The Coalition of Northern Groups has stated that despite the fact that the South-East region has produced key persons in the Nigerian federal government, the region should not be denied a referendum to allow it determine its exit peacefully and without bloodshed.
The CNG in a release on Monday noted that in order to avoid the recurrence of any terrible and planned mass killings, untold sufferings and atrocities, “we insist on a referendum to take place across the country to agree on an immediate and permanent exit of the Igbo from Nigeria.”
The CNG spokesman, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, stated this in a release titled, “Igbo leaders fake, unreasonable; we insist on referendum for Biafra.”
The coalition said, “In the light of the frantic efforts being made by some sections of the leadership of the Igbo to disown the current violent agitations for a separate state of Biafra, we, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) insist they should not be believed and only a referendum for Igbo exit can provide final guarantee for a peaceful Nigeria.
“It is important for Nigeria to see through this hypocritical desperation by the Igbo leaders to buy time to restrategise for a deadlier onslaught for Biafra as an afterthought following the exposure of the extent of their complicity in the sponsored Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) secession project.
“With the level of commitment of the Igbo public to the point of young men killing their parents who dared oppose Kanu’s activities, the rest of the country cannot be expected to accept to continue as a nation with the Igbo on the apparent weakness of the assurances of a handful of Igbo leaders.
“We also consider the sudden contraption by a certain section that calls itself “northern Igbo” as a more latent, disagreeable and unacceptable threat to the North and its people than their brethren that fight us from their South Eastern enclave.
“This is because their presence within the deep hinterland of the North and the permanent nature of that presence, accord them undue advantage over the trusting indeginous northerners who are steadily weakened by a carefully orchestrated, widespread drug war and clandestine spread of arms by these settlers.”
The CNG stated that contrary to the Igbo leaders’ claims of marginalisation, records showed the region produced the first post-independence president of Nigeria, and also had the first military Head of State in the person of Aguiyi Ironsi.
The CNG said, “Whereas even in most of the countries that we look up to as epitomes of democracy today, the vanquished in a civil war are always oppressed, marginalised and don’t enjoy the privileges of equal citizenship for decades afterwards, Nigeria was able to assimilate the Igbo nation back into the Nigerian entity after the civil war faster than most nations.
“All Igbos must leave the territory of Nigeria and assemble in their designated enclave for the purpose of the referendum during which period no further contacts should be experienced between them and the rest of Nigeria so as not to lead to any interference in the process.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria shall also have no hand whatsoever in the process, and shall not be called upon to participate or render any assistance whatsoever from the beginning to the end of the referendum.
“Should there be any need, the participation of other regional, continental and international organisations can be requested to determine the way and manner such a referendum is to be held.
Some Bokassi Boys have been spotted in some parts of Awka, the Anambra State capital.Sources told our correspondent that the men were seen in two vans singing and warning criminals to stop their activities.
As of press time it could not be confirmed who invited the dreaded vigilance group.
But a source said the men killed six suspected on Monday.
“They killed and burnt four suspects at Nkwo Amaenyi. Mostly, those suspected to be cultists. They also killed two at Ifite , Awka. Those ones were suspected handbag and telephone snatchers.
“The Bakassi Boys came mainly for alleged cults, which had taken over Awka town without any response from the police. I think they were invited by traders.”
A senior police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some security men were in the state, but he failed to confirm their identities.
The source said, “That’s the only thing I can tell you for now; let’s see how things work out in days and weeks to come.
Bakassi Boys are usually armed with machetes and guns and an array charms worn around their body.
They have been accused of extrajudicial killings of suspected petty thieves, armed robbers, ritual killers, murderers, corrupt persons, and generally anyone they considered evil.
When contacted, the Police Relations Officer, Ikenga Tochukwu, said he was not aware of the development.
Source : Punch
He said, “I don’t have any such details before me. Meanwhile I will make enquires please.”
Asked whether the police would be ready with such arrangement, the PPRO said ,”We are ready to work with any stakeholder in security.”
Miss Udeh Chiamaka Victor, Nigerian representative at the 2021 Miss Africa Russia beauty pageant, on Sunday paid tribute to the victims of the #EndSARS protest that took place in October 2020 by mounting on stage with blood stained Nigerian flag, Igbere TV reports.
Udeh has been making headlines on social media since she took a Nigerian flag stained with blood to the podium at the pageantry.
The beauty went on stage with the bloodied flag and waved it around, before wrapping it around herself.
