Group endorses former IGP Okiro as next Ohanaeze Ndigbo president

As the January 10, 2025 election for the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide approaches, the people of the Egbema ethnic nationality in Rivers and Imo states have thrown their weight behind Dr. Mike Okiro, a former Inspector General of Police.

The endorsement was made at a media conference held at Okwuzi community, Egbema, in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State.

The socio-cultural group under the aegis of Ogbako Egbema Alinso said Okiro is fit to succeed Nze Ozichukwu Chukwu as the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.

Chukwu was appointed to complete the tenure of Imo State after the death of Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, with the apex Igbo Socio-Cultural Organisation disclosing the zoning of the office of the President General to Rivers State.

The National President General of Ogbakor Egbema Alinso, Ifi Francis Igwebuike, declared that Dr Okiro is eminently qualified for the position and should be supported by all lovers of the Egbema ethnic nationality.

The debate surrounding Okiro’s eligibility stems from his roots in both the Imo and Rivers states.

He said, “The insinuation that he’s not from Rivers State is what is doubtful in the minds of people, but today, let it be clear to all and sundry that Sir Mike Mbama Okiro is an Egbema man from Rivers State.

“This is a socio-cultural organisation. Because of the political divide, we’ve come together to say Egbema is one, and we are not bending to any political delineation.

“So, if he aspires to vie for any position in the country, Egbema has asked him today to go ahead. He is qualified for it; he is a Rivers man. Let him go ahead and vie for it as a Rivers man.

“Let the people who are making such insinuations (that he is not a Rivers man), let the people who want to derogate him, please take another line. When a man is qualified to get something, give it to him; don’t look at where he’s from. We assure the country that Sir Mike Okiro is a born Egbema man from Rivers State.”

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Earlier in his remarks, the Nzeobi of Egbema, Rivers State, HRM Eze Everistus Amuda, echoed Ifi’s stance, saying, “Dr. Mike Okiro is my palace member; he hails from Nzeobi. He never aspired for any position before he was enrolled in Nzeobi of Egbema, and all the enrollment is his first involvement in Egbema.

“He hails from Ogba/Egbema Local Government. He is qualified to contest the position.”

The election for the next President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo is billed to be held on January 10-11, 2025.

Subsequently, the group also called for an end to what it described as incessant extrajudicial killings along the boundary between Egbema, Imo State, and Egbema, Rivers State.

Expressing displeasure with the situation, the President General of the body said, “The very incessant extrajudicial killings toward the boundary between Egbema, Imo, and Egbema, Rivers (TCC).

Who are the persons killing these people along Egbema? Just before the TCC or after the TCC, recently a woman, a pregnant young lady, was shot to death.

“With the expertise and the position of our national leader, Ogbako Egbema has condemned such extrajudicial killings in its entirety, and we don’t want it to continue unless they don’t want the existence of the Egbema people here.

“Whosoever is involved in such extrajudicial killings should stop, before they’ll kill all of us. The killing has become too much. The Egbema people are tired of the extrajudicial killings along that place.”