“The Ball Is In Our Hands To Sustain Leonard Okafor’s Vision” — Ohanaeze Ndigbo Igbede, Chief Emeka Okpala
OJO IS HAPPY, OJO IS READY: OJO HOSTS OHANAEZE LAGOS IN GRAND STYLE
Felix Mbata, Lagos state
Today is a great day in Ojo Local Government as it hosted the 3rd Meeting of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos State Chapter at the Femi Gbajabiamila Hall, Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo Campus. The hall was filled with culture, colour, Igbo delicacies and massive turnout.
One of the key participants and organizers who spoke to The Unique Model Magazine was Chief Emeka Okpala (Ochikota Ndi Igbo of Ojo) Chairman Ohanaeze Ndigbo Igbede.
Can you tell us about yourself as a participant at today’s meeting?
“Thank you very much. My name is Chief Emeka Okpala (Ochikota Ndi Igbo of Ojo) Chairman Ohanaeze Ndigbo Igbede. The hosting rotation is a welcome development in Ohanaeze Lagos State. It is a good idea and we in Ojo are embracing the meeting. We are happy about it. We have participated in attending other Local Governments hosting Ohanaeze, and we are glad that many Local Governments are also in attendance at Ojo today for the 3rd Ohanaeze Ndigbo meeting under the leadership of Chief Leonard Okafor (Oba Ojoto),” he said.
What does Ohanaeze Ndigbo stand for to you?
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo is a very nice and important organization to me. The new leadership that came in is also a very good team because he came with transformation. Everybody can see that the new leadership brings what we call vision in leadership — knowing and bringing something others don’t know that makes him a leader per excellence. So we thank God for the leader God has given us in the person of Chief Leonard Okafor (Oba Ojoto). I am glad and I am giving my best, even more than before he came as Igbo leader and President of Ohanaeze,” Chief Ochikota stated.
As you said, Chief Leonard Okafor is a visionary leader. How do you think the visions and agendas he is executing will be sustained?
“The ball is in our hands. We can take a horse to the river, but we cannot force the horse to drink water. The leadership of Chief Leonard Okafor has brought transformation; it is left for us to follow it up and sustain it. It is in our hands, not in the leadership, because they have done their own part. It is we that they are ruling that will do our own part,” he explained.
In Ojo Local Government Area, Eze Sir Ferdinand Ikenna Onuegbu is a renowned Eze Ndigbo. How do you rate his performance so far?
“Eze Sir Onuegbu is a father figure. As far as I am concerned, he is a leader, he is truly a father to all of us here in Ojo, because his doors are always open. He attends to people’s issues, he solves problems both financially and with advice. He raises people and youths with good intentions. He has listening ears. He is a lover of peace, not a violent person. He is not a money monger, or someone who fights for power or is intoxicated by power. I believe he is a gift from God to the people of Ojo,” he said.
As a youth in Ojo, knowing that the elders piloting the affairs of Ohanaeze will retire in due time, what are your plans in raising youths to learn from elders and take over the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo?
“I have started doing that already as Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Igbede. My youths are active. It has been one of my top agendas — bringing the youths to the limelight has been my top priority and I am doing that. You can see what happened at the Ojo meeting of Ohanaeze, how Ojo youths performed excellently,” he noted.
With the massive turnout, display of Igbo culture and various Igbo delicacies, what are your words of encouragement and applause for contributors?
“I thank everybody that supported to ensure this event became a success — from finances, donations, to service and prayers, I immensely appreciate for all of you. I also encourage everybody to continue to do more and not relent on previous efforts, so that Ohanaeze Lagos State will continue to grow higher,” Chief Ochikota concluded.
Conclusively, the 3rd Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos meeting in Ojo was more than a meeting — it was a festival of Igbo unity. From the active participation of youths to the open-door fatherly leadership of Eze Sir Ferdinand Ikenna Onuegbu, Ojo has once again shown why it is regarded as the headquarters of Ohanaeze in Lagos.
With visionary leadership from Chief Leonard Okafor (Oba Ojoto) and grassroots commitment from leaders like Chief Emeka Okpere Ochikota, the future of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos is bright, and the task of sustaining the transformation now rests in the hands of all Ndigbo.
Ohanaeze is alive in Ojo, and Ojo has spoken!