UNTIL a week ago, the Eze Ndigbo of Akure, Gregory Iloehike was a man about town. He used to go about in Akure, the Ondo state capital with all the stuff of a conventional ruler and served as the voice of the Igbo in the city. In any case, his over bloated self image of numerous years was collapsed when he apparently " slighted the town's ruler'' by articulating uncomplimentary comments to the Deji of Akureland, Oba Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo, who welcomed him to the castle in Akure to locate an enduring answer for an administration tussle in a well known business sector in the antiquated town.
His exercises in the previous years neglected to pull in the consideration of past Deji of Akureland and this supposedly made him all the more intense and he started to wear beaded crown and other formal attire of a customary ruler. Vanguard learnt that the authority tussle in Mojere Market-the greatest extra parts advertise fundamentally populated by the Igbo in the Akure city uncovered the overabundances of the Igbo pioneer and this wound up pitching him against the Oba of the town.
Reports had it that Oba Aladetoyinbo so as to drench the pressure in the business sector sent a welcome to the Eze Ndigbo to reveal more insight into the reason for the emergency and how to determine it.
He was affirmed to have kept the Oba sitting tight for a considerable length of time and when he in the long run showed up apparently wore a beaded crown and other stuff of a customary ruler.
Vanguard learnt that the Council of Chiefs who were in the royal residence when he came communicated worry over his appearance before the Deji of Akureland. He was charged to have tended to the Oba inconsiderately and the royal residence helpers and a few young people dissented. The Council of Chiefs, apparently fuming with resentment, inquired as to whether he could address the customary ruler in the place where he grew up the same way he was tending to their Oba.
Infuriated by the ill bred state of mind of the Eze Ndigbo, the Deji supposedly banished him from parading himself as Eze Ndigbo of Akure forthwith. Vanguard learnt that the Eze was mauled by a few young people who allegedly evacuated his crown and dabs. He was said to have been pirated out of the royal residence by some Policemen.
Eze Ndigbo of Akure, Gregory Iloehike: In a calm temperament
Eze Ndigbo of Akure, Gregory Iloehike: In a calm temperament
The news of his asserted abuse voyaged like rapidly spreading fire and shops claimed by Igbos over the state capital were closed for three days. They walked through the boulevards challenging the stripping of the Eze Igbo customary title by the Deji scrutinizing his energy to oust their pioneer introduced by them and not Akure indegenes.
The Eze Ndigbo while talking on his experience denied that he was impolite to the Oba. Iloehika said that the Oba welcomed him on Sunday and he respected the welcome on Monday just to be mistreated by the young people who were prepared to the royal residence to humiliate him.
"The young people tore my dabs and uprooted my crown. They endeavored to beat me yet the cops at the royal residence protected me,'' he said. Vanguard was educated that the Deji distinctly told Iloehika that he doesn't ha anything against him and the Igbos in the town yet that "raising a castle and being enthroned as a lord here is a horrifying presence to my legacy".
The President General, Ohaneze Ndigbo, High Chief Okechukwu Okorie pledged that; "Any endeavor to oust the Eze Ndigbo would be opposed by all the Igbos in the state.'' Okorie said that Iloehike, who was introduced four years back, did not disregard the Oba, consequently, the customary ruler had no energy to depose him.
"Just the Igbo who chose Iloehike have the privilege to prevent him from being our Eze Ndigbo.'' he said. Interim, the state Council of Obas director and the Osemawe of Ondo town Oba Adesumbo Kiladejo, is required to table the matter for the committee to issue a determination that will shorten such overabundances over the 18 board zones of the state.
The Obas as indicated by an assistant to one of them who talked with Vanguard in certainty said that; "If the Obas neglect to act now, they ought to be prepared for comparable or more awful affront in their different areas.