Ohanaeze: Emergence of Faction Not Good for Igbo, Group Warns

Ohanaeze: Emergence of Faction Not Good for Igbo, Group Warns

The Igbo World Assembly (IWA) has warned that creating a splinter Ohanaeze for political expediency is not good for Igbo unity.

Insisting on a unified Ohanaeze leadership led by Chief Nnia Nwodo, the diaspora group in a communiqué issued after its recent Skype meeting, which was jointly signed by its Chairman, Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze; Vice Chairman, Christian Onuorah, and Secretary General, Oliver Nwankwor, while condemning the plot in the strongest term, urged the traditional ruler of Igbariam town in Anambra State, Igwe Nkeli Nzekwe, and his group alleged to be behind the plot, to desist from setting up any splinter group.

According to IWA in the communiqué, “We recognise that time and again, an Igbo-speaking governor may hold a personal perspective, and that is his or her prerogative, but the general consensus of Ohanaeze Ndigbo remains that Chief Nwodo, the current president-general of Ohanaeze is the only authentic mouthpiece of the Ndigbo.

“This type of interference on the legitimate leadership of Ohaneze must be condemned by any full-bloodied Igbo person.

“The report reaching IWA stated that Igwe Nkeli Nzekwe went to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to register another Ohaneze group with the same exact name. His actions were foiled when CAC realised that Ohaneze has been in existence since 1976 with its corporate charter legally registered by CAC.”

IWA stated that no Igbo person or groups told Igwe Nkeli Nzekwe or the self-appointed Barrister Basil Onyeachonam, who assumed the post the president-general, to register Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly with CAC.

According to IWA, “Ndigbo did not give Igwe Nzekwe any permission to inaugurate its ‘national and state executive committee members’ in his palace in Igbariam, while awarding the chairmanship of the Board of Trustees (BoT) to himself. These two usurpers owe Ndigbo a well-deserved apology for their act of thuggery and rascality.

“IWA believes that the new group was being used by some politicians to cause disaffection in Igboland because our President-General, Nwodo, is competently leading an active, hardworking and viable Ohanaeze Ndigbo organisation.

“Our BoT Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndiigbo remains the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe. All the eminent Igbo leaders are in Ohanaeze, including, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Prof Ben Nwabueze, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, South-east governors, among others.

“The purported new group is just being used to create confusion and destabilise Igboland. We believe that Igwe Nzekwe and his group are being used to destabilise Ohanaeze and Igbo interests.”

Noting that Ohanaeze Ndigbo is the umbrella body of Igbo socio-cultural organisations, IWA in the communiqué maintained that “Ohanaeze is the authentic voice of the Igbo people which exists for the sole purpose of speaking for and representing the interest of Ndigbo since its inception in 1976.”

IWA further warned that any attempt to register a splinter group with the same name is abhorrent to Ndigbo, adding that Igwe Nzekwe, the traditional ruler of Igbariam community, should be sanctioned by the traditional rulers’ council of Anambra State and Igboland with his certificate withdrawn as an example to others.

“Onyeachonam should be disbarred and sanctioned by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA),” the communiqué added.

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