Eze Ndigbo title: Ohazulike appeals for calm   
Written by Akoma Chinweoke     
Thursday, 30 April 2009 


As anxiety mounts following recent warning by the Lagos State government that it would henceforth accord no recognition to any personality with the title of the Eze Ndigbo of Lagos, the former National President of the Association of Ndi Eze Ndi-igbo in diaspora, Igwe Hyacinth Ohazulike has appealed for calm and understanding from members of the public, assuring that the mystery behind the decision would be unravelled soon. The Lagos State Commissioner for Local Government and [b]Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Rotimi Agunsoye, had announced at a ministerial media briefing to commemorate the second anniversary of Governor Babatunde Fashola in office that the decision to ban the title from the state was reached after due consultation with the various leaders of the Igbo community on the grounds that it was an abuse of the Igbo culture and tradition.

But reacting to the development, the national media adviser to the Association of Eze Ndi Igbo in the Diaspora, Mr. Ugochukwu Ekwebelem, in a statement said: “We woke up this morning to hear reports over the media that the Lagos State Government, represented by the state Commisioner for Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs, Prince Rotimi Agunsoye, has withdrawn recognition for the title of Eze Ndigbo in the state.

“This announcement has caused apprehension and panic for our friends, loved ones, well wishers, well-meaning and public spirited individuals, and Igbo sons and daughters.

“We appeal for calm and proper composure from our friends and believers at this moment,” it said.[/b]

http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view/34688/46/

“

This announcement has caused apprehension and panic for our friends, loved ones, well wishers, well-meaning and public spirited individuals, and Igbo sons and daughters.

how many otunbas do we have in the ananbra, enugu. i want answ. pls.

ode remo:

“
how many otunbas  do we have in the ananbra, enugu. i want answ. pls.

What brought about this question when it was Igbo people who advised Fashola's govt to get rid of the so-called title?

Do you know the whole story at all?

can you educate me on this pls.?

Its all up there in the article, but I bet you were just scouting for a topic that will help you nail the Igbos at all cost.

Here is part of what Agunsoye said.

the decision to ban the title from the state was reached after due consultation with the various leaders of the Igbo community on the grounds that it was an abuse of the Igbo culture and tradition.

Read up the article again if you still dont get it.

This announcement has caused apprehension and panic for our friends, loved ones, well wishers, well-meaning and public spirited individuals, and Igbo sons and daughters.

becos arsenal is loosing to man u at the mo., that got me annoyed reading the above.

ode remo:

becos arsenal is loosing to man u at the mo., that got me annoyed reading the above.

The best thing to do under such situation is to try your hand on something else (maybe jokes section) instead of throwing people who only was afraid of their lives under the bus.
Why would you even want to take a man who has his illegal crown legally taken away from him serious. He is bound to cause mischief.

^^^^
u de mind dem

na paste and run

no enrlisl

@ ikeymannoo

speak your mind pls, don't lean on the fence.

This Ezendigbo stuff has always been disgusting to me . There's no such thing as Eze of all igbos and there will never be. These so called Ezes are just fermenting troubles. Eze in igboland is a village chief and not an emperor and the largest kingdoms that existed in igboland never grew larger than a city and these were Agbo,Aboh,Onitsha,Nri,Abiriba,Igboeze, Oguta and few others. Eze in igboland is like Baale in Yoruba and not Oba. His authority ends in his village. Tell me how an Anambra or Imo man will come to Lagos and declare himself Eze of all Anambra,Imo,Ebonyi,Abia,Enugu,parts of Rivers and Delta states residing in Lagos when an Eze is already in his village? If Igbos in diaspora want a single leader,let them chose the state chairman of Ohaneze period.

thanks 4 d education. unlike your bro who was just throwing cheap shots.

Abagworo:

this ezendigbo stuff has always been disgusting to me.theres no such thing as eze of all igbos and there will never be.these so called ezes are just fermenting troubles.eze in igboland is a village chief and not an emperor and the largest kingdoms that existed in igboland never grew larger than a city and these were agbo,aboh,onitsha,nri,abiriba,igboeze and few others.eze in igboland is like baale in yoruba and not oba.his authority ends in his village.tell me how an anambra or imo man will come to lagos and declare himself eze of all anambra,imo,ebonyi,abia,enugu,parts of rivers and delta state residing in lagos when an eze is already in his village?if igbos in diaspora want a single leader,let them chose the state chairman of ohanueze period.

How many Igbos in diaspora have you heard clamoring for ezendigbo in diaspora, when they are the same people clamoring for the title to be abolished?
Its only the few mischief makers who seem to gain from the corruption that have been going about this.

