…Change your name to leader (Onyendu) of Igbo community — Monarchs

…No, we registered Eze Ndi Igbo with CAC — Eze Ndigbo group

…It’s provocative to answer Eze Ndigbo— Abia monarch

…It’s disrespect to dignity of Igbo traditional rulers; an abuse of Igbo tradition and culture

…CAC registration not reason to disobey Igbo royal fathers  — Enugu monarch

By Anayo Okoli, Steve Oko, Ugochukwu Alaribe, Chinonso Alozie, Alomona Ukwueze & Jeff Agbodo

ENUGU — A major confrontation is looming between the traditional rulers in Igbo land and the self-appointed Eze Ndigbo who reside and operate outside Igbo land. The disagreement is over the name, Eze Ndigbo, which the Igbo royal fathers want to be changed to Leader (Onyendu) of the Igbo community.  But they have rejected the title of leader (Onyendu) of the Igbo community proposed to them by the monarchs, insisting on the name, Eze Ndigbo, which they claimed was registered with the CAC.

The Eze Ndigbo group, speaking under the umbrella of the Association of Ndi Eze Ndigbo Na Uzo Ije, (Igbo traditional rulers in Diaspora) vehemently rejected the name; Onyendu Ndigbo (leader of the Igbo community) recommended by the South-East traditional rulers.

Rising from a meeting said to have been held in Lagos, they claimed that their name is duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, under Part C, CAC/IT/No.21796, dated 12th September 2006.

In a communiqué signed by Eze Ndigbo, Ondo State, who was newly elected President-General of the association, and other leaders, the group said: “We strongly believe that our royal fathers back home were misdirected and misinformed about the name to be answered by the group. This meeting holds the leadership of South-East traditional rulers like the previous ones in high esteem. We do not want to go through the historical contests and previous interventions regarding the name change.

“So we appeal that they drop their generated name of Oyendu Ndigbo (Leader of Igbo community). We remain Eze Ndigbo as contained in our constitution as the supposed new name would not yield the desired reforms intended.”

The worry of the Igbo royal fathers and indeed, Igbo in general, is anchored in the confusion the name generates, especially for non-Igbo. While traditional rulers in Anambra and Enugu states go by the appellation of Igwe, those from Abia, Imo and Ebonyi states bear the title Eze. So bearing the name Eze Ndigbo is bound to bring confusion to those not conversant with the Igbo traditional institution. Their counterparts from other parts of the country go by the name leader. You have a leader of the Hausa or Yoruba community, as the case may be; and that spells out their roles or who they are, devoid of any confusion.

It is provocative to answer Eze Ndigbo — Abia monarch

The former Deputy Chairman of Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Nzenwata Mbakwe said the Igbo leaders outside Igbo land insisting on going by the name Eze Ndigbo, is just courting the trouble of their hosts.

The monarch argued that already, every community has a traditional ruler; hence, it is provocative to have another traditional ruler in the same community for the Igbo race.

He said Igbo traditional rulers had earlier advised them to rather go by the name; Onyendu Ndigbo, the Igbo leader of that community or city, and not Eze Ndigbo (Igbo traditional ruler).

Eze Mbakwe advised Ndigbo in the Diaspora not to look for the trouble of their host state because of rulership.

He said: “We have cautioned them before not to answer Eze Ndigbo because that is provocative to their hosts who already have their own traditional ruler. Every autonomous community has a traditional ruler. I won’t be happy to have another person answer Eze (King) in my own autonomous community where I preside over.”

CAC registration not reason to disobey Igbo royal fathers — Enugu monarch

Also speaking, the Chairman of Enugu State Traditional Rulers’ Council, Igwe Ikechukwu Asadu, urged the group to accept the new name proposed to them by Igbo traditional rulers as it is aimed at safeguarding the respect and integrity of Igbo traditional institution.

Igwe Asadu, who is also a member of the Board of Trustees, Council of Traditional Rulers in Africa, Nigeria chapter, and the traditional ruler of Edem Ani Ogwugwu Ancient Kingdom in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, noted that CAC registration of the name is not enough reason to reject the proposed name.

He, however, commended the organization for promoting Igbo culture beyond the shores of Nigeria.

“They are doing a good job by organizing, guiding, and maintaining our culture outside our domain. They are greatly appreciated and encouraged. However, let them follow the law of the land. May they find peace in any names they agree with; our ancestors are watching too”, he said.

Calling them Eze Ndigbo is an affront to Igbo culture and traditional rulers — Abia community leader

The President-General of Nzuko Ukwu Ngwa autonomous community in Isiala Ngwa North Council Area of Abia State, Chief Victor Azumara, said that insisting on the name Eze Ndigbo, is an affront to Igbo culture and traditional rulers, and should be banned.

He commended the South-East Council of Traditional Rulers for taking the bold step in tackling the anomaly and instilling order in the leadership of Ndigbo residing outside Igbo land.

Describing the Eze Ndigbo title as inconsistent with Igbo tradition, Azumara explained that one cannot be a traditional ruler in a foreign land because a foreigner is subject to the tradition of the indigenous people where he resides.

He tasked the five Houses of Assembly in the South-East region to make a law banning the position of Eze Ndigbo outside Igbo land, stressing that it is an abuse of Igbo tradition.

He said: “The idea of Eze Ndigbo in the Diaspora, is a misnomer and inconsistent with Igbo tradition and culture. It is an affront to Igbo culture.  One cannot be a traditional ruler in a foreign land because a foreigner is subject to the tradition of the indigenous people where he resides.

“There cannot be two traditional rulers in one community. The directive by South-East traditional rulers for them to change their name is in order.

