Igbo Worldwide challenges Arewa, says ready for October 1

The Igbo World Congress has made a resolution to assist all Igbo indigent residing in Northern Nigeria who may find it difficult to leave the region before the October 1, 2017 deadline set by the Arewa Youth in their quit notice against Igbo race.

In a conference tagged “The Extraordinary Conference Of World Igbo Congress’ Stakeholders Worldwide” held Saturday, Sept 16, 2017, the Igbos, represented by 700 stakeholders worldwide resolved that, among other issues, the safe exit of the Igbo race from the Northern region.

In a one pager resolution, the Igbos stated that “world Igbo Congress will provide immediate assistance to indigent Igbo citizens resident in Northern Nigeria who may be unable to afford their passage to escape the October 1, 2017 deadline set by the Arewa Youth in their Quit Notice against Ndi-Igbo.

Accordingly, the resolution is coming as a reaction to the recent alleged inhuman actions of the Nigerian army against civilians and IPOB members in Abia state.

The group said it is carrying out the exodus action to prevent a something similar to the occurrence of 1966, where Igbo people were massacred during the pogrom in the region beginning May 29.

In June this year, some Northern Nigeria youth groups in Kaduna issued what they termed a ‘Kaduna Declaration’, declaring “war” against all Igbos residing in the North, demanding they leave the area on or before October 1, 2017.
Below is the full statement of the Resolution:

RESOLUTIONS OF THE EXTRAORDINARY CONFERENCE OF WORLD IGBO CONGRESS’ STAKEHOLDERS WORLDWIDE HELD ON SATURDAY, SEP 16, 2017

An extraordinary Conference of over 700 stakeholders of The World Igbo Congress worldwide on Saturday, September 16, 2017 resolved as follows:

1. World Igbo Congress will provide immediate assistance to indigent Igbo citizens resident in Northern Nigeria who may be unable to afford their passage to escape the October 1, 2017 deadline set by the Arewa Youth in their Quit Notice against Ndi-Igbo.

The actions of the North-controlled military and government in recent days confirm their alliance with the Arewa Youth, and any assurances of rescission of the Quit Notice is too spurious to be relied on.

Besides we are reminded that similar assurances by the government of the Northern Group of Provinces to Ndi-Igbo in the early phase of the wave of Igbo massacre during the pogrom on our people in the region beginning May 29, 1966 and continuing on July 29 and September 29 of that year, was mere ruse that lured our people into false hope and cost us additional hundreds of thousands of trusting Igbo victims.

2. World Igbo Congress condemns the deployment of military and security forces by the federal government of Nigeria (under its Python Dance II) against in the South-east during the last week.

In the process, tanks and heavy fire-power mowed down several defenceless, unarmed Igbo civilians. We demand immediate withdrawal of the invading army from the entire territory of South-eastern Nigeria.

World Igbo Congress further demands that the Nigerian government live up to its duty under the Nigerian Constitution and international law to protect the lives of all citizens, including residents of the invaded South-east, and to compensate the victims of its unlawful invasion.

3. World Igbo Congress further condemns the government’s use law enforcement as pretext to unleash this military invasion of the South-east.

These nefarious actions beg the question as to why Nigeria has a police force whose law enforcement functions have now been selectively reassigned to the army and security forces in the targeted South-east Geopolitical Zone.

4. WIC reminds the governors of the South-eastern states that, as chief law enforcement officers of their respective states, they have a duty to protect lives and property.

They cannot collude or collaborate with the federal government in the unlawful military invasion of states under their leadership.



WIC therefore calls on the governors to ensure security for all citizens within their sates, as well as safe passage and adequate reception centres, for returning Igbo refugees escaping from the murderers of the North.

It is a matter of moral, ethical and legal obligation for the governors to demonstrate that they are working in the Igbo interest, especially since their official joint utterances regarding the invasion suggests they may be compromised.

5. Nigeria has systematically targeted and massacred millions of Ndi-Igbo in pogroms and genocide as though we are sub-humans or second-class citizens. We will no longer accept the scapegoating and humiliation.

Myriads of other injustices and inequities also belie the Nigerian arrangement. This is a combination of evils that is no longer sustainable.

The deafening clamour for restructuring as the last hope of preventing total breakup of the republic is coming daily from all corners of Nigeria.

We demand that the Federal Government waste no further time to earnestly address this uniform demand from all component ethnicities of Nigeria.

Failure to adhere to this warning will assuredly leave nothing to salvage, as the federation will likely disintegrate.

Time is definitely of the essence.

6. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) protects the right of agitation and protest.

It is a fundamental right that entitles every indigenous group in the world to seek and agitate for self-determination. Igbo indigenes are no different.

We remind dictator Muhammadu Buhari and his collaborators that throughout history, guns have never prevailed over idea.

By trampling on the rights of agitators within its territory, Nigeria concedes any claim to both their loyalty and its membership of the community of civilized nations.

Therefore, rather than persist with its self-defeating, self-destructive adventure, Nigeria should take urgent steps to address the inequities and injustices, which unequivocally validate these agitations. Ultimately, this is the only avenue to peace and tranquillity.


7. WIC will lead a mobilization of international awareness and opinion against the dastardly acts of oppression and support all Igbo people in New York area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, New England) and in London, UK as well as all world centres to simultaneously create this awareness at the meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations which will be attended by world leaders including Buhari.

Ndi Igbo will also be supported by WIC to create this awareness before CNN headquarters in Atlanta as well as in all major media houses and states Capitols.

Intimidation and genocide Ndi-Igbo have consistently suffered in the hands of federal Nigeria, and which has only been relived in the current invasion and must stop.

(dailytimes.ng)