₦airaland Forum

Traditional rulers in the South East have strongly condemned the coronation of individuals as Eze Ndigbo or Obi of Igbo outside Igboland, insisting that such practice is alien to Igbo culture and tradition.

Reacting to the recent action of a self-acclaimed Obi of Lagos , Chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Emmanuel Okeke , described the development as unacceptable.

He stressed that Igbo tradition does not permit anyone to bear the title of Eze Ndigbo or Obi of Igbo in another man’s land, warning that such titles undermine the sanctity of the traditional institution.

“Eze is our heritage. If anybody wants to be the leader of Ndi Igbo in the diaspora, he can answer Onye Ndu Ndi Igbo . But we have said it several times that we don’t want to hear Eze Ndigbo or Obi of Igbo again. It is not in our tradition,” Okeke stated.

The monarch explained that only those coronated properly by their communities in Igboland can bear the title of Eze. According to him, any other form of coronation outside Igboland has no traditional legitimacy.

In the same vein, the immediate past Chairman of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Ndubuisi Nwabeke, described the practice as illegal and absurd, calling for its total abolition.

He argued that an Eze must preside over a community within Igboland, with clearly defined territory and traditional authority, not in states or cities outside the region.

“This thing called Eze Ndigbo in Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, or anywhere outside Igboland should not be encouraged. It must be abolished because it portrays disrespect to the Igbo traditional rulership system,” Nwabeke said.

He recalled that the South East Council of Traditional Rulers had long advised Igbo residents outside their homeland to designate their leaders as Onye Ndu Ndigbo (Leader of Igbo People) rather than Eze Ndigbo.

“An Eze should rule over a community that has a map, a constitution, and people of that lineage. No one can be an Eze in another man’s land.

Tenants in urban areas cannot claim to have palaces in foreign lands,” he added.

The traditional rulers therefore urged Igbo communities in the diaspora to respect their host states and cities, while preserving the integrity of the Igbo traditional institution by abolishing the controversial titles.

He recalled that the South East Council of Traditional Rulers had long advised Igbo residents outside their homeland to designate their leaders as Onye Ndu Ndigbo (Leader of Igbo People) rather than Eze Ndigbo.

Tenants in urban areas cannot claim to have palaces in foreign lands,” he added.

chiagozien:
Lagos is not Yoruba land, everyone should respect their host.

chiagozien:
Lagos is not Yoruba land, everyone should respect their host.

zero8zero:
Ipob were defending the shenanigans of the fraudulent Obi of Lagos. Igbo Monarchs have come out to smash eggs on their faces.

joeyswift:
Why the fuzz about Obi of lagos? Don't we have sarkin hausawa in lagos? I think the best way to go about it is to cancel every title oof foreign monarch in a host community. Therefore it is only the host community that reserves the right to kingship.

joeyswift:
Why the fuzz about Obi of lagos? Don't we have sarkin hausawa in lagos? I think the best way to go about it is to cancel every title oof foreign monarch in a host community. Therefore it is only the host community that reserves the right to kingship.

zero8zero:
Ipob were defending the shenanigans of the fraudulent Obi of Lagos. Igbo Monarchs have come out to smash eggs on their faces.

Danisaint112:
IPOB defended nothing. You guys should stop spreading fake news out of sheer hate. These are just individuals that feel they have arrived and want a title undeserved for themselves. Enough of your baseless claims—stick to the facts or stay silent.

madridguy:
You were not yet born in 1993, when despite the seaport of Lagos, Nigerian Citizens who were not indigene of Lagos and Yoruba Land started running back to their main homes, leaving Lagos fate for the Yorubas.

Through, Nzeribe who procured overnight injunction to stop the announcement of june 12 election results, they’ve provided a good ground for military to annul it and they thought the Yorubas would go to warr and destroy their land as they did to theirs in 1967.

Busses were loading non stop ferrying them away from Lagos, moving them to their actual homes! That is why elders say “the buttock of a beautiful lady belongs to all men until the buttock is rotten and becomes solely that of the ex beautiful lady”.

Smart Yorubas didn’t go to war. They endured the pains of negotiation, tribulation and persecution. They fought relentlessly. Against all odds, LAGOS, ABEOKUTA, IBADAN, OSOGBO, AKURE and ADO EKITI were kept safe without NEPALisation! That is what is called COMMON SENSE REVOLUTION!

If Yorubas had chosen the path of IPOB or Boko Haram, even if Lagos has one million seaports, nobody will come to Lagos. Was Libya not good under Ghadaffi? Today, who is going there? If you throw gold in Sambisa or Diamond in Agulu, people will rather patronize the local beads in the peaceful Lagos Market!

Once again, good morning to all progressives only.
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