Abagworo:

this ezendigbo stuff has always been disgusting to me.theres no such thing as eze of all igbos and there will never be.these so called ezes are just fermenting troubles.eze in igboland is a village chief and not an emperor and the largest kingdoms that existed in igboland never grew larger than a city and these were agbo,aboh,onitsha,nri,abiriba,igboeze and few others.eze in igboland is like baale in yoruba and not oba.his authority ends in his village.tell me how an anambra or imo man will come to lagos and declare himself eze of all anambra,imo,ebonyi,abia,enugu,parts of rivers and delta state residing in lagos when an eze is already in his village?if igbos in diaspora want a single leader,let them chose the state chairman of ohanueze period.

Pls, before we throw away the baby with the bath water, we should first and foremost recollect the essence or reasons behind the birth of ''Eze n Ndigbo'' outside Igbo land. It did not just stat today. It has been in existence even before the coming to power of Fashola Govt. He cannot even deny the usefulness of the body during his campaign tour. He personally visited Eze Ohazuluike (Eze n Ndigbo of Lagos state) to solicit for Igbo votes.

Can Agunsoye in clear terms state the Igbo leaders he consulted with at arriving at this ludicrous decision. The merits of Eze n Ndigbo in places outside Igbo land cannot be over emphasized. It has been an active voice for the causes of Igbo people anywhere they find themselves. Such thing cannot be swept away because of disgruntled elements within the Igbo community.

Government should shed more light on this decision.

Igbo enwe eze (the Igbo have no king).

This is an important aspect of our culture that makes us unique in the world.
The Igbo is one of the few human societies that democracy and leadership instead of monarchy/feudalism and rulership is ingrained.
Today, the world is moving towards democracy and freedom while this Igbo efulefu is trying to take us to monarchy/feudalism where the people are subjects of the King instead of free citizens.

hissssses!!!

What exactly is your point?

There can not be Eze Igbo in Yorubaland. Yoruba culture does not allow it. Even read the Nigeria constitution. customary law is allowed. You can have a leader for the igbos , but not an eze. It is against customary law of Nigeria. You can have outside of Nigeria.

Becomrrich:

There can not be Eze Igbo in Yorubaland. Yoruba culture does not allow it. Even read the Nigeria constitution. customary law is allowed. You can have a leader for the igbos , but not an eze. It is against customary law of Nigeria.  You can have outside of Nigeria.

Did you read that article or is this one of your moments of acute mental degradation? And what's your business with Nigerian laws? Aren't you the goon begging us to soak our koboko in a bucket of red hot chilli pepper and flog you into Benin Republic?

Thanks Amakaone.
anybody interested in ezeship should go to his village and try out his luck-and that is if he belongs to royal blood.
or better still,contest for the leadership of the market around them since they so much want to rule.

^^^^^I thought they said 'igbo no get King', so how can there be royal blood?

We'll Ensure Nationwide Ban Of Eze Ndigbo South East Monarchs
By Uche Nwosu (Owerri) and Andrew Utulu (Lagos)

South East Traditional Rulers Council has lauded the ban on the Eze Ndigbo title by the Lagos State Government.

The Council has, therefore, requested other states to follow suit and outlaw the title in their domains, even as Eze Ndigbo of Lagos, Hyacinth Nwabueze Ohazulike, decline knowledge of the ban.

In an exclusive interview with Saturday Independent in his office in Owerri, on Wednesday, chairman of Imo Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, described the title as a cultural aberration, and an insult to the cultural integrity of Ndigbo.

It would be recalled that Ilomuanya, who is also the Chairman of South East Traditional Rulers Council, has repeatedly opposed the award of the title to Igbo living outside Igbo land, pointing out that claims to the title is a desecration of the rich culture and tradition of Ndigbo.

He commended the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, as well as the state government, for acceding to the request of Igbo monarchs, by banning the title.

His words: "The South East Council of Traditional Rulers visited the Oba of Lagos, and at the meeting, we gave the state, the authority to stop Igbo in Lagos from operating as Ezes (Kings), because by the act, the Oba of Lagos himself is being insulted. So, I'm happy that they listened to us, and today, our objective has been achieved.

"We can't continue to watch our children kill one another in the name of a non-existent title

"You can see what's happening in Lagos. Everywhere you enter, it's Eze Ndigbo this, Eze Ndigbo that. You see our subjects outside Igbo land killing one another for no just cause. And when they do that, the indigenous monarch becomes helpless, because he'll assume that whatever he does would be interpreted as persecuting the Igbo.

