•It is against Igbo tradition, should be abolished — Chairman, Abia Council of traditional rulers
• Southeast governors should wade into it — Eze Matthew Oweni
• We are the cause of our problem — Imo monarch
• It is belittling Igbo culture and tradition — Igwe Spencer Ugwuoke
• It portrays great disrespect, disservice and bastardization of Igbo custom, tradition
By Anayo Okoli, Ugochukwu Alaribe, Chimaobi Nwaiwu, Chinonso Alozie & Ikechukwu Odu
ENUGU—The issue of Ezeigbo in Diaspora has been one issue that has divided the opinions of Igbo leaders and stakeholders.
Some have argued that it has belittled the powers of traditional rulers in Igbo land who sit over the cultural and traditional affairs in the various communities only to hear of one of their subjects being made Ezeigbo in another place outside his domain. This has been embarrassing to many monarchs.
They argued that in as much as there is need for Igbo outside their domain to have leadership for better direction, it is absurd to call such leader Ezeigbo.

According to them, any other name is suffice but definitely, not Ezeigbo. The controversy has been raging. Even some monarchs outside Igbo land have complained and expressed their opposition to such titles in their domain which they believe is illegal and should not be allowed in their domain.
The Chairman, Abia State of traditional rulers, Eze Ndubuisi Nwabeke, sees this practice as illegal and absurd and called for the abolition of the title of Eze Ndigbo for Igbo people residing in other states and cities in Nigeria and abroad. This, he said is completely against Igbo tradtion.
According to Eze Nwabeke, it is against Igbo tradition to have traditional rulers outside Igbo land. The South East council of traditional rulers, he said, had long advised Igbo people residing outside Igbo land to address their leaders as Onye Ndu Ndigbo, (leader of Igbo people) not EzeNdigbo.

Nwabeke, who is the traditional ruler of Eziama Ntigha Autonomous Community, Isiala Ngwa North Council Area, explained that the title ‘Eze’ is reserved for traditional rulers duly elected by a local community, presented to the Local Government Council by the community and recognized by the State Government and issued with a staff of office by the Governor of the State.
“This thing called Eze Ndigbo or Eze Igbo in other states or cities of this country outside their respective states or communities should not be encouraged. It must be abolished. It portrays great disrespect and disservice to the Igbo traditional rulership system.
The South East Council of Traditional Rulers had long ago advised Igbo indigenes residing outside Igbo land to choose the name of Onye Ndu Ndigbo in their respective states or cities where they live.

“An Eze should rule a community that has a map showing the area of his authority and a constitution that guides his rulership. No one can be an Eze in another person’s land or state. You must be a free born of the community you are to rule. Tenants in urban areas should not talk of having palaces in a foreign land where they reside.

“If I may ask, how does an Eze Ndigbo in Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna or Kebbi get recognition or staff of office? Who screens or confirms him as Eze Ndigbo? Who gives him authority? How does he determine his area of authority or jurisdiction?
“Is it the Governor or Local Government chairman of another state who doesn’t understand the Igbo custom and tradition?

“Most of the so called Eze Ndigbo have gone on to build palaces in their states of residence. We are not against the building of palaces, but the proper things must be done. In all these, you observe that the Eze Ndigbo title is certainly a bastardization of Igbo custom and tradition as long as our traditional rulership system is concerned.


“There has never been an Emir of Aba or Oba of Aba by any Hausa or Yoruba man residing in Aba. It is therefore reckless of any Igbo man residing in any city in Nigeria or abroad to arrogate to himself a title of Eze Ndigbo. It shows lack of respect to the traditional institution and should not be encouraged”, Eze Nwabeke declared.
He, therefore, urged governors, chairmen of Local Government Areas and traditional rulers outside Igbo land to deny recognition to Eze Ndigbo title, but accept leaders of Igbo groups in their respective areas as Onye Ndu Ndigbo (Igbo Leader).
He also urged Igbo people residing outside Igbo land to have associations for their social interactions while such must have leaders addressed as Onye Ndu Ndigbo in their states or cities.
“The monarch maintained that the age long Igbo tradition of Ezeship must be accorded the respect and support it deserves, stressing that people are addressed by how they portray themselves among other ethnic groups.
“Ndigbo should respect and support their age long tradition of Ezeship as the name you call your dog is what it answer. Let us for once respect our traditional title of Eze as other ethnic groups do to their Oba, Emir, among others”, the monarch further admonished.
Also, a prominent monarch in Enugu State and the traditional ruler of Obimo Autonomous Community in Enugu State, Igwe Spencer Ugwuoke, has condemned in strong terms the conferment of Eze Ndigbo in Diaspora on Igbo indigenes.
Ugwuoke said any Diaspora community recognizing another Eze Ndigbo in a foreign land is belittling Igbo culture and tradition.
He, however, commended the efforts of the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, in fighting for Igbo agenda, but insisted that he needs to carry the traditional rulers of different Igbo communities along in seeking solutions to some issues plaguing the Igbo nation.
“How can any Igbo man who suckled his mother’s breast milk go out to any foreign land and be crowned Eze Ndigbo? What sort of thing is that? We now have Eze Ndigbo in Malaysia, Germany, Lagos and what have you. This is very embarrassing and a tragic disservice to our culture and tradition.

“Have you ever heard of Emir of Kano in Enugu or Sultan of Sokoto in Dubai or are the Hausas not living in those places? It has reduced our respect as traditional rulers from the Igbo extraction.


“In old Anambra State, you cannot wear red cap unless you are a titled man but look at what is happening today. Everybody wears it without any regard to the traditional Igbo institutions who own it. These days, I don’t wear red caps anymore because it has been devalued.
“There should be chairmen of Diaspora Igbo associations, not kings. How can you go to someone else’s country and claim to be a king?

“A king in another person’s home and you expect him to be happy with you? Why don’t the English people crown king of England in Nigeria? I think we should give a second thought to our actions so that we don’t fall victims of some situations”, Ugwuoke said.


“The traditional rulers do not take priority seats in any function being organized by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo. This needs to be amended because it is when the ‘Oha’ and ‘Ezes’ meet that issues concerning Igbo nation such as this would be addressed”, the monarch said.
For the traditional ruler of Ogbor ancient kingdom in Isiala Mbano council area of Imo State, Eze Matthew Oweni, the issue of Ezeigbo in Diaspora has continued to cause disaffection between the Igbo and their host communities.

Eze Oweni said allowing such amounts to having two kings in a community. He advised the governors to collaborate with the traditional institutions and send delegations to the various states to speak to the Igbos on how to resolve the issues.
According to him, they (monarchs) had made such move some years back to Lagos and introduced to them a new title of ‘ Ochiora’ (leader) instead of using Eze Ndigbo.
“We are the cause of our problem. We have rectified this matter for a very long time for over five years ago. This issue of Eze Ndigbo, took us to Lagos State and we met Chief Ralph Uwazuruike at his Iri ji (New Yam) festival.
“At that ceremony, we advised the Igbo leaders at the occasion and told them to avoid this problem by using the title, “Ochiora” Ndigbo or “Aka na elekota Ndigbo instead of the title Eze Ndigbo. We have rectified all these issues and anybody you see going with that Igbo title of Eze Ndigbo wants to use it and cause problems.
“The present Southeast governors should invite the traditional rulers in Igboland and send them to go and talk to our brothers in the various parts of the state that are not of Igboland”, Eze Oweni suggested.

In the view of a member of Dunukofia Ozo Titled Men in Anambra State, Chief Ozoh Anaekwe, traditional rulers in Igbo land should stop further desecration of traditional rulers stools by not recognizing people who go outside Igbo land to answer Eze Ndigbo, resident in such areas.
Describing such people as those who want to rule in hell than to serve in paradise, Chief Anaekwe, who holds the title of Ezeana in the Ifitedunu Igwes Cabinet, also urged the traditional rulers, kings, Emirs of the communities where such people parade as Eze Ndigbo to stop them because they are also desecrating and making nonsense of their own traditional stool as according to Anaekwe, two kings cannot be in one town or throne.

