The youth wing of the apex-Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Wednesday raised the alarm over attempt by some unnamed politicians to break its ranks ahead of the 2019 general elections.
This formed part of the communique issued by the group at the end of its national emergency/consultative meeting in Enugu.
At the meeting, members of the Ohanaeze Youth Council, OYC, passed a vote of confidence on the Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro-led leadership of the group, with a stern warning that politicians should steer clear of its affairs.
The OYC said in the communique that a Lagos-based politician, who has interest in the 2019 election, recently hosted some Igbo youths, where a deal was sealed to destabilize the youth arm of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
The 12-point communique was signed by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, National President, Comrade Achuonye Obinna, Nat Vice President and Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, Secretary-General.
They called upon all OYC members and the public “to disregard any call and or move to align Ohanaeze Youths to a particular politician(s) by some disgruntled elements claiming to represent the interests and leadership of Ohanaeze Youth Wing.
“We regret to announce that the said politicians have already been picking the bills of this disgruntled ‘Ohanaeze youths’ while they try hard to circumvent the core principles of the Ohanaeze Youth Wing and Igbo nation.
“After weighing the antisocial acts of the jobless youths and their evil and sinister motives that have thrown Ohanaeze Youth Wing into a political crisis, we hereby put off national elective convention till peace and tranquility is returned and that there would be elections only when the ongoing peace initiatives of the current NEC of the Ohanaeze Youth Wing pays-off.
“We also hereby sternly warn and admonish the self-imposed committee members formed at the Lagos home of a Yoruba powerful/big goon politician, with interest in 2019 presidential elections, who have already been mobilized with N25 million, to desist from their attempts to destabilize Igbo land and the Nigerian polity.”
The group equally kicked against attempts by some persons to lower the qualification for the Ohanaeze Youth Wing, presidential candidate from master’s degree to a first school certificate holder, describing it as “a great departure from previous constitutional provisions and intended to foist some elements into Ohanaeze Youth Wing.”
It added that “there is urgent need to with immediate effect, constitute Board of Trustees of Ohanaeze Youth Wing to help the NEC return sanity to the body and as well, from time- to-time advise the EXCOs and general assembly.
“That in the interim, we mandate that a one year peace and social integration be initiated by the NEC and to convene an elective national convention, of Ohanaeze Youth Wing within this period, with priority to conducting elections that will give us one voice and body;
“That we warn the Ohanaeze Youths and the unsuspecting public to distance themselves from any elective convention this March or thereafter without the input and knowledge of the Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro led National Executive Committee of the Ohanaeze Youth Wing.”
“In order to facilitate the works and ongoing peace initiatives of the Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro led National Executive Committee, there was agreement to nominate various Igbo states’ Congress Representatives, which were nominated, immediately and they are namely: Okwu Nnabuike, Adibe Obinna, Agubuike Francis, Chinedu Anyantonwu, Chidi Otah, Ndubuisi Ezema and Ugochukwu Ihezue,” the communique further stated.
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