Emeka Osondu
30 November 2008
Awka — The Pan Igbo Socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneze Ndigbo under the leadership of Dr. Dozie Ikedife, yesterday received a reprieve with the election of Ambassador Ralph Uwechue as its new chairman.
Uwechie, an indigene of Ogwashi-Ukwu in Delta State, was elected unopposed following a consensus by the Ohaneze caucus and governors of the South East States which zoned the position to Delta State.
However, the post of secretary of the body was still vacant as at press time, even though it was authoritatively gathered that it was zoned to Enugu State. It was also gathered that the vacancy persisted because of an unresolved disagreement between leaders on who picks up the office.
Present at the occasion were, the former President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Dr. Dozie Ikedife; Abia State Governor, Dr. Theodore Orji; former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; representatives of governors of Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo, as amongst other Igbo leaders of thought who graced the occasion.
Speaking at the occasion, Ikedife expressed gratitude that his tenure had formally come to an end with the emergence of the new leadership under Uwechue, just as he solicited the support of every stake holder to the new leadership to enable it succeed in delivering the expected goals.
Also speaking, Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, described the organisation as the only authentic voice of Ndigbo and stressed the need for Governors of the Igbo-speaking states to lend their support to the activities of the body to enable it deliver the expected goals.
In the acceptance speech, the new President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Uwechue expressed gratitude to the people for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to work concretively with his team to address the problems of the Igbo-nation, which he described discouraging within the Nigerian context. Uwechue regretted that despite the many contributions by Ndigbo in nation-building, the nations leadership had persistently marginalise the area, just as the people's psyche are bruised from time to time.
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