The Alaigbo Development Foundation Governing Council has advised Ndigbo across the globe to get prepared for a diplomatic battle to restore an Autonomous Igbo Natio within or outside Nigeria.In a communique issued at the end of her Council meeting which lasted for hours yesterday in Enugu, ADF announced that ADF is not interested in 2019 election but a renegotiated Nigeria.The detail of the communique signed by Prof Uzodinma Nwala,Prof Nath Aniekwu and Prof Elo Amucheasi reads ”’The meeting, received and discussed report of the ADF official delegation to United States of America, last month, led by ADF President, Prof Uzodinma Nwala which included ADF participation at the World Igbo Congress Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, and several meetings with Igbo communities and organizations in many cities in USA.
Discussions on the State of the nation, the 2019 General Elections, the current Igbo national struggle for self-determination, the youth unemployment and youth empowerment, the continuing and ever widening military occupation of Igboland and the urgent need for Igbo Homeland Security, among other issues, took the center stage.
Following extensive deliberations on the above matters, the following resolutions were reached:
1. The Council noted with full satisfaction the achievements of the ADF official delegation to USA, especially the bond of unity and synergy between ADF and Diaspora Igbo organizations in USA that has been cemented in the struggle for the restoration and development of the Igbo Nation.
2. The Council noted with delight, the full endorsement of the “Enugu Re-affirmation of Igbo position on the future of Alaigbo as well as the Nigerian Federation” in view of the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari had dismissed the Awka declaration as ‘personal agenda’.
3. ADF Council endorses the call by the Chicago Forum for an urgent IGBO GLOBAL SUMMIT in Chicago and pledges its full support for all measures needed to actualize the Summit.
4. The ADF Council discussed and approved the 2018 Amended Constitution of the Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF) and directed the ADF International Working Committee to carry out the necessary editing of the text and forward same to the forthcoming ADF Congress to be held early next year.
5 With regards to the state of the nation, the Council noted with grave concern the high level of mass poverty, total infrastructural decay, progressively expanding youth unemployment in Alaigbo in particular and the Country in general. The unending mass genocide, maiming, rape and killing of our women, destruction of homes and properties, displacement, occupation and renaming of indigenous non-Muslim communities, especially in the North Central states of Plateau, Taraba, Southern Kaduna, Benue, Nassarawa and Zamfara, as well as the general insecurity caused by the nefarious and murderous activities of Boko Haram and Fulani Herdsmen Terrorists with tacit support of the Federal security forces are all pointers that the country is dangerously, irreversibly heading to disintegration.
6. ADF’s position that the 2019 General elections is already being packaged as a fraud, as the outcome is pre-determined only waiting for public announcement. This has been vindicated by the recent shows of shame that were tagged Ekiti and Osun gubernatorial elections and the Party primary elections as conducted by APC and APGA.
These developments under President Buhari and his APC Government have attracted worldwide condemnation and have erased the little growth of democracy achieved between 1999 and 2015. The ADF Council further noted the massive under-aged voters registration in the north, the unchecked influx of foreigners from the Sahel region, the frustrations eligible voters encounter during registration and collection of PVC in the South East, South-South and Christian areas in the North central regions, the ongoing killings and displacement of indigenous communities in the Middle Belt Region as well as fortification of military occupation and secret relocation of released Boko Haram fighters to the South East and South-South were the earliest signs.
7. The Council noted with regret the continuing reign of impunity, open violation of the Constitution and laws of the land and utter disregard of Court decisions and Orders in the conduct of the country’s affairs. The open intimidation, emasculation, desecration and demobilization of the National Assembly and Judiciary are a clear pointer that dictatorship has overrun democracy in the polity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and that the center can no longer hold. The climax of this is exemplified by the Chairman of the ruling party, APC ‘inadvertently’ publicly barring his mind on the ideology of his party by saying that “those who cannot undergo the pains of rigging should not venture into politics”.
8. The Council once more declares that the above predicaments facing the Federation is deeply rooted on the impunity with which the various nations that make up the federation were amalgamated in 1914; without their consent and the instrument of governance, the fake 1999 Constitution imposed on the peoples of this Country with military fiat, which begins with an open lie; “We the people”, when the people never formulated and endorsed it.
ADF sees no solution to the endemic crises rocking the Federation through the forthcoming 2019 Election. Therefore, the Council of Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF) calls for a properly constituted political Conference of all ethnic nationalities for a new Federal Union Constitution that recognizes the rights to self determination of the constituent nations.
9. ADF, therefore, calls upon Ohaneze Ndigbo, Afenifere, PANDEF, and Middle Belt Forum and all other socio-cultural organizations of the indigenous peoples of this country who are truly fighting for the emancipation of their people to urgently move beyond rhetoric and come up with clear, time-bound action plan for achieving the much talked about restructuring in the next few months left before the so-called elections. ADF is ever ready to co-operate with such bodies for the common goal of the oppressed peoples of this nation.
The ADF and most other major pan-Igbo organizations have already declared that nothing short of recognizing Alaigbo as AN AUTONOMOUS REGION in a New Federal Union can guarantee the continued participation of Alaigbo in any political union with her neighbors in the present Nigerian Federation.
10. The Council commends Ndigbo in the United States for acknowledging their responsibility to actively participate in the urgent task of Igbo, Self-determination and self-reliance. The Council therefore calls on all Umuigbo across the world to join this struggle by making contributions in material, intellectual, diplomatic and moral support to ensure the survival of the nation presently trapped in an unworkable Nigerian Federation.
Similarly all pan-Igbo and Biafran self-determination groups are urged to imbibe the spirit of unity of purpose with one another while applying diverse positive methodologies in their operations, as this is one of the cardinal Igbo philosophy that ensures her victory.
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11. All Ndigbo in Diaspora are enjoined to embrace the ADF message of Aku–Ruo-Ulo as well as Igbo national integration which are pivotal for the rapid restoration of the economy of Alaigbo as it is only Ndigbo that can develop our Alaigbo.
12. As one of the ways to reduce massive unemployment of our teaming youth, the various state Governments in Alaigbo, Ohaneze, various Pan-Igbo Organizations and Ndigbo in the Igbo Diaspora are requested to come together with ADF to activate farming programs that saw to the survival of Biafrans during the Genocidal War of 1967-1970; the Land Army Farm Program. Similarly, the great Agricultural programs initiated by Dr Michael Okpara need to be activated urgently. The large palm plantations, cocoa, cashew, rubber and other plantations of the Okpara era need to be urgently reactivated. This will help also in addressing the urgent physical and food security needs of Alaigbo.
13. ADF, however, noted that this program cannot succeed with the ravenous impunity of herdsmen who have invaded our communities, grazing on our crops, maiming, kidnapping for ransom and killing of villagers in their farm lands. Thus, ADF urges all the State Governments in Alaigbo to pass, if they truly care for the people, the Anti-Open Grazing Bill which ADF had tabled before all the Houses of Assembly several months ago. This bill will ensure that both the Cattle herdsmen operate in an atmosphere of peace and within law for the prosperity of Alaigbo. In this regard ADF congratulates the Abia House of Assembly for passing the Bill and call Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to sign the bill without futher waste of time.
14. Finally, all Ndigbo and the various Governments in Alaigbo are enjoined to close ranks and tackle the Homeland security needs of our people.
Ndubuisi Anaenugwu reports for BVI ONLINE