Ohaneze Presidency, 2025: First things first By Abraham Nwankwo
The following quoted statement is contained in a statement on Igbo platforms credited to Professor Osita, Ogbu. In case it is not the genuine position of the respected Professor, my reaction remains valid to whoever authored it. The reported position reads:
“While it is the turn of Rivers State to produce the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, this mantle can not be bestowed on just anybody who shows interest. It has never been in any other state but the Rivers case comes with an additional layer of consideration because of the discordant and inelegant voices of some of the Igbo elite in the state. An electoral remedy will not suffice. Elders of the land must intervene in this vitally important but unusual political market.”
I COMPLETELY DISAGREE WITH THE IMPUTATION THAT THE PATHOLOGIES WHICH HE ASCRIBES TO RIVERS IGBO, AND THE REASON FOR HIS ADVOCACY FOR A DIFFERENT TYPE OF APPROACH NOW THAT IT IS THEIR TURN, WERE NOT PRESENT OR ARE NOT STILL PRESENT IN SOUTH EAST IGBO.
Nothing can be further from the truth.
All the unacceptable and ignoble factors he identified in Rivers Igbo, exist at greater intensity in SE Igbo.
The last Ohaneze general elections in which a SE Igbo State was to produce President General was allowed to proceed with the absurdities, compromised Igbo interest and compromise of Igbo identity, which he is alluding to. The process was manipulated to serve non-Igbo and anti-Igbo agenda.
Luckily, the history is well recorded: those who are not sure of the truth should refer to the history of the formation, proceedings and report of the College of Igbo Archbishops and Bishops, which worked for more than one year, starting from 2021. Their focus was to resolve the shameful adventure of some SE Igbo to incapacitate the Igbo race by installing an Ohaneze Executive outside the organization’s constitution – at a time when Ala-Igbo and Ndi-Igbo were facing unprecedented existential threats. Ohaneze Executive was having three factions as a result of the treacherous manipulation.
A group of Concerned Imeobi Members, including Elder Dr. Uma Eleazu, Prof. Ihechukwu Madubuike, Elder Nduka Eya, Engr. Chris Okoye, Dr. Abraham Nwankwo, Prince Okey Nwadinobi, Chief Emeka Ugwuoju, Barr. Austin Okeke and many others, approached and convinced the clergy of all the five major Christian Denominations to sacrifice and save Ala-Igbo from the consequential crisis that had been manufactured and dropped in the land by some Igbo elite.
It is also recorded history that the contra-Igbo, SE-Igbo led executive of Ohaneze, refused to accept the solution worked out by the committee of Igbo Bishops and Archbishops up till today.
I subscribe to the principle that Igbo interest should not be toyed with, but this should apply at all times and to all peoples of Ala-Igbo.
Even now, there are several other grave challenges grinding the people of SE Igboland. So, responsible SE Ndi-Igbo do not need to wait for January 2025 Ohaneze General Elections to show their understanding of and commitment to redeeming Ala-Igbo.
There is, for example, the preponderant challenge of SE forests and highways occupied by strangers, who torture our people as slaves on daily basis. Non-SE Igbo, including the Rivers Igbo, are not expected to take SE Ndi-Igbo seriously, if their governors, legislators, elders, professors and think tanks continue to accommodate the grave suffering of their people. Their elders, women, youth are being indignified and feel helpless, while the elite bury their heads in the sand, even though there are civil and constitutional initiatives that can be pursued to restore the dignity, integrity and identity of Ndi-Igbo.
Let us solve these problems from now to the end of the year, and the Rivers Igbo Presidency of Ohaneze Election in 2025 will take a sane queue from that.
The problem facing Ala-Igbo is now, not in 2025.
Mma-mma nù.
Abraham Nwankwo
