A fresh crisis is brewing in the Akure community of Ondo State, over the appointment and installation of a new leader of the Igbo community in Ondo State by the traditional of Akure Kingdom, the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi.
The Igbo community under the auspices of Association of Ndieze in Diaspora, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ondo State chapter, on Tuesday, kicked against the appointment of a new leader for them and called on Oba Aladelusi to withdraw the appointment of the leader, Mr Titus Umenweke.
The group in a statement jointly signed by High Chief (Sir) Cyril Anyaku, Onowu of Ndigbo, and Chief Ikechukwu Anoliefo, Secretary of the association, rejected the alleged imposition of Asiwaju of Ndigbo in Ondo State by the monarch.
The group who described the appointment and installation of a new leader for them as unacceptable called on the Akure monarch to withdraw the appointment and installation of a new leader for them to forestall violent clash between Igbos and Yoruba.
The Igbo leaders charged the monarch to withdraw the installation, warning that it could strain the existing peaceful co-existence among the Igbos and the Yoruba in the state.
According to the statement, “Deji allegedly imposed and installed one Mr Titus Umenweke, who lost the election, as the Asiwaju of Igbos in the state.”
The group said: “This same Umenweke contested with Eze Gregory Iloherika, the current Ndigbo and lost and since 2011 has not attended any Igbo meeting in Ondo State.
“Our constitution provides an election for the leadership of Eze Ndigbo and the constitutional provisions were followed to the letter in the election of Iloherika. Eze Gregory Iloherika enjoys the support of the entire Igbos in Ondo State and he should be allowed to be.
“It is therefore strange and unacceptable that Deji would impose a Leader on us. The imposition of someone who contested and lost the election can cause a rift and destroy the relationship between Igbo and Yoruba in Ondo State. This is a time bomb that will do no one good.”
The group said the monarch should allow them to choose their leader just like other ethnic associations had done in the kingdom.
The group, therefore, noted that “according to the rules guiding Ohaneze Ndigbo, the installation and removal could only be carried out by the people as stated in the relevant section of the rules and regulations guiding the Ohaneze (Igbo Community) in Ondo State.
“It is on record that in a letter written by the Ondo State Government on 21st December 2018 titled “Re-Imminent Resurgence of Crisis over the planned Installation of Asiwaju (Leader) of Igbo in Ondo State” addressed to the Deji directed that Kabiyesi should rescind the apparently unhistorical decision to install Asiwaju of Igbo in Ondo State and also withdraw the letter of appointment being paraded by Titus Unwenmeke as having been allegedly issued to him by the Kabiyesi.”
It will be recalled that Oba Aladelusi, some five years ago abolished the Eze Ndigbo title with a new Igbo leader for the Igbo community in the Akure Kingdom, after removing Gregory Iloehika and the subsequent placement of ban on the title of Eze Ndigbo in 2016.
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