Chief Chinedu Arthur-Ugwa, Coordinator of Ohanaeze Youth Wing in South South, says the socio-cultural group is working to mobilise and sensitise Nigerians to support restructuring.

The Ohanaeze youth leader regretted that the patriotic task undertaken by the leadership of the group was being misunderstood as meddling into politics.

Arthur-Ugwa said on Sunday that reports that the leadership of Onanaeze Ndigbo was united and committed to repositioning Igbos amongst other ethnic groups in a restructured Nigeria.

He dismissed comments credited to former members of Ohanaeze Youth Wing, “who claimed to be national leaders” of the youth body, accusing Ohanaeze President General, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, of meddling in politics.

Arthur-Ugwa described the claim as baseless and false, adding that those behind the allegations were bent on creating crisis where there is none.

He noted that the youth leaders who paraded themselves as national leaders of the youth wing of Ohanaeze were misleading the public.

His words: “We were surprised that some defunct members of Ohanaeze Youth Wing issued a statement accusing the President General of meddling into 2019 Presidential elections.

“To state the facts, the allegations are fabricated by expelled members of the youth group at the national level to attract public sympathy; there is no truth in the allegation.

“The President-General has been working at uniting Igbos all over the world and recently was in Bayelsa as part of his efforts in restructuring and repositioning Ndigbo in a restructured federation.

“Nwodo also waded into leadership crisis in Ohanaeze Ndigbo Bayelsa chapter; is this what they call politics?

“The President-General categorically said that he was not interested in personal gains from the struggle for restructuring, so the allegation is a mere ploy by disgruntled persons parading themselves as Ohanaeze youth leaders.

“The National Executives of Ohanaeze Youth Wing was dissolved by Ime-Obi and National Executive Council of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in 2017 and we are getting set for elections later this month, so they are misleading the people.

“The leadership at the state levels in the South East and South South condemn and dissociate ourselves from the statement and frown at the disrespect to our revered elders and leaders in Ohanaeze Ndigbo, our parent body.

“We urge the errant youths to refrain from using the media to discredit the organisation and show commitment towards building of a united front for Ndigbo.”

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