Group rejects Umahi as 2024 Igbo Man of the Year by Ohanaeze

A group known as Concerned Igbo Elites Forum has described the selection of Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi as the 2024 Igbo Man of the Year by Secretary-General of the Chidi Ibeh-led faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo as kangaroo nomination, saying ‘it’s totally unacceptable and bias.’

The group stated this in a statement signed by it’s Secretary Dr Kelvin Nwosu. The Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo had on Sunday announced that the former governor of Ebonyi State Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has been selected as the 2024 Igbo Man of the Year.

According to the group, Umahi since his appoitment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Minister of Works has achieved little or nothing to earn 2024 Igbo Man of the Year ahead of the of Hope Uzodinma the Governor of Imo State, Benjamin Kalu the Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives and others.

“I dont want to believe that the respected and most prominent largest group in the world is talking of the same Umahi that the House of Representatives committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) heavily lambasted over the deplorable state of the existing roads across Nigeria,” he said.

“The Reps panel noted categorically that under Umahi, federal roads have failed because he is not fixing them.”

The Concerned Igbo Elites Forum wondered how the Chidi Ibeh-led faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo after a critical evaluation and independent assessment of public office holders of Igbo extraction as claimed, chose Umahi ahead of Benjamin Kalu whose achievement is mouth watering since emergence as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The Deputy Speaker’s proactive involvement in driving infrastructural and socio-economic initiatives in tandem with Mr President’s vision of delivering good governance to Nigerians.

As an Igbo group, we are against this fraudulent nomination and we are also appealing to other Igbo groups and the entire Ndigbo to kick against this unjust act.”

The group called on the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo not to turn the forum to where ghost achievements are promoted for selfish intesrests.