate, raising tensions among various ethnic and regional groups.
He said, “The Senate in this vein has failed in its capacity as the highest legislative carrier and custodian of the nation’s democratic mandate.
“This bill is not only inequitable, discriminatory and ethnocentric, it is equally distasteful, reprehensible and objectionable.
“It lacks all the ethical considerations, objective metrics and unbiased categories for national unity and social justice in a pluralist nation-state like Nigeria.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo called for the urgent withdrawal of the bill and the need to review it in consideration for ethnic differences, cultural sensitivity, geopolitical balance, inclusive governance and equitable representation.”
“It is only by so doing shall the bill foster national unity, peaceful co-existence and social stability,” Chukwu added.
