Ndigbo Should Live In Peace

Eze Uche C. Dimgba is the Eze-Udo Ndigbo of Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State and the Okpotemba of Igbere Kingdom in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State. In this interview with journalists in his palace in Lagos, the businessman speaks on the unity of Ndigbo both at home and in the diaspora, the need to be law abiding and the relationship between Ndigbo in Lagos and the host community.

Igwe, can you give an insight into the activities in your palace as it concerns  Ndigbo in  Ikeja?
Thank you. Everything has been going on well, there is peaceful coexistence between the palace and Ohanaeze Ndigbo which is the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation and other Igbo groups such as the Igbo speaking community, Ndigbo Lagos, Aka Ikenga.  All of them are working hand in hand with the palace. Wherever any meeting is scheduled on things that concern the Igbo people, our palace is always well represented. There is peace, harmony and understanding between the palace and the market associations. For example, the computer village in Ikeja and the Ikeja Women Association among others all come to the palace to pay allegiance and the palace is striving hard to make sure that the well-being and human rights of every Igbo person living in Ikeja is protected.

Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, Lagos State’s new leadership is two years old. As a leader of Ndigbo and member of Ohanaeze, what is your assessment of Ohanaeze, Lagos, since the new leadership under Chief Oliver Akubueze?
I give them kudos because they have been doing very well. Formerly, if you come to Ohanaeze meetings it will be a scanty affair. But now, attend any Ohanaeze meeting at  A P Club in Alagomeji, it’s always full of activities. It is like they are having a ceremony or carnival. Some people will come with Igbo traditional dances and traditional rulers or Igbo leaders that come for the meetings are ushered in in a most respectful and colourful manner.  The deliberations have always been very fruitful, the organisation has been good, the leadership has been open-minded and they are firm in their discussions. I congratulate the leadership under Sir Oliver Akubueze. He is a vibrant leader, he has good ideas on how to move the Igbo nation forward. Having done two years in office, a lot of people have seen the fruit of what he is doing. Igbo people are now speaking with one voice. It doesn’t matter the organisation you belong to in the past.  You are welcome to Ohanaeze meetings as long as  you are an Igbo son. Those people who have been causing trouble because they don’t belong to Ohanaeze have been given an olive branch, they are all part and parcel of Ohanaeze and the Igbo have started speaking with one voice in Lagos. If we continue like this, within the next two years that their tenure would elapse, a legacy will have been set. And if it goes like this, the Igbo nation would become stronger and better.

Recently, Ndigbo Lagos marked the Igbo Day. How would you assess that celebration as compared with the previous celebrations?
The Igbo Day that was celebrated last year,  the first organised by Ohanaeze Ndigbo under the leadership of Sir Oliver Akubeze was good. The one that was also organized this year by the same group comprising also other Igbo groups, because if you look at it, formerly there was division in that organisation, but now it’s now an all encompassing arrangement, comprising the Ohanaeze as the apex leader and other Igbo groups together and  coming together to form one stronger organization to mark the Igbo Day which comes annually.  If you look at this year’s Igbo Day celebration, it was a masterpiece. Are you going to talk about the fireworks that were released? Are you going to talk about the ladies that came together? Many Igbo associations like the Royal Daughters of Nigeria who  were there? All Igbo organisations came together,  singing, dancing, praising God and at the same time speaking with one voice. If we continue like this, the one of next year is going to be bigger and better than this. I give kudos to this leadership that has broad mind for bringing all Igbo organisations together. I say wherever you are, please come in, we are brothers there’s no more division and we are now doing things with one voice, plan and arrangement. We agree together and also we disagree together. I applaud this year’s Igbo Day celebration, and I know in it is only going to be better.

The year is drawing to an end and we have observed that your palace did not celebrate this years’ New Yam festival. What plans do you have as part of  bringing  your  people in Ikeja together in  an end-of-year activity?
Yes, there is one thing the palace; that everybody that is crowned, even those who are not crowned will always come together to observe iriji festival. Iriji festival  is not only done by the  Eze. We  have Eze  in Igbo land who can also organise Iriji festival. But the main job of the traditional ruler is to make sure that there is peace because he is the custodian of culture and tradition. We decided not to have any Iriji this year because we are planning a bigger Iriji. Normally, what we do every year is to support the Eze Ndigbo Lagos, the Eze Nwabueze Ohazulike(OON),  to organise the annual Iriji that  comprises the whole Igbo Ndi Eze and everybody.

Early this week, we had a palace meeting, whereby it was agreed that the closing of the year ceremony of the palace would be coming on the 7 December this year. That’s on a Wednesday, we chose that day because almost all the Saturdays are occupied, as a lot of activities take place in the palace and  every Igbo person is  organising  one thing or the other to wrap up the year before we go home for celebration. That was why we chose Wednesday, 7 December 2011 for the end-of-year party. We have arranged a lot of activities; there is going to be a lot of eating, dancing, drinking, merriment in the palace. Everybody is invited to the palace to come and look at the colourful celebration that we always have at the end of the year. The media is invited. We are planning it very big. A committee has been set up.

