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Ohaneze celebrates Chief Iwuanyanwu at 81
Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldeide, has celebrated its President General, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, as he clocks 81 years of age on Sept. 4, describing him as an outstanding Nigerian businessman.
They also described Iwuanyanwu as a broad-minded charismatic personality of impeccable pedigree, a foremost Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, a Nigerian patriot and a man who had devoted all his life in the service of the Igbo people and Nigerians in general.
These are contained in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, on Saturday in Enugu.
According to Ogbonnia, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide joins millions of admirers both at home and in the Diaspora to felicitate one of the finest amongst the Igbos, a philanthropist par excellence and a robust creative thinker, Chief Iwuanyanwu.
Ogbonnia said that Iwuanyanwu’s life trajectory was dotted with a distinctive stardom beginning from his primary school to the present day.
He added that there had never been an idle moment in Iwuanyanwu’s life as he was a school prefect, college sports captain, brave Biafran Army captain who was among the engineers that invented the multi-purpose Biafran bomb, called “Ogbunigwe”, an accomplished engineer with legacies in road construction and aviation industry.
He said that Iwuanyanwu engaged in air and sea transport, real estate, football, publishing, agriculture, research and development, Chairman, Federal Boards; Chairman, Board of Trustees of formidable political parties; contest for Nigerian presidency, Ohanaeze leadership, amongst others.
“There was a time in history when Iwuanyanwu was the highest employer of labour, at least in the entire East of the Niger and one of the most endearing is the Iwuanyanwu Foundation which has offered scholarships to over 10,000 indigent students across the country.
“He has donated to universities to create conducive environments for learning, built churches and other community facilities,” Ogbonnia said.
The publicity Secretary recalled that over 40 years ago when Chief Sam Mbakwe, the former governor of old Imo State, conceived the idea of an International Cargo Airport at Owerri, it was Iwuanyanwu that made the highest donation of US$ 2 million.
He further said that Iwuanyanwu’s success story was a veritable and inspiring tribute to the virtues of hard work, audacity, intellect, sincerity, heroism, sacrifice, ingenuity, resilience and philanthropy.
“Since Iwuanyanwu was sworn in as the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in May, he had hit the ground running.
“Within the four months of his incumbency, his Midas touch has neutralized the inauspicious frosty relationship that existed between Ohanaeze and the Igbo Archbishops and Bishops, Anya Ndigbo, Ala Igbo Development Foundation and Aka Ikenga, Nzuko Ummunna.
“Others are Igbo Leaders of Thought, Global Igbo Leaders, World Igbo Congress, Association of Igbo Town Unions, Lagos State Market Traders and others.
“He has restored a cordial relationship with the Ohanaeze Governors; mainstreamed the Igbo Captains of Industry into the Ohanaeze activities; resolved the leadership crisis in the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Uk and Ireland, and admitted the African Americans with authentic Igbo ancestry into the Igbo cosmology,” he said.
He explained that the president general had reactivated the Youth and Women Wings of Ohanaeze Ndigbo; convened a meeting of the Igbo political office holders to address the insecurity in the South East and re-commenced the monthly National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings of Ohanaeze.
Ogbonnia said Iwuanyanwu had stoutly renewed the call on the presidency for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“Igbos all over the world, shall on Monday, September 4, 2023, clink glasses to a toast for their awesome leader with an incredible physical prowess, an extra-ordinary visionary, and transformative imaginative visionary.
“On behalf of the Igbo nation and all the organs of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, we express immense gratitude to God that the Igbo leader is as fit as fiddle at 81.
“We ask the Almighty to grant him many more fruitful years to enable him realize the lofty programs he has espoused for Igbos. Happy birthday, Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo,” he prayed.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Anambra State Sector Command, has confirmed the death of a woman in an accident at Okpoko Market on the Asaba-Onitsha Road.
The Sector Commander, Mr Adeoye Irelewuyi, who confirmed the accident to journalists in Awka on Thursday, said that the woman was hit while she was crossing the road.
He said that the accident, which occurred on Wednesday, involved a commercial tow truck with registration number XA550BMA.
“Eyewitness report reaching us indicates that the truck was towing a vehicle in an uncontrollable speed along the axis.
“The vehicle that was being towed got detached from the tow truck.
“It hit and killed a female adult, who was said to be crossing the road, while the tow truck continued its movement.
“FRSC rescue team came to the scene and took the woman to Toronto Hospital, Onitsha, where she was confirmed dead and her body deposited at the hospital’s mortuary,” he said.
While sympathising with the family of the dead, the sector commander urged motorists, especially tow truck drivers, to exercise a high level of professionalism.
He also urged the drivers to always use standard equipment and avoid speeding.
The Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State Chapter, Mr Mojeed Iyiola, said the state government’s maize palliative to members of the association made a positive impact on the sector.
Iyiola said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
“We received about 150,000 tons of maize in February from the Lagos State government as palliative to cushion the effect of high feed prices.
“The major benefit of the palliative is that it actually cushioned the cost of production for most poultry farmers in the state.
“The palliative was beneficial as it made the cost of some poultry produce, especially eggs to drop,” Iyiola said.
He noted that prior to the palliative, a crate of egg was sold between N3,500 and N3,700 at the farm gate, but after the palliative, it now sells between N3,200 and N3,400.
According to the PAN chair, retailers and middlemen who sell from N3,800 to N4,200 do that for their personal gain.
“We have urged our members to sell their eggs at reasonable prices following the receipt of the palliative from the government.
“We appreciate the Lagos State government for the palliative but we also urge the federal government to do likewise, to further reduce the cost of production in the sector.
“This will consequently lead to drop in the prices of all poultry produce across board,” he said.
He said the palliative was shared among financial members of the association at no extra cost.
“As an association we shared the grains equally across PAN’s eight zones in the state equally. We also mandated each zone not the sell even a grain of the maize.
“We, however, considered new poultry farmers who wanted to the join the association as beneficiaries of the palliative,” said Iyiola.
He noted that through the palliative, more poultry farmers were recruited into the association.
“The maize was shared only to poultry farmers and not feed millers, it is the major component of poultry feed formulation,” he said.
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