Final Resolutions, Discussions, and Decisions: As World Igbo Congress [WIC] Concludes its Twelfth Annual-Summit, Boston, USA
 

As the World Igbo Congress [WIC] concludes its twelfth annual summit today— Monday September 4^th, 2006, it is important to summarize some of its resolutions, discussions, and decisions. On the final day, delegates from the homeland and around the world, experienced grand fan-fare gathering at its venue: Marriot Copley Place, Boston, MA, at about 7:30am to 9:30pm, they started touring, site-seeing, and finally exiting for departure to their final destinations.  

This year’s convention titled: Igbo Kwe Igbo Enwee [If Ndiigbo agrees, Ndiigbo achieves, etc]. The convention was a huge success for so many reasons: according to reports, there were striking additional improvements organizationally and substantively when compared to WIC's past summits. Insofar, we congratulate WIC members and, its organizers for putting this event together successfully. The occasion opened with Nigeria National anthem and United States National Anthem followed with introductions of dignitaries. This was rightly followed by Board meetings, briefings, of convention planning Committee Meetings rightly after the introduction of Ambassador Professor George Obiozor.

In the formal opening and Plenary Sessions, witnessed floating of coordinators from all sessions by the Vice chairman, Joe Nzepuome and Executive Director. Dr. Anthony Ejiofor explained some of the purposes of WIC.  Just by the way, according to reports during the June 12, 1993 elections some many Igbo lives and properties belonging to traders and businessmen were destroyed by rioters in Lagos and elsewhere and nothing was done about it by feds and Lagos state government. Consequently, the formation of, Ohaneze, WIC, MASSOB and other regional organizations in the nation-state, Nigeria were to respond to the activities of OPC, Arewa Consultative Forum and other groups and/or other non-for-profits organizations inside Nigeria, to protect the interests of Igbo-nation.   

Moving forward, on Friday September 1, 2006 formal opening and plenary sessions: Human rights issues were raised; strategies to make Ohaneze, WIC leaderships to be relevant and meaningful to ordinary onye-igbo prompted a call for mass-mobilization and promotion of Igbo language; II] this is followed by lay-down strategies to promoting and protecting the civil rights of Igbo sons and daughters wherever they are, inside and outside Nigeria;  III] Resolutions to develop guidelines for protection of Ndiigbo culture, our language, and our ancestral heritage amongst Igbo children in the homeland and those in Diaspora were identified and ratified. Speaker after speaker drove home these matters as extraordinary important. Prof., Chike Edozien, J.P., Dr. M. Joseph Nosiri, Dr. Gabriel Onor, and Godson Anosike, Cyril Nwaguru, as moderators were handy. It was an amazing and extraordinary experience for participants especially at this election period that is filled with uncertainties.

Peter Opara, Engr. Mike Anunike, Okey Nwanna, Godwin Ndukwe were rapporteurs on agenda that called for investing in people. Education and training [Session II] followed thereafter. This session was filled with many panelists amongst them are: Prof. Charles Umeh, Prof., Cyril Enweonwu, Prof. Chinua Achebe, Prof. Pita Ejiofor, Lolo Roseline Amuchie, etc.

This writer was privilege to witness Session III. This session was mainly comprised of Biafran Veterans-Forum [BVF]. Veterans after veterans spoke on the need not to allow their sacrifice of protecting Igbo-land, to be in vain. As you might have noticed, once it is Biafra, issues of security and safety of Igbo people pumps up, whether it is across Nigeria, off-shore the homeland territories or beyond our security is paramount. The purpose was to instill unity of every Igbo son and daughter, and instill the essence of self-worth, self-respect and self-preservation based on empiricisms and universalism on the essence and sanctity of human life. Igbo were called upon, to defend themselves under enemy’s aggressions against its peoples, but were advised, to go about their businesses lawfully as prescribed in the constitution. Moderators on this Session were Zeribe Ezeanuna, Dr Kemdi Opara and Prof. N.T. Izuchi, and Mrs. Florence Ohen.

Other Sessions include: Acknowledgement of all Royal fathers in the forum and presentations; this was  followed by fundraisers I & II. Both I & II fundraisers were to assist with the construction of Igbo Centers and Community Based Mass Mobilization projects for programmes for Igbo communities. There were also other sessions including: Women’s Session V. The purpose of this session was to discuss and create the platform to strategize issues that will let our women/girls take control of our children’s future in the Diaspora by promoting programs that will make out children and grand children of Ndiigbo to garner leadership capacities, by attending leadership programs, take responsibility not just nurturing but by making inroads to understanding the new geo-politics within its regional bloc, today’s nations-states projections, and its attended universalism. Also, mothers were asked to work toward readiness and preparedness as a means to respond to the new-world order with its socio-economic and political trajectories. Esther C. Ohen presided over women matters in the just ended WIC.

International businesses were not left out at WIC, as Igbo entrepreneurships, its science and technological heavyweights, and capabilities cannot effectively operate without the new-digital interconnectedness of the new-world-order meshed with digitalized technological networks with global reach.

Saturday Sessions experience was the day for political-pundits, political heavyweights, and, interested aspirants at various political platforms. This multifaceted-group, ranged from those vying for local government positions, States and finally those vying for top post of Presidency of the nation. Time after time they lectured, instructed and offered the way forward for the nation and Ndiigbo as 2007 draws near.  From Session I to Session II, & III, V and the grand finale of the convention which witnessed the convention Banquet were meshed with political groups from across the country of Igbo extraction with some OPC officials as guests at the Banquet session. ABC Nwosu, Ben Nwabueze featured prominently. Reflections on Regional Economic: Development Cooperation -- Present and future were discussed. A call was made that Igbo must cooperate at state, ministry and parastatal levels for economic development to occur. Regional economic will better Igbo nation as they will rise to regional road networks, light networks, communications and power generation. Adding that, Ndiigbo must know that regional governors must cooperate for the interests of Igbo en-bloc. Chairman of the Session, was Dr. Sylvester Ugoh, Fmr, Governor of Central Bank of Biafra and Co-chairman, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, Justice of Supreme Court of Nigeria.

