It appears that peace may gradually return to the Igbo Speaking Community, Lagos State, following some decisive decisions taken by the BOT led by Dr Jonathan Nnaji during the stakeholders meeting held at the community headquarters at Surulere.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the meeting was well attended by the critical stakeholders of the Igbo Speaking community including Ndieze led by the Chairman of Council of Ndieze, Lagos State, Ezendigbo in Ikeja, Eze James Agbowodike Nwalozie, Eze Alex Nwoye, Eze Nicolas Njoku, Eze Ephraim, Eze Anorue, Eze Lawrence Eze, Eze Chukwuka Chikadibe, Eze Chukwuakalikamadu, among other Ezes.
Also in an attendance were the two factional presidents of Igbo Speaking community, Chief Sunday Udeh and Chief Sunday Eze, chairmen of LCDAs, past leaders of the group, men and women including women leaders.
The agenda of the meeting was to unite the Igbo Speaking community under one umbrella and it was agreed that what happened in the past was gone and it was time to move forward as a united group.
The BOT Chairman, Dr Nnaji, in his address, told the stakeholders why the peace move was delayed and explained that it was due to litigations and later the parties decided to embrace peace.
He explained that once the consent judgment is obtained from the Court, the BOT will conduct an election for the new executives to emerge and there will no longer be any factions of Igbo Speaking community in Lagos State.
Some of the resolutions taken at the meeting included:
1. It was resolved that there will be peace and one Igbo Speaking community in Lagos State.
2. Council of Ndieze will be one under one leadership.
3. All the Ezendigbo crowned by the two factions during the crises will be recognized by the Igbo Speaking community but they must rectify their Ezeship before the BOT and Council of Ndieze before they will be recognized.
4. All the factions were directed not to crown Ezendigbo any further until those crowned by the factions are rectified by the BOT. However, those who will not come for rectification to BOT to have record will not be recognized by the Igbo Speaking community.
5. It was also resolved that an election will be conducted as soon as possible once the matter before the Court is resolved.
6. It was also resolved that the Council of Ndieze led by Eze Chika Nwokedi will bring three people as representatives to meet the BOT to work out modality on how they will join the Council of Ndieze led by Eze Nwalozie recognized by the BOT.
Ezendigbo in Ejigbo LCDA, Eze Alex Sunday Nwoye, thanked both the BOT and stakeholders who attended the meeting and stated that he has been calling for peace and intiatiated the peace so that the Igbo Speaking Community will be one united body.
During the meeting, Chief Sunday who led one factions of Igbo Speaking Community apologized for whatever that had happened in the past and stated that he was for peace and whatever he can do to bring peace into the Igbo Speaking community, he will do it.
While Chief Sunday Eze agreed to the peace initiatives by the BOT and the stakeholders, he then suggested that he wanted himself and Chief Udeh to step aside as he conducted an election where another candidate emerged. But the suggestion was outrightly rejected by the stakeholders.