The Apex Igbo Sociocultural organisation; Ohanaeze Ndígbo Worldwide has descended heavily on their Acting National Youth Leader, Mr. Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu over his piece lending support to the embattled Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Poverty Alleviation and Disaster Management, Dr. Betta Edu.
Mr. Okpalaezeukwu had in the piece qualified the allegations against Edu as an “administrative infelicity and not a financial heist since the Accountant General had confirmed that she did not honour the payment.”
But Rt. Hon. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, PhD; the National Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday, said the presser by Okpalaezeukwu “fails woefully by all standards of logic, common sense, rhyme, reason, interests and all the known norms and traditions of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.”
Speaking further, the Igbo organization described the press statement of their acting Youth leader as “extremely impetuous, imprudent, unreflective, despicable, harebrained, intolerable and at variance with the philosophy of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.”
Ogbonnia said Ohanaeze Ndígbo supports the president’s fight against corruption.
Below is the statement:
The attention of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has been drawn to a reckless press release credited to the Acting National Youth Leader of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mr. Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu to the effect that “Betta Edu, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation should be given the benefit of doubt until the series of investigations into her involvement in the alleged N583m financial wrongdoing proves her to be complicit”. The Youth qualified the allegations against Edu as an “administrative infelicity and not a financial heist since the Accountant General had confirmed that she did not honour the payment.”
In the first place, the press release on the Betta Edu by Okpalaezeukwu fails woefully by all standards of logic, common sense, rhyme, reason, interests and all the known norms and traditions of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. In other words, the press release is extremely impetuous, imprudent, unreflective, despicable, harebrained, intolerable and at variance with the philosophy of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide Chief Engr. Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, MFR; OFR; CFR; FNICE; FNSE; FNIST; KSG (Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo) has expressed his disgust over the press release by Okpalaezeukwu. The Igbo Leader explained that the Igbo credo is anchored on hard work, resourcefulness, transparency, equity, fairness and an enabling environment for the Igbo ingenuity and entrepreneurship to find full expressions in Nigeria. He therefore wondered why Okpalaezeukwu would dabble into the activities of the anti-corruption agencies as it affects Edu.
Once more, emphasis is made that Ohanaeze Ndigbo represents the history, emotions and consciousness of the Igbo; and that Ohanaeze serves as the Igbo sacred temple which should not, by any stretch of imagination, be desecrated upon by youthful rascality, imprudence and perversions. It is therefore, highly inconceivable that a young man would wake up and issue a press release in the name of Ohanaeze Ndigbo with neither clearance nor consultations with the leadership.
For the avoidance of doubt, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide lends unalloyed support to President Bola Tinubu commitment to fight corruption, insurgency, banditry and other forms of insecurity in Nigeria; and vehemently dissociates itself from the Okpalaaezeukwu youthful exuberance.
E-Sign.
Rt. Hon. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, PhD; the National Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide
