The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, a premier Igbo socio-cultural organisation, has formally disowned Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, erstwhile acting President of its Youth Wing, characterising him as “persona non grata”.
This designation signifies that Okpalaezeukwu is no longer deemed suitable to represent the organisation due to his perceived unfaithfulness, unworthiness, and maladjustment to Ohanaeze’s fundamental values.
However, the Ohanaeze Youth Wing has faulted the pronouncement.
In a public disclaimer issued on Wednesday and signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, advised the public and the general populace to maintain a distance from Mr Okpalaezeukwu.
The organisation warned that any interactions or transactions with him pertaining to Ohanaeze matters would be undertaken at one’s own risk.
Furthermore, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide announced the reinstatement of Mr. Damian Okafor as the National President of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing, thereby replacing Mr. Okpalaezeukwu in this position.
The statement partly read, “The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide wishes to inform the general public that Mr Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, the erstwhile acting National Youth Leader of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has long been directed to revert to his position as the Secretary- General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Youth Wing.
“The directive was contained in a letter to Okpalaezeukwu, dated July 24, 2024, by Ambassador Okey Emuchay, the Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
“In asking Okpalaezeukwu to revert to his position, Emuchay admonished; “you are aware that there exist positions above you in the hierarchy of the organisation but you were granted a privilege to act as the Youth Leader for several months.
“It is worthy of note that, earlier before the letter to Okpalaezeukwu, the former President General, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, had written a letter of reinstatement as the National Youth Leader to Mr Damian Okafor, after an official visit to Ebonyi State. The National Executive Committee (NEC) of Ohanaeze was also briefed.”
The statement stated that the NEC of Ohanaeze was astonished that even after Okpalaezeukwu had been relieved of the position of the acting National Youth Leader, “it appears that another ‘Ohanaeze’ monster has been created.”
But reacting in a communique issued shortly after its emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee of the Ohanaeze Youth Wing held at the National Secretariat, on Friday, insisted that Okpalaezeukwu remained their leader.
The communique read by the publicity secretary, Chika Art-Adiele, was endorsed by 23 out of 24 NEC members of the youth wing maintained that until the election was held to elect another leader of the group from Ebonyi State, Okpalaezeukwu remained their acting national leader.