Former Vice President General of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, Chief Enechi Onyia (SAN) on Sunday lamented that the vision of the founding fathers of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo has been derailed.
Onyia told journalists in Enugu that politicians, who were parading themselves as leaders, had hijacked the apex-Igbo organization.
This is also as he dismissed the Chief Nnia Nwodo led Ohanaeze National Executive Council, insisting that Chief Raph Obioha is the authentic national president.
He blamed the crisis in the organization on past leaders, who he said enthroned a reign of impunity by acting independent of the constitution of Ohanaeze.
He said that it was sad that the organization had had parallel leadership for more than ten years, adding that the situation had affected human and material development of the area.
Onyia said that the constitution was sacrosanct and forbade card carrying members of political parties from holding elected positions.
“We are not a political party but a cultural organization and would want to see a president general that will protect the interest of all people to give our suffering masses a new look.
“But politicians with their political slogan and tactics have infiltrated Ohanaeze and it no longer looks like a cultural organization,” he said.
On the leadership of Ohanaeze, he said: “as far as we are concerned, Ohanaeze election has not held.
“The only recognized leader of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo as we know it today is Chief Ralph Obioha because there is no way we can recognize anyone not elected in line with our constitution.
“We are not after office but credibility and rule of law. We have had leaders who wanted to grease their pockets and aligned with politicians at the federal level while our people suffered.
“We want to put a stop to that because nobody will lead us without our consent.”
He called on well meaning sons of the area to wade into the crisis, which he said had held the organisation down for too long.
He said that Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State had done his best to ensure peace and unity in the organization, adding that his effort was derailed by those who never wanted the people to speak as one.
“When in February 2016 it became obvious that the Igbo nation was in disarray, Okorocha invited aggrieved members of the organisation and we had an accord,” Onyia said.
Comentários