The saying that “charity begins at home’ seems to be far from the apex Igbo organisation; Ohanaeze Ndigbo as they have maintained a grave silence on the ‘vindictive demolition’ of a popular hotel by the government of Imo State.
Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu penultimate week, granted a wide press conference condemning the unprovoked demolition of many houses belonging to Southeasterners in the FESTAC area of Lagos state.
While Chief iwuanyanwu was granting the interview, a 20 years old establishment is on the brink of being pulled down over what many residents described as a move against an opposition voice.
The hotel which was commissioned by Chief Achike Udenwa as the Governor of Imo state in 2004 is today, an illegal structure according to a memo from Owerri Capital Territory Development Authority, OCDA, dated dated July 31st, 2023.
One thing that’s not going away is that the resident believes the move is to tame the owner of the hotel, Evangelist Mike Ikoku, Chairman of the Divine Mandate Movement Campaign Organisation, a campaign council for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the November 11 governorship election in the state.
Already, a part of the building has been brought down in July without a word from Ohanaeze Ndigbo. The owner of the structure has been very categorical in his accusation that Imo Government is culpable but our apex organisation is more interested in reminding Yoruba’s how Igbos developed Lagos.
“It’s purely political, they feel I am the chairman of the campaign of the PDP governorship candidate. If it’s really non-political, why will it be only my hotel? There are more than 10 hotels that have the same green verge that protected the area with wire mesh. So why target only my hotel and leave other places where such a thing was used? So that shows that it is purely political and purely targeted at me as a person,” Ikoku said after the initial demolition in July.
Maybe Ohaneze Ndigbo is unaware that the jobs of over 40 persons working in these establishments is under threat and makes nonsense of aku ruo uno (investing in Igboland) campaign.
It’s also leaves so much to be desired to think that Chief Iwuanyanwu who was quick to congratulate Governor Hope Uzodinma after the controversial November election is from Imo and sees nothing wrong with what’s happening in his home state.
When should we expect an Ohanaeze Ndigbo that’s truly for the Oha and not a platform for the Ezes to propagate their personal interest?
Chibuzo Onyeike writes from Owerri.
