Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Ccommuniqué: Communiqué Of Igbo National Council Meeting Held On 28-10-2012
 |
| Igbo Traditional Regalia |
The Igbo
National Council (INC), after extensive deliberation on the state of Igbo
Nation resolved as follows:
That our position to produce a
president of Igbo extraction in 2015 is not negotiable giving the fact that
Ndigbo have contributed towards the survival, growth, unity and development of
Nigeria. That since Ndigbo constitute over 40% of total
Nigerian population, INC insists that Ndigbo are due to take up and direct the
leadership of the Nigerian federation by producing a president of the country.
The INC will massively mobilise Ndigbo at home and in diaspora, to actively
support the candidacy of an Igbo person for Nigerian presidency in the 2015
election.
To call the
attention of state governments of Igbo states to begin to re-empower the Local
Government Authorities for the development of the grassroots and as a grooming
ground
for younger leaders in Igbo land.
Praises the audacity and forthrightness
of our brother and renowned literary giant, Prof Chinua Achebe in publication
of his personal memo on the Biafran civil war in which he pointed out bitter
truths regarding crimes committed against the Igbo nation by Nigerian
officials, especially Awolowo and Gowon, during the war. The INC equally
commends the courage of many other Nigerians including Prof Wole Soyinka who
have persistently decided to take stand with the truth and condemn the evil
meted out against the Igbo during the war.
The INC expressed disappointment at the
efforts of certain Nigerians especially leaders of the Northern and Western
parts of the country who have made efforts at repressing the truth through
vehement criticism of the book as published by Achebe.
The INC calls for the prosecution of
all those indicted for genocide against Ndigbo: General Yakubu Gowon, General
Olusegun Obasanjo, General T. Y. Dnajuma, Chief Obafemi Awolowo (post-humus)
and many others in the International Court of Justice. They violated
humanitarian laws during the war they declared against ndigbo for trying to
express their rights to self determination and should therefore be brought to
book for their crimes against humanity.
That the massive investments being made by Igbos all over the country, especially
in the north, which has been the source of power of our people, is also the
source of our political weakness. This
is because of the constant threats to such investments by people of other
ethnic groups whenever they deem fit. Igbos have lost millions of naira through
unwarranted attacks by their hosts and many Igbos have insisted on politically
playing to please their hosts to avert destruction, looting or confiscation of
their properties. Igbos have lost lives and properties through various forms of
attacks including bombing, unwarranted riots as well as cold blooded murder as
being witnessed in the north today. Many state and local governments in
most of these states, especially in the north, have initiated anti-Igbo trade
policies to cripple businesses, investments and residents belonging to Igbos.
The INC therefore
calls on Ndigbo living in other parts of the country, especially in the north
where jihad has been declared against
them, to begin to bring their businesses and investments back home. They should as well begin to develop properties in Igbo land
to ensure safety. It is the position of the INC that people needing their
products will a always come for it no matter how remote the location of their
market could be.
That INC calls on governments of Igbo
states to begin to take serious issues of good governance, development of
infrastructures in Igboland and initiate pro-people policies to encourage
investments in Igboland. They should stop making any form of anti-trade and
anti-peoples policies in their domain. They should rather focus on policies that
would promote investment in Igboland and encourage trade growth and
development. This will encourage the absorption of Igbos in other parts of
Nigeria who decide to return to Igboland to invest because their places of
residents and trade are no longer conducive or safe for their purpose.
The INC bemoans the poor performances
of governments of Igbo states and resolves to begin to device querying,
criticizing, penalizing and bugging governments especially Governors and Houses
of Assembly in Igbo States, to serve as checks and balances in other to promote
good governance in Igboland.
After a detailed deliberation and
assessment of issues presented regarding the state of governance in Abia State;
a very high level of dismal performance in governance of the state in over five
(5) years, notably the absence of infrastructural development in the state,
especially the total collapse of roads in the state; incessant institution of
anti-people policies and persistence disregard for the labour welfare in the
state vis-a-vis the recurring multiple withholding of and refusal to pay
salaries of civil servants in Abia State, which presently stands at five months
in arrears. The INC observed that Abia State under Dr. T. A. Orji lags behind
in all spheres of societal living.
Consequent upon these, the INC insists
that Dr. T. A. Orji has failed to uphold the provisions of the constitution
which compels him as governor to work for the welfare of citizens of Abia
State. The INC therefore passed a vote-of-no-confidence on the Governor of Abia
State Dr. Theodore Orji and calls on the state house of Assembly to immediately
begin an impeachment procedure against Dr. T. A. Orji of Abia State to end the
sufferings of the people of the state. The INC insists that it henceforth
seizes to recognize Dr. T. A. Orji as governor of Abia State and calls on all
Abia citizens to, from now on regard all programmes of the Abia State
government under T. A. Orji as illegal.
The house of Assembly should also begin
the process of recall of civil servants in Abia State who were sacked from the
State civil service for no good reasons other than not being indigenes of the
State. INC regards this as working against the interest of brotherhood of
States and capable of building bad-blood and enmity among indigenes of
different states in the future. It has also worsened the economic conditions of
the sacked workers most of whom are daughters of Abia State married to
non-Abians.
The INC decried the total collapse of
roads in Igboland which has crippled all kinds of mobility and trade throughout
the land. This has further worsened the economic condition of the land and
sufferings of the citizens. Igbos now loose millions of Naira on daily basis as
a result of the state of the roads. It therefore calls on all governments both
at the Federal and State level to begin immediately to respond to the plight of
the people by reconstructing the roads in the land.
Chilos Godsent
Chairman.
Funda
Ikpegbu
Secretary.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)