Showing posts with label World Igbo Congress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World Igbo Congress. Show all posts
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Nigeria: World Igbo Congress Admitted Into UNECOSOC
VANGUARD
United Nations — The World Igbo Congress (WIC), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has been admitted into the United Nations' Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Dr. Acho Orabuchi, Media Director of WIC, announced this in a statement made available in New York on Tuesday.
The statement said WIC's admission took place during a regular session of the world body in Geneva on Tuesday.
"The world body unanimously voted to ratify the admission of WIC into the ECOSOC of the UN on a Special Consultative Status," it said.
Article 71 of the UN Charter opened the door, providing for suitable arrangements for consultation with NGOs.
To be eligible for consultative status, an NGO must have been in existence for at least two years and must have an established headquarters.
Being in existence means being officially registered with the appropriate government authorities as an NGO or non-profit body.
Also, for an NGO to gain this status, it must have, among others, a democratically-adopted constitution and authority to speak for its members.
It must also have a representative structure, appropriate mechanisms of accountability and democratic and transparent decision-making processes.
The basic resources of the organisation must be derived, in the main part, from contributions of the national affiliates or other components or from individual members.
"With the status, the body now has the opportunity to take advantage of the economic development programmes of several UN agencies that partner with NGOs under the ECOSOC arrangement,' WIC said in the statement.
It added that WIC would utilise the resources of the UN organs that deal with social issues, which would help the group deal with Igbo social and economic issues.
The statement said the Committee on Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) had in February recommended the admission of WIC.
It stated Dr. Anthony Ejiofor, the Executive Director of WIC, received calls on the admission of WIC from both Geneva and New York.
,br />According to it, leaders of the Committee on NGO indicated in the calls that they had been monitoring WIC activities.
It added that the callers to Ejiofor assured WIC that they would help the organisation make the most use of its new status.
The statement also quoted the Chairman of WIC, Mazi Joe Eto, as describing the admission as "definitely a rare feat".
This report was first published at the Vanguard, July 25, 2012
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Texas Court Settles Rift In World Igbo Congress
By Petrus Obi, Sun News Online
A court in Texas, United States has settled the three-year-old rift in the World Igbo Congress and thus paved the way for 2011 Congress coming up in Toronto, Canada, from September 2 to 5.
In a unanimous decision on July 19, from the Texas Fourteenth Court of Appeals, a three Justices Panel, consisting of Chief Justice Hedges, Justice Seymore and Justice Boyce, dismised Joseph N. Etoh’s appeal of Judge Steven Kirkland’s order of January 14, 2010, commanding Etoh, among other things, “to desist and refrain from acting as (an) officer of the World Igbo Congress Inc. (WIC)” and further ordered Eto and his cohorts “to pay all costs incurred in this appeal.”
In a statement, Chairman of the group, Ichie Onwuchekwe, recalled the event that led to the crisis: “Some time ago I made a statement that the events that occurred in Tampa, Florida, in 2008 will make our beloved World Igbo Congress (WIC) stronger. In fact, WIC has not only endured but has grown much stronger. The question has never been whether a man could stumble and fall down. The question has always been what happens after the man falls down and realises that he fell down; how quickly does he get up?
“ The World Igbo Congress is a unique organisation. It has waxed strong through thick and thin. Even during the “dark” hours, the organisation never missed a board meeting or an annual convention.”
He likened the challenges WIC faced to what happened to the Apex Igbo Organisation in Nigeria, Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, which was similarly challenged a few years ago. At that time, the president general of Ohaneze used to describe the Ohaneze problem as “distractions.”
“Finally, Ohaneze sought resolution in a court of law and the court restored order in the organisation. We are looking at the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ in the legal tussle within WIC. The Fourteenth Texas Court of Appeals has re-directed us and we need to step back, reflect and refocus on the ‘ball’. For those who have called me and my WIC executive to ‘congratulate’ us on this matter, my response is that personally I see no ‘victory’ in this matter. Neither Joe Eto nor J.O.S. Okeke are enemies of Ndi Igbo. It is now time to rejoin hands and focus on our real challenges within the Nigerian context.
“I call on every Onye Igbo in the diaspora to show up in Toronto, Canada, during the upcoming WIC Convention from September 2 to 5, to re-align the Igbo focus, move the Igbo agenda forward and strengthen the process of healing within the WIC family.”
