Ohanaeze crisis: Nwosu dismisses Nwodo’s expulsion as ‘sick joke’

From Raphael Ede, Enugu

Former Minister of Health and prominent member of Imeobi Ohaneze Ndigbo, Prof. Alphonsus Nwosu, has described the purported and  “siilly expulsion” of President- General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo as a sick joke.

Reacting to the purported expulsion of the leader of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation by the Secretary -General, Mr. Uche Okwukwu at the weekend, Prof. Nwosu said he was the secretary of the Electoral Committee and the Chief Electoral Officer that supervised the election and swearing in of the  President General, Chief Nnia Nwodo from Enugu State and Uche Okwukwu as Secretary General from Rivers State according to the constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

Prof Nwosu, who was former Secretary of the Supreme Igbo Committee under Dr. Pius Okigbo in 1995 and former Chairman of Organising Committee of Mkpoko-Igbo, said:  “It is disgraceful that Okwukwu acquaintance with Ohanaeze Ndigbo should earn him a suspension because the only name associated with him is Prince Richard Ozobu, whose record in similar past activities are known.

“The venue of their purported Imeobi meeting was not stated, prominent Ohanaeze members who attended their purported Imeobi meeting are not mentioned, those who spoke at their purported Imeobi are not stated, their communiqué from their purported Imeobi meeting is not available to Ohanaeze and to the media.  So, what kind of a sick and expensive joke are they up to?

“It is therefore heartening that a complete Ohanaeze executive from which the Secretary General excluded himself met and recommended the suspension and seasoned members of Ohanaeze are wondering from where the Secretary General derived the power to appoint Prince Richard Ozobu as Chairman and sole member of the Disciplinary Committee because no other member of the Disciplinary Committee was mentioned.’ According to Nwosu, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo is unfazed  by this because similar sabotage had happened and had been easily contained. I can assure you that Ohaneze is not giving even half a thought to this one.”