OHANAEZE Ndigbo youth wing has rejected the decision of the Acting President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Amb. Okey Emuchay reinstating their expelled youth president, Engr. Damain Okafor, insisting they would not work with him.
The youth expressed anger over a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, Dr. Alex Ogbonnia declaring the acting youth leader, Mazi Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu a "persona non grata, a fraudster and an impostors".
They accused the acting President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo of taking unilateral decision in reinstating the expelled youth president.
The Igbo youths said that the the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo (acting as the President General) lacks the powers to remove and/or replace any executive officer of the youth wing.
Rising from an emergency meeting, Ohanaeze youth wing maintained that the NEC of Ohanaeze never met to take any decision to reinstate the expelled leader, describing the action as illegal.
A communique signed by the entire executive committee of the youth leadership said: "Our attention has been drawn to the press statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Alex Ogbonnia, where he purportedly declared our leader, Mazi Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu and by extension the entire Igbo youths a "persona non grata, fraudster and impostors.
"Due to the unfortunate demise of our leader and father, late Chief Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu OFR MFR CFR, we would rather not respond to this baseless disclaimer as unilaterally directed and executed by Amb. Okey Emuchay and overzealous publicity secretary.
"But to set the records straight, for the benefit and clarity of the reading public, we thus deem it necessary to grant this press release, following an emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing Worldwide held on Thursday 8th August, 2024 in Enugu.
"We hereby state that Mazi Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu remains the Ag. National Youth leader of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, as unanimously elected by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing, ratified and confirmed by both the National Executive Committee (NEC) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by President General, and Ime Obi Ohanaeze Ndigbo (the highest decision making body as recognised by the Constitution. And this authority subsists until an elected youth leader of Ebonyi State extraction emerges.
"We therefore pass a vote of confidence on our indefatigable Ag. national youth leader, Mazi Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu; and hereby reaffirm our implicit solidarity and support for him.
"We bemoan the reckless statement of a national publicity secretary who ordinarily should reign in on the acting president general to accord our dearest departed father and hero a befitting honour and reverence, before the tussle of usurping and exercising the powers of President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
"Emuchay in this instance, is in a frolic of his own, chasing personal vendetta. The NEC never met to take any of the alleged decisions in his write up. In fact, publicly secretary was not present in the quoted meeting as he was said to have traveled to America and it was from there that he wrote based on hear say.
"The Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo lacks the powers to remove and/or replace any executive officer; therefore Emuchay's attempt to unilaterally remove the acting national youth leader, Mazi Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, violates the Ohanaeze Constitution and must be checked".
They accused the acting President General of sabotaging the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who has been unjustly held, saying "we are convinced that Okey Emuchay and cohorts are enemies in the House".
"We hereby declare Okey Emuchay a persona non grata, and therefore bar him from entering the National Secretariat of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, henceforth".
They commended "the resilience and unwavering solidarity of Igbo youths towards our passionate plea to stay out of the ongoing Nationwide Protest. Indeed, this is a critical and challenging times for Ndigbo; ranging from grief over the demise of our loved ones, undue detention of Igbo youths, unlawful and malicious demolition and destruction of our property and investments, absence of federal infrastructures and other forms of neglect that has denied us sense of belonging in Nigeria.
"That notwithstanding, we cannot join a protest we don't know the convener nor the interest. We are engaging with the government at all levels on ways to expeditiously address these challenges.
"We are concerned about the pockets of violent crimes and economic instability in the South East, especially the needless loss of lives; we therefore, enjoin our governors to urgently convene a strategic meeting with the apex youth body in a bid to proffer lasting solutions.
"Lastly, we commend Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, the South East Governors' Forum, members of the National Assembly and other stakeholders for the establishment of the South East Development Commission. We are relieved that this shall beget us reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction and create the impact that shall put the civil war behind us", Ohanaeze Ndigbo youths further said.
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