Monday, June 15, 2009
Igbo to Float Diaspora Fund, Spare Parts Factory
THIS DAY
Rising from the first Igbo economic summit in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, held from May 29 to 30, 2009, Igbo in diaspora resolved to set up a diaspora fund to fight the Igbo cause in addition to floating a spare parts manufacturing factory in Igboland.
A communique signed by Nze Joe Eto and Dr Anthony Ejiofor, Chairman and Executive Director respectively, noted that the summit also resolved that the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation should at all times champion Igbo unity.
The summit, attended by Managing Director of World Bank, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Professor Pat Utomi and the President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Ambassador Raph Uwechue also resolved to encourage Igbo to embrace self-help projects.
"In order to strengthen Igboland economically, education should be promoted aggressively. The great achievements of Ndigbo in the pre-civil war era was attributed to high quality education, the well-known Igbo hard work, competitiveness and ingenuity,” the communique read.
The Summit, therefore, resolved to organise the Igbo Diaspora, to provide necessary support for quality vocational education across Igboland that will afford the unemployed the opportunity to learn valuable skills for the modern economy.
It also resolved "to create a Diaspora Fund built on contributions of $300.00 by all working Igbo man and woman in the diaspora immediately.
"We agreed to immediately put in place efforts to establish a heavy equipment spare part manufacturing factory in Igbo heartland and recognised Ohanaeze Ndigbo as the premier all-Igbo leader and pledged to work with the organisation and its eminent president to tackle all the problems in Igboland.”
The summit pledged to work with Ohanaeze to source international funds to solve environmental problems such as erosion in Igboland, in addition to working with other Igbo groups to implement programmes identified in the Economic Development for the region under SENEC (South Eastern Nigerian Economic Commission).
Among the attendees were prominent Igbos in North America including the founders of the World Igbo Congress from Houston Texas, Dr. JOS Okeke, the Consul General, Honorable Chudi Okfor and prominent Nigerians who flew all the way from home to help shape the economic future of Ndigbo.
Others include Ambassador Raph Uwechue, President General Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, Dr Chukwuka Okonjo, economist, Obi of Ogwashi Uku and Dr Kamene Okonjo, Professor FNC Osuji, former Minister of Education, Professor Anya O Anya, former chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Professor Ebere Onwudiwe, political economist and public intellectual, and Dr. Chii Akporji, Communications in Commerce, The World Bank. among others.
Rising from the first Igbo economic summit in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, held from May 29 to 30, 2009, Igbo in diaspora resolved to set up a diaspora fund to fight the Igbo cause in addition to floating a spare parts manufacturing factory in Igboland.
A communique signed by Nze Joe Eto and Dr Anthony Ejiofor, Chairman and Executive Director respectively, noted that the summit also resolved that the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation should at all times champion Igbo unity.
The summit, attended by Managing Director of World Bank, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Professor Pat Utomi and the President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Ambassador Raph Uwechue also resolved to encourage Igbo to embrace self-help projects.
"In order to strengthen Igboland economically, education should be promoted aggressively. The great achievements of Ndigbo in the pre-civil war era was attributed to high quality education, the well-known Igbo hard work, competitiveness and ingenuity,” the communique read.
The Summit, therefore, resolved to organise the Igbo Diaspora, to provide necessary support for quality vocational education across Igboland that will afford the unemployed the opportunity to learn valuable skills for the modern economy.
It also resolved "to create a Diaspora Fund built on contributions of $300.00 by all working Igbo man and woman in the diaspora immediately.
"We agreed to immediately put in place efforts to establish a heavy equipment spare part manufacturing factory in Igbo heartland and recognised Ohanaeze Ndigbo as the premier all-Igbo leader and pledged to work with the organisation and its eminent president to tackle all the problems in Igboland.”
The summit pledged to work with Ohanaeze to source international funds to solve environmental problems such as erosion in Igboland, in addition to working with other Igbo groups to implement programmes identified in the Economic Development for the region under SENEC (South Eastern Nigerian Economic Commission).
Among the attendees were prominent Igbos in North America including the founders of the World Igbo Congress from Houston Texas, Dr. JOS Okeke, the Consul General, Honorable Chudi Okfor and prominent Nigerians who flew all the way from home to help shape the economic future of Ndigbo.
