Traditional title holders in Anioma land have been urged to work out a code of conduct that will spell out certain standards expected of them.
The Asagba of Asaba His Royal Majesty Prof Epiphany Azinge SAN OON, made the call when a delegation of the Coalition of Anioma Traditional Title Holders paid him a courtesy visit.
He said every traditional title holder, especially in Asaba, was expected to conduct himself with decorum, carriage, comportment and high esteem that would earn him the respect of the people, stressing that the conduct of a traditional Chief, and not his regalia, should always speak for him, anytime and anywhere.
The Asagba charged members of the Coalition to also be supportive of their thrones, disclosing that in a bid to ensure that titles were not given to questionable individuals, the State Traditional Rulers’ Council had resolved that no king should confer a title on anyone outside his kingdom without clearing from the person’s traditional ruler.
The First Class King reminded the Anioma traditional title holders that they had a role to play in sanitizing the system and urged them to always seek ways to contribute to peace, security and development of their respective communities and the Anioma nation in general.
“So, we all have work to do. But one thing that is fundamental is the commitment to the cause, the emancipation of our people. That is the commitment; and we must have a far-sighted vision. By 2031 it will still not be our turn, but by 2039, it should be around us. Some of us may not be around, but it doesn’t matter. Only a people without foresight at this point in time will not be grooming a candidate for 2039.
“That’s why it seems like others are ahead of us because we don’t plan. I want you to leave this place fortified in the knowledge that there’s work to be done for our people. For us, starting from this stool, I will say it the way it is anytime. My oath is to protect and preserve the interest of my people, and that I will do at any expense. So, let’s be mindful of the fact that the more we lead our respective people the more Anioma will be expanding and progressing, both in infrastructure, human capacity and human capital development.
“We have to pull our people along; we have to attend to the welfare of our people; we have to add value to the lives of our people. If we cannot do that, then we have failed. So, I have changed the narrative of my leadership style. I don’t sit on this stool waiting for people to come and see me. I go out there. Recently I was at the Asaba Specialist Hospital. People will think that a king will not embark on such a visit; I went there. I want to see the hospital where my people are treated. I want to know what is going on there. That’s what I’m supposed to be doing, not to sit on this throne and while away the time. That era is gone, not now; it’s not my style.
“I have gone to factories in Asaba. I want to know whether there are employment opportunities for my people. I had to do that, and I told them clearly that there must be provision for local content. You must give employment to my people, that’s why I’m on this throne. It doesn’t in anyway negate the fact that I still believe in the tradition of my people and I honor them to the latter. But beyond that, we must find that intersection between tradition and contemporary reality.
“So, I want to urge other traditional rulers to think the same way. We do empowerment, we do bursary, we are going to do scholarships, skill acquisition, vocational training. We are already spending money on setting up drug victims’ rehabilitation centers; and we are fighting drug barons on our own here in Asaba without the support of the NDLEA because our children are already getting hooked up to drugs. We don’t want to wait for government to do everything for us. We should be able to do certain things for ourselves.
“We’ve already gotten doctors and other medical personnel from the NYSC posted to the palace that are going to be working in the Primary Healthcare Centres in our community. Government is not paying, we are paying. It’s a duty we owe our people because healthcare is part of the welfare of the community. Everything cannot be done by government; but when government sees that you are serious in whatever you are doing, they queue behind you.
“What I can assure you is that I will continue to show leadership at any point in time. Our prayer is that God will give us the grace, wisdom and understanding not to be greedy at the expense of our people. Don’t ever sacrifice or compromise the interest of your people because you are on the throne. The interest of your people should always come first, and when you do that, when you speak to them they will listen. My policy is that at any point in time I must be transparent and accountable to my people. So, try to be straight forward in whatever you do, so you can look into anybody’s eye and say “You are Wrong” and work away without looking back because you’ve not compromised yourself in any way”, Asagba Prof Azinge said.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation and Odogwu of Ubulu-Unor, Chief Chinedu Mayor Enujeko, said the Coalition was founded by the late Iyase of Asaba, Chief P.I.G Onyeobi, to strengthen the culture and tradition of the Anioma nation, especially considering the fact that some of the kings were old and uneducated.
Chief Enujeko thanked God for the emergence of Asagba Prof Azinge as the 14th Asagba of Asaba and expressed confidence that he would help to champion the cause of reviving and promoting the culture and tradition of the Anioma nation.
He said the group was also meant to serve as a platform for Anioma traditional title holders to share ideas and information on issues affecting their respective communities, particularly in the area of security, with a view to adopting a coordinated approach to addressing local security challenges in the region.
The Odogwu pledged the support of the Coalition for the Asagba, promising to work with him in anyway possible to make the Anioma nation grow.
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