…Reveals how Odumegwu Ojukwu instituted Igbo leadership in Diaspora
By Brown Chimezie
The Igbo leader in Ghana, HRM (Dr) Chukwudi Ihenetu, has revealed how the late Ezeigbo Gburugburu and Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, created Diaspora kingship for the Igbo in order to preserve their culture in foreign lands.
He also spoke on the annual New Yam festival in Ghana, which started in 2010, and has become a celebration of African rich culture from Igbo perspectives, as well as giving details about the activities of Ndigbo in Ghana, among other issues. He spoke to an online medium.
May we meet you, sir?
Thank you for coming to the Obi Ukwu Obieziokwu palace of Eze Ndigbo in Ghana.
I am His Royal Majesty Eze Amb.Chukwudi Ihenetu. I am the Diaspora king of Igbo community in Ghana.
Over 12 years on your throne and counting, would you say you have met your expectations as king of Ndigbo in Ghana?
Not yet, expectations of everyone is the day God is going to call you home. The purpose of Diaspora throne is that we are still on it as we haven’t fully achieved our goals, but we believe in God that we keep meeting our goals every day. One of the things we have achieved very well now is that we have town hall meetings, educating our people first of all to know that they are living in a foreign land, that we are foreigners living in Ghana and we must respect rules and regulations of the land, and not to violate them. We have achieved this. If you recall about 13 years ago, many at times people complained about Nigerians misbehaving, doing one or two things that are against the rules and regulations of the land, and for the past 12 years, on this throne. we kept cleaning up the mind of the people to let them know that when you are a foreigner, you do what the owners of the land want and not to do what you like. We have achieved this and that’s very important. One thing about education is that when you enlighten someone, you also transfer that knowledge to someone else. That’s why, as new people are coming in, those already armed with the knowledge are transferring it to the newcomers. We have also achieved good relationships with our host nation, Ghana, in the area of tradition, culture, and government. We have been able to convince our host nation that we are not here to compete with the authority or challenge their laws. but to live in peace and harmony so as to engage in our commerce and trade, manufacturing, and entrepreneur. Before, many years back, you see some Ghanaians fighting Nigerians in the streets and market because some of our people did not understand that they are not Ghanaians and that they needed to conform with the laws of their host country, Ghana. So, Ghanaians, most especially those who had one or two things against Nigeria, should know that we are brothers and sisters. We are the same. We have been able to educate our Ghanaian friends who were disturbing us at the market that we are not here to challenge them, but to engage in legitimate trade, which would also help to boost their economy. When you talk about business, it is all about competition. What I have in my store may not be what you have vice versa. So, we need one another in a symbiotic manner. My goods may not be the same as yours. The source may also differ. some buy from manufacturers, others may buy from distributors. Price of people that got from manufacturers would certainly differ. Formerly, some of our Ghanaian friends in the market are threatened to their business, but we are strategic partners with the sole aim of growing the economy. Again, we have achieved an introduction of Igbo culture to people across the world.
What is Igbo culture all about?
Igbo culture is all about celebrating our Igbo New Yam festival, celebrating unity, love among ourselves, celebrating peace and love among ourselves, and celebrating being your brothers keeper. Our culture and tradition are all about love and coming together. So, the history of Ndigbo is a powerful history that many people want to emulate. We that are Igbo always want to give out goods to our brothers on credit, the same way we also give to some of our Ghanaian brothers. So, we are not afraid of ourselves that our brothers would run away with the goods because we have structures, like local government meetings, town unions, and town hall meetings of our communities. So, at that level, the chairmen of the community meetings can serve as guarantors for such a person to deliver on time effectively. The introduction of our culture in Ghana has also given us a sense of belonging here. We thank the people of Ghana for accepting us even as we insist that Igbo culture is not here to challenge Ghana tradition, but to enable our son’s and daughters to be connected to their roots. Again, we have created strong legacies for our children unborn. Most of us here married Ghanaians. My wife is a Ghanaian. She does not understand my culture properly, but establishing my culture within and around has made her understand my culture. My children and some other people of mixed parentage have come to know Igbo culture. Now, the children are assimilating both cultures symbiotically.
So far. how has your stay in Ghana been, and how are the Igbo people relating with Ghanaians?
My stay in Ghana is so powerful. Not just me alone, but every single Nigerian who lives in this country. We are comfortable in Ghana because our host nation loves Nigerians, and we Nigerians like our host country Ghana. So our stay here has been comfortable, beautiful and nice. No Insecurity here. Ghana is so wonderful that you can move from morning till night in your car without fear of being robbed. People in Ghana related well with us, so our stay here has been great.
Kindly tell us a little historical background of Ndigbo?
