Igbo presence in South West states

It is no longer news that there is a growing presence of Igbos in the South West. Year after year, South Easterners flock  into the South West to seek greener pastures. Arguably,  Lagos State due to its coastal proximity, has the highest number of Igbos in the region.

Who is an Eze Ndigbo?

Eze

The title of Eze Ndigbo is usually conferred on chiefs, whose domain covers a community in Igbo land. Usually, those conferred with the title are red cap chiefs, who have distinguished themselves in the community.

Cultural diversity between Igbos and their Yoruba hosts

There is no gainsaying the fact that there is indeed cultural diversity between the two ethnic nationalities. The Igbo communities’ obsession with having a crowned king in Yoruba domains is continuously frowned at. However, such obsession cannot be said of Yoruba people resident in other climes as  a traditional ruler (especially in Yorubaland) is presumed to be next in authority and finality to only God Almighty (Ekeji Orisa)

Besides, this new trend is something that Yoruba people living away from Yorubaland do not even think of neither do they see reason why non-indigenes in Yorubaland should not know their boundaries. More worrisome is the manner the idea of Eze Ndigbo sprouted and started spreading connoting territorial influence and even ownership.

It has been argued that the practice has continued to stretch the tolerant nature of Yoruba people to the limit and it appears the eventual aim of its perpetrators is to stretch the culture of Yorubas to the breaking point.

The Lagos example of disharmony between Yoruba Obas and Igbos

In Lagos State, there has overtime existed a Cold War between traditional rulers and Igbos in their domain. But the Yoruba has continued to accommodate their Igbo counterparts in a bid to allow peace to reign. Prior the 2015 general elections, Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu had made some remarks which triggered angry reactions throughout the country.

Though the monarch had denied the remarks, but the Igbos did not take it lightly with the traditional rulers. Aside this, Oba Akiolu had warned the Igbos against replicating in Lagos what they would not allow in Aba or Onitsha. Clearly, Oba Akiolu’s grouse was against the election of some six non-Lagosians (two of them Igbo) to the House of Representatives in the 2015 elections

Call to order

Yoruba people view the trend as a dangerous one, which must be curbed to prevent breakdown of law and order.

ARG frowns

Citing relevant laws, the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) opined that the installation of Eze Ndigbo chieftaincy titles in any part of South-west geopolitical zone was not backed by any customary law. The group, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kunle Famoriyo, said that the practice of installing Eze Ndigbo chieftaincy titles in South-west was unacceptable and alien to Yoruba culture.

The group added that the call for de-recognition “has obviously been falling on deaf ears as this acrimonious relationship reared its ugly head again in Akure, the domain of one of our foremost Yoruba monarchs, the Deji of Akure.”

It said the title of Eze Ndigbo in Yorubaland “is not backed by any customary law and is therefore considered alien. The evolution of this structure has forced us to consider it as an expansionist agenda as the structure is only rampant in Yorubaland.

“In Akure, the “Eze” believes he now has the power to invest people with chieftaincy titles that are traditional to Yoruba kingship system. In Lagos State, there is an Eze Ndigbo of Lagos, as well as for each of the 57 local government areas. There are reports that we now even have Eze Ndigbo of some neighbourhoods in Lagos.

“What used to be were development unions and associations of Igbo people living in Yorubaland. Almost all Igbo communities with sizeable number of indigenes living in Yorubaland have a development union or association. These associations are welcome and supported, being organisations set up to discuss the welfare of their members.”

Warning of dire consequences, if the trend is not nipped in the bud, ARG said it was imperative for all Yoruba traditional rulers and executive heads of government at the state and local levels “to de-recognise all customary titles that are not backed by our customs, particularly those that they did not confer.

“We enjoin those parading themselves as holders of such titles to drop them in the spirit of peaceful coexistence. It is globally accepted that there cannot be two kings in the same domain as there cannot be two captains in the same boat,” the ARG further warned.

But the relationship turned sour, becoming an issue when an Eze Ndigbo in Akure, Sir Gregory Iloehike, was accused of insubordination and disrespect. The feud led to the closing of shops belonging to Igbo traders, who staged a protest against the planned dethronement of their Eze- Ndigbo, Iloehike.

They insisted that the traditional ruler has no power to dethrone Iloehike. It all started following the alleged refusal of the Igbos to obey the instruction given by the monarch. Trouble ensued between the Deji and Igbo residents, following the installation of an Igbo man as the chairman of one of the markets in Akure by the Eze-Ndigbo.

The development angered Oba Aladetoyinbo, who felt that it was a taboo for an Igbo man to rule over a market in Akure. It was gathered that the Akure monarch immediately summoned Iloehike but to his surprise, the Eze-Ndigbo wore his crown to the Deji’s palace, an action said to be against the tradition of Akure.

Irked by his attitude and responses to allegations leveled against him, the Chiefs and some youths who were in the palace ordered him to remove his crown. Deji of Akure was said to have suspended him from parading himself as Eze-Ndigbo. This development sent a wrong signal to the Igbo residents, who mobilized themselves to the palace, ordering the Deji to reverse his earlier statement on Iloehike.

But they were unlucky as Akure youths flogged and drove them out of the palace. Since the incident occurred, the Igbos, who dominate the Oba-Adesida road have refused to open for business. Rather, they converged on their secretariat located at Gbogi Street, Akure as early as 7.00am and warned the Akure monarch against his plan to dethrone the Eze Ndigbo. They insisted that the traditional ruler had no power to dethrone Iloehike.

Eze Ndigbo denies disrespect

The embattled Eze Ndigbo explained that he had not been rude to the Deji of Akure since he ascended the throne about six months ago, adding that he contributed immensely to the installation of the monarch.

In an effort to set the records straight, he said; “The Deji invited me to his palace around 8.48pm last Sunday  and I honoured his invitation on Monday morning. I went with one of my Chiefs, but when I got to the palace, I saw youths numbering over 200 who started shouting as I entered. I suspected that the youths were mobilized by the monarch and I showed respect to the Deji by prostrating for him.

“The monarch while addressing me at his palace threatened to drive all the Igbos in Akure out of the city and when I asked for the offence my people committed, the youths at the palace descended on me. They tore my beads and removed my crown. They attempted to beat me but the Police officers at the Palace rescued me.”

The Eze Ndigbo said the invitation by the monarch was the first he would receive from him since the monarch ascended the throne, pointing out that Igbos had been living harmoniously in Akure for over 70 years without friction with the natives. The spokesman for the Deji-in-Council who is the Asamo of Akureland, High Chief Olusanya was not in his palace for comments.

Mending fences

In a bid to mend the broken fence that had been created by the imbroglio, the Igbo in Akure, are said to be making frantic efforts to reconcile with the Deji of Akure, after a few days of bickering. Rising from a special meeting of Ohaneze Ndigbo at the palace of the Eze Ndigbo in Akure, the President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo in the state, Chief Okechukwu Okorie, said the Igbo respect the Deji and would not do anything against his wish.

He said the Igbo in the state are peace loving people, adding that the Ohaneze Ndigbo has started reconciliatory moves with the Deji and palace chiefs to ensure peaceful and harmonious co-existence between the Yoruba and Igbo in the town.