The photo of the bloodied flag went viral on the night of the massive shootout at Lekki Tollgate during the heat of the #EndSARS protest in Lagos State and other parts of Nigeria.
In furtherance to building a strong and United front for the APGA party in the upcoming governorship election on November 6,Prof Soludo and other cleared APGA Aspirants have emerged from a meeting convened by all the 21 LGA Chairmen of the party after signing a peace agreement to support whoever emerges as the winner in APGA primary election slated for June 23, 2021.
Ondo, Delta, Cross River, Enugu, Benue and Akwa Ibom state governments on Sunday faulted President Muhammadu Buhari, over the existence of a gazette, which marked out grazing routes for cattle across the country.
Officials of the state governments, who stated this in separate interviews with The PUNCH, also insisted on the ban on open grazing despite the President’s opposition to it.Recall that Southern governors at their meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, last month banned open grazing as part of measures to address killings by herdsmen.
But the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, faulted the governors, saying their action was like banning the sale of spare parts in the North.
Despite criticism Malami’s statement attracted, Buhari, during an interview with Arise Television on Thursday, supported open grazing.
He said he had directed Malami to produce a gazette, which delineated grazing routes in all parts of the country in the First Republic.
The President stated, “What I did was to ask him to go and dig the gazette of the First Republic when people were obeying laws. There were cattle routes and grazing areas. Cattle routes were for when they (herdsmen) were moving up country, north to south or east to west. They had to go through there.”
In his reaction, the Chairman South-South Governors’ Forum and Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, said as of 1963, the state had not been created.
The governor, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Olise Ifeajika, stated, “Yes, Mr President directed the AGF to dig out a gazette of 1963 which marked out cattle routes across the country.
“Delta State has no such law because the 1963 gazette he talked about does not in exist in the state.”
On Buhari’s support for open grazing, Okowa said whether the President backed it or not, the governors in the South had made their position on the ban on open grazing known and nothing would change it. “We stand by our resolutions,” he stated
Show us grazing route in Ondo, if it exists, Akeredolu’s aide tells FG
Also, the Ondo State Government said it was oblivious of the existence of any grazing route in the state, adding that it stood by the southern governors’ ban on open grazing, despite Buhari’s support for it.
The Special Adviser to the state Governor on Agriculture and Agric-business, Mr Akin Olotu, in an interview with The PUNCH, said cattle routes were not known to be existing in the state.
He said, “We don’t know about any grazing routes in this state, and if they have them in their records, let them show us. I think events have taken over such things now. What I mean is that, that time they were talking about what was the population of the country? Now Ikere Ekiti and Ado are almost one. Akure is almost joined with Owo. Akure and Ondo are almost merged.
So where are the routes? Then the population of the country was about 60 million. What is the population now?, Where are the routes? So like I said, if they show us the routes, then we will know what to do next.”
Similarly, when contacted, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Mr Charles Titiloye, said he was not aware of any gazette which marked out grazing route in the state.
On open grazing, the state government said it still stood by the decision of the southern governors, which banned it.
The Special Adviser to the state Governor on Security Matters, Alhaji Jimoh Dojumo, who spoke to one of our correspondents, said the state would not allow open grazing of cattle in the state in spite of the pronouncement of the President.
He said, “The Southern Governors’ Forum has spoken at the meeting in Asaba (Delta State). They(the governors) have banned open grazing in the South. They even issued communiqué on the matter. That is where we stand in Ondo State.
“There is no going back on the ban on open grazing, no land would be given for open grazing or grazing routes for cattle in our state.”
On his part, the Cross River State Commissioner for Agriculture, John Okon Owuna, said he was not aware of grazing routes in the state.
“I am not aware if cattle routes exist in the state or a gazette which marks out cattle routes. All I know is that we have the Obudu Cattle Ranch,” the commissioner told The PUNCH.
The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, also kicked against Buhari’s plan to reactivate old grazing routes in the country.
Ortom, in an interview with journalists, said there was no part of Benue State that was designated as a grazing route.
He stated, “I want people to know that we have a law in place and the law doesn’t breach the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I want to believe that our law is a win-win thing to provide security for the farmers and herdsmen against cattle rustling.”
No grazing routes in Enugu, herders shouldn’t encroach on others’ businesses – Commissioner
The Enugu State Government said that it did not have any gazette on cattle routes.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Matthew Idu, who spoke to one of our correspondents in Enugu, said that cattle rearing was a private business.
