By Abubakar Yunusa.
A peaceful protest was staged yesterday in Ankpa town, headquarters of the Ankpa local government area of Kogi State, against the recent appointment of the new Ejeh of Ankpa.
Recall that the Kogi state Governor, Yahaya Bello, recently appointed His Royal Highness Abubakar Ahmed as the substantive Ejeh of Ankpa IV.
The stool became vacant since 2016 following the death of the late Ejeh, Alhaji Yakubu Ahmodu. He died on Monday August 15, 2016 aged 73, having ascended the throne on Aug. 7, 1993.
Sources informed this reporter that the protest was organised by people ostensibly aggrieved by the appointment perceived to be unfair to their district which they claim should produce the next Ejeh on the basis of rotational understanding.
The train of protesters was spotted in a peaceful movement from the main Ankpa town to the palace of the district head, the Onu Ankpa.
The protesters were dressed in different attires wielding placards with inscriptions like, “Ejeh of Ankpa should be rotational: It is time for Enjema son to be Ejeh of Ankpa”, among others.
Efforts to reach individuals in the protest proved abortive at the time of filing this report. However, our correspondent gathered that the former Attah of Igala, His Royal Highness, the late Michael Idakwo Ameh-Oboni had, before his death, screened the contenders for the Ejeh of Ankpa and recommended to the Kogi State government to appoint Alhaji Alhassan Musa as the next Ejeh of Ankpa.
The late Attah’s recommendation was not implemented before his death on Thursday, August 27, 2020 at the age of 72.
