Obi Of Onitsha, Other Revered South East Royal Fathers Storm Lagos To Support , Inaugurate Ndindu Leaders

It was an August gathering of sort , but Stakeholders chose to described it as a roll call of who is who amongst Igbo Captains of Industry , dignitaries and the cream of Revered Igbo Cultural and traditional Royal Fathers from the South – East .

The epic event was held last Saturday,October 3rd, 2026, at the grand hall of The Colonnade Hotel on Alfred Rewane Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Igbos resident in Lagos and outside Lagos State, trooped out in their numbers to welcome their notable and respected Royal Fathers ,such as HRM Eze Dr. Emmanuel Okeke CFR, Eze Imo and Chairman of the South East Council of Traditional Rulers; HRM Igwe Amb. Lawrence Agubuzo OON CFR; HRM Eze Linus Nto Mbah, Chairman of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers and incoming Chairman of the South East Council; HRM Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe CFR, Agbogidi, the Obi of Onitsha; HRM Igwe Chidubem Iweka III, the Obi of Obosi and Chairman of the Anambra State Council of Traditional Rulers; HRM Eze Charles Mkpuma, Chairman of the Ebonyi State Council of Traditional Rulers; and HRM Igwe Samuel I. Asadu, Ogadagidi and Chairman of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers amongst others.

News Planet International reports that the August event was the Inauguration of the Council responsible for the Harmonization of Ndigbo Cultural Leadership in Lagos, otherwise known as Ndindu.

Igbo Cultural Observers at the event, were of the opinion that the mammoth crowd that converged at the venue was not only symbolic, but a testament of the significance of the new Ndindu Ndigbo nomenclature to the Igbo traditional ecosystem .

The atmosphere was filled with cultural pride and a strong sense of heritage as the newly Certificated Igbo Traditional Leaders in Lagos State, making up the Diaspora leadership ,gathered for the inauguration of the Council of Ndindu Ndigbo .

It was organized under the auspices of the Association of Ndindu Ndigbo Nauzoije, Lagos State Chapter, in collaboration with the Committee on Regularization of Igbo Diaspora Traditional Title and Leadership (CRIDTTL), with the approval of the South East Council of Traditional Rulers,SECTR.

Besides the Presence of prominent figures from across Igbo traditional and community leadership circles, Senator John Azuta Mbata, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, was the Special Guest of Honour.

The event, which started at 1pm , had His Royal Majesty Oba Rilwan Babatunde Osuolale Aremu Akiolu, the Oba of Lagos, as royal host, while Sir (Pharm) Nnamdi Obi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Embassy Pharmaceutical & Chemicals Ltd, was the Chairman the occasion.

Others are Chief Charles Odunukwe OON, Chardon, Okemmiri of Orukwu and Chairman of CRIDTTL, was host of the ceremony, while Prince Ubochi Chukwunyere Ubochi is CRIDTTL Secretary.

However, there was a mild drama , whereby an unidentified person tried without success to scuttle the high level event using police operatives .

At the end of the event ,CRIDTTL Secretary had in a thank you voice message ,thanked Ndigbo for coming out in large numbers to support the Regularization and harmonization of the Diaspora leadership .

Earlier , Prince Ubochi had in the same vein as Barrister Chibuike Okoro, gave a graphic account of the significance of the occasion , as both Igbo leaders gave similar explanation that the initiative was primarily aimed at bringing structure, uniformity and clarity to Igbo cultural leadership across communities in Lagos State.

They agreed that the inauguration was not about creating another layer of traditional rulership, but about formally recognising individuals who have been selected and endorsed to provide cultural leadership within their respective Igbo communities in Lagos.

Okoro noted that the initiative was particularly significant against the backdrop of longstanding questions surrounding representation and leadership among Igbo communities in Lagos.

They explained that the exercise was designed to address situations in which individuals could emerge independently and claim leadership of particular Igbo communities without the necessary endorsement from the relevant traditional institutions.

“The essence of this gathering is to formally present the individuals who have been given these leadership titles to the various Igbo communities in Lagos and to make it clear that these are the people approved to provide cultural leadership in their respective communities,” the Leaders said.

For the two leaders ,the individuals being presented had received endorsement from the relevant Council of Traditional Rulers in Igboland and were being introduced to their respective communities in Lagos as recognised cultural leaders.

According to them, the initiative would help harmonise the leadership structure and minimise disputes or confusion over who legitimately represents Igbo communities in different parts of Lagos State.

“We are saying that these specific individuals have been endorsed by the Council of Traditional Rulers and are being presented to their respective communities as their leaders.
The objective is to harmonise the leadership structure and avoid confusion over who represents the Igbo people in the various communities,” Okoro noted.

Further , the leaders stressed the importance of distinguishing the newly recognised community leaders from statutory traditional rulers, noting that the former should not be addressed with royal titles such as “His Royal Highness” or “His Majesty”.

“Traditional rulership is a different matter and is regulated by law. These positions are essentially about community and cultural leadership, rather than traditional rulership or royalty,” they explained.

They also described the inauguration as an important step towards establishing a more coordinated system of Igbo cultural leadership in Lagos, while preserving the authority and distinct roles of recognised traditional institutions.

Onyendu High Chief Aloy Obi; Onyendu Dr. Omenife C. Olikaenyi, Ide; and Prince Ubochi were part of the Organizing team.

Beyond the formal presentation and inauguration of the Council of Ndindu Ndigbo, the ceremony also featured the presentation of the Igbo Traditional Values & Leadership Award 2026 in recognition of individuals who have distinguished themselves in service to the Igbo community and the preservation of its cultural heritage.

Anchored on the theme of Igbo Unity, Culture, Tradition and Progress, the gathering provided a platform for stakeholders to reaffirm their commitment to strengthening cultural identity, promoting organised community leadership and fostering greater unity among Igbo communities across Lagos State.

Igbo Stakeholders all affirmed that inauguration therefore marked a significant milestone in efforts to establish a more structured and coordinated framework for Igbo cultural leadership in Lagos, while strengthening ties between diaspora communities and traditional institutions in the South East.