The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Wednesday dismissed as ruse and unfounded, accusation that the presidency bribed its leadership in order to betray Biafra.
The Igbo group equally expressed worry over discordant comments on national issues by her officials claiming to speak on its behalf.
Ohanaeze, therefore, vowed to place sanctions on any of her members commenting on issues without clearance from the President General or Secretary General.
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, had earlier on Wednesday accused the Ohanaeze of using the blood of pro-Biafra groups to gain access to Buhari.
However, briefing reporters at the end of her first National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Enugu, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Enwo Igariwey, said the meeting was not comfortable with various positions being expressed on national issues by officials of the organization, stressing that such was undermining the unity of Ndigbo.
He stated: “These are difficult times and we must speak with one voice to avoid misunderstanding s and misrepresentations. For instance, Ohanaeze has made no statements on the issue of Indigenous peoples of Biafra (IPOB). We’ve never pretended to be speaking for either the MASSOB or IPOB.
“We have gone into no such negotiations with any person, so the allegations of Ohanaeze speaking on their behalf are unfounded and should be discountenanced.
“Few weeks ago, there was somebody who claimed to be a member of the advisory committee of the Imeobi stating that Ohanaeze had endorsed Uzo Kalu in his senate election, we found that as very embarrassing as there was no such NEC and there ought not to be any such discussion in NEC as Ohanaeze cannot be endorsing one Igbo man against another Igbo man.
“We had to refute that story and added to that, we have stopped any other Igbo person from making statements on behalf of Ohanaeze without clearance from the president general.
“The youth wing is not permitted to make any statement under the name of Ohaneze without clearance from the President General. It was also resolved that no member of NEC can issue statement under the name Ohanaeze without clearance from either the president general or secretary general till further notice on any national issue”.
The President General reiterated the fact that the organization held meeting with the US Consul –general on Igbo perception of Nigeria last Friday, stressing that the youth wing leader of the group accused to have represented the IPOB at the meeting was neither there nor any youth of Igbo extraction.
Dismissing as baseless the allegation, he stated that “Ohanaeze is not about IPOB but about the general interest of Igbos. Ohaaneze is not a member of IPOB”.
Igariwey said the first NEC meeting was called to brief members on developments in the country and Ohanaeze engagements so far.
Comments