The major agenda at the second Consultation Meeting of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) South-South, South East Chapter on October 30th at the Best Western Homerville Hotel, Benin City, Edo State, was how to achieve a violence-free 2019 general election. Their major concern was the safety and security of lives of members of their various communities during and after the forthcoming elections.
Edmund Daukoru, chairman of the Second Consultation Meeting, the Mingi XII, Amayanabo of Nembe Kingdom, Bayelsa State, said the meeting was specifically convened to consider the security situation in the country particularly at a time when the elections “The elections are just around the corner, many parties have done their primaries and campaigns will follow very soon. This is always a very tensed time and as traditional fathers, we felt we should get together and look at the matter from the grassroots point of view.were just around the corner.
“We have at many other times looked at it from a holistic national point of view, but we felt that those brands of skills required quite some injection of money to get implemented, so this time we changed the tactics and we said let’s look at it from a practical local point of view. We felt that if our local governments and communities are safe, then Nigeria is safe,” Daukoru said.
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Speaking on the theme of the meeting, ‘Ensuring a Violence-free 2019 General Elections in Our Zones and Kingdoms: The Role of Traditional Rulers, and the Task Ahead’, he said, “There are three aspects of approach to this. There is the pre-election aspect which we should engage in very diligently because elections exacerbate already existing tension in our communities, so we must address those flashpoints. Those that cannot be immediately resolved, at least, stakeholders should have an understanding for moratorium, a kind of ceasefire that they should not be allowed to colour the elections.”
Apollus Chu, Principal sponsor of the event, the EbereEmereOkori, Eleme of Eleme Kingdom, Rivers State; Appolus Chu, said the meeting was a platform where the traditional rulers from the South-south and South East parts of Nigeria will come together and speak with one voice on policies that would be made in the interest of the nation.
“We cannot continue to wait until when government calls us to assemble before we begin to talk about things that concern the national security. The general election is fast approaching and that is why we on our own have come together to prepare against the unforeseen,” Chu said.
He stressed that the whole essence of the meeting was to ensure that traditional rulers rise to their responsibilities of ensuring that things go the right way during the forthcoming general elections.
According to him, “When things are not going right, we the traditional rulers who are like fathers to the nation, won’t just fold our hands and allow things to go out of place before intervening.
Eze Eberechi Dick, the chairman, South-East Council of Traditional Rulers, and the Eze Udo 1 of Mgboko Mgwa Amaise Autonomous Community, Obingwa LGA, Abia State, expressed the belief that the consultation meeting can bring back Nigeria as one region that speaks with one voice.
IFEOMA OKEKE