Others include Ambassador Raph Uwechue, President General Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, Dr Chukwuka Okonjo, economist, Obi of Ogwashi Uku and Dr Kamene Okonjo, Professor FNC Osuji, former Minister of Education, Professor Anya O Anya, former chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Professor Ebere Onwudiwe, political economist and public intellectual, and Dr. Chii Akporji, Communications in Commerce, The World Bank. among others.
REMARKS BY THE CONSUL GENERAL OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA TO ATLANTA, GEORGIA
HON. CHUDI OKAFOR
ON THE OCCASION OF NDIGBO ECONOMIC SUMMIT
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
Saturday, May 30, 2009
H. E. The President General of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, Ambassador Ralph Uwechue, OFR, Former Finance and Foreign Affairs Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Managing Director, World Bank, Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Former Minister of Education of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Fabian Osuji Director, Lagos Business School, Prof. Pat Utomi, Our Chief host, Mr. Joe Nze Eto, and his beautiful wife Representatives of the State Governments, here present, Representatives of the South East Economic Council, here present, Leaders of Nigerian Organizations, here present, Friends of Nigeria, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, Good morning and welcome.
It is indeed, my distinct honour and privilege, to welcome our distinguished guests to Atlanta, Georgia, for this ground-breaking Economic Summit. I understand that this is part of the on-going efforts, this time from the Igbo Community from the Southeastern, Delta and Rivers States of Nigeria in the Diaspora, to complement the Federal Government’s determination to enhance economic development, and improve the living standard of Nigerians.
I particularly want to thank the well spirited leaders and the entire Diaspora Igbo Community in the United States, for making this event possible. Before I proceed further, I wish to pay tribute to a renowned Igbo son, Ambassador Ralph Uwechue, OFR. As an Ambassador’s Ambassador, he is a patriot, who has served Nigeria meritoriously in various capacities, and in particular, the Foreign Service. Sir, thank you for piloting the affairs of the Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, and for finding time to grace this occasion. I also extend warm welcome to all distinguished visitors from Nigeria and other parts of the world. It is not often that you have a two-time cabinet Minister and a jewel of the World Bank, a former presidential candidate and other eminent personalities in their own rights grace an event. Let me also crave your indulgence to convey the good will message from the Nigerian Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations, Professor Joy Ogwu. Due to prior commitment at the United Nations, she could not be here with us today.
It is significant that the first-ever Economic Conference, in recent times by the Igbo Diasporans is holding in Atlanta. This is not surprising because southeastern US is the second fastest growing region in the United States, with Atlanta as the heartbeat. It would be recalled that Atlanta is the city Nigeria took by storm, when she lifted the coveted Olympic gold medal trophy in 1996. Encouraged by the unceasing quest for economic growth and development, Atlanta, has never looked back after the Centennial Olympic Games.
Atlanta is at the 8th position in terms of population in the United States cities, with a population of 5.3 million people. She plays host to a lot of renowned international companies in the Fortune 500 family, organizations and educational institutions. Notable among them are CNN, Coca-Cola, UPS, Delta Air Lines, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. I should add, as a matter of fact, that there are many hardworking Nigerian professionals in Atlanta, who add value to the growth and development of the City of Atlanta.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my hope that this Economic Conference should be a clarion call for a resolute determination to harness tremendous resources in the United States, in collaboration with the State Governments, the Organized Private Sector (OPS) and Non-Governmental Organizations, to bring about development and better life for Nigerians. As Americans would say, it is time for Ndigbo to talk the talk, and walk the walk. Today, the current global economic and financial crises have challenged previous economic paradigms and assumptions as to what constitutes economic development.
Experiences over the centuries, have clearly shown that there is no single silver bullet to jump start economic growth and development. Also many scholars now appear to agree that development measured only by the conventional economic indices of GDP and GNP are important, but not sufficient determinants of prosperity in an economy.
I agree, therefore, that there is a fierce urgency of time to map out new economic strategies that are pragmatic, to meet the desired quest of our people for a better standard of living. As a starting point, Ndigbo need to carefully assess where they are, with a view to determining where they want to be, and develop the road map for getting there. Certainly, like the other zones in Nigeria, Ndigbo want to see Nigeria, their States, and the Local Government Areas, with accountable government, employment opportunities, infrastructure, efficient service delivery system, and a secure and clean environment.
You have to think out of the box. The Federal Government cannot do everything alone; you should act by doing whatever is legitimate to help your people overcome the poverty gap; by creating employment opportunities and wealth. Ndigbo cannot afford to be delinked from the inexorable march to better the lots of Nigerians. A developed Igbo homeland is a developed Nigeria to achieve national integration.
