The problem with the Igbos is as old as the advent of colonialism in Nigeria. Prior to the era of white rule, the Igbos, in their egalitarian nature, lived orderly and peaceably with one another and their neighbours. But the coming of the white man in Igbo land brought avalanche of blessings and problems.
It introduced among other things the controversial traditional ruling institution which served their momentous interest (indirect rule) because the Igbo society was republican in nature and the power to decide and rule over the fate of the subjects resided with the collective will of the people” OHA or IGWEBUIKE”.
Though the Igbos, after stiff resistance, embraced this institution as part of their new way of life. But some hawks have bastardized and made mockery of this sacred institution outside Igbo land. The proliferation and degradation of the Igbo traditional stool mostly outside Igbo land, is taking a toll on the reputation of the Igbos in Nigeria and beyond.
This development is crappy, grim and does not portray us as one orderly, united and progressive people we were once known for. This nightmare could be traced to the absence of the central traditional stool in Igbo land as is the practice among her neighbours.
Even after colonialism, the Igbos were still not subjected to traditional loyalty outside their villages or clan. This was largely due to the Igbo-styled republicanism which was to a great extent gradually jettisoned as a result of the paramount rulership foisted on them by the British colonial masters.
This menace led to the inordinate proliferation and degradation of the sacred traditional stool of the Igbos, especially among Igbos who reside outside Igbo shores. Most times these titles were freely given to the highest bidders. The worst is that these recipients were not assayed before conferment because of their pockets which have beclouded the sense of probity, judgment and fairness of the donors.
Even some of these traditional title holders are self-appointed because they were not conferred by the genuine and legally recognized stool in Igbo land, and it was not clear how and where or when the said title was given to them. Of course, these are simply one of the reasons the Igbos speak with discordant voices on certain burdensome issues. There are no simple parameters of checking the activities of these mean, petty and uncouth self-appointed Igbo leaders in most cases.
This is worrisome because the de facto Igbo title holders hold brief on behalf of the Igbo race far away from Igbo land on sensitive issues without recourse to the traditional authorities of the Igbo land. This is the height of crap, arrogance, insubordination, ignorance and customary betrayal.
This is dangerous because it will lead to massive erosion of confidence and respect of our traditional institution. It can as well result in a colossal lose of reputation of the Igbo race and it can debase our traditional stool among her counterparts and entrench under-development in Igbo land.
It is a cog in the wheel of progress of Ndi Igbo. For someone to be self-appointed Eze Igbo and accumulate advantages to themselves based on such false status is evil and criminal and should be treated as felony by the laws of the land.
It therefore behooves on all Igbos both at home and in diaspora to rise in unison against this ravaging storm before it blights us. We are a people with a long record of strong and fine history – history of hard work, open society, social competition and development.
History of equity and justice, fairness, truth and respect for laws of the land (culture and tradition); and above all absolute reverence to our traditional stools. For someone to become a trader in the morning and a monarch or whatever in the night is not in accordance with our culture and tradition.
For somebody to become a businessman in the city of Abuja, Kano, Lagos, Ibadan, Accra, Abidjan, Bauchi, Gabon, Yaoundé etc only to return at the weekend to become a chief is outrightly a misnomer. It’s alien to our way of life. Our chiefs and traditional rulers reside at home not in foreign land.
It will therefore serve the interest of these self-seeking and appointed leaders or whatever they call themselves to desist forthwith from parading themselves as traditional beacons of the Igbo society as such is not only criminal but tantamount to felony.
The elites and good people of Igbo land should, as a matter of expediency, roll out actions to check this ugly trend. I am fully aware that the chieftaincy matters and laws of the south eastern states frown at this menace. It’s time for the government to speak with one voice and enforce this law.
Ohaneze, the pan Igbo socio-cultural organization, should lead this effort to check and bring to order the activities of these swindlers and self-seeking persons, whose sole motive is to tarnish the hard-earned image and reputation of the Igbos for pecuniary reasons. This, if left unchecked, will continue to damage the social fabrics of unity in Igbo land and bring upon us untold negligence and under- development.
Desmond wrote from Port Harcourt

Nwokoror Desmond