The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Wednesday, berated some Igbo leaders clamouring for an acting president general to replace the late Ohanaeze leader, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.
The call, it was gathered, arose from the death of both Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and his Deputy President General, Chief Joel Kroham, from Rivers State.
Chief Iwuanyanwu passed on at an Abuja hospital on July 25 and would be interred at his country home, Atta, Imo State, on November 1.
Ohanaeze, reacting to the call for an acting president general, through its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, described the call even before Iwuanyanwu was buried as against the Igbo culture.
He wrote, “It beggars belief, therefore, that while Nigerians of all persuasions have shown uncompromising commitment for the burial, some Igbo are busy holding meetings on the enthronement of an Acting President General. Ohanaeze Ndigbo reserves comments on the activities of such actors, especially where most of them are titled men who are well-versed in the nuances of Igbo cosmology.
“It appears that, to exhibit their sincere patriotism for the Igbo, the proponents of immediate enthronement of a leader in an acting capacity may have overlooked the fundamentals of Igbo norms, culture and tradition.”
The Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ambassador Okey Emuchay, in the release, assured all that “the ship of Ohanaeze is in safe hands, collectively as NEC”.
He said, “For the avoidance of doubts, the National Executive Committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo (NEC) comprises men and women who are accomplished in the academia, jurisprudence, public administration, politics, medicare, community service, commerce and industry, etc under the administrative competence.”
Ohanaeze continued, “The funeral rites of the late Igbo leader are very much at hand and that an escalated contest for the Ohanaeze leadership is not only a major distraction but highly illogical, uncultural and an indelible slur on the Igbo nation.
“We, therefore, urge our brothers and sisters to join hands in the burial rites of the Igbo leader, with the reassurances that the appropriate mechanism for an Ohanaeze leadership will be applied shortly after the befitting funeral rites to the Igbo leader on November 1, 2024.”
Ohanaeze alleged that “some mercenaries masquerading as special devotees and adherents of Chief Iwuanyanwu are on the prowl,” adding that, “Such unscrupulous zealots are lurking around with letters preying on the unsuspecting compassionate persons for unethical supports towards the funeral ceremonies of Chief Iwuanyanwu.”
Ohanaeze also announced the cancellation of the Igbo Day Celebration that was earlier scheduled to be held on September 29, 2024, in Owerri, Imo State.
“This decision was taken in honour of Chief Iwuanyanwu who died in active service on July 25, 2024,” Ohanaeze stated.