Ohanaeze Tackles Omenazu Over Comment On New President General

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide says a publication by one Chief Jackson Omenazu criticizing the emergence of Nze Ozichukwu Chukwu as the president general of the pan-Igbo group is “impotent, misleading”.

Omenazu had claimed that the deliberations at the Imeobi/General Assembly of Ohanaeze held in Enugu on December 14, where Nze Chukwu emerged, did not meet the required provisions of the Ohanaeze constitution, including the required quorum.

Omenazu further claimed that Ndigbo in Rivers were worried about what he called the “hidden agendas associated with the consuming quest by the Imo State to do things unconstitutionally”.

THE WHISTLER reported that Imo-born politician, Nze Ozichukwu Chukwu, was elected the PG of Ohanaeze to serve out the 27 days remaining to complete the tenure of Imo State following the death of former president general of Ohanaeze, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.

Ohanaeze, in a release by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, stated that Chief Omenazu’s idiosyncrasies “have become a public property”, adding that the essence of the Imeobi/General Assembly of Ohanaeze was to secure the final authority of the Imeobi to the resolution of the National Executive Committee (NEC) that the next President General of Ohanaeze should come from Rivers State and to inform the Imeobi that the death of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu created a leadership vacancy in the Igbo socio-cultural body, as well as to consider the request by the people of Imo State and the resolution of Ohanaeze NEC to the effect that Imo State should exhaust the remaining 27 days as the president general in line with the Ohanaeze procedures.

The meeting, added Ogbonnia, was also to authorize the composition of the Electoral Committee and the Screening Committee for the purpose of the Ohanaeze election on January 10, 2025.

Ohanaeze said allegations by Omenazu that Ohanaeze NEC adopted anybody as the Acting President General was untrue and “impotent”.

Quoting Dr Ogbonnia, “We have had occasions to reply to Chief Omenazu in the past on the process of replacing the Deputy President General from Rivers State. There is no doubt there was a letter nominating Omenazu as a replacement to Kroham but he was advised that it is most insensitive for Ohanaeze to adopt a candidate based on a mere letter signed by multiple persons that were unknown to Ohanaeze.”

He said the meeting of December 14, 2024 was a milestone because “a destructive rumour had pervaded both the grounds and the skies that the current NEC of Ohanaeze intends to subvert the Ohanaeze constitution against the turn of Rivers State to produce a President General.”

Ohanaeze said the emergence of Nze Chukwu and the vital decisions reached at the meeting were welcomed by many Igbo personalities, including Dr Peter Mbah, the Governor of Enugu State, adding that, “Omenazu cannot substantiate his most uncharitable claims that Imo State has hidden agendas that are associated with the consuming quest to do things unconstitutionally.”

Quoting Ohanaeze, “Omenazu is advised that his penchant for attacking the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Igbo leaders and almost all the past and current presidents general is simply an invidious path to self-attrition.”

Ogbonnia described a list of members of Imeobi Ohanaeze in circulation as fake, adding that, “A list of members of Imeobi is unknown to the Ohanaeze constitution. What is contained in the Ohanaeze constitution is simply the criteria for qualification as a member of Imeobi.”

The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Nze Ozichukwu Fidelis Chukwu, in the statement, assured that the forthcoming Ohanaeze’s election would be transparent and credible.