Alaigbo Development Foundation(ADF) is fast becoming a household name within the Igbo speaking communities in Nigeria and across the globe.The Foundation came into existence after a widely publicized International Colloquium on The Igbo Question in Nigeria,Before,During and After Biafra.The Colloquium was conceived by a body of Igbo Intelligentsia,Clergy,Elders,Patriots ,Women and Youth in the light of the persistent crisis -ridden socio-political situation in the Nigeria Federation and the debate over her future and in the light of the enormous challenges facing Alaigbo both in Nigeria and in the contemporary world.The Promoters of ADF ,unlike any other Igbo Organisation, have courageously and fearlessly in an unambiguous terms stated exactly what majority of Ndigbo forced into the present highly skewed Nigeria Federal system want .BVI Channel 1 Online was fortunate to run into the President of ADF-Prof Uzodinma Nwala who furnished our Reporters with the draft of Igbo Position in Nigeria as presented below:
Please read and assist to share for the sake of our children generation;
Prof Uzodinma Nwala
1. We speak on behalf of Alaigbo: The Igbo-Speaking Peoples in Nigeria and elsewhere in the World, particularly those in the main Igboland, Anioma and Ikwerre and any other areas.
2. We are a Nation, a land of free peoples and any Union with any other nation must be based on free choice, namely, on the hallowed principle of Self-determination.
3. We did not become part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria initially out of choice, but by force, due to the determination of a foreign power that led to the Amalgamation of 1914.
4. After 104 years, the Federal Republic of Nigeria has not stabilised as a country and as a union of free peoples; several political conferences to determine the best form of union that will guarantee peaceful, just, progressive and stable nation, a union of free peoples; has not worked; rather it is now a Golgotha, a place where human lives (especially the lives of Igbos and Christians) are daily wasted.
5. Therefore, time has come when the Igbo race in Nigeria has to make the ultimate decision, namely, to be or not to be, that is to say decide whether –
i. To remain as part of a Federal Union of free peoples or to remain as slaves in Nigeria.
ii. To remain as slaves in Nigeria or to Reject slavery and opt out and establish our own Independent Republic -The Republic of Alaigbo, or whatever name we may freely chose to call our independent Republic.
6. As a nation of free peoples, we declare on behalf of our people: –
We Shall Remain In The Federal Republic Of Nigeria Only As Free Peoples, Governing Ourselves, In Full Control Of Our Lives, Our Land, Our Resources, Our Security, Freely Relating To The World, But Collectively Agreeing On A Federal Union With Our Neighbours, Or All Those Willing To Live Under The Principle Of Self-Determination, I.E, Ndigbo Want To Have Their Territory Recognized As An Autonomous Region. In that case if Alaigbo is to remain in Nigeria, Nigeria becomes a Union of Autonomous Regions.
The following shall be the character of the Federal Union, the Autonomous Regions and the States within the Autonomous Regions.
A. FEDERAL UNION OF AUTONOMOUS REGIONS.
1. Principles of Association.
i. The Union shall be held together by the hallowed principle of Self-Determination, making Nigeria a Country in which all the Nationalities have freely chosen to live together. In other words, Nigeria is not a Federal Union created by Conquest or Annexation.
It is our conviction, knowing our people for what they are, that Ndigbo would rather die than be slaves to any other nation or nation!
ii. Ndigbo shall constitute themselves into one Autonomous Region and will be willing to admit any other nationality that may choose to stay in the same Autonomous Region with Ndigbo, provided that such choice is born out self-determination of the peoples of the nationality concerned.
iii. The principles of Consensus, Power-sharing, Union Character and Rotation shall govern the relationship of the Autonomous Regions and the conduct of the affairs of the Federal Union.
iiii. Any member Autonomous Region shall be free to opt out of the Federal Union, if it so wishes.
