The Great Transition: Ndigbo, Alaigbo And Ohanaeze Ndigbo; Udodi
The sight of the photograph showing the handing over of the instruments of authority of Ohanaeze Ndigbo from Nze Fidelis Ozichukwu Chukwu of Imo state as immediate past President-General to Senator John Azuta Mbata of Rivers state is in the main, one of the greatest events in Alaigbo since after the civil war in 1970.
By Steve Nwabuko.
The sight of the photograph showing the handing over of the instruments of authority of Ohanaeze Ndigbo from Nze Fidelis Ozichukwu Chukwu of Imo state as immediate past President-General to Senator John Azuta Mbata of Rivers state is in the main, one of the greatest events in Alaigbo since after the civil war in 1970.
Never has Igbo people been this united by the instrumentality of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to transit the reins of authority of Igbo leadership to all the seven homogenous and non homogeneous Igbo States of Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Rivers state in the spirit of "Onye aghala Nwanneya and Egbe bere, Ugo bere" as core values of Igbo cosmology, ethos and rigorous integration strategy in unity and love for all Igbo species worldwide.
Irrespective of the shortcomings of the January 10th, 2025 Ohanaeze Ndigbo election, the emergence of Senator John Azuta Mbata from the Igbo stock of Rivers state shows great sensitivity, flexibility sensibility and stability of the Igbo race in the comity of global nationalities of Nation-states.
The sublime dexterity, maturity, security and sagacity by which the six Governors arrived at accord Concordia in unanimously endorsing on non partisan basis, the election of Distinguished Senator John Azuta Mbata as the current President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo is highly commendable, respectable and dignifying for the Igbo race worldwide.
Great commendations also goes to our forebears that formed Ohanaeze Ndigbo way back in 1976 as that action has deliberately reversed the intended eternal bifurcation of Ndigbo by the Federalists whose twelve states creation structure in 1967 was targeted at undermining, demeaning and defeating Igbo unity by political surrogacy.
What Ohanaeze Ndigbo has achieved between 1976 to 2025 (49 years) is to pull Igbo back to pre 1966 exultant artifice of Igbo industry, resilience, discovery, strength and togetherness to reinvent Ndigbo in readiness for a new vista of Igbo greatness at the dawn of the 21st century.
Going down memory lane, Igbo race did not abandon it's son, Colonel Chukwuma Patrick Kaduna Nzeogwu from Okpanam, Delta State, who led a dastardly military putsch against the Federal Republic of Nigeria, without the knowledge or support of Ndigbo, but which coup of January 1966, set Igbo race against the rest of Nigeria.
Igbo land was completely trampled, pummelled and recklessly destroyed by the Federal Government of Nigeria armed forces with the support of Britain and the former Soviet Union between 1967 to 1970. Igbo race became displaced, dislodged, disengaged and discredited from mainstream Nigeria political, military, economic and bureaucratic architecture since 1970 till date.
But by the machinery of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Igbos in Delta state(Anioma) had received the baton of Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership when distinguished technocrat Chief Ralph Uwechue of Igbo extraction from Delta state became the third President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and used his tenure to unite Igbos in Delta State(Anioma) with the rest of IGBO race to the glory of God.
Today, many Igbo from the South East go to Anioma to buy land, build and live there without harassment or molestation of any kind in living together in unity and love.
It is every one's wish that Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership which has now come to Igbos in Rivers State as stipulated in the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Constitution, will achieve for Alaigbo and Ndigbo what Chief Ralph Uwechue did in consciously, intentionally, steadfastly, and conscientiously achieved in bringing Igbo in Delta State and the rest of the Igbo Nation together.
Nigeria cannot reunite IGBO but only Ndigbo can reunite themselves which Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership has achieved in post civil war Nigeria. When some politicians from other parts of Nigeria denigrate IGBO by saying that Igbos are not united, they do not mean that we hate or fight each other, rather they are reminding us that they have divided us by 1967 through dubious states creation exercise and believe IGBO can never be together or united again.
To the glory of God, Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership has put a lie to the thoughts of those that want Igbos divided, diminished, discredited and despondent.
Finally, this picture showing the out gone President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nze Fidelis Ozichukwu Chukwu, handing over the reins of authority of Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership to a new Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General, Senator John Azuta Mbata, of Igbo extraction in Rivers State bears great symbolisms to:
*Surety of total Igbo race unity.
*Reinvention of Igbo global identity.
*Redefinition of Igbo egalitarianism, equity and fair play.
*Reemergence of Igbo industrial and economic take off in the 21st century.
Distinguished Senator John Azuta Mbata must ensure that these broad objectives are captured in his daily leadership itenary in the next four years as President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
Distinguished Senator John Azuta Mbata should begin the process of reinventing Ohanaeze Ndigbo through:
(i) New constitution drafting for Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
(ii) Restructuring of the apparatuses of Ohanaeze Ndigbo administrative machinery for effective and efficient service delivery.
(iii) Engagement of prominent Igbo scholars and academia to help him rediscover new frontiers of Igbo integration politically, economically, socially and otherwise.
(iv) Identification and reintegration of IGBO in other states of Nigeria beyond the seven largest holdings of Igbo population.
(v) Inclusiveness of Igbo women and youths in reengineering Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership impetus and societal coherence.
(vi) Audit the accounts of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and establish a new and modern Accounting Reporting system to enable Diaspora Igbo trust and contribute funds to Ohanaeze Ndigbo for home land development.
(vii) Enforce an Annual General Meeting (AGM) procedure every December of the year at which the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo will render records of his performance and stewardship to Ndigbo.
As we celebrate Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership today, may our generation bequeath a stronger, better, efficient and rapid responding Ohanaeze Ndigbo to build upon for the eternal survival of the IGBO race.
God bless Ndigbo!
God bless Alaigbo.
God bless Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
God bless Nigeria.
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