The deposed Etsu Dazhi of Doko in Lavun Local Government Area of Niger State, Alhaji Mohammed Gana Kpanje has stated that for peace to reign in Doko community, the state government must have the courage to enforce the judgements of Court of Appeal, Abuja and that of High Court in Bida.
The embattled former traditional ruler explained that both judgements have put to rest two main issues that has been responsible for the crisis in Doko community, which he pointed out, is the Chieftaincy and Land disputes that has pitched two ruling houses against one another, calling on the State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago to summon the courage to enforce the judgements.
The Monarch was responding to the statement credited to the Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago who was assured of finding a lasting solution to the Doko crisis when officials of the Public Complaints Commission PCC, paid him a courtesy call two weeks ago at the Government House, in Minna.
Etsu Dazhi in an interactive session with the newsmen in Minna noted that his travails began with some elites in Doko who falsely accused him of acts he wasn’t aware of and orchestrated his removal.
He said the Etsu Nupe and Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar in whose domain he served as the Village Head of Dazhi in Doko Community from 1999 to 2013, constituted two Committees at different times to investigate allegations leveled against him by some Elders of the Community and whose reports exonerated him of all wrong doings.
He however stated that the Etsu Nupe, instead of lifting the suspension earlier handed him and restores the throne to him, deposed him and appointed someone else, saying that “all efforts by me and others in Doko and beyond to let His Royal Highness understand that I am innocent of all the accusations leveled against me, he rebuffed all the entreaties made to him .”
He stated further that all the witnesses called by his traducers couldn’t prove any allegation against him when they appeared before the committees set up by the Emir, (Etsu Nupe) disclosing that he has video evidence of meetings to prove his case.
Speaking further, he said “I went far to present my case to the government during the administration of former Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, who told me that the powerful people fighting me were adamant and therefore advised me to go to Court to reclaim my throne.”
Mohammed Gana Kpenje said he thereby approached the Bida High Court who, under pressure by the same elites bent on removing him, upheld his deposition but he (Etsu Dazhi) not satisfied, approached the Appeal Court in Abuja,whose judgement were in his favour with an order that he should be reinstated as the Etsu Dazhi.
He emphasised that since then, the Etsu Nupe and the Bida Emirate Council had allegedly refused to give effect to the judgement stressing that he has been trying to use the opportunity to explore peaceful resolution of the matter as well as restore peace to Doko Community..
“An opportunity came its way in 2022 when Mohammed Santali Dazhi died. He was appointed immediately. I was illegally removed in 2013. Instead of the Emir to reconsider my case and do the right thing, as the Appeal Court had mandated, he went ahead and appointed another person which is now causing problems in Doko,” he declared .
He however appealed to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago to on a compassionate ground revisit the matter and do justice to the case in a bid to find a lasting solution to Doko crisis. He said all that the people wanted was peace and development in the community.
Mohammed Gana Kpenje disclosed that the land dispute cannot be separated from his travails with the Bida Emirate Council, saying people fomenting trouble in the community claimed that they have the protection of the Emirate Council.
However, concerted efforts by our Correspondent to get the reaction of Bida Emirate Council was futile, as a Palace source who would not want to be quoted in the prints said the deposed Etsu Dazhi didn’t help his own matter by being allegedly arrogant and disrespectful to the Traditional Authority.
The very reliable source said the Nupe Traditional Institution was a highly revered Institution steeped in deep reverence to holders of Traditional Authority adding that any attempt to undermine it will be vehemently resisted.
According to the source, “there was a time an opportunity offered itself for amicable resolution of the crisis , but instead of the deposed Etsu Dazhi to engage prominent people in the Emirate and even in his own domain, he became obstinate and arrogant, and that caused him to lose that opportunity.”
The source expressed the belief that the lingering crisis in Doko Community will be worse if the deposed Chief was reinstated “because the people have been divided into opposing Camps on the matter and any attempt to change the status quo may make things worse,” stressing that though he was not in a position to speak on the matter, but he believes the Emirate Council will respond to the issue at the appropriate time.
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