There seems to division in your area of jurisdiction Ikeja, Recently, newspaper publications talked about Iriji by another person who claimed to be the Eze Ndigbo of Ikeja. Do you have two Eze in Ikeja?
Anyway, we also saw that publications in the newspapers but this palace will not join issues with anybody that goes to the newspaper or media houses  and do whatever he wants to do with his photographs. Everyone  is free to go to the press. The Igbo have already decided a longtime ago not to go to the pages of newspapers to wash their dirty linen. We are not joining issues with anybody but I can assure you that there is no Iriji ceremony that has happened in Ikeja, it didn’t  happen anywhere and we are not joining issues because the people know  who their Eze is, and they know where their palace is. So, if somebody decides to be  Eze on the pages of newspapers let him go ahead and do so. It doesn’t bother us, we are not joining issues with anybody; that is our stand now. So, if you want to know more about whoever is parading himself you are free to go to Ohanaeze. Ohanaeze is the apex socio-cultural  organisation  and the mouthpiece  of  Ndigbo. The Ohanaeze  will tell you who is who and whatever you want to know. But as for this palace, we  will not join issues with anybody and we are not fighting with anybody, our palace is in peace. The whole of Ikeja knows  where they have  to go when they want to discuss something about the palace.

What is your general advice to Ndigbo at home and in the diaspora?
My advice is for every Igbo man or woman to try to live in peace wherever they are because if there is peace, every other thing will follow. Anybody that has no peace will not have co-ordination. Anybody that is fighting war will not be well organised. I preach peace, I preach success, people must have means of livelihood. Get something doing and don’t involve yourself  in crime so that we will have a peaceful society. Igbo are known to be good business people and traders. If you don’t have anything doing, you go and learn a trade. If you cannot go to school, go and learn a trade so you can start earning a living from there. That is my advice to every Igbo man.

What is the relationship between Ndigbo in Lagos and in Ikeja LGA which is your area of jurisdiction and host community?
It’s very cordial. In Ikeja here, when the Igbo people crowned me the Eze Udo Ndi Igbo of Ikeja, the Olu of Ikeja also confirmed it by giving us that crown of the Eze Udo Ndi Igbo of Ikeja land which comprises the whole of Ikeja. Since then, there has been harmony between our palace and the palace of Olu of Ikeja. Whatever  he does there, we are there, whatever we do he is also here. If you check the brochure of my  25th wedding  anniversary, the Olu of Ikeja was there. He  was honoured and given a front sit, so he honours  me and I honour him too because  he is also a man of peace. In any area there is misunderstanding between the Igbo and the Yoruba we settle it amicably in the palace. If there is anything that the Olu of Ikeja does not understand about the Igbo, he talks to the palace and the palace gives him idea on how to do it. The same way the palace relates with them. So, there is a very cordial relationship between the Igbo in Lagos,  in Ikeja and the hosts, Yoruba.  For me, I have received so many awards like the  Ikeja City awards from the indigenes. It’s because of the relationship. If we don’t have this relationship they will not  give me  all these awards.

Igbo have a large population in Lagos State and, therefore, ought  to have a say in the state’s political activities. Are you satisfied with the political well-being  of Ndigbo in the state?
Arrangements have been on even before the election, a lot of arrangements and alignments are going on to make sure that things work better for Ndigbo here. But you know this is politics, it’s not something you use force or fighting to get. It deserves a high level of understanding and arrangements and talking  among ourselves because we have come with open minds and whichever election that is holding in Lagos, the Igbo always give their support to the party on ground.  So we do not see why we should not be carried along in places of responsibilities. When we talk  of places of responsibilities, we are talking of elective positions not appointments. We need to be put in places of elective positions so that we can be part and parcel of what is going on because, for now, we have nothing, we are not represented in anywhere but I know and believe that in due course things will change for the better. It is not something we fight or castigate somebody to bring him down, it needs understanding and dialogue. We are already discussing with the party on ground to see reasons to include the Igbo to be able to contribute our quota to Lagos State because we have invested in the state;  we have a lot of businesses  and things here. So, you cannot wish us away and we ourselves cannot fight because it is not a fighting matter, it is a matter of negotiation. By  the time we negotiate, I know things will be better for us.

What is your end of the year message to the people?
My message is to wish everybody Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year in advance and advise those who cannot travel to the village not to involve themselves in crime because they want to be part of Christmas. If you cannot make it this year, maybe next year will be better for you. Just be calm and do whatever you can do and leave the rest to God. Thank you very much.