2. Federal Union Government
i. There shall be A Federal Union Government which is the Central Authority of the Federal Union consisting of
a. A Federal Union Executive Council.
b. A Federal Union uni-camera Legislature – The Union Congress.
c. A Federal Defense Council
d. A Federal Supreme Court (Responsible for Constitutional issues)
e. Institutions in charge of Common Services of the Federal Union
3. Powers of the Union Government.
There powers of the Federal Union shall be as agreed and collectively ceded to it by the Autonomous Regions, provided that they shall be confined principally to the following-
i. Defence – The Federal Union Army that shall be jointly controlled by the Autonomous Regions and shall not be used for any internal operations.
ii. The Military shall not be committed to any operation without the decision of the Defence Council and that such decision receives unanimous agreement of all the Autonomous Unions.
iii. Foreign Affairs as limited by the powers of the Autonomous Regions to establish Consulates, seek and attract foreign investment for the development of the respective Region.
iiii. Currency and Central Bank.
v. Citizenship.
vi. There shall be Common Services Agencies as may be agreed by all the Autonomous Regions.
vii. The Management, staffing and operations of the Common Services Agencies shall reflect the Union Character, in terms of equitable representation.
4. The Federal Union Executive Council
i. The Federal Union Government shall have a President and such number of Vice-Presidents as there are Autonomous Regions.
ii. The President shall be Chairman of the Federal Executive Council
iii. The Vice President from the Presidents Autonomous Region shall be the Deputy Vice President of the Federal Union.
iiii. The office of the President shall rotate among the Autonomous Regions every five years in such a manner that no Autonomous Region shall produce a President a second time until all the other Autonomous Regions have produced a President.
v. Ministers shall be appointed from the Autonomous Regions with portfolios assigned to them by the President and the Vice Presidents, provided that each Autonomous Region has a Minister of Cabinet rank.
5. The Federal Union Legislature.
i. There shall be a uni-camera Union Legislature otherwise known as The Union Congress, responsible for law-making.
ii. The Union Legislature shall be composed of such number of representatives of the Autonomous Regions according to their respective population.
6. The Armed Forces of the Federal Union
i. There shall be The Armed Forces of the Federal Union responsible for External Defence.
ii. There shall be a Union Defence Council made up of
a. The President as Chairman and the Vice Presidents.
b. The Prime Ministers of the various Autonomous Regions
c. Union Defence Minister,
d. The Chiefs of the Union Defence Council.
e. The Defence Ministers of all the Autonomous Regions.
iii. Military installations, defence establishments, appointment and promotions within the armed forces shall reflect the Union Character.
7. Security
i. Each Autonomous Region shall set up and have control over its Regional Guard, Police, Para-military, Prisons and other Security Agencies.
ii. All Autonomous Regions shall enter into a national treaty to defend the Country in the case of External Aggression.
iii. The military shall not be used to settle internal disputes within the Union.
iiii. There shall be a Federal Guard responsible for internal Security outside the zones under the jurisdiction of the Autonomous Union Guard.
8. Judicial System
i. There shall be Federal Union Supreme Court responsible for Federal Constitutional matters only.
ii. There shall be Regional Courts, Courts of Appeal and Supreme Courts handling all cases within each Autonomous Region.
B. AUTONOMOUS REGIONS.
i. An Autonomous Region is defined as a geo-political territory made up of one ethnic nationality or a number of ethnic nationalities that have, in accordance with the principle of Self-determination, agreed to stay together as one Autonomous Region.
ii. Each Autonomous Region to answer whatever name the people wish to adopt.
iii. The choice of membership of any Autonomous Region by any nationality shall be determined by the principle of Self-determination provided that members of each nationality shall be encouraged to stay in the same Autonomous Region.
iiii. All territorial claims shall be settled by Plebiscite.
v. Each Autonomous Region to have its own Constitution, Anthem and Flag.
vi. Control over her internal affairs, land and its resources,
vii. Control of her Security, Police, Regional Guard, para-military Prisons and other Intelligence agencies.
viii. To establish Consulates, seek and attract foreign investment for the development of the respective Region Each.
ix. Autonomous Region shall have the freedom to democratically re-order its constituent internal structures which shall be reflected in its Constitution.
x. The Autonomous Region shall have a Prime Minister as Head of Government of the Autonomous Region. There shall also be a Deputy Prime Minister.
