The embattled self-styled Igbo King in Ghana, Eze Ohazurume I of Ndigbo, has explained that his earlier claim that he had acquired a 50-acre parcel of land at Old Ningo in the Greater-Accra Region to build an Igbo Village in Ghana is an idea he had abandoned years ago because of land acquisition challenges.
The leader of the Igbo residents in Ghana, who also widely described as His Royal Majesty Eze (Dr) Ambassador Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu, has come under fierce criticism from Ghanaians at home and abroad for upholding himself as a king with royal status in Ghana, where royalty is a matter of blood lineage and not just a mere accolade one can accord themselves in relation to a social grouping.
On the back of his claim to royalty, Eze Ihenetu has been seen in the company of very high-profile Ghanaians politicians including presidents, and royalty; and also at very high-profile national functions in both Ghana and abroad, where he was introduced as the Igbo King in Ghana.
In one of the many viral videos of him in the mainstream and on social media, he claimed he had “acquired 50-acres (250 plots) of land at Old Ningo” for an Igbo Village project in Ghana. He then elaborated on what amenities will be at the village, and invited Igbos in Ghana to buy plots in the village and build their houses and businesses.
But a statement from the “Eze Igbo Palace in Ghana” signed by its Head of Communications, Ronnie Gogo, said “We want to state unequivocally and without reservation that we have not currently acquired any land in Ningo or elsewhere in Ghana for the purpose of establishing an Igbo Village.”
The statement explained that the accusations stemmed from an interview granted to Crystal TV in 2013, following the the coronation of Eze Ohazurume I of Ndigbo (also known as Eze Ihenetu) in September 2012.
It said that even though Eze Ohazurume I had plans to acquire the land for the said project, the plans discussed in that interview never materialized due to a series of issues surrounding the rightful ownership of the land in question, which led to the cancellation of plans as far back as 2014.
“…there is currently no plot of land in Ghana that has been earmarked for an “Igbo Village,” the statement added.
The statement noted that the Igbo leader, has been a resident of Ghana since 1995, married to a Ghanaian businesswoman, and has a deep respect for the culture and laws of the country, and would therefore never engage in any activity that would mar the strong relationship between the Igbo people residing here and the Ghanaian community.
“His commitment to being a law-abiding resident has been unwavering throughout his stay—a message he consistently conveys to the Igbo community with absolute clarity,” the statement said.
Find the full statement attached below:
