The Chief Gary Enwo Igariwey-led apex Igbo socio -cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday expressed dismay over the recent visit of Chief Ralph Obioha and some Igbo leaders to the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on behalf of the organisation, parading themselves as members of Ohanaeze Caretaker Committee.

Obioha is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

While condemning the visit, Ohanaeze described it as the “height of rascality, recklessness and disrespect to the laws of this nation.”

In a statement by the organisation’s Deputy President-General, Chief OAU Onyema, which was made available to journalists in Enugu, the apex organisation dismissed the existence of Caretaker Committee in the Ohanaeze, explaining that by “parading himself as the chairman of a non-existent committee,” Chief Obioha had displayed his disregard for the rule of law.

“I am very sure that the President-elect , who is a constitutional man that believes in discipline and rule of law, who is preaching against indecency and crooked behaviour, will not be happy, having been tricked or dragged into the murky waters of Chief Raph Obioha’s irresponsible conduct of impersonating the representative/leadership of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo.

“Chief Raph Obioha who is parading himself as the purported Chairman of a non-existent caretaker committee, has indeed dragged our respected President-elect, General Buhari (rtd), into a very unfortunate dirty and polluted waters of his surreptitious agenda to disrupt the leadership of Ndi Igbo. Obioha is quite aware that there is a subsisting Court Order in Suit No: E /513/ 2014 issued by His Lordship Justice R.O. Odugu of Enugu State High Court, barring him from parading himself as such, and creating any third party interest in the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo Worldwide, yet, he decides to flout the law, boasting that his visit to the President-elect will insulate him from justice.

“One wonders why Chief Raph Obioha, who is currently facing a contempt charge and committal proceedings on the same issue of impersonating the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, who personally attended the court seating on 2nd day of April, 2014 at High Court 6 Enugu with his lawyer, Enechi Onyia (SAN) for his committal proceedings, to see if he can explain himself out of the impending imprisonment, will be emboldened to commit further disobedience of court order, to the extent of dragging–in a highly revered personality in the person of our no-nonsense President Elect, General Muhammadu Buhari.

“Honestly, Ndi Igbo will surely expect open apologies from this man and his cohorts, especially to our President-elect whom they have deceived to receive them as the leadership of Ndi Igbo.

“I am aware that, the Leadership of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo is still undergoing the necessary procedure, preparatory to paying a courtesy call to the President-Elect, which is usually preceded by a NEC resolution, followed by an Imeobi approval.

However, Obioha, has rushed to misrepresent and impersonate a respected tribe like Ndi Igbo which is quite unacceptable to us,” he said.

Onyema noted that already, the organisation had expressed her felicitation in writing to the President-elect, and equally to President Jonathan for his spirit of sportsmanship in accepting the result of the presidential election wherein he lost, “describing it as an act that saved our nation from a lot of imminent violence, skirmishes and probable disintegration.”

*Adapted from Newswatch Times.

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