He stated, “I have not seen such a document on cattle routes, neither has anybody informed me of any.
“Cattle rearing is an individual business. It is not a government business. So I don’t see why government should be involved in a private business. So it is a private business and those who are doing their private business should look for how they could do their business successfully and efficiently without encroaching on other people’s businesses.”
The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Information and Strategy Mr Ini Ememobong, also told The PUNCH that there were no grazing routes in the state.
Senator representing the Osun Central Senatorial District, Dr Ajibola Basiru, in an interview with one of our correspondents on Sunday, said the President lacked legal and constitutional powers to revive the old grazing routes, anywhere in the country.
Basiru, who holds a doctoral degree in Property Law, spoke to one of our correspondents in his capacity as the Senator representing the Osun Central Senatorial District.
Although Basiru is the Spokesperson for the Senate, the Senator said he could not speak in that official capacity because the upper chamber had yet to take a position on the matter.
The lawmaker said he spoke as a Nigerian who is knowledgeable in the area of constitutional law.
Basiru clarified that the issue of grazing routes was not known to the Nigerian constitution and that Buhari did not have any power to direct the implementation of any law that was alien to the country’s legal books.
He explained that the gazette that Buhari was referring to was a product of a decree promulgated in the northern Nigeria in the 1960s.
He argued that the Land Use Act, which is recognised by the Nigerian constitution, had rubbished the so-called grazing routes gazette.
The Senate spokesperson specifically stated that the Land Use Act had transferred to state governments, the sole power to legislate on use of land for any purpose, including grazing.
Basiru said it was only governors of the northern part of the country that could individually make laws to identify grazing routes because the gazette, which Buhari referred to, had become obsolete.
He said, “Nigerians do not need to criticise the President for making that statement, rather, they should find out whether the President had actually been properly advised by his Attorney General and the legal team.
“Nigerians should be concerned over whether the Nigerian President is actually getting the correct legal advice from his Attorney General and the legal team.
“As far as I am concerned, as a legal practitioner, there is nothing like grazing routes or grazing reserve law, in the laws of the Federation of Nigeria. There is nothing like that.
There is no federal legislation that the President can implement over such matter.
“The executive powers of the President merely rely on the powers of the National Assembly to make laws, when you look at Section 5 of the Constitution.
“Any area where the National Assembly cannot make laws, and there is no express grants of powers to the President under the Constitution, a purported exercise of power by the President in that regard, will be null and void because it is inconsistent with the Constitution by Section 1(3) of the 1999 Constitution.
“I have painstakingly looked at the laws of the Federation of Nigeria and I did not see a copy of any law that is called federal grazing law, or grazing Act or any other title relating to the issue.
“I am aware that there is a northern Nigerian law on reserve and grazing routes which was promulgated by a 1964 decree by the premier of the defunct northern Nigeria region.
“It is not a federal law unless the legal adviser to Mr President is equating a northern Nigeria law, which is not applicable in the West, Mid-West, and Eastern region or in anywhere in the southern part of Nigeria, to be a federal or a Nigerian law.
“The President does not have the power to implement that law because it is not a federal law.
“He can only implement federal legislation made by the National Assembly or deemed to have been made by the National Assembly.
“The grazing routes law is not a National Assembly law, so there is nothing for the President to implement.
“It is regrettable that the President has not been properly advised by his Attorney General and the legal team.
“If anybody will implement any law, it is the states where those routes are applicable that could do so.
“Grazing routes law is not applicable in any state in the southern Nigeria.The southern Nigeria has its own law on cattle.
“It is unfortunate when we have a situation whereby the President of Nigeria is being misadvised by his legal and policy team, for whatever reason it is.
“There has been informed legal opinion on this issue. So there is no federal law regarding grazing routes.
“Even by the allocation of power, under the Nigerian legislation, the National Assembly and by virtue of that, the President does not have power to do anything about grazing routes.
“This is because the management of land in the entire territory of a state, by Section one of the Land Use Act, is vested in the governor.”
