CORONATION: Century Chief Peter Asonye Broke All Records In Preparation For The Eze In Diaspora Crown 

By Edmund Nwabueze Onyiriogwu

The Eze stool in diaspora has been prevailing phenomenon for some decades, especially in the nation’s industrial capital, which is the flagship of the crown outside the Igboland. Eze in diaspora concept has brought glory, honour and fame to those who wear the crown. Though, the power or authority embedded therein is titular or nominal, but it’s common aspiration of young Igbo men in Lagos who have financial stability to seek the crown.

In Igboland, Ezestool is hereditary, but the concept of the crown outside the Igbol enclave is not limited to the royal families as any son of Igbo extraction can aspire for the crown. This situation has culminated to the proliferations of Eze in diaspora with the attendant exposure of the crown to abuse and vitiation.

Today, there are many people who parade as Eze in diaspora, particularly, here in Lagos that raise questions in terms of character, influence, conduct and financial strength. Igbo is a proud tribe which does not compromise on excellence and perfection. It is expected that the stake for the Ezestool in Nigeria commercial centre must be high.

The perception of every Igbo is that an Eze in diaspora must be distinguished in character and conduct, spiffed with aura that gives him a pride of place in the area he domiciles, above all, he must be financially independent as not to look cheap to preclude possible blackmail of the tribe, especially by their hosts or other neighbours.

There are various Igbo social cultural organizations domiciled in Lagos that coronate Eze and each has its own rules in the making of the diasporan Eze, but Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo as the apex social cultural organization has highest benchmark in the selection and coronation of Eze, which others cannot rival.

The emergence of Chief Peter Ifeanyi Asonye, popularly called, ‘The Iord Mayor,’ an ebullient youngman, very humble and unassuming as Eze in diaspora designate with the title of OHAZURUME NDI IGBO OF LEKKI has turned to be a huge blessing to the league of Eze in diaspora.His mind boggling colossal
preparations for his coronation, which is unprecedented not only in Ohanaeze coronations, but also in other Eze installations done in Lagos State has brought pride and honour to the stool, and invariably restored its ebbing dignity.

Chief Peter passed the scrutiny of the screening of the king makers and was approved by the President of Ohanaeze Lagos Chief Solomon Aguene Ogbonna aka Udochi. Remarkably, he has conducted himself with dignity and honour, which indeed accentuates that his claim or aspiration for the crown cannot be faulted.

Coronations of Ndi Eze are usually marked with fete and precede predominantly by donation of a cow to the conclave of Ndi Eze by the Eze designate as prerequisite for admission into the Eze league.

To the lord Mayor, despite being from a royal lineage he has appreciable deference and veneration to the Eze in diaspora stool and believes that his gratitude must be underscored by unfettered generosity in the preparations for his installation as OHAZURUME of Ndi Igbo.

Hence, he has put in place a high budget preparations and coronation ceremony running nothing less than forty million Naira, which no single coronation event has attracted in the history of coronations of diasporan Eze in Lagos.

Apart of donating a cow to Ndi Eze, he also donated a cow to the Ohanaeze Chairmen Forum, comprising 57 Ohanaeze Chairmen of 20 LGA and 37 LCDA in Lagos. There were huge budgets for the mobilizations of the youths and women groups from different LGA and LCDA chapters of Ohanaeze to attend the event. Fifteen goats and other items were given to eminent individuals as part of the invitations for the event. Above all, a thumping amount of eight million Naira was earmarked for air lifting of guests from Imo State and Abuja to attend the coronation slated on Sunday 5th May, 2024 at Union Bank Club, Bode Thomas, Surulere.

This coronation is expected to be one in a million, distinct and spectacular, ofcourse, no stone has been left untouched by Chief Peter in the preparations.

Many first class traditional rulers from different states in the Southeast are to grace the coronation. Other anticipated dignitaries are Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Commissioner Capital Development Ebony State, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, President General Ohanaeze, Aliko Dangote, Chief Chidi Anyaegbu of the Chisco fame, Senator Florence Ita Giwa Mama, Bakassi to mention just a few.

Nollywood stars, top musicians, comedians and other celebrities in addition to Big Brothers winners will attend the coronation which may equate a carnival in respect of the level of preparations.

Undoubtedly, many Igbo and lovers of the ethnic nationality are anxiously craving to be part of the epoch making ceremony.

Indeed, the lord Mayor has broken all records in the history of preparations for coronations of Ezes in Lagos not only in terms of huge budget, but also, in terms of mobilizations of crowd and high profile individuals for the event. The expected presence of many traditional rulers from the Southeast in the coronation will be novel and further validates the Ezestool in diaspora.