Okey Emuchay set to emerge Ohanaeze Secretary-General

Nigeria’s former Consul General in South Africa, Ambassador Okey Emuchay, is set to emerge the Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

He has been holding consultations with the various state exco of Ohaneze including Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra and Imo States all of which went very well. He has so far, been well received

Recall that the Ohanaeze Secretary-General position was zoned to Abia State in the January 2021 election and Emuchay who hails from Azumini in Ukwa East Local Government of the state, is the front-runner for the position.

Emuchay has promised that he would chart a new course for the organization if he was elected as he will not need lessons on what constitutes the interests of Ndigbo at home or abroad.

“As President Obasanjo said recently, ‘the world is the Igbo man’s village’. Ohanaeze should be led by those who understand the dynamics of Igbo relationship with the global environment,’ Ambassador Emuchay said.

Ambassador Emuchay (MFR) was born in Aba on November 9, 1960 to the late Sir (Dr) Dick Waobianyi Emuchay (MFR) and Lady (Mrs.) Christiana Nne Emuchay (Ada Ugo Abia) of Azumini, Ndoki in Ukwa East LGA, Abia State. He was one of eight children

He was a career diplomat who had served in Angola, United Kingdom and Austria.

Emuchay’s tour of duty as Nigeria’s Consul-General in Johannesburg, South Africa commenced at a turbulent time when nations were adjusting their foreign policies to post-apartheid South Africa. However, he proved his mettle by bringing a new dimension to citizen diplomacy and navigated Nigeria’s national interest and aspirations through these challenging moments, guiding her to resolve many knotty issues that would have ruined the significant Nigeria-South African relations.

He played a pivotal role in not just bridge building but in guiding policy and national responses to the issues and manifestations of xenophobia in post-apartheid South Africa, especially where it took the form of attacks to Nigerians and Nigerian interests in South Africa. He helped resolve many other diplomatic-cum-political rows like the one involving the unlawful repatriation of Nigerians.

He is considered one of the most accomplished Nigerian diplomats, for which he received the National Award of Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) in 2012 from President Goodluck Jonathan.