Tor Tiv Stool: Traditional Blocs Bicker Over Age, Educational Qualification For Successor

By Solomon Ayado
The traditional sharing units of the Tiv kingdom have argued that age limit and educational qualification should not necessarily form the requisites for selecting the new Tor Tiv, LEADERSHIP has gathered.
Since the news broke of the death of the Tor Tiv IV, Orchivirigh Alfred Akawe Torkula, the battle for who succeeds the late paramount ruler has began. There has been serious agitations from the two traditional sharing units of Ipusu and Ichongo on which part would produce the next king.
The late Tor Tiv, Akawe became king in 1991, reigned for about 23 years before he finally joined his ancestors at the age of 71. He hailed from Guma LGA of MINDA (extraction) in Ichongo traditional bloc.

Torkula held a Ph. D in Cultural Anthropology, as well as an Honorary LL.D and Doctor of Science from The University of Ibadan and Michael Okpara University Of Agriculture, Umudike respectively.
However, the demise of the late Tor Tiv has provoked mixed reactions, as well as arguments over age attainment for a new Tor, as the deceased king had reigned for only about 23 years on throne.
Although the issue of educational qualification is relevant as the traditional blocs have argued that the Tor Tiv stool should not be singularly selected on the grounds of academic qualifications but also in accordance with the long existing traditional norms and values.