Eze Ndigbo Alimosho Calls Ambode A Superman…Endorses His Second Term Bid

Traditional institutions have remained very vital in upholding our cultural values and maintaining peace at their level, the Eze Nidigbo Alimosho and the Grand Patron of Igbo Traders in Lagos State; Dr. Lawrence Nnamdi Eze, Ezedioranma II, Agunabo Na Awka bares his mind in this interview with Publisher of The Alimosho Mail Newspaper, Mr. Abel Lazarus on the role his office has played in maintaining peace in the most populated LGA in West Africa, issues and challenges impeding his office and how Governor Ambode has performed in his three years in office.
Excerpts:
TAM: Can we meet you sir?
HRM: My names are Dr. Lawrence Nnamdi Eze, Ezedioranma II, Agunabo Na Awka and the immediate past Federal Board member thank you very much.
TAM: How long have you reign as Eze Ndigbo, Alimosho?
HRM: By the grace of God I have been on the throne as Eze Ndigbo in Alimosho since 2009.
TAM: There was this agitation on the Igbos to stop crowning kings in other parts of Nigeria especially here in the South West Nigeria; has this issue been resolved?
HRM: The issue has been laid to rest. More so, it is unconstitutional to ask tribe/Nigerians not to choose their leaders. Also the Nigerian constitution allows for freedom of association so far it is a legal association.
TAM: How would you say your office has contributed to the good of the local and State governments and the people?
HRM: I would not want to sound as blowing my trumpet, however my office has continually play the role of mediator between the host and their guests and this is evidenced in the high degree of co-existence between the Igbos and the Yorubas. My office has remained the last of hope of the down trodden who frequently besiege the palace for one form of assistance to the other. The Hausa community in Alimosho visits the palace at will which confirms our openness to pursue and maintain peace in Alimosho and even beyond.
TAM: For Ndigbos in Alimosho how has your office been able to galvanize to cooperate with their hosts?
HRM: My brother, it is only a mad man that will not recognize his Landlord hence continually, we keep engaging Ndi Igbo to make sure that they maintain a peaceful co-existence with not just the their host but with everyone and you will agree with that on no account has Alimosho recorded any tribal clashes. This is achieved through constant engagements.
TAM: There must have been one or two challenges of being an Eze in another land outside of the east, what would you say are these challenges?
HRM: As a peace maker, yes that’s what my office is all about because continually we have had course to mediate with the police and other security agencies in other to maintain peace in Alimosho, the greatest challenge has remained the lack of funding from the government, our funding comes from our internal contributions and free donations from well-wishers, yet as a king my gate is usually open and people will keep coming with one problem or the other and my office must make sure such issues are attended to no matter how little. I have on several occasions witnessed people that will come here and cry Igwe! I don’t have food to eat, as no-one will fold his hands and die of hunger; as a father I must make sure that he/she gets food to eat. Others might have appointment on the Island or even Ikeja and will come to tell me as their king that they don’t have transport to meet such appointments; it is my duty to make sure that such persons meet with their appointment by giving them transport fare.
TAM: You mentioned earlier that the governments have not been supportive does that include the Local Government who are your host?
HRM: Yes, the local government will only come to promise you heaven and earth during their campaigns and afterwards nothing happens, the last time the Igando-Ikotun LCDA invited me for their two hundred days in office which I honoured but amazingly I left just the way I came without any appreciation. It is very wrong.
TAM: Governor Akinwunmi Ambode just celebrated his three years in office, how would you rate his performance so far and the areas you feel he should improve upon?
HRM: Governor Ambode is a Superman, I mean a Superman. He has done wonderfully well that even a blind man can see his achievements. His projects are people oriented and developmental with their massive nature, but the areas he should extend his good works is to also remember us on our efforts to promote peace and orderliness in our communities with our hosts. It won’t be out of place to create a budget to enable us further our course to even greater heights.

TAM: Going by your statements on Gov. Ambode’s performance are you and Ndigbos in Alimosho supporting him for a second term?
HRM: Yes. We are in support of his second term bid.
TAM: Talking about the general elections how have you been able to mobilize Ndigbo to get registered and collect their PVCs?
HRM: That is an ongoing exercise, it is top on our priority to make sure that every Igbo of age eighteen and above in Alimosho is registered and we have continually provided counseling to them on the need to have it and this will continue as long as the exercise lasts. For those that have relocated to Alimosho from their original place of registration we have been engaging them also on the process to get their cards transferred to their current place of abode. We understand that an average Igbo man in Alimosho is a trader and that makes it difficult for them to lock their shops for the registration but through our persuasive measures they have been able to comply.

TAM: Development is not only the responsibility of the government, how have you been able to get Ndigbos doing well in Alimosho to give back to the society?
HRM: Off course we know that everybody has a role to play in development and the roles must not always be monetary, hence we persuade some of them that are doing well to always give back to the society and they have been doing so, majority visits the less privileged homes. For me I have taken it upon myself to attend to schools on their invitation to educate the children on culture and by attending their cultural events, these are ways of giving back to the society and like I mentioned earlier where I have to provide for those that run to the palace for help.
TAM: As a father, what are your advices to Ndigbo in Alimosho?
HRM: My candid advice to them is to stay out of trouble, work hard and make sure they pay their taxes and rates accordingly as that is the sources of government revenue for the great work we are seeing today.