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The Association of Ezendigbo Na Uzoije, Southern Zone, has denied that Mr. Chibuike Azubuike, who claimed to be the Obi Ndigbo in Lagos, stressing that he is neither a member of the association nor a member of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
Ezendigbo Na Uzoije, southern chapter is an association comprising Igbo leaders from 12 states of South West and non-Igbo speaking states of the South South Nigeria outside the Igbo land.
In a letter to Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Lagos Council of Obas and Chiefs, the president of the association, Eze John Greg Ezebuadi stated that the purported announcement of Ofala Festival on September 13 to raise N15 billion in Lagos by Mr Azubuike is baseless.
Part of the statement read: “We categorically state that Mr. Azubike is not a member of our association, and does not represent Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos State. His claims are baseless and an affront to the dignity of our organisation.
“The new yam or Ofala Festival is a cultural celebration specific to the cultural leaders, and its appropriation by Mr. Azubike is unwarranted. We view Mr. Azubike is one of the bad eggs tarnishing the image of Ndigbo in Lagos, and his actions are detrimental to the reputation of the Igbo community.
“We demand that Mr. Azubike and his cohorts desist from using our cultural heritage for personal gain and refrain from claiming titles that are not rightfully theirs.
“We advise the public to be cautious of individuals seeking to exploit our cultural heritage for personal gain.
“We apologize to the Governor and Government of Lagos State, AIG zone 2 and Commissioner of Police Lagos State, the Igbo illustrious sons, and other dignitaries whose names may have been mentioned in connection with Azubike’s claims.”
The group also assured the state government of its commitment to removing all the bad eggs from its folds.
It said: “We assure the Lagos state government and the Lagos state council of Obas and Chiefs that we are committed to sanitizing our organisation and community and ridding it of elements that seek to undermine our host communities’ traditions and values.
“We will no longer tolerate actions that offend the sensibilities of our hosts or tarnish the reputation of Ndigbo in Lagos and beyond.
“To this end, we are undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of our organisation holistically, ensuring that our cultural practices align with the values and traditions of our host communities starting from the local government area, where we reside. A typical example is the complete overhaul of Igbo excesses in Ojo Federal constituency in collaboration with our esteemed Obas and Chiefs
“We warn that the days of entertaining such unscrupulous individuals are gone. Henceforth, whosoever engages in such criminal or disgraceful acts must be brought to book. We will take all necessary steps to protect our name and reputation from malicious misrepresentation,” the Igbo group said.
