Scrap Ezendigbo Title-Ibadan Residents and Indigenes Suggest
- By solomon2day
- On 15/02/2023
- In News
Concerned residents and indigenes of Ibadan, Oyo state have called on the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun,Alli Okunmade II, to, as a matter of urgency, scrap the title of Ezendigbo of Ibadanland.
They hinged their call on the attempt to desecrate the position of the Olubadan.
''We call on the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun to urgently scrap the title of Ezendigbo of Ibadan. If you are observant, they are covertly working to bring the Olubadan position to ridicule. In addition, the activities of the Ezendigbo should be comprehensively probed for the good of society'', they stated.
In most recent times, there has been an upsurge in lawlessness and all forms of criminality in several communities in the state capital.
However, those-in-authority are either complicit or lack the will to convincingly put an end to the ugly situation.
The Balogun Nidgbo of Ibadan land, Chief Alloysious Obi, had in an interview with The Sun accused Eze(Dr.)Alozie of desecrating the stool of Olubadan with the conferment of a chieftaincy title of Ezi Ogo Ukwu N’digbo Nala on Oba Balogun.
''He said: “I found it ridiculous that an individual would just wake up and say he is conferring a chieftaincy title on the occupant of the revered stool of Olubadan. For Anozie to do such, it is nothing but desecration of the Olubadan stool and it should be condemned by those who mean well for Ibadanland. It is my candid view that the people of Ibadanland should, this time around, come together and put a stop to what I can only describe as an insult to the Olubadan stool, as I know that Igbos have great respect for traditional institutions.”
However, in his reaction, the Eze Ndigbo of Ibadan and Oyo state Eze(Dr.) Alex Anozie insisted that his detractors were at work, explaining that he gave the Olubadan an award and not a chieftaincy title.
''Because of the love and understanding between us, Ndigbo and Kabiyesi Olubadan of Ibadanland and Ibadan people, we decided to give an award to Olubadan in appreciation for our cordial relationship and because he is our in-law as he is married to one of our daughters. So we gave him an award and this matter, that same yesterday, 14th February, I was called and myself and my council members held a meeting with the Olubadan-in-Council and a satisfactory explanation has been given and the matter has been resolved . The Igbos and Ibadan people and the whole Yoruba race have been living peacefully. All that we did was to show love and appreciation for all that has been happening between the two ethnic groups. But we know that detractors are behind all the noise, but thank God the matter was resolved yesterday. We know that our detractors are the ones fanning the members of hatred unnecessarily,'' Eze(Dr.) Anozie concluded.
Nigeria Ibadan Oyo state Olubadan of Ibadanland