CONFAB: Ohaneze Set up Planning Committee to Harmonize Igbo Position

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Ignatius Okpara, Latest Headlines, News Monday, January 6th, 2014

IGNATIUS OKPARA, Enugu

Ohaneze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Sunday said it has set up a planning and strategy committee ahead of the proposed national conference CONFAB.

Renowned economists and elder statesman, professor Anya O. Anya is to head of the committee.

President General of the organisation, Chief Gary Enwo-Igariwey who announced this during the Ime Obi (caucus) meeting explained that the committee would on its own co-opt other members.

Also set up was Finance committee.

He also disclosed that a colloquium towards the harmonisation of the Igbo position would also hold between March 10 and 13th 2014.

According to Igariwey, the aim of the formation of the committees was to close ranks “so that we speak with one voice since that has been the problem bedeviling us.”

The Ohanaeze helmsman who called for prayers for a successful outing at the confab regretted that “some of our people do not want the conference.”

Such people, he said, were opposed to the creation of zones and only wanted states.

In his remarks, First Republic minister of Aviation, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi who was appointed chairman of the committee on reparation had complained that since May 31, 2013 when the committee was put in place, the president general has refused to inaugurate the committee.

He informed the meeting that he spent time and money in compilation and articulation of all the “massacre of Ndigbo in the North from 1953 in Kano to those of Asaba and recent ones.”

The elder statesman however, requested for reversing of the decision if the president general is no longer interested in the reparation demand from the Federal Government.

But the Ohanaeze president in a swift reaction to the complaint assured that the matter would be treated in the next meeting.

The meeting discussed the knotty issue of Igbos creating kingdoms for themselves outside Igboland where some people abuse the nomenclature His Royal Highness or Majesty to the embarrassment of their hosts.

Alumni of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) led by its deputy president, Adaeze Onyebuchi also stormed the Ime Obi meeting where it sought for the intervention of Ohanaeze in the ongoing crisis rocking the university which was sparked -off by the sack of the pro-chancellor, Emeka Enejere.

After listening to them, the Igbo umbrella body, promised to look into the matter.

Present at the meeting were, special Adviser to president Goodluck Jonathan on inter party Affairs, senator Ben Obi, front line politician, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, former Director General, Nigeria Institute of International Affairs Lagos, Prof. George Obiozor, Prof. Mark Ordu, Prof. Anya O. Anya, one time president General of Ohaneze, Prof. Joe Irukwu, amongst others.