…as Community in Calabar Elects New President

By Ike Uchechukwu, CALABAR

Igbo leaders in Cross River State have called for deeper ties with the state government, even as the Igbo Community in Calabar elected Chief Sir Kenneth Okpalaeke as its new president.

The election, held on Thursday in Calabar, was described by community leaders as peaceful, transparent and credible.

Speaking after the exercise, the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Cross River State Chapter, High Chief Chukwuemeka Egwuonwu, commended members of the community for their peaceful conduct throughout the process.

He said the emergence of the new leadership reflected the unity of the Igbo community in the state, and urged the president-elect to see leadership as a call to selfless service.

“Leadership is all about service. The new president should continue to promote unity among the Igbos and sustain the peaceful atmosphere we have built over the years,” he said.

Egwuonwu reiterated Ohanaeze’s commitment to cordial relations with the Cross River State Government, stressing that although the body remained non-political, it would continue to support initiatives promoting the welfare of Igbos in the state.

Also speaking, a member of the Igbo Council of Chiefs, Chief Sir Livinus Ihezie, described the poll as the most peaceful the community had ever conducted, and commended the electoral committee for a transparent process.

He urged the new officers to preserve the unity inherited from previous administrations, adding that a key priority should be the construction of a permanent Igbo Community Hall in Calabar.

He appealed to Governor Bassey Otu to facilitate the restoration of land earlier allocated to the community for the project.

“We need a befitting Igbo Community Hall that will serve as a permanent home for our people in Cross River State,” he said.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Non-Indigenous Affairs, Mazi Okey Maduekwe, hailed the peaceful election, attributing it to the atmosphere of peace prevailing in the state.

He said the emergence of younger leaders would reposition the community for greater progress while strengthening ties with the host state, and urged the new executive to sustain the outgoing administration’s peaceful disposition and support the governor’s development agenda.

In his acceptance speech, Okpalaeke pledged to prioritise unity, self-reliance and community development, saying members would be mobilised to fund projects through voluntary contributions rather than relying solely on external support.

He listed the community hall project as central to his administration, describing it as a facility that would give Igbos in the state a lasting identity, and promised welfare programmes for elderly and vulnerable members.

“We have to work together as one family. If we unite and contribute what we can, we can achieve any project we desire.

“We must also care for our elderly and those who are less privileged among us,” he said.

Reflecting on the outgoing administration, Okpalaeke credited it with restoring peace after years of internal disagreement, and pledged to build on that foundation while urging members to remain law-abiding and contribute positively to their host communities.