Owerri Club Chairman, Charles Okeke Debunks Allegations Against Him, Urges The Public To Disregard Enemies Of Progress …As Club Holds Inauguration Of Imo Governor As President Tomorrow

By Chinenye Chukwuma

The Chairman of Owerri Club, Chief Charles Okeke (ODIUKO), has expressed dismay over some newspapers’ report against the club and its leadership, describing such as handiwork of some disgruntled elements who are opposed to the progress and the ongoing transformation of the club which is being undertaken by his administration.

Chief Okeke, disclosed this while answering questions from this reporter who called in to get clarifications over the crisis which the newspapers’ publications alleged to have engulfed the club as well as the various allegations levelled against the chairman.

Continuing, the Owerri Club Chairman dismissed the reported crisis in the organisation, and added that the sponsored publications were maliciously fabricated by a faceless and retrogressive group in order to paint the reputable club in bad light as well as to destroy his hard-earned reputation.

He pointed out that the groose against him by those he described as enemies of progress was because of his ongoing transformation of the aged long club, as well as his administration’s decision to make the club vibrant and to give it a new face by bringing in young people into its fold as members.

Chief Charles Okeke

Chief Okeke, a former Executive Chairman of Orsu LGA, decried the attitudes of those opposing positive changes and fighting to destroy the club, instead of joining hands with his leadership to move it forward. He maintained that no amount of blackmail would deter him from going on with the transformations he leadership had embarked on for the good of the club.

He used the opportunity to urge the public to disregard the publications, stating that those behind them were not speaking for the interest of the members of the club, but for their selfish purposes. He informed this reporter that in the contrary, the majority and well-meaning members of the club are yearning for positive changes as well as solidly behind his transformative initiatives within the club.

His statement: “You know Owerri Club as a premier club. But the vision of the club has somehow been misdirected as certain persons have refused that the club should grow in the sense of physical transformations as well as bringing new young members to transform the vast resources we have Into productivity.

“This group with old ideas are fighting against paradigm shift, but insisting on maintaining status quo, meaning that nothing should grow or change. They are against newness despite the changing trends in the society, especially the new ideas that young people are bringing, yet the older members want this place to remain an old people’s home.”

The club chairman cited some of their oppositions to his transformative leadership among others to include raising burial rites of a deceased member from N30,000 to N100,000 despite the current economic realities.

Chief Okeke, dismissed allegations of corruption, dictatorship and high-handedness levelled against him, and urged members of the public to disregard them as they were false, wicked and intended to deceive the public. He clarified that suspension of some members was in line with the Club’s rules which stipulated such measures for members who went to court against the club pending the determination of the matter.

Meanwhile, Chief Charles Okeke, used the opportunity to inform the public of a the forthcoming event at the club tomorrow, September 28, 2024, which would be the inauguration of the Imo State Governor, His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma as the President of Owerri Club.

The event which he said will take place at the Club’s premises along Bishop’s Court/IMSU Back Gate, Owerri, will also witness the Investiture of the First Grand Patron, Nze George Onwuanibe among other worthy personalities that would receive various meritorious awards.