Ohanaeze Ndigbo Constitution Review
OpenLife Nigeria reports that as Igbo socio cultural association, Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide, plans to review its constitution, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, President Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos, in an interview at his Ikoyi office, makes suggestions to Igbo leaders on how to move forward
We hear that there are plans by the national leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo under Chief Emmanuel Nwanyanwu to review its constitution, what advice do you have for him?
First, Chief Emmanuel Nwanyanwu is a good man, no doubt.
But he should drop his personal interest and think of the interest of Ndigbo.
He has seen it all in life, in terms of good and bad.
So, what he needs is a legacy and good name that will speak for his generation.
The most important thing for him now is to unite Ndigbo before the review of the constitution in some states and national of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
He is going to leave office in a year and few months’ time, no doubt but anything more than that will not fly.
He must be searching for someone in Rivers State who is capable.
As we all know, many people from Rivers State who have Igbo blood have continued to deceive themselves that they are not from Igbo extraction.
This is especially so when it comes to making sacrifice to favour their Igbo brothers and sisters.
When they are cruising in Nigerian politics, they can sell us for nothing.
However, they don’t look at their names like Amaechi, Wike, Okonkwo, Ifeanyi, Njideka, Nwafor etc and ask themselves question whether they are from Yoruba or Hausa or Ghana etc.
To be honest, none of these members from Rivers State that are presently in Ohanaeze national is capable of taking over the leadership.
They cannot defend an Igbo man when being accused of any wrong doing or blackmail by opposition from any tribe.
Our Rivers brothers continue to deny us that they are not our brothers especially either in politics or when they are in better positions.
It is only when they are in difficulty that they embrace us as their allies.
Without mincing words, I think that giving the next president general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to an Abia person will be another option if we cannot find quality leader who have the interest of Ndigbo at heart to lead Ohanaeze Ndigbo world wide from Rivers State.
I do not say they don’t have quality leaders but what is needed is a man that has Igbo interest at heart.
Importantly, someone like former Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Joseph Nwogu under Chief Gary Igariwey is a great material for the constitution review committee.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo history is in his palm.
He has to be there.
He is not a loose man who you can deceive with money like so many of his colleagues who have been deceived time and time.
Another personality that will advise them correctly in the interest of Ndigbo is Charles Odunukwe, the Anambra young business billionaire who has contributed more than anyone financially without holding any position in government.
His sacrifice for Ohanaeze Ndigbo both at the state and national for the past seven to eight years is beyond human imagination.
Anything short of that will not enthrone good leadership that will stand the test of time for Ndigbo.
Any president of Ohanaeze both State and national who says he has done better than me, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, should come out and give evidence of his contributions for the interest of Ndigbo in his leadership of Ohanaeze and it will be a live broadcast of both of us in any media of his choice.
Then, I will prove to the person that leadership is by birth and it has to do with sacrifice, wisdom, native intelligence and common sense and the interest you have for your people under your leadership.
I have all these qualities stated above and that is why I could silence Ndigbo Lagos irrespective of the personalities as members to be under Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State in my leadership.
What club Ndigbo Lagos normally do is to bring any President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos to work under their president as a Vice.
They did it to Oliver Akubueze under Professor O Anya.
They wanted to try it with me and I said no. A child cannot first his biological father have a first son .
So, Nidgbo Lagos is a child to Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
And Lagos State government quite understood that Ndigbo Lagos is under Ohanaeze.
My sincere joy is that I succeeded in that mission of putting Ohanaeze Ndigbo on top of every other association of Ndigbo in Lagos State.
This is where Enugu national of Ohanaeze have to be respecting me above every other President that have come and gone in Ohanaeze.
My prayer is that someone will come and do better than me.
Leadership is not about compiling profile of father, grandfather, contacts {big and small} countries you have travelled, personalities you have had handshakes with, past and present offices held including personal achievements.
It is also not about taking the floor during any Igbo gathering to broadcast the above mentioned profile to intimidate every body in the hall.
