Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Osun outlaws Eze Ndigbo title
From Tunji Omofoye, Osogbo

IN a bid protect the Igbo culture and traditional institution from ridicule, Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola yesterday imposed a ban on the Igbo in the state from parading themselves as Eze Ndigbo (king of Igbo) even as he sought constitutional responsibilities for traditional rulers in the country.

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The sanction on the Eze Ndigbo title in the state came on the heels of a request by Chairman, South-East Council of Traditional Rulers, Cletus Ilomuanya, who led a delegation of over 35 kings alongside their Osun State counterparts, led by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, during a courtesy visit on Oyinlola yesterday.

Ilomuanya expressed concern over alleged nefarious activities of those who regard and parade themselves as kings outside the South-East but failed to live up to the leadership qualities expected of Igbo monarchs.

Receiving the traditional rulers, Oyinlola stressed that his administration would not allow unscrupulous individuals to drag traditional institutions in the mud and asked those parading themselves as Eze Ndigbo outside the South-East to stop forthwith.

He described the situation where the Igbo outside their homestead parade themselves as Eze Ndigbo in Osun State and elsewhere as a misnomer and pledged to meet with those concerned to address the issue.

Consequently, he directed his Special Adviser on Inter-Community Relations, Umoh Bassey Umoh, to find out those involved for a meeting with him.

The governor underscored the important position of traditional rulers to societal mobilisation and development, arguing that constitutional roles should be carved out for them.

He said he had made representations on this to the appropriate quarters.

On the issue of security raised by the visiting South-East monarchs, Oyinlola promised to put up the matter at the next meeting of the Governors' Forum.

In his speech, Oba Sijuwade described traditional rulers as custodians of the people's tradition, "counsellors and monitors who are supposed to show exemplary leadership quality to their people".

He noted that "the South-West and South-East stand to gain more in unity, co-operation and unalloyed patriotic disposition in the core interest of the people and the larger interest of Nigeria".

Eze Ilomuanya, who is also chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, lamented that the sacred culture and tradition of the Igbo had of recent been desecrated by the illegitimate and rampant installations of Eze Ndigbo in foreign lands by some groups of Igbo indigenes residing outside Igbo states.

According to him, "these group of people are equally found in Osun State, the struggle and quest to attain these positions had resulted in crisis and conflicts among the Igbo living in the hinterlands".

He stressed that these activities had received widespread condemnation from governments, Ohaneze Ndigbo and South-East Council of Traditional Rulers.