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The Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has suspended the 2024 Igbo Day celebration, scheduled for September 29, to mourn its departed President General, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.
Ohanaeze’s National Executive Council made this announcement at its emergency meeting in Enugu.
It also directed its state and diaspora chapters to open condolence registers for Iwuanyanwu.
Iwuanyanwu passed away at the age of 82, served as the 11th President-General from April 30, 2023, following the death of his predecessor, George Obiozor, in December 2022.
The Ohanaeze NEC held an emergency meeting at its national secretariat in Enugu, where its Secretary General, Okey Emuchay, expressed sadness over Iwuanyanwu’s passing, noting that it occurred less than two years after the organisation lost Obiozor.
Iwuanyanwu’s son, Jide, had confirmed his father’s death in a statement on July 25, stating that he died in Abuja after a brief illness.
“All activities, especially, the Igbo Day Celebration of 2024, scheduled to hold on the 29th of September 2024 in Imo State, will be skipped in respect and honour of the departed President General,” he said.
“We want to assure everyone that the ship of Ohanaeze is in safe hands. Collectively as NEC, we want to give assurance that we shall march on from where he stopped," Emuchay said.