From oral tradition, we heard that the Igbo people came all the way from Israel, from one country to another till we got to a country called Nigeria. We are one of the strong pillars of this country. and we are situated in the Southeastern part of the country. Before it was called the Eastern Region of Nigeria, but now it is called the Southeast geo-political zone. Igbo tribe is the only zone in Nigeria that the five core states speak only one language called Igbo. We are made up of five politically demarcated states. That is Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Imo, and Ebonyi states. These five core Igbo states are one bloc. We speak one language, and the tradition of Ndigbo is the same. Our performance of breaking of Kolanut, Ofo, marital rites, Umunna, chieftaincy, kingship, Ndieze Nwanyi, native doctors, and many other things we have in common. The history of Ndigbo is a tale that is so long that a lot of people would say if they start telling the story, it would take a long time for it to finish. Ndigbo are people who share love a lot because our culture and traditions are all about love and unity. So, the history of Ndigbo is very powerful, and people want to imitiate them . Igbo are the only tribe in the world that anywhere you don’t find an Igbo person, there is no life there, pack your load and run. The Igbo work so hard to keep friendship and make people around them to be comfortable. They are the only people who want to build house in foreign land and establish businesses. Remember anybody that came into your land and invest, the person is part of you. He doesn’t want to create problem there because if he causes trouble there, he loses his business and property, so the Igbo are unifiers. We feel comfortable wherever we are and also make people around us happy. Love is the first priority of the Igbo man. Unity is second, peace third, and making people around us comfortable and many more.
And looking at you as an Igbo king, meaning that you stand absolutely for the Igbo, do you allow other tribes to thrive or come to you for assistance?
Jesus is a saviour of the world, but he started from Israel. So, the tribe that made to seat where I am today is Igbo tribe. I am a Nigerian, and Igbo is part of the country . We Igbo believe so much in our country. As soon as we cross the shore of our country Nigeria, you don’t see yourself again as Igbo, Yoruba, or Efik. you see yourself as a Nigerian. The Diaspora Igbo throne in Ghana is protecting the Igbo, defending Nigerians, in extensions also supports everybody that comes around us in times of need irrespective of the country you are coming from and the tribe you are coming from. Like I said, Igbo culture is showing love and peace with the people you live with, so I’m not only supporting the Igbo, but the entire humanity that comes around me. And remember, my wife is also a Ghanaian. So, Ghanaians are also welcomed in my home. People you see all around here are Ghanaians.
For someone to take up this throne or be crowned as king, does he or she have to be from the royal family before he can inherit the throne?
No, this is Diaspora throne and it does not necessarily mean that you must come from a royal family before Ndigbo would choose you to be their Diaspora king. It is all about community decisions based on merit. The community can only decide for those who support the community. Before they do that, they will find out how hardworking you are, they look at the love you show to the people, they look at how you bring Igbo together, a whole lot of things they look out for before the community chooses who is going to lead them. It does not mean you must come from a royal home. It could be any Igbo man as long as the community loves you and they want you to be their king.
Now, looking at you beng Eze in a foreign land, one would say it is not an easy task. Can you brief us on how this becomes a realty and if there were any predecessors before you?
Sometime in 2010, the Igbo in Ghana made me the first Igbo New Yam festival 2010 planning committee chairman. You can see the picture somewhere over there. You can see that was the first Igbo New Yam festival in Ghana.
Soon after this programme, the Igbo in Ghana realised that by performance, the type of love I have got our tribe and they started approaching me to be the first ever Igbo Diaspora king in Ghana. I refused as of that 2010. What I looked at first of all was that my children were still little. I don’t want to go into a chieftaincy issue that would cause a problem for me, or that could lead to tussle. But they kept telling me that you don’t have territory that we are protecting. That is pure cultural issue.
Normally, being a king leads to death, litigation, and tussle…?
It all depends. There is always litigation over chieftaincy, so I look at all these areas, I don’t want to lose my life at an early age, I don’t want to put my children in danger. I told them I didn’t want it, that was in 2011. In 2012, I accepted it to be the first ever Igbo Diaspora king in Ghana and to God be the glory, I was made the Igbo king in Ghana and as a foreigner, we also reached out to owners of the land, the Ga Traditional Council, and paramounts in Ghana and we made ourselves available and introduced ourselves to them letting them know our intentions and the purpose of Igbo Diaspora king. That it was not made to challenge authority of the land, but it is kingship over tribes like you have the Zamarawas, Malians and Yoruba Kabiyesi in Ghana and Sariki Hausawa and stuffs like that so ours is called Eze the way you have areas in Ghana where some answered Nana, Nene etc, like the great kingdom of Dagbon. So, the Igbo is called Eze or Igwe, so we made the paramounts to know who we are and our objectives and by the special grace of God the people of the land love what we are doing and endorsed it. To be made a Diaspora king after your people have chosen you have process, Our father’s from home have to recognize the Diaspora king. You know we have Diaspora structure that crowned Diaspora king. This was founded by Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu of blessed memory. There are king makers that he ordained and Diaspora kings that he ordained and from there many were also ordained so we also flew them in from Nigeria to come and establish the Igbo Diaspora kingdom here. So, they came here to crown me as the 1st Igbo Diaspora king and also gave me permission to crown other sub-kings under me. The first ever sub-king I crowned was Eze Samuel Ekezie from Dansuma, second Eze Kennedy Nwakanma in Madina, third was Eze Chuma Okadigbo, fourth was Eze Andrew in Amasama. and now he has been made king in his village back home in Nigeria; fifth was Eze Victor Anyim in Aflao, sixth, Eze Tony Ulasi, seventh was Igwe Kingsley in Central region, eighth Eze Abuchi in Kasuwa, ninth is Eze Kingsley also in Ashiama.The last, but not the least that we did in December 22, 2024 in Tamale is Eze Collins. All these are under me being their head. The purpose of all this is to bring our people together and close to themselves because I alone cannot see to everyone, so we appoint Eze in different regions and town to oversee the affairs of our people. Before we do this, we visit the paramount traditional king of such communities for endorsement of the new Igbo sub-kings. They would tell us the rights and thereafter induct the new sub-Diaspora kings and we then perform our own traditional rites after they have completed theirs. That shows that the owners of the land have welcomed you to be a foreign chief in their land.