I commend you for seizing this period in our national history, to undertake in-depth analysis and appraisal of the state-of-play, in the Igbo homeland, with particular reference to the economic, social, educational and security situation. Fortuitously, going by your expected vision themes, it seems to me that Ndigbo have a lot to benefit from the present Administration, as these areas of concern have been embodied in H.E. President Umaru Musa Yar‘Adua’s 7- Point Agenda.
The Agenda, which is a sub structure of Vision 2020 programme, is aimed at repositioning Nigeria on the path of sustainable growth and development, with emphasis on the improvement of power and energy; transportation network; education to meet the challenges of the 21st century; security; employment generation; food supply; wealth creation, and land reforms. The aspiration is that by the year 2020, Nigeria would be among the 20th most structurally developed countries in the world. Ndigbo should play a pivotal role in this crusade.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am confident that the Igbos in the Diaspora will continue to attain great feats, given their enviable pedigrees of hard work and achievement. Ndigbo are in the medical, engineering, academia, accounting, law, management, ICT, corporate business, banking, entertainment and sporting professions, as well as, in international organizations. What is more, many are disposed to offering their services to the Federal, States and Local development efforts in Nigeria, and in most cases, free of charge, as exemplified in the annual medical missions.
Also, it is common knowledge that with the advent of ICT, the skills and knowledge of Ndigbo Diaspora sons and daughters can be made available without their physical presence, if properly arranged and coordinated, to enhance capacity building. Given this pool of professionals with tested ideas, global development experiences, with vital links to investment funds, technical skills and expertise, project financing, and industrial discipline, the time has come for Igbo Diaspora to mainstream best practices to assist her people.
They can do this by sourcing funds and attracting foreign direct investment. They should provide important advice for States in arranging educational and cultural exchange programmes, and sister-to-sister city twin development strategies. A good example is the need to understudy the Malaysian development process and experiences. It is no longer news that the high yielding palm seedlings from Malaysia actually came from a town in the Southeast of Nigeria. This is imperative, given the fact that the GDP of Nigeria was by the mid 1970s three times higher than some of the ASEAN Tigers, namely; Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. As economic dynamos, they are today in the category of the Newly Industrialized Countries (NICS). Noteworthy are also the experiences of other countries such as India, China, Brazil, Israel and Vietnam.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
The issue is what Ndigbo can and should do to improve their economic growth and development needs. It does appear to me that the way forward to achieving the expected investment haven, is for the various States to strive and establish a sound foundation for good governance; transparency, especially in the area of separating public funds from private funds; provision of basic infrastructure particularly roads and electricity; a transparent taxation policy; legal and regulatory confidence-building frameworks; as well as, peace and security of the environment. It is needless to say that no development can take place without peace and stability. Ndigbo should reinforce their Town Unions, which in the past, set standards for security and ownership, as well as acceptable mode of behavior.
Economically, Ndigbo should take advantage of the on-going land reform efforts by the Federal Government to release land for integrated economic development. As a minimum, feed the people and be self-reliant in basic food production. Create farm belts or agricultural parks and cultivate crops you have comparative advantage in, including chicken and fish farming. It is common knowledge that Farm Settlements worked in the past, and I know they can work again once the will is there. I assure you that Igbo sons and daughters in the Diaspora will add value to this efforts. It will be useful to re-establish Agricultural Boards that set standards for agriculture, and Marketing and Produce Boards that set standards for export crops.
A vibrant education system can and should improve economic growth and development needs because business is dependent upon knowledge, particularly managerial and technical knowledge. Ndigbo should give basic education to all without exception. Education is the key to the long term future of any society that wants to progress. Clearly, modern industrialization, modern agriculture and the information technology of the 21st century require everybody to be literate and knowledgeable in the New World Order that is expected to emerge after the global economic meltdown.
In this connection, the Government Colleges and Mission Schools, that set standards for education, should be repositioned as necessary incubators and springboards to prepare students for a better future, as it was done in the past. Some in this audience were beneficiaries of that glorious era, and we should not forget.
