Ohanaeze youths apologise to Kalu over misguided attacks …Back him on FIFA presidency

Members of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) have tendered unreserved apology to former Abia State governor and Nigeria’s Pillar of Sports, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, over unwarranted attacks on his person by their group in the past.

The youths blamed their embattled National President, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, for the misguided attacks on Dr Kalu, which they claimed were instigated by the immediate past governor of Abia State, Chief Theodore Orji.

The National Secretary, Nnabuike Okwu and Publicity Secretary, Obinna Adibe, in a statement issued yesterday in Enugu, called on Kalu to yield to the clamour for him to contest the FIFA presidency, praying God to see him through.

The Ohanaeze youths berated ex-Governor Orji, advising him to concentrate on the ongoing investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on his administration, where billions of state funds were allegedly squandered “instead of engineering his boy, Isiguzoro, to attack his perceived political enemies using the name of OYC.”
The youths, therefore, disassociated themselves from all the reports made by the OYC National President, Isiguzoro, describing them as his personal cheap propaganda, insisting that their group did not empower him to publish any list of corrupt Igbo people and those who should and should not be given ministerial appointments.

The statement reads in part: “We apologise to all well-meaning sons and daughters of Igboland who may have been offended by Mazi Isiguzoro’s misguided attacks.
“Our sincere apologies go to former Abia State governor and Pillar of Sports, Orji Uzor Kalu and Uche Ogar, for the same insults they have received from Isiguzoro.
“We want to tell every other person dealing with him to be very careful. Anything they want to do with Ohanaeze youths, they must make sure that at least a minimum of five National Executive Committee (NEC) members must be in attendance.”
The youths disclosed that soon, an OYC NEC would be convened to take necessary disciplinary actions against Isiguzoro.
On the FIFA presidency, the group noted that Kalu has a good track record in sports, including pioneering the Enyimba Football Club, Aba to win CAF Champions Cup back to back twice, the first of its kind by a Nigerian club, and a feat that earned him the Pillar of Sports.