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Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President - Culture - Nairaland

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Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by Theydontcare: 8:28am On Jan 10, 2018
Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Shun Ethnic Bigotry, Elect Igbo Man President

•‘IPAC members have taught Nigerians great lessons in unity, tolerance’


By Tope Adeboboye

WITHIN the Nigerian community in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, there is one name that strikes an instant chord in every ear. It is a name that has become a constant refrain on many lips.

The name is Okey Paulicap Okeke, a Nigerian-born writer, theatre artist, clinical social worker and entrepreneur who has been domiciled in the North American country for close to two decades.

But his stay in Canada isn’t what makes the name and its owner the major theme in many conversations across that country. It’s not even about his book, Biribamba The Lonely Elephant, a children’s storybook published in the United States and over which he is in court with Macmillan Nigeria, a firm that allegedly published the book here without the writer’s authorisation.

Okeke, an Igbo man whose parents hail from Enugu State, is the president of Ijesa Progressive Association of Canada (IPAC), the umbrella association for sons and daughters of Ijesaland in Osun State living and working in that country.

An Igbo man as leader of an association comprising only Yoruba men and women? That is not only impracticable in Nigeria, it is absolutely inconceivable. Indeed, anyone harbouring such an implausible, far-fetched notion would be seen as suffering from the after-effects of excessive alcoholism, or having been untimely roused from a nightmare-riddled slumber!

But what many would have considered impossible in these shores became a reality in Canada. The Ijesa men and women in that North American country taught millions of their countrymen and women at home some great lessons when, in January 2017, Okeke was sworn in as president of Ijesa Progressive Association of Canada. And since then, he has been steering the ship of that association, alongside his executives.

On Saturday, September 16 last year, IPAC, under Okeke, held its annual “Ijesa Night” celebrations at the Manhyia Palace Convention Centre on Eddystone Avenue, Toronto. The event, which was chaired by Chief Isaac Ige, Odofin of Atorinland, was attended by many Nigerians, a number of who were there simply to confirm the rumour that the leader of Ijesa people in Canada wasn’t a Yoruba man.

At the event, the chairman expressed gratitude to Okeke for his leadership and for taking the group to lofty heights since his inauguration as president.

“This occasion would not have been possible without the efforts of Mr. Paulicap Okeke and his team, and for that I express my very sincere appreciation for the efforts you all have put in since you took over the mantle of leadership of IPAC this past January. You have done marvelously well,” the chairman noted.

He asserted that it was Okeke that made the night a hugely successful one: “In Jesus name, the glory that God has given you will not be destroyed. For remembering your roots, your foundation will never crumble,” he prayed.

But what would warrant an Igbo man to enrol in an association comprising only Ijesa men and women, and eventually become president of the group?

Okeke was in Nigeria recently for the Christmas and New Year holidays. And during the trip, he undertook a tour of Abeokuta alongside two of his friends and classmates at the University of Ibadan, this reporter and Ademola Ojolowo. And, over drinks and pepper-soup, shortly after a pulsating tour of the popular Olumo Rock in the Ogun State capital, Okeke explained how he joined IPAC and later got elected as the group’s president.

Born and raised in Ilesa, Osun State, Paulicap’s parents, Chief Okeke Chumba and Mrs. Janet Okeke-Chumba, are both from Ndeaboh, a community in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State. Okeke and his siblings attended elementary and secondary schools in Ilesa.

But right from his childhood, Okeke discovered that his dad, a very liberal and totally detribalised Nigerian businessman, ensured that his children had a robust, sophisticated and liberal worldview.

“My father was a Christian and an Igbo man, yet he enrolled me in a Muslim school. He believed that the school was good in academics and in sports, and it was also close to our house along the General Hospital Road in Ilesa

“My dad was living in Bukuru, near Jos, before the civil war. He had his businesses there. During the war, he left for the East and joined the Biafran Army. After the war, he went back to Bukuru and discovered that all he had there before he left was gone. So, my parents relocated to Ilesa and started again from the scratch. But God favoured them and they prospered.”


Source:. http://sunnewsonline.com/unbelievable/

10 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by Nobody: 8:33am On Jan 10, 2018
Dear People,

It would make a whole lot of sense if we shove tribalism aside and stay true to who we are angry

169 Likes 8 Shares

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by thorpido(m): 8:35am On Jan 10, 2018
How can he be president of Ijesha progressive association as an Igbo man?No Ijesha man fit for the role?
Op,you sure say your news e pure?

31 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by Mortiple(m): 9:08am On Jan 10, 2018
Hahahahaha!!! grin grin grin grin

I didn't say anything o! grin

8 Likes

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by SicilianMafia: 11:42am On Jan 10, 2018
grin grin grin grin grin grin grin

Hahahahaha

Mynd44 , lalasticlala come and see something cheesy

Yoruba's av elected a Leader!! grin grin to lead them into development


Some People cannot stand without other Nigerians sha its very obvious cheesy cheesy


No wonder they always shout one Nijiria hahaha

39 Likes 4 Shares

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by Blackfire(m): 12:00pm On Jan 10, 2018
Because of this wonderful infussion of fussions...

I will not participate in tribal bashing for a long time.


Trully the south is the solution to nigeria.
*takes a bow*

140 Likes 7 Shares

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by scholes0(m): 1:16pm On Jan 10, 2018
Yoruba eye service too much lol- the desire to look nice and accommodating before others is their ultimate archilles heel as an ethnic group.

