Eze Chika Nwokedi fires back at Jonathan Nnaji, says he hijacked position as BoT chairman Igbo speaking community to extort Ezes in Lagos
… Insists Jonathan Nnaji hijacked the position of chairmanship of BoT without being elected.
By Onome Naomi
In response to the recent publication inciting that Ezeship in Igbo speaking is subject to authentication with the BoT chairman of the Igbo speaking community and those who refuses are further disowned, Eze Chika Nwokedi, chairman of the Council of Ndieze-Igbo, fires back at the BoT chairman Jonathan Nnaji, says according to the law guiding the institution, Nnaji has aired and must be addressed.
Eze Chika Nwokedi, in his statements revealed that the leadership council of the Igbo-speaking Board of Trustees comprises fourteen decision-makers; nine of these members are dead, with five remaining. Three out of the remaining five leaders alive who are above 80 years of age has retired to their home town but two are here in Lagos, which is; the treasurer of the group of trustees, Jonathan Nnaji the youngest of them all, who now claims to be the chairman, and one other who is also about 80 years of age.
He further said,
“It should be noted, as stated in the constitution, that when a member dies, there should be a replacement by election, but none of this was conducted; instead, Jonathan Nnaji cunningly installed himself as chairman from the position of secretary to extort Ezes in the name of authentication.”
“The original chairman now late is Chief Uche Chukwuka, who died 16 years ago. I, Eze Chika Nwokedi, joined the Igbo-speaking community through the late chairman in 1999. The late chairman is my mentor and from Enugu State, which means that the next chairman cannot come from Enugu State.”
“Jonathan Nnaji, the current acclaimed chairman of the BoT Igbo-speaking community, is from Enugu State and has gone against the constitution, which states that chairmanship should be rotated amongst the eastern zone; that makes his position null and void.”
“Nonetheless, assuming the chairmanship role of BoT wouldn’t have been a hullabaloo, but for his extortionist nature of wanting all Ezes to authenticate Ezeship with the sum of N250,000 and a goat. This recent development is considered inappropriate and fraudulent to well-meaning members of the council who have diligently assumed roles and responsibilities that come with rulership in accordance with constitutional rights, hence the decline in authenticating under Jonathan’s leadership. I am stating this clearly: that my kingship position is borne out of my lineage and cannot be annulled by an impostor.”
“Moreso, the leadership assertions made by Jonathan Nnaji can never be implemented on Ezes, for he is not considered or regarded as BoT chairman Igbo speaking unless the Board of Trustees is reformed and zoned accordingly.”
Eze Chika Nwokedi added that this tussle orchestrated by the greedy leadership of Igbos in Lagos who should stand in unity is the reason indigenous people of Lagos and other tribes fester on making inciting statements about the Igbos. He added that the council is working on separating the wheat from the chaff by screening out Ezes without affinity, also Eze-Igbo’s re-authentication in Lagos, leading to factionalism, will not be accepted by the council.
