The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, an apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, has warned against using its name and platforms for political canvassing and patronage as well as personal gratification.
The Secretary General of the Organisation, Ambassador Okey Emuchay, gave the warning on Tuesday in Enugu.
He spoke at a press conference held at the Ohanaeze National Secretariat.
Emuchay said that those who went to see political authorities and stalwarts on the name of Ohanaeze went as private individuals not the National Executive Committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
According to him: “It is important for me to make this clarification in view of what has been trending in the media since last Thursday.”
The Secretary condemned those using the name of Ohanaeze for their personal and selfish enterprise, adding: “It has been turned into a kind of cottage industry.
“Some people are moving around, going from one place to the other, promising people that they would do this on behalf of the Igbo nation, using Ohanaeze’s name and platforms.
“To me, this is not acceptable and we call on those people to please cease using the name of Ohanaeze to extort money from members of the public.
“This is to say that the NEC of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide did not undertake any trip to the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Wike, last week.
“We had made efforts in the past to seek an audience with the Governor of Rivers State.
“For over two years, the late President-General, I and other stakeholders had to engage with prominent Nigerians whose names I am not here to disclose.
“The last effort was a letter I delivered via DHL to the Governor on January 18 this year to, among others, inform the him that the Deputy President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, High Chief Kroham Joel, had passed on.
“That his family had fixed a date for the funeral in his village in Ahoda West Local Government Area of Rivers State.
“I have not received any response to that letter till date.”
On the issue of Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the Secretary said that Ohanaeze had a court order that was issued on March 10, 2023, adding that it was a restraining order on him and three others.
He said: “The Legal Department of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide is doing the needful and in the next few days, that process will be completed.
“I want to say once more that Ohanaeze has no faction.”
Emuchay noted that the Ohanaeze has appealed to Igbo people to come out en masse for the March 18 Governorship and State Assembly Elections in various states within the country.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide pleads with our people wherever they reside in Nigeria to remain law abiding and troop out on Saturday, March 18 to exercise their civic responsibility,” he added.