South East govs shun Uwechue’s service of songs in Enugu

Governors of the South East were absent at the  service of songs organised yesterday in Enugu for the late former president of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ambassador Ralph Uwechue.

The service, which took place at the secretariat of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, had many Igbo leaders in attendance, but the governors shunned the event.

Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji, was the only governor from the South East who was represented at the event by the Abia State commissioner for Petroleuim and Solid Minerals Chief Dom Ubani.

Uwechue, who died on March 13 at the age of 78, was the immediate past president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

In his opening remarks, the chairman on the occasion, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, recalled the part Uwechue played during the Nigerian civil war when he was Nigeria’s ambassador to France but left the position and joined the Biafran Diplomatic Mission in protest of the treatment being meted to Ndigbo.

Amaechi described Uwechue as a great Igbo son, who never denied his Igbo identity when others refused to identify with Ndigbo.

Chief Amaechi also took a swipe at the governors of Igbo states, urging Ndigbo to look carefully before voting future governors into office.

He Insisted that 2015 must be a turning point in the lives of Igbo people as only those who had the true Igbo blood and who thought about the well-being of the people would be elected.