The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has reaffirmed its commitment to uniting Igbo by inaugurating a peace, reconciliation, and dispute resolution committee to address conflicts within the organisation.

The National Publicity Secretary, Dr Ezechukwu Ezechi, stated this while speaking to journalists about the resolutions reached at the National Executive Council meeting in Enugu on Friday.

 He stated that the peace committee would investigate the causes of crises within the organisation across various levels to ensure lasting reconciliation among factions.

 The committee will be led by a former Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide President-General, Gary Igariwey, who is expected to bring his experience to resolving lingering disputes.

 The executive council also adopted a working document and handover notes from a former President-General, Ozichukwu Chukwu, to guide the new administration.

Mr Ezechi emphasised that the council approved several committees to help the President-General, Senator Azuta Mbata, provide effective and result-oriented leadership for the organisation.

 Additionally, the council established a committee to launch a “professorial endowment chair” across the states of the South-East geopolitical zone.

 “This committee will focus on research and development in Igbo language, culture, and tradition to preserve and promote the rich heritage of Ndigbo,” Mr Ezechi said.

 He stressed the importance of Igbo telling their own history, warning that without a structured mechanism, their language and traditions could face extinction.

 He stated, “If our language disappears, our worldview, belief system, and social life will also vanish,” urging collective efforts in cultural preservation.

 He highlighted that research outputs from the professorial endowment chair would be maximised to enhance academic scholarship on Igbo identity and heritage.

 “These outputs will serve as evidence of efforts to solidify the identity of Ndigbo within Nigeria’s socio-political landscape through academic and intellectual contributions,” he said.

 According to him, the committee will collaborate with Igbo language scholars and academics across various institutions to advance the study and preservation of the language.

Mr Ezechi also praised the leadership of Mr Mbata expressing confidence that his experience would bring a dynamic transformation to Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.

(NAN)