The Most Powerful State In Nigeria
Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, President, Lagos Ohanaeze Ndigbo is a man who is very passionate about the prospects of Igbo nation both home and abroad. In his capacity as the President of the Lagos chapter of the socio-cultural association, Chief Solomon has demonstrated commitment to the welfare of Ndigbos. In this piece, he explains some of his genuine efforts and calls for peace and unity
This is vital information for the sake and interest I have for Ndigbo because I have no other tribe to defend than my own tribe, Ndigbo.
First, this is to inform you about some of the rumours going on in Lagos chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, from the horse’s mouth, the President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos State, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene {Udochia.}
Many of these rumours are 90% lies and 10% may be the only truth.
I have found out that those who speak more about Ohanaeze are those who never attend meetings for one year except if there is news that money or palliatives will be shared.
But they are members and some of them are even elected excos .
I was inaugurated on 16th June, 2018 as elected President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos State.
Information about Ohanaeze election in Lagos, for those who care for Igbo’s peaceful co existence anywhere in the world, is that the mystery of the election that brought me to power in 2018 will not repeat itself again.
The up-coming election is such that we have to go according to the bye law of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos.
The bye law says it is the State chapter that has every right to conduct election into local government and state executives.
When my predecessor, Barrister Fabian Onwualu, conducted election that brought Chief Leonard Okafor, aka Oba Ojoto, to power, the former President General Worldwide of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo came to Lagos and nullified the election and conducted the one that brought me to power.
The former President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos, Fabian Onwualu, who conducted the election of Leonard Okafor was not happy because of the right of the Lagos bye law which governs the chapter constitutionally.
They took me and Nnia Nwodo and other serving members of Ohanaeze Enugu national to court.
Fabian Onwuhalu, with his executives, installed their own President to run Ohanaeze faction while we are still in court.
After one year, Nnia Nwodo called me and my executives and said he was going to hands off the expenses and that we can pick any lawyer if we still want to remain in the office and that they can no longer foot the bills of the national legal adviser, a SAN who was handling the matter in court.
And we shared the entire members of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State into two as the faction continues with their President Nnamdi Nwaigwe, {Odejiji}.
Immediately Nnia Nwodo and Enugu headquarters hands off, we brought in another lawyer. At a time, it was like things were getting worse. They almost pulled us off from the office through the court.
A lot of money has been spent. As a matter of fact, Enugu Ohanaeze national has no right to conduct election into any chapter.
Probably, it was one of the reasons Enugu withdrew from funding the expense.
Even when the faction had problem with their first appointed president, another president emerged named Retired Colonel Rueben Nwankwo while the court continued sitting on the matter.
I understand that the new national executives, led by Professor George Obiozor, have not been briefed by the past executives who handed over to them.
So, we must direct them because Lagos is important to all of us.
Now, another election is coming up in Lagos and they want to conduct the election while we are still in court on the previous one that brought me to power and I said no.
This will destroy Ohanaeze Ndigbo finally because the factions that will spring up will be of highest level and it will be a big problem in Lagos Igbo circle even when the problem of sit-at-home in south east is still tormenting us.
I , as the president, have also told Enugu that this mistake cannot repeat itself again because we, in Lagos, know where our shoes are pinching.
They are far away from Lagos and cannot know the candidate that will work in the interest of Ndigbo.
Those who are doing campaign of calumny against leadership only show that they are coming to destroy Ohanaeze and push it from frying pan to fire.
This mistake should not repeat itself again.
The matter is still in court for crying out loud.
And I made it known to my executives and stakeholders in Lagos that Enugu should not conduct election into any chapter except to observe the exercise for proper accreditation
and that is the only area they should be involved. Majority agree with me through this detailed explanation.
The second demand is that since I resumed office in 2018, Endsars, pandemic took almost two years in my office.
And this is the only time we are having opportunity to strengthen our good relationship with the government of the day in Lagos—our host community.
This is the only time Ohanaeze Ndigbo Ohanaeze, a socio cultural association without allocation, not even a kobo from Enugu , is being recognized by all the critical stakeholders in Lagos.
You can’t send a baby in the womb a message. We are still a baby in the relationship with the government of Lagos State. Instead of using our hand to destroy it, we must hold it to mature.
What I am demanding from Enugu is not much.
I am demanding that being in court since I was elected in 2018 and two factional presidents have emerged in this my tenure, { Nnamdi Nwaigwe and Reuben Nwankwo}, distracting all my plans, two years extension should be given to me with my executives who are ready to work in the interest of Ndigbo.
The reason why people do not know much about this court issue is because I have been able to use my contacts to fund it. If I had made it compulsory for every member to be contribution money to support court summons, some of those members who are showing strengths only on platform would have known what we are passing through and they would have run away from the association as financial members.
They would have asked why we are demanding money and write petition to Enugu about President’s requests for money.
But I give glory to God for some of my well wishers who appreciate what I have done for Lagos Ohanaeze by supporting me all this period I have been in court.
So, my demand is straight forward because if our opposition wins the case, automatically, by the judgment of the court, we will vacate the office and they may stay more than expected.
I am sure that Professor George Obiozor, has not been briefed about this court issue till date since he resumed office as President General Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide. That ought to have been the primary thing to do by those people running around him, deceiving people that they are personal assistants without any letter of appointment.
It is easy to drop names but difficult to prove it when some critical matter arise.
We will not give President to someone who will turn it to event office going from house to house begging for money to hang canopy and name it event including birthday party of some NEC members for eye service achievement in Ohanaeze forum.
