Concerned members of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Bayelsa State have initiated moves to reconcile the warring factions in the organisation following the suspension of the former leader of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Bayelsa State, Johnson Onuma, which led to the cancellation of the 2022 Igbo Day celebration by the Bayelsa State government.
It was gathered that a former commissioner of police in the state had called the Johnson Onuma-led faction and the rival group led by the current president, Remiguis Ekwem, to resolve the crisis but the meeting ended in deadlock.
Addressing journalists during the inauguration of the 2023 Igbo Day Planning Committee, led by Barr. Agama Virtus Okonkwo, the national financial secretary, Ohaneze Ndigbo youth wing worldwide, chief Chinedu Arthur-Ugwa, said the Igbo day celebration could not be held last year because of the misunderstanding between the factional leadership.
He said, “We paid for the Cultural Centre and they paid for the Diepreye Alamieyeseigha Banquet Hall. By doing so, different groups were trying to hold the Igbo day celebration in different halls in Bayelsa State but the deputy governor weighed in and said no, that the Igbos are one and they must celebrate as a family.
“The then commissioner of police told them that you people cannot do this. Were you not there when they settled this matter in Government House?
Onuma said yes and the CP said why are you coming here to deceive the people? You were there, you did not tell the deputy governor you are not going to accept. If that is the case, the government of Bayelsa State will not allow two Igbo Day and they cancelled it.”
Arthur-Ugwa who is also the special assistant to Governor Douye Diri on Special Duties, said it was time for the Igbos in Bayelsa as well as the factional leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo to unity towards this year’s Igbo Day celebration scheduled for September 29, 2023, at Kpansia field in Yenagoa.
“We went to Asaba, met with our national president Ohaneze Women Wing worldwide, Rita Daniel and she told us we should also go home and work on our family to bring Bayelsa together. We made our pledge there and since then we have been working on it.
“One way or the other, we have talked to them to let go of any issue. If we continue to keep our pride and ego, we will not go anywhere; humility is all we need. We know the value of being together and that is what we have been working to achieve,” she said.
The chairman of the 2023 planning committee, Barr. Agama Virtus Okonkwo, said it is his interest that Igbos living in Bayelsa State will celebrate Igbo Day together, adding that his coming as chairman of the planning committee will be a step further in order to ensure that Igbos are being united.
“By my profession as a lawyer living in Bayelsa State and my people in Bayelsa State are not together, I think and believe that by God’s grace, I will make sure that I will bring my ideas to ensure we come together as one family.
“I have started a serious consultation, meeting people who I know that if they come out in this struggle, we are going to make it and the only way we are going to do that is by bringing myself out for service. My sacrifice is to make sure Igbo come together,” Okonkwo said.
