National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
By Simeon Mpamugoh
It was a dramatic display of cultural feasts of Ndigbo in Ejigbo area of Lagos State recently when Igbo community leaders and friends from other tribes converged on Ejigbo Mini Stadium for the maiden edition of Igbo Day.
Chief host and Onyendu Ndigbo in Ejigbo, Eze Alex Sunday Nwoye noted that the event was a rallying point for cultural interface among Ndigbo in Ejigbo in particular and Lagos State in general.
He disclosed that the idea of Igbo Day in Ejigbo community was muted by him which was also his domain as Onyendu Ndigbo in Ejigbo.
Onyendu Nwoye who is also the Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to the President General, Association of Ndieze Igbo in Diaspora Worldwide recalled that, “Igbo Day started in my palace before the Executive Chairman of Ejigbo Local Council Developement Area (LCDA) Hon. Monsurudeen
Oloyede Bello approved it on a large scale. He advised me to carry everybody along.
“I then asked my people to form a committee that would oversee its actualisation while I took a back seat to support them.
The committee was headed by Barr Emeka Ukachi. alongside others within the environment.
“I equally made sure the committee got the kind of support that was expected of me which depended on their readiness to make the event a sucess. I was happy after the committee was inaugurated that members started donating money towards its successful outing, an indication of how Ndigbo cherished their culture,” he narrated.
Stating further, he said, “While I served as an observer offering advice which though was subject to the committee’s acceptance or rejection because I don’t like to impose people on anyone, everything was going on well. I think that is how to govern a people, monitor their activities to deliver on promise.”
On what Igbo Day in Ejigbo means to him, Eze Alex Nwoye said, “Whether you call it Igbo Day or Igbo Community Day, it means the same thing. We have registered Ndigbo community in Ejigbo, certified by the Local Government. The event is different from Ohaneze Ndigbo Day or Igbo speaking Day. We operate under Ndigbo Community in Ejigbo Lagos. We are under the apex leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo Socio Cultural Group. There are other Ndigbo groups like Nnoko Ndigbo, and Ndigbo in All Progressives Congress (APC). These groups are under Ndigbo Community in Ejigbo headed by me as Onyendu Ndigbo in Ejigbo.”
When asked what culture means to him, he said, “There is no tribe without culture. It is a way of life and identifies the geographical region the tribe comes from. Ndigbo have a culture just like other people and the essence of culture is the same everywhere. These include, to integrate everyone that identifies with a particular culture in a community.
“There are some Ndigbo who don’t travel to their villages hence they don’t know their culture. But with this kind of event, it will enable them to crosspolinate with the culture of their people. We are people that like to celebrate our culture anywhere we live. And most of what happened at the Ejigbo Mini Stadium were aimed at showcasing our culture to the host state, and for our diaspora Children who don’t travel to the village to see and appreciate it.
“The groups that participated in the event were approved by the local government even though there were some masqurade groups, we would have loved to showcase that were not allowed on the scene. We don’t want to have any issue with the indegenes. We have to respect the authority.”
Eze Sunday Nwoye noted that eventhough there were still some issues about Eze Ndigbo in Ejigbo, the claim that there was nothing like Eze rather it should be leader was neither here nor there.
“Whether you call it Eze or leader, the essence is still the same, which is to create a forum for Ndigbo to interact with the government. The local government recognises the head of Ndigbo community as EzeIgbo and if you are not Eze Ndigbo, you are probably just an ordinary red cap Chief and a red cap Chief cannot be a leader of Ndigbo community.
“I have no problem with being called a chief or leader but because of the people one is leading, one must try to abide by what they want and it is what they want you’ll give to them.”
He noted that there were other leaders at the state level who equally interact on behalf of their people with the state government.
He points out that the state government advises them on what to do for continued fostering of peace among their people.
He added that some of the Eze Ndigbo in Lagos are equally recognised by the Igwe in their towns.
“The Igwe in my town knows that I’m Onyendu Ndigbo in Ejigbo and that doesn’t make me the Igwe of my town or Oba of Ejigbo. I’m a subject to the Oba, Bobaselu of Ejigbo and Ijanland is my title. My role in Ejigbo is to assist Oba in ensuring that Ndigbo community in Ejigbo, Lagos State maintain peace and good neighborliness with the indegenes. And if Ndigbo know that they have Eze or Onyendu, in the community, they will respect the authorities and avoid anything that will create problems to the Oba in particular and the community in general. It is inarguable that the Oba of a town is the custodian of the people’s culture. In Igbo language we call it ‘Eze Ndi Eze’.
We are just the Baale Ndigbo and we must subject ourselves to the authority.” he said.
He expressed gratitude to all for the success of event saying, “Igbo Day in Ejigbo has started and we are grateful to the owners of the town. By God’s grace we will endearvour to make it an annual event. We had tried to stage it several times but because of fear of whether it will be approved or not, it remained in the cooler. In every local government of the State there is Igbo Day.
“We have been doing it in units but now we are ready to bring it to the fore thanks to the local government chairman Hon. Oloyede Bello for his support. I”m glad that today whether I’m here or not, next year’s event will be better than this edition. I have done my part by providing the platform, so the opportunity of its continuity has been made available to Igbo community in Ejigbo as they say in Igbo ‘Oha nwe Eze’ (King belongs to the people).”
On how the people accepted it, he said, “It was wholeheartedly accepted by Ndigbo both men and women in the community and its environs after the approval given by Hon. Bello when Ndigbo in Ejigbo went to congratulate him on his victory for a second term and also thank him for the contribution of his governanment towards the welfare of Ndigbo in Ejigbo LCDA.
“We supported his second term in office and he donated some money and food items to Igbo Community in Ejigbo. It was when we went to thank him, we mentioned the issue of Igbo Day to him. He gave us a go-ahead order and raised the first seed money to support the event. And in his wisdom and to ensure that there was no partisanship, the items were entrusted into my hand as the leader of Ndigbo in Ejigbo community for equitable distribution.
“While he approved Igbo Day in Ejigbo, he also directed me to involve the lawmaker representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 11 at the Lagos State House of Assembly Hon. Jude Idimogu, Eze Omeogo. Igwe of Oke Afa and Eze Emenike Itsuma Okpaga, Ezeigbo Bucknor. That way the idea took off with the committee without any interference on their mandate. Although, preparation at some point witnessed some setbacks, which stalled timely delivery of printed materials. ”
On his views about the event Hon. Emeka Idimogu said. “This is the first time Igbo in Ejigbo LCDA is recognizing Igbo Day. It only means a day Igbo have felt it was necesary for us to come together and celebrate ourselves. I want to appreciate those that made it possible.
“It is not a new yam festival; it is all the Igbo in Ejigbo who felt that they should honour and celebrate themselves and that is why we call it Igbo Day. All the timbres and calibers of Igbo extraction, from the eastern part were welcomed. If you are an Igbo man and live in Ejigbo, this is your event. However, we also welcome our brothers and sisters outside Ejigbo. You can also see the LG chairman and others who have come to celebrate with us. It may not be exactly what we’ want to see but a journey of 1,000 miles starts with a step. We have just started and by God’s grace when we do it again next year, it will be better,” Idimogu said.
