Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has dismissed claims that the Igbo group is enmeshed in leadership crisis following the sudden death of its former President-General Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.
The spokesman of the socio-cultural organisation, Dr Alex Ogbonnia in a statement on Friday said the claims are false.
Ogbonnia said, “There is no leadership row or tussle in Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide at present and there is not likely to be one in the near future.”
Speaking further, Ogbonnia stated that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of Ohanaeze Ndigbo which is made up of professionals from all walks of life is currently in charge of the functions of the group.
According to Ogbonnia, the activities of the group are being managed seamlessly by the appropriate structures under the administrative competence of the Secretary-General, Okey Emuchay.
He added, “Iwuanyanwu passed quietly on July 25 and it is very ill-advised and strange for an Igbo to begin to claim the position of the president general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, even when the burial committee for Iwuanyanwu is yet to be constituted.
“There is a letter in circulation that Dr Jackson Omenazu was nominated or selected to replace late Joel Kroham, who until his death was the Deputy President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
“However, such a letter was not made available to the NEC of Ohanaeze Ndigbo,” Ogbonnia said.
He also noted that it would be insensitive for the group’s NEC to adopt a replacement of Kroham based on a mere letter from Rivers State.
This, he said, was especially so when many of them were very ambivalent and “sceptical about their Igboness”.