After a long wait, a new Attah in the person of Prince Matthew Alaji Opaluwa has eventually emerged for the Igala people of Kogi East senatorial district, Daily Trust on Sunday reports.
Governor Yahaya Bello on Monday, October 18 approved the appointment of Prince Mathew Alaji Opaluwa as the new Attah of Igala.
The appointment followed Opaluwa’s nomination by the kingmakers and a committee set up by the Kogi State Government.
He was nominated from his lineage, Aju-Ameh Achor Ruling House, in line with the law, culture and tradition supervised by the Igala Area Traditional Council.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Mohammed Onogwu, confirmed the appointment in Lokoja.
Onogwu said the governor and his cabinet members approved the appointment at the 6th Executive Council meeting held on Monday, Oct. 18.
Opaluwa was appointed as the Attah Igala following the demise of HRM Michael Ameh Oboni II, the former Attah.
Long, tortuous journey to emergence of new Attah Igala
The Igala people have been left without any traditional leadership for more than a year following the demise of the 27th Attah Igala, Idakwo Michael Ameh Oboni II.
Oboni II died on August 27, 2020 in an Abuja hospital after undergoing a pile operation. He was aged 72 and was on the throne for eight years.
Since his demise, there have been intrigues, schemings and manoeuvrings among interested parties on who assumes the exalted throne of the Attah Igala.
The disagreement and lack of consensus on who should become the next Attah Igala was said to be largely responsible for the undue delay in getting a new Attah to fill the vacuum.
Our correspondent reports that the infighting and bickering among princes of the Oguche family on who should become the next Attah Igala, coupled with some vested political interests, were said to have delayed emergence of a new Attah Igala.
Following the death of Oboni II, process for selection of a new Attah Igala was set in motion according to the laid down traditions.
Daily Trust on Sunday reports that there are four ruling houses from where the Attah Igala is to emerge from.
These include Aju-Ame-acho, Aju-Akogu, Aju-Akwu and Aju-Ocholi as enshrined in the Modification of Native Law and Custom Order 2015.
However, it was learnt that it is the turn of the Aju Ameacho ruling house to produce the next Attah Igala based on the principle of rotation.
The kingmakers began the selection process and after a couple months, arrived at the choice of Matthew Alaji Opaluwa Oguche, of the Aju Ameacho dynasty.
The prince is the number ninth of the 16 surviving children and the fourth of the six males of the late Chief Opaluwa Oguche.
However, his (Alaji Matthew Opaluwa) choice brought bickering and disagreements among other members of the Opaluwa ruling house who were rather pushing for the eldest son in the family (Samuel Opaluwa), to be the next Attah Igala.
Those advocating for the choice of the eldest son said it was in line with the established Igala tradition.
The disagreements and vested interests that trailed the selection process stalled the announcement of a new Attah for months.
Procedure for emergence of new Attah
Normally, the ruling house whose turn it is to produce the next Attah, is expected to present the person so nominated to the other three ruling houses for purposes of maintaining the bond of unity and fraternity.
The four ruling houses shall, thereafter, jointly forward the name of the person so nominated to the Traditional Igalamela Kingmakers for consideration and subsequent appointment of same as the Attah Igala.
Upon the completion of the selection of an Attah, the Igalamela Kingmakers shall inform in writing, the Achadu Attah Igala, who shall in turn forward the name of the appointee to the Igala Area Traditional Council.
The Igala Area Traditional Council shall forward the name of Attah-designate to the State Council of Chiefs which will in turn forward same to the Governor-in-Council for approval.
Although all the above processes have been observed long ago; but a new Attah could not be announced until recently due to disagreements and lack of consensus among the Oguche family.
Following the disagreement and lack of consensus on who should emerge the next Attah Igala, the Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, set up a committee to again screen and recommend candidates for selection.
The committee eventually concluded its assignment which led to the announcement of Opaluwa as the new Attah Igala designate as earlier recommended by the kingmakers.
Why announcement of new Attah Igala was delayed – Govt
Speaking on the delay in announcing a new Attah Igala months after conclusion of the selection process, the Commissioner for Local Governnent and Chieftaincy Affairs, Barrister Ozigi Salami Deedat, said the apparent delay in the appointment of a successor to the stool of Attah Igala was informed by the controversies that trailed the nomination of Prince Matthew Opaluwa by the Igala kingmakers and the Area Traditional Council.
