Dim Uche Nnam Okwukwu, a renowned activist lawyer, on Friday emerged as the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide at the organisation’s ongoing convention in Port-Harcourt.
The General Assembly of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, according to a statement by the returning officer, Dr. Achi Achi, copy of which was made available to newsmen, said the new President General, Okwukwu, was returned unopposed at the the convention, which began on Thursday and is expected to end on Friday.
The returning officer said the President General, Okwukwu was elected by the progressive movement in Igboland, expressing appreciation to the national delegates who stormed Port Harcourt for the exercise, even as he noted that they were the true members of Ohanaeze Ndigbo for finding the helmsman worthy.
He said the new leader had pledged to defend the interest of all Igbos under the sun and uphold the tenets of the constitution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
Okwukwu, in his acceptance speech, Okwukwu thanked the delegates, saying that he humbly accepted the enormous responsibility imposed on him to lead the Igbo race “at this moment in our history.”
The newly elected President General
said his top priorities included engaging the Federal Government on the unconditional release of the leader of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and restructuring Nigeria.
Besides, he promised to “unite fractured nerves and bring the Igbo together as one indivisible family,” saying that he was fully aware of the unprecedented trust reposed in him and his capacity to do so.
This was just as he pledged solemnly to defend Igbo nation by living up to their high expectations, adding: “I shall live up to their high expectations.”
He thanked all members of the Electoral Committee, the elders, members of the press and Igbo public, men, women, and youths for all the joint efforts that helped to yield these positive outcomes.
The newly elected President General, while noting that Igbo nation had gone through unprecedented travails, assured that he would waste no time in engaging the Federal and State governments, Igbo businessmen, politicians, youths, and intelligentsia, to address the problems facing the Igbo nation.
He said he would meet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to work for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu and other political prisoners, and ensure de-criminalization of political exiles to enable them return home to join the process of reconstruction.
“We shall encourage the Federal and State governments to engage all agitators to address grievances so as to bring a just closure to issues,” Okwukwu said.
Speaking further, the newly elected President General said he would also engage the Federal Government in dredging, modernization and restoration of the Igweocha/Port-Harcourt and other coastal ports for the Igbo/East and others, together with the dredging of the Azumini to Opobo Imo River basin to the coast, in order to recreate a pole of export-import industrialization and development in Igboland/East, down to the Middle-Belt and Maiduguri.
“I will work for the creation of the Anioma State as an equalization state for the Igbo, and for additional Aba, Adada, Etiti, Orlu or other states in case the balance is further disrupted,” he said
On restructuring, Okwukwu promised to mobilise the Igbo for it to come about, which he said all other ethnic nationalities had ready templates, but no recent Ohanaeze leadership had had any courage to address.