“Their so called Igbo King or Eze Ndigbo in Ibadan, Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Sokoto and other states as the case may be, is telling people that there are two kings in one town is an insult to Igbo culture and the culture of the host community or state.
“If it was the time when we had Igbo Union, nobody can try that nonsense? It is because of the type of politicians we have in the country today. If not, they cannot be recognized as traditional ruler or Eze Ndigbo or Igbo King or whatever they call themselves, anywhere in the country.


“Those who are aspiring to be traditional rulers in other kingdoms, domains or states are the people that are causing problem in their communities. When they vie for Ezeship positions in their communities and fail, because they are not wanted they will leave for another state to go and start answering the traditional ruler. Nobody elected or selected them to be, in another state and country.

“They should not be taken seriously, they are supposed to be sanctioned and penalized because what they are doing is not part of Igbo tradition. We do not recognize them and will never recognize them; that their title stops at the state, country or community they reside and operate the Eze Ndigbo.
“We are also calling on the Ohanaeze Ndigbo to start the processes of abolishing that nonsense they call Eze Ndigbo or Igwe Ndigbo in states of the federation because that is not part of Igbo culture and tradition. We do not recognize them and will never recognize them because it is a slap and a desecration of our culture and tradition to Ezeship stool in Igbo land.

“Traditional rulers in Igbo land should swing into action and ban that nonsense if they must get respect from us. The host communities that are allowing them should also ban it in their communities and states because it is also an insult to their own traditional rulership stool. There can never be two Kings in one community. Any king that allows it is disrespecting himself and desecrating his traditional stool”, he further said

“The people answering Eze Ndigbo are politicians registered and working for respective political parties, giving fake endorsement to parties and individuals against the wish of Ndigbo.
“They want to rule in hell than to serve in Paradise, at their communities. They are people causing trouble and confusion and they are the people who oppose all the developmental projects because of their selfish interests.”


https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/11/igbo-monarchs-battle-ezeigbo-in-diaspora/?fbclid=IwAR1EH39KamdF49TkMK67EUbSmEkavz0J7NJJHjtuxlgE23OLnABPMMSaCQU

Lalasticlala

After the long read I realized that one Igbo man is the problem of another Igbo man

I HOPE I MADE SENSE

It is a slap to those traditional rulers having Eze as their title.


It is totally insulting to them anyway

“In old Anambra State, you cannot wear red cap unless you are a titled man but look at what is happening today. Everybody wears it without any regard to the traditional Igbo institutions who own it. These days, I don’t wear red caps anymore because it has been devalued.

“There should be chairmen of Diaspora Igbo associations, not kings. How can you go to someone else’s country and claim to be a king?

Every time, dick and harry now wears Red cap and not only that answering Eze ndigbo in another man's land.

How can their be two kings in a town.

I repeat, the thing should bother those states that uses Eze as the title of their king.

To us the Eze has no value or is not different from the diasporean Eze ndigbo.


What is recognized are Igwe, Obi or Okpala-uku.


As for the Eze issues, it has been bastardized and devalued.

Toh

Mokason288:
After the long read I realized that one Igbo man is the problem of another Igbo man

I HOPE I MADE SENSE

It only shows you didn't read it at all.

You ended up making no sense.

But let me summarize it since you can't read properly.

The monarchs simply asked the diasporean to chose another title and not that which a king is addressed with.

Juliusmalema:



It only shows you didn't read it at all.

You ended up making no sense.

But let me summarize it since you can't read properly.

The monarchs simply asked the diasporean to chose another title and not that which a king is addressed with.

