The apex Igbo social-cultural group and the mouthpiece of Ndigbo in Lagos, Ohanaeze Ndigbo in its entirety has refuted the news making around the social media by his opposition claiming that 99% of the people who called for the press conference against Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the coming election are not members of Ohanaeze.
In a press conference held on Monday 28th of February at Ohanaeze secretariat, Lagos. The President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos state, Chief Solomon Ogbonna expressed sadness over the raging controversies emanating from Mr. John Uche, Eze Nwanchukwu and others who he described as disgruntled members.
According to Chief Solomon Ogbonna, the Lagos State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo demanded a two-year tenure extension for the current executive committee (exco) over litigation that lasted throughout his administration and the outbreak of the pandemic which led to global lockdown.
Solomon told journalists that the decision for the two years tenure extension became necessary so as to enable him complete his good work and take his time to find someone that will be fit to be the next President, a president that will continue the good work he started and take Ohanaeze Ndigbo to greater heights.
Solomon and his executives maintained that the national executive committee (exco) Enugu, doesn’t have the right to conduct any election in Lagos State chapter. Reacting further Solomon said the press conference held by some members of the organisation a few days ago is null and void, as the majority of them are not members of Ohanaeze and that the elders and members of the organisation agreed that the tenure of the current exco is extended by two years.
Ogbonna stressed that his administration has been disrupted by long litigation, pointing out that since he assumed office on the 16th of July, 2018, he had been in court and in spite of that and the outbreak of the pandemic his regime has performed beyond expectations and has also spent millions on the court case.
Consequently, he demanded an apology from the media for holding a press conference with non members of Ohanaeze.
"I was elected on the 16th of June 2018 and there was a serious problem before the election. The immediate past president conducted the election and Enugu came from the head quarter to nullify the election and since then there has been different fractions of Ohanaeze both registered and unregistered that has produced about 3 presidents from different fractions in Lagos. Infact they called my own leadership a fraction and took me to court and since then we have been in court till date.
"Now we are about to finish the 4years tenure and the Enugu chapter wants to intrude again by conducting the election in Lagos State and we say no because that is what caused the problem that they have not been able to solve. Infact at a time they made it clear that if Enugu chapter can no longer follow up the case they would hands-off the case and if I danced to their tune the opposition will definitely win the case. So I had to bring my lawyer into the system including our legal adviser and since then we have been in the court till date.
"Enugu chapter are so interested in the forms they are coming to sell, they want to impose another president on the people despite all the good works that I have done.
"Firstly, for over 20years Ohanaeze Ndigbo was like a wondering spirit, it had no address where you can find any of your member except a meeting date is announced. I used my discretion, and with my efforts we have been able to secure this Secretariat were we are today. If you want to start counting what I have done to make Ohanaeze Ndigbo famous from digital to analogue we will not leave here today.
"So let me go straight to the point.
"Our constitution stipulates for years in the office of the president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, however there are situations where the elders can consider extension of tenure because they made laws themselves.
"Firstly, I have been in the court for 4years and spent millions of naira to put my position and executives intact and secondly the pandemic came and everything was on hold. We therefore ask for two more years to put things in order so as to enable me look for someone who will be fit to be the next President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos and who will be capable to continue the good work. This is all we ask for.
"Yesterday we had a meeting with over 150 members and we all have one voice that they should give me more time to get someone who will be able to take Ohanaeze to a better level because what they have been doing in Ohanaeze for the past 20 years is an eyesore, you can't see the media gathering here in their number to talk about Ohanaeze. They don't pay media, they don't even know what media can do neither do they know the benefits of the media but I can tell you that I have put in millions of naira in the media to make sure Ohanaeze Ndigbo is known all over the world. Today everyone knows about Ohanaeze, this is the first time Ohanaeze is close to the government of the day in Lagos State because of the relationship between me and the governor of Lagos State.
"This is the first time that the major markets in Lagos State that are controlled by the Ndigbos have not been shut due to one problem or the other. Before now you here that markets were shut down for several months and the owners have goods worth millions of naira in those shops. Especially, Ladipo, Alaba International Market, Balogun, Mandelas and other major markets controlled by the Igbos but due to the relationship between Ndigbos and the government of Lagos State things have changed for good. So we don't want anyone that will come in to come and destroy that relationship that we have built.
"Now the opposition holding different press conference are those who wants us to go back to Egypt where they go to a place and they give them N50,000 they will all fight themselves and tear each other's clothes. When it's time for election everyone of them will load themselves in a bus, going about and begging for money. My administration has changed all that, those are part of the discipline I put in place. Politicians have to look for us not we looking for them. I have never gone to any politician rather they come to me. Those who say they will never allow that are the ones trying to stop me and I say no to that, the Igbos in Lagos State are the ones causing problems for themselves.
"Imagine Eze Nwanchukwu and John Uche holding a press conference. John Uche is someone that has committed an unpardonable offence at the head quarter and he has been suspended. He can't go to Enugu and stand up to talk in any of the meetings. The council of elders suspended him in present of most of the media people but most people don't know. So whatever conference they held against Ohanaeze or the election is null and void. Eze Nwanchukwu and others that called for press conference are Igbo speaking member not Ohanaeze and he is not a member of those in council. Kanu Ugwu was also suspended two months after I came into power because of his dubious act and we told him that as a member of Ohanaeze anyone that is between 55 and 60years and is not married as a man will not be our member. That's part of Kanu Ugwu's offence. We told him to give us the estimate of how much it will cost him to get married but he did not respond and he was suspended.
99% of the people who called for press conference against Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the coming election are not members of Ohanaeze.
"The Media should correct themselves by apologizing to Ohanaeze Ndigbo for holding a press conference with people that are not members of the union. You can be a member of Ohanaeze by birth but not to intervene in the constitution. This is a socio-cultural organization, Enugu chapter is not registered and we are not a franchise.
"So you cannot come from Enugu and tell us who is who in Lagos. They tried the same thing in Abuja and it didn't work so why Lagos? Above all the relationship I have built in Lagos must stand. In another word I'm saying that we cannot allow a former chairman of PDP in Enugu state to come and conduct election in Lagos State because that will turn everything to PDP vs APC. The problem they have is that they believe Solomon Ogbonna will carry the Igbos to APC. The fact that I told my people that as we are living in Lagos we need to protect our interest by embracing the government of the day is the offence I have committed. They cannot remove me or raise anybody against me because I'm supporting APC." Solomon said.
One of the executive members, Chief Thomson Ohia said; "To buttress what our president has said, yesterday we had an extraordinary emergency general meeting and it was agreed that Enugu chapter cannot come here to conduct an election. Enugu chapter has never conducted Lagos State election, rather they come as observers and that is our stand. Secondly we are demanding for extra two years because of the court problems and the pandemic. Meanwhile we have not even written to Enugu chapter to invite them that the tenure is over. So what's the noise all about?"
Those in attendance, include Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, President of Ohanaeze Lagos, Dr. Femi Donferguson, former acting President of Ohanaeze Lagos, Chief Thompson Ohia, ex-officio member, Mazi Kelvin Okereke, Public Relations Officer (PRO) and other dignitaries.
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