A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Igala chieftain, Chief J.S. Okutepa, has issued a stern warning to the newly inaugurated Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Usman Ododo, over alleged disrespect towards the Ata Igala, paramount ruler of the Igalas.
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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 show of disrespect, Okutepa said the maturity displayed by Igalas under the past administration is not an licence for contempt towards their revered traditional stool.
He asserted that the stool of Ata Igala is a source of formidable pride for Igala people due to its antiquity.
The strongly-worded letter has been seen as an early confrontation between the new governor who is 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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