Fractured Naga Hoho leadership left fighting ‘petty tribal issue’

Dimapur, June 5 (EMN): Cracks within the Naga Hoho appears to have widened even as contrasting statements over the issue of ‘dissociation’ of some of its member-units continue to emerge from within the hoho’s leadership. A statement from Samson Remei, the vice president (Political) of Naga Hoho on Tuesday appeared to have acknowledged the existence of differences within the Naga Hoho leadership. “As the matter of fact, it is really painful to debate in social media or invite media war in public domain over the differences on petty issues among the executive members of Naga Hoho which is tribal and area based in nature,” it read. It stated that the Naga Hoho has not ceased from functioning despite of various obstacles from both within and outside elements that has been working against the legitimacy of Naga Hoho’. “We have come to know the summoning of Emergency Federal Assembly by Deputy Speaker by-passing the executive council through social media which is totally against the basic tenets of Yezabo and ultimately the Assembly Secretary was required to inform all the federating units/ tribes on 23rd May, 2018 to abstain from attending the Assembly. “Consequently, the allegation made by Deputy Speaker and session Secretary that a certain Naga National organisation was involved in directing  the Federal units not to attend the federal Assembly needs substantiation/clarification. “There is no doubt that Ao Senden, Sumi Hoho and Lotha Hoho have dissociated from Naga Hoho and the President and Vice President were directed by the respective tribes to demit the Naga Hoho office. Ao Senden has even ex-communicated the President of Naga Hoho for not obliging the directives. “Nevertheless, in its latest communication to the ‘Speaker’ of Naga Hoho from Ao Senden on 25th May, 2018 categorically mentioned that ‘Ao Senden withdrew the ex-communication imposed upon P Chuba Ozukum on 21-11-2017. All this reconciliatory initiatives were taken to strengthen Naga Hoho and to unite Naga society’. Since then, there is no such directive from the Ao Senden upon the President of Naga Hoho to resign. “It is very encouraging to note the statement of Ao Senden while addressing to the ‘Speaker’ in the same letter: ‘the Ao Senden finds that the nature of the meeting summoned by you dated 15.05.18 contradicts with the constitution of the Naga Hoho, and for which we find that there is no need to have such unauthorised meeting. Therefore, the meeting should be convened as early as possible through proper channel’. “It is our strong believe that the three dissociated tribes have never left Naga Hoho forever which clearly indicates in Ao Senden's letter. Naga Hoho officials have been in constant touch with CNTC and its constituent units to review their earlier decision and join hands with Naga Hoho at the earliest.” Is it not the bounden duty of the Naga Hoho and every federating unit, it asked, to request the three dissociated tribes to be a part of Naga Hoho family ‘since the Rongmei tribe recognition issue is being solved’? “Naga Hoho Executive council meeting was held on 7th October, 2017 at Hotel Ci-morb, Kohima, following the strictures imposed upon Eno P. Chuba Ozukum, Presi-dent and Eno H.K.Zhimomi, Vice President (Adm) by four tribes — APO, CPO, PH and RH and decided to invite the four tribes on 17th October. Accordingly, the four tribes were invited on the scheduled date but unfortunately, they turned down the request and the meeting was cancelled. On the same day, the Executive Council decided to convene the Federal Assembly on 3rd November at Senapati as constitutional obligation and most importantly to deliberate over the confronting issues. This was blatantly ignored by the Deputy Speaker and had consequently failed to convene the Federal Assembly for reason best known to him and therefore the question.” “As appeared in the allegation, the ‘Executive Council meeting’ of 31St October, 2017 without the President and the Vice President was not at all a Executive meeting where there was no such resolution to request the President and Vice President to demit office on the ground that their respective tribe organisation had dissociated from the Naga Hoho. “In fact, it was convened by the Deputy Speaker undermining the existence of President and Vice President and it was just a consultation for strengthening Naga Hoho. As the matter of fact, no officials or federating units can undermine the existence of legally elected President and Vice President unless they resign or removed officially,” it stated. As of now, there are three Naga Hoho officials from Ao, Sumi and Lotha community and the three apex bodies dissociated together under the aegis of CNTC from Naga Hoho since 24th August, 2016, according to the statement. “It is beyond our comprehension as to why the Deputy Speaker who is also the President of Rengma Hoho should succumb to the pressure from four federating units to have imposed strictures upon two officials alone from Ao and Sumi excluding the representative from Lotha.”