These are parts of my strong demand from the screening team when the time comes. We must watch who is coming to take over.
It is only a foolish leader that will say the reason he wants to get power is to deal with immediate past leader especially for an association that has no allocation. What proof or receipt will he present for the probing of any past leader?
That is just to tell you what that leader will be able to offer, looking for means either by hook or crook to collect power that will not favour Ndigbo, knowing that he is not going to work for the interest of Ndigbo but to use the association to survive himself in his business especially a candidate who is still seeking who will sponsor him financially for his campaign instead of coming out boldly to get the mandate and work for Ndigbo.
The consequences from such person are that he has to seek power from whoever that sponsors him. He also has to pay off his debt before he will listen to any member.
Then, Ohanaeze will enter another voice mail as business as usual.
Another demand to Enugu national headquarters that cannot be left out is that I must, together with the prominent Igbo people in Lagos, search for someone who will not put his stomach and family into the affairs of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and turn it to a beggar’s association. It has to be a candidate that will do better than what I have done in Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos state.
I have spent millions of Naira in the media for Ohanaeze to have a face.
People talk of Ohanaeze just the way they talk about Toyota and Mercedes Benz and you ask yourself what is behind it. It is nothing more than advert.
I have advertised Ohanaeze Ndigbo more than my personal business.
So, my demanding for extension also includes bringing a candidate who will not take us backward. This is because if you change a good coach, you have changed the fortune of the club. Example is Manchester United.
I also plead with Mr governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu who has been a good friend of Ndigbo since I took the mantle of leadership of and some of my friends example Chidi Anyaegbu {Chisco motors} and a brother, Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii who have been supporting Ohanaeze before now for Ndigbo to have a befitting permanent secretariat through my leadership instead of rent.
The achievement of any good leader is to leave great legacies behind.
Ndigbo Lagos has extended their own election for another one year, what stops us in Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos if there is purpose?
But it is Ohanaeze that needs it more to have well organized election that will produce a leader that will stand the test of time.
Those who are saying no to my demand are not important.
Some of them came to Ohanaeze to search for jobs. They became excos without election. They are people that come to take instead of to contribute.
If they come to a meeting without drink including a plate of jollof rice and at least, N1k or N2k for transport, automatically, the leader is guilty and they label you a bad leader.
So, they are not important at all but I know that with time, we will change the narratives of such members.
For example, in 2019 general elections, there was a day my godfather called me that he was expecting guests who were seeking Igbo votes. It was Atiku Abubakar’s wife, accompanied by Peter Obi and Senator Ben Obi. I went with my excos.
They gave him little money that represented kolanut as Igbo tradition demands. Those few members I took along with me insisted that the money must be shared. That was the day I would have regretted to be the president of Ohanaeze. Ask me who is that my godfather? It is the former military Vice President, Commodore Okoh Ebuti Ukiwe retd.
As I was already outside to go back to the secretariat, waiting for those members to come out and leave for the secretariat, one of his aides came to call me that he was calling . He said to me “Solomon, what is all this ? Is this what you are experiencing?”
These are the kind of members who are saying no to my agitations.
However, that will be a story for another day.
I need time. There are more works to be done in Ohanaeze.
Normally, in Lagos State, you can only hear the voice of Ndigbo through Aka Nkenga association or Ndigbo Lagos association or Igbo Amaka which is also another seasonal association especially during the time of election. They claim to control all the markets in Africa. No doubt, you must be under Ohanaeze as far as Chief Solomon Ogbonna is concerned. Call me any name, that is medicine after death. I am already established as president and after that, former.
You can only know a good leader when he leaves office.
Today, my leadership has made Ohanaeze Ndigbo take over their positions and some of these association members, especially, their leaders, are not happy with me because the magic to uplift Ohanaeze to this level, many of them are still seeing it as magic because nobody expected it, looking at the personality of their membership and their reach out to politicians compared to Ohanaeze’s members.
I see this as my best achievement as Ohanaeze President.
Another area that surprises many of them is that, I don’t care about the black mail against me.
Sometime, they use my members as instrument to disorganize me but now, they must have known that it is an impossible task because of the interest I have for Ohanaeze.
So, my enemies are not one but who cares.
My progress in Ohanaeze Ndigbo has brought lot of jealousies, no doubt.
Different names were given to me but I work with the name that God calls me.
So, don’t be surprised that when you ask some people about Chief Solomon , they will give you negative impression.
But there is an adage which says when you get close to a man, you can perceive the odour in his mouth.
I am the only President of Ohanaeze who has not taken levy from any local government or executive .
Another set of people who will say no to my demand are those who have been promised secretary, deputy, treasurer etc from presidential candidates of Ohanaeze.
Some of them know that their candidates who are promising them positions are not capable.
If it were to be 15 years ago, their candidates would have qualified. But today, the best advise is for such candidates to go and contest Ohanaeze local government chairmanship.
This is to show that some of our members are not for the interest of Ndigbo but for their stomach infrastructure.
So, I am making this demand for those who are in position and have interest of Ndigbo at heart.
I am not demanding it for platform commentators of blackmails.
If you are abused by those better than you in government, it is not a problem because it is part of ingredients in politics.
All what I did in Ohanaeze Ndigbo, I will neither be the one to document it nor speak it out as I need no anchorage but my interest is the welfare of the less-privilege especially the widows and widowers in Ohanaeze who have been there for ages without any benefit until I emerged as Ohanaeze President.
But time will tell when many people will need the proper documentation of the organization that has no allocation and such significant progress was made in a short period of time.
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