Kinsmen rally behind Azuta-Mbata as Ohanaeze PG

After much ado, the leadership of Eneka Clan in Obio-Akpor Council of Rivers State has reaffirmed their support for John Azuta Mbata as the President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo worldwide.

The community, Mbata’s ancestral home, pointed out that they have no regrets or apologies for standing by him.

Recall that some individuals in Eneka Community had earlier declared that Mbata is on his own, insisting that Eneka is not Igbo but Ikwere. Also, the Ogbakor Ikwerre, an Ikwere apex social-cultural organisation, disassociated itself from Mbata, imposing sanctions on him (Mbata) and other Ikwerre sons who are members of Ohanaeze.

But during the homecoming ceremony hosted for Mbata by the Eneka Clan at the weekend, the people stated that his emergence as the President-General of the  Igbo apex Socio-cultural elite group has brought honour to Eneka land and Rivers State.

The ceremony was well attended by different groups in the clan where they supported Mbata who had been on a tour after his emergence and just returned to his homeland a few days ago.
In a statement clarifying their stance on Mbata’s emergence, members of the clan explained that the Ohaneze President-General, as a true citizen of Nigeria, reserves the right to belong to any peaceful organisation or association of his choice.

The statement, signed by prominent leaders of the clan, including the Chairman of Eneka Community Development Committee (CDC), Chima Wosu, and the Paramount Ruler/Nye WE-Eli Eneka Clan, Prof. R.O. Woko, reaffirmed their support for the new Ohanaeze PG.

They emphasised that Mbata does not need approval from any individual or group, including Ogbakor Ikwerre, before exercising his franchise as a Nigerian citizen and member of Ohaneze.

While condemning the declarations of sanctions by Ogbakor Ikwerre against Mbata and other Ikwerre sons who are members of organisations such as Ohaneze, they described the sanctions as a contradiction to the Nigerian Constitution and an attempt to promote disunity and chaos within the Ikwerre ethnic nationality.

The clan leadership also believed that the actions and decisions of Ogbakor Ikwerre’s leadership were being sponsored for unknown political gratification, which they deemed insignificant.

They emphasised that the Eneka Clan, as a peace-loving clan, does not have functional leadership, and, therefore, the administrative heads of the clan, including the CDC Chairman, Youth Congress President, and Women Council President, were mandated to pilot the affairs of the clan.

The statement reiterated that Sen. Mbata notified his kinsmen and the leadership of Eneka Clan about his decision to run for the office of the President-General of Ohaneze before the election date, contrary to claims by some individuals and groups.