THE OWERRI DECLARATION

COMMUNIQUE OF THE 2019 IGBO NATIONAL SUMMIT ON THE PEACE, SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT OF ALAIGBO AND HER NEIGHBOURS. ​​Held at Villa Gardens Hotel, Enugu, Imo State, Nigeria.

The first-ever IGBO NATIONAL SUMMIT was convened today, August 22nd 2019 by key frontline Igbo organizations and major stakeholders with representatives of her Neighbours in attendance to examine the grave state of insecurity in our region, under the banner Peace, Security and Development of Alaigbo and Her Neighbors. The event was presided over by His Royal Majesty, Igwe Amb. Lawrence Agubuzu, Chairman, Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers. He was assisted by His Lordship, Bishop Obi Udezue Onubogu, Overseer, Rock Cathedral, Enugu.

After an exhaustive of key nte addresses by the conveners as well major presentations on the state and challenges of insecurity that have gravely affected the peace and development of Alaigbo and her neighbours, the participants noted as follows –

i. That the Territory known as the Federal Republic of Nigeria was initially created by the British colonial authority mainly to advance her colonial interests.

ii. That since the amalgamation of the territory consisting of several major and smaller nationalities in 1914, the region has known no stability, but rather has witnessed incessant crises resulting in the Biafra war of 1967. That war saw the worst state of pogrom in which over 3 million people mainly Igbo citizens were brutally killed and the territory devastated. That the end of the war left Alaigbo and her neighbours in ruins with no efforts since then to rebuild the region.

iii. That the endemic instability in the Federation has been due to an inherent incompatibility of values between the dominant religions, traditions and cultures of its indigenous ethnic nationalities. But this has been made worse by the deliberate act of manipulation by the British colonial authorities who, through manipulation of the Federal structure and census, left power in the hands of the Fulani minority.

iiii. What is more, political stability is anchored on the fundamental principles of democracy, rule of law and equity. Unfortunately, the Fulani minority does not understand, let alone believe in these basic norms of co-existence among peoples. This truth has been brazenly asserted by the Fulani National Movement (FUNAM) when, in a recent statement in which they declared their resolve to fully conquer the rest of the Federation, FUNAM referred to what it called “irresponsible Western notion of democracy”, which it said the British imposed in Nigeria in order to undermine their territorial ambition.

v.  The participants noted that the Federal Republic of Nigeria as it exists today is a phantom political state which has lost all the basic principles of rule of law, justice, equity and humane values; anarchy now prevails in all spheres of the society.

vi. The Republic has been seized by one ethnic nationality, namely, the minority Fulani who do not hide their intentions to wipe out the indigenous populations and their religions and turn the territory into an Islamic State.as has been arrogantly stated by the Fulani Nationality Movement (FUNAM). Following the mass killings of the helpless citizens of Plateau by the Fulani, where some non-Fulani civilians according to FUNAM ‘were justifiable hacked down’. In their statement following this gruesome massacre, FUNAM declared: -

We have said it over and over, that Nigeria is the only inheritance we have in Africa and anywhere in the world. This land belongs to us, from Sokoto to the banks of the Atlantic Ocean. This was the destiny bestowed on Uthman Dan Fodio which would have been fulfilled since 1816 if not for the obstruction of this great assignment by the British. It is no longer time to play the ostrich. Our men are waiting. We are eager to fight. We are boiling with the zeal to actualize our dream; enough of double dealing and ambivalence by FULANI political leaders who unfortunately think the FULANI can only take back what belongs to us through appeasement and elections destined to reflect cultural values antithetical to the preaching of Uthman Dan Fodio.

vii. Indeed, this declaration is no longer a statement of intentions. The Fulani have fully embarked on their fulfilment. In pursuit of this goal, they have systematically, under their leader General Mohammadu Buhari, seized all the apparatuses of the state – the Executive, the Legislative, the Judiciary, the Military and all the Security Forces, the Bureaucracy, the Economy, all machinery of Government including the so-called Independent Electoral Commission, (INEC), the Educational Institutions, all parastatals of the state.

viii. The participants noted that as of today, the following is the composition of the key Executive, Legislative. Judiciary, Administrative and Security organs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: - 

• President of the Federal Republic …​​North

• Senate President …​​​​North

• Chief Justice of Nigeria…..…​​​North

• President Court of Appeal …​​​North

• CJ Federal High Court ……​​​North

• Inspector-General of Police (IG)​          North

• DG of Department of State Security ……​North

• DG NIA ………​​​​​North

• CG NSCDC……​​​​​North

• Minister of Defense ……​​​​North

• Nat. Intelligence Agency​​​​North

• Minister Finance ……​​​​North

• Minister Petroleum ……​​​​North

• Minister of Aviation ……​​​North

• Chief of Air Staff ……​​​​North

• Chief of Army Staff ….…​​​North

• CG Customs ……​​​​​North

• CG Immigration ……​​​​North

• CG Prisons ….…​​​​​North

• GMD NNPC ……​​​​​North

• Chairman Code of conduct Bureau ​​North

• Chairman CCT ……​​​​North

• Chairman EFCC ……​​​​North

• Director of NFIU ……​​​​North

• Chairman INEC ……​​​​North

• Population Chairman ……​​​North

• DG/CEO Nat’l Identity ……​​​North, etc, etc.

