The Eze Ndigbos in Lagos State have declared their support for the choice of Dr. Gani Adams as the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, just as they declared that they are happy that the “title came to our own person”.
The leaders of Igbos in all the local governments in the state, who paid the Aare designate a congratulatory visit in his Lagos home on Tuesday, promised to work with him politically and culturally.
Among the visiting Ezes were the Eze Ndigbo of Ikeja, Chief Uche Dimgba; Dr. Livinus Chimezie, the Eze Ndigbo of Gbogbo; Eze of Cocker/Aguda, Jude Ezego, who was the leader of the team; Eze of Ojodu, Eze Augustine Ebisi; Eze Peter Umeh of Mushin, Odiolowo, Iganmuland, Ejigbo, Agbado, Oke odo and the Eze of Iba among others.
Speaking on behalf of the Ezes, Ebisi, said the Igbos are in solidarity with the Aare designate, stressing that they will work with him politically and culturally.
The Ezes, who brought drinks, Kolanuts and Alligator pepper with them, which they used for an extensive prayer at the meeting, said the onus rests on Adams to give them the direction that pleases him for them to follow.
Pledging that the Igbos would always work with him, the Eze of Ojodu said: “We will continue to be with you.
“We only pray that God will continue to give us life to continue to be part of you.
“We are delighted about your belief in culture and tradition.
“Our culture is who we are.
“But people now mix it with religion.
“Culture is older than religion.
“We are what we are already before religion.
“The time is gone when the impression people have about the Aare is to fight war.
“The Kakanfo of today is for progress not war and we are here to declare to you that we are partners in progress.”
Thanking the Ezes for their visit, which he described as historic, Adams said he was not surprised because the Igbo community had always associated with him and his group.
The Aare Ona kakanfo said the title is the most prestigious in Yorubaland, adding that it is not without history.
According to him, he is mandated as the Yoruba Generalisimo to defend the interest of the Yoruba and ensure unity of the race.
He added that like the Igbos, the Yorubas crave their identity, even as he pledged that he would love to maintain the cordial relationship that had existed between him and the Easterners, submitting that Igbos never constituted a threat to Yorubaland.
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