The Kogi State Government Monday has directed the Onihoyi of Ebiraland, Dr Ado Ibrahim to resubmit his response to a query issued against him ordering the monarch to use his government-recognized title.
In a reaction to the supposed response the monarch wrote, the state government gave him 48 hours to re-submit his response using the appropriate title of the stool as recognized by the Kogi State Chieftaincy Law 2006 and his letter of appointment.
The monarch Dr Ibrahim who is from the famous Attah Family of Okene had assumed the title of Attah of Ebiraland drawing legal contests from stakeholders in the area who took him to court which asked him to revert to the title of Ohinoyi.
Recall that the state government’s initial query in light of the monarch’s alleged insubordination to President Muhammadu Buhari when he visited the state.
The monarch was said to have, rather than welcome and join the president in commissioning the new palace, stayed back at the personal palace he built.
He had, in his response letter marked: “Ref. No. ETC/CHI/35/VOL.II/33”, dated January 6, 2023, addressed himself as “Atta Ebira” instead of Ohinoyi of Ebiraland.
Declaring that the Atta Ebira title used in the reply to the query is unknown to the law of the state, the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Barr Salami Ozigi Deedat, in a letter addressed to the Ohinoyi monarch on Monday, noted that any correspondence with the Atta title was unacceptable for official purpose.
“Your personal decision to use the title of Atta Ebira and not Ohinoyi of Ebiraland in your official communication is at variance with sections 19a, 27(2b), 33 and schedules II and V of Kogi State Chiefs (Appointment, Deposition and Establishment of Traditional Councils in Kogi State) Law, 2006 and your letter of appointment issued to you with Ref. No. GHLK/KGS/22, dated 2nd June, 1997.
“The title of Atta Ebira is alien to law and not recognized by Government. Therefore any correspondence with that title is unacceptable for official purpose,” the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs stated.
Prominent indigenes of Ebiraland had, following the controversy generated by the state government’s query, flayed their traditional ruler on the issue, saying that monarchs must respect constituted authority “and not play God”.
The Commissioner’s letter read in full: “I wish to refer to your letter Ref. No. ETC/CHI/35/VOL.II/33, dated 6th January 2023, in respect of the above subject matter and to inform you that the said letter under reference, which ought to be your response to a letter of query was not conveyed with the appropriate title of your stool as recognized by the Kogi State Chieftaincy law 2006 and your letter of appointment.
“Your personal decision to use the title of Atta Ebira and not Ohinoyi of Ebiraland in your official communication is at variance with sections 19a, 27(2b), 33 and schedules II and V of Kogi State Chiefs (Appointment, Deposition and Establishment of Traditional Councils in Kogi State) Law, 2006 and your letter of appointment issued to you with Ref. No. GHLK/KGS/22 dated 2nd June, 1997. The title of Atta Ebira is alien to law and not recognized by Government. Therefore any correspondence with that title is unacceptable for official purposes.
In view of the above, you are hereby requested to kindly re-submit your reply to the query with the appropriate title within 48 hours to enable further necessary action to be taken.
“It is expected that Your Royal Majesty will respond accordingly, please.”
