KINGSLEY EBERE
Igbo Speaking Community, Lagos State led by the amiable President General, Chief Sunday Udeh, has declared the position of Ezendigbo in Ottor Awori LCDA vacant stating that the community has no record of Eze Udo, Dr Peter Olikenyi Omenife as Ezendigbo in the LCDA.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that Chief Udeh stated this at the Igbo Speaking Community Secretariat located at 6 Anjorin Street, Surulere, Lagos, while reacting over the petition written against the Executives of the Community by Omenife to the BOT for crowning Ezendigbo in two communities in the area.
Chief Udeh, also known as Onwa, stated that the only two Ezendigbo the Igbo Speaking community recognized in two communities in Otto Awori LCDA are Eze Uchenna Dike of Ketu and Eze Kenneth Anayo Aguedu of Imude communities.
He explained that before they were crowned Eze, due process was followed and their documents were handed over to the Igbo Speaking Community BOT through their Chairman, Dr Jonathan Nnaji.
Chief Udeh wondered why Omenife wrote the petition and claimed that the Executives secretly crowned the Ezes, which was not true because everything was done in the open and attended by members of the communities in the areas.
On how they were crowned Eze, he stated that the members of the Igbo Speaking Community from their communities came to the Igbo Speaking Community Secretariat and informed the Executives that they needed Ezendigbo in their areas because of their population so that Ndigbo in the area will be connected with other Igbos in the State.
He stated that they were asked to go back and put it in writing, which they did and it was signed by their Chairman and Secretary including key stakeholders of the Igbo Speaking Community in their area.
He stated they were given forms to fill their data and were screened in line with the Constitution of the Community, they were qualified and eventually crowned Ezendigbo in the areas.
Udeh clarified the issue of multiple Ezendigbo in various LCDA that it was the decision of Central Executive Committee (CEC) 15 years ago after it was discovered that the population of Ndigbo was increasing and expanding to various communities without leadership.
He explained that the CEC took the decision so that it will be easy to reach out to Ndigbo in various areas in the LCDA unlike when Eze were crowned in the Local Government, which does not give true representation of Ndigbo.
He stated that he was surprised when he was informed that one Omenife wrote a petition against him over crowning of Ezendigbo in those areas claiming that Igbo Speaking Community did it secretly.
He explained that whatever the Executive members did concerning the Ezeship was in line with the Constitution of Igbo Speaking Community and the two Ezes in question are the authentic Ezendigbo in the area.
