The Apex Socio-cultural youth organization of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Ohanaeze Youth Council OYC has alleged that the purported identity of Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa, the Vice presidential candidate of PDP, as an Igbo man is "very questionable."
Reacting to the state of the Igbo Nation on Tuesday 25, October 2022 during an interface with newsmen, the National President of OYC, Comrade Igboayaka O Igboayaka stated that Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa had over the years exhibited a high level of complacency towards the activities of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, hence his invisibility in the activities of the Igbo race.
"Ndigbo since after the 1966 to 1970 genocide have gone through political and economic strangulation, but were able to unify again through Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by Dr Akanu Ibiam as its first president General, Chief Jerome Udorji, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, a Constitutional Lawyer, Kingsley Mbadiwe, Dr Michael Iheonukara Okpara, Dennis Osadebe, among others.
Igboayaka decried the poor attitude of the average Igbo politician whom he accused of only acknowledging his lineage at four years intervals, hence during electioneering periods.
"To Igbo politicians, being Igbo comes in every four (4) years during election time especially those in South-South Zone, this is what Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa has demonstrated. Suddenly, my elder brother Ifeanyi Okowa picked a new song about being Igbo in his public outings, Igboayaka stated.
Unfortunately one of the great Igbo sons Dennis Osadebe from Anioma wouldn't be happy with the Zero participation of Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa in Ohanaeze Ndigbo affairs. Dennis Osadebe went through hell to ensure that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo establishment saw the light of the day, yet Okowa saw this sacrifice as nothing.
Continuing, Igboayaka regretted that Ala-Igbo Sustainable Development Project powered by Ohanaeze Ndigbo had gone into extinction, "while we have the likes of Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa and other unpatriotic Igbo governors from South-east.
"Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa found it more vital to fund Atiku Abubakar's presidential campaign than to support numerous projects going on at Ohanaeze Ndigbo Secretariat under the amiable leadership of Prof. Amb. George Obiozor.
It's pathetic that Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa who abandoned Ohanaeze Ndigbo for seven years with over 200m unpaid monthly dues is seeking the support of his Igbo tribe to win the 2023 presidential election"
"I challenge Gov Ifeanyichukwu Okowa to provide evidence of his Ohanaeze Ndigbo statutory Monthly dues to the general public, or any project he has sited in Ohanaeze Ndigbo secretariat since he became Senator and Governor"
I"t's a common saying that "Charity Begins at Home" but Gov Ifeanyi Okowa has failed in this area, he never imbibed the concept of "Ana esi na ulo mara MMA put na Ama" the concept of "Umu Nana Bu Ike" and "Onye Aghala Nwanne Ya"
"May I, therefore, remind Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa that being an Igbo man should not only be when you need Ndigbo but when Ndigbo needs you.
It's a truism that "Dike Ka Mba Ji A ga Mba" "Nku Di Na Mba an Eghere Mba Nri", Ndigbo want you to prove that you're "Dike" "Odogwu" at the point of needs of Ndigbo not at the point of your need from Ndigbo. Igboayaka concluded.
