Because many of you think Eze = Emir, and are shouting because Obi of Onitsha drove his car to Akwa, I think this is an opportunity to relearn Igbo traditional rulers and what these titles mean.


Igwe - Igwe is the leader of the Ozo society in their community. A community with and Igwe is controlled by the Ozo society traditionally and Ozo will be the highest title society there. The Igwe is the person who represents that society, and since that society controls the community traditionally, they are also the de facto community leader. The Igwe title is not hereditary, and Igwes are elected among members of the Ozo society, though only specific families are eligible. In the past the senior-most member of the Ozo society within set founding families was the Igwe. Igwe is the human representation of Amadioha/Igwe/Kalu for their people, as all Ozo men are embodying the righteous, pure, leaderly element of Chi na Eke, which is personified as Amadioha/Igwe etc. The Igwe is closer to a spiritual leader than an actual king. The Igwe represents the ancestors of the land as he is the window used to see and reach them. The Ozo also represents this but the Igwe is the leader among the Ozo.

Eze - Any distinguished person is an Eze. Eze is simply 'distinguished person'. There are people who earn distinction by their acts and talents such as Eze ji, Eze nka etc. There are also individual who, because they are titled, are called Eze. It is closer to the english 'honorable' than 'king'. Because kings are distinguished, the colonial government gave their warrant chiefs their title without fully understanding it. But in it's true for, an Eze is a titled person, hence the term 'ndi eze'. Eze is also not hereditary like royalty though most communities with warrant chiefs are only mimicking the british tradition and hence their own is hereditary.

Obi - The Obi is the Ofo holder of the community. This is the person that maintains the connection between the ancestors and the living. They are the person that tends of the community Arushi and are the living embodiment of their specific community. This person is closer to a Pope than a King similar to the Igwe. They are the person that ushers in ceremonies, and the person who speaks for the community since they hold the community's founding Ofo.

King - Not and Igbo title, but I will explain what it is so that you can understand. Often our issue is not that we don't understand our culture, its that we don't understand English and feel the need to reconcile our culture with English at all times. A King is the owner of a land. The king has the deed to the land. This is why it is hereditary. If you are in a King's land, you are permanently a tenant, you cannot own land in a King's domain. The King can lease to you and it is often called ownership, but in reality the King can take it back. Because you are in a king's land, the King is the paramount ruler. The King cannot be questioned, or opposed. The way you or your father can decide what should be done about your home without opposition, the same applies for a King. This is why the US president is not a King. This is why even the pope is not a King because the pope is not a land owner, the Church is. Not every leader is a King. A king is a very specific thing like an Nze an Ozo, a CEO, a General etc. Igbos continue to call their Ezes kings but get angry when the Eze sells community land. If the late Queen of England wants to sell London, no force alive can stop her because she is a royal.


Many of these traditions have of course been bastardized by colonialism, Nigerian administration, and the ignorance of the population they serve. Most specifically the ignorance of some of the people holding these titles. But for the future, use this as a guide when someone tries to tell you these people are Kings

You started off painting the Igbo society as though it was uniform in practice. This is wrong. To correct one notion you raised, Ozo system is chiefly an Anambra thing with communities in some Enugu and Imo adopting the practice, therefore you can't use that premise to discuss entirety of Igbo culture.

By the way , Igwe is not same as Amadioha. Igwe is the the highest titled Ozo man , usually the Eze Nri. Whereas Amadioha is not a person.

Igbo culture is very diverse but you lumped everyone when it suits you

I presented you 3 forms of leadership and you first sentence was to point out that I'm trying to make things uniform?
Are you disagreeing because of what you read, or are you disagreeing because you came to disagree?

Is Anambra an Igbo word? lol

All these story, just because ur obi, leave his palace and state to go meet a fulani aspirant? If u are in his shoe, U might even trek, if u knw wat mk him leave his palace...
I.O.T

Ofodirinwa:
I presented you 3 forms of leadership and you first sentence was to point out that I'm trying to make things uniform?
Are you disagreeing because of what you read, or are you disagreeing because you came to disagree?