The screening committee of All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA) mandated to screen the party Gubernatorial Aspirants has cleared four Aspirants viz Okolo Chibuzor Soludo Chukwuma, Ibeh Kene , Ezenwankwo Okwudili, Ozoka Ifeanyi. Those not cleared are Ozoka Ifeanyi ( Less than 18 months in the party without waiver),Okafor Nonso ( Defiance and insubordination to party authority ), Nwankpo Akachukwu (Less than 18 months in the party without waiver), Umeoji Chukwuma (Defiance and insubordination to party authority and invalid statutory declaration of age),Umeoduagu Nnamdi ( Defiance and insubordination to party authority )
The Committee further directed that unsuccessful Aspirants are at liberty to appeal the decision of the screening committee in writing as stipulated by article 10(1) of the APGA electoral Guidelines for Anambra State Governorship Primary Election 2021. According to the released signed by the party national publicity secretary – Bar Ifeanyi Mbaeri ” the decision of the screening committee or the screening appeal panel is liable to veto by the national working committee , which is the final authority in terms of the eligibility or otherwise of prospective Aspirants to participate in the Anambra State Governorship Primary Election of the party”
BVI Channel 1 online can authoritatively confirm that all is now set for APGA Gubernatorial primary schedule to hold on 23rd June , 2021.
NIGERIA’S 36 STATES & FCT RANKED IN ORDER OF LAND SURFACE AREA (KM²)*
1. Niger State 76,363KM²
2. Borno State 70,898KM²
3. Taraba State 54,473KM²
4. Kaduna State 46,053KM²
5. Bauchi State 45,837KM²
6. Yobe State 45,502KM²
7. Zamfara State 39,762KM²
8. Adamawa State 36,917KM²
9. Kwara State 36,825KM²
10. Kebbi State 36,800KM²
11. Benue State 34,059KM²
12. Plateau State 30,913KM²
13. Kogi State 29,833KM²
14. Oyo State 28,454KM²
15. Nasarawa State 27,117KM²
16. Sokoto State 25,973KM²
17. Katsina State 24,192KM²
18. Jigawa State 23,154KM²
19. Cross River State 20,156KM²
20. Kano State 20,131KM²
21. Gombe State 18,768KM²
22. Edo State 17,802KM²
23. Delta State 17,698KM²
24. Ogun State 16,762KM²
25. Ondo State 15,500KM²
26. Rivers State 11,077KM²
27. Bayelsa State 10,773KM²
28. Osun State 9,251KM²
29. Federal Capital Territory 7,315KM²
30. Enugu State 7,161KM²
31. Akwa Ibom State 7,081KM²
32. Ekiti State 6,353KM²
33. Abia State 6,320KM²
34. Ebonyi State 5,670KM²
35. Imo State 5,530KM²
36. Anambra State 4,844KM²
37. Lagos State 3,345KM²
*The entire Southeast
is a little less than Kogi State only.
Just for our record
The North Has enough land for ranching and cattle colony.
We in the South West have little land mass. PLEASE LET US BE; LEAVE US ALONE TO MANAGE THE LITTLE LAND WE HAVE
*GLOBAL CATTLE BUSINESS: FACT SHEET*
*A*. Top 10 NATIONS in terms of cattle inventory (2017).
1. INDIA 303 million
2. BRAZIL 226 million
3. CHINA 100 million.
4. USA 93 million.
5. EU 89 million.
6. ARGENTINA 53 million
7. AUSTRALIA 27 million
8. RUSSIA 18 million
9. MEXICO 16 million
10. TURKEY 14 million.
*B*. TOP 10 MILK EXPORTERS
1. NEW ZEALAND $4.4 Billion
2. GERMANY $2.6 Billion
3. NETHERLANDS $1.9 Billion
4. FRANCE $1.5 Billion
5. USA $1.4 Billion
6. BELGIUM $1.2 Billion
7. AUSTRALIA $852 Million
8. BELARUS $637 Million
9. UK $569 Million
10. SAUDI ARABIA $556 Million
*C*. TOP 10 BEEF EXPORTING NATIONS (2016).
1. AUSTRALIA $5.6 Billion
2. USA $5.2 Billion
3. BRAZIL $4.3 Billion
4. INDIA $3.7 Billion
5. NETHERLANDS $2.7 Billion
6. IRELAND $2 Billion
7. NEW ZEALAND $1.9 Billion
8. CANADA $1.5 Billion
9. URUGUAY $1.4 Billion
10. GERMANY $1.3 Billion
*Additional Considerations*:
1. Nigeria is not among the top 20 nations in the global cattle business.
2. Non of the top cattle producing nations create cattle colonies or engage in primitive cattle grazing. All the top cattle producing and exporting nations utilise modern technology and ranching methods to maximise production and profit.
3. Non of the top nations earning billions of dollars annually from the cattle business condone the killing of citizens for cattle.
