By Tony Edike

ENUGU—THE General Assembly of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, weekend, ratified the decision of the various arms of the body in support of the presidential ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 elections.

The inner caucus of the organisation, the Imeobi, had on October 30, 2010 adopted President Jonathan as the presidential candidate of Ndigbo in 2011 in line with the earlier decision of the Ralph Uwechue-led executive, which endorsed the president’s bid.

A communique at the end of the general meeting  of the organisation at its headquarters in Enugu, Ohanaeze said “the General Assembly of Ohanaeze Ndigbo endorsed Ohanaeze Ndigbo’s support for the Presidential bid of Dr. Jonathan in 2011 election, as approved by Imeobi on October 30.”

The General Assembly also endorsed the constitutional amendments,which stipulates that the national and state offices of Ohanaeze should be based on a one-term of four years and that the present executive committee led by Ambassador Ralph Uwechue should remain in office till December 2012 as approved by Imeobi on October 30.

The communiqué said the participants disowned the election of Ohanaeze Youth Council, purported to have been held at Owerri, Imo State on October 31, 2010 adding  “the General Assembly wish to emphasize that the Youth Council is an organ of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and any election into that organ must receive Ohanaeze approval.”

The General Assembly further noted with satisfaction, that the security forces deployed to Abia State have made positive impact, as the incidence of kidnapping has greatly nose dived.

According to the Ohanaeze, “in view of this development , the General Assembly appealed to the Federa Government to also deploy security forces to other South East States, in order that the scepter of kidnapping would be dealt a decisive blow in the run up to Christmas 2010.”

On the forthcoming voters’ registration exercise, the General Assembly called on Ndigbo to come out en masse to register to participate  in the 2011 elections.