It goes beyond that in a socio-cultural leadership like Ohanaeze Ndigbo that has no allocation.
Igbo man believes in what he sees, touches and tastes. That is practical leadership.
Example, in any Igbo gathering, if Charles Odunukwe is involved, he goes straight to the point and makes his contributions.
That is what you call a man that has quality leadership.
Okay. In that case, can you specifically mention names you feel should be in the constitution review committee and those that should not be there for the interest of Ndigbo?
Well, I am not the one to choose the full team.
But like you ask, I can recommend names and also talk about those that are not going to be of interest of Ndigbo.
Chief John Nnia Nwodo should be there even though he is the one who destroyed Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos.
But it was based on the wrong information Everest Ozonweke, who wants to be president of Ohanaeze by all means, was giving to him during his tenure.
For that, Nwodo can be forgiven.
Even till date, Ozonweke Everest is still pestering himself around Nwanyanwu and that will destroy that man’s legacy.
Everest Ozonweke was the one who made Nnia Nwodo to develop hatred for Barrister Fabian Onwughalu, the former president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
In Ohanaeze constitution, if you are Onowu of any Palace of Eze, you have to drop the Onowu title first before you contest for any post.
When Fabian Onwughalu gave Onowu Everest Ozonweke the condition to drop his palace Onowu , Badagry, according to the bye law of Ohanaeze Lagos state, Everest refused.
One of the strong fabricated lies against Onwughalu by Onowu was he went to Enugu and told Nnia Nwodo that Fabian Onwughalu wants to amend the constitution to enable him contest for second tenure and Nwodo believed him.
But to prove every one wrong that he doesn’t have plan of such, he conducted a free and fair election that brought Leo Okafor Oba Ojoto before his tenure as president expired.
That was where Everest Ozonweke fight with Barrister Fabian Onwughalu started.
After Onwughalu conducted free and fair election that brought Leo Okafor, { Oba Ojoto}, Nwodo now came from Enugu and nullified the election based on the information that he was getting from Onowu Everest that ‘‘Devil is better than Fabian.’’
Onowu continued his venom against my leadership and all the favour and goodwill I got for Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos State, he has destroyed some of them.
He was fighting my interest in the relationship with the governor of the State and not minding what Ndigbo will achieve.
Today, we are suffering in the hands of government Lagos State because of Onowu Ozonweke,s interest and jealous about me.
Nobody should think about him in this constitution review committee if we want to get it right.
This sickness in him of ‘‘Destroy and arise,’’ Everest cannot help himself. It is inborn.
It is like someone suffering from epilepsy. He does not know where it would throw him either into the water or fire.
Even Sunday Ossai, today, is still the Onowu of Ikosi Isheri.
He is not supposed to contest election according to the constitution of Ohanaeze/ Lagos bye law.
With that he is disqualified totally.
But people are foolishly making noise through their ignorance without knowing what they are talking about.
Another person I need to mention is the secretary general, Okey Emuchay.
He does not know anything about Ohanaeze. He has not been in any Igbo association that added any value to Ndigbo.
He got the position of secretary general through the nomination by former Abia State governor.
He was not the people’s choice because nobody knew him.
The choice of the people was Kalu Onuma, Ndigbo Lagos strong ally.
What Okey Emuchay is known for is simply eye service and bringing options of who to visit.
Before the former president General Professor Obiozor began to realise who Okey Emuchay is, it was too late and he was sick and aged.
Okey Emuchay is a former Ambassador, no doubt. But he can fight in the public.
He is one of the men who always bring profile of his father, grand father, all the positions he has occupied including when he was the head boy of his primary school and prefect in secondary school.
He is also known for talking about all the areas his father had acquired property including where he has lived and all the street names in Lagos and beyond just to intimidate those who are listening.
But I believe that all this personal profile that Okey Emuchay repeats time and time in every gathering, without any witness to prove it, is not necessary.
It is not for the interest of Ndigbo.
So, his contribution to the Ohanaeze Ndigbo constitution review will be for his own personal interest.
Opportunity of office does not make anyone a good leader.
