RE: Setting the record straight on claims of leadership in Igbo community in Ghana

We have noted with concern the latest public statements by Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu, once again presenting himself as the leader of the Igbo community in Ghana.

It is important, in the interest of truth and public clarity, to state categorically that Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu is not the leader of the Igbo Community Ghana.

One is left wondering why he remains unwilling to let go of this unfortunate charade. Only a few months ago, despite repeated advice from well-meaning Igbo elders and community leaders in Ghana, he insisted on parading himself as "His Royal Majesty" and styling himself as the "King of the Igbos in Ghana."

That needless display created avoidable tension, embarrassed the Igbo people, and strained relations with our gracious Ghanaian hosts.

Rather than learning from those events, he now seeks to repackage himself under a different title while creating the false impression that he speaks on behalf of all Igbos in Ghana.

For the avoidance of doubt, Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu is not even a member of the duly registered Igbo Community Ghana.

Membership of any association is voluntary, and every individual has the right to belong to or establish any lawful group of his choice.

He is therefore free to lead his own organisation or any association that willingly accepts his leadership.

However, that does not confer on him the authority to appropriate the identity, mandate, or representation of the duly registered Igbo Community Ghana.

It is therefore misleading for him to present himself as the "Igbo Community Leader in Ghana."

He may be the leader of his own group, but he is not the leader of the Igbo Community Ghana.

Furthermore, while he may have travelled to Nigeria and received a certificate or recognition from the Southeast Council of Traditional Rulers as "Onyendu," such recognition does not automatically create an office within the constitutional structure of the Igbo Community in Ghana.

Institutions derive legitimacy from their own governing rules and constitution, not from external declarations.

Within the Igbo Community in Ghana, leadership already exists through a well-established constitutional framework.

The office of the Community President is democratically constituted and rotates among the five South-Eastern states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.

Each administration serves a fixed tenure of three years, after which leadership passes to another state in accordance with the Community's constitution.

This rotational arrangement was deliberately designed to promote equity, inclusion, unity, and a sense of belonging among all constituent groups.

Against this constitutional backdrop, it is difficult to understand why Mr. Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu has continued to pursue the leadership of the Igbo Community Ghana for well over twelve years.

The obvious question, therefore, arises: Is the leadership of the Igbo Community in Ghana hereditary? Is it a life appointment? The answer is an unequivocal No. Our constitution recognises neither hereditary succession nor perpetual tenure.

Leadership is a temporary trust, exercised within clearly defined constitutional limits before passing to others in accordance with the Community's rotational system.

The persistent attempt to personalise or permanently appropriate the leadership of the Igbo Community Ghana runs contrary to both the letter and the spirit of our constitution. No individual, regardless of personal influence, self-bestowed titles, or external recognition, is greater than the institution itself.

The constitution remains supreme, and every member is bound by its provisions.

Consequently, while Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu may legitimately bear the title of "Onyendu" within his family, his personal organisation or among those who voluntarily choose to recognise him, that title carries no constitutional authority within the Igbo Community in Ghana and does not make him the leader or representative of the Igbo people in Ghana.

It is also worth recalling that the unfortunate events witnessed in Ghana a few months ago arose from precisely this insistence on assuming titles and authority that were neither recognised by the Igbo Community Ghana nor compatible with the customs and traditional institutions of our host country.

Similar developments are reportedly unfolding elsewhere on the African continent, including South Africa, where comparable claims have generated unnecessary tensions and wider consequences.

Thankfully, the timely intervention of the Government of Ghana helped prevent a further escalation of the situation here.

The Igbo Community in Ghana remains firmly committed to peaceful coexistence, respect for the sovereignty, laws, and traditional institutions of the Republic of Ghana and cordial relations with all communities.

We equally reaffirm our commitment to constitutional governance, unity, and the orderly administration of our affairs.

Accordingly, we reiterate, without ambiguity, that Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu does not speak for, represent, or lead the Igbo Community Ghana.

Any individual, organisation, government institution or media platform that chooses to engage with him in that capacity does so entirely at its own discretion and not with the endorsement, authority or mandate of the duly registered Igbo Community Ghana.

We therefore urge the public, the diplomatic community, government agencies, traditional authorities, and all stakeholders to recognise and respect the legitimate constitutional leadership of the Igbo Community, Ghana and to disregard any contrary representations capable of creating confusion or misleading the public.

High Chief Innocent Lekwuwa Ukejelam

Ọnọchirimba

(Patron Igbo Community Ghana)

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