*PREAMBLE
The first Ohanaeze Elders Council meeting under the leadership of Amb. Prof. George Obiozor as President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, held in Owerri, Imo State, on Saturday, March 27, 2021.
The meet was addressed by the President-General, Amb. Professor George Obiozor, who seized the opportunity to once again thank Ndigbo for electing him to preside over their affairs at such a crucial time like this, and the overwhelming support he has gotten so far from the generality of Ndigbo.
The President-General also seized the opportunity to reiterate his determination to tackle the existential threat to Ndigbo but in the context of their social and constitutional relationship with the rest of the country.
The meeting, taking a cue from the President-General’s address, 2 deliberated on a wide range of issues concerning Ndigbo, both as a people as well as in the context of their relationship with their fellow compatriots across Nigeria.
The issues raised, and which were looked into with the needed profundity were in the following areas:
*(1) Security/Insecurity
*(2) Economy/Alaigbo stabilization fund
*(3) Igbo Presidency
*(4) Power sharing/Restructuring
*(5) Education etc.
RESOLUTIONS
The meeting resolved as follows:
*SUPPORT The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Elders Council, satisfied with the comportment, charisma, determination, vision, etc. shown, so far, by Amb. Prof. George Obiozor since assuming office two months ago, has resolved to give him an unalloyed support as he steers the ship of the Igbo nation and urges all well-meaning Igbo to do same.
* 3:SECURITY/INSECURITY Worried by the unprecedented state of insecurity in the country as a whole, the council mandated the Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership to work in close consultation with state governments in Alaigbo to fashion out ways of reducing the vulnerability of those residing in any part of Igboland to the current abysmal state of affairs. The Council was of the opinion that Alaigbo needs a security outfit that will at once address issues that are peculiar to the nature, culture, tradition, topography, etc. of Alaigbo and also give support to efforts by the Federal Government of Nigeria. In addition, the council urged the Ohanaeze leadership to initiate moves that will reduce the victimhood of Ndigbo living outside AlaIgbo each time there is a crisis in their areas of residence.
The council frowned at the current situation whereby Ndigbo become easy targets during hostilities both within the country and even in some parts of Africa, like Ghana and South Africa for example. ECONOMY/ALAIGBO STABILIZATION FUND The Council resolved that Alaigbo can no longer afford to wait for 4 the rest of the country if she must safeguard the future of her youths through the provision of adequate means of livelihood and wealth creation, generally.
The Council noted that it is a matter of regret that whereas the Igbo Economy was one of the best in the world before the Nigerian War, the general lackluster approach in the management of the national economy has dragged the collective aversion of Ndigbo to poverty and deprivation to such all time low that Ndigbo have become economically dependent.
It regretted that whereas Ndigbo were, generally, self-sufficient in food production in the years past, the Igbo woman now depends on even mere pepper brought into Igboland from other parts of the country. It then mandated Ohanaeze leadership to fashion out ways of encouraging governments in the Igbo-speaking states to become more proactive in the pursuit of policies that would boast both agriculture and manufacturing.
The council noted with dissatisfaction, recent national statistical figures that ascribed some Igbo- speaking states as ranking highest in the number of unemployed people, pointing out that a home grown (Igbo made) approach for tackling the unemployment monster should be pursued without any further delay.
The Council, therefore, resolved that in pursuit of a better economic prospect for the entire Igbo land, the Ohanaeze leadership, under Professor Obiozor, should further pursue and implement the ALAIGBO STABILIZATION FUND which was initiated by the immediate administration of Chief Nnia Nwodo.
The meeting seized the opportunity to commend members of the steering committee of the fund, led by Professor Osita Ogbu, for the painstaking effort it made in fashioning out a blue print for the rapid development of Igbo land. The Council further resolved to adopt the resolutions taken by Omeobi- Ohanaeze on the report of the ALAIGBO STABILIZATION FUND’s STEERING COMMITTEE viz:
*1. The setting up of a 9-member Board of Trustees by the leadership of Ohanaeze comprising one member from each of the 7-states of Ohanaeze and two other persons; 6 2. That the 9-member Board of Trustees are authorized to register the two institutions recommended by the report – Ndigbo Foundation and Alaigbo Investment Company; 3. That the trustees understand that the Ndigbo are the owners of the two institutions and that their mandate and tenure are determined by a larger Advisory Council; and 4.
That a Technical Implementation Committee comprising technocrats and seasoned businessmen and women be set up by Ohanaeze and mandated to give all legal and administrative effects to the recommendations contained in the report of the steering committee. The Council then called on all Igbo of all persuasions, both at home and abroad, to support the initiative. IGBO PRESIDENCY
The Elders Council mandated the President-General to work in close consultation with the Igbo socio-cultural-political intelligentia to pursue the task of ensuring that Alaigbo takes its turn in producing the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at 7 the 2023 general elections.
The Elders Council frowned at the sudden rhetoric by some partisan leaders that zoning should be de-emphasized, insisting that even if that would be done, it will be after Ndigbo have taken their turn. The council mandated the Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership to also work in consultation with other ethnic groups pursuant to this objective and urged every Igbo man or woman with the needed capacity to show interest in the 2023 Presidential Race.
POWER SHARING/RESTRUCTURING The council was of the view that more than ever before, there is need for the different components of the Nigerian nation to dialogue on its future. It was of the opinion that there has to be convoked a robust and intellectually fecund national dialogue on the political structure of Nigeria vis-a-vis the existential challenges it is currently confronted with.
The council mandated the Ohanaeze leadership to continue to partner with leaders of other ethnic groups in the country in the current debate on the strategic imperative of a political restructuring of the country. 8 EDUCATION The Council mandated the Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership to pursue a deliberate policy of ensuring a noticeable and measurable improvement in the quality of education in Igboland, while working in concert with state governments and all other relevant individuals, institutions or agencies.
The Elders Council was of the opinion that the Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership should address the issue of increasing cases of out-of-school children, particularly the girl-child. The meeting noted that education has remained the only weapon the Igbo have in pursuit of their collective destiny hence, the need to continue to optimize every comparative advantage Ndigbo might be leveraging on within the context of the overall national aspiration.
SUMMARY
The Council resolved that henceforth, all matters of policy positions concerning the general wellbeing of Ndigbo, outside the constitutional prerogative of individual rights and political parties to canvass for votes for their candidates, must go through the 9 Ohanaeze leadership, as the only authentic Igbo official/authorized spokesman/umbrella organization.
The Council noted that while it recognizes the right of every Nigerian to freedom of speech, nobody, henceforth, has the authority to speak on behalf of the Igboexcept the PresidentGeneral of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
The Council believes that the time has come for Ndigbo to be more reticent and less rumbustious in their attitude to critical national issues, while not losing cognizance of the importance of communication in national dialogue.
Finally, the Council mandated the Ohanaeze leadership to go into direct talks with other ethnic groups and governments at all levels on ways of finding a lasting solution to the myriad of problems facing the nation.
