The South-South zone of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has pledged to preserve the legacies of the organisation’s late president-general, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.

The zone’s coordinator, Frank Nwandu, said this while speaking with newsmen in Owerri, on Saturday, following the burial of the elder statesman and business mogul.

Mr Nwandu, who is also the association’s president in Delta,  described the late Iwuanyanwu as a rallying point for the Igbos and promised to ensure that his dreams of preserving the Igbo heritage remained the same.

He recalled efforts made by the late Igbo leader to revive the zonal leadership of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

He pledged to work with all South-South leaders, while synergising with leaders across all regions to promote regional cooperation and achieve the lofty goals of the organisation.

“Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu was not called Ahaejiagamba for no reason.

 “He was our rallying point and we will therefore ensure that his legacies which include holistic efforts to achieve the lofty goals of Ohanaeze Ndigbo will not go down the drain,” he said.

Also speaking, the coordinator, South-South youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chinedu Arthur-Ugwa, commended the zone’s  youths for coming out en masse to pay their last respect to the organisation’s erstwhile leader and life patron.

Mr Arhur-Ugwa, who is also the financial secretary, Ohanaeze Youth Wing Worldwide, thanked the organisation’s acting youth president, Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, for honouring Iwuanyanwu with the lion masquerade.

He described the masquerade as a “fitting symbol of the leader’s lionlike strength and determination in leadership.”

He promised to ensure that South-South youths of Ohanaeze continue on the path of loyalty to the organisation and patriotism.

Other South-South leaders of Ohanaeze who joined their voices in the pledge were Rita Daniels, who is the organisation’s women leader; Remigius Ekwem; Lucky Ezeji; Ezekwere Ide; Mazi Gift Amadi; Kaycee Chidiadi and Patrick Ugwu.

The late Mr Iwuanyanwu was buried in his hometown, Atta in Ikeduru council area of Imo, on Saturday. 

(NAN)