Why?
Why are they concerned about what they call someone who can’t Excercie his authority outside his jurisdiction?
Why are they concerned about what they call other’s ? When it actually doesn’t affect them in any way?
It’s show’s you read the long epistle but you didn’t understand what you read ...let me explain to you
This is just the normal Pull him down mentality of the Igbo man
If you leave in the North or a crisis area you will know the meaning of the name Ezeigbo and why it should remain that way...
The Ezeigbo in the North has more job functions than you could imagine

Even me self will never subscribe to this Ezendigbo outside Igbo land. they even arrogate non existent powers to themselves more than the real Ezes. it should be abolished and Chairmanship used in place of it

Mokason288:

Why?
Why are they concerned about what they call someone who can’t Excercie his authority outside his jurisdiction?
Why are they concerned about what they call other’s ? When it actually doesn’t affect them in any way?
It’s show’s you read the long epistle but you didn’t understand what you read ...let me explain to you
This is just the normal Pull him down mentality of the Igbo man
If you leave in the North or a crisis area you will know the meaning of the name Ezeigbo and why it should remain that way...
The Ezeigbo in the North has more job functions than you could imagine

The monarchs are 100% right.

let them choose another not what kings are addressed with.

The real pull him down syndrome is you trying to relegate the traditional rulers by bastardizing their title.


As for this, one they are totally right

Mokason288:

Why?
Why are they concerned about what they call someone who can’t Excercie his authority outside his jurisdiction?
Why are they concerned about what they call other’s ? When it actually doesn’t affect them in any way?
It’s show’s you read the long epistle but you didn’t understand what you read ...let me explain to you
This is just the normal Pull him down mentality of the Igbo man
If you leave in the North or a crisis area you will know the meaning of the name Ezeigbo and why it should remain that way...
The Ezeigbo in the North has more job functions than you could imagine

Let him choose another igbo title and not that reserved for traditional rulers.


As far he is recognized and elected the northern stated govt will work with him

Igbo monarchs should concern themselves more with the ills and bad governance in their community and forget the so called eze ndi Igbo in diaspora. During the time we use to have eze ndigbo of Ilorin, I don't even know the guy, if he passes by, I no Sabi him. Each Igbo man is eze in his home. What we should be clamouring for is good governance the entire south east is too small for us to have bad governance everywhere.By now, south east should be looking like Amelika if not for bad governance

Speaking of hypocrisy, even those that came to eat their monarch are talking of Igbo disunity.
They think we are like them that came for their kings head with pepper and onions.
Back to the matter, in truth we don't actually have regards for both the Eze in diaspora and the fancy hat wearing ones at home. We only regard our Obi and Okpala. The rest are Nigerian/Foreign institution except Eze arọ.
The picture below speaks so much about unity. They came with pepper and onions to unite their monarch with their stomach

Juliusmalema:



Let him choose another igbo title and not that reserved for traditional rulers.


As far he is recognized and elected the northern stated govt will work with him

What is the job function of Ezeigbo?
Why is he worried sick when someone else is called Ezeigbo?
In the North we have Emir’s every where, but they are differentiated from each other by the class ... you will see 1st class Emir etc

You can't try this nonsense in Asaba

IBNDIEGO:
You can't try this nonsense in Asaba

Are you okay?

how can someone come to asaba to establish eze ndigbo?

Eze ndigbo of who?

The monarchs are concerned about those devaluing their title in west and north in name of eze ndigbo.


To me that nonsense must stop.

Mokason288:

What is the job function of Ezeigbo?
Why is he worried sick when someone else is called Ezeigbo?
In the North we have Emir’s every where, but they are differentiated from each other by the class ... you will see 1st class Emir etc

Do you have emirs among hausas in east or sultan?
have you heard such title from them?

It will be insulting.

Northern govt shouldd stop according respect and recognition to those guys devaluing their Kings title.

IBNDIEGO:
You can't try this nonsense in Asaba

LOL, this guy is funny.
Nobody establishes Eze NdIgbo in Igbo towns which is the reason it can't happen in Asaba or any core Igbo town. It's like having Eze NdIgbo in Onitsha, Aba, Nnewi and Co. It will be funny

Juliusmalema:



Do you have emirs among hausas in east or sultan?
have you heard such title from them?

It will be insulting.

Northern govt shouldd stop according respect and recognition to those guys devaluing their Kings title.

.

Bkayyy:

LOL, this guy is funny.
Nobody establishes Eze NdIgbo in Igbo towns which is the reason it can't happen in Asaba or any core Igbo town. It's like having Eze NdIgbo in Onitsha, Aba, Nnewi and Co. It will be funny

my brother someone once tried it three years ago am a witness