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| Chief John Nnia Nwodo presiding over the meeting. |
THE President-General of Ohanaeze
Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, Saturday, presided over a meeting of prominent
Igbo leaders in a bid to produce a 50- year development plan for Ndigbo.
The Igbo leaders converged on the
sleepy and serene Gregory University, Uturu, Abia State, which serves as the
headquarters of the World Igbo Summit Group, WISG, under the auspices of
the
Igbo Leaders, Elders and Collectives.
Among other issues, the meeting
brainstormed on how to kick-start the implementation of the resolutions adopted
during the last summit of the World Igbo, WISG, on the 50-year development
plan. The resolutions addressed an all-encompassing development plan that
would cover economic, political, cultural, educational as well as proper
mentoring of the youths.
Proper mentoring of the youths
Among those present at the occasion
were the former governor of Anambra State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, the Obi of
Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Chief Ike Nwachukwu, Chief Achuzie, former
Governor of the Central Bank, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Prof. Joe Irukwu, Prof.
George Obiozor and Dr. Greg Ibe.
Others included a former Minister of
Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, the former Economic Adviser to President
Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr Osita Ogbu, Mrs. Josephine Aneni, Prof Viola Onwuliri, Dr
Ifedi Okwenna, Mrs. Chidinma Uwajumogu and Prof. Ihechukwu Madubuike as well as
several traditional rulers and professionals in various walks of life among
others.
The Ndigbo Development Plan 2066 is
aimed at comprehensively tackling the development of Igbo land and would entail
persuading Igbo entrepreneurs and investors all over the country and in
Diaspora to think-home by bringing part of their investments and wealth home to
ensure a prosperous home land. It was a collective opinion of all the
speakers that Ndigbo have had enough talks over the problems bedevilling the
race even as it was now time for collective action.
Addressing the meeting, the Obi of
Onitsha, Igwe Achebe canvassed for strategic system that would propel the
development of future leaders for Ndigbo to effectively execute the 50 year
vision programme.
“We should start implementation, not
just talking; we need good leaders to carry on with the programme. Nnamdi Kanu
has a vision and he has the courage to ask questions on why an Igbo person is
institutionally disadvantaged in the country. Let us not be ashamed of it, we
are all Biafrans in spirit. We have to create opportunity for our youths to
rise,” Achebe said further suggesting that a committee be established to
kick-start the 50 -year development agenda.
Also speaking, Prof Soludo suggested the
formation of Ohanaeze youth wings in all tertiary institutions in Igbo land
saying it would help to inculcate the spirit of Ndigbo as well as help them key
into the plan. Soludo said that the vision if well executed would not only
ensure a prosperous homeland for the Igbo adding that “economic power is
permanent while political power is ephemeral.”
Earlier, the President-General of
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nwodo, urged Ndigbo to be more diplomatic in pursuing
their causes even as he warned against pushing Ndigbo to the wall. “I am here
to encourage the people that have been doing this good work. There was a time
Ohanaeze was lagging behind which led some patriotic Igbo to form some groups.
At the last count, I have 48 groups. For me it is a good thing. We will
encourage them to work with the Standing Committee of Ohanaeze so that their
ideas would be harnessed for the good of Ndigbo.
“Since I was elected, I have been
going round and talking to our people on the need to be one and speak with one
voice which would give us greater strength. We will also be tactful and
diplomatic in pursuing our cause, we should not be violent. But Igbo
should not be pushed to the wall. These were a people given 20 Pounds after the
civil war. We went to Lagos empty handed but today we have factories there;
Igbo investment in Lagos is huge; half of the buildings in Abuja are owned by
Ndigbo, we want them to bring some of them home,” Nwodo said.
He announced that he had reconciled
the South East governors who had resumed their meetings as well as promised to
make it regular. He also said he had visited Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers
State and would soon visit Governor Okowa of Delta State in an effort to bring
together all Igbo in every state.
“Ohanaeze of today is not Ohanaeze
of the past. The Ohanaeze you have today is not Ohanaeze of
job-for-job-seekers. The leaders now are tested people whom you should trust.
Development of Igbo land is the job for everybody,” he added. Nwodo also
condemned the militarization of Igbo land with the attendant mounting of road
blocks and extortion of money from motorists, saying he had gone round and did
not see such in any other part of the country.
