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Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has been ratified as the new President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, before May 29.
Iwuanyanwu, who will complete the tenure of Prof George Obiozor, who took office on January 10, 2021, but died on December 26, 2022, said: “It is also important to note that the judiciary has discharged and freed Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“It will be the joy of many Igbo people and Nigerians to see Mazi Nnamdi Kalu released from detention.
“There is also a report that his health is deteriorating. I feel it is important that he is released to have access to his medical doctors so that he does not die in prison,” Iwuanyanwu said.
According to the 80-year-old, having carefully examined the circumstances of Ndigbo, he would also focus on education, agriculture, industrialisation, electricity, power generation and health.
The Ohanaeze leader vowed to ensure that the Southeast gets an additional state, the region being the only region with five.
He said: “Several political conferences have recommended the creation of an additional state in the Southeast to bring the number to six. So far, this has not been actualised.
“I will make sure that during my tenure, an additional state is created for the Southeast.”
Iwuanyanwu, who described his emergence as leader of Ohanaeze Ndìgbò as a remarkable day in his life, said he did not nurture the ambition to be the President General of Ohanaeze.
“Instead, I had the ambition of becoming the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said. “I contested for the Presidency on three occasions but I did not succeed.
“I took my losses in good composure knowing full well that as a Christian, all powers and promotion come from God.
“But today (Sunday), destiny has placed squarely on my shoulders the duty of leading the Igbos as the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
“I, therefore, have a duty to valiantly defend the Igbo course and I promise Ime-Obi and all Igbo people that by the grace of God I will not fail them,” he said.
Peoplesmind
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