This is to my Igbo homies out there.
Just out of curiosity is the leadership functionality of Igbo chiefs defined or is the title strictly a recognition. I guess the best way is to focus on one element of the leadership which is jurisdiction. Fellow Nairalanders help me to elaborate if Igbo chiefs have a defined extent of persons or places to which they can administer their influence, control, regulations, e.t.c. It is an area that has piques peoples curiosity as there has been an increasing amount of Igbo chiefs who reside in the USA and UK.

- 50Cal.

S. A Akintola understood the Igbo very well...read about his utterances about them.

That been said....to destroy any gathering of Igbo ask them to go and choose a leader and the deputy among themselves! Voilà you've succeeded in ruining them totally!

Akintola said of Mbadiwe ... To ba di iwe nka o

Getting a chieftaincy title in Igbo land is no big deal. Make a lot of money, go to your home town, lobby for a chieftaincy title and you get it.

There are people who cannot win election in their umunna,village,town or women organisation but parade themselves as chiefs and Igbo leaders in Lagos and Abuja after paying some monies to political parties and for federal appointments.

Leadership has always been a big problem among the Igbos to start with and I think the most accepted leadership setting is the umunna gathering.

So to be honest, those chiefs have no function,jurisdictions etc.

it does put some perspective on the whole red hat chief. you have to wonder if it has always been like that.

Joavid:
Getting a chieftaincy title in Igbo land is no big deal. Make a lot of money, go to your home town, lobby for a chieftaincy title and you get it.

There are people who cannot win election in their umunna,village,town or women organisation but parade themselves as chiefs and Igbo leaders in Lagos and Abuja after paying some monies to political parties and for federal appointments.

Leadership has always been a big problem among the Igbos to start with and I think the most accepted leadership setting is the umunna gathering.

So to be honest, those chiefs have no function,jurisdictions etc.

As somebody stated here people with access to wealth can lobby and get chieftancy title, which is different from being a traditional ruler. Lobbying for chieftancy title or position is not peculiar to the Igbo's, it's global. If you are talking about Igwe, Obi, Eze, Onowu, Okpala, Ogbataonuba, then I tell you they are as influential as any king in his domain. With exception of the "autonomous Eze/Igwe" you see in Imo state and parts of Abia and Enugu.