The apex Igbo socio-cultural organiation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has thrown its weight behind President Bola Tinubu’s action to suspend the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, over alleged N585 million fraud.
Ohanaeze also berated the Acting National Youth Leader of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mr. Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu for asking Tinubu, to give Edu another chance by reinstating her to her office.
Okpalaezeukwu has said in a press release that the allegations against the embattled minister should be overlooked by President Tinubu, saying, “administrative infelicity and not a financial heist since the Accountant General had confirmed that she did not honour the payment.”
Reacting, in a statement issued at the weekend by its National Public Relations Secretary, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, Ohanaeze said, “The press release on the Betta Edu by Okpalaezeukwu fails woefully by all standards of logic, common sense, rhyme, reason, interests and all the known norms and traditions of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.”
It read, “The attention of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has been drawn to a reckless press release credited to the Acting National Youth Leader of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mr. Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu to the effect that “Betta Edu, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation should be given the benefit of doubt until the series of investigations into her involvement in the alleged N588 million financial wrongdoing proves her to be complicit”. The Youth qualified the allegations against Edu as an “administrative infelicity and not a financial heist since the Accountant General had confirmed that she did not honour the payment.”
“In the first place, the press release on the Betta Edu by Okpalaezeukwu fails woefully by all standards of logic, common sense, rhyme, reason, interests and all the known norms and traditions of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. In other words, the press release is extremely impetuous, imprudent, unreflective, despicable, harebrained, intolerable and at variance with the philosophy of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
“The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide Chief Engr. Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, MFR; OFR; CFR; FNICE; FNSE; FNIST; KSG (Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo) has expressed his disgust over the press release by Okpalaezeukwu.
“The Igbo Leader explained that the Igbo credo is anchored on hard work, resourcefulness, transparency, equity, fairness and an enabling environment for the Igbo ingenuity and entrepreneurship to find full expressions in Nigeria. He therefore wondered why Okpalaezeukwu would dabble into the activities of the anti-corruption agencies as it affects Edu.
“Once more, emphasis is made that Ohanaeze Ndigbo represents the history, emotions and consciousness of the Igbo; and that Ohanaeze serves as the Igbo sacred temple which should not, by any stretch of imagination, be desecrated upon by youthful rascality, imprudence and perversions. It is, therefore, highly inconceivable that a young man would wake up and issue a press release in the name of Ohanaeze Ndigbo with neither clearance nor consultations with the leadership.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide lends unalloyed support to President Bola Tinubu commitment to fight corruption, insurgency, banditry and other forms of insecurity in Nigeria; and vehemently dissociates itself from the Okpalaaezeukwu youthful exuberance.”
