By Delight Chinedum
Ohanaeze Ndigbo youth wing worldwide has announced the setting up of a funeral planning committee for the burial of the late President General of the organization, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu in order to accord him a befitting burial.
The burial of the late Iwuanyanwu has formally been fixed for November 1, 2024, as was announced by the national burial planning committee.
Addressing a world press conference, the acting National Youth Leader of the Ohaneze Ndigbo, Mazi Chukwukwu Okpalaezeukwu said the decision to set up the funeral planning committee was to celebrate and immortalize the enviable legacies of the late Igbo leader.
He said the body was in constant communication with the Iwuanyanwu family, adding that they were determined, as the apex Igbo youth organisation, to accord him the highest honour deserving of his service to Nigeria.
Okpalaezeukwu described Chief Iwuanyanwu as a Father figure, role model and mentor to millions of Igbo youths in the areas of Education, Politics, Business, Sports and other spheres of human endeavours, most of whom are today, champions in their various fields.
“At Ohanaeze Ndigbo youth wing, we recognise Iwuanyanwu’s far reaching developmental and progressive strides in over six decades of his active service to Igbo land and Nigeria at large. This is more pronounced in his contributions to the formation, sustainability and growth of the apex Igbo socio-political and cultural organisation, as well as his personal investments to stabilising the leadership of our wing,” he noted.
Speaking also on the activities, policy interventions and advocacies of the Ohaneze Ndigbo youths aimed at advancing and protecting the political, economic, social and security interests of the Igbo youths in Nigeria, Okpalaezeukwu said they were on a strategic working visit to the Federal Capital Territory, to engage with critical Government and Security Agencies on issues that affect Igbo land.
“We have had a fruitful deliberation with the Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources, Distinguished Senator Heineken Lokpobiri and his team where we have expressed concerns and emphasized on the need for continuous and unrelenting reforms of the petroleum sector with policies that benefit the ordinary people and improve the overall well-being of Nigeria economy.
“We acknowledge the challenges inherent in the removal of subsidy and the impact of infrastructural deficiencies in the sector, and we are very proud of the uncommon achievements recorded so far by the Tinubu-led administration ranging from increase in crude oil production from 1mbpd to 1.7mbpd, engagement and enhancement of investors and investments respectively, technology adoption, infrastructure development and other critical factors that positively impact the economy.
“We, therefore, declare our solidarity and support to the genuine efforts and commitment of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and other collaborating agencies and entities especially the NNPCL ably led by Mele Kyari and his team,” he said.
The Igbo youth leader further advocated for more effective and impactful community and youth engagement and development in ways that shall control restiveness and further address, sabotage, vandalization and theft in the petroleum sector.
“We shall continue to engage with the Ministry and participate in their various development activities and programmes in order to maximise impact and serve the purpose, ”he added.