“The argument that it is registered with the CAC is baseless and an affront to Igbo tradition. Under which law is Eze Ndigbo in the Diaspora operating? If need be, the South- East Council of Traditional Rulers should go to court and challenge the registration of Eze Ndigbo in the Diaspora or on the alternative, get the various Houses of Assembly of the South-East states to pass a law against the operations of Eze Ndigbo outside Igbo land.”

I am not against Eze Ndigbo in Diaspora; it doesn’t remove my staff of office — Ebonyi monarch

However, the Traditional Ruler of Nkaliki Unuhu autonomous community, Ebonyi State, Ezeogo Sunday Oketa said he is not against Eze Ndigbo in Diaspora as  anybody has the right to answer any name anywhere. Their name and activities, he said, don’t remove him as the elected traditional ruler of his community and they cannot collect his staff of office.

“They should be allowed to answer any name they wish to bear. What are we fighting for? All these things are vanity.

God has destined everyone to become what he will become and nobody can change it. So, I am not against anybody bearing Eze Ndigbo  in any part of the world  because that cannot change anything. For me, my community who elected me knows me as their Ezeogo and cannot recognise another person. The state government that gave me a staff of office knows me.

“So, Eze Ndigbo anywhere cannot collect my staff or take or stop my salary as Ezeogo. All these ends here on earth and do not matter. If the people call him Eze and call me Ezeogo, it doesn’t matter.

He can call me Ezeogo and I call him Eze Ndigbo. I see them representing Ndigbo in the various places and countries where they are residents and that shouldn’t bring conflicts. We should be one and should respect ourselves and know our boundaries so that the world will accommodate everybody”, Ezeogo Oketa stated.

Ohanaeze should write to CAC to deregister Eze Ndigbo title –Imo community leader

The President General of Oguta Community, Oguta Council Area of Imo state, Sir Uche Iwuorisha  condemned it and called on the Igbo apex, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, to quickly write to CAC to deregister the Eze Ndigbo title.

“My advice is that Ohanaeze Ndigbo should write to CAC to deregister the Eze Ndigbo title since they said it was registered with CAC. There is nothing like Eze Ndigbo. You can be the leader of Igbo in a particular location. They can find another name and not Eze Ndigbo.

“The Igbo are a group of people from different communities.  In the community, we have Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Abia, and Enugu State. These people already have an association to bind them together based on community or state of origin. You can’t have two Eze because every community in Igbo land has its own Eze. So, there is no way you can be my Eze, somebody from Anambra State can’t be my Eze while I am from Imo State when we already have an Eze here too. I can’t have two Eze.

“I am against the title of Eze Ndigbo in Diaspora. They should change it. They should change it to the Chairman or leader of the Igbo community. Just like we have in Igbo land, the leader of the Hausa community in this place. This is how it should be”, he said.

Foundation marks World Cancer Day in Anambra with school quiz competition

By Vincent Ujumadu

A nongovernmental

organisation,,the OCI Foundation, has marked this year’s World Cancer Day with a quiz competition among secondary schools in Anambra State as part of awareness creation against cancer.

The event climaxed the fourth edition of the statewide quiz competition designed to enhance engagement with the OCI Foundation’s Arm Our Youths Anti-Cancer Health Campaign, also known as the ArOY Health campaign. 

The Founder and President of the foundation, Dr. Chris Ifediora said the quiz component of the ArOY campaign was added in the 2021/2022 academic session and has since been delivered annually in collaboration with the State Post-Primary Schools Service Commission (PPSSC).

The initiative, he added, is a Harvard-endorsed anti-cancer programme that introduced anti-breast and anti-cervical cancer teachings into the regular curriculum of all public Senior Secondary Schools across Anambra State. He added that on October 10, 2019, the Anambra State Govt. officially commissioned the ArOY project for its public schools.

Ifediora explained that the event was put together to celebrate and reward the students, teachers, and schools that have steadfastly adhered to, and remarkably excelled in the provisions of the OCI Foundation’s ArOY Health Campaign.

Master Daniel Nzube Okeke from Community High School, Nwafija, Aguata Education zone, emerged the state champion of the competition, which drew participants from the six education zones of Otuocha, Onitsha, Ogidi, Awka, Nnewi, and Aguata.

Ifediora, who was represented by Dr   Joy Ulasi said: “The finalists emerged from the six zonal contests held across different days in November 2024. The OCI Foundation remains committed to sponsoring a national version of this quiz competition, which we hope to introduce across Nigeria as part of the programmes to support the compulsory integration of the ArOY campaign into the curriculum of all Nigerian Senior Secondary Schools. 

“This exciting dream for a national competition is only possible because, in mid-2023, the Nigerian National Assembly passed an OCI Foundation-inspired Legislative Bill that will nationalise the ArOY campaign.

“It has turned out to be an exciting, engaging, and inspiring contest that sees students from all 265 public Senior Secondary Schools of this state participate in a healthy, transparent contest..” 

He recalled that the World Cancer Day was set aside to raise awareness against cancers. “It was created by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) at the 2000 World Cancer Summit in Paris, France. 

“Our Foundation, being a full member of the UICC, participated at the 2024 World Cancer summit held between September 17 to 19, 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland. We are committed to the World Cancer Day”, he stated.

Chairman of the occasion, Dr Ernest Chukwuma, commended the organizers for bringing out the best in the students. 

He said that Principals of schools will be informed on how best to update students with current affairs, noting that some of the questions failed by the participants in the quiz were things primary School pupils could easily answer.

“We hope that next year’s competition will be as successful as this year’s and even better,” he added.