Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, and the Obi of Onitsha, Nnaemeka Achebe, have called for the renewal of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, with Achebe particularly urging the organisation to remain above partisan politics and serve as the conscience of the Igbo people.
The duo made the call in Lagos on Tuesday at the unveiling of a book, “Ohanaeze at 50 – The Burden of Memory, The Politics of Relevance: A Critical Biographical Reflection of an Igbo Institution,” authored by Agbeze Onuma.
Otti, who was the special guest of honour, said the 50th anniversary of Ohanaeze should be a period of honest reflection on the organisation’s past, present relevance and future.
Speaking, Otti said the book raised fundamental questions about institutional renewal, generational transition and the relationship between leadership and the people it claimed to represent.
Otti said, “At 50, an institution deserves celebration, but it also deserves reflection. What has Ohanaeze become? What should it be? And what must it do to remain relevant to generations of Ndigbo yet unborn?
“As Ohanaeze turns 50, we should take a moment to reflect on renewal, a point at which an institution looks honestly at its past, learns from it, and summons the courage to imagine something greater. Ohanaeze at 50 gives us that opportunity.
“The book therefore raises fundamental questions about institutional renewal, generational transition, and the relationship between leadership and the people it claims to represent.”
The governor said the book did not merely celebrate Ohanaeze’s history but challenged the organisation to build institutions capable of responding to the aspirations of younger generations.
He said the future of Ndigbo could not be secured by nostalgia alone, urging the adoption of technology and innovation, engagement with the global Igbo diaspora and the translation of cultural identity into economic, intellectual and political strength.
According to him, heritage could give an organisation legitimacy, but its relevance must be earned continuously.
“There’s also a powerful message here for the Igbo younger generation. The future of Ndigbo cannot be secured by nostalgia alone.
