•Says Nnia Nwodo’s regime, a reign of impunity
The National Executive Council of Ohanaeze Youth Council(OYC), the apex youth body of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has described the Ime-Obi meeting held on 7th Dec. 2020 at Nike Lake Resort, Enugu as illegal and unconstitutional.
National President of OYC, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, speaking to press men in Owerri on Thursday after her National Executive Council and stakeholders’ meeting, noted that inline with Ohanaeze Ndigbo Constitution, Article 11 page 14 paragraph(8) stated that “President General through the Secretary General can summon the general meetings of the National Executive Committee, the Council of Elders, Ime-Obi and General Assembly.”
Therefore, since the Ime-Obi meeting was not summoned through Bar. Uche Okwukwu, the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, it is illegal, unconstitutional and unacceptable to Igbo youths. Comrade Igboayaka pointed out that Ohanaeze Ndigbo Constitution in Article 10(V) clearly spelt out the members of Ime-Obi, but what happened at Nike Lake Resort was not a properly constituted Ime-Obi meeting but a mere “assemblage of politicians” as planned by Nnia Nwodo and his cohorts.
Igboayaka also noted that the purported suspension of Bar. Uche Okwukwu was the height of Nnia Nwodo’s impunity and abuse of power, and by his action, he has reduced the Constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to a mere ‘tissue paper.’
It is important to note that Article 21 (ii) page 20 stated that, “The General Assembly may, on a motion of no confidence supported by two thirds majority of members present and voting, remove any member of the organs and officers of Ohanaeze from office, provided that in the case of the president-general, deputy president-general, the state where he comes from shall be entitled to nominate candidates for election by the General Assembly to replace him”. It is, therefore, regrettable that this section of the constitution was gruesomely violated by Nnia Nwodo and none of the Igbo leaders, stakeholders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo could stand for objection or call Nnia Nwodo to constitutional order.
OYC president maintained that Ohanaeze Ndigbo is being run opposite to its Constitution, yet those who could rise to condemn impunity are standing akimbo and watching the apex Igbo organization becoming a personal merchandise of Nwodo and his cliques.
OYC noted with great shock, the purported Ime-Obi meeting of 9th February 2020 minutes where it was recorded on a code 6.0(AOB) that Chief Okeke Ogene moved a motion for Bar. Uche Okwukwu’s suspension requesting Ime-Obi to ratify the decision of the NEC suspending the secretary-general, when Article 10 of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Constitution stated the following as functions of the (NEC):
(a) Promote the aims and objectives of Ohanaeze.
(b) Ensure that every policy decision and other Ohanaeze as may be directed by Ime Obi and General Assembly are Implemented.
(c) Supervise the state Ohanaeze and local government.
Igboayaka pointed out that the above are constitutional functions or duties of National Executive Committee(NEC) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and urged Nnia Nwodo and his clique to explain to Ndigbo where they got the power to expel or suspend the Secretary-General.
He said it was a constitutional aberration of the purported Ime Obi meeting of 7th February 2020 that Chief Okeke Ogene, a state president of Ohanaeze who is not a member of Ime-Obi could move a motion to ratify Bar. Uche Okwukwu’s suspension, stressing that in composition of Ime-Obi members in Article 10 of the constitution, the state presidents are not members of Ime Obi, even if such person should be included as among the six distinguished leaders from each Igbo states, such nomination must be endorsed by Council of Elders. We therefore, call Nnia Nwodo to present a document that endorsed or ratified Chief Okeke Ogene as one of the distinguished Igbo leaders in Anambra that made him a member of the Ime Obi.
Igboayaka noted that Nnia Nwodo, on his plan to rig the Ohanaeze Ndigbo election, prepared a list of electoral committee with Southeast governors, which he described as a “College of political profiteers” as they have been stationed to perfect Nwodo’s plan to rig Ohanaeze Ndigbo 2021 election in order to pave way for his ill-motivated political interest of becoming the Vice Presidential candidate in 2023 election.
He added that Nnia Nwodo has been crying that South East governors are not paying their dues but failed to tell us at the unconstitutional Ime-Obi meeting at Nike Lake Resort that the Governor of Imo state, Sen. Hope Uzodinma have paid the accumulated Imo state dues to the sum N36 million.
Furthermore, Igboayaka applaud Dr. Chris Ngige in raising fundamental objection as regards the undemocratic process of the electoral list, but noted that Sen. Rochas Okorocha lacked the moral justification to criticise Uzodinma’s choice of Prof. George Obiozor as next president-general, stressing that he would have done the worst if he was still the governor of the state, maintaining that the bad antecedent he left in Imo state will continue to hunt him. He added that Ndigbo cannot forget in a hurry how Senator Okorocha attempted to ruin and eradicate Town Unions in Imo state.
Igboayaka called on noble Igbo men with pedigree and integrity, both at home and diaspora, religious leaders to rise up to ensure credible election, and reemphasized that Ohanaeze Youth Council(OYC) will resist, at all costs, any plan by Nnia Nwodo and the governors to pocket Ohanaeze Ndigbo or rig the forthcoming election.
Finally, Comrade Igboayaka noted that OYC watched with keen interest the insensitivity of Nnia Nwodo to table or address the Obigbo massacre, orchestrated by Governor Nyesom Wike, at the so-called Ime-Obi meeting, adding that this was an indication that the present Ohanaeze Ndigbo does not represent a clear and genuine leadership for Ndigbo.
It’s very sad to note that many progressive, noble and patriotic Igbo men were technically shutdown by Nnia Nwodo not talk in the meeting especially the likes of Prof. Uzodinma Nwala President of Ala Igbo Development Foundation(ADF) raised his hand severally even drop a note to Nnia Nwodo but he was blatantly neglected from bring ideas that will help Ndigbo, Igboayaka revealed
To this end, Ndigbo must get involved in the electoral process in the forthcoming Ohanaeze Ndigbo election for a new leadership from 2021, Igboayaka concluded.
