THE highest Igbo socio-cultural organisation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Tuesday expelled its Secretary-General, Uche Okwukwu.
It also sacked former youth wing president, Okechukwu Isiguzoro.
National Publicity Secretary, Uche Achi-Okpaga, said in a statement that the duo’s expulsion was endorsed by ‘Imeobi’, Ohanaeze Ndigbo highest decision-making organ.
The statement reads: “The highest decision making organ of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Imeobi, has endorsed the expulsion of its long-estranged Secretary-General, Mr Uche Okwukwu, and the former President of the Youth Wing, Mr Okechukwu Isiguzoro, from Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
“In a motion moved by Chief Damian Okeke, the President of the Anambra Chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo at the recently concluded meeting of Imeobi, he stated that both Uche Okwukwu and Okechukwu Isiguzoro now constitute an unmitigated embarrassment to the organisation through their actions and utterances and should be expelled.
“Okeke gave an instance of Okwukwu’s intransigence in his repudiation of the unanimously adopted stand of Ndigbo to endorse the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 presidential elections, former Vice-President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Mr Peter Obi, and his unguarded utterances against the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
“He also recounted how Okwukwu invaded Ohanaeze NEC (National Executive Council) meeting with truckloads of fierce-looking and battle-ready mobile policemen and insisted he was still the National Secretary-General even after he had been suspended, to the utter consternation of NEC members.”
On Isiguzoro, the statement said Okeke enumerated several times Isiguzoro issued press statements that were in contrary to Ohanaeze Ndigbo’s position.
He allegedly issued thee statements long after he had ceased to be the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing, his tenure having expired more than three years ago.
“Seconding the motion, the Deputy National Treasurer, Chief Eric Ebeh, concurred that the two persons constitute an embarrassing nuisance to Ohanaeze Ndigbo and should be expelled to avoid further intemperate actions from them.
“Chief Ebeh added that both Okwukwu and Isiguzoro should be warned to desist from parading themselves as members of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
“In a unanimous decision, the Imeobi of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide approved the expulsion of Messers Uche Okwukwu and Okechukwu Isiguzoro and asked members of the public to discountenance any further press releases and utterances from the discredited individuals.”

By Chris Oji