Tension Over Imminent Sack Of 150 Ezendigbo In Lagos State

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

The Igbo Council of traditional rulers in Lagos State, known as Eze Ndigbo, may have decided to weed out the bad eggs among them following the ongoing screening and harmonization exercise over bastardization of the title in the State.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that there are more than 200 Ezendigbo across the 20 Local Government and 37 LCDAs in Lagos State, which means that about 150 of them must go if actually sanity will be restored. 

It was also gathered that some of those, who are parading themselves as Ezendigbo in Lagos State, crowned themselves while many do not have followership yet they claim that they are representing Ndigbo whereas it was for their selfish interests.

Following the ugly situation, the Chairman of Council of Ndi Eze Lagos State, Eze Chris Offia (KSM), has constituted a Committee to screen and come up with recommendations, which will help weed out bad eggs among them in order to restore the dignity of the title as custodians of the Igbo tradition and culture.

Eze Offia, who is also the Ezendigbo in Ibeju-Lekki, confirmed the screening exercise and expressed his determination in sanitizing and restoring the dignity of Ezendigbo like in other places.

Eze Offia explained that he was elected unopposed because other Ezes have confidence in him to lead them well with truth and honesty.

He said one of the things he has done was to set up the harmonization committee with people with high integrity to look into the issue of scrambling for Ezendigbo in Lagos State.
He stated that the committee will be submitting their report this month, which means many people will have to go after the harmonization.

Offia stated that it was important to screen and weed out some people, who have brought bad image to the Igbo because of the bastardization of the title.
“We want to restore the dignity of Ezendigbo so that it will have value as it was in the past and those to be accepted must be those who have means of livelihood and understand the importance of the position” he said. 

Offia regretted the manner it was bastardized to the extent the number of Ezendigbo outnumbered Obas in Lagos State, which he described as embarrasment to the Igbo and other ethnic groups in the State.

The issue of screening has been causing tension among the Ezendigbo because many are not sure if they will emerge at the end of the exercise because of the manner they emerged at the beginning.