Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, and the Obi of Onitsha, Nnaemeka Achebe, have called for the renewal of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, with Achebe urging the organisation to remain above partisan politics and serve as the conscience of the Igbo people.

They spoke in Lagos on Tuesday during the unveiling of Ohanaeze at 50 – The Burden of Memory, The Politics of Relevance: A Critical Biographical Reflection of an Igbo Institution, authored by Agbeze Kalu Onuma.

Otti, who was the special guest of honour, said the organisation’s 50th anniversary provided an opportunity to examine its history, present relevance and future direction.

The governor said the book raised important questions about institutional renewal, generational transition and the relationship between leadership and the people it represents.

“At 50, an institution deserves celebration, but it also deserves reflection. What has Ohanaeze become? What should it be? And what must it do to remain relevant to generations of Ndigbo yet unborn?” Otti said.

He argued that Ohanaeze could not rely solely on its history and heritage to remain relevant, stressing the need for institutions that respond to the aspirations of younger generations.

Otti urged greater adoption of technology and innovation, stronger engagement with the Igbo diaspora and the conversion of cultural identity into economic, intellectual and political strength.

He also challenged the organisation to consider whether it was building institutions capable of surviving beyond individual personalities and political seasons.

According to him, the anniversary should encourage deeper reflection on what remains undone and whether the organisation’s leadership is keeping pace with the aspirations of the Igbo people.

Speaking at the event, Achebe said Ohanaeze should return to its core role as a socio-cultural organisation and remain above partisan politics.

“The real strength of Ohanaeze is the grassroots. Ohanaeze is a socio-cultural organisation, not a partisan political one,” the monarch said.

He warned against attempts by politicians to use the organisation for personal political interests, saying Ohanaeze should instead monitor and guide political actors, regardless of their party affiliations, to act in the interest of the Igbo.

Achebe said the organisation had become too elitist and disconnected from ordinary Igbo people, arguing that its influence depended on reconnecting with the grassroots.

He also criticised divisions within Ohanaeze and called for a collective agenda that would transcend political affiliations. He said the organisation’s inability to speak with one voice had affected its influence.

Achebe recalled that he had raised similar concerns in a 2010 interview with the author, particularly about fragmentation among the Igbo and its implications for their collective position in Nigeria and beyond.

He urged current and future Ohanaeze leaders to treat the book as a mirror and use its criticisms as an opportunity to strengthen the organisation.

The book reviewer, Prof. Okey Anueyiagu, also identified institutional renewal as a major issue raised by the publication, describing Ohanaeze as being at an important point in its history after five decades.

Anueyiagu called for a shift from what he described as reactive agitation towards structured and strategic regional development, including stronger economic institutions, modern infrastructure, grassroots structures and greater investment in technology and innovation.

Also speaking briefly at the event, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, urged the Igbo to celebrate their heritage while working with other ethnic groups towards Nigeria’s development.

Representing the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, John Azuta-Mbata, Lagos State leader Everest Ozonweke said the Igbo should focus more on addressing their shortcomings than praising themselves.

The event was chaired by former Group Managing Director of First Bank of Nigeria Holdings Plc, Eke U. K. Other attendees included Dr Umar Eleazu, publisher Peter Nwankwo, Eyinnaya Abaribe, Obi Umahi and Prof Anya O. Anya.