NDI OJI ABAM — The people of Ndi Oji Abam have turned to one of their own, a retired senior tax administrator, to lead a new phase in the life of the community.
Mr. Ukaha Okereke, who retired from the Federal Inland Revenue Service in July 2026, was on Saturday returned as President-General of the community after securing 55 votes. He was the sole candidate for the position.
His emergence came at the end of the National Election of the Ndi Oji Abam Development Association, which the court had ordered should hold within the scheduled window of November 13 to 15, 2026.
For many in the community, the choice was less about contest and more about confidence. Okereke came home with a reputation built over decades in public service, including five years as Tax Controller in Umuahia and a later posting as Tax Controller, Large Tax Office, with responsibility for large taxpayers across the South-East.
In his first address as President-General, he framed his mission as a return to service, not a return to power.
According to him, the task before the new executive is to restore order, accountability and direction to community affairs. He identified transparency in the management of community resources, structured engagement with women, elders and youths, and access to employment and self-employment opportunities as the defining commitments of his tenure.
He was particularly direct on the question of youth development, arguing that the community could no longer afford to leave its young people without guidance, mentorship or a clear path to livelihood. His administration, he said, would convene broad consultations across the various groups in the community and build a comprehensive database of indigenes, their skills and their needs, to match them with work within and beyond Ndi Oji.
Okereke also spoke to the divisions that preceded the election. Rather than claim personal superiority, he described leadership as collective responsibility, noting that success would depend on the willingness of all stakeholders, including those who had held different views, to work together for the common good.
His record, supporters say, preceded him. Before seeking office, he had facilitated training for six indigenes through the Industrial Training Fund, helped at least seven others into employment, supported about 18 persons to acquire vocational skills, and sponsored several students through school from his personal resources. He told the gathering that the same spirit of quiet intervention would now be institutionalised.
*The Women Speak*
The reaction from the women was one of the strongest moments of the day.
Mrs. Nwakaku Aja Udema, who spoke first on behalf of the women, expressed joy at Okereke’s emergence. She said enough revenue comes into the community, but it has not been well accounted for over the years. She said the women believe that with Okereke, a man trained in tax and finance, that story will change.
Mrs. Veronica Ndem Okorie, who also spoke for the women, said the women have watched Okereke over the years and are confident he will deliver. She described him as a philanthropist who has consistently supported people in the community long before seeking office, and said the women will stand with his administration.
Their message was clear: the women want accountability for community funds, and they see Okereke as the man to guarantee it.
Mr. Nelson Kalu Ubani, speaking on behalf of the community security outfit, said the outfit has suffered for so long without good provisions to do its job. He said Okereke’s emergence will correct a lot of wrongs in the community caused by previous administrations.
Mr. Israel Ikoro, representing the elders, said the elders are in full support of the new President-General and will stand behind him to ensure he succeeds.
Mr. Chibuzo Okereke, representing the youth population, pledged the resolve of the youths to work with the new leadership and to support its programme for the community.
Okereke will lead an executive that includes Chijioke Ndem as Secretary, Emmanuel Arunsi as Financial Secretary, Ogba Iro as Assistant Financial Secretary, Chinedu Martins as Treasurer, Emeka Iche as Head of Security, Chika Agwu and Ota Ogbonnaya as Public Relations Officers, Dike Isaiah as Organising Secretary, Kentus Agbam, Orji Emmanuel and Agwu Kalu Ifere as Provosts, and Okorie Ijioma and Okorukwu Orji Uka as Welfare Officers.
The election did not come without tension. Prior to the polls, members and branch executives of the association had approached the High Court of Abia State, Arochukwu Judicial Division, in Suit No. HAR/25/2026, seeking protection for the electoral process.
The court granted an interim injunction restraining Hon. Ikeagu Ukpabi Okpi, Mr. Isaac Okoh, Chief Herbert Okpi and Chief Iyowu Ike, and their agents, from stopping or obstructing the election, and ordered that the election should hold as scheduled within November 13 to 15, 2026.
The election held today in line with that order, and with his emergence, attention in Ndi Oji Abam has now shifted from dispute to delivery.
