Perhaps it is no longer News that the Leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) Chief Ralph Uwazuruike was recently installed as new Eze Igbo Gburu gburu with a title of Ijele Ndigbo along with Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka who bagged the title as Ogilishi Ndigbo. What is news is the full meaning of these titles particularly Ogilishi which is not popular among the people in Igbo land. In this interview with selected journalists, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka a Tourist guru and the proprietor of Rojenny Tourist and Games village Oba explains the meaning of the title. He also spoke about Uwazuruike’s position as Ojukwu’s successor and other issues of Igbo interest.
Excerpts
Congratulations on your new title as Ogilishi Ndigbo. Please let’s go straight to the point. What is the real meaning of Ogilishi and your responsibilities on holding the title?
Thank you very much. First for all gentlemen and ladies of the Fourth Estate of Realm permit me to use this golden opportunity to congratulate my boss, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike for emerging the new Igbo leader and successor of late Eze Igbo gburu gburu Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. I also wish to use this opportunity at the same time to thank His majesty the Eze Nri Igwe Obidiegwu Onyeso the custodian of Igbo culture and tradition for his divine discoveries of Uwazuruike as Ijele Ndigbo and successor of Ojukwu along with my humble self as Ogilishi. This goes to show that His majesty Eze Nri really knows his job as the chief custodian of Igbo customs.
Coming to your question, I think I have explained the full meaning of Ogilishi to some of your colleagues. Ogilishi means a substance that carries powerful spiritual force for cleansing, purification and sanctification of all forms of abominations. Moreso it is also applied for protection and to defend a person, land or an entity thus you can agree with me that this substance called Ogilishi is more powerful than atomic bomb and I have warned Boko Haram that if they continue to kill Igbo people in the North we have no choice than to unleash Ogilishi on them. I have told Boko Haram that the silence of Ndigbo over their dastard act of killing our people should not be taken as weakness because we have a weapon that is more powerful than the bombs they are throwing about.
As the holder of this title I will perfectly use it to defend Uwazuruike in particular and Ndigbo in general. That should be my responsibilities as Ogilishi Ndigbo.
We don’t know whether the Igbo people know about this wonderful and magic prone substance before now or not? We don’t know whether His majesty the Eze Nri just discovered?.
No, His majesty didn’t just discover it, our people know it, the elders know it very well but the problem is that the Western civilization and foreign life style that massively invaded the Igbo in the 19th century through various Christian denominations like Catholicism, Anglicanism and Pentecostalism have nearly brought our culture and tradition to ruin and such negatively affected the knowledge of the Ogilishi substance among our people.
This is why we should immensely thank Eze Nri for making this divine discovery and I can assure you that as far as I am concerned it is time to revive the Igbo culture and tradition and restore the norms and values which originally represent the source of Igbo greatness and pride.
We learnt that Ohaneze Ndigbo is not in support of this development because according to them the Eze Nri has no right nor power to choose Ojukwu’s successor for Ndigbo . . cuts in
Then let Ohaneze tell us who else have the right and power to do it. I’m sure all of you must read it or heard it directly from Eze Nri that it was in his palace that Ojukwu received Offor (that is the symbol of Igbo authority) with which he used to declareBiafraand subsequently fought the civil war and survived. It was at the palace that Ojukwu was coronated and installed with the authority as Eze Igbo gburu gburu. Now tell me where the Eze Nri could be found wanting in this regard.
And if they are opposition the emergence of Uwazuruike as Eze Igbo gburu gburu II they should tell us who and who are better than Uwazuruike for the position. What those people have done for Ndigbo that qualify them to succeed Ojukwu.
Let them raise the person and let us argue or debate the issue. I’m sure you guys are aware that the Ojuwku’ son Debe Sylvester endorsed Uwazuruike as his father’s successor, Debe in an interview stated that there is need for Ndigbo to have a rallying point and Uwazuruike is not a bad choice for that considering what he has done for Ndigbo.
Uwazuruike as MASSOB leader took over the struggle for Igbo emancipation from Ojukwu. On this struggle he has been in prison for over 17 times. This is one. As MASSOB leader Uwazuruike controls over 12 million responsible Igbo youths well structured both local government, state and national and international level because MASSOB have members in Diaspora. This is two. Thirdly Uwazuruike is the only Igbo man that remembered hundreds of Igbo men who were wounded during Biafra civil war who were lavishing atOrjiRiverbus stop alongEnugu-Onitsha Express Way. He took those woundedBiafrasoldiers along with their family members to Okwe and builds an estate for them. I’m sure you guys have gone there to see things for your self. I call theEstateBiafraVillage, Okwe. The people are there eating three times a day with their children in primary and secondary schools and even university courtesy of Ijele Ndigbo alone. Fourthly, as I speak with you, Uwazuruike has secured a large expanse of land where Biafran fallen heroes will be buried. I’m sure you are aware that we have the plans on going for burial of our brothers who died during the civil war.
The new Ezeigbo gburu gburu has already secured the space where their tombs should be constructed. Now tell me who among the Igbo could match his strides for the Igbo with the aforementioned wonderful achievements he has recorded.
With you behind Ijele what do we expect as regard Igbo leadership hence forth?
Expect cleansing, purification, sanctification, revival, restoration and new dimension of character and behaviour among the Igbo. We are hopefully going to revive every facet of our endeavour, both spiritually, socially, culturally, traditionally and of course politically
We will make sure things move in the right direction. Our priority is going to bother on security. We will look at the plight of the youths with a view to get them rid off social vices like kidnapping and armed robbery. The youths must be given priority attention.
What your take on the new fuel price (97) per liter?
I support deregulation and if the price is line with it, I have no case about it. Thank you very much.
