Buhari, Ekweremadu hail Nwodo’s emergence as Ohanaeze President-General

… Caretaker group kicks

By Abdullahi N. Gulloma Abuja, Raphael Ede, Enugu

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated John Nwodo on his election as the President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, the pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation.
According to a statement from the presidency, “President Buhari believes that Mr. Nwodo is eminently qualified for the job given his long years of distinguished service to the nation, which includes, Minister of Civil Aviation in the Second Republic under President Shehu Shagari and Minister of Information and Culture during the administration of General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
“As Mr. Nwodo prepares to settle down with his team to implement his vision for Ohaneze Ndigbo, the President appeals to Ndi Igbo as well as the wider community of Nigerians to support the new leadership to fulfil their mandate in these challenging times.

“President Buhari looks forward to working with the new leadership, and assures Ohaneze Ndigbo that his administration will continue to be a partner-in-progress in implementing suggestions, measures and programmes to advance the unity, development and prosperity of Nigeria.
“The President wishes the Mr. Nwodo-led Ohaneze Ndigbo a peaceful and prosperous tenure.”
Also the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has hailed the election of  the former Minister  of Information, Chie John Nnia Nwodo, as the  President-General of Ohanaeze  Ndigbo.
Reacting to Tuesday’s election of the pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation,  Ekweremadu described Nnia  Nwodo as a cerebral intellectual with well established contacts across Nigeria  and beyond, hence capable of helping Ndigbo to regain lost ground.
He said: “I congratulate  Chief Nnia Nwodo and his team on their emergence. I have  confidence in their  ability to further reposition the apex Igbo socio-cultural  organisation and  relaunch Ndigbo to a higher reckoning in the country, while  also working with  other parts of the nation for the overall development of  Nigeria.

“I expect them to work with  the Igbo civil society, the diaspora community, town unions,  governments,  political elites, and other parts of the country to bring  out the best of the  famed Igbo resourcefulness, intellect, and collectivism for  the social, economic, and political transformation of Igbo Land and  Nigeria”.
Ekweremadu, who commended  Ohanaeze for a rancour-free election, also tasked the new  officers on an  all-inclusive administration that accommodates and utilises  the capacities of  those who contested against them.
He equally congratulated  the newly elected executive of the Enugu State chapter of  Ohanaeze Ndigbo led   by Hon. Alex Chiedozie Ogbonnia.
He described Hon. Ogbonnia  as a capable hand and social mobiliser,urging him to  further boost the  presence, scope, and efforts of Ohanaeze in Enugu State.