Ohanaeze Disowns Youth Leader Over ‘Unguarded Attacks’ On Uzodimma, Others

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Wednesday, dissociated itself from ‘unguarded attacks on the governor of Imo State, Sen Hope Uzodimma, by Comrade Igboayaka O Igboayaka, using the name of Ohanaeze Ndigbo as a marketable brand’.

Uzodimma doubles as the chairman of South-East Governors’ Forum while Igboayaka is a styled president of Ohanaeze Youth Council.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, made available to THE WHISTLER in Enugu, expressed sadness that some Igbo youths ‘are impervious to reason and that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, founded and nurtured by the likes of Akanu Ibiam, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Joe Achuzia, Jerome Udoji, Clifford Nwuche, all of the blessed memory, represents the history, emotions and consciousness of the Igbo’.

According to the release, “Ohanaeze serves as the Igbo sacred temple which should not, by any stretch of imagination, be desecrated upon by youthful rascality, imprudence and perversions.”

It said the pan-Igbo group, during its National Executive Committee (NEC) held Tuesday in Enugu, condemned ‘the rampant irresponsible merchandise using the name of Ohanaeze Ndigbo by a few mercenaries’.

The statement read, “The media and the Internet activism of Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka who goes by the title of the president, Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), were considered as most reprehensible, despicable, condemnable and unacceptable. Neither Comrade Igboayaka nor his OYC is known to the organogram and structures of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.”

Ogbonnia listed some offensive news headlines against Ndigbo by Igboayaka to include “Nigeria Will Cease To Exist if Igbo Are Denied Presidency”; “Ohanaeze Sends Tribute, Describes Queen Elizabeth 11 as …”; “Ohanaeze Youth call on US, UAE to place ban on Gov. Umahi”; “Don’t end up like Okorocha – Ohanaeze charges Uzodinma”; and “Take Up Arms For Self-defense, Ohanaeze Youths Orders”.

Ohanaeze said such act ‘is both inconceivable and irreconcilable that a young man, in his clarity of minds, would wake up in his house and begin to issue press releases that affect the destiny of over 70 million Igbo’.

According to the statement, “The latest of the Igboayaka intractable turbulence is captioned ‘Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) accuses Imo govt of insensitivity over killings and burning of houses in Oguta communities’. It is once more emphasized that Ohanaeze Ndigbo does not wax eloquent on partisan politics and that individuals are at liberty to engage in political fights using any platform of their choice, but it is most objectionable for the name of Ohanaeze to be dragged into the inter-party ruckus.”

Ohanaeze recalled Uzodimma’s passion for Ohanaeze including being ‘the only senator during his time in the National Assembly that rendered financial supports to Ohanaeze Ndigbo when they needed it most’, adding that, “During the tenure of Ambassador George Obiozor of blessed memory, Sen Uzodimma supported Ohanaeze without interfering with the Ohanaeze decisions and programmes.”

Ohanaeze recalled that during the 2023 elections, ‘Uzodimma pursued his legitimate agenda in the All Progressives Congress (APC) while Ohanaeze consummated in the Labour Party, in collaboration with the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum’.

The statement identified other services rendered to Ohanaeze by Uzodimma to include during the last birthday and later the funeral ceremonies of Chief Mbazulike Amechi; noting that ‘when the former deputy president general of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Joel Kroham from Rivers State, died, it was only Uzodimma amongst the Ohanaeze governors that came to the Igbo rescue’.

Ohanaeze assured the Igbo and well-meaning Nigerians that with Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu as the president general, ‘the integrity of Ohanaeze Ndigbo will soon be fully recovered’.