Abia Monarch challenges suspension, describes action as “grave injustice that will not stand “

The traditional ruler of Umudiawa autonomous community in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, Eze Nnamdi Ofoegbu, has described his recent suspension as monarch as a grave injustice that will not stand.

Recall that the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, in a letter dated June 6, suspended Eze Ofoegbu for six months over what it described as “insubordination.” The letter accused him of parading a parallel South East Traditional Rulers group, the South East Progressive Traditional Rulers Forum, which allegedly caused division among the region’s monarchs and disrepute to the state’s traditional institution.

However , Eze Ofoegbu debunked this claims, as he linked his suspension to an award presented to President Bola Tinubu and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, by the Ndigbo Progressive Traditional Rulers Forum, which he leads.

Addressing a press conference at his palace, Eze Ofoegbu stated that the Council’s Chairman, HRM Eze Linus Nto Mbah, had no constitutional authority to suspend a fellow monarch without first setting up an investigative panel or giving the accused an opportunity to defend himself.

The Monarch insisted that due process was not followed in the suspension, maintaining that he neither challenged the government nor violated any rule of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers.

He further alleged that the chairman of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Linus Nto Mbah, had ordered him to withdraw the awards given to President Tinubu and Deputy Speaker Kalu, and that his refusal to comply with this directive contributed to his suspension, stressing that the awards were given in recognition of appointments and projects delivered to Igboland under the current administration.

AUDIO EZE OFOEGBU

The monarch who called on the government to adequately fund traditional rulers, particularly by releasing the constitutionally mandated 5% of local government allocations to enable them support community security and local vigilante groups, also alleged that traditional rulers in Abia State do not enjoy unimpeded access to Governor Alex Otti.