Imo State Government House, Owerri
Press Release
General of United Ohaneze
Governor Rochas Okorocha has reconciled the two factional leaders of Ohaneze Ndi-Igbo, Chief Gray Enwo-Igariwey and Dr. Ralph Obioha with Dr. Obioha dropping his claim to the President-General OF Ohaneze and accepting Chief Enwo Igariwey as the only President-General of the Organization. Dr. Obioha also pledged to give Chief Igariwey all the needed support and cooperation to enable him succeed.
The reconciliation of the two factions had come Monday night at the end of a very lengthy meeting between the two leaders, members of their respective EXCOs and delegates from the states that make up Ohaneze, at the Government House Owerri, with Governor Okorocha presiding the meeting.
At the end of the meeting, Dr. Obioha dropped his lingering claim of being the authentic President-General of Ohaneze, and declared that he and his faction had accepted the leadership of Chief Igariwey as the President-General of Ohaneze, and Dr. Obioha’s declaration elicited jubilation in the Ndubuisi Kanu Exco Chambers, Government House, Owerri.
However, one of the agreements at the meeting was that the tenure of Chief Igariwey has been extended by one year, and at the expiration of the one year, fresh election would be conducted to select new leaders of the body.
All those suspended from the body in the course of the squabble between the two factions were also recalled, while all the court cases occasioned by the dispute would also be withdrawn. A 17-member committee that would see to the implementation of all that was agreed including the issue of election was set up with Dr. Obioha as Chairman, while the governors will produce one member each.
In his speech at the historic event, Governor Okorocha expressed gladness that “the Ohaneze family is back as one. There is peace now in Ohaneze. The Ohaneze with Chief Igariwey as President-General is the umbrella body to champion the course of the Igbos. Today, we have proven to the world that Igbos are their brothers keepers.”
Okorocha continued, “The President of Ohaneze will soon address the Igbo nation. All Igbos must join hands with the Ohaneze leadership to move Igbo nation forward. With this peace, we are going to see a new kind of support for Ohaneze. The rest of the world will hear about the Igbo nation. The jinx has been broken.”
He continued, “with this peace we are going to emphasize on the economy of the South-East rather than politics. We shall make it, with God on our side. The old things have passed away and behold new things are taking place. And I want to commend all my brothers and sisters here for this peace in Ohaneze. This is a new Ohaneze that will move the Igbo nation forward.”
According to Governor Okorocha “the governors will be behind the leadership and the entire NEC, so that a new song will be sung in the Igbo nation. I commend the President-General for keeping the Ohaneze spirit on, despite the lack of support from the stakeholders.”
Chief Igariwey and Dr. Obioha in their respective speeches said achieving peace in the leadership of Ohaneze and reconciling the two factions should be celebrated by all Igbos because the division had never augured well with the august body and the interest of the Igbos in general.
They commended Governor Okorocha for ensuring that peace and unity return to Ohaneze, and assured that they would not let the Igbos down. They said Ohaneze would now be occupied with issues that would boost the economy of Igbo land.
The two leaders, Dr. Obioa and Chief Igariwey had also addressed the Journalists present before leaving the venue of the meeting and said the world would now know the Igbos better, that they disagree to agree in the overall interest of the Igbo nation and her people.
Sam Onwuemeodo
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
