Who Said Governors Of South East Have Hijacked Ohanaeze Ndigbo?
OpenLife Nigeria reports that Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos has explained the patriotic roles of South East governors in uplifting Ohanaeze Ndigbo from stagnation
Sir, there is this rumour that south east governors have hijacked Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Is it True?
No, it is not true. But everyone is entitled to his opinion and observation. I am speaking as an insider.
The reason is that governors stand in for traditional institutions in the area of finance.
They are the ones who give staff of office to traditional rulers {Ndi-Eze.}
The governors are the ones sponsoring Ohanaeze Ndigbo activities because of the interest they have for the people.
If not, they will act and prove that Ohanaeze Ndigbo is a socio cultural organization that has nothing to do with politics.
These governors are very good. The governors know that most stories which those so called Ohanaeze national executives are telling them are just to extract money from them.
The governors are also aware that the executives are not doing any work for Ndigbo.
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo secretariat in Enugu was built by the former governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
Till date, they are still struggling to complete the furnishing. Where is the money that they have been collecting for that project including the ones they are collecting presently from the south east governors?
Where is the money those old men have been collecting from presidential candidates since 2019 for endorsement?
The worse of it is that in the afternoon, they will endorse Peter Obi and say we endorse you. You are our son.
In the night, they will run to governor Hope Uzodinma and tell him after eight years of Tinubu, he is next in line. They The governor will be told that they have discussed the matter with Tinubu.
Then, the next day, they will go and tell Tinubu that after him, it would be his son and they are going to support him. After two days, they will go and endorse Atiku.
I am very happy because Tinubu is a great and intelligent politician. He knows them. I am also happy with Hope Uzodinma because whatever they think they know, governor Uzodinma already knew it from his mother’s womb.
Ndigbo, we have to align with Igbo elders. They are concerned about Ndigbo’s interest. Imeobi is still the same group of national executives we are talking about.
I am saying this because I am one of the most vibrant leaders Ohanaeze Ndigbo has ever produced both in leadership and achieving greatness for Ndigbo.
Leadership is by birth and not by grammar. Every football player knows which wing he can play best on the field of play.
My advice to the governors is that they should stop giving money to these people. Instead, they should pay them off in terms of retirement. This is because with these people, it will be difficult for Ndigbo to achieve the rightful desires in the political space.
Whatever the governors want to do for Ndigbo should be contracted out instead of giving it to these Ohanaeze members who hold it for their personal gains.
These group of people in Ohanaeze have made Ndigbo work like elephant but eat like ant in Nigeria politics.
They will endorse over 10 presidential candidates just because of fat envelopes.
They are lying to the governors especially for bigger positions in Nigeria which they know they don’t have the capacity and integrity to negotiate for with any President in Nigeria.
Sometimes, when they encounter such leaders, you will see how their body will be shaking during ordinary handshake because their focus is on the kind of gift they would go home with.
If there is anybody in Ohanaeze Ndigbo chapter as a state President that has done better than Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene in impacting people’s life, the person should come out and prove it. I know the history of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and what it portrays.
My dear journalist, if you want to know the problem of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, listen carefully because ignorance is not an excuse in the court of law.
First is about those leaders who have been there since the era of former President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Enwo Igariwey.
Now the question is: Can you point out a single thing Ndigbo have benefitted since their era?
I ask this question because I know that OpenLife media has been following Ohanaeze Ndigbo affairs since the time of late Professor Ben Nwabueze.
At the moment, there are crises in all Ohanaeze Ndigbo state chapters. Some states have about three or four Presidents. And those who call themselves national leaders have not asked a single question of what the problem is and how it can be resolved.
If you are a father and your children are quarreling, wouldn’t you call them and settle the matter?
Chief Nnia Nwodo who served as the 9th president-general of Ọhanaeze Ndigbo worldwide came to Lagos and nullified a free and fair election that was conducted by the then out-going President of the Lagos State chapter, Barrister Fabian Onwughalu, an Anambra State man, in 2018 simply because they told him that they can get over N200 million by selling forms to all the local government chairmen candidates including other executive positions in Lagos.
They came to Lagos and applied that information. I emerged as the President in June 2018 in which the first term would end in June 2022.
Immediately I was inaugurated, the group of Barrister Fabian Onwughalu took me to court claiming that I was not their Lagos Ohanaeze Ndigbo president.
They brought Chief Nnamdi Nwigwe {Odenjinji} and inaugurated him as President of Lagos chapter of their faction.
Nnamdi Nwigwe from Nnokwa in Anambra State had never contested any election in Ohanaeze Ndigbo anywhere not even for local government chairman position.
And he was operating as Ohanaeze Ndigbo President, challenging all my activities. When the group fell out with Nnamdi Nwigwe, they brought Colonel Reuben Nwako (rtd) who hails from Agulu , Anambra State and inaugurated him again as their President in Onwughalu’s faction.
Colonel Reuben Nwako tormented my leadership more than Nnamdi Nwigwe, their former president.
At the end of 2021, Barrister Fabian Onwughalu, who was the President Emeritus who took me to court with his group came to my office one afternoon in Ohanaeze Secretariate, 19b, James Roberstson Street, Surulere and pleaded with me in my office that they have really offended me.