He explained that government’s insistence on the acceptable process and procedure was to ensure the emergence of Attah that will not create rancour and acrimony in the kingdom.
According to him, since the government did not want to meddle in matters of chieftaincy, the state government, backed by enabling law, set up an independent panel to review the reports of the kingmakers, consider the petitions and advise the government accordingly.
“Only six of the petitioners appeared before the panel while others abandoned their petitions,” he said, adding that those that defended their petitions did that aggressively and but unconvincingly enough to make government discard the recommendations of the kingmakers.
Excitement, expectations as Igala Kingdom awaits coronation of new Attah Igala
The announcement of Opaluwa as the new Attah Igala designate by the Kogi State Government has elicited excitement, hope and expectations among the Igala people even as they await the rituals that would culminate his coronation and ascendancy to the throne of his forebears.
Speaking on the emergence of new Attah Igala, the Ukomu Igala Organisation (UIO), the apex voice of Igala Kingdom, applauded the emergence of Prince Alaji Matthew Opaluwa Oguche as Attah Igala designate.
The organisation has also congratulated him on his “well-deserved selection”, adding that Igala kingdom needs a person of his comportment, exposure, clout and experience on the royal throne of his ancestors at this point in time.
It urged the Attah Igala-designate to ensure that all contending forces to the throne are reconciled in the interest of peace and progress of Igala kingdom.
A release issued by the UIO and signed by the National leader, Mr. David Abutu, also commended the state government for listening to the voice of the kingmakers to the throne of Attah Igala and all those involved in the selection process.
It expressed optimism that the selection of Prince Opaluwa Oguche would speed up the process of peace, unity, reconciliation and progress of Igala land.
It urged those that may have been aggrieved among the royal bloodline to sheath their swords and work towards a successful coronation of the new Attah Igala.
It therefore called on all Igala sons and daughters all over the world to ensure that all hands are on deck for an eventful coronation and peaceful reign of the new royal father.
The apex voice of Igala Kingdom urged the state government and all those responsible for the coronation to start the process without delay.
It assured the Attah Igala designate of full and undiluted support, at all times, in the interest of the progress of Igala land.
Speaking to our correspondent through one of his officials on the expectations of the people, Mr. Abutu said the coming of Matthew Opaluwa should herald a new dawn of unity that has eluded the land since the 2019 general elections which polarised and instituted endemic bad blood in the land by schooling the stakeholders on the need to give peace a chance.
Closely connected to this is the need to address gangsterism arising from the arming of youths by unscrupulous politicians who used them for political purposes.
He equally appealed to the new Attah to unite the politicians in the land and advise them on the need to think about Igala and not their individual interests which have become their stock in trade.
Above all, he said that the Attah has the clout to invoke peace on the land that will bring spiritual blessings to his people and should embark on the unification of the traditional institution in the state in his capacity as the Chairman, Kogi Council of chiefs.
On its part, the Igala Cultural Development Association (ICDA) headed by Emmanuel Omata, said the Igala people are happy for the appointment and does not envisage any wrangling because the appointment was narrowed to a family.
Meanwhile, the Acting Chairman, Igala Area Traditional Council who doubles as the Ejeh of Dekina, Alhaji Usman Obaje, has said that arrangements for the installation of the Attah have not commenced yet.
Obaje, who confirmed this in a telephone interview, said the process involves setting up of various committees to handle all aspects of the coronation exercise.
The new Attah Igala designate
The Attah-designate is the ninth of the 16 surviving children and fourth of the six male children of the late Chief Opaluwa Oguche.
He obtained his First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) from the St. Boniface Primary School Idah in 1975 and proceeded to St. Peter’s College Idah where he obtained his West African Schools Certificate (WASC) in 1980.
Thereafter, he got his “A” level from the School of Basic Studies Ugbokolo in 1983 and Bachelor of Science (BSc.) in Business Administration from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria in 1986.
In his quest for more knowledge, he returned to ABU for his postgraduate studies and got a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in 1997.
Until his unanimous recommendation by the Igala Area Traditional Council, Opaluwa was a director at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with over 30 years voyage in the employ of the electoral body.
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