I can attest that education is the secret of the ASEAN Tigers, all of which leapfrogged economic development gap within a period of 15 to 20 years. We also know for a fact, that about 80% of all the high-growth businesses created in the United States in the past 20 years were launched by college graduates. Without doubt, what we have today is a knowledge economy and what propels societies to the cutting edge of innovation is circulation of ideas, skills, technology and credit (money). Ideas and not natural resources alone eradicate poverty. Indeed, there is no known country in the world that has industrialized as a result of only natural resource endowment without technological in-put and skills. This is why the Jews, Chinese and Indian Diasporans are unstoppable. It is evident that they mix and match knowledge from different parts of the world to uplift their countries of origin.
On healthcare, Ndigbo should make efforts to rehabilitate Specialist and General Hospitals in their respective States, in the overall interest of the people. Among the efforts made by Nigerians in the Diaspora, aside from the huge money transfers to Nigeria, the annual medical missions rank next, in terms of tangible benefits to the less privileged. Ndigbo sons and daughters with their professional friends, play great humanitarian role in this regard. They have not only treated the sick without charge, they have also helped in the rehabilitation, capacity building and equipment of some of these hospitals.
Furthermore, every effort should be made in these States to establish export free zones, industrial parks, development corridors, technical and finishing schools for artisans, internet cafes, science and technology parks, ICT villages, including cultural and hospitality centers. In all these, no one State can do it alone. For effective integrated development effort, two, three or four States can join hands on healthy competitive basis to create economies of scale, and overcome the expected financial bottlenecks. We should create development corridors in these States to provide a veritable platform that will facilitate collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas. The advice is that you need not embark on capital intensive projects at the initial stage.
Moreover, I implore you to follow the Federal Government’s example to reform your Civil Service by introducing innovations to achieve better service delivery. As I indicated, the 21st century is a knowledge based age, encourage and reward excellence in order to drive development process and impact best practices in these States.
It is an open secret that the excellent economic performance of the former regions of Nigeria was complemented by an equally virile and efficient Civil Service. Make no mistake about it, investments will not amount to much, unless there is an efficient public service system and administration to assure sustainable economic growth and development.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
Summing up, I believe that when these measures are put in place, with a sense of mission, accountability and ownership, Ndigbo will not only re-invent their economic ingenuity, build bridges across Nigeria, but will also create veritable framework for improved standard of living for their people and for the mutual benefit of all Nigerians.
In the final analysis, however, it will be left for the Igbo sons and daughters outside the homeland, to determine whether they will stand-by, and visit their land of birth, only when it is time, for electioneering campaigns, award of chieftaincy titles, birth, marriage, burial ceremonies, and award of honourary degrees, while they return to other cities to live. This is with the hope, in their own estimation, that it is the next generation of the Igbos, that will rebuild and develop their homeland. No, I believe that the time for finger-pointing and the blame game is over. You are equal stakeholders in your respective States, and in the Nigerian project. In this age of the 21st century, Ndigbo should be wiser in the overall interest of the race and our dear country, Nigeria. I believe that this is the essence of this epoch-making gathering.
Ndigbo have no choice, whether home or abroad, but to join hands in the current crusade of rebranding Nigeria ‘Good People, Great Nation’. I wish you fruitful deliberations and thank you for listening.
ON THE OCCASION OF NDIGBO ECONOMIC SUMMIT
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
Saturday, May 30, 2009
H. E. The President General of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, Ambassador Ralph Uwechue, OFR, Former Finance and Foreign Affairs Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Managing Director, World Bank, Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Former Minister of Education of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Fabian Osuji Director, Lagos Business School, Prof. Pat Utomi, Our Chief host, Mr. Joe Nze Eto, and his beautiful wife Representatives of the State Governments, here present, Representatives of the South East Economic Council, here present, Leaders of Nigerian Organizations, here present, Friends of Nigeria, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, Good morning and welcome.
It is indeed, my distinct honour and privilege, to welcome our distinguished guests to Atlanta, Georgia, for this ground-breaking Economic Summit. I understand that this is part of the on-going efforts, this time from the Igbo Community from the Southeastern, Delta and Rivers States of Nigeria in the Diaspora, to complement the Federal Government’s determination to enhance economic development, and improve the living standard of Nigerians.
