It will appear that some people are bent on disgracing the Igala race. A race with established civilisation of culture, politics, tradition, and history.

Reliable and credible information coming from the Igala Area Traditional Council indicate efforts by some eternally self-centred chiefs to discredit the good image and reputation of the acting chairman of the Council of Chiefs.

Recall that following the complaints and criticisms that greeted the first selection process undertaken by the well-discredited Etemahi, the Area Traditional Council constituted a panel of six to evaluate Etemahi’s report.

That was a very good and credible step to restoring justice and fairness to the process. The Chairman, HRH Chief Boniface Musa, and Secretary Daikwo were hailed and commended as honest and credible Igala chiefs.

The panel met, took evidences, asked vital questions, recorded written and oral submissions from the candidates and interacted with them.

It is a fact that there is a report of the proceedings, which carefully followed the critical provisions of the appointment process.

Insider details indicate that two chiefs unequivocally stated that they won’t be bribed.

For those two, we are proud of you. But three others and their scribe, decided to put the selection process to a vote.

Selection of an Attah subjected to money-induced votes, not law and tradition.

1.Is there a valid nomination from the lineage whose turn it is to rule?

Simply put, which candidate was nominated by the Ajuameachor ruling house in line with the law, culture and tradition? This question was answered at the panel.

Only one candidate was chosen at a public meeting of the ruling house, where all the contesting candidates were screened and interviewed according to tradition.

2. The chosen candidate, according to the law and tradition, is the eldest among the candidates.
3. He is not incapacitated obviously as he drove himself to the panel sitting and consciously reads and writes in full public glare.

Subterfuge

It will appear from the above that this is a simple process easily concluded and, so, it was until as widely reported, a certain “Gowon” whose credibility has always been in the mud allegedly surfaced on the scene with bag-loads of money allegedly delivered by an ambitious young man called “Muri” whose hope to be Governor of Kogi is predicated on acquiring and installing an Attah Igala as stooge. God forbid!

This new development will obviously stall the process of enthroning a new Attah of Igala Kingdom, predicated on an unknown person’s ambition and to rubbish the rigorous process and the expectations of a well-thought-out arrangement by the state government, in line with the gazzeted procedure.

For the process of selection of the new revered Attah of Igala locked on the ambition of an opportunist, both at the corridor of power and leadership, will be a glaring undoing to the Igala kingdom.

But, since the governor had insisted on due process with advise both from his predecessors and the traditional council/panel, in line with due process, it is going to be exercise in futility as he will not compromise the existing peace, stability, security of lives and property at the altar of an individual novice political adventure.

The joy is the governor is not unaware of the process, procedures, including the law and tradition guiding each areas as he successfully did it in one of the major languages in the state, stabilised an existing crisis that was subjected to litigation in his area, among many others.

So anybody thinking otherwise to misinform and hijack the process to the new political sheriff in town will not pass the test of the desire of the state government to install the right person as the Attah of Igala kingdom.

Going to court

As it stands, the Igala people and, indeed, the Kogi State Government must stand up for justice and fairness. If any iota of the well-laid provisions is manipulated, then the courts will decide.

We have a strong conviction that the state government is not by any strings swayed from the due process embarked upon as directed when the process started.

As a leader who believes strongly in fairness, equity, justice and fair play, he is not expected to succumb to detractors and ill-advisers that are bent on using every opportunity to bring down his administration, using Attah Igala scenario as a credible example when succeeded.

This is a combination and grand plan within and outside the corridor of power, whose wizardry to dispense their newly-found fortune to alter the age-long Igala kingdom tradition cocooned to their inordinate ambition.

May we save ourselves from shame!

•Achema Achegbulu writes from Umomi, Ofu Local Government, Kogi State.