Ohanaeze Youth leader briefing reporters
…Prophet Warns Against Anti-Rivers Conspiracy
By Tony Adibe
The youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide said they have supported the demand for Rivers State to produce the next President General of the Igbo socio-cultural organisation in accordance with the constitutional provision of rotation.
The youths announced their support in a communiqué they issued on Thursday after their 57th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at the Ohanaeze headquarters in GRA., Enugu. The election of Ohanaeze’s Exco members is supposed to hold in January 2025, NewsBitsng.com was informed.
This development came as the founder of a Christian ministry – The mediator of The 1986/1996/2005 Igbo Holy National Covenant With God For Socio-Political Deliverance And Restoration”, Prophet Godfrey Otubochi Chidiebere Gbujie has warned the Ohanaeze leadership concerning any purported conspiracy against our brothers and sisters in Rivers State to abort their turn to produce Ohanaeze president general.
Prophet Gbujie in a letter addressed to the acting president general of Ohanaeze, Ambassador Okay Emuchay, urged the leadership of Ohanaeze to travel to Rivers State in order to interact with such personalities as former Governor, Dr Peter Odili, former Transport minister, Rotimi Amechi, and former secretary general of Ohanaeze, Barr. Uche Okwukwu, among others, to make a choice of who would be the next Ohanaeze’s President General.
He said their collective choice was very crucial for the survival of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in this critical season. “So, may you not succumb to their usual monetary corruption and blackmail but fear the homing anger of the Omniscient Lord God and save our people,” Gbujie advised Emuchay.
Prophet Gbujie
In the letter subtitled, “Please, Beware of the ongoing conspiracy Against Our Rivers State Brothers And Sisters,” Gbujie pleaded with the leadership to distance itself from “ongoing conspiracy to deny our brothers and sisters from Rivers State their ‘one-in-28-Year Chance’ of Producing a President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo next year, 2025.”
The celibate cleric claimed that the said conspiracy was revealed to him for advice by the “Late PG, Chief E.C. Iwuanyanwu sometime in February this year and I both ministerially and morally opposed it diametrically.” Also, the national youth leader of Ohanaeze, Mazi Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, who read out the communiqué, insisted that it is the turn of Rivers to produce Imo State’s successor.
He said their position was fueled by “perceived rascality by some members of National Executive Committee who tilt contrary to the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Constitution and tend to drift Ohanaeze Ndigbo in leadership crisis”;
He declared: “We stand firmly by the provisions of the Constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo on the rotation of the Office of the President General. Therefore, it is the turn of Igbo in Rivers State to produce the next President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, after Imo State.
“This provision is sacrosanct, and any attempt of compromise shall be met with stiff resistance. We therefore urge other organs of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and limited to the Ime Obi, Executive Committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo at State and LGA, Council Of Ndi Eze, Elders Council and the women wing to rise up to the occasion and provide leadership for Ndigbo at this crucial moment”.
Also following the death of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu as the president general of the organization, the youths called on the Vice President General in charge of Abia State, to as a matter necessity and law take charge of leadership as the Acting President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and pilot the affairs of the National Executive Committee (NEC) until the emergence of a consensus President General and Deputy President General from Imo and Rivers States respectively.
This, Okpalaezeukwu said, is necessary and in line with provisions of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Constitution Article 13, 2nd paragraph “in the absence of President General and Deputy President General, the Vice President General whose state is next in alphabetical order shall Act”.
He also appealed to the statutory members of Ime Obi Ohanaeze Ndigbo, to in with the constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo prepare for Rapid Response of these Urgent issues in order to save Ohanaeze Ndigbo from the impending leadership crisis.
“In further delay and unwarranted procrastination by the Vice President General Abia State, we urge other Vice Presidents General to in line with the provisions of the constitution and alphabetical order, take responsibility and provide leadership for the National Executive Committee (NEC) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo,” Okpalaezeukwu said. The communiqué further demanded a probe into the affairs of the organisation over an alleged financial embezzlement and misappropriation.
“On the appropriate quarters, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and sister Agencies to investigate the activities of the account officer of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, over the alleged financial embezzlement and misappropriation”.
The communiqué, among others, further stated: “The security situation in South-East and Nigeria at large will be better if the great kinetic efforts by our gallant Armed Forces are complemented with an indigenous driven Nonkinetic efforts that shall engage the youths and discourage idleness in order to make us unavailable for recruitment into non state activities.”
