The senator representing Rivers East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Andrew Uchendu, has advised Governor Nyesom Wike not to treat traditional rulers in the state with contempt but with decorum, respect and honour.

Uchendu, Acting Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Procurement, gave this advice on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, while reacting to comments made by Governor Wike during the 108 and 109 General Session of Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers.

He said: "First, let me congratulate the most respectable traditional custodians of our rich heritage for successfully hosting the council's general session in Port Harcourt. It gives me great joy to know that our traditional institution is still waxing strong.

"I am, however, deeply saddened that Governor Wike, just to exert undue political influence, adopted the archaic tactics of intimidation and harassment and treated our revered royal fathers like a football, by publicly threatening to dethrone them as though they were merely his political appointees, whom he could hire and fire at will, thereby desecrating our culture.

"This is clearly an affront to our respected traditional institution and we will not take it lightly. Wike should learn to treat our traditional rulers with decorum, respect and honour, especially in the public space. They are not his aides, rather they are rulers of various traditional kingdoms, and as such, they deserve to be treated with utmost dignity and not contempt.

"He should remember his age and be humble while talking to our traditional rulers and elders of our land. His duty is to preserve and protect them at all times. He should remember that the traditional institution has been in existence long before he became governor and it will still be here after he leaves office.

"Wike should go and study the history of the people of the Niger Delta, especially the ancient and great Benin Empire, and he will see how the traditional institution cut down the excesses of the colonial masters during the dark days."

The federal lawmaker urged traditional rulers to be vigilant and reject intimidation from any politician, stressing that they should guard the sanctity of their traditional stools against political manipulations.

""It is good enough that Governor Wike said our traditional rulers should remain apolitical, but to go ahead and dictate whom they should see or not, in an attempt to restrict communication between them and their subjects or any other individual, is to treat our royal fathers, our culture with the highest level of disrespect. In view of this, Wike should immediately tender an unreserved apology to our traditional rulers and the people of Rivers State.

"The governor cannot choose for our traditional rulers whom they should interact with, because they are expected at all times to render advice across the board, whether in party A or party B, no matter whose ox is gored.

"Our traditional rulers must carry out their traditional functions without fear or favour by consciously and consistently rejecting any form of intimidation from any politician, no matter how highly placed, and in so doing protect the sacredness of the traditional stools which they occupy. And as the saying goes, may our Royal Majesties, live forever!" Uchendu declared.

Solomon Okocha
Media Aide to Senator Andrew Uchendu
Rivers East Senatorial District

November 6, 2018

Lol, See who's talking.
just because people have short memories don't mean you have to ridicule them.

Amaechi locked up the traditional council halll for months, preventing these cheifs from accessing the building and uchendu didn't say a word.

It was Wike who came in and rebuilt that structure and has kept the state in one piece.

So I think he has the right to tell them to be apolitical.

The so called traditional rulers in Nigeria are by and large a bunch of greedy, self-serving, anywhere-belle-face spivs! And you can take that to the bank!