OHANAEZE NDIGBO LAGOS: SOLOMON OGBONNA AGUENE’S IMPEACHMENT STORY IS A LIE; SAYS HE REMAINS PRESIDENT; AS HIGH COURT GRANTS CONSENT JUDGMENT
By Oki Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene
Contrary to rumours peddled in the public space about the purported impeachment of Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene who is the current President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos, an Igbo sociocultural organization, the culture ambassador has dismissed the claims as untrue and fallacious. He charged Nigerians, especially his Igbo brothers and sisters in Lagos, not to fall for the misleading information as it only exist in the imagination of those who are peddling such lies. Solomon Ogbonna Aguene added that there is a substantive court judgment which has granted him a stay for another 4 years. An election for other executive positions is set to hold very soon.
It will be recalled that Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene who got the no. 1 position in the sociocultural organization in 2018 has been bedeviled with internal wranglings and rancours arising from different factions, Eze Ndigbo group, the national body in Enugu, among others. This is why, according to him, he encouraged them all to seek peaceful agreement from the court which was granted by the Ikeja High Court. However, to his utter surprise, some elements would not allow peace to reign.
Chief Ogbonna started: ‘The reason why we are here is in view of the circumstances in Ohanaeze Ndigbo particularly in the last 48 hours. I wish to inform the public that those parading themselves as presidents and claiming that Solomon Ogbonna Aguene has been impeached are lying.’
‘Our national body in Enugu came to Lagos in 2018 to nullify our election which was conducted with our bye-law. After the election, the past President who served from 2014-2018 took me to court with the national body. From 2018 until November last year, we agreed to come together as one body but since then, they have been parading themselves as presidents – the first is Nnamdi Wigwe for 3 years but it was a surprise to me to see another person, Col. Nwankwo retd also parading himself as president’, he shared about the genesis of the problem with Trek Africa Newspaper.
On some of his move to find lasting solution, Solomon Ogbonna Aguene said: ‘As president of Ohanaeze from 2018, I have tried as much as possible to settle the agreement of consensus that we will be one body and the judgment was given. Those who took me to court are here. The High Court in Lagos has given a judgment on my extension of office as President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo for 4 years and every other executive. The date of election has not been announced because we have not zoned other posts to respective states. This judgment is a part of the settlement of the many years of dispute.’
The judgment of the Ikeja High Court of Tuesday, 12th April 2022 reads: “That the terms of settlement dated 8th of April 2022 be and is hereby entered as the consent judgment of the court as follows:
The claimants and the faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo which they represent shall be merged with the faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo represented by the defendants and all shall be one united and independent OHANAEZE NDIGBO LAGOS STATE with effect from the 1st day of April 2022 or from the date these terms of settlement are pronounced as the judgment of court, whichever is later.
The claimants shall recognize and adopt the defendant CHIEF SOLOMON OGBONNA as the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo of Lagos state with effect from the 1st day of April 2022 or from the date these terms of settlement are pronounced as the judgment of court, whichever is later, and shall ratify all actions hitherto taken by him as the Chairman/President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos state.
The byelaw of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos state 2006 shall remain in force subject only to any such modification as may be implicit in this Terms of Settlement and judgment of court thereupon.”
Despite this express Terms of Settlement, some elements have decided to belittle the law court and continue their troublesome acts. Chief Solomon Ogbonna noted with sadness to Trek Africa Newspaper, ‘But surprisingly yesterday at Calabar Hall in Surulere, some touts came to disorganize the meeting and disobeying the court judgment. One of them is John Uchedinma who also know about this judgment but said I rather bring all members of Ohanaeze to the group he formed or I give him N15 million or he will make sure he disorganize my government. They have been going about saying that they have impeached someone who has a court verdict from Ikeja High Court. How can you impeach someone like that?’
Also speaking at the press briefing yesterday, another Ohanaeze Ndigbo leader, Dr. Femi Ferguson noted: ‘We actually agreed to harmonize and do away with factions of Ohanaeze. So we all approached the court for what we can call a Consent Judgement. Every lawyer and journalist understands what that means. You can’t get such without the agreement of all parties. That was given but some other groups who have been merchandizing Ohanaeze say they don’t agree because they want to continue to profiteer from their enterprise.’
‘Thus some miscreants came yesterday saying that they have impeached a president which is not normal in a civilized clime where there are laid down rules and the court judgment has been served. The people are in connivance with Enugu. They just want to share money. They don’t want to give an account’, he revealed to Trek Africa Newspaper.
