Following the demise of the president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu last Thursday, his exit has created a huge vacuum over who succeeds him, Air Commodore Luke Ochulor (rtd), has said.
Iwuanyanwu died a few months to his 82nd birthday after a brief illness at a hospital in Abuja.
Ochulor, who was erstwhile deputy at the Owerri Peoples Assembly (OPA), expressed concerns over a suitable replacement for his position.
Ochulor, a former military administrator of Delta State who made the disclosure during a phone interview yesterday, regretted the elder statesman’s demise, saying it was a huge loss for Ndigbo.
According to him, Iwuanyanwu’s demise will really put to bear some of his unrivalled qualities that can not be matched in the zone while searching for his successor.
Ochulor said, “We have been contemplating since yesterday who can best fill Iwuanyawu’s shoes, but we have not arrived at a single person.
“His death will surely exhume many of his qualities. Nobody can have the same courage as he had in speaking for the Igbo.
“I describe him as the Eagle perching on an Iroko tree, if an Eagle perches at such tree everybody will look up and if it flies away everybody will equally know that there is a trouble.
“The kind of trouble he takes, the boldness, and how he defended and spoke for the Igbos—I don’t think there’s another person with such courage. If there is, let the person come forward, let’s meet him,” Ochulor challenged.
