By Prof. Echefuna' R G ONYEBEADI

Perhaps, I should start with a very quick remark that the article by Collins Opurozor captioned, "OHANAEZE: JOHN MBATA AND THE RETURN TO THE AGE OF INNOCENCE" (reproduced below for ease of reference) is apt, introspective and a refreshing perspective with some "thought for food"!

However, before we all get enmeshed in what seems like an induced euphoria of the moment, let me quickly move to put the records straight.

First, let it be very clear that neither Senator John Azuka Mbata nor any of the new officers were elected as President-General and officers of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide at the Enugu General Assembly of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide.

Their names were just read out to the congregation as the new officials of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, purportedly as consensus candidates.

No election whatsoever took place in the just concluded Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly which held 10/01/2025 at Enugu.

So, Senator John Azuka Mbata along with the others declared as the new President-General and new executives of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide couldn't be rightly referred to as being elected by an election that never took place!

On the contrary, there were some clandestine and opaque schemes anchored allegedly by agents of some South East Governors and allegedly that of Rivers State Governor too, that eventually selected and imposed Senator John Azuka Mbata and others on Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, to the utter shock, disappointment and embarrassment of the numerous candidates and delegates that came from far and wide for the election General Assembly of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide; which was scheduled to hold at Enugu 10/01/2025.

Let me give some graphical brief on what actually happened.

Following the demise of the immediate past but one President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, in the person of Engr. Chief Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu CFR, OFR, MFR, our highly respected Nze Ozichukwu Fidelis Chukwu KSM, emerged lately as the President-General to complete the remaining 27 days tenure of Imo State's turn to occupy the office of President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide.

Nze Ozichukwu Fidelis Chukwu KSM, thus became the third person to occupy the position of President-General after the demise of Professor George Obiozor and Engr. Chief Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu; within the four years tenure of Imo State's turn to occupy the office of President-General.

True to type, as a man of proven integrity factor, the new President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Nze Ozichukwu Fideli Chukwu KSM, hit the ground running and stood his ground that the next President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide shall come from Rivers State as provided for in the Ohaneze Ndigbo's Constitution despite some diabolical schemes to deny Ndigbo of Rivers State extraction their turn to produce the next President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide.

Prior to that, and following various rumours that Ndigbo of Rivers State extraction may be denied their turn to produce the next President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide based on numerous publications by some Ikwerre people in the mass media denying their Igbo origin and even threatened dire consequences if anybody should ever associate them with Ndigbo, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo in the diaspora and the Director-General of South East Governors Forum issued statements to the effect that the Ndigbo of Rivers State extraction must be allowed to produce the next President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide despite the fact that some of them were living in denial.

Arrangements immediately commenced in the short period of time left under the able leadership of Nze Ozichukwu Fidelis Chukwu KSM, to conduct election for all the offices as provided for in Ohanaeze Ndigbo's Constitution, as the tenure of his National Executive Committee (NEC) will lapse by January 10, 2025.

The date and venue for the election were fixed.

The names of the election committee with that of the screening committee were published.

The offices to be contested for as zoned in accordance with Ohanaeze Ndigbo's Constitution were also published.

Candidates that indicated interest in any of the elective offices were required to procure nomination forms for the various positions at highly exorbitant prices and also to make themselves available at their own expense at Enugu for screening.

Candidates bought nomination forms at exorbitant prices contrary to the expectations as enshrined in the Constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide; and, came to Enugu from various places for the screening exercise.

The candidates were screened for the various positions at the Headquarters of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide at Enugu.

Delegates came from all over Nigeria and the diaspora as provided for in the Constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

The delegates were accredited for the election at the Enugu Headquarters of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide before being conveyed in buses to the venue of the election at the Old Governor's Lodge, Enugu.

It may be recalled that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo zones comprises of Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu and Rivers states.

Whereas all the Ohanaeze Ndigbo zones Governors of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Rivers were duly consulted and actively participated in the entire process leading to the scheduled election, the Governor of Delta State wasn't in the picture.

Whereas delegates and executives elections took place in Delta State with all the attendant flaws, no delegates and executives elections took place in the other Ohanaeze zones of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Rivers states.

The list of the delegates and executives for the zones where the elections were "prevented" from holding by "powers that be" in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Rivers states were allegedly produced from the Government Houses of the affected States overnight and kept very secret till the morning of the election day; and, the people so allegedly listed in the said Government Houses were all accredited for the scheduled election.

The Election Committee had earlier adopted option A4 for the elections, where delegates will be made to stand behind their candidates to be counted. There were objections to such an arrangement in preference to an open secret ballot, but when confronted, the Chairman of Election Committee, Chief Ejiofor Patrick Onyia, insisted that their decision on option A4 will prevailed.

The Election Committee Chairman, Chief Ejiofor Patrick Onyia, also stated on pressure that the candidates for the election will be allowed a few minutes to address the congregation prior to the election, but that never happened!

