Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (OYC), Worldwide, on Tuesday cautioned the former Governor of old Anambra state, Senator Jim Nwobodo and an elder statesman, Mbazulike Amechi, to refrain from further embarrassing the zone in public domain.
Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, in a statement issued to journalists in Abakaliki, also signed by Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, Secretary General, of the group, retorted that Igbo youths were disappointed in the elderly statesmen show of shame in public.
Nwobodo and Amaechi have been on each other’s jugular following Amaechi’s claim that the South East Governors were weak in their duties.
Nwobodo who didn’t agree with the comment, defended the zone, stating that governors from the zone were agile to their constitutional mandates, his defense prompted Amaechi’s further attack on Nwobodo, which the former governor also responded to.
Ohanaze Youth Council frowned at the recent development, stating that the elderly statesmen have failed to provide leadership directions for the Igbo Nation based on their blessings of age and wealth of experience.
Stating that instead of emulating past Igbo leaders like Zik of Africa, Dim Odumegwu Chukwuemeka Ojukwu and Alex Ekwueme, Nwobodo and Amaechi allowed their selfish interest, and insatiable desire to push them into washing their dirty linens in public without recourse to Igbo Internal mechanisms and cultural processes of settling disputes privately.
“Since both respected Igbo elder statesmen have renewed their old unhealthy rivalry which began in early 80s, which can never be seen amongst their contemporaries from the North, West or Niger Delta, Igbo youths advice both elders to quietly retire from active politicking, speaking on behalf of Ndigbo without proper consultations, repent from their old fashioned ways, concentrate on their health, take responsibility and pray over their past mistakes and misdeeds that never brought good fortunes for Ndigbo during their prime-time careers in governance.
“We have uncovered untold sad memories and stories of these two elder statesmen from the history books of Igbo, their activities and roles which never changed the misfortunes of the Igbo since after the civil war. At 90 years and 80 years old, Igbo youths wish both of them happy retirement and we will facilitate their retirement benefits to avoid such show of shame in the future. Both Mbazulike Amaechi and Jim Nwobodo are not permitted to play any active role except for advisory services towards the 2023 project of Nigerian President of Igbo Extraction.”
“We wish to categorically warn that the future of Igbo Nation now lies in the hands of younger generation of Igbo that never participated in the civil war, and that the post civil war generation of Igbo are committed to changing the tactics and narratives of old fashioned ideas, even as they threatened that any elderly statesman who stands on the way of the youths will be severely punished and disciplined”, according to the statement.
