By BASHIR ADEFAKA
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly Worldwide has declared that the John Nnia Nwodo-led group claiming to be Ohanaeze Ndigbo representing the Igbo tribe is illegal, calling for arrest of any person laying such claims now or in the future.
Speaking from Abuja via a telephone interview, on Saturday, Ambassador Obizoba Chiemelu, who is Director General, Strategic Planning and Implementations of the Ohanaze Ndigbo General Assembly Worldwide, informed The DEFENDER that it had initiated moves to disband the illegal group.
To achieve this, the Igbo socio-cultural group, registered on 28th February 2020 with its Certificate of Incorporation issued to it by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) Abuja, said it had written to heads of various security and anti-corruption agencies particularly the Inspector General of Police, the Director General, Department of State Services, and the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, with a view to, among other things, stopping the group from further transacting businesses on behalf of the Igbo, arresting erring members, investigating and probing their past and present activities and accounts of donations they got from various donors including governors of the South East.
Others addressed with the letter by its lawyers included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and each of the five South East governors including the Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum, Engr. Dave Umahi, as well as Governors Nyesom Wike and Okowa of Rivers and Delta states, respectively.
It demanded disbandment of the illegal Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which it said had operated as association of Igbo leaders for two decades without being registered.by the CAC, adding that all its activities including the conduct of election it has scheduled to hold in December be stopped.
The DG Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly told this online newspaper that should the illegal group hold meeting anywhere in Nigeria, all those involved will be arrested for holding illegal meeting as, according him, there is no other group capable of convening such meeting except the one recognised by law.
Copies of the petition, sent to different addressees with their respective covering letters, were obtained by The DEFENDER particularly those to Igbo governors seeking the Nwodo-led group to be disregarded henceforth.
Written on behalf of the Assembly by its Abuja-based lawyers, Amobi Nzelu & Co, dated 26th November 2020 and signed by Amobi Nzelu Esq, the letter carried a unified title:
“RE: A CALL TO DISBAND, INVESTIGATE, PROBE AND PROSECUTE CHIEF NNIA NWODO LED ILLEGAL OHANAEZE NDIGBO: STOP ALL ACTIVITIES OF THE GROUP INCLUDING THE PURPORTED UPCOMING ELECTION SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021.”
To Governor Umahi, other South East and the two South South governors, the letter read, “We act for and on behalf of OHANAEZE NDIGBO GENERAL ASSEMBLY WORLDWIDE (hereinafter referred to as our client) on whose instruction and authority we write this letter to you.
“Kindly sir find attached as Annexures A to F letters to various security agencies of the Government of Nigeria, the Hon. Attorney General of the Federation, The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Inspector General of Police, regarding the status of Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by CHIEF JOHN NNIA NWODO.
“The purport of this letter is to inform you sir that the said organization (Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by CHIEF JOHN NNIA NWODO) is an illegal association having not been registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and to also let you know that any transaction with them stands on the pedestal of illegality.
“Furthermore, registration of association is a sine qua non for valid representation because it aggregates its members under one umbrella.
“All correspondences in respect of this matter should be channeled through our office here in Abuja or reach our principal partners, Amobi Nzelu Esq on the telephone numbers at the bottom of this letter headed paper or his personal private telephone numbers.”
In the other letters one of which was addressed to the National Security Adviser (NSA), detailed background was given why Nwodo’s group should not be allowed to stand.
The lawyers said: “Our client is registered under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act and issued with Certificate of Incorporation No. 144918 on the 28th day of February 2020 by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). By virtue of the incorporation of our client, it is now saddled with the responsibility of piloting the affairs of Igbos as contained in the Articles and Memorandum of Association filed at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on their behalf.
“For more than two decades, a group of people of Igbo extraction branded themselves as “Ohanaeze Ndigbo” and this group or association at various times have been led by prominent people in some of the states that constitute Igbo speaking areas.
“However, it has been discovered that the said “Ohanaeze Ndigbo” now being led by CHIEF NNIA NWODO was not duly registered in accordance with the extant provisions of the law nor was any Article and Memorandum of Association defining or circumscribing functions filed and registered on their behalf with the relevant authorities.
“The only import from the evolving scenario or better still the only inference to be drawn is that “Ohanaeze Ndigbo” being led by Chief John Nnia Nwodo is not a registered organization and as such is an illegal association and cannot transact any business they are transacting now,” the Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly Worldwide gave background information to make clear why any such claims by Nwodo-led group is counterfeit and be treated as such.”
Going forward the NSA was put on notice that his office has within its competence the duty to nip in the bud anything that will result to breakdown of law and order and/or advise the Government of the day on what to do.
To this end, the authentic “Ohanaeze Ndigbo” declared to him that the group led by Chief John Nnia Nwodo is an illegal association having not been registered with CAC.
“It is a common knowledge that this association has held out itself at different fora to represent the interest of the Igbos. To allow such an illegal association to transact businesses of such magnitude apart from being a threat to democracy, could lead to insecurity and the likelihood of breakdown of law and order.
“It is within the purview of your office as the National Security Adviser to take necessary steps to forestall infringement on the security architecture of this country. To allow the government of the day to deal with an illegal association speaks volume especially where the association has held out itself to represent a people.
“Registration of association is a sine qua nom for valid representation because it aggregates its members under one umbrella.”
It then went ahead to tell the NSA what to do with the illegal group:
“1. Stop the activities and operations of Ohanaeze Ndigbo being led by Chief John Nnia Nwodo for being an illegal association;
“2. Stop “Ohanaeze Ndigbo” bering led by Chief John Nnia Nwodo from conducting any election whatsoever into the offices of the illegal association in any of the States of the Federation since the association is an illegal body;
“3. Investigate the accounts and activities of Ohanaeze Ndigbo being led by Chief John Nnia Nwodo and all monies collected from individuals, Governors and Highly exposed political personalities;
“4. Arrest, interrogate and prosecute the principal officers of the said Ohanaeze Ndigbo present and past, for running an illegal association;
“5. Disband the said Ohanaeze Ndigbo being led by Chief John Nnia Nwodo as being illegal.”
Standing its feet on the ground, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly Worldwide, according to the petition by its lawyers, said:
“In a country like ours, to allow someone or a group of people to operate an illegal association of such magnitude smacks of impunity no matter how long they have been in existence, same cannot confer legitimacy on the association and its activities,” especially as it said the Nwodo-led group lacks the capacity by law to represent the Igbo people of Nigeria as doing so amounts to threat to security of the nation.
Copues if the letters sent out and received by the various security agencies and governors below:
