Ohaneze Chieftain Explains Why Igbo Kings Are not Recognized Outside Igboland

… Insists Ohaneze yet to get PG, and he is the authentic President of Ohaneze, FCT Chapter

Paschal Emeka, Abuja | Posted January 24, 2024

Though Igbo Kings in the Diaspora (Ndieze Igbo na Uzoije) never wanted to hear that they are not recognized as Kings, but the factional President of Ohaneze Ndigbo in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr (Nze) Ifeanyichukwu Obasi – Nweze, has explained the reason why they don’t recognize the Igbo kings outside Igboland

He also informed that the apex Igbo socio cultural organisation is yet to have a President General (PG), because election has not been conducted to fill the vacant position, after the death of their late PG, Prof Obiozor.

He claimed that he is the authentic President of Ohaneze in the FCT, having been duly elected to the position by members.

“I have been saying it that there are no Ezeigbo here in the FCT. The only Eze I recognised are those crowned kings by their communities in Igboland.

“I have made it abundantly clear; you can not create a kingdom in another man’s kingdom, that is number one.

“Number two, the Eze of Nnewi is not the Eze of Uburu where I come from. So in Igboland, we don’t have Eze Ndigbo, because it is neither traditional, nor customary; there is no position like that. You cannot come here to say you are Eze Ndigbo; that you crossed boundary, which boundary are you crossing and which Igbo are you their Eze?”

He continued: “What we have is Elders’ Council (EC) and they are people of proven character and integrity and some of them are titled men, from their various communities in the South East, but we don’t call them Ezes, because they are not Ezes. We also have executives.

“Those who call themselves Eze, where do they fall in? In my place you go to the Eze, and they know where the Eze is from and they know everything, because there is a certificate from the government.

“If they say they are Eze, let them show their certificates. That is not why we come here; we left our land to come here; some came as civil servants, some came as businessmen. Do your business and go. Submit to the local authority, and to the government, very simple. Let me make this point, we leave the things we should be pursuing and be pursuing other things. Most people you find in this EzeIgbo tussle are people who have failed in their businesses. As I am here now, why would you crown me Eze and Eze of who?

“I have a job I am doing, so I don’t need to utilize a particular position and be defrauding people. In fact I am sorry to say this; you know that I mentioned that there are people that are mischievous, so all they need is call me an Eze so that he will be walking here and there and be getting some kind of patronage, which ordinarily, they shouldn’t get.”

Informing that he has written to the FCT minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, to let him know that Ndigbo don’t have Ezes outside Igboland, Chief Ifeanyichukwu Obasi – Nweze, who hailed from Ebonyi state asserted that after him as the President of Ohaneze FCT Chapter, it will be the turn of Enugu State to produce the next President of Ohaneze.

He also informed that at the level of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, after Imo state, it will be the turn Rivers State to produce PG.

On his new year message to Ndigbo in the FCT, he urged them to be law – abiding, and also be their brothers’ keepers, which if done, according to him would go a long way in promoting love and unity amongst them.

On FCT Ohaneze, he said he was duly elected as the President and was declared as such by a court of competent jurisdiction, to the disappointment of opponents, when the matter was taken court.

At the national and international level of the apex Igbo socio – cultural organization’s, he controversially claimed that Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu is not the PG of Ohaneze.

According to him, a person is accepted as a leader only by election.