By Chijindu Emeruwa
Barrister Ifeadigo Omoko, the former legal Adviser of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Enugu State chapter, has accused Professor George Obiozor-led Ohanaeze Ndigbo of failing to carry out its constitutional duties.
Omoko also berated the Obiozor’s leadership over alleged failure to intervene and resolve the crisis rocking the youth wing of the apex body.
He made this known in a statement forwarded to DAILY POST on Wednesday.
Rhe Ohanaeze chieftain further alleged that the current Secretary General of the Obiozor led Ohanaeze Ndigbo and former Nigerian Envoy to South Africa, Ambassador Okey Emuchay, stated that Emuchay has maintained utmost silence in the crisis ravaging the youth wing, as “we were reliably informed that he has been bought over against justcie by one man from Lagos”.
According to Omoko, “even as we are shouting Igbo agenda, he is busy destabilizing Ohanaeze Ndigbo with the inducement he is receiving from the Lagos man to support him for presidency. Most of the NEC members are already working with the factional President General.
Continuing, he said the Secretary General has refused to call for meeting for the fear that the National Executive Council members might demand for accountabliity in respect to the funds inherited by Obiozor-led leadership from the immediate past national executive council of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, led John Nnia Nwodo.
He regretted that the secretary general had abandoned his duties and also queriing why Emuchay could send common administration officer to represent the President General (Obiozor) at the just concluded Igbo day celebration in Lagos when there are elected officers who could have embarked on such journey constitutionally.
Omoko also revealed that some state presidents of the apex Igbo group has formed own clique and have been visiting wealthy Igbo sons and daughters begging for funding cum support.
“This is December and there has been no NEC meeting and there is no hope that there will be one. If they cannot call for NEC meeting, how then can they call for General Assembly meeting? Certain governor have withdrawn their support for the organization due to the criminal activities of this in power”.
“Okey Emuchay has prevailed on Obiozor never to constitute Ime Obi which is the highest constitutional organ of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Even elders council have not met for once and it is as a result of the decadence in the system”, he added.
Omoko partly stated, “It has become so necessary that those who knew the happenings in Ohanaeze Ndigbo under Amb. George Obiozor should speak up or forever remain silent. Information available to our news desks is such that ndigbo should ask questions of the crooked, dodgy, malfeasant, preposterous, shameful and reprehensible activities aimed at swindling, hoodwinking, deluding and ensnaring ndigbo of their corporate social existence.
“We all know the health condition of Amb. Obiozor and what transpired when he was elected the president general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Certainly we know that age is no longer on his side as to handle such sensitive position. Even during his election, he was being held by people in the form of support for him to be able to stand. His health has not improved as it is a consequence of old age. The resultant effect of imposing such old man in the position of trust has affected Ohanaeze Ndigbo adversely
“The microscopic few running Ohanaeze Ndigbo are Okey Emuchay, Ambrose Obioha and to some extent Alex Ogbonnia. Could you believe that for one over year of being in office, these people has called for NEC Meeting only four times but under Nnia Nwodo, there was monthly NEC Meeting. Okey Emuchay now lives in one of the most expensive hotel in Enugu, feeding fat on Ohanaeze Ndigbo money and causing more troubles for Obiozor. He makes transactions on Ohanaeze Ndigbo account without recourse to the constitution.
“It is unimaginable that Nnia Nwodo (Fmr President General) left a total sum of seventy five million naira (75,000,000.00) in Ohanaeze Ndigbo account plus other monies being donated by Governors and some sponsors and after a year, Obiozor led administration is saying that there is no money in Ohanaeze Ndigbo account. This is totally unacceptable, intolerable, insufferable, unsatisfactory and impermissible. I have taken my time to go to the state Government Houses in Igbo Nation to get their official transactions made to Ohanaeze Ndigbo account. I have worked on their UBA account to obtain certain relevant information. They inherited the account and doesn’t know the details of how the account was created. The amount of money in question is jaw breaking and I think EFCC should be involved”.