The Ohaneze Ndigbo Nigeria on Thursday January 5th 2012 rose from a meeting of its Youth Wing in Enugu, the capital of Enugu State following deliberation on the State of the Igbo indigene resident in Nigeria [Ohaneze claims to be the apex Igbo organization in Nigeria]. As 247ureports.com gathered, the said meeting, which saw the attendance of the entire State Chairmen from across the Nation, sanctioned against the deliberation on the resultant effects of the shocking hike in petrol prices.
Aggrieved sources within ruling council of Ohaneze disclosed that the Chairman of Ohaneze, Uwechue, had issued a directive to the executive council of the Ohaneze to remain silent on the supposed oil subsidy removal. It is understood that the Chairman of the Ohaneze enjoys a cozy relationship with the President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebelemi Jonathan. For this reason, the source explained that the group has chosen to direct their efforts to addressing the menace of the Boko Haram rather than oil subsidy.
One of the State Chairmen representing Ndigbo resident in one of the northern states espoused that the ruling council of the Ohaneze has lost teeth and has longed been sedated by her blind support for the Jonathan administration. The State chairman expressed gross disappointment in the Chairman’s silence over the hardships imposed by the Jonathan administration on the people of Nigeria.
247ureports.com made efforts at reaching the National Chairman of Ohaneze. Several calls were placed to his MTN line [0803 310 8763]. One of the calls placed at 8:09am on January 6, 2012 was answered by a voice claiming to be his aide – who indicated that the Chairman was still asleep- and so could not answer the call.
At 9:15am another call was placed and the ‘aide’ answered again. This time he stated that the Chairman was taking his bath and would return our call later. But when the aide was asked why the Chairman gave the Ohaneze ruling council a directive to stay mute on the issue of oil subsidy, he retorted that the Chairman “was not even in the Enugu meeting. He is not even in Abuja or Enugu”. This he stated without denying the allegation. The Chairman did not return our call or answer his phone as at 12:30pm.
Allegations are that the Chairman of Ohaneze bowed to the candidacy of the then presidential candidate of Dr. Goodluck Ebelemi Jonathan in return for monetary rewards and some input into contract awards. Knowledgeable observers of Ohaneze’s activities point to the sedated nature of the group towards to the present administration as indicative of his inability to mount a critical response to the Nigerian federal government. They cite the contrast in the group’s sturdy utterances against the bombings and killings by Boko Haram and that of the 100+% over night increase in the price of petrol from N65 per liter to N140 per liter – as a testament against the group’s integrity.
Apologists for the Chairman discard the allegation against the Chairman stating that the chairman has no business reacting publicly to the fuel price hike – that the threat of Boko Haram is more important to the group. And that the Chairman has made public the group’s stance on Boko Haram without being critical of the federal government. They added that Ohaneze’s scope of activity does not cover oil subsidy removal.
The Ohaneze is scheduled for a general meeting at the home of the Chairman of Ohaneze in Delta State on January 16, 2012.
Stay tuned.
