From CHARLES ONYEKWERE
Renowned activist and lawyer, Dim Uche Okwukwu, has emerged President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide at the organisation’s ongoing convention in Port-Harcourt.
The General Assembly of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, according to a statement by the returning officer, Dr Achi Achi, a copy of which was made available to newsmen, said Okwukwu, was returned unopposed at the convention, which began on Thursday, expected to end Friday.
The returning officer said the president- general was elected by the progressive movement in Igboland, expressing appreciation to the national delegates who stormed Port Harcourt for the exercise, even as he noted that they were the true members of Ohanaeze Ndigbo for finding the helmsman worthy.
He said the new leader had pledged to defend the interest of all Igbos under the sun and uphold the tenets of the constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
Okwukwu, in his acceptance speech, thanked the delegates, saying he humbly accepts the enormous responsibility imposed on him to lead the Igbo race “at this moment in our history.”
The newly elected president-general
said his top priorities include engaging the federal gvernment on the unconditional release of the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, and restructuring Nigeria.
Besides, he promised to “unite fractured nerves and bring the Igbos together as one indivisible family,” saying he is fully aware of the unprecedented trust reposed on him and his capacity to do so.
This was just as he pledged to defend the Igbo nation by living up to their high expectations.
He thanked all members of the Electoral Committee, elders, members of the press and the Igbo public for the joint efforts that helped to yield these positive outcomes.
He noting that the Igbo nation had gone through unprecedented travails and assured that he would waste no time in engaging the federal and state governments, Igbo businessmen, politicians, youths and intelligentsia to address the problems facing the Igbo nation.
He said he would meet President Bola Tinubu to work for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu and other political prisoners, and ensure the de-criminalisation of political exiles to enable them return home to join the process of reconstruction.
“We shall encourage the federal and state governments to engage all agitators to address grievances so as to bring just closure to issues,” Okwukwu said.
The newly elected president-general said he would also engage the federal government in dredging, modernisation and restoration of Igweocha/Port-Harcourt and other coastal ports for the Igbo/East and others, together with the dredging of Azumini to Opobo, Imo River basin to the coast, in order to recreate a pole of export-import industrialisation and development in Igboland/East, down to the Middle-Belt and Maiduguri.
“I will work for the creation of Anioma State as an equalisation state for the Igbos and for additional Aba, Adada, Etiti, Orlu or other states in case the balance is further disrupted,” he said.
On restructuring, Okwukwu promised to mobilise the Igbos for it, stressing that other ethnic nationalities ready have templates, but no recent Ohanaeze leadership had any courage to address it.
“I will work hand in hand with critical Igbo stakeholders to advance the unity of the Igbo nation and ensure that Igbo communities in Benue and Edo are fully incorporated into the Ohanaeze family, modernize Igbo language as one of the major languages of global commerce, culture, science and technology,” he said.
Okwukwu, it was gathered, emerged the consensus candidate having been identified as the only independent contestant among more than four aspirants that sought to lead the Igbo socio-cultural organisation.
The election, attended by several people, was held in Port-Harcourt, with delegates from the South-East and the Diaspora in attendance, while more than 200 social and cultural groups were also present at the historic event.