"With this ban, I now feel that respect and honour for our traditional institution has been restored in Lagos. It's not a personal fight; it's a collective fight of all the traditional rulers in Igbo land. We sat in a meeting and looked at this issue and we said no; our culture and tradition are being abused. How can somebody outside Igbo land sit down and be conferring chieftaincy titles when he's not a traditional ruler?

Meanwhile, Ohazulike has declared that the announcement, last Monday by Lagos State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Rotimi Agunsoye, that the state government has ceased to recognise Eze Ndigbo title in the state, was not in order.

Ohazulike insisted that Eze Ndigbo is an association duly registered and recognised by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).He added: "I believe it must be one of the reasons, but I don't believe this is right. What I am saying is that Eze Ndigbo is a registered body; it is a corporate body, of which I am its national president. It is not a title of non-Igbo speaking states, it is a title of Ndigbo. But we are watching. We will sit down and discuss, we are only treating it as media reports."

@sapeleguy.igbos have kings,hence the use of such words as eze,obi,enachioken,igwe,onyenweala.the difference is that each eze controls a tiny village as a ceremonial head and not emperor like benin or kanem-bornu.the name ''adaeze'' means princess.the problem with the ezendigbo thing is that (1)all igbos cant be under one man from a different igbo(igbos are heterogenous)(2)a benin man cannot come to enugu and become oba of benin in enugu when an oba is in benin(ain't that abomination?)(3)all igbos in any domain are supposed to be subjects of the king of the area and not establish kingdom of theirs in another mans kingdom.

'Igbo enwe eze!'

I have respect for other cultures and I am eager to learn. Abagworo, there are some igbo people who have given short shrift to your explanation.
There seem to be two schools of thought.
'igbo enwe eze' and the opposing section. They both can't be right on this matter.
How can there be a King of 'a tiny' village, I can understand a group of villages and towns but 1 village? are you sure this isn't the village headman or elder?
or could it be that there are different cultures within igbo?

without reading the article above, it is simple. it is always about the anambra/enugu factor vs other ibos.
there has never been a king for the ibos, there is non and there is no picture of one in the nearest future.
chrity begins at home. the ibos in lagos must have deemed it necessary for the ibos to have a king but that will be a round peg in a square hole. they shld go back and start from home. we have non at home why having one in lagos? who is ohazulike and who made him our leader?
lagos govt must have heard enough of the problems before taking this bold step which to me is a perfect one.
i have been in lagos for sometime noe, i do not know of this name or who he is so ho can such man claim to be the king of the ibos. he can be the king of anambra/enugu and not the king of the ibos.
in igboland, it is believed that kingship is inheritted so how come this man in lagos is a king?

there is no two sides to the story of ndigbo. it has been one which is igbo ama eze. the ibos have no king from time immemorial.

the ohazulike of man so go and keep himself bussy with something else.

@sapeleguy.you got it right.the size varies from one single village to a group of villages or towns but not a state or zone like benin.in my area,we have obi as king of a town consisting of few villages.igbo is actually diverse and both dialect and cultural differences could exist in 2 proximal villages

Even the so called kingdoms in igboland were created by the white man so all of them should be abolished

First ezendigbo is diff. from ezeigbo(ojukwu is ezeigbo while the eze outside igbo land is ezendigbo) FORGET MY NAME AND READ THIS:
10YRS ago this ohazulike was on is own when the people of igbo in lagos came and said they want him to be their king he then told them to go and look for someone else they went and came back and said no one wants to be the eze so he took it,its not just igbos that knows about this the late OBA OYANKAN knows about it and he approved it and blessed it he also visited the oni of ife and nobody stood up to him not even the Lagos state government.Every October this ohazulike does his NEWYAM FESTIVAL and POVERTY ALLEVIATION which is not meant for the igbos alone,both Yorubas and Hausas are benefiting from it and no one said anything.This man does not belong to any political party but Buhari,Pat Utomi,Obanikoro and even Tinibu came to this man during the election period i think they came because they know that he is the ezendigbo in lagos if not why come to him? now they are in government and they want to take what he has work for all these years from him just because PDP (obj) gave him a national award (OON) they think he is a PDP man but the his son campaigned under AC for sate house of Assembly and here in Lagos he sponsored an AC man for chairmanship and now federal house of rep(adefolabi adeola).and for the igbos that are against it they just want to have the title becoz its now famous.
now get your facts right before you start talking

igboitalo:

Even the so called kingdoms in igboland were created by the white man so all of them should be abolished

Thats not fully true.

