Nasarawa State government has upgraded the status of 22 traditional rulers drawn from across the state.
The gesture followed the recent recommendations of the Committee on the Creation of Chiefdoms, Districts and Village Areas.
Governor Abdullahi Sule made the announcement while receiving members of the Nasarawa State Traditional Council of Chiefs, on a Sallah homage, at the Government House, yesterday.
The list of the upgraded monarchs indicated that the Sangarin Shabu, Osakio of Assakio, Sangarin Deddere, Ohinoyi of Toto, Sarkin Gurku and Osu Agwada, were elevated to first class from their earlier second class status.
From the list, four of the monarchs were elevated to second class status from their third class. They include Sarkin Ara, Sarkin Angwan Makama, Sarkin Gudi and Zhe Musha.
The governor also announced that all fourth class chiefs namely Zhe Ashige, Sarkin Kanje, Sarkin Igah, Ogazi Kwara, Osu Yelwa, Sangarin Tudun Wada, Sarkin Laminga, Osuko of Agaza, Esu Kodape, Sangarin Dari, Sangarin Amba and Sarkin Sabongari, have been automatically elevated to third class status.
Governor Sule also directed the Ministry for Local Government, Community and Chieftaincy Affairs, to commence the process for the selection of the new Aren Eggon, who will succeed the late Aren Eggon, Dr Bala Angbazo. He said the substantive Aren Eggon is expected to emerge by May 5.
He assured that his administration will not interfere with the selection of the new Aren Eggon, even as he urged stakeholders to shun acts capable of breaching the existing peace.
He said out of the 22 kingmakers traditionally empowered to select the Aren Eggon, only three are available, noting that the vacuum cannot stall the process.
“The law empowers the Governor to use even only one kingmaker to select the new Aren Eggon. We will now use the three kingmakers to select the new Aren Eggon. I don’t even know the kingmakers and won’t even meet with them,” he said.
The governor used the opportunity of the meeting to appeal to traditional rulers in the state to support the process leading to the conduct of a successful national population and housing census.
“We are relying heavily on our royal fathers for the success of the 2023 census. As you are aware, Nasarawa State is one of the states that has been shortchanged over a long period of time on this issue of census.
“That is the reason why we pleaded with the NPC to take a local government from Nasarawa State during the trial census and they picked Karu LGA. From the numbers that we have seen from the trial census, Karu Local Government Area is more than the population they have always given us as a state. We strongly believe we are truly shortchanged.
“I am calling on all our royal fathers to assist and support the census exercise that is coming up,” he said.