4. Nigeria’s cattle business requires a complete re-think now and not later, for posterity’s sake.
_Knowledge_is_power,_ *Share to educate our leaders and citizens!*
The term “South South” is not recognized by the Nigerian Constitution or any known local or international law. What we have are ethnic nationalities, states, local governments, towns, villages, and families. The Igbo Ethnic Nation is not surrounded by Nigeria no matter how much they try to obfuscate that historical fact.[See the old map of Igbo territory and also read the 1958 Henry Willink’s Minority Commission Report]
The Igbo Nation is an ethnic nationality and exhibits all known attributes of a nation; a community of people formed on the basis of a common language, history, ethnicity, a common culture and, in many cases, a shared territory.
The Igbo Nation is an indigenous nation that existed before the European adventure into Nigeria. Other major ethnic nations that existed in Nigeria as at 1700 include Hausa, Yoruba, Ijaw, Ibibio, Efik, Tiv, Idoma, Edo (Bini), and Nupe. There are many other ethnic nations that make up less than 1% if Nigeria’s current population.
Igbo Nation was not a kingdom. We never had one. Like the Greek nation states, we were Igbo republics joined together by Omenana/ Omenala/ Omenani, our distinct religious, political, legal, economic, social and cultural way of life. Among the Igbo, religion and law are so closely interwoven that many of the most powerful legal sanctions were believed to be derived directly from God. No man could claim to have instituted them.
The Igbo, as indigenous people, have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinct political, legal, economic, social and cultural institutions, while retaining their right to participate fully, if they so choose, in the political, economic, social and cultural life of another nation state. [See Article 5 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples]
When the Igbo Sovereignty Project team goes before the United Nations to argue for the recognition of the Igbo Nation, we stand a better chance. And we shall not lose. Other ethnic nationalities who are interested may thereafter request to join us to form Biafra.
Ndi Igbo should know that they are still in Nigeria because of the Fulani imposed leadership currently presiding over their affairs. I hope you will join us soon as we prepare to make our case on the global platform.
Nigeria has lately been mired in serious security challenges. Terrorists, armed bandits and killer herdsmen have continued with their destructive activities in various parts of the country even with an overwhelming audacity. In Igboland, the security situation has deteriorated, especially in the last few months. The carnage against the poor, defenseless and vulnerable rural dwellers by invading armed Fulani militiamen who masquerade as herdsmen has gone on unabated and unchecked.
This festering insecurity has taken a new and totally condemnable dimension with the rampant shootings, killings and arson that have now engulfed our land. Strategic public facilities, including security edifices and INEC offices, have been razed, and law enforcement personnel ambushed and murdered.
This inferno has also claimed countless civilian lives, and even life itself has become a misery in many parts of Igboland today. The local economy in our region is now in tatters, and agricultural productivity has further been gravely hampered by the onslaught of the armed Fulani herdsmen in our bushes and forests. All these are unacceptable to us.
As Ndiigbo, the Town Union is our statutory decision-making structure. It has remained the expression of our genetic democratic spirit since the beginning of our history. The Town Union system is what binds us together, and it is the nearest administrative unit to the people which runs the daily affairs of the communities and ensures development, peace and security even in the remotest parts of our land. Every genuine Igbo person is a member of the Town Union by birth.
The Association of South East Town Unions (ASETU) having widely consulted with and collated the views of the leaderships and the Town Unions, and working in concert with many other respected Igbo groups, which include Nzuko Umunna, Igbo World Assembly, World Igbo Congress, Alaigbo Development Foundation, Ekwe Nche, Igbo Board of Deputies and Council of Igbo States in America etc., deemed it pertinent to convoke a one-day emergency security meeting. We hereby wish to make the following resolutions public:
1. We totally condemn the continued attacks by killer herdsmen in our land. The inability of the security operatives to track and bring these merchants of death to justice over the years has remained inexplicable and totally unacceptable to us. This has fuelled deep anger and mistrust in our land. We therefore commend our Governors for finally paying heed to our calls for the proscription of open grazing of cattle in our land.
We acknowledge the efforts of the Governors who have put machineries in motion for the enactment of the anti-open grazing laws. We therefore urge the rest of them to immediately send Executive Bills to the respective Houses of Assembly in Igboland for the enactment of these laws so as to give legal weight to the proscription already pronounced and bring the murderous activities of the killer herdsmen to an end. We equally urge each state to have forest guards with legal backing to ensure that our forests do not harbor terrorists and criminals.
