Eminent Chieftain of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Richard Ozobu threw a bombshell on Friday, calling on the present leadership of the Igbo group as well as the Igbo Leaders of Thought to stop speaking for the region.Ozobu said both groups lacked the credibility to represent Ndigbo.The two Igbo groups have been agitating for recognition in the proposed national conference.The two groups are the Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by Chief Garry Igarawey and the Igbo Leaders of Thought led by Prof. Ben Nwabueze.However, speaking in Enugu, Ozobu rather advised the forum of South East Governors to resolve the dichotomy by implementing its report on the solution to Ohanaeze impasse.The governors were said to have long resolved to conduct a new Ohanaeze election as a solution to the crisis but nothing had been done about that till date.Ozobu suggested that the election could be conducted within two weeks so that Ndigbo could harmonize views to speak with one voice at the conference.He maintained that the Igarawey led Ohanaeze lacked legitimacy since the executive was not properly elected, while the Nwabueze group cannot claim to be representing Ndigbo with a selected few people mostly from Anambra State.Ozobu said: “At least for now we can say let the principal officers be produced; the top leadership of Ohanaeze. Those who are there should vacate because their states have said they did not produce them. And it will not take 48 hours to produce those who should be there.“I don’t know how critical you think the dialogue is because the last one we had has not been implemented, what matters is this; if there is a terrible division in that place how do we match forward from there as a nation; isn’t that more important?“I am saying that to represent Ndi-Igbo where Nigeria is meeting it has to be properly done by those who Igbo’s have confidence in through an organization they set up. And we have already said that that vehicle is deficient; the engine is not well; Ohanaeze engine knocked.“One of the things holding us back on that extra State given to us is Ndi-Igbo agreeing to which state it is going to be. Nobody wants to face the facts.“The Igbo position and Ohanaeze have no place for these side meetings that Nwabueze is having and he should know better because he is the
architect of that constitution. So everything must be done through the framework of Ohanaeze.“If Nwabueze has endorsed Igariwey and his group and is saying Ohanaeze has accepted this thing then we have to live by it because we said the umbrella organization is Ohanaeze and whatever position they take is what we are going to take as Igbo. So both sides are not competent to speak for Igbo.“There is still time; the situation can still be remedied within 7-14 days. Let’s go back to the constitution let Ebonyi State bring the President General, call a meeting again and then affirm it; finish. Other aspects can be suspended but the principal officers, those positions, who on daily basis are referred to in any Igbo meeting, President General and Secretary-General, something must happen to them”, he advised.
