Prince Richard Ozobu, a chieftain of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, is extremely passionate about conducting the affairs of the body based on the provisions of its constitution.
it is against that background that the United States of America trained accountant is strongly backing the quest by the Igbo ethnic group in Rivers state to produce the next president-general of Ohanaeze.
In this interview with SummitNews, Prince Ozobu says that the Ohanaeze constitution which came into effect in 2004, provides for the rotation of the presidency of the group among the seven states that constitute Ohanaeze.
He contested that following that arrangement, it’s irrevocably the turn of Rivers state to produce the next president-general of the association.
EXCERPTS
As Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide prepares to elect a new leadership in January, some people are questioning the quest by Rivers state to produce the next president-general of the association. What’s your position on this issue?
It’s unfortunate that some people rush to register as members of an organisation, without first of all taking time to know the rules and regulations that guide that organisation.
In the case of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, there is a constitution that guides and regulates the conduct of affairs of the organisation, and one expects every Ohanaeze member to acquaint himself or herself with the provisions of that constitution which came into effect in 2004. The Ohanaeze constitution recognises the existence of seven states that make up the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation.
They are the states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo in the South-East, plus Rivers and Delta in the South-South. It is important to state that the Ohanaeze constitution provides in black-and-white for the rotation of the office of the President-general among the seven-member states in alphabetical order.
And it is the turn of Rivers State to produce the next President-general of Ohanaeze.
In other words, you’re saying that it’s wrong for anybody to suggest that the position of the President-General of Ohanaeze should go elsewhere other than Rivers State?
Yes. That’s what the Ohanaeze constitution says. That constitution says the position of the president-general must rotate in alphabetical order among the seven states that make up the organization.
The six states of Abia, Anambra, Delta(Anioma), Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo, has each produced an Ohanaeze President- General, and it is the turn of the seventh state, which is Rivers to give us a president-general.
The constitution provides for a four-year tenure for the president-general, and of course, all its elected officers.
If the position of president-general of Ohanaeze is rotational, why did we have a faction of Ohanaeze when Prof. George Obiozor (now late) from Imo state was elected president-general of the association on January 10, 2021, and that division continued even after Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu(now late) also from Imo succeeded Prof. Obiozor?
The Owerri election that produced Prof. Obiozor was not conducted in strict compliance with the provisions of Ohanaeze constitution.
Was it not the turn of Imo state then to produce the president-general of Ohanaeze?
Nobody is doubting the fact that it was the turn of Imo state then to produce the president-general, but our contention is that the process of electing the leader of Ohanaeze worldwide was not followed. And so, the election that threw up Prof Obiozor was unconstitutional. I said so at that time, and still maintain that position till date.
Did that unconstitutionally continue after Chief Iwuanyanwu succeeded Prof. Obiozor?
Exactly. I never recognised Iwuanyanwu’s leadership of Ohanaeze because the process that threw up his predecessor was illegal, unconstitutional. Remember that it was as a result of that illegality that a faction arose in Ohanaeze, and in a apparel election held in Enugu, that faction elected Chidi Ibeh, as president-general, with Isiguzoro as Secretary General. I am a member of Chidi Ibeh-led faction of Ohanaeze, and chairman of the group’s Council of Elders.
Also, remember that the five South-East governors at that time requested that something be done about the factionalisation in Ohanaeze.
Thereafter, Bishops from the South-East were asked to reconcile the two factions of Ohanaeze. The Committee of Bishops requested that all law suits be withdrawn from the court. Recall that we had gone to court to seek for a declaratory judgment- for the court to look at the two elections held in Owerri and Enugu, and decide which one was conducted in strict compliance with the Ohanaeze constitution.
The two factions agreed to present themselves before the Council of Bishops. We went there and presented all our evidence including a copy of Ohanaeze constitution for the Council of Bishops to interpret. In their report to the Governors, the Bishops stated clearly that the election in Owerri where Obiozor emerged as the president-general of Ohanaeze wasn’t conducted in strict compliance with Ohanaeze constitution.
The documents are there for anyone to read. I discussed these things with the very respected Elder statesman Iwuanyanwu (May His Soul Rest In Peace). I told him that the best thing we could do was to go by the Bishops report which recommended in black and white, the harmonisation of the two groups. But that was not done, and the leadership crisis continued.
Now that we’re talking about another general election to elect a new Ohanaeze leadership, has the Chidi Ibeh/Isiguzoro-led group agreed that power should shift to Rivers state?
Although we have not met to discuss this issue, my position is that going by the provisions of Ohanaeze constitution, power must shift to Rivers State. The constitution says power must rotate among the seven states of Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers in alphabetical order, and that’s why Rivers is the last and not the least.
What is your advice to Rivers people regarding what they should do to ensure that Rivers state produce the next national leader of Ohanaeze?
They should come together, organise themselves very well by speaking with one voice. They should show proper presence as members of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation.
