Governor Otti Flags Off Capacity Building Workshop For Royal Fathers As He Calls For Revitalization Of Traditional Institutions
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has called for the revitalization of the traditional institution to enhance effective grassroots governance and service delivery.
The Governor made the call at the JAAC Secretariat, Umuahia, while declaring open an eight-day capacity building workshop for traditional rulers across the state.
The workshop, themed “Revitalizing Traditional Leadership for a New Abia,” is being organized by the Abia State Government in collaboration with Phriam Group of Consultants.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, Governor Otti described the initiative as both timely and necessary, urging traditional rulers to fully commit to the process.
“This workshop must be approached with every sense of commitment. At the end of this eight-day event, we should be able to reflect and conclude that the revitalization of the traditional institution was not just necessary, but long overdue,” he stated.
The Governor emphasized that the traditional institution has historically served as a bridge between the people and the government—maintaining law and order, resolving conflicts, and promoting community cohesion. However, he lamented that the institution has, over time, been plagued by challenges that undermine its core values.
“We must confront the reality that this once-revered institution has, in some instances, been tainted by greed and the indiscriminate conferment of chieftaincy titles to questionable individuals. This must change,” he stressed.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu, said the workshop will be held across all 17 Local Government Areas and aims to empower traditional rulers to support Governor Otti’s vision of transformational leadership in Abia.
He noted that the programme would usher in a new era where traditional rulers play their statutory roles in maintaining peace, dispensing justice, and mobilizing communities for sustainable development.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Linus Nto Mbah, commended the Governor for organizing the training, describing it as a landmark event in the history of traditional leadership in the state.
He pledged the full participation and cooperation of traditional rulers, and expressed gratitude to Governor Otti for his unmatched commitment to their welfare, which he said is unprecedented since the creation of Abia state.
