From Tony John, Port Harcourt
President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has declared that the apex socio-cultural Igbo organisation is not factionalised.
Briefing journalists on the programmes of the group in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday, emphasised that he was unanimously elected as the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in 2023, in Enugu, stating that those claiming to be president-general and secretary of the body are embarking on “economic adventure.”
“It is funny. There is nothing like faction in Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Myself, Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Iwuanyanwu, I am the President-General unanimously elected by all the people; the first time everybody voted for one person. That’s me.
“Now, there are some people who make money by this faction. These people go to enemies of Ndigbo to collect money to write things against the people to make money. This is a criminal matter. These people didn’t contest election. Nobody elected them.
“For example, somebody said he is the secretary-general. The right Secretary-General, Amb. Okey Uche, is here with me. He is a very renowned diplomat. There is no media organization that does not know that Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu is the President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo. I want to say that these people are economic adventurers.”
Chief Iwuanyanwu noted the denial of some Igbo speaking areas being of Igbo race, stating that Ohanaeze Ndigbo would always defend its people no matter where they live.
He said Ohanaeze Ndigbo has focused on how to make Igboland an industrialized area.
“I have seen that we have tried to be given the opportunity to rule this Nigeria. Even when it was zoned to us, we didn’t get it. I have told Igbo people, now, let us use our intellect to develop Igboland.
“My mission today is in the next two years, is to change Igboland, to make sure Igboland is highly industrialized, to make sure we that have employment for people, to make sure we don’t want to blame government again. Let us not waste time because we know there are some places we are hated.
“And let me tell you, part of the problem we have in Rivers State, it’s just that some of the detractors want to tell them that they are not Igbos. Anybody who tells you that your father is not your father, or your mother is not your mother, is he your friend? The truth about it is I am facing that issue now. I want to industrialize Igboland; I want to create jobs.
“I have formed a committee on industrialization and they are working. We want to change our education and make it functional. We are doing a lot of things on health. In the next one month or two, we are going to address this matter.”
According to him, no tribe in Nigeria has contributed to the growth of the country’s economy like the Igbo people, because of their ambitious nature for success.