Feb 17, 3015
· Northern Chapter Presidents Rejects Endorsement
· Northern Chapter Presidents Rejects Endorsement
· Igbo Leaders Accused of embezzling fund from the top
· Rtd IGP Mike Okiro saves Ohanaeze leaders from shame , pays hotel bills
The crisis generated by Jonathan’s N5 billion naira endorsement
gift is increasing by the day as more groups within the body accuses
Igariwey led faction of scamming them. Ohanaeze Ndigbo had earlier
endorsed Jonathan for a second term in Enugu two weeks ago after which
pandemonium, fracas, tearing of dresses and biting off of fingers broke
out at the secretariat over the sharing of the excess money. Among the
groups that have rejected the earlier endorsement of Jonathan as a
result of the sharing formula of the N5 billion naira gift is Igbo
Delegates Assembly (IDA) in the 19 Northern States. This group was given
N20 million naira to share among the 19 states of the north and FCT and
each State got N1 million naira. IDA is alleging that the N20 million
naira was the money Senator Hope Uzodimma promised them a year ago which
Ohanaeze seized all these while.
President-General of the IDA, Chief S.N. Iyamah; and Public
Relations Officer, Mr. Auston Ifedinezi, in a communiqué at the end of
its meeting in Abuja called on all Igbo in the North to remain wherever
they are and to collect their Permanent Voter Cards.
They claimed that they were not given a dime from the N5 Billion
naira from Jonathan despite being at the Ohanaeze Secretariat Enugu when
the money was conveyed in vans. IDA have asked Igbos in the north to
vote either Buhari or Jonathan, according to their conscience in line
with the directives of Ohanaeze Elders Council and Ohanaeze Caretaker
Committee. The Igariwey led leadership is plotting to dissolve the IDA
in the north for exposing the N5 billion naira gift. Leaders of the
group told Rev Akukwe in Abuja that they have information that few
single persons (names withheld) smiled home with between N100 to N200
million naira and one very big shot was given N300 million naira while
the entire IDA in the north were given N20 million naira to go and
share.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Chapter Presidents in the 19 Northern States also
met at Abuja, from Tuesday to Thursday last week to discuss the issue of
votes and security of Ndigbo n the North. At the end of the 3 day
meeting, they also resolved to tell their members to vote any candidate
of their choice since the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo have collected
money and failed to give them anything to mobilize Igbos in the north to
stay back and cast their vote.
The Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Zamfara State Chapter, Evangelist
Nnamdi Okereke told the Director General of Igbo Mandate Congress (IMC)
Rev Obinna Akukwe who led a team of the group on fact finding tour to
determine the state of preparedness and security of Igbos in the North
that “ it is unfortunate that our Ohanaeze leaders collected billions
and did not give us even a kobo as Ohanaeze leaders in any of the
northern states and yet they want us to mobilize and vote for Jonathan”.
Going further Evangelist Okereke said that “ it is even Gen Aliyu Gusau
that came around to ask about the welfare of Igbos in Zamfara while our
leaders collected money and abandoned us to our fate “
The Chairman of Ohanaeze Elders Council, Kano State, Chief Uche
Megwali also known as Ichie Okunwa told Rev Akukwe that “we heard that
billions was received and shared by our leaders in the East. Ohanaeze
Ndigbo Kano have not received any kobo from Jonathan or Ohanaeze leaders
in Enugu. It is unfortunate that while our leaders are sharing money
among themselves, it is northerners like the former Governor of Kano
state, Mallam Shekarau and Senator Lado that visited the Igbo Community
and assured us of our security, urging us to sit back and vote in the
north”
The Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Jigawa State Chapter, Rev Offodile
Igwesi told Rev Akukwe that he witnessed the sharing of money to few in
Enugu and yet he and his colleagues in the North were left stranded. Rev
Igwesi added further that “though we want to mobilize and vote for
Jonathan in Jigawa State, with the situation of things, it is fool hardy
for anybody to endanger his life without proper mobilization. We like
Jonathan but we may not mobilize for him without logistics”.
The Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Bauchi State Chapter Mr Ede Joseph
Okafor also told the leadership of Igbo Mandate Congress that it is
unfortunate that Igbo leaders shared among themselves what Jonathan
brought to help the entire Igbo mobilize and vote for his re-election.
He told Rev Akukwe that “ Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Bauchi State is yet to
receive any one naira in the form of mobilization from either Jonathan
or Ohanaeze leaders who collected money. We are eager to mobilize
support for Jonathan but without funds we cannot and may not do much”
The Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Gombe State Chapter,Nze Joseph O
Dilibe told Rev Akukwe that “ they collected and shared billions among
themselves and they want us to use our urine to mobilize support for
Jonathan. Our President must know that these Igbo Leaders have scammed
him of millions and must go and recover his money from them”.
Expressing his views, the Vice Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in
Kaduna State, Chief Emmanuel Chidi Okoro told Rev Akukwe and his team
that “those in Kaduna are waiting for us to mobilize support and
logistics so that they can sit back and campaign for Jonathan but the
greedy disposition of these Igbo leaders in Ohanaeze National
Secretariat is very alarming. Ohanaeze Ndigbo Kaduna State have not
received any kobo from Jonathan or our leaders and we cannot use our
personal funds to mobilize when billions was allegedly budgeted and
shared”
Chief Akunne Ara Azikiwe, son of the first President of Nigeria, Dr
Nnamdi Azikiwe while calming the infuriated Ohanaeze Chapter Presidents
from the north told Rev Akukwe that “it is very dangerous and sinful to
corner what Jonathan released to mobilize Ohanaeze especially in the
north. What happens if he cannot get the necessary 25 percent votes as a
result of this act of greed”. He appealed to the protesting Ohanaeze
leaders to maintain calm while other channels are opened.
Barrister Emejulu Okpalaukwu , Assistant National Publicity Sectary
of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, whose Executive Committee shared the controversial
money begged the leaders of Ohanaeze in the North not to cast their
votes for Buhari in protest. Barrister Emejulu who claimed that he was
also disenfranchised from the sharing process because he insisted that
Ohaneze im the North must be mobilized with both money and security to
enable them to stay back and cast their votes, asked the protesting
leaders to sacrifice their personal resources to help Jonathan win since
the big money has been shared already and cannot be brought back.
Rev Akukwe and leaders of IMC were told that it took the
intervention of former Inspector General of Police, Mr Mike Okiro, who
hails from the South South region to calm the frays of the protesting
Ohanaeze leaders in the North. The former Inspector G
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