Tenure Elongation: Ohaneze Youths Threaten Showdown With Elders

Ignatius Okpara, Enugu – The youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, Ohaneze Ndigbo, has threatened a show down with the Elders Council of the organisation over its plan to enthrone a new leadership in January 2014.

African Examiner reports that the Ohaneze Elders Council led by former Minister of Aviation, chief Mbazulike Amaechi, had last week set up a transition committee to organise an election into various offices of the Ohaneze national offices in january, 2014.

The development according to the Council, is based on the fact that the present (Exco) led by Gary Igeriewey, will be expiring in january, during which the leadership would have completed its two years tenure, in line with the organisation,s constitution.

But Igariewey, is arguing that his tenure will elapse in 2017, meaning (4 years) and not two as claimed by the Elders council.

Reacting to the development Sunday, the Ohaneze Youth wing said “it has uncovered plot by fifth columnist to destabilise Igbo land.

The group in a statement jointly signed by its National President, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro; and Public Relations Officer, Obinna Adibe, expressed disappointment over the alleged “attempt by a group to conduct fresh election into the executive of the Ohaneze Ndigbo when the tenure of the incumbent had not elapsed.

It however, described the move as unconstitutional and “a desperate attempt by self-serving individuals to throw the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation into a leadership crisis through which they would render the Igbo nation voiceless at the eve of a general election in Nigeria.”

The statement reads in part, “The Ohaneze Ndigbo youth wing is alarmed by the reported convening of an illegal outfit where an election committee was purportedly commissioned to conduct an election to fill non- vacant positions in the national body.

“It is very clear that some persons are determined to cause confusion in Igbo land by this illegal move. It should be noted that the tenure of Ohaneze officers is a four- year term.

“This was settled through due process that was approved by its General Assembly meeting of November 6, 2010 where it was agreed unanimously that the two-year period was too short for any meaningful contribution by any executive.”

The OYC, therefore, called on Ndigbo, home and abroad, to discountenance “the ill- fated move,” which it said was being sponsored by some desperate politicians to plunge Ohaneze into a leadership crisis.

The youth wing also vowed to resist any move by any person(s) to make Ndigbo an object of mockery in the country. It also advised those behind the plot to retrace their steps.

They insisted that the incumbent national executive of Ohaneze Ndigbo, led by Chief Garry Igariwe, came on board on January 12, 2013, and it is expected to end its four- year term by January 12, 2017.