The Ohanaeze Ndígbo Worldwide, Wednesday, said the pan-Igbo organization would report one Okechukwu Isiguzo and three others to Ime Obi to approve appropriate disciplinary actions against them over their anti-Igbo activities. Ime Obi is Ohanaeze’s highest decision-making body.
Isiguzo is claiming to be the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, an act he began when Ohanaeze had two factions. THE WHISTLER gathered that the erstwhile leader of the defunct faction, one Engr Ibe, had since pledged his loyalty to the mainstream Ohanaeze led by Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.
The resolution to sanction Isiguzo was arrived at during the meeting of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Nation Executive Council held at the Ohanaeze Secretariat in Enugu.
Chief Iwuanyanwu, who addressed the press shortly after the NEC meeting, lamented the negative impacts Isiguzo is creating in Igbo land.
He said, “Former President General of Ohanaeze, Prof George Obiozor, went to court and got an injunction restraining Isiguzo from parading himself as Ohanaeze Secretary General. In the first place, Isiguzo never participated in the election to qualify him to claim such. It is on record that efforts to serve Isiguzo the court restraining paper never succeeded because he is always hiding.”
He regretted that Isiguzo had converted his anti-Igbo activities to money making ventures, and expressed surprise that members of the press still report activities of Isizugo despite the evidence of his being an impostor.
He said efforts of Ohanaeze towards Igbo rebirth were being thwarted by Isiguzo and his cohorts, adding that such frustration led to the death of former Ohanaeze PG, Prof George Obiozor.
He attributed Isiguzo’s anti-Igbo activities to joblessness, recalling when Isiguzo came to him begging for N50m to treat an undisclosed ailment. Chief Iwuanyanwu however said he would forgive him if he turned a new leaf.
In his words, “I’m the father of all, and he remains my son. But I feel so sad that I will be confronted by threats. I’m engufled in a mess with Isiguzo. However, I am determined to serve Ndígbo, which I did during the war and in my business.”
On allegations that he would seek the forgiveness of the Fulani over the killing of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa during the January 15 coup, codenamed ‘Igbo coup’, Chief Iwuanyanwu said, “Harford Ùgwù and Prof Obasi Igwe circulated fake voice notes against me. I fought the war, and have always made it clear that the coup was a military affair, and never an Igbo coup. It also failed because an Igbo General, Aguiyi Ironsi, intervened. Our people were slaughtered in the North. Why should I beg the Fulani. Nigeria should beg Ndígbo rather. Harford Ugwu had apologized. But it was a harvest of people who wanted to attack me.”
On the alleged N100bn bribe he collected from Fulanis to facilitate the apology, Iwuanyanwu said, “I didn’t take N100bn as they claimed. I wonder how people would believe such.”
He warned about the consequences of the manner Igbo leaders are being run down by some Igbo clique. He recalled the bombing of the country home of former President General of Ohanaeze, Chief Nnia Nwodo, as well as that of the late Prof George Obiozor, also former Ohanaeze PG.
Meanwhile, the Ohanaeze NEC has mandated Chief Iwuanyanwu to forward the names of Isizugo, Harford Ùgwù, Prof Obasi Igwe and Nwankwo Nwaezeigwe, a professor, to Imeobi Ohanaeze for disciplinary action, including their possible ostracization.
While Ùgwù and Obasi Igwe allegedly circulated the voice note where Iwuanyanwu was reported to have called for the apology during an Ohanaeze retreat at Enugu Government House, Nwaezeigwe was behind the N100bn saga, Chief Iwuanyanwu said.