• Strips him of titles, honours over emergence as PG
The apex decision-making body of the Ikwerre ethnic nationality in Rivers State, Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide, has accused the newly elected President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, John Azuta-Mbata, of committing sacrilege against Ikwerre land and its people for accepting to head the Ohaneze.
The group thereby described him as a total stranger in Ikwerre land, announcing the withdrawal of all honours, recognitions and titles bestowed on Azuta-Mbata .
The Ikwerre leadership also barred Azuta-Mbata from participating in any activities in Ikwerre land, such as meetings or political representation, starting from his hometown, Eneka Community, in Apara Kingdom.
The President General of Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide, Godspower Onuekwain, in a statement he jointly signed with his Secretary General, Nyebuchi Philips, and made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt, said the disciplinary actions taken against Azuta-Mbata were because he decided to contest the position of President-General of the apex Igbo organisation, where he eventually emerged as the next President General.
The statement reads: “The Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide, on behalf of Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality in Rivers State, Nigeria, after a passionate and exhaustive review of the sacrilegious action of Azuta-Mbata, becoming the President–General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a socio-cultural organisation of Igbo people of Nigeria, wish to state in unambiguous and uncertain terms that:
“He has the inalienable right to belong to any association of his choice in Nigeria as enshrined in Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. But by becoming the President–General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, an exclusive organisation of Igbo people, he has willingly and freely renounced his membership and identity of Ikwerre people (Iwhuruohna).”
The statement noted that Azuta-Mbata’s decision to contest and eventually emerge as the President-General of the Ohaneze was not the collective view, will, position and thinking of the Eneka Community, Apara Kingdom and the entire Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality.
“Having freely taken a position to be an Igbo man, and to occupy the position of President–General of Ohanaeze, the Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide, unreservedly and unequivocally disclaims and denounces his action; as such action is his private decision taken without the consent of his community, Kingdom and Iwhuruohna.”
