Following the recent misunderstanding that transpired between the leaders of Igbo in Akure and the Deji of Akure land, an Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has applauded the Deji of Akure, Oba Ogunlade Aladetoyinbo, for banning the Eze Ndigbo title within the state capital.

It will be recalled that the national president Ohanaeze Ndigbo said the title was not recognised by traditional rulers in the South-East and added that it was wrong of any Igbo man to parade himself as the Eze Ndigbo in the South-West.

The Deji of Akure recently banned the Eze Ndigbo title in the town following the disagreement between the leader of the Igbo community in Akure, Gregory Iloehike, and the Deji of Akure over the crisis at Mojere market. The Ohanaeze Ndigbo however called for the implementation of a February 20, 2008 resolution by the South-South traditional rulers, who condemned and banned the use of the Eze Ndigbo title outside the South-East.

A statement issued by the leaders of the group, Joseph Okeke, and Lemmy-Kingsley Chukwuma, said: “It is the hitherto refusal of the relevant authorities to stop Iloehika from parading himself as Eze Ndigbo of Akure as directed by the South-East traditional rulers and the Ohanaeze Ndigbo since 2008, that gave him the courage to desecrate the stool of the Deji, an act which the Igbo in the state were not satisfied with.”

The group lauded the monarch for employing maturity in controlling the face-off between Igbo people and the indigenes of Akure.