By Lanre Oloyede
The Youth Wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a pan Igbo socio-cultural organization, has condemned the alleged media attack on Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs by the Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, over a chieftaincy title conferred upon her by the revered traditional ruler of Awka Ancient Kingdom, His Imperial Majesty Obi Dr. Austin Ndigwe, MON, JP, Ezeuzu the 3rd.
The group, in a statement by it’s National Youth Leader, Mazi Damain Okafor, berated governor Soludo for publicly branding the title as “fake” and “illegal, describing the statement as reckless and unwarranted.
The ohanaeze Youth said the warning issued by the governor to Mrs Ojukwu against her use of the title and questioning her judgment represents a shameful low in governance.
They added that it is a direct assault on the widow of “our eternal leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and an unforgivable desecration of the sacred Anambra traditional institution.”
The statement further maintained that
“Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu stands as an embodiment of grace, resilience, and Igbo pride. As the wife of the Ikemba Nnewi, whose sacrifices for Ndigbo remain unparalleled, she deserves the highest honour and respect, not petty vilification from a state government that should be upholding our customs. By launching this baseless media onslaught, the Soludo administration has reduced our revered traditional institution to a laughing stock and a tool for political vendetta rather than a pillar of cultural authority and communal harmony.
“This is not governance; it is authoritarian pettiness that erodes the sanctity of our kingship, undermines recognized traditional processes, and turns Anambra’s cultural heritage into a spectacle of ridicule before the nation and the world. Our royal fathers are custodians of our traditions, not pawns in executive power games. Such actions breed division, disrespect ancestral norms, and mock the very essence of Igbo identity.”
The Youth group demand an immediate and unconditional retraction of these inflammatory statements, a public apology to Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and a cessation of all attacks on the traditional institutions in the state.
They added that the Anambra State Government must restore dignity to “our monarchy and focus on delivering good governance rather than engaging in divisive distractions.
“Failure to heed this call will provoke the unwavering resolve of Igbo youths to defend our heritage, our icons, and our unity. Ndigbo will not tolerate the continued humiliation of our legends and traditions.”
