Chioma Adeoye, an evangelist, is a member of the Ohanaeze Lagos Cultural Celebration Planning Committee for the year 2022. In this interview with VINCENT KALU, she extolled the leadership qualities of the Lagos branch President of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Chief Sunday Ossai, and spoke on things to expect at the cultural fiesta.
A new leadership of Ohanaeze Lagos has emerged. What are your expectations?
The new President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State, Chief Sunday Ossai is peace loving and focused. From the way he is carrying himself and the organisation, it shows he doesn’t have time for frivolities or confrontations. He should keep it up and never allow himself to be distracted. He is already made; he has what to eat, and he is not into the leadership of Ohanaeze because of personal aggrandisement or using the organisation to trade or do business. The current leadership of Ohanaeze is made up of people who have succeeded in their various fields of endeavour. They are not looking for ways to feather their nests. No, they have made it in life and are only serving in the organisation in order to contribute their quota to the development of the Igbo people. Most of them have awarded scholarships to many Igbo sons and daughters and empowered many others. In the past, we have seen the leadership of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation in Lagos using the venerable organisation to trade; this current leadership consists of persons who have visible means of livelihood and not people who want to use the organization to advance their personal economic status. The present leadership comprises men and women of integrity who every Igbo is happy to appreciate and associate with, and are out to positively impact others.
The election is over. Is the president still facing any opposition?
Yes, the past president is still opposing him. But in spite of that, he remains calm, undaunted and has continued to preach peace and extending olive branch to any aggrieved person or group. It is a shame that some people or group has decided to cause confusion and divide Ohanaeze Lagos. This was just borne out of what they would eat or how to trade with the organisation.
Such persons or group should know that people are laughing at them. We should not in anywhere be divided. Why should we? Is it not a shame that your tenure has elapsed and yet, you have refused to vacate and hand over? Whoever that is supporting a rebel should go for mental examination. When the people ask you to come and serve them, you serve them, and they applaud you. When your tenure expires, you go and let another person come in. But, because you have tasted the honey and it is sweet, you refused to let go. It is a shame and no right thinking person should allow himself to be used as part of the rebel. Rebellion is not a virtue.
In this vein, I’m encouraging every Igbo person in Lagos, especially those from Enugu State to rally round Chief Ossai to make sure that his tenure as the president is a huge success; charity, they say begins from home. Enugu people should not be seen working against their brother’s tenure. Why should the Enugu community in Lagos fix Enugu Day on the same day with the Ohanaeze Lagos led by Ossai? No, that December 2nd and 3rd should be left for Ohanaeze. Though he has support from the seven states that make up Ohanaeze, his strength should come more from Enugu State.
What is Chief Ossai’s major agenda for the organisation?
Time has passed when the secretariat of Ohanaeze Lagos would be in the sitting rooms of its current president; this can’t continue, the organisation is far above that. So Ossai’s major agenda is getting a permanent secretariat for Ohanaeze Lagos. This is an idea whose time has come and so should be encouraged by anybody who has Igbo blood running in his or her veins. The Igbo in Lagos has the money to do that; the credibility of the present president will galvanise them to realise this. Nobody or group, especially the past leadership, should truncate this agenda of building a befitting secretariat for Ohanaeze in Lagos.
You are a member of the planning committee of the Igbo Cultural Celebration. What does the organisation want to achieve with it?
The organisation wants to use the event to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Igbo. It is christened Igbo Cultural Fiesta, with the theme: ‘Nme Nme Ohanaeze Lagos 2022’. One of the highlights is the Award Night, which holds at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, on December 2, 2022, while the cultural festival holds the following day at the Police College Annex, Ikeja. The president told us during our inauguration that, ‘we want to use the event to teach Igbo youths the culture and tradition of our ancestors. We want to use it to show that the Igbo people in Lagos State are united and speak with one voice; we want people to understand that we are one people and share the same ancestry and heritage. It is a culture that binds Igbo together. Culture is important and there is a need to preserve it. We want to make sure that our children and wards do not forget our culture, especially those of us who live outside Igboland and that is why we want to organise the Igbo cultural celebration. We want to celebrate our culture and showcase to the world. The event will be a celebration of the achievements of the Igbo people and their culture, so we urge Igbo sons, daughters and their friends to attend the event.’
The side attractions include: Cultural dance display, an army of Igbo masquerades, Igbo delicacies, award presentation and fund raising for the Wealth Creation Centre- Ohanaeze Ndigbo House, fashion show and sales of traditional Igbo attire, contemporary Igbo highlife music, etc. On the second day of the event, there will be a celebration of Igbo culture at the Police College, GRA, Ikeja. There will be march past and cultural displays by representatives of all the 57 local government areas (LGAs) and local council development areas (LCDAs), youths, market associations, state town unions and other stakeholders. The event will also be used to devise strategies to make young Igbo to adopt Igbo culture and tradition. I’m imploring Igbo parents and guardians to ensure that their children and ward understand and speak Igbo language.
I want to use this medium to condole David Adeleke (Davido) and Chioma Rowland on the passing away of their son (Ifeanyi), and urge them to take solace in God.