Splinter Ohanaeze backs N500b suit against CAC, considers reconciling groups

A member of Ohanaeze Ndigbo splinter group, Emejulu Okpalaezeukwu Okpaalaukwu, has backed the N500b suit instituted by its General Assembly led by Basil Onyeachonam Onuorah against the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for withdrawal of its registration certificate.

The CAC had reportedly withdrawn the splinter group’s certificate of registration, claiming that it registered the body in error.But the splinter group, which named traditional ruler of Igbariam, Igwe Nkelly Nzekwe Kelly as its Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), claimed that the registration of the General Assembly had deposed the Chief Nnia Nwodo-led executive, as he (Nwodo) could not register Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

Angered by the development, Onuorah argued that the CAC did not have the right to withdraw a certificate of incorporation because the provisions of the law were clear on such issues.

Backing the decision to sue the CAC, Okpalaezeukwu, a former Assistant National Publicity Secretary of the group, dismissed the commission’s withdrawal of its certificate, describing such action as illegal, null and void. He noted that Ohanaeze Integrity Group had decided to work with the Igbo Patriots who registered General Assembly in January this year.

Okpalaezeukwu however, said the Imeobi Ohanaeze, Ebubeagu Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Ohanaeze Integrity Group should reconcile the two groups by setting up key members of Imeobi. He suggested drafting Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife and Ibe Nwosu to work with the groups and facilitate meetings that would come up with a reformed, restructured and harmonised Ohanaeze Ndigbo so that when Nwodo’s tenure ends by January next year, the President General’s slot would be open to aspirants from Imo State.

Meanwhile, Onuorah pledged to revive the Igbo Day, which has failed to hold under Nwodo. He said the Igbo Day, being an annual event held to situate the plight of Ndigbo and other developments in the past, present and future, as they affect the South East states at home and in The Diaspora, would hold in September.

Speaking in an interview with The Guardian, he lamented that the Igbo Day had not been celebrated since 2017 under the Nwodo-led National Executive Committee, attributing the failure to purported loss of confidence on his leadership by the South East governors, who stopped him from accessing monthly subventions.

According to Onuorah, the new group under his watch would use the 2020 edition of Igbo Day to address the security challenges and genuine agitations of Ndigbo worldwide.

“The ongoing killings in our villages by unknown intruders is an indication that security agencies have compromised and reneged on their constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property of our people,” he stated.