Ohanaeze youths push for acting president-general

Igbo youths under the auspices of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youths Council have thrown their weight behind calls for the appointment of an acting President-General by the National Executive Council (NEC) of Ohanaeze to pilot the affairs of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, pending the election or appointment of another Imo State person to complete their tenure.

The seat of President General of the Ohanaeze became vacant after the death of Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu some weeks ago. Iwuanyanwu, who was appointed to serve out the tenure of Imo State, as a result of the death of Prof. George Obiozor, had served without a Deputy President General.

Rising from their meeting in Enugu, the Ohanaeze youths, in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Chika Adiele, stated that appointing an acting president-general is important to give the body a direction.

It stated that it is, therefore, in support of an emergency NEC meeting of the parent body, and would give its full support for its success. The youths, however, reaffirmed their confidence in the acting National Youth Leader, Chukwuma Okpalaezukwu, and requested that he be accorded full rights and privileges as representative of the youth wing at the said NEC meeting and other events.

Adiele said: “The youth wing shall not relent to enforce its right, should any other individual attempt to impersonate the leadership of the youth wing at any event of Ohanaeze. We reiterate that the only authentic leader of the youth wing, as unanimously chosen by 23 members of the NEC and approved by the Imeobi, following a recommendation of our respected father, the late Iwuanyanwu, is Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu.

“We have utmost respect for our departed President General, and would not condone any action or utterances that might denigrate his legacies and cherished memory.”

The youths further stated that they have commissioned independent investigators to analyze the finances of the Ohanaeze, adding that “preliminary findings suggest that over N700 million, comprising over N100 million, handed over by NniaNwodo to the current NEC, over N100 million generated by the late Prof. George Obiozor and over N500 million mobilised through the goodwill of the late Iwuanyanwu in his short stint as President General, has not been convincingly accounted for.”