Meanwhile, there were secret and open heavy financial inducements of the delegates and some officials by some high politically exposed persons, who, ostensibly, were hell bent to hijack Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide any which way for partisan political gains! Every objection to this bizarre fell on deaf ears.

Then, the real abracadabra started to unfold at the election venue, at the Old Governor's Lodge, Enugu.

All the election processes were kept on hold at the said venue of the election, at the Old Governor's Lodge, Enugu; to await the arrival of the South East Governors for the event. The waiting game lasted for several hours before four out of the five South East Governors (namely: Abia, Anambra, Enugu and Imo States) eventually arrived the venue.

The programme for the event commenced after the Governors arrival as listed in the brochure for the event.

Senator Ben Obi was then called upon to move a motion for the dessolution of the NEC led by Nze Ozichukwu Fidelis Chukwu KSM, to pave the way for the election of the new officials, which he did as he was called to do. The said motion was ably seconded by the former Governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, as called to do.

Then, suddenly, just before the election proper, a disruptive announcement was made to suspend some aspects of the constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, to pave way for consensus candidate(s) in cases where there were no opposition, which to the best on my knowledge, didn't exist because multiple candidates paid for nomination forms for all the positions to be contested for and they were screened accordingly for the election.

Senator Chris Ngige was then called upon to move the motion to suspend some aspects of the constitution to allow for consensus candidate(s) where there wasn't any opposition, which he did.

Thereafter, surprisingly, a list of people for all the elective positions as allegedly produced/approved by some South East Governors was read to the congregation as consensus candidates to the shock and embarrassment of all present including the candidates and delegates for the election; which led to some pandemonium!

WAS THAT AN ELECTION!?

Pronto, the people announced as the purported consensus candidates for all the offices meant to be contested for and for which the actual candidates were all on ground, were hurriedly called to the podium and speedily sworn in collectively as the new ?elected? officials of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide WITHOUT ANY ELECTION while the pandemonium continued; and, the Governors present hurriedly existed the venue through the rear door!

The pertinent questions at this juncture are:

1. What were the criteria used by those concerned to select the so called consensus candidates contrary to the provisions of Ohanaeze Ndigbo's Constitution?

2. How and who compiled the purported list of consensus candidates to which the actual candidates for the scheduled election weren't privy to?

3. Why were the candidates for the election not consulted in the so called consensus arrangement and/or at least, carried along in the process?

4. Isn't it fraudulent to extort huge sums of money from the candidates to pay for election nomination forms and take care of their logistics for an election which was predetermined never to hold?

5. Why were candidates made to come from various places to Enugu at their own expense for the highly exorbitant nomination forms, transport, accommodation and other logistics, to be screened and were actually tediously screened for an election that wasn't meant to take place?

6. Why was a credible and supposedly independent socio-cultural body that Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide is, allowed to be hijacked by partisan politicians with some South East Governors supposedly as the usurpation arrow heads?

7. Is Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide a Ministry, Department and/or an Agency of the Governments of South East?

8. Is it right and proper to "deceive" candidates (Ndigbo) to waste precious time, money and other commitments to come to Enugu from various places across the country and abroad for an Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide election that wasn't meant to be?

9. How come that the electoral process for Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide was grossly monetized and flung open to the highest bidder and not necessarily on Character, Capability, Competence, Performance, Institutional Memory, etc?

In fact, there are numerous questions beginning for answers!

Certainly, the last has not been heard yet on the sham and shame of the highly discredited process in the revered name of "Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide"!

It is high time Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide shamed her shame of the flawed process of the purported election General Assembly!

The onus is now on the announced new "officials" of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and their backers to justify the legitimacy of their emergence based on the Constitution of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide.

The time ahead is very pregnant!

We wait to see.

?Professor Echefuna' R G ONYEBEADI* [DBA; PhDs; CEng. etc.

OHANAEZE: JOHN MBATA AND THE RETURN TO THE AGE OF INNOCENCE

BY COLLINS OPUROZOR

The Ahiajoku Lecture Series began in 1979. Two years later, the renowned Professor Adiele Afigbo delivered one of its most memorable lectures. That was in 1981. The esteemed Okigwe-born scholar titled his lecture: ?The Age of Innocence: The Igbo and Their Neighbors in Precolonial Times?. Professor Afigbo, one of the greatest historians to emerge from sub-Saharan Africa, gave a talk that was more than just a historical account; it was a profound reflection on the communal harmony that once existed among the Igbo and their neighbors before the disruptions of colonialism. Afigbo?s lecture remains an invaluable intellectual treasure, speaking to a time when cultural integration and shared values defined the Igbo and their neighbors, lland before the forces of division began to erode that unity.

Before the disruptive forces of colonialism, the Igbo and their neighboring tribes enjoyed a unique form of harmony that was underpinned by mutual respect, robust economic activities, and intermarriage. In this precolonial world, the Igbo were not isolated in their existence; rather, they were part of a wider, vibrant network of African communities. Their interactions with neighbors like the Ijaw, Ibibio, and even the Efik, were based on cooperation and respect for each other?s customs and traditions. The fear of the Igbo plotting to dominate the others never existed.

