…Condemn inordinate craze for unmerited chieftaincy among Igbo nouveau riche
…It is unacceptable, Igbo customs and tradition abhor having a traditional ruler of Igbo extraction in any foreign land—Imo monarch
…Monarchs don’t travel outside their domain with the ‘Ofo’
By Anayo Okoli, Chidi Nkwopara, Steve Oko, Emmanuel Iheaka, Alumona Ukwueze & Chinedu Adonu
ENUGU — In a desperate quest for recognition and importance, the craze for chieftaincy titles has continued to rise in Igbo land. Young Igbo men, particularly those with means, the nouveau riche, spend so much to scout and acquire chieftaincy titles just to boost their ego.
Some of them even seek titles beyond Igbo land, and in some cases, beyond the shores of the country. You see titles such as Ezeigbo in one community or city outside Igbo land, as well as High Chief, Super High Chief, Cabinet Chief, among others, being appended before their names.
The unscrupulous among them even use the titles for dubious means, but others use them to show off, for prestige and to boost their ego. For the dubious ones, such titles seem to confer importance and credibility on them to convince companies and individuals, particularly foreigners, to strike business deals with them.
In rural communities, some of them use the titles to intimidate their people, especially the poor ones and grab their land. The manner in which these titles are procured has also made them lose respect and value in society.
Many blame traditional rulers for indiscriminately giving out these chieftaincy titles in some cases, to the highest bidders, irrespective of their character. And this has been a source of concern to the Igbo, particularly monarchs and leaders.
Nobody is permitted to answer Eze Ndigbo — Okeke, chairman, NdËeze Imo
The Chairman of Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Emmanuel Okeke, has reaffirmed that the tradition of the Igbo does not permit anyone to answer Eze Ndigbo, Obi of Igbo, or the likes.
Eze Okeke stated that Eze is the heritage of the Igbo and should only be answered by one coronated the proper way by his people.
He submitted that anyone who wants to be a leader of the Igbo within or outside Igbo land can answer Onye ndu Ndi Igbo.
“We have said it several times that we don’t want to hear Eze Ndigbo again or Obi of Igbo or those names. It is not in our tradition.
“Eze is our heritage. If anybody wants to be the leader of Ndi Igbo, he can answer onye ndu ndi Igbo,” he stated.
The monarch urged those involved in arrogating royal titles to themselves to refrain from such disrespect to the Igbo traditional institution.
Igbo custom and tradition abhor having a traditional ruler in any foreign land — Eze Ilomunya
The former Chairman of Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, and the royal father of Obinugwu, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, made it clear that it is against Igbo custom and tradition to crown anyone a monarch in any foreign land or anywhere outside Igbo land.
Speaking to SEV, Eze Ilomuanya said: “My opinion on this matter has never changed over the years. Such human beings are not royal fathers. They can be described as anything, but definitely not Ndi Eze.
“Igbo custom and tradition completely abhors having a traditional ruler, of Igbo extraction, in any foreign land.
“In the strict sense of our tradition, it is very wrong for any Igbo royal father who is worth his salt to pour libation in any place outside his community.
“Imo people can vividly remember that when I served as Chairman of Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, we stopped this charade, for very obvious reasons.
“We gave them the name: Onye Ndu Ndigbo, leader of Ndigbo. We settled for this title because we appreciated the fact that they had a right to proper leadership. To that extent, we obliged.”
On how the practice resurrected after his tenure, Eze Ilomuanya blamed it on the Rochas Okorocha administration.
His words: “I stopped them from parading themselves as Ndi Eze, but it was Chief Rochas Okorocha, who reintroduced the anomalous practice during his tenure as governor of Imo State. He even issued such impostors with certificates.
“This was, and still is, patently wrong. He thought that he was fighting me, but was completely oblivious of the fact that he was bastardizing Igbo custom and tradition.
“How can anybody be a traditional ruler in another man’s land? If any of them wants to be a traditional ruler, such a person should come home, face the people’s scrutiny and if he scales through the hurdle, the royal stool becomes his own.
“Anaghi eji ofo aga mba, (You don’t travel out with the sacred symbol and mandate of the royal stool), Eze Ilomuanya, who is also the chairman of Imo State Council of Elders, stated.
Anyone still answering Eze Ndigbo in diaspora does so at his own risk—Chairman, Abia Traditional Rulers’ Council
The Chairman of the Abia State Traditional Rulers’ Council, HRM Eze Linus Nto Mbah, concurred that such practice has been banned by Igbo, and warned that anyone caught still answering or parading himself as Eze Ndigbo in diaspora, would have himself to blame.
Speaking to SEV in Umuahia, the monarch said the position of the South-East Traditional Rulers’ Council, which banned the embarrassing practice, had not changed. He explained that they were only permitted to answer Ndi Ndu Ndigbo (Igbo leaders) in their respective places of abode outside Igbo land.
The monarch explained that every autonomous community in Igbo land already has a traditional ruler, arguing that there should not be two traditional rulers in one community, assuming those diaspora Ezes return home.
He insisted that the practice is an aberration, adding that very soon, Igbo traditional rulers would roll out measures to punish defaulters.
He said: “During the last meeting we had in Enugu, we abolished that practice (Eze Ndigbo in diaspora). Many of them came, they apologized to us, and we told them what they should answer is Ndi Ndu Ndigbo (Igbo leaders). That is what we agreed with them.
“Anyone still flouting our directive is doing so at their own risk because once we are aware of such, the person(s) won’t get out of it.
“There cannot be two Ezes in one community. If they come back home, what happens to their traditional ruler at home who was given a staff of office by the Government? Which community will they be leading?
“Very soon, we are going to bring measures out to punish offenders. They cannot continue with that.”
I stand with the decision of South-East Council of Traditional Rulers— Igwe Asadu
The Chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers’ Council, HRM, Igwe Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu (Ogadagidi), said he aligns himself with the decision of the South-East Traditional Rulers’ Council, which mandated Igbo people living in the diaspora to crown themselves as Ndi Ndu Igbo instead of Eze Ndigbo.
The royal father also stated that the court had earlier passed a judgment on the matter and urged Igbo leaders living in the diaspora to honour the decision of the South-East Traditional Rulers Council by desisting from bearing Eze Ndigbo in a foreign land.
Eze Ndigbo title outside Igboland is illegal— Igwe Onyeka
The traditional ruler of Agu-Edeme in Igbo-Eze North, Enugu State, Igwe Odo Lawrence Onyeka condemns the practice, describing it as illegal and against Igbo tradition.
He emphasized that a traditional title such as Eze is meant for rulers elected within a specific community, with recognised jurisdiction, and official recognition by the government.
Igwe Onyeka stressed that an Igbo leader residing outside Igbo land should be addressed as Onye Ndu Ndigbo (leader of Igbos) rather than adopting the Eze title.
He warned that claiming such title without proper recognition disrespects the Igbo traditional rulership system.
He also highlighted that no non-native has been recognised as Emir in South-East states.
He called for respect and adherence to tradition and customs, urging Igbo people to honour their long standing traditions of Ezeship, similar to other ethnic groups.
“This title, 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 the states where they live.
“How does an Eze Ndigbo in Abuja, Lagos, Bauchi, Minna or Germany get recognition or staff of office? Who screens or confirms him as Eze Ndigbo? Who gives him the staff of authority? How does he determine his area of authority or jurisdiction?
“Ndigbo should respect and support their age-long tradition of Ezeship. Let us, for once, respect our traditional title of Eze as other ethnic groups do to their Oba, Emir, among others,” Igwe Onyeka said.
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