A civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, set agenda for the newly elected President-General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Iwuanyanwu.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, congratulated the elder statesman and tasked him to rebuild Ohanaeze Ndigbo so that every Igbo person would feel a sense of belonging and ownership of the governance process.

The group said Ohanaeze needs to be comprehensively reformed with a plan to issue membership cards to fee-paying Igbo adults to stop infiltration by interlopers and fraudsters whose gods are their bellies. It added that the new President-General must ensure transformation in the areas of education, agriculture, industrialization, electricity, power generation, health, amongst others.

According to the statement: “The new President-General needs to look at how to attract rich Igbo industrialists to set up industries in Igboland for production and manufacturing of essential items needed by Nigerians, but first, the governments of the five Igbo states must create the enabling environment safe enough for Igbo and other willing investors to set up factories in the South East.”

The group reminded Chief Iwuanyanwu, the bona-fide President-General of Ndigbo globally, that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has just assented to a legislation allowing states to generate their electricity, adding that Ohanaeze needed to encourage Igbo Governors to attract investors to set up power plants to provide energy sources for the rapid industrialization of Igboland for wealth and jobs creation for the Igbo race to make the people not to depend on politics for survival.

“We at Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) congratulate Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu as the indisputable Worldwide President -General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. No doubt, destiny has thrust a huge responsibility upon his shoulders.

“Having unsuccessfully contested the position for many occasions till the last successful one, it is expected of him to take advantage of the golden opportunity and rebuild Ohanaeze Ndigbo so that every Igbo person will feel a sense of belonging and ownership of the governance process and then contribute so the cultural group becomes financially self-reliant rather than becoming bootlickers of Governors of South East states due to paucity of operational funds.

“Ohanaeze needs to be comprehensively reformed with a plan to issue membership cards to fee-paying Igbo adults and also set up Igbo Development Trust Fund so all Igbos disposed and desirous to see virile and viable Igboland can donate so educational scholarships are awarded to young geniuses of Igbo origin from indigent homes, especially in the Sciences, Medicine and rare courses.

“Ohanaeze needs to use all means to checkmate the illegal activities of fraudsters parading about as factional leaders of Ohanaeze.

“It is indisputable that Iwuanyanwu is best suited to take over from the late President, Prof. George Obiozor, who deserves to be immortalised by all the five Igbo states by naming significant public institutions or streets after Obiozor of blessed memory,” HURIWA stated.

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