Is Anambra an Igbo word? lol

Igbo people did not originate from one ancestry. We are the most diverse Nigerians. Therefore, speak for Imo state because Igbo land is not under one leadership or government.

IDENNAA:
You started off painting the Igbo society as though it was uniform in practice. This is wrong. To correct one notion you raised, Ozo system is chiefly an Anambra thing with communities in some Enugu and Imo adopting the practice, therefore you can't use that premise to discuss entirety of Igbo culture.

By the way , Igwe is not same as Amadioha. Igwe is the the highest titled Ozo man , usually the Eze Nri. Whereas Amadioha is not a person.

Igbo culture is very diverse but you lumped everyone when it suits you

Obviously he is from Anambra

In imo equivalent of ozo can be called NZE and they are clan heads that report to the EZE ( I know this is new tho ) but in mbaise at least the highest decision making body is not the king ...but Aladinma, which is just an assembly of every man in the community

Bros eeh it's complex to explain to a none mbaise person

We really got no defined leader but NZE is the closest to a king but not for the whole village but for his clan

Ofodirinwa:
I presented you 3 forms of leadership and you first sentence was to point out that I'm trying to make things uniform?
Are you disagreeing because of what you read, or are you disagreeing because you came to disagree?

Is Anambra an Igbo word? lol

What you describe doesn't apply to the ohuhu Igbo group of imo and abia

OGIBRA:
All these story, just because ur obi, leave his palace and state to go meet a fulani aspirant? If u are in his shoe, U might even trek, if u knw wat mk him leave his palace...
I.O.T

carry your afonja dirty canines back to mushin, bloody agbero!

mrvitalis:

Obviously he is from Anambra

In imo equivalent of ozo can be called NZE and they are clan heads that report to the EZE ( I know this is new tho ) but in mbaise at least the highest decision making body is not the king ...but Aladinma, which is just an assembly of every man in the community

Bros eeh it's complex to explain to a none mbaise person

We really got no defined leader but NZE is the closest to a king but not for the whole village but for his clan

The guy I quoted is one of the foremost Imo person on this forum. Him and Abagworo are of same set.

I just don't like when people paint Igbo culture with one paint brush when it suits them then claim Ndigbo are Republicans when our neighbors ridicule us for not having a central kingdom.

Obi of Onicha primarily represents Ndi Anambra as our chairman of traditional rulers and rarely carried himself as the "king of the Igbo"

In the past Ndi Imo and Abia has criticized the Agbogidi and claimed he doesn't represent Ndigbo which makes me wonder why they are now attacking and insulting the revered Anambra monarch. Shouldn't it be an Anambra people problem since he wasn't representing Ndigbo

When Ndi Onicha celebrates their elegant Ofala celebration you people are quick to claim their culture as Igbo but today the Agbogidi is being insulted by riffraff whose father has no money to take the Ozo title

mrvitalis:

Obviously he is from Anambra

In imo equivalent of ozo can be called NZE and they are clan heads that report to the EZE ( I know this is new tho ) but in mbaise at least the highest decision making body is not the king ...but Aladinma, which is just an assembly of every man in the community

Bros eeh it's complex to explain to a none mbaise person

We really got no defined leader but NZE is the closest to a king but not for the whole village but for his clan

ndewo,

Most of what you said is apt but Nze is no where near a king. an Nze is a living ancestor, and thus they are the person you go to for leadership (not rulership), guidance, judgement and morals. Same with Ozo.

None of these things are kings. If we must say King please understand what a King is. After all we do not call European Kings Nzes.

ebufa:





carry your afonja dirty canines back to mushin, bloody agbero!

Been an agbero in mushin is far better than been an IPOB in ur eastern state...
Learn how to have independent opinion, instead of quoting everybody just to insult n leave the topic..peace be unto u bro

mrvitalis:

What you describe doesn't apply to the ohuhu Igbo group of imo and abia

yes it does