SHOULD U.S-BASED AFRICAN TAKE THE TRADITIONAL TITLE OF 'EZE' (KING) HERE IN THE U.S?
Chido
USAfrica Special & Exclusive Report
-----------------------------------------------------
SHOULD U.S-BASED AFRICAN TAKE THE TRADITIONAL
TITLE OF 'EZE' (KING) HERE IN THE U.S?
---------------------------------------------------
by Chido Nwangwu
http://www.usafricaonline.com
http://www.bbjonline.com
E-mail: publ...@usafricaonline.com
The decision by one of the African community's cultural clubs in
Houston, the Greater Owerri Club (G.O.C), to coronate Emeka Obichukwu
as 'Eze' continues to generate controversy and recrimination witin the
community. It is, indeed, an event which has strained personal
relations for many here in Houston while raising deep sociological
and cultural questions for Igbos and many other Africans in the U.S.
Echoes of the implication of the event resonate back home in the very
traditional and enterprising communities across Igbo land in South
Eastern Nigeria.
Many cite the debacle and embarrasment which followed the
controversial coronation of another Igbo in Denver, Colorado.
In the Houston case as in Denver's, rounds of acerbic and mostly
anonymous letters attacking the organizers and recipient of the 'Eze'
title have been staples and preludes to the events. Houston's have
featured a particularly fiery, and extremely personal attack on
Chief Aguocha Iheanyi Aguocha (a pharmacologist and one of the leaders
of Oha na Eze, USA, a major group opposing Obichukwu's installation
as 'Eze').
Some members of the community are wondering what will be the
manner of relating with 'Eze' Obichukwu; what are his traditional
rights and privileges; will the GO.C, a non-profit club continue to
expand the constituency of 'Eze' Obichukwu, since the leaders of
the G.O.C are beginning to add/substitute the world 'Club' with
"community. The last of these development s are yet to be heard
especially when Igbos in Houston hold a cultural/social event with
'Eze' Obichukwu in attendance.
Meanwhile, the community continues the debate about the controversial
coronation event. While the officers of the G.O.C such as Baylor
College of Medicine scholar, Dr. Innocent Mbawuike believe "we're
within our rights and cultural realities to make Mazi Obichukwu
our 'Eze' instead of a 'Chief.' We consulted with our elders and
they insist we're within our cultural realms" other community
organizations including the apex Igbo Peoples' Congress think
otherwise. Its president Benneth Okpala argued in an accompanying
piece here (see link http://www.usafricaonline.com that the event
which held May 24 , 1998 at the Missouri City Hall (less than half
a mile from the city of Houston) banalizes Igbo culture. Okpala
believes Obichukwu's coronation is "a bad joke taken too far." The
Old Bende Union, scheduled to present the exciting 'War Dance'
heralding key events in traditional Igbo society backed out of the
event after meeting a few days before the May 24 event with
officials of the G.O.C .
The man who placed the crown of 'Eze' on Mazi Obichukwu's embattled
head, computer scientist Nze Peter Ogwumike, Jr. told me in an
exclusive interview "We consulted with our elders back and I also
shared the import and dynamics of the whole issue with my father,
the traditional ruler of Ubomiri and he affirmed to the extent
we're not creating another 'Eze' against the current traditional
ruler of Owerri and to the extent we, as the kith and kin and
what is generally known in Igbo land as 'umunna' are agreed on it,
we can go ahead and make him 'Eze.' And that's what we've just
done here."
Nze Ben Osuji, owner of a medical staffing agency in Houston, holds
a different view. He argues in his perspective written excusively
for USAfrica that the issue is that "relocating to a foreign land
inside Nigeria or here in the U.S cannot and should not be
translated to mean an opportunity to create new 'Ezes', 'Obas' or
'Emirs.' A Yoruba man in Igbo land does not suddenly make himself
an Oba." Osuji who holds the traditional title of Ikemba Owere
argues that "while I do not want this issue to divide our
people, a Club does not make anyone an Eze or Chief in our culture.
