Things seem to have fallen apart in the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohaneze Ndigbo as the leadership has been severed into factions over next month’s presidential election.
Barely 24 hours after the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze, Uche Okpaga announced the suspension of the Secretary-General, Uche Okwukwu, the latter has made a counter announcement suspending the President General, Chief John Nnia Nwodo indefinitely.
In the announcement made by the Publicity Secretary, the Secretary-General was suspended by the body for seven days within which he was expected to retract his publications against the decision of Ohanaeze in endorsing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
But announcing Nwodo’s suspension yesterday, Okwukwu said a nine-man panel has been set up headed by Mr. Richard Ozobu to investigate the President General’s alleged misconduct and abuse of office.
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He said, “The President General said that I have been suspended for seven days because of my stand on the falsehood he made public saying that the body has endorsed Atiku Abubakar which you know that we never endorsed anybody.
“Today, rising from the meeting of Ime-Obi Ohanaeze Ndigbo, we announce the suspension of Chief John Nwodo from the organization indefinitely. To that effect, a nine man panel has been set up headed by Mr. Richard Ozobu to investigate acts of misconduct and abuse of office as well as bringing Ohanaeze to public disgrace.
“The body has one month to submit their report to the organization and we take it from there. The suspended president claimed to have endorsed Atiku Abubakar which is not true.”
It could be recalled that Anambra State government first raised the dust when it distanced itself from the Ohanaeze communiqué that endorsed Atiku/Obi candidature.
Reacting to Okwukwu’s announcement, Nwodo dismissed the purported suspension handed him by the Okwukwu faction of the organization stating that it is of no effect.
Nwodo argued that the Secretary General has no such powers to suspend him insisting that he remains the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo while Okwukwu had been suspended by the body.
Mr. Ozobu who was announced by Okwukwu as the chairman of the panel to question Nwodo told newsmen that Nwodo was actually suspended.
He said, “Nwodo will be quizzed for gross misconduct, abuse of office and the image of the Organization as well as forging the communiqué of Ime-Obi Ohaneze Ndigbo. We shall invite him to appear before the panel and explain to us why disciplinary action will not be taken against him for those allegations.”
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