Ohanaeze moves for total reconciliation, sets up peace committee

From Jude Chinedu, Enugu

Ohanaeze Ndigbo has taken a major step toward uniting the Igbo people by setting up a peace, reconciliation, and dispute resolution committee.

The move was announced on Friday during the group’s inaugural National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Enugu.

The newly elected President-General, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, appointed former Ohanaeze leader, Chief Gary Igariwey, to head the committee, which will address lingering conflicts within the organization.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting at Ohanaeze’s national secretariat, National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ezechukwu Ezechi, said the committee would focus on resolving internal disputes and fostering unity.

“The peace committee will investigate the causes of crisis within the organisation across various levels to ensure lasting reconciliation among all the various interest groups,” Ezechi explained.

He also revealed that the NEC had adopted a working document and handover notes from the former President-General, Chief Ozichukwu Chukwu, to guide the new leadership.

Beyond reconciliation, Ohanaeze is also prioritizing the preservation of Igbo culture. The NEC approved a plan to establish a “professorial endowment chair” across the seven states of the South-East to promote research in Igbo language, culture, and tradition.

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

He stressed the importance of safeguarding Igbo identity, warning that neglecting the language and traditions could lead to their decline.

“If our language disappears, our worldview, belief system, and social life will also vanish,” he cautioned, urging collective action to protect the culture.

The research from the endowment chair, he added, would strengthen academic studies 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 explained.

Ezechi also noted that the committee would collaborate with Igbo scholars and institutions to advance language studies.

He expressed confidence in Senator Mbata’s leadership, saying his experience would bring a “dynamic transformation to Ohanaeze Ndigbo.”