Ohanaeze Ndigbo begins moves to unite Igbos, preserve culture

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

Dr Ezechukwu Ezechi, the National Publicity Secretary, revealed 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 all factions.

Former Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide President-General Chief Gary Igariwey will lead the committee. He is expected to use his experience to resolve lingering disputes.

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

Ezechi emphasised that the council approved several committees to help the President-General, Sen. Azuta Mbata, provide effective, results-oriented leadership for the organisation.

Additionally, the council established a committee to launch a “professorial endowment chair” across the five 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,” Ezechi said.

He stressed the importance of Igbos telling their own history and warned that their language and traditions could be endangered without a structured mechanism.

“If our language disappears, our worldview, belief system, and social life will also vanish,” Ezechi warned, 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.

Ezechi also praised Mbata's leadership, expressing confidence that his experience would transform Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide dynamically.