Senator Abba Moro fires back at Benue traditional ruler over chieftaincy title saga

Comrade Abba Patrick Moro (Ogigo Mebe K’Idoma), the Distinguished Senator representing Benue South Constituency at the National Assembly, has finally replied the propagandized publicity carried out against his person and office by one Emmanuel Enyigwe, and a third class chief from Ado Local Government, Chief Ogenyi Ocheme (at large) over the Okpoaza 1 title bestowed on him by the Ezza Ezekunnah Kingdom.

The Senator who is generally known to be a peace loving comrade gentleman greatly admired for his legendary revolutionary method of handling pressing sensitive issues, said he would have “ignored the post as the ranting of a garrulous and loudmouthed young man pandering to the negative antics of a paymaster, it’s necessary, for the sake of the undiscerning Nigerian public and, indeed, social media watchers, to put the records straight”.

Enyigwe, had in a post he made on social media platform, Facebook, insinuated that a third class Chief in Ado, Chief Ogenyi Douglas Ocheme, has notified the Okpoaza 1 title bestowed on Senator Moro by the Ezza Ezekunnah Kingdom.

In a press statement issued on Thursday, Moro said: “It may interest bad belly Emmanuel Enyigwe to note that if what he attributed to Chief Ogenyi Douglas Ocheme is true that there is no section of the Chieftaincy Laws of Benue State that empowers a Third Class Chief to assume the powers of a Local Government Traditional Council, a Council that is normally headed by a Second Class Chief. Neither a third Class Chief nor anybody, not the least Emmanuel Enyigwe can assume the power of spokesmanship of the Ado Traditional Council let alone the Idoma Area Traditional Council.”

He continued; “If Chief Ogenyi Ocheme ever made the pronouncement that Emmanuel Enyigwe reported, I will not be surprised because we all know the circumstances that threw him up as a Third Class Chief. He and his co-travelers should know that disparaging my person and office will only diminish the office of the Third Class Chief.”

The fierce senator who said the harsh position of the third class chief on his Okpoaza title is motivated by his political enemies said; “It’s rather unfortunate that chief Ocheme, instead of addressing the marginalization and neglect complained about by the Ezza Ezekunnah community and the internecine insecurity that has made impossible for his benefactor to go even to his village without armed security men and youths, is treading the inglorious path of purportedly withdrawing titles bestowed on illustrious sons and daughters of the land.”

He questioned the the authority of Chief Ocheme to nullify his Okpoaza 1 title.

“If I may ask, in which Ado Traditional Council meeting presided over by who was the decision to nullify the titles taken? Is Chief Ocheme now the Chairman of the Ado Traditional Council or its spokesman? Which section of the Chieftaincy laws of Benue state empowers an intermediate traditional council to nullify titles bestowed on people?” he asked.

The lawmaker said Chief Ocheme can’t nullify the title bestowed on him by the Ezza people.

“In any case, you can’t take away what you do not have power to and did not give. If Chief Ocheme knows those who pressured the Ezza Ezekunnah Union to confer the titles, let him sanction them with powers he has arrogated to himself,” he said.

Senator Moro explained that he never lobbied for the title as it was given to him for being the first government official to visit the area adding that he accepted the title because the people deemed him fit for it.

“Yes, I’m a proud holder of the title of Ogigo Mebe K’Idoma. However, it would have been impudent of me to question a gesture of goodwill extended to me by a community that’s happy with me. It’s quite unfortunate that infantile exuberance is driving a so-called media practitioner in the pay book of politicians to drag the reverend stool of Och’Idoma to the murky waters of politics.

The Och’Idoma is my father. If he feels unhappy with any aspect of my life he will call me to order, and he knows how to. I urge Enyigwe and his paymasters to leave the Och’Idoma and the Idoma Area Traditional Council out of the retrogressive politics of Ado Local Government Area being practiced by a section of the leaders of Ijigban Clan,” Moro said.

He concluded by saying; “I advise Chief Ocheme, Enyigwe and their benefactor to know how not to pick a wrong fight.”