The National Executive Council (NEC) of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, yesterday, opened a condolence register following the death of its president General, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.

Iwuanyanwu became the 11thPresident-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo on April 30, 2023, following the death of George Obiozor on December 2022 at the age of 80.

The late president general’s death was confirmed in a statement on Thursday, July 25 by his son, Jide Iwuanyanwu, who said that the 82-year old man died in Abuja after a brief illness.

Opening the register at the end of an emergency meeting of the NEC at the national secretariat of the organisation in Enugu, its secretary general, Okey Emuchay said that it is sad that Iwuanyanwu’s death is coming less than two years after the organisation lost Obiozor.

While describing Iwuanyanwu as a rare human being, who had wonderful ideas and visions for the Igbo nation and for Nigeria, Emuchay explained that a central burial committee will be established very soon.

“All activities especially, the Igbo Day Celebration of 2024, scheduled to hold on the 29thof September 2024 in Imo State, we will be skipped in respect and honour of the departed president general,” he said.

Speaking further, he said: “We want to assure that the ship of Ohanaeze is in safe hands, collectively as NEC, we want to give assurance that we shall match on from where he stopped.”

He urged all state secretariats of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the chapters in Nigeria and in the diaspora to open condolence books so that people could come and write and convey whatever thoughts and prayers they have for the departed president general. (THISDAY)