By Izunna Okafor, Awka
What could be best described as an emerging controversy has trailed the proposed conferment of the title of “Mayor Ndigbo” on the President of Chisco Group and Chairman Board of Trustees of the Anambra State Security Trust Fund; Chief Dr. Chidi Anyaegbu, an Anambra-born philanthropist and successful business mogul.
This is coming even as a prominent royal personality in Igbo land and an Apex Igbo group have dissociated themselves from the said event proposed for December 16 at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos State.
It would recalled that the social media space and some blogs were recently awash with certain flyers and publications in circulation, announcing that the Chisco Boss, Chief Anyaegbu (popularly known as Okeiyi Amichi) will be recognized and conferred with the title of Mayor Ndịgbo by Igbo people across the globe.
The flyer and the publication, which penned down the Chairman/CEO of the Airpeace Airlines, Barr. Allen Onyema as the Chairman of the Occasion, also emphasized that Ndịgbo from different walks of life have chosen Dr. Anyaegbu for the said honor as Mayor Ndịgbo in recognition of his honesty, uprightness, integrity and unwavering love for the Igbo Nation.
While also announcing that the said event will be hosted by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and co-hosted by the Lagos State Governor, Mr.Babajide Sanwo-Olu; the publications also stated that the said occasion will have many top-ranking dignitaries and moneybags from different parts of the country in attendance.
Among these expected guests, as listed in the publication, include Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan; the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi; the President of Atlas Oranto Group, Engr. Prince Arthur Eze; Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Group; Alhaji Aliko Dangote; the President of Chrome Group, Sir Emeka Offor; as well as the governors of the five Southeastern states.
Furthermore, the viral publication and flyer announced that the Obi of Onitsha and Chairman of the South-East Traditional Rulers Council, H.R.M. Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe; the Ooni of Ife, H.R.M. Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi; the King Jaja of Opobo H.R.M., Dandeson Douglas; and the Emir of Lafia, H.R.M. Hon. Justice Dr. Sidi Bage Muhammad, would serve as the Royal Fathers of the Day at the occasion; even as the Chairperson of Brittania-U, Chief Mrs. Uju Ifejika, is penned down to be the Mother of the Day.
However, in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday, December 5, the Obi of Onitsha and Chairman of the South-East Traditional Rulers Council, H.R.M. Igwe Achebe, dissociated himself from the said event and the conferment of the said title, emphasizing that he was never approached for any such occasion, let alone giving his consent to serve as a Royal Father of the Day at the event.
Igwe Achebe, in the statement signed by his Chief of Staff, Chief Osita Anionwu, said he did not even understand the purpose of the said event, and therefore, would not want to be associated with it.
“It has come to the attention of His Majesty, Nnaemeka A. Achebe CFR, mni, Agbogidi, Obi of Onitsha, through social media news reports, flyers and jingles that his name is being associated, as Royal Father of the Day, with the conferment of the title of Mayor of Ndigbo scheduled for 16 December, 2024 at Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
“His Majesty was neither approached nor did he consent to be associated with the event in any manner.
“His Majesty does not understand the purpose of the event and would not want to be associated with it,” the statement read.
Similarly, when contacted by this reporter, Izunna Okafor, the National Vice President of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, also dissociated the apex Igbo sociocultural group from the said event and the title conferment, maintaining that Ohaneze is not part of it.
He also recalled that the Lagos State Branch of the Ohaneze Ndigbo, where the said event is scheduled to take place, had earlier announced they had no hand in it and are not part of it.
Chief Okeke-Ogene also used the opportunity to bemoan the proliferation and belittling of titles and title taking in the society these days, further reiterating the Ohaneze’s stance on that.
In addition to these, many other Igbo indigenes have also expressed their views on the said event, with some raising questions about its authenticity and consentaneity. Some others also ask questions about the significance and the purpose of the said proposed title conferment, wondering the origin of the said title “Mayor Ndigbo”, which group is conferring it, and what would be the role of its holder.
Some who air their views also observe that and question why such a purported Igbo event should be held somewhere in a faraway Lagos State, and not in anywhere in Igbo land. Others also expressed concerns about the absence of the name of the Traditional Ruler of the conferee’s town, Amichi, in the Guests list in the flyers and publications being circulated about the event.
Efforts by this reporter, Izunna Okafor, to get the reactions of the proposed conferee, the Chisco Boss, on the development emerging controversy on the event, proved abortive, as he did not respond to his calls and the text message of inquiry sent to him to that effect, as at the time of this publication.
