Ndigbo in Diaspora gathered in large numbers at Igbouzor
(Ibusa) on Wednesday, 28th December, 2016
in the first ever Xmas retreat for Ndigbo in
Diaspora held at Prof. Pat Utomi Villa, Ogboli,
Ibusa in Delta State. The Theme of the
gathering was "BUILDING A SYNERGY AND DEVELOPMENTAL BRIDGE BETWEEN NDIGBO IN
THE DIASPORA AND THOSE AT HOME, THE
IMPERATIVES". Representatives of Igbo World
Assembly (IWA), World Igbo Congress (WIC)
and Ndigbo in 36 states of Nigeria and Abuja
attended the event. After detailed deliberations and discussions
on several local and national issues, the
Summit agreed on some resolutions among
which included. 1.There is the need for a closer interface
between Ndigbo at home and those in the
Diaspora. Igbo organisations at home and in
the Diaspora should be relating proactively
with each other while the Apex Igbo body
Ohanaeze Ndigbo should knit these groups and give them a fatherly and umbrella root. 2. Igbos in the Diaspora should always think
home and invest at home. They should link
up with Igbo political and business leaders at
home to achieve this goal. 3 Effort should be made to invest in human
development of our youths especially in the
areas of ICT, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY as this
is the bedrock of development in the present
world. To that effect Igbos in the Diaspora
should pool resources together to procure and supply to our tertiary schools ,
secondary and primary schools educative
and technological materials for the benefit of
our students and youths . 4. Ohanaeze Ndigbo is not yet an ideal Apex
body that can drive Ndigbo to the promised
land. There is therefore the need for it to be
rejigged in its oncoming elections so that only
credible people will emerge in all positions in
the body. 5. The pull -him-down syndrome ravaging
most Igbo groups , individuals and
organisations is impeding the development of
Igbo land and should be addressed by Ndigbo.
Political differences should not be used as a
factor to drag us back as it is today. 6. Igbo politicians and political office holders
are not doing enough to address the
challenges facing Igbo people. However, we
salute those of them who have not forgotten
the development philosophy of Dr M I Okpara
in the 60s and are transforming their states and local governments. For such achievers,
their names will be placed on the sand of
times. 7.Ndigbo are nation builders and will prefer a
Nigeria that is working than secession.Igbo
nationalists got independence for Nigeria and
Ndigbo have contributed more than any
group in the development of Nigeria. They
cannot leave Nigeria for anybody.. A landlord cannot leave his house for tenants. However,
Nigeria need to be restructured with social
and economic justice for all her citizens as a
desideratum for centrifugal agitations to end.
As it is today, Ndigbo are victims of inbuilt
structural imbalance having five states and less than a hundred local government areas.
These are factors used in distributing federal
resources . One can imagine the effect on
Ndigbo over the years , especially on our
youths. The last police recruitment in Nigeria
where the South East had least allotment is a clear evidence of the effect of structural
imbalance against Ndigbo in Nigeria. 8.The federal government is not doing
enough to curb the armed Fulani herdsmen
killings in Igbo land and other areas. The
killings and maiming of local farmers in Igbo
land by these herdsmen continue .All Igbo
communities should form vigilante group to protect their people against this terror acts. 9 The Nigerian security forces should stop
killing unarmed IPOB or MASSOB agitators as
its against local and international laws to kill
unarmed persons and the right to peaceful
gathering is in our laws. The Amnesty Report
on the killing of IPOB members must not be swept under the carpet. It must be addressed
by the federal government and those
responsible for the killings brought to justice.
That we do not encourage secession does not
mean that people do not have the
constitutional and internationally granted right to demand for self determination if
there is a need for it.If Nigeria has been
working and our rulers have not been looting
this nation dry , our youths would not have
been agitating to escape from the Nigerian
tragedy. This is a fact. In a country where life has no respect , in a country people die like
chicken in our ill maintained roads , in a
country workers are not paid as and when
due and where youth unemployment is
astronomic, in a country that there is no
social security and justice ,where politicians loot the country dry, desperate and
frustrated youths would always demand
escape route and that is the reason behind
IPOB AND MASSOB. The federal government
must understand this fact and find ways of
making Nigeria work to halt the agitations. 10. We call on the federal government to
pursue the war against corruption with
vigour and address the huge cost of
governance in the country. The gap between
the rich and the poor is too much in Nigeria
and the cost of running our three arms of government is outrageous. The cost of
governance in Nigeria is the highest in the
world. 11. A data base of Igbos in the Diaspora will
henceforth be compiled and kept at the
Secretariate of Ndigbo in Enugu for purposes
of ensuring the well being of Ndigbo all over
the world and building the bridge between
them and those at home. Ndigbo should continue to build bridges with
other Nigeria groups and power basis with a
view to getting their fair share in the geo-
politics and geo-economy of Nigeria.