Elect an Ijebu man who grew up in ilesha to head that same Ijesha post now, and see the whole building go up in flames... lol

Nltaliban:
will you just shut up and use your brain for once?

what has tribalism done for your generation?

Haha typical Igbos, it is only when they are in a favorable position that they will remember how Nigeria is sweet and how “Tribalism is bad”

Every other day, 98% of them are really half biafrans at heart with no real patriotic allegience to the Nigerian state nor what it stands for.
This was the same scenario that was playing out under the Jonathan presidency that favored Igbos when all of them kept MUTE but have all suddenly become overnight Biafrans under a northern presidency.

These are also the same people currently championing the course of a group called “ NON YORUBA Indigenes of the South-WEST” an organization whose ultimate goal is to challenge the indiginous rights of Yoruba people in their own ancestral region. Yet they come here to preach peace after holding all their “abele” anti yoruba meetings.
Hypocrites!

Laughing in higher powers .. I pity the generality of Yoruba people.

124 Likes 10 Shares

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by prof22(m): 1:42pm On Jan 10, 2018
*
Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by nairavsdollars(f): 1:42pm On Jan 10, 2018
It is only here we practice ethnicism and bigotry. Nigerians abroad dont have time for those rubbish

15 Likes 1 Share

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by Nobody: 1:42pm On Jan 10, 2018
Something might have happened

3 Likes

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by Nltaliban(m): 1:42pm On Jan 10, 2018
scholes0:
Yoruba eye service too much lol- the desire to look nice and accommodating before others is their ultimate archilles heel as an ethnic group.

Elect an Ijebu man who grew up in ilesha to head that same post now, and see the whole building go up in flames... lol
will you just shut up and use your brain for once?


what has tribalism done for your generation?

GGirll:
Hope they won't use n dump him after he leads them to glory cos thats what they are good at...chameleons
howmany of the fools in your generation have you led to glory?


useless tribalistic fool

27 Likes 1 Share

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by Cooladex(m): 1:43pm On Jan 10, 2018
really
Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by jerrybakermillz(m): 1:43pm On Jan 10, 2018
Hmmm...paulicap is now the new colonial master and enugu is the new HQ to ijesa people


Seem like the igbos are the first settlers of Osun State......Igbotic


Afongas you can come out and halla abomination now

6 Likes 1 Share

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by EtzAustine(m): 1:43pm On Jan 10, 2018
grin


Peace
Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by Dollyak(f): 1:43pm On Jan 10, 2018
What's the reasoning behind this? An igbo man can never be as passionate about Yoruba's affairs like a Yoruba would. This is more like a PR exercise.

10 Likes

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by mamatayour(f): 1:43pm On Jan 10, 2018
I dey laff........ijesha for that matter grin grin
Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by sodiqapril(m): 1:43pm On Jan 10, 2018
nice one, but that doesn't stop brainless tribalists on nairaland from calling each other names.

4 Likes

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by nkwuocha: 1:44pm On Jan 10, 2018
This is a clear case of "He who the crown fits....".
grin grin
Make Una no change am abeg. He clearly deserves it by merit.

11 Likes

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by BruncleZuma: 1:44pm On Jan 10, 2018
grin grin grin grin

2 Likes

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by DukeNija(m): 1:44pm On Jan 10, 2018
scholes0:
Yoruba eye service too much lol- the desire to look nice and accommodating before others is their ultimate archilles heel as an ethnic group.

Elect an Ijebu man who grew up in ilesha to head that same post now, and see the whole building go up in flames... lol

Ridiculous comment. They chose someone they believe will make them stronger and better as a people. When you leave Nigeria, you will realize that your only option is to stand as one cos it’s you against them. And who better to make you stronger than someone who has the experience, knowledge and grit? Tribalism begins and ends in the shores of 9ja.

31 Likes

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by DukeNija(m): 1:45pm On Jan 10, 2018
H
Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by sotall(m): 1:45pm On Jan 10, 2018
shocked shocked
Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by chukxy44(m): 1:45pm On Jan 10, 2018
Anybody who has a problem with this, is a problem to this country. #ShunEthnicBigotry

5 Likes

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by psychologist(m): 1:45pm On Jan 10, 2018
A way to go

Today is my byday, every nairalander coman eat

17 Likes 1 Share

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by Throwback: 1:46pm On Jan 10, 2018
Yoruba's virtue is also their problem.

If all in Nigeria could be like Yoruba's, we could actually have a nation.

19 Likes

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by northvietnam(m): 1:46pm On Jan 10, 2018
IPod and a pig as their leader....

Lolzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

2 Likes

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by Nobody: 1:46pm On Jan 10, 2018
Those Yoruba are exposed because they have seen the shores of other countries.The ones in Nigeria especially Lagos state are born ethnic bigots.

17 Likes 1 Share

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by Nobody: 1:47pm On Jan 10, 2018
Sounds great...

Naija would be better with a similar model

1 Like

Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by IamPatriotic(m): 1:47pm On Jan 10, 2018
And so?
Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by sweetonugbu: 1:47pm On Jan 10, 2018
good
Re: Ijesa Indigenes In Canada Elect Okey Paulicap Okeke, Igbo Man As President by NaoSlay: 1:47pm On Jan 10, 2018


Topic should be Group of Coneheads appoint Igbo as leader.

But wait.

Does it mean it's only on nairaland tribal wars take place?

1 Like

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