There’s no faction in Ohanaeze Ndigbo –Chukwu

Nze Ozichukwu Chukwu is the immediate past President-General Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. In this interview, he speaks on the newly-elected leader of the group, Senator John AzutaMbata, continued detention of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, among other issues. JOHNCHUKS ONUANYIM reports Your tenure as President General of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo was very brief; can you give account of your stewardship of your tenure? I was sworn in on December 14, 2024 and l had an interactive session immediately after with the Imeobi.

It was possible to do a SWOT and from there, some projections. I submitted a memo for the establishment of a Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) and another for membership registration and functional database for Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. These would relieve the governors of the many burdens they’ve been bearing.



I also appointed external auditors to audit our finances; income and expenditures. I also revived the registration of the Ohanaeze Investments and Development Company. Some of your critics alleged that your insistence on handing over the Ohanaeze leadership to an indigene of Rivers State instead of other core Igbo states, was personally driven.

What’s your take on that? Ohanaeze is guided by the fundamental principles of zoning and rotation. The tradition is for the rotation to be done in alphabetical order. After Imo State, it was the turn of Rivers State.

I had no tenure. It was Imo tenure that I completed. Friday January 10, 2024 was the day and date ordained by God for the handover.

Fortunately, we have many eminently qualified sons and daughters of Rivers State of Igbo extraction, who were able, willing and ready. The arguments for extension of time to cover the many months of mourning of our fallen heroes and invoking a doctrine of necessity The recent Ohanaeze election has been adjudged the best in the history of the organisation. What was responsible for the difference? There were no vested interests.

God was in control and we made sure that right things were done rightly. How would you respond to reports that you rejected overtures by some power brokers to bend the constitution of Ohanaeze for a particular candidate to emerge? Those who anticipated the interplay of political dynamics can easily conjecture and speculate. The governors were at their best, filled with exceptional zeal and leadership uprightness.

Luckily for us, Senator John Azuta-Mbata is a distinguished Nigerian politician and public servant, known for his impressive background and accomplishments among which are strong educational foundation. Azuta-Mbata holds bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Ibadan. He has held various leadership positions, including being a senator for Rivers East, chairman of Monier Construction Company (MCC) and an enviable family pedigree.

He also has a strong background in administration, having served as a public servant and administrator. He equally has experience in the private sector, having held positions in various businesses and he has been involved in community development initiatives. Do you have any regrets leading Ohanaeze for that short period of time? No regrets at all.

It was as challenging as it was exciting. Thank God, I was able to leave indelible mark in almost all aspects of its history and administration. What agenda will you set for the new executives led by Senator Azuta-Mbata We are lucky that Senator Azuta-Mbata is a boardroom guru, a quintessential political leader, and an outstanding manager of men.

His potentials are great and public confidence and expectations are very high. Remember that he is a man of ideas and has so many experienced and competent National Executive Committee (NEC). They may consider to review the structure, system and style.

He is lucky to now have an incorporated development and investment outfit, so collaboration with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), South East Development Commission (SEDC), Niger Delta River Basin Development Authority and Anambra Imo River Basin Development Authority will be effective and efficient. Above all, our governors pledged unflinching support. Nothing could be more reassuring.

All things being equal, youths’ productive engagement would be top priority, security and public safety would be guaranteed, the welfare and well-being of the people would be greatly enhanced. Consequently, the growth and development of the Igbo nation becomes a concomitant necessity. Some people say that the worst thing that happened to Ohanaeze Ndigbo World is electing an Ikwerre ethnic nationality son, who denied Igbo origin to lead the organisation.

What is your take on that? What would I say, when your fellow south easterner calls you nwa onye Igbo (Igbo child). Is he or she by extension not denying his or her Igbo root? Nyesom Wike is not the only person who said that he is not Igbo; Senator Dave Umahi said the same. Does that make them nonIgbo.

? Can you in good conscience deny them, their children or relatives their rights and privileges as Ndigbo when the need arises? Or have you forgotten the story of Peter denying Christ when it mattered most. Authenticity is deeper than audacity. It is spiritual and borders on angelic uprightness.

Nothing can be more noble than this divine gesture. We must go out and seek our kit and kin. We must encourage and empathise with them.

It is an incumbent responsibility. Recall the resolve of 75 Igbo warriors in 1803 at St. Simons Island, Georgia: “The river brought us here, the river will take us back.

” It is well! The release of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu has become an albatross. As an Igbo leader, what is Ndigbo doing to secure his release? Lady Bianca Ojukwu has made a commitment and I also know that South-East governors and a host of others are helping in various ways to facilitate his release. His continued incarceration is a moral burden to President Bola Tinubu, who at a time was on self exile because of his conviction.

If I recall, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike during the flag-off of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), highlighted the following objectives: To secure political freedom and sovereign state of Biafra; to negotiate with the Federal Government on how to end the plight of the Igbo; to redress all injustice against the Igbo people and to adopt and use non-violent approach in all negotiations with the government. This was their source of inspiration. It’s my belief and expectations that Nnamdi Kanu cannot afford to go beyond these when he is finally released.

His terms of release may usher in a breath of fresh air, the greatly needed peace and tranquillity and consequently growth and development. There are factional Ohanaeze groups that conducted their elections in Port Harcourt and elsewhere. Are you not worried that one united Ohanaeze is about to be balkanized for political interest? There is no faction in Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.

You know that people are aggrieved because of the unfavourable turn of events at the Ohanaeze Ndigbo elections of January 10, in Enugu. You also know that they did not hold any elections anywhere otherwise they would have released the videos. Their grievances are noted and being seriously addressed.

After all, Senator Azuta-Mbata was their leader including the fact that he groomed them to relevance and recognition..