Some Nigerians of Igbo extraction have pleaded passionately with President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to truly reconstruct Igboland that has been neglected over the years since its devastation by the civil war. They made this plea under the umbrella of Alaigbo Development Foundation, ADF.
President of the group, Prof. Uzodinma Nwala, made this call yesterday at the inaugural conference and presentation of a two-volume book: “Igbo Nation: History and Challenges of Rebirth and Development” of the group at Igbozurume Unity Centre in Enugu.
While congratulating Buhari and the All Progressives Congress, APC, for winning the presidential election, Nwala reminded him that, “Nigeria is not a federation of political parties, but a federation of ethnic nationalities, many of whom are viable nation-states in their own rights.”
He charged the incoming administration to always keep in mind that equitable power and resource-sharing essential for the unity and stability of any federation is the right of the various ethnic nationalities, and not the exclusive preserve of political parties.
The Igbo leader disclosed that the ADF was working on the production of an Igbo national charter which would help in promoting a common vision among the people.
“ADF is conscious of the challenges posed by Igbo integration both within Nigeria and among her people. We are conscious of the set-back caused by the Nigeria-Biafra war and the immense damage done to internal unity and development in Igboland,” he said.
In his remark, ADF Board of Trustees’ Chairman and former president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Dozie Ikedife, emphasized the need to re-define the Igbo national character, saying that with the co-operation of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other Igbo organisations, “we shall make the difference in making Ndigbo to speak with one voice and act with one mind.”
He also said that ADF and other Igbo groups will undertake to conduct a census of the Ndigbo worldwide.
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