About one hundred and seventeen Traditional Rulers in Imo State waiting for staff of office to authenticate them as Monarchs of their various Autonomous communities will soon smile, but with a caveat.
According to information available to Trumpeta Newspaper, these Eze-Elects will get their staff of office before the out-going Governor; Owelle Rochas Okorocha leaves office on May 29, 2019.
However, these Monarchs will get confirmed as Traditional Rulers, only if they fulfill one of the conditions of getting staff of office.
Trumpeta learnt that one of the conditions given to these Traditional Leaders is that they must not only work for Gov Okorocha’s preferred Governorship candidate and son inlaw, Chief Uche Nwosu by make sure he won his election in their domains.
This Newspaper was told that the directive was handed over to the Eze-Elects by the State Government as part of fulfillment to be crowned Monarchs.
Trumpeta learnt that they were asked to hand over the number of their polling Booths, which would be used to measure their level of support to Chief Uche Nwosu, the Governorship candidate of Action Alliance AA.
Some of the Ezes- Elect who spoke to Trumpeta expressed their quagmire, but said they would work for AA since the staff of office is important to them and therefore have no option.
But one of the Traditional Rulers from Ideato North LGA, and another from Nwangele LGA told this Newspaper that as humans, they have political interests but not Okorocha’s son inlaw, which they swore they cannot be forced to work for, pointing out that if Okorocha likes he can withhold his staff of office.
“You cannot compel adults to act contrary to their political beliefs because of staff of office. I have political interest, but not Uche Nwosu” he said.
But a source from Imo Government House said the story is not correct, but part of the propaganda to deny Okorocha’s son inlaw the Imo State Governorship seat.
“I don’t think it is true. The Governor has promised to hand staff of office to these Traditional Rulers before he leaves office, but there is no condition attached to it” the source told Trumpeta.
