Storm looms over Ohanaeze, as truce shakes

The truce brokered, recently, by Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, in the leadership crisis rocking apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, might have collapsed.

At a meeting it held yesterday, the faction led by Chief Ralph Obioha accused the Chief Enwo Igariwey-led executive of impeding the work of the 17-member constitution and electoral committee set up to harmonise the group.

The committee headed by Chief Obioha to midwife the constitution and conduct election into Ohanaeze Ndigbo is part of the resolution reached in Owerri, recently.

The committee, yesterday, accused the Igariwey-led executive of insisting on no-go areas, such as the tenure of office of Ohanaeze executive committees, as well as disputing the mandate of the committee, which includes conduct of elections into the Ohanaeze executive committees.

Contacted, Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Joe Nworgu, said he would not respond to the allegations.

But reacting to the same, Deputy Chairman of the constitution and electoral committee, Chief Onwuka Ukwa, said the committee has discharged its functions effectively, stressing that there is no breach whatsoever in the terms of agreement reached.

Distancing himself from the outcome of yesterday’s meeting, Ukwa said: “The caretaker committee is defunct and the active participants did sign a document to that effect. The committee set up by Governor Okorocha is alive and functioning well. We are working and everything is on course. There is no room for any personal ego to be substituted for Igbo interest. We must be mindful of the challenges that confront the Igbo nation and cannot dabble into crisis that have no bearing on Igbo. The mission of the committee is not personal and borders on the interest of the generality of Igbo people. There is no breach of the terms of the agreement whatsoever.”

A statement from the meeting, signed by Chief Obioha, Chief Oyibo Chukwu, Senator Offia Nwali and others added: “The meeting finally urges a principled implementation of all the terms of the peace agreement. In view of the compelling need for Chief Ralph Obioha, the leader of the Ohanaeze caretaker committee to travel overseas, the meeting appointed Senator Dr. Offia Nwali to act in his stead and deputise for him, pending his return to the country.”