|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF) has endorsed the candidacy of Prof. George Obiozor as the next President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide come January 2021.
The President of NUF, Mr Augustine Chukwudum, gave the endorsement in a statement made available to newsmen in Enugu on Sunday.
Chukwudum said that NUF also welcomed the endorsement of Obiozor by Imo State stakeholders as well as stakeholders from other states within South-East including prominent politicians and captains of industries of Igbo extraction.
According to him, the overwhelming endorsement and support for Obiozor candidacy is a welcomed development.
“Obiozor, former Nigeria ambassador to the United States of America, has what it takes to lead Ndigbo to greater height and restore the glory of Ohanaeze Ndigbo as the apex Igbo socio-cultural group,’’ he said.
The NUF boss noted that some previous leaders and people in prominent positions in the apex socio-cultural group had sold out interest of Ndigbo for their selfish personal gains and aspirations.
“It is unfortunate that Ndigbo forget things easily which is not good because we supposed to document history of the past on paper and in our hearts so that we cannot continue to be hoodwinked.
“However, NUF is there to put things in order and unite Ndigbo under a true and formidable leader after we had been in disunity for the past 50 years (1970 to 2020) after civil war,’’ he said.
Chukwudum, however, called on all delegates of Ohanaeze election to make sure that all hands are on deck in electing Obiozor as next President-General of Ohaneze comes 2021.
“NUF is raising this alarm because we do not want the past to repeat itself, where leaders and key position holders in Ohanaeze Ndigbo are easily swayed with money and other inducement to work against the collective positive purpose of Ndigbo.
“The warning has become imperative now that 2023 Presidential Election is fast approaching and we need someone we all can trust and work together with to actualise president of igbo extraction comes 2023,’’ he noted.
It would be recalled that Obiozor served as Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States (2004 – 2008) and Nigeria’s high commissioner to Cyprus, and later to Israel, from 1999 to 2003.
He was once the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs.