xi. There shall be a Council of Ministers for the management of the affairs of the Autonomous Region.
xii. There shall be a unicameral Regional Legislative Council.
xiii. Both the Executive and the Legislature shall have a tenure of five years
3. STATES IN AN AUTONOMOUS REGION.
i. There shall be State Governments provided that the States as presently composed shall be guaranteed their identity and governmental structures.
ii. New States shall be created by the Autonomous Regions provided that no State shall be created unless through a Plebiscite.
iii. There shall be an Executive Governor, Deputy Governor and Commissioners as members of the State Executive Council.
iiii. There shall be a unicameral State Legislature responsible for Law-making within the State.
v. There shall be a State Judiciary made up of-
a. Customary Courts and Customary Courts of Appeal.
b. State Courts and State Courts of Appeal.
c. Appeal from the Customary Courts of Appeal shall go to
d. The Regional Supreme Court.
e. Appeals from the State Courts of Appeal shall go to the Regional Supreme Court.
vi. Each State shall be responsible for the creation of Local Governments within its territory and defining their constitutional status and responsibilities.
4. Resource Control.
i. Each Autonomous Region shall be in charge of the natural and mineral resources, including VAT and other forms of taxation generated within its geo-political space.
ii. Each Autonomous Region to be Self-governing as far as control of its Security and Resources are concerned
iii. The Continental Shelf of an Autonomous Region shall be deemed as part of the Autonomous Region. This is consistent with international law which defines the Continental shelf as a seaward extension of the land of the coastal state.
iiii. The income and resources generated in each Autonomous Region shall be shared as follow: –
a,The Union Government 20%
b.The Autonomous Region30%
c.The State 50%
v.Each Autonomous Region shall guarantee the protection of legitimately acquired individual and collective property in each Region by citizens of the Federal Union.
5.Census
Any attempt at restructuring or reconstituting the Federal Republic of Nigeria must involve the conduct a fresh Census to determine the population of the Federal Union. This should be followed by legislative action to determine the exact boundaries of the Union.
Given the history of Nigeria and the failures of previous attempts to conduct a non-controversial census, the Union Government in collaboration with the Governments of the Autonomous Regions shall seek the assistance of the United Nations to conduct fresh census in order to resolve any controversies regarding the population of Nigeria and its component Autonomous Regions. The Census data shall contain vital population parameters including characteristics of the ethnic composition of both country and all the Autonomous Regions
7. In the Light of the above,
i. Ndigbo reject the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or any Amendments based on it,
ii. Ndigbo call for a National Political Conference to negotiate the Future of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the light of this Declaration of the Igbo Nation.
iii. The Political Conference shall deal with such fundamental issues the powers to be ceded to the Government of the Federal Union, the Form of Government, Collective Defence and Security, Relation of the Autonomous Regions, External Affairs, Judiciary and other allied matters.
iiii. The Result of the Political Conference shall be subjected to a Referendum, and subsequently embodied in the Constitution of the new Federal Union of Autonomous Regions of Nigeria.
8. If the present Federal Government is not restructured along these fundamental lines
i. The Alternative Option for Ndigbo is Opting out of Nigeria and establishing THE REPUBLIC OF ALAIGBO or whatever name we chose to name our independent Republic.
ii. For Alaigbo, this is the Option of Self-Determination and Freedom, guaranteed by our Creator and enshrined in the United Nation’s Charter of Peoples Rights.
9. If indeed we find ourselves in this situation, we finally declare on behalf of our people that
WE, in Alaigbo Shall Do All That Is In Our Power, OUR GOD Willing, To Establish Our Own Independent Republic, Namely, The Republic Of Alaigbo Or Whatever Name Shall Call Our Independent Republic.
We Make This Declaration For Ourselves, The Living, As Well As For Our Children Including The Unborn Igbo Children.
It Is Our Answer To The Sacred Question They May Ask, Namely – What Choice Did Our Parents Make For Us?
ADF SECRETARIAT
ABUJA
MAY 15, 2018