www.nigeriamasterweb.com/Masterweb/breakingnews-3117-communique-diaspora-igbo-xmas-retreat-igbouzor-ibusa

We yoruba muslims are not happy with this Ibo unity forum. Ibos in (Ibusa)delta and rivers must dislike Ibo in SE so that we can be happy.

midol:
We yoruba muslims are not happy with this Ibo unity forum. Ibos in (Ibusa)delta and rivers must dislike Ibo in SE so that we can be happy.

olodo. Na Yoruba Muslim go kill you

Continue ur self delusion. All I knw is

OSU WILL ALWAYS BE OSU

afonja will not like dis . so ibusa wan join Igbo. hmmmm

afonja will not like dis . so ibusa wan join Igbo. hmmmm

midol:
We yoruba muslims are not happy with this Ibo unity forum. Ibos in (Ibusa)delta and rivers must dislike Ibo in SE so that we can be happy.

Exactly, we fulani slaves are happy

Pat Utomi villa, Delta state.
Some people will not like this.
Lalasticlala

Afonja viewing this thread and saying to themselves...what we have been doing ain't working.

Blood is thicker than Nigerian artificial state lines.

a blow to TonyeBarcanista

Pat Utomi is an IPOB. Igbuzor people migrated from Ile-ife

All these comments and no likes for the news itself? Come on umunna, we can do better.
I want to commend the great Pat Utomi and every other member of the Ibusa group who organised this memorable 'ogbakor' addressing Ndigbo and our present challenges. Ndigbo si na: eziokwu bu ndu. The truth filled article has infused life into our nation more than before. All the key points there shows the calibre of thing tanks that made up the group. The present Ohanaeze are yet to come to grips with enormous duty before them. I'll advise they go and study about the emergence of the Zionist movement in the 19th century and how they worked tirelessly for a homeless Jewish group to become one of the strongest established nation with lands today. There's a lot to learn there. Our politicians should know how to point to the source of the agitations for biafra and should NEVER condemn the present youths calling out for biafra because that is only where they see hope. Nigeria has failed Ndigbo and the onus lie on her to give hope to our youths. DO NOT CONDEMN THOSE CALLING FOR BIAFRA. That you are privileged to be alive today and be in wealth should not make you dismiss those whose stories you never heard nor understand how their supposed country had treated them. To the Igbo elites, have you taken time to ask yourselves how thousands of our people who have lost loved ones and their entire property's destroyed in the constant bloodletting up north? What about the numerous Igbo traders who are rendered shopless overnight in Lagos which clearly has a tribal undertone to it. What about the mockeries and media war targetted against Igboland eg gradually its been taken that we make up 18% of Nigerias population while the Yorubas and Hausas make up more than that. Which census took ethnic groups into consideration and how did they arrive at that? How can you lots be comfortable when a large group like Igbo have no federal infrastructures in our land, no railways, no companies or money generating venture of the FG in Igboland even ordinary Niger bridge we are asked to contribute to its construction. Why then you blame our very energetic and industrious youths? This is how true leaders stand up for their people. We are known for our bravery and resilience. FG has failed us and our desire to quit the contraption is borne out of that. Thank goodness this group highlighted on the need to restructure Nigeria. This may be the only saving grace for a united Nigeria however time has barely ran out for that.
Finally, I wish to thank ndi Anioma for always being pioneers in Igbo matters. I sincerely respect the vanguard position you have been taking for a very long time. I salute your courage. The enemies tried to put a wedge between us and they almost succeeded but for the mercies of Chukwu Abiama. My prayer is that all our people will come together from the deep fringes of Igbanke to the coastal waters of Opobo and Bonny. AlaIgbo is great and shall continue to be. Be proud of your ancestry but do not look condescending on any one. Udo dili unu.

... Great development. The synergy and unity between western igbos and the eastern igbos is made in heaven. Igboland is moving forward!