The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, an apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, says it is cancelling the annual World Igbo Day and all activities in honour of the late President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.

It would be recalled that the Igbo leader, Iwuanyanwu, died on Thursday, July 25, during a brief illness in Abuja.

The National Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Okey Emuchay, disclosed this to newsmen on Tuesday in Enugu after an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the organisation.

“All activities especially the Igbo Day Celebration of 2024 scheduled to hold on Sept. 29, 2024, that was to be hosted by Imo State; we will skip it in respect and honour of our departed president General,” he said.

Emuchay said that the NEC members were also at the national headquarters to sign a condolence register in honour of our late Iwuanyanwu, adding: “Indeed a huge Iroko has fallen.”

According to him, this is coming to us less than two years after we lost Amb. George Obiozor, our former President-General.

“We had tributes from all over – from the President of the Federal Republic, from former President Olusegun Obasanjo, from Chief Emeka Anyaoku, governors of the South-East and our partners in the Southern and Middle-belt forum, E.K. Clark, Bayo Adebanjo and others.

“Nigerians from all over the world have been calling to commiserate with us.

“So our prayers are with his (Iwuanyanwu) wife and children; the governor of Imo State, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, the government and people of Imo State and all others who knew him,” he said.

The national secretary said that the organisation was in touch with the family, adding that a central burial committee would be established very soon.

“Appropriate consultations have began with our governors, with the structures of Ohanaeze and the elders and stakeholders of Ohanaeze and several other bodies and organizations that the PG was affiliated to,” he said.

Emuchay described Iwuanyanwu as a “rare human being; a leader with a large heart, a philanthropist, an engineer of repute, a sportsman and a media man.

“We want to assure Ndigbo that the ship of Ohanaeze is in safe hands. Nothing will happen to Ohanaeze. He had wonderful ideas and visions for the Igbo nation and for Nigeria.

“Collectively as NEC, we want to give assurance that we shall match on from where he stopped,” he said.