However, the colonial legacy brought about political and economic manipulations that slowly began to fracture these relationships.

Colonial powers, with their artificial boundaries and divide-and-rule policies, sought to weaken any collective identity among the indigenous peoples of Nigeria. This policy was more viciously enforced against the Igbo, given that cutting the Igbo to size was a necessary punishment for their resentment of colonialism and obstinacy before its repressive tendencies. This strategy proved particularly effective. Just like the Hutus and Tutsis who before they were colonized never saw themselves as more than groupings for cattle ownership, artificial divisions were introduced between the Igbo and their neighbors to make the communities fragmented and easily controllable. What had once been an interwoven network of tribes living in relative peace and cooperation soon began to fracture along political, economic, and, later, ethnic lines.

As a result, many who were once neighbors became estranged. The impact of these manipulations can still be felt today. The Civil War, along with the efforts of the ?One-Nigeria? propagandists only widened a fault line already in place.

One striking manifestation of these divisive forces is the current situation among the Ikwerre people in Rivers State. Historically, the Ikwerre were part of the larger Igbo-speaking group, with deep cultural, linguistic, and familial ties to the Igbo. If your god is ?chi?, your ruler is ?eze?, your staple food is ?ji?, your pantheon has ?ala? or ?ani? as the greatest deity, your market days are four, you receive guests with kola nuts, your spirit of confusion is ?ekwensu?, your mother is ?nne?, your father is ?nna?, your kindred is ?umu?somebody or ?ndi? somebody, you are Igbo, simple and short. The DNA test which the late writer, Jimanze Ego-Alowes, had suggested is completely unnecessary.

However, over the years, various political manipulations have led some younger generations of Ikwerre to question their Igbo identity. With increased exposure to political narratives and power structures that emphasized their difference, there arose a misplaced belief among certain segments of the Ikwerre that they were not Igbo. This dangerous myth has served to create division where there once was unity.

The artificial rift between the Ikwerre and their Igbo roots is a stark reminder of how external forces can create schisms in otherwise closely-knit communities. It is a divisive tactic that undermines not only cultural cohesion but also the economic and social progress of the entire Igbo nation. The seeming persistence of such false distinctions today is a direct consequence of the efforts of the modern-day successors to colonial overlords ?politicians and power brokers who benefit from perpetuating these divides. Just as Governor Hope Uzodimma said in Enugu on Friday, if the Igbo don?t solve their problems, no outsider can solve them.

With the election of an Ikwerre son, Senator John Azuta Mbata, as the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel. This is a pivotal moment in the struggle for unity and solidarity within Igboland. Mbata, a distinguished political figure, has long been a proponent of reconciliation and inclusive leadership among the Igbo. His election signals the beginning of a new era?one that promises healing, solidarity, and progress for the entire Igboland.

His leadership has renewed efforts to restore the connections between the various Igbo subgroups, including those who may have been led to believe that they were separate from the larger Igbo family. By focusing on shared history, culture, and values, Mbata is already laying the groundwork for the kind of inclusive, forward-thinking leadership that will heal old wounds and promote mutual respect and cooperation. It is a moment of hope, as the Igbo people begin to realize that their strength lies in their unity. These efforts will go a long way in dispelling the myths of division and restoring a sense of pride in the shared Igbo heritage. For the younger generation, especially those in Rivers State, this will be an opportunity to understand the scope of their cultural and historical ties to their true Igbo identity.

The future now appears brighter for the Igbo people with Mbata?s leadership. His vision of political, social, and economic cohesion is already reverberating deeply within a region that has long been fractured by external influences. As the process of unity continues to unfold, the Igbo community, along with their neighbors, can look forward to a future where the age of innocence?characterized by unity, solidarity, and peace?can be reignited.

But that should not be the end. The resilience of the Igbo spirit knows no bounds. We saw that in the Eboe (Igbo) Landing in the USA. We saw it also in the Haitian Revolution. We can see that today in the thousands of Jamaicans who do DNA tests and go to the internet to announce and reclaim their Igbo identity. Ohanaeze should work harder to reunite these ?lost? Igbo tribes. Let there be a possibility that soon the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo will emerge from Haiti or Equatorial Guinea or Jamaica or the USA. They are no less Igbo simply because of the historical circumstances than got them settled in strange lands.

It is reassuring that the election of Senator John Azuta Mbata has marked the beginning of a crucial phase in the Igbo people?s journey toward healing, solidarity, and progress. His leadership offers a beacon of hope, and as the forces of unity gather strength, the once-fractured Igboland is poised for a new era of peace and collective achievement. The younger generations, especially those from Rivers State and the Ikwerre community, are once again embracing their identity as part of the greater Igbo family. With Mbata at the helm, the future looks full of promise for all.

Igbo, kwenu!

Ikwerre, anu meka ooo!!

Eleriya nma ?Oyoyo!!!

Update news