Traditional council backs monarch's effort to promote peace in Nigeria
The Arochukwu Traditional Council and Okpankpo Aro, the apex policy-making organ of Arochukwu Kingdom, have reaffirmed support for their monarch, His Eminence, Eze Aro IX, Dr. Eberechukwu Oji, over his
The Arochukwu Traditional Council and Okpankpo Aro, the apex policy-making organ of Arochukwu Kingdom, have reaffirmed support for their monarch, His Eminence, Eze Aro IX, Dr. Eberechukwu Oji, over his participation in efforts aimed at promoting peace and unity alongside other traditional rulers in southern Nigeria.
The endorsement follows criticisms trailing the monarch’s attendance at a meeting of the Southern Traditional Rulers Council (STRC), reportedly chaired by Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.
In a statement issued by Mazi Udo Chijioke (UgwuAro) on behalf of Okpankpo Aro and the Arochukwu Traditional Council, the kingdom dismissed claims that the Eze Aro’s involvement in the STRC amounted to placing Arochukwu under the authority of another throne.
The council acknowledged what it described as constructive concerns raised by some Arochukwu indigenes regarding the monarch’s participation in the meeting. However, it cautioned against statements capable of fomenting division or hostility among people of the South-East and South-South regions.
Reaffirming the status of the Aro throne, the statement declared that the Eze Aro remains supreme within the Aro Kingdom and the broader Aro nation across Nigeria.
“At no time has the Eze Aro subordinated his throne to any other traditional authority, nor will such a situation arise now or in the foreseeable future under our watch. Participation in a forum does not amount to submission. Dialogue is not subjugation. Engagement is not surrender,” the statement read.
The council further described the STRC as a platform still at an embryonic stage, stressing that it is not structured on hierarchy.
According to Chijioke, the council is viewed as a forum for consultation, peer learning, information exchange, networking and bridge-building in a rapidly evolving environment. He maintained that the body does not constitute a constitutional arrangement that places any throne above another.
"An interim coordinating role, wherever it exists, does not translate into permanent supremacy. To interpret it otherwise is to misread the context, intention and structure.
"Cooperation Does Not Erase Identity
We agree that Southern Nigeria is not a monolithic cultural bloc, and no one has suggested that it should become one. We also agree, rightly so, that the Igbo traditional system is historically decentralized and community driven. We are fully committed to working with all notable traditional institutions to ensure that this foundational structure remains intact and unchallenged in Igbo land.
"The Arochukwu Kingdom, which played a key role in Igbo foundational history, remains committed to this structure now and always. Our King, the Eze Aro, Dr. Eberechukwu Oji, is and will always be the symbol of that commitment.
"Arochukwu Traditional Council and the Okpankpo Aro believe that decentralization does not preclude strategic cooperation and engagement with other traditional institutions. In today’s world, kingdoms, traditional institutions and communities face complex challenges that often require strategic partnerships, bridge building, cultural exchange, multi stakeholder approaches and collective problem solving that sometimes recognize no boundaries. Engagement at that broader level does not dilute autonomy.
"The Position of South East Traditional Rulers Is Clear, His Eminence, Eze Aro, Dr. Eberechukwu Oji, fully aligns with the position of other eminent traditional rulers and institutions from the South East and the wider Igbo nation that any leadership framework within the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council or any similar platform must reflect equality, leadership rotation, cultural and institutional peculiarities, mutual respect and shared responsibility among equal partners.
"It is, therefore, the position of the Arochukwu Traditional Council that there is no acceptance of permanent headship or symbolic dominance by any one cultural bloc in any association or forum in which the Eze Aro is involved. The principle we uphold in Aro Kingdom is open, equal, constructive partnership not hierarchy.
"Presence Ensures Protection of Interest
We invite all to note that responsible leadership does not abandon emerging platforms to speculation. Engagement ensures that the interests, values, concerns and sensitivities of Igbo traditional institutions are recognized and represented from day one.
"Such strategic presence allows meaningful input into governance design, safeguards and operational principles. Withdrawal, isolation or silence would achieve the opposite.
"The Aro, with a strong presence as equal founders and equal joiners in communities across the South East and South South zones, are well positioned to appreciate the benefits of responsible partnership, cooperation and socio political engagement."
On allegations of political conspiracy, the Mazi Chijioke, who said that the allegations were unfounded, said that the Arochukwu Traditional Council does not agree with assertions that the forum is a pre 2027 political instrument or a scheme for cultural domination. We find such assertions speculative, hasty and unsupported by any visible evidence or documented constitutional framework.
"The Council therefore rejects attempts to frame this engagement within alarmist or conspiratorial narratives. We appeal that our traditional institutions be encouraged and supported to remain strong, independent and resistant to partisan manipulation or ethnic incitement.
"The Eze Aro of Arochukwu Kingdom, a scholar by training and an accomplished professional with extensive global exposure, is fully equipped to carry the throne with the dignity it deserves.
"From available information to the Arochukwu Traditional Council, the existence of South East, South South and South West traditional councils is not threatened by broader consultative engagements.
"A coordinating forum among equals does not dissolve established regional structures in Nigeria. Collaboration and structural independence can coexist.
"Unity Must Be Built on Equality
We strongly believe that the only acceptable foundation for any inter regional traditional collaboration is equality, mutual respect and rotational leadership. Anything contrary would not command legitimacy or acceptance.
"Our King, the Eze Aro, Dr. Eberechukwu Oji, will not be part of any arrangement that undermines these principles. That is our position and it remains non negotiable.
"We are however watching developments in the said organization currently in its formative stage quite closely and with interest.
"Cultural Authority Cannot Be Outsourced
We reassure our people, who hold the throne of the Eze Aro in the highest esteem, that the cultural authority of the Igbo traditional institution, symbolized in sacred custodianship and ancestral legitimacy, cannot be transferred, diluted or subordinated through attendance at meetings. The Eze Aro remains accountable first to the Aro Kingdom and the Igbo heritage he represents.
"Calm, Not Crisis, Is Required
While we welcome genuine concerns and constructive comments shared so far, we urge commentators, stakeholders and media platforms to avoid inflammatory framing capable of generating unnecessary distrust among southern peoples and nationalities.
"We are fully conscious that Nigeria’s recurring challenges often stem from structural mistrust and perception gaps. This must be avoided. Responsible leadership requires calm clarity, not emotional escalation."