UMUAHIA – The pan-Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has directed all communities in Igbo land to establish proper security outfits to ensure that villages in Igbo land are saved from infiltrators and undesirable elements.

The Abia President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Chukwuemeka Okwuonu, who gave the directive in Umuahia on Tuesday, said it should be the duty of every Igbo man or woman to protect his or her neighbourhood in this period of insecurity.

Dr Okwuonu, who spoke as he inaugurated the Ohanaeze Ndigbo chapter of the Traditional Rulers Council of Abia State, explained that the apex cultural organization would continue to serve as the mouthpiece of Igbos all over the world.

On the ongoing voters’ registration exercise, the State President of Ohanaeze urged all Igbos to take the exercise very seriously, adding, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo demands that every Igbo person must take this exercise seriously as our civic responsibilities”.

According to him, Igbos should utilise the opportunity offered by the ongoing revision of the voters’ register exercise to register, stressing that those who register should endeavour to collect their voter’s card to exercise their franchise during the elections.

“It is our right as a people to have a voice in the politics of this country. If every eligible Igbo person in this country, irrespective of where he or she resides, updates his or her voting right, then Ohanaeze can make a political statement in this country”, he asserted.

He called on the Federal Government to ensure that Igbos are properly documented everywhere they reside in Nigeria. Okwuonu used the forum to request a comprehensive list of all town union leaders, secretaries and women leaders, all village heads in the LGAs of states in Igbo land, from the traditional rulers, adding that the list is necessary to ascertain where and how Igbos are operating.

On enhancing Igbo culture and tradition, Okwuonu announced that the pan-Igbo cultural organisation will, from 2027, begin an annual cultural festival and therefore asked all loyal fathers in the state to key into the cultural day to promote Igbo culture and tradition as custodians of culture.

He used the forum to commend the Abia State governor, Dr Alex Otti, for the support he has so far given the organisation and pleaded with him to provide a permanent secretariat to the state chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and vehicles.

In his speech at the event, the chairman of the occasion and international businessman, Dr Chief Emeka Charles Kalu, described the apex Igbo cultural organisation as a credible organisation that caters for the interests of Ndigbo all over the world, stressing that Ohanaeze should always be supported by all Igbos.

Dr Kalu commended Abia monarchs for accepting to serve as a chapter of Ohanaeze, saying that their decision to serve was an indication that royal fathers in Igbo land love not only their domains and people, but also other parts of Igbo land and are ready to serve and uphold the tradition of Ndigbo.

In his acceptance speech on behalf of the Abia traditional rulers, the Chairman, Abia Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM Eze Sir Linus Nto Mbah assured the apex Igbo cultural organisation of the readiness of the monarchs in the state to adhere to the aims and objectives of Ohanaeze, adding that the royal fathers would continue to promote the culture and tradition of Igbos at their various domains.

A total of 41 monarchs drawn from various communities across the state were inaugurated as members of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Traditional Rulers Council. The ceremony was witnessed by prominent citizens of Abia State as well as some Ohanaeze chieftains from the seven states of Abia, Imo, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Delta and Rivers.