Isiguzoro speaks on impersonation claim by factional Ohanaeze
An Igbo chieftain, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro has forwned in strong terms the clandestine moves by disgruntled members of the organization to blackmail him out of office as the Secretary general of the apex igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze ndigbo.
He was speaking on Monday, against the backdrops of the recent news advertorial placed by a faction of the highest igbo umbrella body in most national dailies, purporting his impersonation as ohanaeze Secretary general.
In the advertorial signed by Alex Ogbonnia, the national publicity secretary of the factional leadership of ohanaeze led by Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, also urge the general public with useful information about the whereabouts of Okechukwu Isiguzoro should report to any nearest police station.
While dismissing the statements as laughable on Monday, Isiguzoro also insisted that he was unaware of the purported court injunction restraining Chief Chidi Ibeh and him as President General and Secretary-General of the apex igbo organisation respectively.
He explained that the purported restraining order being touted by the ohanaeze faction in some section of social and print media had been vacated by another court of competence jurisdiction, opining iwuanyanwu-led group lacked the legal and moral justification to claim authentic leadership of the pan-igbo socio-cultural body.
According to him, “ndigbo knows antecedents of chief emmanuel iwuanyanwu. His purported emergence as president general is unknown by the provisions of ohanaeze constitution. He should be regarded as an impostor and usurper because his reported emergence was shrouded on illegalities.
“It is in public knowledge that chief iwuanyanwu was handpicked by certain ruling political class of igbo extraction whose penchants are not hidden and they are bent to trade ohanaeze for juicy federal appointments, contracts and other selfish personal aggrandisements.
“I will not want to join issues with chief iwuanyanwu but it amounts to pettiness for him and his group to descend too low to cheap blackmails and campaign of calumny. I’ve faced many series of threats on our recent stands on topical national issues and government’s draconian policies and programmes which has no direct positive impacts on our efforts to engender economic and Infrastructural development in every part of igbo nation.
“i had received several threat calls by saboteurs and treacherous leaders aimed to cow and scare me out of office of ohanaeze secretary general. Chief iwuanyanwu and few of hid corhorts must realize that no court of competence jurisdiction issued any restraining injunction. Ohanaeze ndigbo under our leadership is unaware of any such court injunction stopping the duly elected national officers of the apex igbo umbrella body.
Recounting events that led to his emergence as the ohanaeze Secretary general, Mr. Isiguzoro, a former national president of ohanaeze youth council worldwide, explained he was elected and entrusted the mandate by ndigbo to serve as ohanaeze secretary general in May 2022, and was issued by a certificate of return incorporated.
While further describing iwuanyanwu-led ohanaeze ndigbo as a product of selfish political aggrandisements backed by few disgruntled igbo elites, Mr Isiguzoro maintained ohanaeze cannot be traded by few disgruntled and unscrupulous elements self-styling themselves as ohanaeze leaders as seen prior to 2019 and 2023 general elections in Nigeria.
According to him, the uncivilized activities and evil machinations of these igbo leaders have continued to cause damages rather than good, especially in our equitable demand to be allowed to produce a President for Nigeria.
“These certain crops of igbo political elites are behind continued marginalization of igbo nation in present democratic governance in the country, and as well, in the building critical government’s projects in igbo land”.
Mr Isiguzoro vowed he cannot be blackmailed and cowed out of office as he remains the authentic and duly elected secretary general of ohanaeze, urging the public to discontence the new advertorial, purporting his impersonation of the ohanaeze secretary general as the sponsors and signatory lacked the moral standing to speak for the igbo ethnic-nationality.