The Apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo looks set to explode following a visit last week by some members of the group to the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
The National Publicity Secretary of the group, Dr. Alex Ogbonnia after his visit last week issued a statement, saying it was to confront the governor on the role he played against the election of Mr. Peter Obi of the Labor Party (LP) during the presidential election. election in Kali.
The visit caused a negative reaction as many condemned the group as lacking principles.
But addressing reporters at the Ohanaeze Ndigbo national secretariat in Enugu yesterday, the Secretary General, Ambassador Okay Emuchay, dissociated the group leader from the visit, saying the visit was not on behalf of Ndigbo.
He said: “My name is Ambassador Okey Emuchay, Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. This means that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide did not travel to see the Rivers State Governor, His Excellency, Gov Nyesom Wike last week. Those who are personally, not the NEC of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. It is important for me to make this clarification because of what has been trending in the media since last Thursday”.
He continued: “We have tried before to seek an audience with the Governor of Rivers State. For more than two years, the late President General, myself and other stakeholders had to engage with prominent Nigerians whose names I will not mention here. The last attempt was a letter which I sent via DHL to the Governor on January 18 this year, among other things, told me that the Vice President General Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, High Chief Kroham Joel has passed away and the family has stayed. the date for the burial in the village in Ahoda West LGA Rivers State. I am not received a reply to the letter. Ohanaeze NEC was in Ahoda West local government to bury the late Vice President General. It is important to say that our late President General, Amb Prof George Obiozor himself, transferred the sum of N1million to the widow of the late Vice President General, the State Governor Imo provides N5 million to the family of the late Vice President. General. This as funds used for funerals. He was buried on February 4, 2023 and Ohanaeze NEC was fully represented to give him a befitting burial.
He said the late President General, Prof George Obiozor was buried on February 10 in Imo State without the governors of the seven Igbo states in attendance, apart from delegations from Ebonyi government and Imo state, who bore the burden of the burial
“I don’t want to go further but the truth is that Ohanaeze will survive, Ohanaeze is in safe hands and we will survive this time because this is the first time in the history of Ohanaeze that the Vice President General and the President General will pass at the same time,” he said.
Regarding the issue of Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the self-acclaimed Secretary General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo faction, Emuchay said the high court on March 10, issued an order to prevent him and three others from parading as officers of the group.
“The legal department of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide is doing the needful and in the next few days, the process will be completed. I want to say again that Ohanaeze is not factional. Okechukwu Isiguzoro was never elected Secretary General of Ohanaeze.
“He will issue statements that are harmful to the Igbo nation and our nation, scattered all over Nigeria and beyond. Okechukwu Isiguzoro should stop what he is doing and also, we ask our sponsors to know that Ohanaeze will survive. Ohanaeze is above all of us. Ohanaeze is umbrella organization for all Igbo, at home and in the diaspora. So, those who support him, those who sponsor him should think about our people. Okechukwu Isiguzoro was never elected,” he said
The Secretary General appealed to the Igbo people to remain law abiding and come out on Saturday March 18 to exercise their civic responsibilities.
Meanwhile, Ohanaeze Ndigbo said it received with shock the sad news of the death of former Dean of the Church of Nigeria, former Archbishop of Niger and Bishop of Awka Diocese, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Rev’d Maxwell. Anikwenwa.
Anikwenwa was called to glory on Monday, March 13, 2023.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Alex Ogbonnia said he gave Ohaneze Ndigbo invaluable support during his lifetime.
“He is a prominent member of Imeobi Ohaneze Ndigbo and will attend meetings, give deep advice and organic solidarity. He stands for the unity of Ndigbo with the statement that with unity of purpose, Igbo intelligence, ingenuity, cosmopolitanism and adventure, will bring a new paradigm and the bright light at the end of the tunnel.
“Anikwenwa distinguishes itself as a moral building that does not like the lame argument that religion and the Church do not mix, but the Church has a great role to play in cleaning and building the democratic process for the good of the nation.”
He sent condolences from Ndigbo to the Anglican Communion and immediate family members, praying to God to rest his soul in peace.