This was followed by Session V: Economic And Political Round Table.  At this juncture, its purpose was to tie up important outcomes from the economic sessions, important outcomes from the political forum, to set benchmarks for future Igbo economic compass; to set implementation guidelines and teams for identifying the desired political and economic direction of Ndiigbo in 2007 and beyond. This session featured Senate President, presidential aspirants of Igbo extraction joined by Ken Nnamani, Gov. Peter Obi, Senator Uche Chukwumereije, Emmanuel Inwuanyu, Ben Obi, Chris Adighije, Chris Asoluka and Eze Ajoku. On the same Saturday featured also Governor Central Bank of Nigeria, Chief Asoludo, who discussed briefly but concisely on: The Reason[s] for Under-Development In Igbo-land. He promised to expand further at other gathering at a later time as time was running out.  

Security Matters: There was a security violation; the political-economics sessions meant specifically for Igbo-sons and daughters witnessed an infiltration by a lady state-agent, who claimed she was formally invited, this was quickly ratified. According to reports, the lady-stranger claimed that she paid 300 dollars to be at the event at the time she was apprehended by security operatives.  Information has it that she was respectfully refunded, released later on to her family and advised to attend the Gala-Night meant for everybody including accredited visitors.

Resolutions and Discussions

Igbo discussed and agreed to protect the rights of Igbo nation as well as those of other nations inside Nigeria with the resources within its frontiers and reach. Well, talking about protecting Igbo interests, as this report was being constructed, report was culled in from Nnewi, that SSS and state intelligence outfits have disrupted  Igbo Cultural gathering that was meant to strategize and promote Igbo language in Igbo-land and beyond, in Anambra State. It was gathered that Professor Ejiofor, Vice Chancellor, of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe University, was arrested with others. This created tensions and scuffles at the premises of the lecture venue. This one of the example of discriminatory practices of state security disrupting lawfully organized lectures for Ndiigbo who are known history to have established a democratized society way ahead of Athens, Greek. Irrespective of these aggressions against Ndiigbo, and all our peoples of Niger-Basin extraction, we unequivocally warn the nation that this kind of unlawful behaviors on intelligence agencies has to stop. Resolutions were reached that education of our children on what is obtainable today in the nation-state, Nigeria, in terms of economic and political opportunities, preservation of culture, our ancestral inheritance, and others of our fathers must never be compromised under any circumstances. Another resolution reached amongst others as the Boston Summit came to its conclusion, that any Igbo son or daughter campaigning for Vice President Position is pretty much on his/her own and do not, must not have the support of Igbo-nation. Those dreaming and drumming for this Vice President slot were advised to steer-clear and respect Ndiigbo consensus on this matter.  

Decisions

Ndiigbo in Boston after tight, elongated deliberations resolved that Igbo must produce the next president of Nigeria. As this is the right thing to do in other to complete the circle of presidency. North and West have had their regional turns respectively. Amongst many speakers that spoke: one great son of Igbo was copiously absent at the Summit. Dim Chukwuemeka Odemuegwu Ojukwu was absent. Such a vacuum was largely felt and was difficult to fill in any Igbo gathering. Participants present at the summit wished him good health and long live.

As fate would have it, however, the occasion was blessed with another great son. Amongst all those that spoke on the vision and mission of Igbo-nation and Nigeria, with respect to providing leadership to the nation was a large presence; a likeable, amiable and a great nationalist which, from this writer’s point of view, believes, Chief Ebitu Ukiwe, made the most and lasting impression in the minds of the multitudes at this great gathering. Chief Ukiwe, spoke on providing leadership, qualities of a leader, meaning of organized society, leadership/follower-ship relationships, law and order; and stated that a society were the constitution is respected, all are equal before the law regardless of one status in that society, regardless of ethnicity and one’s background. He spoke on economic and political dividends of effective and efficient democratic society were every branch of the government: the executive, judiciary, and legislature are saddled with duty and responsibility to server citizenry—nation. He believes that accountability, responsibility and transparency will be his strength to lead the nation if supported and voted for by all Nigerians. Ebitu Ukiwe, remarks was very nationalistic and left no stone unturned. Irrespective of little time allotted to him he was quick to the point and made the best of the moment.  Cable and video coverage of the event will go on sale, according to reports, in a week to two-weeks from today. Stay tuned.............

Conclusions

From all indicators, lectures, sessions, seminars, state-by-state identifications and meetings, identifiable evidence abound that Igbo-nation have spoken with one voice that what they are asking fellow Nigerians is their support and goodwill as they have supported the West and the North in their tenures, to allow the completion of the circle of the Presidency with SE/SS to produce the next President. In other words, to avoid unnecessary commotion, heating up the body-polity of the nation-state, Nigeria, this must be followed through by law-abiding and peaceful citizens of our land. Security, law and order not lawlessness, creating chaotic scenario will restore nation-hood; again, I repeat, it is law and order and security that makes a nation viable.  Next WIC summit is slated for Detroit, Michigan 2007.

Carlisle U.O. Umunnah

Is New York Based Freelance Writer

Contact: cuu1_liberties@yahoo.com

September 2006

Robot  # 1 | 07.09.2006 02:05

From all indicators, lectures, sessions, seminars, state-by-state identifications and meetings, iden...Read the full article.