By; ADAMA JOHN, Lokoja
For the second time in two weeks, the Ohinoyi of Egbiraland, Alhaji Ado Ibrahim has been saddled with yet another query this time for not using the recognised title of his stool in his response to the earlier query.
In the first query, he was asked to explain himself why he was missing at the commissioning ceremony of projects executed by government in down town Okene by President Muhammadu Buhari in December last year.
This follows government rejection of the monarch’s answer to the query issued to him on why he failed to welcome the President to Okene when he came visiting on the invitation of the state government to showcase land mark achievements late last year.
The respond to the the earlier query duly signed by the paramount ruler was compounded by the non use of the appropriate title as opposed to the appropriate title of his stool as recognised by law and letter of appointment.
The Royal father who admitted that he was not available to welcome the President last December attributed it to the bomb blast that rocked the town close to his palace that left four people dead.
A letter sent to the Royal father and signed by the state Commissioner for local government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Barrister Salami said that government was not comfortable with the title of “Attah Egbira” as opposed to Ohinoyi of Egbiraland in his official capacity in his response to the query.
The letter stated that the decision of the Monarch to use the title of Atta Ebira and not Ohinoyi of Ebiraland in 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 letter reads part, “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 the 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 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.”
