...Errant officials cautioned against politicizing Igbo socio-cultural body
Press Statement
It has become so imperative that I address the public over the unsuccessful mutiny, insurrection and putsch meted against my office. In every story, there are three sides; Your side, Their Side and The truth. Only the truth can save.
We were elected on 5th of August and inaugurated on 20th of August upon which we received our certificate of return and the charge to which we are to operate. Among the charges Prof. Amb. George A Obiozor gave us was that on no account should we insult the Igbo leaders especially the Governors because they are the pillar of Ohaneze Ndigbo. He also let us be in the know that we are the wing of the parent body and must subscribe to the vision and mission policies of the parent body. After the Inauguration, we had meeting and I gave everyone opportunity to air his or her view. Thereafter, I gave them 100k from my pocket to share and took care of the bills of all they consumed at the meeting.
My youth EXCOs suddenly started behaving as though we should run a parallel government with the parent body. They started reneging on those words cum charge our President General gave us. First they picked on Governor Hope Uzodimma and there was nothing they did not say against the man. I condemned it and they turned against me.
The day President Mohammadu Buhari GCFR came to Imo State, I was invited and I choose to carry them along. I paid for their hotel accommodation, the food and drinks they took because we hadn't any money. While we were there, one of them wrote on his Facebook and our NEC WhatsApp platform that Buhari came to commission the grave of Igbo Youths he massacred in Imo State. I condemned it and they started attacking me.
The one that degenerated to this crisis was when the same Nnamdi Odoh and others at large started attacking Governor David Nweze Umahi of Ebonyi State. I couldn't bear it and I have to exit the NEC platform because they no longer discuss any meaningful things there. They started gathering against me.
The day they want to hold meeting outside my consent, I called the PG and he directed that no such meeting should hold. They went ahead and disobeyed him and issued their purported statement.
Ohaneze Ndigbo is a socio-cultural organization not a socio-political organization and the constitution is there as a public document. It is only the Ime Obi that has the powers to suspension or sack anyone. They should know their bounds as not to usurp, arrogate or lay claims to the powers of the Ime Obi which is the highest decision making body of Ohaneze Ndigbo.
Sad to note that the impact of their insult to the Governors has affected Ohaneze Ndigbo adversely to the point that the Governors has refused to support the Organization which led to somewhat cancelation of Igbo Day Celebration. Think of how you will feel when your son is insulting you and you have to pay the child's school fees. It is this same Governors that they are prevailing on me to write to them so that they will go on courtesy call and make millions of naira. To me, we must restore sanity among ourselves before going to meet any Governor.
While I call for calm over the uprising hoping that the relevant authorities will handle it, I want the general public to know that they cannot gain anything insulting their leaders especially the Governors. There is always a decent approach towards correcting a seating Governor. By virtue of Ohaneze Ndigbo constitution, only the Ime Obi can suspend or sack. They just succeed in making me more popular.
Signed :
*Engr Damian Okafor*
(National Youth Leader Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide)
