CERTIFICATE OF RETURN: Okorocha on his own, Ohanaeze declares

Ohaneze Ndigbo has dissociated itself from suggestions that it was making efforts to ensure that the issue surrounding Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha’s certificate of return as a senator-elect is resolved as appropriate.

Okorocha has been battling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over his certificate of return as a senator-elect shortly after the election.

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Ohanaeze in a statement in Enugu on Thursday, through the Media Adviser to its President-General, Chief Emeka Attama, said that it protects the collective Igbo interests, and that it would not descend to bargaining for personal issues such as in Okorocha’s case.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo emphatically dissociates itself from the story, which did not emanate from the body. While Ohanaeze Ndigbo will always speak out on matters concerning Ndigbo generally, it will not allow itself to be dragged into partisan politics concerning individuals’, the group said.

It added that“Ohanaeze Ndigbo frowns seriously at the tendency of some of its officials or mischievous elements using the name of the body to issue unwarranted statements purporting them to emerge from the apex Igbo cultural organisation.”

He said statements not emanating from the President General, National Publicity Secretary, his Deputy or the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President-General of the organisation on any issue should not be reckoned with by either the press or the public.

It elicited the issue of a recent statement from the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos, saying the body was looking into the matter.

“Ohanaeze is at the moment looking into a statement credited to its Lagos State Chapter President and will not hesitate to discipline any state president or official who issues any statement without authorisation,” Attama stated.

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