All these Officials are not only Northerners, but 95% Fulani Muslims.

ix​ The participants recalled the catalogue of pogroms and genocide serially inflicted on Ndigbo and the Peoples of Eastern Nigeria which have long threatened our collective survival and existential reality as a People in their economic sojourn across the Country and their violent displacement from their places of abode denying them a sense of belonging in the polity in the face of Government acquiescence and non-payment of compensation as outlined below, the consequent decimation of our growth as a People and our Youth and future generations and our treatment as a conquered People by successive Governments:

§  Katsina Railway riot 1937.

§  Jos Northern Nigeria 1945. *Northern Nigeria 1953.

§  1966 Pogroms Northern Nigeria

§  Biafran War 1967-70

§  Mubi January

§  May 1967 Northern Nigeria

§  Asaba 1968

§  Benin 1968

§  Sapele 1968

§  Warri 1968

§  Agbor 1968

§  Kano 1980

§  Maiduguri 1982

o   Funtua 1993

o   Kano 1994

o   Beheading of Gideon *Akaluka Kano 1995

o   Kaduna 2000 

o   Kaduna 2001

o   Maiduguri 2001

o   Jos 2001

o   Jimeta 1984

o   Gombe 1985

o   Zaria 1987

o   Kano 1991

o   Kaduna 1991

o   Kafanchan 1991

o   Bauchi 1991

o   Katsina 1991

o   Zangon-Kataf 1992

·        Kaduna 2002

·        Jos 2008

·        Christmas eve riot

·        Jos 2010

·        Madalla Christmas day bombing 2011Kano

·        Post-April 2011 Presidential Election: 10 Youth-Corpers & several Citizens murdered because a Christian Southerner was elected President against a Moslem Northerner.

·        Nimbo, Enugu   massacre   2016

·        Awgu Enugu in 2016

·        Abia 2016

·        Aba & Afara Ukwu 2017 Operation Python Dance, and the list goes on ………...

ix. Given the daunting and unabated militarization of our Homeland by extortionist Police and Military Agents of State, the senseless and conscienceless killing of our Clergy, the condescending sacking of our Churches, Villages and  Rural Communities, the routine rape of our Women, Mothers Wives and Daughters, the wilful destruction of farmlands and humiliating desecration of our sacred Traditional Grooves, Shrines and Deities by ravaging Terrorist Fulani Headsmen, the  immolate destruction of our lives and property, and the wanton implementation of the  obnoxious RUGA policy despite widespread Citizen resistance.

In the light of the above, the participants resolved as follows: -

i. Against this background of worrisome escalating insecurity, fear and horror in our Homeland, threats to our continued existence as a people more so in the face of mounting pressure of occupation by alien terrorist Muslim Fulani Herdsmen, we hereby declare that our people are no longer willing to live a life of meaningless existence in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

ii. And, therefore, we urge for a renegotiation of the basis of our co-existence with our Neighbors. We do not wish to live in the Federal Republic of Nigeria as slaves but desire to co-exist with other regions if Alaigbo (and her willing neighbours) are recognized as AUTONOMOUS REGION, with the right to full control of our territory, our resources, our Executive, legislative, Diplomatic and Administrative institutions, as well as our judiciary, economic and social resources. etc.

iii. Consequently, we are compelled to call for a plebiscite to secure our God-given Homeland, propelled by our collective will to self-determination, to embrace a sustainable future of peace, Security and development for Ourselves and our Children yet unborn.   

