Mbah, Okorocha urge united front for Igbo nation

The Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, has identified the rise of materialism and extreme individualism as major challenges confronting the Igbo people, warning that the trend is eroding shared norms and values, which is further fragmenting the ethnic group in Nigeria.

He spoke in Lagos yesterday while delivering the royal address and cultural blessing at the public presentation and launch of the book ‘’Ohanaeze at 50: The Burden of Memory, The Politics of Relevance,” authored by Agbese Ireke Kalu.

Achebe said there is a leadership trust deficit among the Igbo, noting that even when leaders attempt to provide direction, people at the grassroots often ignore them. He called for a return to the values and standards that once made the Igbo prominent and highly respected.

The monarch lamented that Ohanaeze Ndigbo has become an elitist organisation of privilege rather than of the masses.

According to him, a few fortunate enough to be regarded as leaders think about themselves and forget the interests of others, insisting that the real strength of Ohanaeze is the grassroots.

He stressed that Ohanaeze Ndigbo is a socio-cultural organisation, not a partisan group, and insisted that no politician should ever again attempt to use it for political gain.

MEANWHILE, Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, and ex-governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, yesterday called on Ndigbo to come together and forge a united front to bring more progress to the people.

They made the call in GRA, Park Avenue, Enugu North Local Council Area, Enugu State, during the inspection of the new Ohaneze Ndigbo building.

The new Ọhanaeze Ndigbo World Headquarters is being built by Okorocha. The building is approximately 90 per cent completed and is due for handover in October 2026.

The new building holds two auditoriums for assembly, meetings and ceremonies, offices for the institution and its secretariat, including an office for the President General with adjoining secretarial space, and two conference rooms.

It also has an interactive audiovisual library and a purpose-built creative art space below ground, conceived as a working gallery giving Igbo art, history and craft a permanent setting inside the institution.

The library and the art space put the record of Ndigbo in the same building as the people making decisions on their behalf.

The new building will replace the over 150-year-old Ohaneze Ndigbo secretariat.

Speaking during the inspection, Mbah said the building will help give the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation the capacity to convene at scale on its own premises.

“This is the edifice that will house Ohaneze Ndigbo, and we are excited that a son of Igbo chose Enugu, the homeland of Ndigbo, reminding us that we all have a root as Ndigbo and we all started from somewhere.

“Rochas invested and built what I will also acknowledge as befitting of Ndigbo; this reminds us that at a time like this, Ndigbo must come together. I was at a part of the building, and it reminds us how we started. Having a son of Igbo site this building in Enugu is remarkable; it means we are of a common stock, and there wouldn’t be a better time to continually remind ourselves of being that common stock.”

On his part, Okorocha said: “I was here some years ago, and I saw the building and felt it was not befitting enough, so I took permission from the Ohaneze Ndigbo to put up a new building for my people. I do not do this because I’m wealthy; this is my heart speaking love to my people.

“Igbo has a lot to contribute to this world, but for some reason, they have not been able to do so. Under the new leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo, the Igbo may be taking a new course. Igbo have often been misunderstood and misrepresented by the entire world, and this is the time to correct that. We want the world to know who we are: that we are peace-loving people, we are hardworking people, and we are people who love progress. So, this is what prompted me to put this building in place.”