Elder statesman, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has succeeded the late Prof. George Obiozor as President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
A delegation from the Imo Elders Council, led by the chairman, HRM Eze (Dr.) Cletus Ilomuanya, presented Iwuanyanwu to the Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma on Wednesday at the New Executive Council Chambers Government House in Owerri.
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Ilomuanya notified the governor that the Imo State Council of Elders had decided to adopt Iwuanyanwu in its first quarterly meeting on April 13, 2023, in Owerri.
He described Iwuanyanwu as a dynamic, versatile, purpose driven and broad-minded personality of impeccable pedigree and appealed to the governor to grant his approval to his adoption by the Council.
Iwuanyanwu called his adoption and his responsibilities as President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide as a “sacred duty.”
He said he was pleased to take the role and noted that it surprised him that Igbos could agree on a single person to lead them without opposition. He affirmed his faith in God to see him through.
Iwuanyanwu praised the governor for his many accomplishments, especially in the state’s sectors of health, education, and road maintenance.
He said his plans for Ohanaeze Ndigbo will include making the body financially self-sufficient, improving the agricultural sector in Igboland, setting up a Council of academics in the area of education and generally, ensuring that Igboland becomes an industrial hub.
The governor, who expressed happiness over the visit and the opportunity to host the elders, congratulated Iwuanuyanwu for his choice and adoption by the elders.
He said: “Iwuanyanwu is well–known; not only to the Igbo and Nigeria, but all over the world with impeccable credentials and high level pedigree.”
In his comments, Uzodinma said that he was happy that the stakeholders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo were able to discover somebody who could appropriately fit into the vacuum created by the demise of the late Obiozor, and emphasised that “the choice of Iwuanyanwu is a right one that no individual/group can fault.”