By Kenechukwu Amazuoke
After many failed promises and failed attempts by previous Ohanaeze NdiIgbo leadership, the apex Igbo socio-cultural body finally kick-started the process of making the organisation a mass organisation by setting up its popular arms.
On Saturday 5th April 2014, the leadership of the Youth wing emerged in keenly contested but peaceful election held at the Ohanaeze National Secretariat G.R.A Enugu with Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro ( Abia )as the National Youth Leader ,Arthur Okonkwo (Anambra) Deputy National Leader, Odozi Nwodozi (National Vice Leader Delta), Obinna Achionye (National Vice Leader Imo), Mischarck Uka (National Vice Leader Ebonyi),Oscar Kanu (National Vice Leader Rivers) and Ambrose Okonkwo (National Vice Leader Enugu).
Others elected are, Alex Osaka (Deputy Publicity Secretary), Obinna Adibe (Publicity Secretary) and Onyebuchi Nwonyi who was returned unopposed as Deputy National Legal Adviser.
It should be recalled that the build up to the election was laced with intrigues and monumental aggrandisement levelled against the state Presidents of Ohanaeze NdiIgbo who it was alleged collected some huge sum of money with at aim of manipulating the process in favour of some candidates. According to an Anambra contestant in the election who begged for anonymity , “it is a known fact that the state President were gathered at Mavis Hotel Trans Ekulu Enugu on the eve of the election, it was there that they drew up a list of those they prefer to emerge as winners in the election”.
Speaking further, He said “…though the plans of this cartel did not succeed wholly, like in Delta where Odozi Nwodozi emerged as the National Vice Leader against the candidate of the State President, and Enugu where two candidates of the state President Eric Ebeh were floored, the state Presidents still had a strong influence as they were in-charge of the selection of delegates to the election.”
Kudos must be given to the Chairman of the Youth Election Committee, Dr (Mrs ) Celine Ugwuoke Adibuah who despite all odds, threats and inducement made a mark by stringing the process together.
Regrettably, Sunday 6th of April 2014 saw the reverse of the Saturday event as the election into the National offices of the Women Wing ended in a fiasco. With accusing finger been pointed at the Chairman of the Election Committee and Deputy President-General of Ohanaeze NdiIgbo Sir OAU Onyema.
OAU Onyema according to insider sources collected the sum of N4.5m from agents of the opposition party (APC) to deliver one Callista Nkiruka Adimachukwu (Mmilioma) who was openly inducing the delegates with money, wrappers, wrist watches and hand bags.
With money in his kitty and the presence of some APC stalwarts in Enugu including a sitting and a former, the moustached Election Committee Chairman ran amok by attempting a brazen manipulation and compromise of the process.
It was observed that in negation of Ohanaeze NdiIgbo elections, Sir Onyema went outside the secretariat to print the ballot papers and result sheets for the elections. According to a contestant in the botched election, Chief (Mrs) Kate Okeke “The Chairman of the Committee had signed result sheets before the commencement of the elections.”
Sensing that his manipulation plans will not sail wholly, owning to a text message that identified their “Pay Mistress” as an APC candidate, the election committee chairman in collaboration with the Abia Woman Leader Mrs Ada Ochor, the Imo State Ohanaeze NdiIgbo President who also doubles as Imo APGA Chairman Dr. Emeka Ukaegbu and the Enugu State President of Ohanaeze NdiIgbo Eric Ebeh resorted to inflating the number of delegates. They sent out their agents into town to rent women whom they hurriedly tagged “diaspora delegates”. Each of the women was given N3000 with a promise of N2000 after the elections. This sparked off a confrontation as it did not go down well with the contestant and genuine delegates, Sir Onyema quickly responded by unleashing his thugs on the women and the newly elected leader of Ohanaeze Youth Wing Mazi. Okechukwu Isiguzo who attempted to chart a course of peace.
Attempts to reach the leadership of Ohanaeze NdiIgbo failed as both the President-General and the Secretary-General are both away on National duties at the on-going National confab. However it was learnt that an emergency meeting of the body will hold in the coming days where a new committee will be constituted to see to a successful women election.
