Anambra Traditional Rulers Back Pilgrims Board, Pledge Partnership to Restore Spiritual, Moral Values Among Youths

By Staff Reporter

In a move aimed at tackling the growing moral and spiritual decline among young people, the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council (ASTRUC) has pledged to partner with the Anambra State Pilgrims Office to promote spiritual renewal, ethical leadership, and responsible citizenship across the state.

The commitment was made by the Chairman of ASTRUC and Traditional Ruler of Obosi, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, when he received the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Pilgrims, Mr. Odira Ezeh, at his palace in Obosi on Wednesday.

The visit formed part of ongoing consultations by the Pilgrims Office to build strategic partnerships with key stakeholders as it seeks to reposition pilgrimage administration and make it more transparent, inclusive, and impactful.

Speaking during the meeting, Igwe Iweka expressed concern over what he described as a disturbing decline in the spiritual life of many young people in the state. According to him, the increasing attraction to money rituals and fetish practices disguised as traditional religion poses a serious threat to the moral fabric of society.

“We have witnessed a serious spiritual setback in recent years because many of our youths have abandoned genuine faith and embraced idol worship. Some are now involved in practices such as Oke-Ite and Eze-Nwanyi under the guise of promoting traditional religion,” the monarch said.

He stressed that such practices do not represent the authentic cultural values of the Igbo people, while commending Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration for its ongoing efforts to sanitize the traditional institution and crack down on fake traditional rulers.

The royal father described pilgrimage as a powerful avenue for spiritual transformation capable of restoring faith, discipline, and moral consciousness among citizens.

“I commend the Pilgrims Office for the important work it is doing. I will invite the leadership to our next council meeting so they can engage all traditional rulers in the state. You have our full support, and together we can help rebuild the spiritual and moral values of our people,” Igwe Iweka assured.

Earlier, Mr. Ezeh said his visit was aimed at formally seeking the partnership of the traditional rulers in driving the reform agenda of the Pilgrims Office while also highlighting investment opportunities within the pilgrimage sector.

According to him, the Soludo administration is committed to building a pilgrims’ system anchored on transparency, accountability, efficiency, and equal opportunity for every Anambra citizen.

“It is the earnest desire of Governor Chukwuma Soludo that the ordinary trader, rural farmer, widow, and other less privileged members of our communities should have the opportunity to undertake a pilgrimage to the Holy Land without being weighed down by financial constraints,” Ezeh said.

He appealed to the traditional rulers to support the Pilgrims Office by mobilising communities, identifying deserving beneficiaries, and promoting values of faith, integrity, unity, and responsible citizenship throughout the state.

Ezeh further disclosed that the Pilgrims Office, operating under the supervision of the Deputy Governor, is pursuing major reforms designed to reposition pilgrimage administration. These include developing international exchange programmes and upgrading the Blessed Iwene Tansi Shrine in Aguleri into a globally recognised pilgrimage destination capable of attracting religious tourism and boosting the state’s economy.

The proposed collaboration between the traditional institution and the Pilgrims Office is expected to strengthen community engagement, deepen faith-based initiatives, and reinforce the campaign against social vices affecting young people across Anambra State.