After remarking several times that “Chief is law” during her interview with me, I asked a female farmer in Rivers State: Why is Chief law? Why do you listen to your chief? Her answer was a rich explanation of the hierarchy of local rule in the region, and the she drew me a chart. Her is an electronic version of her drawing:
| Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers |
|
| Chairman of the Local Government Area (LGA) Of Traditional Rulers |
|
| King of Kingdoms |
|
Second Class Chiefs
|
Third Class Chiefs
|
Paramount Ruler
|
Community Development Committee (CDC)
|—————-(Male) Youth Leaders
|
Clan Chief
|
Family Chief
|
Family Head
Source: Rose (3/15/2012)
