Creation of another state for South East Where does Ohanaeze stand? – Vanguard

Chief Nnia Nwodo, President-General, Ohanaeze NdigboByChinemerem Eke

ONCE more we have provided the cannon fodder for those who hold the view that Ndigbo cannot agree on anything.

The issue of the moment is the creation of anotherState for the South East. Unknown to many, this issue has made considerable progress, as the series of media exchanges that have taken place in the past few weeks have shown. The issue remains a family matter that should be resolved in the interest of the family.

Comrade Paul Ikechukwu Njoku fired the first salvo when he asked why Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General, Chief Nnia Nwodo had stalled the moves that would have actualised the creation of a sixth State in the South East. Heasserted that his positionwas based on verifiable facts, though they had not been made available to the public.

A timeline of recent activities for the creation of another State in the South East is as follows

November 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari promised an extra State in the South East to an Ohanaeze Ndigbo delegation that included all South East Governors, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nnia Nwodo, DIG Hillary Opara (rtd), Prof Chigozie Ogbu, Prof Barth Nnaji, former Senate President Adolf Wabara, former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, National Woman Leader of Ohanaeze, Dame Nne Nwafor, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Igbo Caucus of the National Assembly, Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, and others.

February 2018, the South East Governors Forum after a meeting at Lion House, Enugu,authorised the National Executive Committee, NEC, of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to select from among the State Movements in the South East thedemand that best satisfies the constitutional provisions on creation of States.

11 September 2018, Nwodo, inaugurated a Committee of the whole house headed by the Vice President (Ebonyi), Prof. Chigozie Ogbu, a former Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, and Vice Chancellor, Ebonyi State University. Barrister Uche Okwukwu was Secretary of the Committee.

27 September 2018, the Committee met with the leaders of the State Creation Movements at the national headquarters of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Enugu where each group made presentations and submitted documents to support their demands.

10 October 2018, Ohanaeze Ndigbo NEC Committee on State Creation met in Enugu. It completed its assignment and submitted itsreport to the Ohanaeze Ndigbo President.It received presentations from Aba, Adada, Anim, Equity, Etiti and Orimili.

Comrade Njoku, whose publication chronicled the activities of the committee, noted the cessation of activities since the report was submitted to the Ohanaeze Ndigbo President almost 18 months ago. Njoku was a member of the Committee. All Committee members signed the report which included the votes taken on the submissions and presentations the State Creation Movements made to the Committee.

It was after Comrade Njokus publication that Chief James Ugwu, the Director of Media of Adada State Movement raised issues with the work of the Committee. He said the Committee should have worked with documents that preceded the 2017 meeting with President Buhari that re-ignited movements for the creation of an additional State in the South East. Chief Ugwu said those documents placed Adada ahead of the other movements.

Could this be the reason for the silence of Ohanaeze Ndigbo President on the report? How does Ohanaeze Ndigbo intend to proceed in the quest for an extra State in the South East?

Time is ticking away. A way of resolving this matter that would lend itself to equity and justice is for Ohanaeze Ndigbo to work with the report of its Committee of 18 September 2018.For how long would Ohanaeze keep its silence on the report of a Committee it set up? Where does Ohanaeze stand on the creation of another State in the South East? Should it not tell the public?

It is time Chief Nnia Nwodo broke his silence. He would also need to explain his ebbing enthusiasm in a move he began so well.

Vanguard

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Creation of another state for South East Where does Ohanaeze stand? - Vanguard