The South East Council of Traditional Rulers has denied the allegation making the rounds on social media that its members collect ‘bribe’ from Fulani herdsmen to allow them graze their cattle in their domains, insisting that such an unsubstantiated claim is intended to set the people against their traditional rulers thereby instigating violence in Igbo land.
Chairman, South East Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Dr E.C. Okeke described the post which first appeared on TikTok as a deliberate falsehood aimed at causing confusion and inciting rebellion against the royal fathers in their various localities.
Although the body would ordinarily not sweep such a sensitive allegation under the carpet, Eze Okeke challenged its purveyors to name the culprits and provide concrete evidence against them.
Calling on the people of South East to discountenance the allegation, the South East Council of Traditional Rulers Chairman urged them not to fall prey to the antics of those the group accused of “working surreptitiously to cause animosity and hatred for their ulterior motives of destroying the region.”
“While I don’t intend to outrightly dismiss vital and sensitive issues that were contained in the allegation, I deem it timely and auspicious to challenge those that have any concrete evidence to prove the allegation that some traditional rulers in the South East are in the habit of collecting rent from Fulani herdsmen before allowing them invade and occupy our forests, to please come forward with categorical information and disclose the identities of such traditional rulers and their communities.
“It is necessary that such detailed disclosures are made to save us from unwarranted backlash, tension and crisis that could emanate from members of various communities against traditional rulers who may be innocent of such unfounded allegations,” Eze Okeke said.
“As traditional rulers, we know ourselves and know the limits of what we should do to avoid endangering the lives of our people. It is, therefore, baffling and embarrassing that such barefaced lies and falsehoods could be so brazenly told to ridicule Igbo traditional rulers in a bid to portray them as cheap and unconscionable individuals that can mortgage the lives of their subjects for mere porridge and paltry sums of money.
“It is highly disrespectful and blasphemous and I call on the good people of South East of Nigeria to discountenance the allegation and shun such evil machinations being propelled to stir up animosity, violence and unwarranted attacks against our traditional rulers.
“Nobody should be swayed by such unproven allegations that South East traditional rulers engage in such shabby and shoddy deals as our doors are wide open for whoever has strong evidence to promptly come forward and make the identities of such erring traditional rulers known. That is the only way to give credence to the TikTok narrative instead of mere speculations or assumptions.”