Okwukwu emerges factional President General of Ohanaeze

• Vows to work for the release of Nnamdi Kanu

Dim Uche Nnam Okwukwu has emerged as the factional President General of the Ohanaeze N’digbo Worldwide amidst controversy within the social-cultural organisation.

According to a statement by Dr. Achi Achi, the returning officer for the election, Okwukwu, who is a legal practitioner was returned unopposed, at a convention held in Port Harcourt on Thursday night.

The election of the former Secretary General of Ohanaeze the same day another Convention of the group led by former Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro was being held in Enugu, reflects the deep division in the group.

Meanwhile, Okwukwu, who is from Elele in Rivers State, thanked the delegates, promising to “unite fractured nerves and bring the Igbo together as one indivisible family.” According to him, he humbly accepted the enormous responsibility imposed on him to lead the Igbo race “at this moment in our history,” adding he is fully aware of the trust reposed in him.

“The Igbo nation has gone through unprecedented travails,”he said. He promised to waste no time in engaging the Federal and State Governments, Igbo businessmen, politicians, youths and intelligentsia, to address the problems facing the Igbo Nation

He said he would meet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to work for the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and other political prisoners, ensure de-criminalization of political exiles to enable them return home to join the process of reconstruction.

“We shall encourage the Federal and State governments to engage all agitators to address grievances so as to bring a just closure to issues.”

He said he will also engage the Federal Government in dredging, modernization and restoration of the Igweocha/Port Harcourt and other coastal ports for the Igbo/East and others, together with the dredging of the Azumini to Opobo Imo River basin to the coast, to recreate a pole of export-import industrialization and development in Igboland/East, down to the Middle Belt and Maiduguri.

Okwukwu said he would work with the State and Federal Government to bring an end to the Unknown Gunmen and other issues that created insecurity in Igboland/East, including kidnappings, ritual murders, extrajudicial killings, sundry agitations, unemployment, and de-industrialization, and including the open checkpoint robberies and extortions along Igbo/Eastern roads by those supposed to be protecting road-users.

Okwukwu promised to mobilise the Igbo for the Restructuring to come, about which all other ethnic nationalities have ready templates, but which no recent Ohanaeze leadership has had any courage to address.

“I will work hand in hand with critical Igbo stakeholders to advance the unity of the Igbo nation, and ensure that Igbo communities in Benue, Edo etc, are fully incorporated into the Ohanaeze family memberships, modernize the Igbo language as one of the major languages of global commerce, culture, science and technology.”