As the uproar continues over the action of Governor Usman Ododo against the Revered Igala Monarch, the Attah Igala, Mathew Alaji Opaluwa, during the Governor’s inaugural ceremony yesterday, a senior advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chief J.S Okutepa has issued a stern warning to the Governor for disregarding the monarch in the order of protocol.
Recalled that Governor Usman Ododo was alleged to have disregarded Attah Igala, who is the most senior king and the president of the Kogi state traditional council, in his inauguration rather than call the lesser chiefs.
According to an insider, the act was said to have embarrassed Vice President Kashim Shetima, and the anger was written over Shetima and the Attah Igala.
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He said that despite the repeated efforts to draw his attention to the oversight, the Governor seemed to have ignored it.
It took the frantic efforts of the Governor’s handlers, including ex-Governor Bello, to send delegations to convince the Governor to change his mind and recognize the monarch.
The source further stated that the action may widen the mutual mistrust between the ethnic groups in the state who had been living in peace until the emergence of former governor Yahaya Bello.
Bello, at the twilight of his administration, had sacked three traditional rulers perceived to be at variance with his leadership style.
In an open letter on Saturday, Okutepa accused Governor Ododo of “unpardonable blunders”, claiming he deliberately failed to acknowledge the Ata Igala according to protocol during his inaugural address earlier in the day.
The senior lawyer described it as a “sacrilegious and disgraceful” snub that risks awakening the anger of the Igala people, who he stated are the majority tribe in the state.
Cautioning the Governor against further shows of disrespect, Okutepa said the maturity displayed by Igalas under the past administration is not a licence for contempt towards their revered traditional stool.
He asserted that the stool of Ata Igala is a source of formidable pride for the Igala people due to its antiquity.
The strongly worded letter has been seen as an early confrontation between the new Governor, Ebira, the second largest tribe, and the dominant Igala ethnic group.
Okutepa also drew a link between Governor Ododo’s alleged slight and his predecessor’s poor treatment of Igalas in his eight years at the helm.
There are already fears that the development could foster ethnic tension barely 24 hours after Governor Ododo’s swearing-in.
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