Abuja (Sundiata Post) – With a pledge for selflessness, promotion of unity and transparency, the Eze Igbo of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), His Royal Highness, Dr. Uche Egenti (MON), assumed the leadership of the Eze Igbo of the 19 Northern states and the FCT yesterday after he was popularly elected by unanimous consensus as President General of the association.
Accepting the mantle of leadership shortly after his election in Abuja on Thursday, Dr. Egenti, who doubles as the Chairman of Igbo Traditional Council in FCT, declared: “If my personal interests will kill the oneness or unity of Igbo, then let God take away my life and let Igbo move forward. I will never build my personal interest above that of Igbo people. I will never cheat; I will only teach.”
While promising openness and transparency, he assured the forum of Igbo leaders from across the three geo-political zones in the north of his leadership to be there for the cause of his people.
“If there is an issue in Kebbi, all of us will go to Kebbi. If there are issues in Adamawa, we will all close ranks and arrive Adamawa without excuses because what keeps us together is greater than that which separates us.”
Announcing him as being duly elected by consensus, the returning officer, Chief Chikezie Nwogu, former President General of Igbo Delegates Assembly (IDA) for the 19 northern states and FCT, said the quality of leadership by Dr. Egenti made him the natural choice for the position.
The election also saw the emergence of Eze Egbuna as Deputy President General and three Zonal Vice Presidents, namely, Eze Okoli (North East), Eze Anaeke Sylvanus (North West) and Eze C. C. Okoli (North Central).
Other officers elected during the meeting were:
• Eze Henry Ugwu – Secretary;
• Eze Raymond Ugwuagbo – Financial Secretary;
• Eze Agai Sunday Oti – Assistant Financial Secretary;
• Eze Jos – Treasurer;
• Eze Charles Ogbuke – PRO;
• Eze Jude Igwe – Welfare Officer; and
• Eze Joseph – Provost
The Eze Igbo of Kano State, Eze (Dr.) Boniface Ibekwe, was elected the National Coordinator while three others were elected for the geo-political zones. They are the Eze Igbo of Kebbi State, Eze Igwe Emeka Okafor (North West), Eze Emmanuel Ofiaeziaku (North Central) and the Eze Igbo of Adamawa State (North East).
Three Patrons, namely, Eze Jude Umeziaka (North East), National Coordinator Eze (Dr.) Ibekwe (North Central) and Eze Jonathan Nduuba (North Central), emerged at the election.
The immediate past President General of the association, Eze (Dr.) Pampas N. Nwahiwe, was unanimously adopted as the Grand Patron of the Eze Igbo of the 19 Northern States and the FCT.
While rendering his report before dissolving his Executive Committee (EXCO) in preparation for the election, Eze Nwahiwe said although there were no records when he took over from his predecessor, he was happy and proud that he was handing over such records as minutes of meetings, check book and other paraphernalia of office and association.
“When I took over as the Chairman of the Association of Ndi Eze of the 19 Northern State and FCT from my predecessor, Ide Nwosu, who was the Chairman then, nothing was handed over to me. The association was just like a dead one. But presently, after my eight years in office, the association has progressed tremendously. We have done a lot, especially in the area of uniting Igbos in the North and Abuja. We have also been intervening in matters concerning Ndi Igbo.”
He expressed confidence in the new leadership and was optimistic that under Eze (Dr.) Egenti, the association would do better.
The President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo FCT, Hon. (Comrade) Eze Primate John Omeife Jideoffor, saluted the courage of the Ezes in choosing to elect their leaders through consensus, adding that in that way, everyone was a winner, with the ultimate winners of the exercise being the entire Igbo people in the 19 northern states and FCT.
“We of the Ohaneze Ndigbo FCT have implicit confidence in the ability of His Royal Highness, Eze Uche Egenti, to steer the ship in the right direction,” he said. “His approach to leadership is pragmatic, and that is what we need at this point in time.”
Eze Ndigbo of Kano (Dr.) Ibekwe said in his new role, as National Coordinator, he would be his duty to ensure that Igbo people do their best as usual to move the nation forward wherever they find themselves and to ensure that they live if peaceful co-existence with their host communities.
The election, which took place in the palace of Eze Egenti at Lugbe, involved all the Ezes in the 19 northern states and FCT who were physically present for the exercise, as well as representatives of Igbo youth and women across the three geo-political zones.
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