2nd November, 2010
The President General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ambassador Ralph Uwechue, has stated that the body’s endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2011 presidency is a product of several months of consultations among all strata of Ndigbo both home and abroad.
Briefing newsmen after the Imeobi meeting in Enugu, Uwechue opined that their decision has to do with power balancing in the country with particular reference to the old regions.
According to him, only the south-south and southeast zones consisting the old Eastern region have not produced an executive president for the country, arguing that the termination of Jonathan’s presidency in 2015 is a better choice for Ndigbo.
He denied that his root in the south -south in any way influenced the decision.
“My being Ohanaeze President General is a proof of Igbo spread across southeast and southsouth,” he said.
The Imeobi meeting  also approved the extension of the tenure of the President General and its executive by two years and re-affirmed its confidence in the Ambassador Uwechue-led executive of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
Furthermore, Uwechue disclosed that his leadership has completed a new design for Ohanaeze’s befitting secretariat to be erected in Enugu.
Besides, the meeting further mandated the Ohanaeze executive to also mediate between the striking members of ASUU in the state universities and five governors of the South East states with a view to finding a lasting solution to the problem in the shortest possible time so that students can resume classes.
By Jude Orji\Enugu
