The Ogbunechendo of Ezema Olo Kingdom in Enugu State, Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Tuesday disagreed over the existence of a southern traditional rulers’ council.

Agubuzu had while addressing participants at the National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit On Health in Abuja, attended by President Tinubu, said there was “nothing like a Southern Traditional Rulers’ Council”.

He also urged the Federal Government to be wary of those who claim to be members of the council, especially in the disbursement of funds.

“Now, again, they were talking about the Southern Traditional Rulers Committee on Health, and the eminent Professor Pate was saying that this will become an annual event—what we are doing today—if I heard him correctly.

“The truth of the matter is that there is nothing like a Southern Traditional Rulers’ Council. If you come here, Pate, and give money to people on that basis, it’s not correct,” Igwe Agubuzu said.

“The South is not the North. We have our system. We need unity in diversity. So, if you want to deal with us, deal with us in the South-East. If you have resources for us, give them to us. Don’t give it to people who come and say, ‘We’re Southern Traditional Rulers’ Council.

“Democracy is representative government, and anybody who goes to present himself without his people is not democratic or traditional. So, get it. We think that we will do our best. Mr. President, please listen to our cries,” he added.

But the Ooni of Ife countered the position of the Enugu monarch, saying that the membership of the council was optional.

“Southern Traditional Council is very optional. You don’t need to join us if you don’t want to join us, but it’s a force, a formidable force among traditional institutions for us to come together.

“And we are all reputable in all our domains. You can see all of us because one of us made a speech that there’s nothing like that. We don’t agree to that, but our President is there; we don’t want any impression that there’s division,” Oba Ogunwusi told journalists during an interview.

The Osun monarch said the council was not limited to traditional rulers from the South-West.

He also pledged its support for President Tinubu.

“We don’t want to take out South-East. We have Eze Aro here. Eze Arochukwu is one of the very prominent traditional rulers in the South-East. We have a lot of southeastern traditional rulers with whom we are working together for the betterment of the country.

“So for us, it’s something that is key to let the whole world know that if you don’t want to be part of us, you can option your suggestion out. And please, we implore each and every one of us to focus more on news that is of quality, not social media and rumours. This is one of the major things affecting our country,” he added.

Similarly, the Eze Aro of Arochukuwku Kingdom, Eberechukwu Oji, who also identified himself as the publicity secretary of the Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers’ Council, described the council as a movement.

“As the Ooni said, the Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers’ Council is a movement. It’s a journey comprising members from across the entire southern part of Nigeria. The Ooni is our chairman.

“We have King Jaja of Opopo, who is from the South-South, and we have eminent traditional rulers from across the southern parts of Nigeria who have come together to advance the cause of the Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers’ Council,” the Abia monarch said.

He also disclosed that the council was recognised by the Federal Government.

“So let us put it on record and put it on record very clearly. The President was part of the inauguration of the Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers’ Council. It happened in Owerri, and we have representatives of both the press, the government, and stakeholders in that inauguration,” Oji told journalists.