iiii. Wherein we urge all Pan-Igbo Organizations, including the Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), Association of South-East Town Unions (ASETU), World Igbo Congress (WIC).  concerned Christian Clergy and Representative Organizations, particularly the Christian Association of Nigeria South-East (CAN-SE),  from our contiguous Neighbors including the Coalition of all Pro-Biafra Groups, and the vindictively proscribed non-violent Organization, IPOB, to collectively work in political synergy for our collective aspiration for self-determination, to ensure our survival and lead the pursuit of the realization of our collective security, destiny and development as a free, prosperous peace loving People bound together by the principles of Self-determination and freedom

v. We call for a formal coalition of people-based organizations – ADF, ASETU, CAN-SE, WIC, Traditional Rulers Councils, Prof-Biafra Groups (IPOB in particular), Trade Union organizations, Human Research Organizations, Media organizations, Women organizations, Youth and Students Organizations, other religious groups, ex-Service men, to remain together and continue working for the benefit of our people,

vi. We urge for unity of purpose and regular consultations and collaboration between these bodies and the Governments of our region including the socio-cultural organization in Alaigbo, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo 

vii. We finally urge the Governors and States House of Assembly to take immediate steps to pass the Anti-Open Grazing Law for the control of the movement of Cattle and other animals in order to protect our farmers and avert the imminent starvation knocking at our doors as farmers are afraid to go to their farms because of the incessant brutal attacks and killings as well as rape of their women and daughters by the Fulani terrorist Herdsmen.

viii. The Governors of the South-Eat should be reminded that they do not need the approval of the President to ban the movement of cattle by foot in the South-East. Even in the absence of Anti-Open Grazing Law, the people and government of Alaigbo can draw their authority to ban the free movement of cattle in the region either from the traditional Igbo customary law or the 2nd Schedule (Concurrent List) of the existing Constitution, particularly items 18 and 20, and the Fourth Schedule (Functions of LGC) items 1 and 2,     

ix. We call on the State Governments and the various Communities to ensure that Community vigilantes are effectively in place, all patriotic citizens should support the Government and the vigilantes with adequate funds and protective gargets.

x. We call on our youths and all Pan-Igbo and Pro-Biafra organizations to mobilize their members to enforce security in their various communities.

xi. We urge our women to remember that they were responsible for hastening the demise of colonial rule whose citadel they assaulted in 1929, the first such incident in the history of global colonialism,

xii. We urge the authorities of the Federal Government of Nigeria to lift the siege on our territory by withdrawing all the invading forces and dismantling all extortionist checkpoints

xiii. Finally, we urge all Governors in Alaigbo, Senators, House of Reps, and Speakers of the House of Assembly to please consider matters in this communique as expedient and dealt with urgently. 

xiiii. Whereupon we call on Almighty God to strengthen our Resolve on this day being Thursday 22nd August 2019 at Owerri. Imo State, Nigeria

LIST OF SIGNATORIES AND ORGANIZATIONS

NAME & ORGANISATION

1. PROF T UZODINMA NWALA

ALAIGBO DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION (ADF)

2. PROF UKACHUKWU AWUZIE

CHAIRMAN, ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

3. CHIEF EMEKA DIWE

ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH-EAST TOWN UNIONS (ASETU)

4. BISHOP GODDY OKAFOR

CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (CAN-SE)

5. BAR ADA EGBUFOR

WORLD IGBO CONGRESS (WIC)

6. PROF, ELOCHUKWU AMUCHEAZI

IGBO LEADERS OF THOUGHT (ILT)

7. BAR EMEKA UMEAGBALASI

INTER-SOCIETY FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES & RULE OF LAW

8. MRS MARIA OKWO

IGBO WOMEN ASSEMBLY (IWA)

9. BAR ALLOY EJIMAKOR

ATTORNEY TO THE PRO-BIAFRA ORG.

10. OKEY ORJI

COALITION OF PRO-BIAFRA ORGS.

11. BAR CASMIR NWAFOR (Rtd.) Captain

EX-SERVICE MEN OF NIGERIA

12. PROF N P. OKOLI

OFOR BUIKE INTELLECTUAL UNION BENIN CITY

13. CHIEF SAM AWUIAKA

IGBO COMMUNITY UNION EDO STATE

14. SIR CHUKS OGBONNA​

IMO COMMUNITY EUROPE

15. MS CHINWE EBOH

IGBO GLIBAL AALIANCE AUSTRALIA

16.  ASUZU CHINEDU PETERS

BVI CHANNEL 1

17. ANAENUGWU NDUBISI VINCENT

PEOPLES RESTORATION MOVEMENT

18. MR BENEDICT OKORO

OCHIE IGBO CULTURAL FOUNDATION

19. PROF NATH ANIEKWU

RAPPORTEUR

20. DR. ONYI GBUJIE

RAPPORTEUR

21. HON, GIDEON ADIKWURU

RAPPORTEUR

22. CHIEF MONDAY IKOKU

RAPPORTEUR

Reported by:

Mazi Elekwachi Ude

For: The Biafra Restoration Voice - TBRV

Published by:

Chibuike John Nebeokike

For: The Biafra Restoration Voice - TBRV

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