Ata Igala, His Royal Majesty, Alhaji Mathew Opaluwa-Akpa, has warned traditional rulers of Igala extraction against conferring traditional titles on people of questionable characters.
He handed down the warning on Sunday at Idah, Kogi at a meeting with all Igala title holders (Onu Igala) from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.
“Any act by any traditional ruler that will denigrate the reputation of our ancestral stool will be termed as a disservice and abuse to the Igala ethnic nationality.
“Such an act will no doubt be met with severe consequences no matter who is involved,’’ the paramount ruler warned
Opaluwa-Akpa added that “the time has come for all our traditional rulers and chiefs to uphold the dignity and sanctity of the Igala kingdom with decency and truthfulness,
“This is for the good of our people, for Kogi and for the country at large.’’
He charged title holders of Igala nation to maintain unity among themselves and to be good ambassadors of the Igala kingdom at uniting people within their domains for peaceful coexistence in the country.
The traditional ruler urged Igala people to imbibe the virtues of their ancestors that secured the kingdom from invading enemies and do same to invading forces of disunity in any guise.
He noted that peace and unity were great tools of development and warned that the selling of ancestral or family land should be done courteously.
This, he said, was to ensure that such sale did not breed crisis, hardships and disaffection within the family setting now or in the nearest future.
“If your ancestral parents had put the land up for sale before you were born, you would not have anything to inherit as children; therefore think of what your grandchildren will stand to inherit tomorrow.
“Those persons involved in such practice should retract their steps in the interest of their unborn grandchildren and to avoid incurring curses of their ancestral fathers,’’ he admonished.
Earlier, Chairman of the Onuh Igala, His Royal Highness, G. Joseph thanked the paramount ruler for his exemplary leadership in Kogi.
Joseph assured Opaluwa-Akpa of the readiness of the Onu Igala to uphold the ethics associated with Igala ethnic nationality with their host communities to enhance the good name of the stool.
(NAN)