It is not our way, at all." His father, Nze H.S.K Osuji is a major
traditional authority in Owerri (originally known as Owere).
On his part former president of the G.O.C, Balo Ngumezi states in an
article for USAfrica The Newspaper that "not only is our
organization promoting African culture by the event, all the major
communties of Africans should have their own Ezes and it will
benefit our kids, too." His business partner at BAE Interests and
treasurer of the G.O.C said the "opposition to the coronation was
fuelled largely by the antagonisms of the IPC and its leaders who
have always felt that the G.O.C outshines all of them in terms of
promoting Igbo culture. We have been here before their
organization; we've even greater cultural plans for our people. Most
of those people in IPC and World Igbo Congress have outlived their
usefulnes s for Igbos. He mentioned a key leader of the WIC whom
he said "should go back home to know and learn the right things
from our elders."
A non-Igbo, Mike Ibadin said "in my culture as an Esan man and in
fact across the Bini cultural areas, no one will dare to share
the same title as king of the Edos in any other place in the
world. It's not done. But I'm not an Igbo; their people know
better."
Unfortunately, today, the tragedy really is another question: Do the
Igbos really know where they are going with all these? Time will
tell.
*Chido Nwangwu, Founder & Publisher of USAfrica MEDIA NETWORKS, is
recipient of the Journalism Excellence Award, HABJ 1997. He has
recently been elected to the Board of the NAACP (National Association
for the Advancement of Colored Peoples)-Houston and serves also as
Director of Information for 100 Black Men of America
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------
Please note the first detailed reports/profiles/background on this
issue are published in the latest edition of USAfrica The Newspaper.
Call for your copies. READERS LETTERS on this controversial issue will
be published online and in USAfrica The Newspaper.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Also see Related USAfrica Views Links on our web site for these articles:
Ben Osuji -Eze controversy should not divide our people
Beneth Okpala -Why we're opposed to Obichukwu's coronation
Balo Ngumezi -Every African Community should have its own 'Eze' in
the U.S
-------------------------------------------------------------------
CHIDO NWANGWU
Founder & Publisher
USAfrica & The BBJ Media Networks
713-270-5500 * Fax: 713-270-8131
>Electronic mail:
Official: publ...@usafricaonline.com
personal: ch...@usafricaonline.com
--------------------
Media Products:
USAfrica ONLINE http://www.usafricaonline.com
USAfrica THE NEWSPAPER
USAfrica WEEKEND
USAfrica Books
The BLACK BUSINESS JOURNAL, BBJ http://www.bbjonline.com
(The Business Newspaper for the African-American, African and
Caribbean communities)
Phone: 713-270-6500
fax: 713270-8131
e-mail: fou...@bbjonline.com
Send all postal mail to:
8303 Southwest Freeway
Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77074
>USAfrica.... THE AUTHORITATIVE LINK for the United States and Africa
Prince
You folks have a lot of time on your hands.
What is the purpose of coronating an EZE anywhere outside Nigeria?
I know the culturally deprived amongst us will use the promotion of our
grand
culture as an excuse to perpetuate any silly action, but coronating an IGBO
king in the US is stretching it a bit too far. Whining about it in public
is downright
disgraceful.
Chido wrote in message ...
Noadeen Fasina
This remind me of my first visit to Owerri when I first saw Igbo man
fighting one another on the street. Until then it was inconceivable to me
that the Igbos has any differences among them
This is because I lived with them in Kano, Kazaure, Lagos and Abeokuta and
all I see is a brother keeping his brother, but ever since my first visit to
Owerri I have come to realize that the Igbos are like any other enlightened
minds who must disagree if necessary to show their independence of thought.
I only wonder why some of them accuse the Yorubas of the same disease, birds
of the same feather.
PS
I wonder why we are tittles crazy (what of me).
Ojukwu tried the same thing and failed, he tried to be EZE IGBO and the
biggest confrontation came from Abuja through the Deputy Mayor (my words,
actually deputy minister) Dr. Maryann Ikejiani-Clark. Now that is a woman.
Noa
Prince wrote in message ...