Below are parts of a press release by the Igbo World Assembly in responce to the recent genicidal quit notice issued to Igbos, which threatens them with genocide (mass eviction) if they don’t leave the North by October 1.
Igbo World Assembly (IWA) Press Release
Written by Chief Oliver Nwankwor
Igbo World Assembly (IWA) is the Umbrella Organization that represents the Apex National Igbo Organizations (outside Nigeria) in the various countries of the world such as USA, UK, France, Spain, Finland, Netherland, Ireland, India, Ghana, Mali, Dubai, Pakistan, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa, Russia, Australia, Denmark, Japan, Italy, Russia, Ukraine, Sweden and Canada.
IWA has carefully reviewed, analyzed and considered the contents of the highly divisive and genocide inciting statement credited to a coalition of 16 northern youth associations or groups (including those of their supporters), demanding that Ndiigbo residing in the Northern part of Nigeria should vacate the northern Nigeria within 90 days or before the 1st day of October, 2017 and at the same time demanding that indigenes of Northern Nigeria residing in Igboland to return to the North within the same time period.
IWA having carefully reviewed the declaration, have come to the conclusion that the declaration was made by a sponsored group of criminals with primary intent to steal property, suppress the legitimate grievances of other groups and their inherent right to self-determination; to suppress all forms of opposition to the failed system and with it any possibility of restructuring the nation so as to maintain the decadent status quo.
IWA has equally noted, reviewed and considered reactions quit notice threat from various groups including the Executive arm of the Federal Government; The Legislature; The Governors Forums (North and South East), some reputable Socio-Cultural groups and Civil Societies, the Security Agencies and many others. IWA wish to categorically condemn the three months quit notice issued to the Ndiigbo by the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum and supported by the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) as clearly presented to the world through their spokesman, Alhaji Ango Abdullahi.
The continued agitation of Igbo youths across the country is a by-product of persistent injustice and marginalization arising from bad leadership and unjust structure of the country’s polity. IWA and Ndiigbo “want a Nigeria of equal ownership, not where some see the country as their empire and the rest as a conquered territory.”
IWA therefore, recommends the following:
● Keeping Law & Order: given the inciting nature of this threat and to prevent further escalations as well as reassure those threatened, IWA recommends that the Nigerian government should arrest the signatories to this threat and their supporters and put them on trial with immediate effect.
● Preventing Genocide: there is need to do everything possible to avoid bloodshed, IWA therefore is to liaise with appropriate agencies (including the Federal Government support) to file this threat (including the signatories, the members of the groups and their supporters) to ICC The Hague. Those inciting the violence by giving fellow citizens quit notice will be held accountable for any incident that might occur before after October 1, 2017. And to handle this threat holistically, IWA is setting up mechanism that will enable Ndiigbo residing in the North to report provocations, insults, incidents, etc. Such evidences will be used in support of ICC filing in The Hague.
● Assisting the Internally Displaced Ndiigbo: whether this threat is carried out or not, some people have been traumatized by this threat and as a result will leave the northern part of Nigeria. IWA is calling on the Nigerian government and the International Community to immediately setup plans and provide resources to deal with Igbo internally displaced people from the Northern Nigerian States.
● Igbo properties & Investments in Northern Nigeria: it was obvious in the threat statement that Igbo properties and investments in the north are among the things that trigger threat against Ndiigbo residing there. Nigerian Government should work with Ohanaeze and Igbo associations in the North to help document Igbo properties. IWA will register such ownership to the appropriate International Community agency for recollection/repatriation from Nigerian government at any time. There will be no more abandoned properties in Nigeria as we are in a new century!
May long live Igbo people
The quit notice evokes sad memories but also sows hatred and fear. It is not in the best for the unity of the country. It is a threat to National Security. The youth groups that signed the quit notice and their backers seem to think that:
● IPOB does not have the right to agitate against injustice (marginalization of Igbos since the end of the Nigeria-Biafra War)
●That all Igbos are members of IPOB and support an independent Biafra (as opposed to Biafra within Nigeria like Arewa and Oodua are within Nigeria)
They are wrong on both counts. They should study the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Igbos more before jumping to conclusions.
True
Nice move