Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia, with our Reporter, Abuja
Immediate-past President General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr John Nnia Nwodo, has revealed that Delta State Governor and the Vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ifeanyi Okowa, never paid the monthly dues of his state for the the running of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
The former Minister for Information who made the disclosure while featuring as Keynote Speaker at Ikengaonline monthly Town Hall meeting on Thursday, regretted that despite several efforts made by the leadership of Ohanaeze under his watch to persuade Okowa to patronise Ohanaeze, the Delta Governor bluntly refused.
Nwodo said that instead of paying up the monthly subscription for his state, Gov. Okowa told him that Delta is a heterogeneous state, arguing that there was no way he should be expected to fund an Igbo organisation.
The former Ohanaeze boss expressed surprise at Okowa’s recent claims that he is a bonafide Igbo whereas he refused to identify with the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation as a sitting Governor.
Chief Nwodo explained that Igbo-speaking states make a monthly contribution of N1 million to fund Ohanaeze but regretted that all through his tenure only Enugu State Government was faithful and diligent in remitting its financial obligations to the Igbo body.
He regretted that other states were owing for many months but Gov. Okowa never contributed a dime to the organization except the N1million he gave us for our transportation on one occasion when we visited him.
Nwodo spoke on the topic, “Igbo Nation and the Rudderlessness of our Ship: The Big Elephant in the Room.”
Nwodo, while also reacting to the attempt of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to recruit Igbo political elite to support his presidential ambition in the light of the nationwide clamour and support for Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, said that all he feels for those Igbos supporting Atiku is pity.
“All I feel for all those Igbos, my state governor (including my brother Okwesilieze) now supporting Atiku to be President after 8 years of the presidency of another Fulani man when the entire Nigeria is saying that Peter Obi who happens to be Igbo is the best candidate in the race, is pity. But they are entitled to their opinion.”
My brother was a former National Chairman and Secretary of the PDP I can understand. But he was always with us campaigning for Igbo presidency. I can only imagine what was going through his head at that Wednesday Atiku campaign organisation launch. He must have been feeling very unease there because he knows in his mind what his position has been.”
Immediate-past Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, in July, featured on the maiden edition of Ikengaonline town hall; while the second edition featured a renowned Political Economist, Professor Pat Okedinachi Utomi in August.
Ikengaonline is a South-East-focused media platform, which aims at giving voice to citizens of the South-East, and parts of Rivers and Delta states, and highlight the challenges facing the region.
The monthly meetings are meant to discuss topical issues facing the South-East zone of Nigeria in particular, and the nation in general.
Guests joined the virtual meeting from all over the world during the event jointly anchored by Dr. Osmund Agbo and Dr Chido Onumah.
Ikengaonline is a publication of Ikenga Media and Cultural Awareness Initiative (IMCAI), a non-profit entity that seeks to promote positive socio-cultural values, accountability and good governance through media and public education.
Ikengaonline is part of the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability Project, a multi-level intervention for media independence and government accountability, managed by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) and supported by MacArthur Foundation.
