Subjecting Our Revered Traditional Rulers Through A Humiliating Biometric Verification Is An Unpardonable Insult And A Reduction Of Our Values And Traditions | #NwokeukwuMascot

 Opinion 

 Abia Traditional Rulers 

By Uche Aguoru, Umuahia.

The Otti administration recently announced that Abia traditional rulers will undergo a compulsory biometric verification before receiving their monthly stipend and to know the exact number of traditional rulers we have in Abia.

This to me is an insult taken too far, it is very unfortunate that Governor Otti will choose to reduce our revered traditional institution to such a humiliating and ridiculous low by inadvertently tagging them "Ghost Ezes".

Leadership is a responsibilty and the words, actions and policies of a Leader should inspire those working with them as colleagues or followers positively or negatively.

In Abia today, all the Commissioners are on the same thought path that all the workers, politicians even technocrats that have worked with previous governments are all thieves and fraudulent, I wont also be surprised if Dr Otti wakes up one morning to announce the verification of his Commissioners since it has become the only activity the government embarks on.

Yesterday as a policy thrust of the Otti administration, the commisioner for local governmrnt and chieftaincy affairs directed that all the traditional rulers in Abia will be subjected to biometric verification.

While we agree that most of these appointees are imported as many of them are not even conversant with their communities and not known in their various wards, it also goes a long way to buttress the point that Dr Otti only visits Abia during electioneering and does not know many of the traditional rulers and that accounts for why he is calling for verification to enable him identify and sack those that he was told did not support him during the elections.

This exercise is to further intimidate and humiliate our revered Ezes, whom he has refused to pay since he came into power, it is not surprising to many because his administration has not shown any empathy and compassion on Abians.

Our traditional institution should be respected and we cant sit by and watch the custodians of our tradition and culture subjected to such humiliation and maltreatment.

Every Abian of good conscience should question the reason for the verification.  is it that we cannot ascertain through the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs the number of autonomous communities or number of staff of office issued by the ministry?

Is the  reason for this verification basically because of the audio increase in their stipend as announced by the ministry?

What value will this exercise add to the system, What is the mode of the verification excersize or are we going to subject our Royal fathers to line up like school children as currently being done to the the civil servants.

This present govt is bereft of any thing respect to any system they met, the last time the Governor met with Ndi Eze at the banquet hall Government house, it took the intervention of old staff of govt house to remind the officals of the present administration that they must provide the traditional cola nut and drinks on the table for Ndi Eze before the meeting can commence, This is a testament to how inept and empty the drivers of this administration are.

Governor Otti should be circumspect in the way he handles sensitive matters such as this, everything should not be reduced to politics and political vendetta.

Let us remember the way we treat our Royal Fathers is the way outsiders will view and respect them.