Youth Wing Suspends Nwodo as Ohanaeze President General

The Youth Wing of the apex Igbo Socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo on Sunday announced the suspension of the organisation's President General, Chief John Nnia Nwodo.

The latest stance of the youth group said to have long been disbanded by the parent body has further deepened the disagreement that is gradually building up in the socio-cultural body.

The suspension which was contained in a statement sent to journalists  in Enugu was signed by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, President, Ohanaeze Youth Wing; Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, Secretary General, Ohanaeze Youth Wing;  Obinna Adibe,
National PRO, Ohanaeze Youth wing, and one Chief Hon. (Mrs.) Calista N. Adimachukwu, President General,  Ohanaeze Igbo Women Organisation.

The youth wing had last week passed a no confidence vote on Nwodo and also served him a seven-day ultimatum to appear before a disciplinary committee to answer allegations levelled against him which mainly bothers on running a one-man show, lack of transparency and engaging in partisanship.

However, instead of responding to the issues raised by the group, tje parent body announced that elections would be conducted for the disbanded Ohanaeze Youth Wing and Ohanaeze Women Wing on April 20 and 21 respectively.

Apparently irked by the position of the organisation, the Youth Wing led by Isiguzoro announced that with 7-Day ultimatum given Dr. Nnia Nwodo having  expired without him responding as directed, they had no other option than to suspend him from office.

"Having failed to appear before the 7 man panel to clear himself of all the weighty gross breaches of office and constitution of Ohanaaeze Ndigbo, we take the Investigative Panel’s submission that by so doing he seems to have nothing to prove wrongs as catalogued against him by Ohanaeze Youth Wing; Chief Nnia Nwodo is hereby suspended and should not be seen around Ohanaeze Ndigbo secretariat nor operate by proxy! He remains suspended!

"That Nwodo’s Ohanaeze Ndigbo-misrepresented are now calling for elections in both Ohanaeze Youth and Women wings with promising threats of selling forms to gullible aspirants is another political mischief showing gross case of maladministration and intolerance of opposing views with the sole intent to dismember the youth and women wings, more. .

"While this remains condemnable, we shall resist this Nwodo’s sham with the last drops of our bloods till Ohanaeze Ndigbo is rescued and reorganized with a National Acting Steering Committee in-charge and we call upon the Igbo leaders of thoughts especially the matured minds and notable Ime Obi, Ohanaeze leaders namely Prof Ben Nwabueze, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, Dr. Dozie Ikedife, Prof Amuche Azi, Dr. Kate Onwe, Chief Ralph Obioha, Chief Obi Nwaka, Engr. Isaac Wowu, Richard Ozobu, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu to come to Ohanaze Ndigbo’s rescue".

In a swift reaction, Nwodo, who spoke through his Media Adviser, Chief Emeka Attamah, dismissed the suspension as a huge joke, wondering who between the main body and the youth wing has the authorities to suspend each other.