Ohanaeze Ndigbo, C-River Chapter Elects New Exco

• High Chief Udoemena leads 11-member Executives

BY UBON EKANEM, CALABAR – After more than one year of operating an interim arrangement, no thanks to COVID-19 pandemic, the Cross River State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has finally elected an eleven member executive committee to manage its affairs for the next four years

Picked to lead the apex Igbo cultural organization in the South South state as its President is High Chief Festus Udoemena. Udoemena won the presidency by polling a total of 25 votes in a keenly contested election.

He defeated Nze Emmanuel Eze Obi who amassed 21 votes while Chief Maduka Okafor placed third in the race with 16 votes.

A total of 62 delegates were accredited for the exercise held at Ikom Local Government Area during the organization’s quadrennial delegates’ conference chaired by the Eze Ndigbo of Cross River, Sir Emmanuel Ezenwenyi

Also in attendance were all Chapters’ presidents of Igbo communities in the 18 local government areas of the state.

In his post-election speech, the new president, High Chief Festus Udoemena, urged all Igbos in the state to shun acts of disunity while striving for peace and harmony for their overall good and well-being.

Stressing the need for unity among them, Udoemena said internal cohesiveness, both in spirit and their actions, will create a conducive atmosphere for the Igbos to achieve set goals and objectives as an enterprising people.

He said with the cooperation of Ohanaeze members, alongside all the Igbo community chapters across the state, a befitting State secretariat will soon be constructed to serve as a symbol of unity and pride for all Igbos in the state.

Furthermore, he pledged that due process would be followed in all engagements and activities undertaken by the new Executive, adding that transparency and accountability to the people would always be their watchword in every decision taken.

The new President, who also extended his hands of fellowship to the entire Igbos in Cross River to see themselves as an indivisible family, lauded the traditional institutions in the state for their brotherly love and hospitality towards the Igbos.

According to him, this is clearly evident in the progress and expansion of various business activities embarked upon by Igbo indigenes residing in the state.

In his remarks, the Eze Ndigbo, Cross River and Father of the Day, Sir Emmanuel Ezenwenyi, urged the new Executives to learn from the mistakes of previous leadership by not only being accountable to the people, but also adopting measures that unify the Igbos irrespective of their different states of origin.

Sir Ezenwenyi said his over 50 years experience living in the State has proven that Cross Riverians are very accommodating and peace loving, adding that it is therefore incumbent on the Igbos to reciprocate such kind gesture at all times by respecting the host community’s culture and tradition.

He also noted with a deep sense of appreciation efforts by the Kekura Ekpache Nkome Kingdom in Ikom local government that ensured the ugly face of #EndSARS protest did not surfaced in area.

The Eze Ndigbo appreciated the people for rising up in large numbers to protect various businesses of the people, especially that of stranger elements, against wanton destruction that occurred during the protest.

Speaking with newsmen, President General of Kekura Ekpache Nkome Kingdom, Comrade Frances Bajor Ndifon said their moves at ensuring the #EndSARS protest did not turn violent in Ikom was based on the need to protect the area being the State’s economic and commercial nerve centre.

He explained that with about 95 per cent of the infrastructure and developmental projects in the area privately-driven and owned, it would have been wrong allowing hoodlums to hijack the #EndSARS protest and go after individual businesses and property.

Comrade Ndifon said such destruction would have negated the #EndSARS campaign’s laudable cause which was mainly to express public anger against police brutality.