So, Okey Emuchay will not add any value.
Chief Gary Igariwey, who bowed out as the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, after serving for four years, is my Ebonyi brother.
It is now I know why former governor Elechi of Ebonyi State refused to endorse him.
But looking at the role he played during the election of late Professor George Obiozor, former Ohanaeze president worldwide, the handwriting is very clear that he is not trust worthy.
But he can be reserved to be used as an instrument to destroy anyone they direct him to as far as he makes money.
He did it in Lagos. After a High Court has given judgement, he still came and conducted election and made money, telling them that Ohanaeze constitution is above high court judgement.
I wonder why he didn’t conduct another election after court judgement for President Tinubu.
That is one he would have retired himself with a lot of money.
There is a saying in Igbo that when a man loves smoke, drinks, womanizes and money, such person doesn’t have shame of how many people he hurts in life just like Everest Ozonweke who is like the title of Ayaka’s music which says that a hungry man has no brother or friend.
A man can be rich physically and very poor in spirit. That is the highest poverty and that is what I found out in some of those people who call themselves leaders.
All the abuses against me in Ohanaeze were manufactured by Everest Ozonweke because many people who spoke negatively against me are people that Ozonweke has contact with and engage them in discussion.
Many of them have not come close to me to know who I am.
It is easy to believe him because his appearance looks innocent but his mouth’s venom to destroy anyone is more dangerous than a python’s own.
If Ohanaeze Ndigbo, both Lagos and Enugu should have peace, Everest Ozonweke should be completely out of it.
He also contributed to Okey Emuchay,s failure in Ohanaeze leadership by giving him fake information and made himself to be seen as the only good man in Lagos.
My surprise was that they always believe him without hearing from the next person he is talking about.
But I am happy with Obiozor who found out the life of Ozonweke when he was pestering himself to be his personal assistant.
He made himself known that he is the eye of Enugu in Lagos and also the eye of Lagos people in Enugu and people are believing him.
With Everest Ozonweke, Lagos will never have peace in Ohanaeze.
His best is to destroy and arise.
Someone like Ogene can be there because he sees Ohanaeze Ndigbo as a serious job.
He is a man who can manufacture stories even if they are not true but they sound better than the truth. He is a story teller.
And any time you call him, he is available.
I met him many years ago during my art exhibition in the United States of America and he became my friend.
Another person is Alex Ogbonna. As a wawa man, he is not greedy and he is a lecturer.
He sees Ohanaeze as a second job. He will add his own value.
Another person that should be included in the committee is Ozichukwu, who I believe, if not deceived by some committee members, he will add value.
Ozichukwu is a good man.
Again, an important area to look is Ndi Eze in Lagos, they should not be included in the constitution review committee.
Many of the Ndi Ezes in Lagos are hustlers especially those who are fronting themselves to be part of NEC of Lagos.
Including them would lead to making another worse leaders in Ndigbo.
Their major interest is how much they are going to make from anyone who wants to contest Ohanaeze Ndigbo election, Lagos State.
They have more than five groups and their factions are nothing to write about.
There are so many traditional rulers {Ndi Eze} in Igbo land that can be included into the constitution review committee.
However, Charles Odunukwe will be the solution to guide Ndigbo on what they want.
He is a good man. I don’t think there are so many like him who have Igbo interest in their hearts.
Above all, the Ohanaeze President General can be rotational but not State chapters.
If not, we will continue to get clowns as presidents of Ohanaeze especially in Lagos which is very important to Ndigbo.
There is no linage that doesn’t have at least one person in Lagos and what we have in the State, we don’t have it anywhere in the world.
So, we should not joke with Lagos affairs, Ndigbo.
I, chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos state till 2026 through High Court judgement with Certified True Copy, CTC, believe in the truth without compromise or for any personal gains.
And also, it is a difficult thing for me to abuse any leader but I say it how it is.
That is what makes someone a good leader so that those who are not getting it right will change their characters.
Anyone who loves Ndigbo will not fault these my suggestions and analyses.
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