CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – Chief Emeka Egwuonwu has emerged as the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Cross River State, following the elections held by the Igbo socio-cultural group at the weekend.
In his post-election address in Ikom Local Government Area of the state where the election was held, the astute businessman and quintessential politician, assured that henceforth, the group will be actively involved in national politics as part of efforts to ensuring its people reap the dividends of good governance.
According to him, “Yes, this is indeed a new dawn in Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Cross River, we will no longer play armchair politics from the state to the national level.
“We will be fully and actively involved starting from the 2027 national elections.”
Chief Egwuonwu noted that his emergence as the new President for a four-year tenure will see to the achievement of greater things for the group, stressing that, he would discharge his duty without fear or favour.
He maintained, “It is not going to be business as usual because I have the capacity, and I am going to pilot the affairs of Ọhanaeze Ndigbo in Cross River with all I have in me.
“Yes, even without being elected, I have been working with the government because there is nothing you would do, especially in this part of the world, without government.
“As a team player, I promise to carry everybody along to ensure that we achieve great success as we forge ahead, it is no longer going to be business as usual as we are determined to make a difference by advancing Igbo people in every sphere both at home and in the diaspora.”
Applauding the new President, the State Governor, Sen. Bassey Otu, admitted that the people have freely chosen who to lead them rightly.
Governor Otu who was ably represented by his Special Adviser on Non-Indigene Affairs, Mazi Okey Maduekwe, argued that irrespective of ethnicity, no one has been treated more than the other in the state.
The Governor reiterating that his “People’s First” mantra has impacted on lives of everyone in the state, adding that provision of infrastructure and security for businesses to thrive will continue to be a priority of his administration.
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“You can see that the Igbos are happy here in Cross River, and as I have supported them, they have also been very supportive of my government.
“We have a very large population of the Igbos with investment in various segments of the economy.
“I have gotten assurances that more are coming to invest in Cross River because of the conducive environment and the way we have related with them as part of us,” he stated.
Earlier in his remarks, Ezeigbo Cross River State, Eze Emmanuel Ezewenyi, represented by Onowu Ndigbo, Chief Livinus Ihezie, appealed to the contestants for a rancour-free electioneering exercise.
He appealed that whoever emerges as the new leader should be supported to bear the burden of the people.
“I am happy that the governor is here to witness this exercise, and it is my sincere prayer that we will conduct ourselves in an orderly manner that would snowball to a hitch-free election,” he noted.
Converseer reports that the election which was conducted using the delegate system from the 15 chapters of Ọhanaeze Ndigbo across the 18 local government areas of Cross River State, was directly and indirectly participated by no fewer than one million Igbo residents.
