RESOLUTIONS OF A 3-DAY EMERGENCY CONCLAVE OF THE LEADERSHIPS OF MAJOR IGBO ORGANIZATIONS HELD AUGUST 10-12, 2018 IN ENUGU UNDER THE AUSPICES OF ND’IGBO CONSULTATIVE ASSEMBLY
Preamble
In response to all the above, various Igbo organizations articulated what, in their wisdom, represents the best approach by Nd’Igbo towards self-redemption. Other groups, particularly the pro-independence ones, embarked on more radical agitations towards achieving the same end. In seeking to distill common grounds among the various groups, streamline their prescriptions and arrive at a consensus that will frame a viable response mechanism, this Emergency 3-Day Consultative Meeting involving the leaderships of major Igbo organizations, home and abroad.
The Conclave carefully examined the Public Communications Documents issued by various Igbo organizations and reproduce the following central positions of the major ones.
Ohanaeze’s position as encapsulated in the Ekwueme Square Declaration of May 21, 2018 at p.2 is states thus:
“We demand a Constitutional Conference, backed by a Law enacted by the National Assembly, where the People of Nigeria will agree on a new, truly federal Constitution. a Constituent Assembly should be constituted to agree on a new Constitution for a New Nigeria. Such a Constitution – the people’s Constitution – should be approved by the people of Nigeria through a Referendum to give it legitimacy and validity. Thereafter, the National Assembly should repeal Act 24 of 1999 thereby effectively voiding the 1999 Constitution.”
The Alaigbo Development Foundation, ADF, seeks restructuring within the principle of self-determination of Autonomous Region of ethnic nationalities in present Nigeria. ADF states emphatically that Alaigbo will seek outright exit from the Federation of Nigeria if renegotiation along these lines is not forthcoming. ADF’s position is encapsulated in a memorandum titled “THE FUTURE OF ALAIGBO & THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA” dated December 21, 2017 which at p.47 posits:
“A. Alaigbo to exist as an Autonomous Region with all the rights of Self-determination and Self-governance in a new political union with their neighbours in Nigeria, or
B. to opt out of Nigeria and establish an Independent Republic.”
A wing of the pro-independence groups frame their agitation as “Biafra Restoration” (IPOB) and “Biafra Actualization” (MASSOB), both seek immediate secession from the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
There is also the Self-Determination campaign by the Lower Niger Congress, LNC, for the Greater Eastern Nigeria, framed as a Constitutional Reconfiguration of the Nigerian Union that will include a Self-Determination Referendum, with an outreach to the non-Caliphate rest of Nigeria, seeking a consensus around the outright rejection of the fraudulent 1999 Constitution as the basis of Nigeria.
After a thorough review of these different positions being advanced by various Igbo Organizations, the Conclaverecognizes the two dominant tendencies in Igboland in response to the current Igbo situation in Nigeria, namely:
This necessitates the institution of a mechanism to determine the true wishes of the majority of the People.
It is noted that the two Groups are agreed on the abrogation of the imposed, fraudulent 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The two Groups are also agreed that no further National Elections anchored on the 1999 Constitution should take place.
ACCORDINGLY, THE CONCLAVE RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
DATED THIS 12TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2018
SIGNED: