2nd February, 2024
By Alex Enebeli
Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has reacted angrily to reports that it issued a statement condemning President Bola Tinubu’s private trip to Paris.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Alex Ogbonia attributed the statement to impersonators of the group led by one Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro.
He said Isiguzoro was not a member of the authentic Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.
Ogbonia also slammed newspaper editors for allowing the impersonator to use their platforms to disseminate statements issued purpotedly on behalf on an organization he was not a member.
“The reckless, harebrained and unguarded statement credited to one Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro was not from us; Isiguzoro is not even our member,” Ogbonia said in the statement made available to newsmen on Thursday in Enugu.
“The attention of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has been drawn to the news making the rounds to the effect that we are angry over Tinubu’s private trip to Paris.
“In some of the dailies, we are quoted as calling on President Bola Tinubu to fllormally transmit power to the Vice president, Alhaji Kashim Shettima
“The group led by Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu is tempted to ignore the said press release by a mischief maker, but our silence may be misconstrued as validating the statement, hence the rebuttal.
“We want to dissociate Ohanaeze Ndigbo from Isiguzoro. He is not our Secretary General. That post is occupied by Mr Okey Emuchay.
“There is no gainsaying that some unreflective transgressors leech on the invaluable and hallowed name of Ohanaeze Ndigbo for narrow, perverse, illicit and pecuniary interests.
“It is, indeed, very curious that some editors of Nigerian dailies have been compromised to remain impervious to reason by turning a cheap lie into a media hype.
“Such editors domesticate negative propensities and convey flawed ethnic renditions.
“They indulge in cheap mendacious propaganda, clothing falsehood with elaborate wings and ultimately damaging the corporate image of their publications.
“There is hardly any Nigerian journalist
who doesn’t know that the Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo is Emuchay.
“We are incensed that anyone would wake up and issue a press release in the name of Ohanaeze Ndigbo with neither clearance nor consultations with the Igbo leadership. This is a clear case of sabotage to the Igbo nation.
“The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide neither contemplated a press release on Tinubu’s trip to Paris nor raise the issue of transmission of power to Shettima,” the statement declared. (NAN)
.