Looking at the Igbo apprentice scheme, would you say it has contributed to the successful entrepreneurs that we see among Igbo people?
The apprentice scheme has brought wealth among people of Igbo, reasons: If an Igbo man comes, maybe here in Legon; maybe he has come to sell bead in a small shop. Tomorrow, he will travel home to bring someone, not from his family, but from different home to come and teach him trade. They may be living in a small room. Next time, he brings another person, maybe within six months, he has brought in three persons to teach them how to sell this bead. Now this is my home, I take someone from neighbouring villages and town for apprenticeship. Within four years of apprenticeship , I gave him money to go and start his own business. You are no longer serving me. Now, you have learned and mastered the trade. You can now stand on your own.
But during the service, was there any payments?
During service, there is no payment because you come to learn as you have come to learn, and I will take care of your welfare for four or five years, depending on what you signed as an agreement. with the parent or guardian of that person. Remember that once you settle him and he sets up his business, you have also brought wealth into that family. Thereafter, he would also take in one or two persons, thats how the wealth creation scheme is replicated across Igboland. That is why in Igboland, we believe in service. and when you serve diligently, you receive blessings to go and prosper, and that’s why wealth is spreading fast in Igboland. we are so much into trade and manufacturing. It has brought a lot of benefits to Ndigbo home and abroad.
Give us the historical background, planning of New Yam festival in Ghana and why the date is fixed at a particular time of the year?
First of all, Igbo believes that yam is the king of all crops. Our forefathers established a new yam festival to be the best festival, bigger than other festivals, and they celebrated yam bigger than other crops.That’s why in Igboland, we have those crowned as king of yam. Your yam barn in those days determines your worth in society. If your yam barn is big, then you are a rich man. Just like in Ghana here where farmers’ day is celebrated and the winner goes home with a car, the farmer would also be crowned king of yam, this is a festival that started way back from our fathers, and we don’t want it to die. The Igbo New Yam festival began several years ago, and to date, it is still in existence. To cut the story short, the festival is a thanksgiving time we celebrated yam from June to October. This is the time to harvest yam, so we are now coming together to say God, we thank you for a successful harvest and pray for bigger yield and bumper harvest in the next farming season.
We Igbo that live in Diaspora celebrate New Yam festival when our fathers back home have celebrated starting from June, July through August, then we from Diaspora, continue. It would also interest you to know that it is not only in Ghana here that we have Igbo Diaspora king. We have them in other parts of the world, too. So they celebrate the festival too. Here in Ghana, we started in 2010, but since I ascended this throne on 30th August 2012, till now, we have celebrated the festival for 12 years. We are also going to celebrate this year. We do it 3rd Sunday of every September and it would hold on 21st of September 2025. It would also interest you to know that in the 2024 edition, we have about 20,000 people in attendance. We believe with God, we shall have more than that number in attendance this year.
How true is the insinuation that one man can marry two sisters? is that truly part of Igbo culture?
In Igbo tradition, one man never married two sisters of the same parentage. In fact, it is seen as taboo. But your brother can marry the sister of your wife, your brother can marry other females from your wife’s family. Some family would also tell you that they don’t want you to marry siblings of your wife it all depends on what that family wants.
Kindly tell us about Queen Mother, your wife?
I met my wife here in Accra in 1998. We met around May and we married in August of that same year. This is my 26 years in marriage, She is from Central region. She is also Queen Mother in her community Birwa, Central region. We are blessed with five biological children and nine adopted children. My wife’s name is Ugoeze Liberty Ihenetu, Nana the 1st. So, she is a humble, beautiful and great Ghanaian.and I want to use this medium to tell my wife that I love her.