By; Bayo Akamo, Ibadan.
The Balogun Ndigbo of Ibadanland, High Chief Alloy Obi has said the Igbo in Ibadanland and Oyo State are fully in support of the decision of the Olubadan-In-Council to ban the use of Eze Ndigbo title in Ibadanland.
Chief Obi in a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan declared that the ban is in line with the position of the South East Council of Traditional Rulers who since 2008 kicked against the usage of the title outside Igboland.
According to him, the Olubadan-In-Council with the decision has succeeded in doing a wonderful job, adding that the Igbos in Oyo State under the Igbo General Assembly will continue to be grateful for standing by them.
“This decision by the Olubadan-In-Council is a welcome development, this is because this has been the position of our royal fathers at home since 2008 who believed that the title should only be used in the South-East,” he said.
The Balogun Ndigbo of Ibadanland added that “it has been our position that for anybody to be parading himself as Eze Ndigbo outside Igboland, such a person is nothing but a tenant trying to make trouble with his landlord.”
He stressed further that it was the Olubadan-In-Council that indulged the man parading himself as Eze Ndigbo of Ibadanland, insisting that he is not a Chief in Igboland.
It will be recalled that the Olubadan-In-Council under the leadership of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, at the end of its meeting on Wednesday, said it will no longer recognise the title of Eze Ndigbo and ordered the leaders of Igbos in Ibadanland to henceforth report to one of its warrior chiefs, the Baale of Ekotedo.