First ezendigbo is diff. from ezeigbo(ojukwu is ezeigbo while the eze outside igbo land is ezendigbo) FORGET MY NAME AND READ THIS:
10YRS ago this ohazulike was on is own when the people of igbo in lagos came and said they want him to be their king he then told them to go and look for someone else they went and came back and said no one wants to be the eze so he took it,its not just igbos that knows about this the late OBA OYANKAN knows about it and he approved it and blessed it he also visited the oni of ife and nobody stood up to him not even the Lagos state government.Every October this ohazulike does his NEWYAM FESTIVAL and POVERTY ALLEVIATION which is not meant for the igbos alone,both Yorubas and Hausas are benefiting from it and no one said anything.This man does not belong to any political party but Buhari,Pat Utomi,Obanikoro and even Tinibu came to this man during the election period i think they came because they know that he is the ezendigbo in lagos if not why come to him? now they are in government and they want to take what he has work for all these years from him just because PDP (obj) gave him a national award (OON) they think he is a PDP man but the his son campaigned under AC for sate house of Assembly and here in Lagos he sponsored an AC man for chairmanship and now federal house of rep(adefolabi adeola).and for the igbos that are against it they just want to have the title becoz its now famous.
now get your facts right before you start talking

@ohazulike,
u have succeeded in telling a childish story that suits the primary school old days. with money, u can organise a ceremony that will attract bush, clinton and even obama. with the names u mentioned in ur childish story, they can gather and reverse the lagos state govt's decission. in politics, u can visit anybody u consider useful for ur interests.
if the ibos gathered to choose ur ohazulike, was it by election or what? what is the name u give to this process that saw him in as the ezendigbo? where is his palace? will his children inherit this title after his death or will this palace be shifted after his death? is it possible for u to go and inform ur ohazulike that the ibos are nolonger interested in him again?
come to the think of it, is there any ibo word like ohazulike? the answer is no as the correct ibo word shld be ohazurike.
if he is a type that helps others, thank God for his life but he is not qualified in any manner to make himself the ezendigbo in lagos as i and many others are not even aware of his existance till this time of banning.
like i said somewhere, other govs must borrow a leave from the lagos state govt and start banning other self acclaimed ezes both in nigeria and outside.
a semi lunatic in dubai goes about calling himself ezendigbo in dubai and i know all over the world, anambra/enugu ppl share this same madness as they think they are born to rule.
if we want to have any eze ndigbo anywhere, we must first of all define who the ibos are and seperate that from anambra/enugu ppl before we will know the ohazulikes.

chidichris:

@ohazulike,
u have succeeded in telling a childish story that suits the primary school old days. with money, u can organise a ceremony that will attract bush, clinton and even obama. with the names u mentioned in ur childish story, they can gather and reverse the lagos state govt's decission. in politics, u can visit anybody u consider useful for ur interests.
if the ibos gathered to choose ur ohazulike, was it by election or what? what is the name u give to this process that saw him in as the ezendigbo? where is his palace? will his children inherit this title after his death or will this palace be shifted after his death? is it possible for u to go and inform ur ohazulike that the ibos are nolonger interested in him again?
come to the think of it, is there any ibo word like ohazulike? the answer is no as the correct ibo word shld be ohazurike.
if he is a type that helps others, thank God for his life but he is not qualified in any manner to make himself the ezendigbo in lagos as i and many others are not even aware of his existance till this time of banning.
like i said somewhere, other govs must borrow a leave from the lagos state govt and start banning other self acclaimed ezes both in nigeria and outside.
a semi lunatic in dubai goes about calling himself ezendigbo in dubai and i know all over the world, anambra/enugu ppl share this same madness as they think they are born to rule.
if we want to have any eze ndigbo anywhere, we must first of all define who the ibos are and seperate that from anambra/enugu ppl before we will know the ohazulikes.

Not to take anything away from what you have said, but you are wrong on that one. Different dialects will have the same name in these variations: Ohazuruike, Ohazuluike, Orazuluike etc.

Just like someone speaking in central Igbo cannot tell mu nwa bu onye Afara, Ibeku-Umuahia not to say Chi du mma, or Owerri Nchi Ise guy not to say Chi ri mma. Different dialects but standardised to Chi di mma. Get my drift ?

chidichris:

@ohazulike,

come to the think of it, is there any ibo word like ohazulike? the answer is no as the correct ibo word shld be ohazurike.

Brilliant!!! Coming from someone who uses the word "Ibo". I'll refer you to FACE's post above.

@chidichris

Despite the fact that i am from imo state you must be daft to ask whether ohazulike is an igbo name.