2. The killing of policemen, soldiers and other law enforcement personnel as well as the burning of key national security and political infrastructure that have recently been witnessed in our land are very reprehensible acts which we totally and unequivocally condemn. Igbo culture abhors the resolution of any question through bloodshed. It is troubling that the progress which Igboland has begun to record with the launch of the Aku Ruo Ulo investment initiative has been rolled back through these very anti-Igbo activities.
We therefore call on all those who indulge in such retrogressive enterprise to have a rethink and immediately retrace their steps in the overall interest of Ndiigbo. The Federal Government and the leadership of the security agencies should immediately withdraw the very draconian orders given to security operatives in Igboland which have led to the ongoing profiling of Igbo youths, mass arrests, extra-judicial killings and human right violations in our land, especially in Imo State.
We find it germane to underline our support for peaceful self-determination initiatives. People have the right to insist on restructuring or even asking for a new country, provided this is done peacefully.
3. We are appalled by the statement made by President Muhammadu Buhari in which he threatened to respond to Ndiigbo in the language of the genocidal civil war of 1967-1970 which consumed over three million innocent Igbo lives. This is just another strong act of insensitivity from the President given his litany of non-inclusive and discriminatory actions against Ndiigbo.
It is appalling that President Buhari who has never spoken strongly against the atrocities of the Fulani herdsmen and bandits is threatening to visit another festival of blood on Igbo people. We demand that he retracts that statement, tenders an apology to Ndiigbo and puts off all arrangements geared towards enforcing that genocidal threat.
We equally wish to put the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, the African Union, ECOWAS, United States of America, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Israel on notice of the public encouragement given by the President to uniformed officers and the general public to engage in genocidal behavior against Ndiigbo.
4. The rise of non-state actors to defend Igboland indicates a gross inadequacy in governance. The political leaders must step up their efforts to offer satisfactory leadership to the people. Our Governors must rise to the occasion and protect our people. They must rededicate themselves to delivering the primary purpose of political governance, which is the security of lives and property.
The Governors should make judicious use of their security votes and security apparatuses to ensure that the situation in our land is promptly addressed in their capacities as the Chief Security Officers of their States. Further, there is an urgent need to revamp and upscale the capacity of the already existing self-help community security initiatives, like the vigilante groups and neighborhood watches, which our people at the grassroots have over the years trusted for the safety of their lives and property. To this end, States that have not passed neighborhood watch laws are urged to do so immediately in order to give legal backing to them.
We equally urge the state Governors to immediately work with the state assemblies and pass regional security laws for the south east given the regional nature of our challenges. We urge the State Governors and Assemblies to ensure that in the shortest possible time we have a robust and fully operational regional security system which builds on the neighborhood watches and vigilantes and is fully manned by locals from the topmost personnel to the lowest officials in order to be accepted by Ndigbo. In addition, it must not be or be seen to be politicized in any shape or form.
5. We call on the private sector in Igboland to support the setting up of public-private-community trust funds for security so that we can have 21st century security systems to ensure that lives and property are well protected in both urban areas and in rural communities. This will complement the judicious use of security votes by the state governments.
6. The activities of some criminal elements who have lately capitalized on the ongoing chaos to perpetrate all manner of crimes in our land are totally unacceptable. We urge our Traditional Rulers and our people to always provide intelligence to their community vigilantes and neighborhood watches for onward transmission to the appropriate law enforcement agencies so that the activities of these criminal elements could be nipped in the bud and the perpetrators brought to justice.
7. We hereby launch the Igbo Human Rights Violations Portal (IHRVP), whose mandate includes the collation of details of all victims of the killings by Fulani herdsmen, extra-judicial murders and other human rights violations in Igboland for onward action in the International Criminal Court. This will be coordinated in conjunction with the State Bar Associations in Igboland and volunteer senior legal practitioners and activists.
8. Finally, we call on the Federal Government to immediately convene a National Dialogue so as to resolve the many fundamental questions which have continued to breed crisis in Nigeria and fan the embers of insecurity thereby posing serious threats to the lives and livelihoods of the people.
Signed:
Association of South East Town Unions
World Igbo Congress
Igbo World Assembly
Alaigbo Development Foundation
Nzuko Umunna
Ekwe Nche
Council of Igbo States in America
Anioma Redemption
Igbo Board of Deputies
Nkata Ndi Inyom Igbo
ASETU Women Forum
South East Community Youth Leaders
