Governor Ikpeazu’s Unfulfilled Financial Promise Scuttled 2015 Igbo Day Celebration –Investigation

Posted by African Examiner Exclusive Reports, Featured, Latest Headlines Sunday, October 4th, 2015

By IGNATIUS OKPARA, Enugu

BALTIMORE, MD (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Fresh facts have emerged on why the leadership of the apex Igbo socio cultural organisation, Ohaneze Ndigbo, could not hold the 2015 Igbo day celebration.

The annual event, being coordinated by Ohaneze leadership, normally takes place on 29th September of every year in any of the States within the Igbo nation.

However, President General of the organization, chief Enwo Gary Igariwey had told newsmen at the Ohanaeze National Secretariat in Enugu recently during an appraisal meeting on the Igbo nation, that the inability of the body to stage this year’s annual ritual in its normal way was due to the alleged marginalization of the Igbos by the president Mohammadu Buhari, led federal government.

He Said “Our people should remain steadfast, think of home, and galvanise efforts towards the development of Igbo nation because nobody will do it for us.

“This years celebration is not a time of festival and masquerades but a time for rethink.

“It will be held on a low key, branches are free to celebrate as they want, but Ohanaeze national will mark Igbo day on low key. he declared.

He said: ”We ask our people not to be disappointed on the seeming lopsidedness of appointments made so far by the president”.

“We have helped in building Lagos and Abuja among others. It is time to do the same in our own place.

According to him,“We should recreate that zeal and develop our place.

But Investigation by AFRICAN EXAMINER, revealed that the cultural event at the national level, was completely shelved at the eleventh hour, following the refusal of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, of Abia state to release the needed fund for the ceremony which he had earlier promised to hand over to the Ohaneze boss, weeks to the occasion.

Our Correspondent further reliably gathered that the Abia Governor, had assured the Ohaneze president General, that he would delegate some of his aides to Enugu, where the money will be delivered to the organisation, a promise he did not fulfill till September 29th.

However, a Source close to Governor Ikpeazu, confided in AFRICAN EXAMINER that the Abia chief executive, decided to change his mind of sponsoring the event, when he had that the leadership of Ohaneze, allegedly collected the sum of 5 billion naira for the endorsement of the failed second term ambition of immediate past president, Goodluck Jonathan.

Meanwhile, sharp criticisms, have continued to trail the non observation of the 2015 Igbo national day in parts of South- East Nigeria.

Some respondents who spoke to our Correspondent under condition of anonymity, described the development as “unfortunate”

They posited that the present leadership of Ohaneze, under chief Igariwey,s watch, has done more harm than good to the entire Igbo nation, hence there is need for the people to start shopping for competent replacement ahead of their tenure expiration.