He said maybe because I am an Ebonyi man that was why I could bear what they have done to me.
He apologized and said he was very sorry. He said we have to come together because our problem in Lagos chapter came from Enugu under Chief Nnia Nwodo.
He explained that what Enugu executives are after is the money they would make from us in any election and that they don’t care about us even if we killed ourselves.
He also said that as a lawyer, he knows that Ohanaeze bye law Lagos says it is the out-going President that will set up electoral committee that will conduct election to determine who will succeed him.
He said he and his group would withdraw the court case they instituted against me so that we would go to court, file all the documents and have a Consent Judgement. And then, I will start my first tenure proper. “Solomon Ogbonna, you will start your first tenure proper,”Onwughalu declared.
I said no but he was coming consistently until I was convinced. Onwughalu said the only condition was that I had to pay all what they had spent in the court which was over N12 million. And I paid the money to their group.
The necessary documents were filed in the court by both lawyers from their group and mine until the Consent Judgment was given in my favour to start the first tenure from June 18, 2022 to June 22, 2026. That was what happened, my people Ndigbo. 90 percent of politicians in Nigeria defend themselves in court and it stands.
They still went and brought Enwo Igariwey to Lagos and told him how much he would make by selling forms and settlement from the candidates who wanted to contest. Enwo Igariwey went ahead and brought one Mr. Sunday Ossai who I appointed as a leader of all the food sellers association that are members of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos. I knew Ossai about 15 years ago before the election Igariwey came to conduct in Lagos.
This Igariwey and few others are still the leaders in the national body of Ohanaeze Ndigbo claiming to be working for Ndigbo. Why is Igariwey the person being used for all the dirty jobs? Why did he come to Lagos to conduct election when there was already a Consent Judgement from Lagos High court with Certified True Copy? He did that just because of money.
The most interesting thing is that the elected legal adviser of that election Igariwey conducted resigned when he saw the Consent Judgement because they were telling him lies that it was Court Order that he can contest.
The question people are still asking is that is Ohanaeze Ndigbo constitution higher than Nigeria’s constitution?
I always reply them with a no because Ohanaeze Ndigbo constitution is not higher than Nigerian constitution.
A lot of lawyers have told me to arrest any body I see parading himself as president Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos despite the Consent Judgement.
But I have refused to arrest anyone because of my conscience. I see every member of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos as my subject.
You can now see that some of our people who call themselves leaders are the problems of Ndigbo in Nigeria.
Court Judgement Certified True Copy, CTC
This is the Certified True Copy of my judgement. It is for those who are still suffering from the ignorance of my position that I am still on my first tenure. I have nothing to do with 2nd tenure.
The Court Consent Judgement documents
The person who was supposed to be President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo from Imo State was Joe Nwogu who was the secretary general under Igariwey.
All of them, including Chief Nnia Nwodo, promised Nwogu that they were going to give him the mandate of President General unopposed.
Immediately governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo indicated interest to support late professor George Obiozor, Joe Nwogu, one of the best lecturers that University of Nigeria, Nnsukka has ever produced till date, became an outcast to them.
The same governor Hope Uzodinma who they called all sorts of derogatory names after he won at the election tribunal became the best man after Jesus because of the fat envelopes they were going home with.
The worse part of these leaders is that they always tell lies that they were endorsed, by Igbo great leaders who have passed on, to manage the affairs of Ndigbo knowing well that there is no way to contact any of them for confirmation.
Then, in Imo State, same Igariwey navigated his way and conducted election that brought Prof Obiozor against the former secretary general under his leadership.
When Professor George Obiozor died, members of this same group were running around the governor to find out who he has interest on so that they will endorse the person for bigger envelopes.
They finally got Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.
When Iwuanyanwu died, they also begin to search who the governor will pick for extension of envelopes.
They got Nze Fidelis Ozichukwu Chukwu, former National Vice Chair man of PDP South East Zone for extension of envelope that they always share the contents in transit. It lasted for one month.
In the course of conducting the election into the office of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General, they first endorsed Mike Okiro from Rivers. When they found out that no governor was coming around, they chased him away with fake court order.
Is it these people we are calling Igbo leaders? It is a shame. Now, Ohanaeze has become business as usual to them.
Senator John Mbata, if you are still working with these people without addressing the house properly, I can assure you that the middle and the end may be rough.
They will tell you not to mind Chief Solomon Ogbonna and many others like Mike Okiro, Mr. Johnson etc.
But you must work with all these people they are blackmailing. Such people are the materials you need to succeed.
Today, they have endorsed the next person which is going to be from Abia state. But if the governor is not interested in that person, they will deviate.
That is to tell you that these people are just tolling with Ndigbo. You should look at the problems in Lagos chapter and matters in all the states of Nigeria and get them resolved.
Mr. President, I am only telling you the truth and nothing more. I don’t need any envelope or any kind of visitation for personality handshake.
I have been having handshakes with many movers and shakers in Nigeria and beyond till date and all these contacts came from God.
Don’t hope on man if you don’t want to be a failure.
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