COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE MEETING OF THE IGBO NATIONAL COUNCIL (INC) ON SUNDAY 28th OCTOBER 2012 OWERRI IMO STATE

The Igbo National Council (INC), after extensive deliberation on the state of Igbo Nationand Nigeria resolved as follows:

1. That our position to produce a Nigeria 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 42.8% of total Nigerian population and are the most Nationalistic, INC insists that Ndigbo are due to take up and direct the leadership of the Nigerian Federation by producing a President of the country in 2015. The INC will massively mobilise Ndigbo and other Nigerians at home and in diaspora, to actively support and vote the candidacy of an Igbo extraction for Nigerian Presidency in the 2015 election.



2. The Council enjoined the State Governments of Igbo States to begin to re-empower the Local Government Council Authorities for the development of the grassroots and as a grooming ground for younger leaders in Igbo land.



3. The Council praises the audacity and forthrightness of our statesman and renowned literary giant, Prof Chinua Achebe in publication of his personal memo on the Biafran – Nigeria civil war in which he pointed out bitter truths regarding crimes committed against the Igbo Nation by Nigerian officials and their allies, 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 Prof 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 (ICJ). 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.



4. That the massive investments being made by Igbos all over the country, especially in the South-West and Northern Regions of Nigeria, 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 investemnts 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 Northern Nigeria today. Many state and local governments in most of these states, especially in Lagos and the North, have initiated anti-Igbo trade policies to cripple businesses, investments and residents belonging to Ndigbo.



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.



5. 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.



6. 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.



7. 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 INC appealed on the Abia State House of Assembly to 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.



8. 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 bad 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.

U wan produce pressy for 2015 and some of una dey disown igbo's best candidate in person of Rochas? Only time will tell