The youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has endorsed elder statesman and Chairman of Ohanaeze Elders’ Council, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, as the organisation’s next president-general.

The financial secretary, Ohanaeze Youth Worldwide, Chinedu Arthur-Ugwa, said this while addressing newsmen on the outcome of a meeting of the youths and Iwuanyanwu in Owerri, on Saturday.

He commended the leadership of Ohanaeze, the apex socio-cultural organisation of the Igbo people, for its efforts to replace the organisation’s immediate past president-general, Prof. George Obiozor, now late.

He said that Iwuanyanwu’s endorsement by the youth wing was borne out of a sincere conviction that he was the right person to steer the sheep of the Igbo nation to the safest waters.

According to him, Iwuanyanwu’s leadership will usher in a period of positive development in Igbo land in the areas of education, sports, security and economic emancipation, among others.

He added that there was need for all well-meaning sons and daughters of Igbo land to support his emergence.

“Iwuanyanwu is an experienced, accomplished technocrat and businessman.

“Having interacted with him, we can assure you that with him as President-General, Igbo land will experience the dawn of positive development.

“With him as apex leader, we’ll be able to challenge our people who are not doing well in government and hold government to account for grassroots development.

“To set the records straight, he is not yet the President-General, as against permutations in some quarters, because due process has to be followed before his emergence,” he said.

He further called on those fanning the embers of discord in Ohanaeze through factional leanings to desist forthwith and join hands with the leadership of the organisation to move the Igbo nation forward.

“Ohanaeze has no factional elders council, no factional leadership. Some persons want us to believe that there are factions but that is not true.

“There is an existing court order restricting everyone from using the name of Ohanaeze to make press statements, except the national publicity secretary, Chief Alex Ogbonnia and secretary-general, Chief Okey Emuche.

“We call on those with dissenting voices to desist forthwith and come together in the interest of the Igbo nation because we are one family and we cannot afford to be divided,” he said.

He, however, urged the federal government to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to enable him to access proper healthcare.

This, he said, would contribute to peace in the land.

(NAN)