By Idris Salisu - Gusau
Pundits aver that by its action, the noble office of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo of Enugu supports Igbo people to live in disunity and misunderstanding among themselves, rather than to live under its extended umbrella in peace and unity as would be determined by the elected leadership that runs affairs of Igbo people living in the diaspora.
It has been a tradition for all tribes, that they chose their leaders when living far from the homeland either for business reason or any other legitimate activity individually or in group in order to run affairs under one voice. This is the same with Igbo people around the country and abroad.
Perceptive people in the first instance, ask why the office of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, despite being one of the esteemed kingdoms in the country that has huge population living across the 36 states of the federation and Abuja, would resolve to abolish all its representatives that serve to protect the interest of its people that are estimated to control the larger percentage of the nation’s economic activities.
The Ohanaeze’s reaffirmation and acceptance letter which was issued on October 30, 2012 upon the outcome of an Igbo leadership election in Gusau, which appointed Chief Egbuna Obijiaku as Eze Ndi Igbo 1, has clearly dismissed the purported cancellation of the title of Eze Ndi Igbo in the north.
The confusion and demeanour generated by the announcement of the cancellation of the title can best be imagined, even as a spanner may have been put in the works in the mandate of leading Igbo people and affairs in Zamfara and the entire north. This comes as the Chairman Council of Chiefs, Emir of Anka, Muhammad Attahiru Ahmad, was said to have complied with the so-called order given from the office of Ohanaeze to ban Ezeship in the state, while Chief Egbuna Obijiaku received another reaffirmation letter from the office of the state Council of Chiefs to serve as Igbo leader in Gusau and the entire state.
Speaking to Daily Independent in an interview, Eze Egbuna contended that the declaration by the opposition party was null and void as it has long been a tradition wherever people from Igbo land settle in diaspora to choose leadership themselves.
He argued that the office of Ohanaeze of Enugu could never decide that Igbo people live anywhere without generally accepted leadership which would oversee their affairs on behalf of the Igbo Traditional Council. He revealed that the genesis of the opposition against his leadership was that some members of the ICA had asked him to take oath with idol which he refused, stressing that “As Eze Ndi-Igbo of Gusau and Zamfara, I remain on my word that I will not drop Christianity for idol worship.”
Mr. Egbuna further narrated that he is the original founder of Igbo Community Association (ICA) and Igbo Welfare Community (IWC) in the state long before Igbo people grew to their present large number, and he was elected by Igbo community in 1997, later which the office of Ohanaeze endorsed and turbaned him as Eze. He added that his leadership was subsequently endorsed in writing by the office of the Zamfara Council of Chiefs, led by its chairman, the Emir of Anka, Dr. Muhammad Attahiru Ahmad.
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