I particularly want to thank the well spirited leaders and the entire Diaspora Igbo Community in the United States, for making this event possible. Before I proceed further, I wish to pay tribute to a renowned Igbo son, Ambassador Ralph Uwechue, OFR. As an Ambassador’s Ambassador, he is a patriot, who has served Nigeria meritoriously in various capacities, and in particular, the Foreign Service. Sir, thank you for piloting the affairs of the Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, and for finding time to grace this occasion. I also extend warm welcome to all distinguished visitors from Nigeria and other parts of the world. It is not often that you have a two-time cabinet Minister and a jewel of the World Bank, a former presidential candidate and other eminent personalities in their own rights grace an event. Let me also crave your indulgence to convey the good will message from the Nigerian Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations, Professor Joy Ogwu. Due to prior commitment at the United Nations, she could not be here with us today.
It is significant that the first-ever Economic Conference, in recent times by the Igbo Diasporans is holding in Atlanta. This is not surprising because southeastern US is the second fastest growing region in the United States, with Atlanta as the heartbeat. It would be recalled that Atlanta is the city Nigeria took by storm, when she lifted the coveted Olympic gold medal trophy in 1996. Encouraged by the unceasing quest for economic growth and development, Atlanta, has never looked back after the Centennial Olympic Games.
Atlanta is at the 8th position in terms of population in the United States cities, with a population of 5.3 million people. She plays host to a lot of renowned international companies in the Fortune 500 family, organizations and educational institutions. Notable among them are CNN, Coca-Cola, UPS, Delta Air Lines, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. I should add, as a matter of fact, that there are many hardworking Nigerian professionals in Atlanta, who add value to the growth and development of the City of Atlanta.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my hope that this Economic Conference should be a clarion call for a resolute determination to harness tremendous resources in the United States, in collaboration with the State Governments, the Organized Private Sector (OPS) and Non-Governmental Organizations, to bring about development and better life for Nigerians. As Americans would say, it is time for Ndigbo to talk the talk, and walk the walk. Today, the current global economic and financial crises have challenged previous economic paradigms and assumptions as to what constitutes economic development.
Experiences over the centuries, have clearly shown that there is no single silver bullet to jump start economic growth and development. Also many scholars now appear to agree that development measured only by the conventional economic indices of GDP and GNP are important, but not sufficient determinants of prosperity in an economy.
I agree, therefore, that there is a fierce urgency of time to map out new economic strategies that are pragmatic, to meet the desired quest of our people for a better standard of living. As a starting point, Ndigbo need to carefully assess where they are, with a view to determining where they want to be, and develop the road map for getting there. Certainly, like the other zones in Nigeria, Ndigbo want to see Nigeria, their States, and the Local Government Areas, with accountable government, employment opportunities, infrastructure, efficient service delivery system, and a secure and clean environment.
You have to think out of the box. The Federal Government cannot do everything alone; you should act by doing whatever is legitimate to help your people overcome the poverty gap; by creating employment opportunities and wealth. Ndigbo cannot afford to be delinked from the inexorable march to better the lots of Nigerians. A developed Igbo homeland is a developed Nigeria to achieve national integration.
I commend you for seizing this period in our national history, to undertake in-depth analysis and appraisal of the state-of-play, in the Igbo homeland, with particular reference to the economic, social, educational and security situation. Fortuitously, going by your expected vision themes, it seems to me that Ndigbo have a lot to benefit from the present Administration, as these areas of concern have been embodied in H.E. President Umaru Musa Yar‘Adua’s 7- Point Agenda.
The Agenda, which is a sub structure of Vision 2020 programme, is aimed at repositioning Nigeria on the path of sustainable growth and development, with emphasis on the improvement of power and energy; transportation network; education to meet the challenges of the 21st century; security; employment generation; food supply; wealth creation, and land reforms. The aspiration is that by the year 2020, Nigeria would be among the 20th most structurally developed countries in the world. Ndigbo should play a pivotal role in this crusade.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am confident that the Igbos in the Diaspora will continue to attain great feats, given their enviable pedigrees of hard work and achievement. Ndigbo are in the medical, engineering, academia, accounting, law, management, ICT, corporate business, banking, entertainment and sporting professions, as well as, in international organizations. What is more, many are disposed to offering their services to the Federal, States and Local development efforts in Nigeria, and in most cases, free of charge, as exemplified in the annual medical missions.
Also, it is common knowledge that with the advent of ICT, the skills and knowledge of Ndigbo Diaspora sons and daughters can be made available without their physical presence, if properly arranged and coordinated, to enhance capacity building. Given this pool of professionals with tested ideas, global development experiences, with vital links to investment funds, technical skills and expertise, project financing, and industrial discipline, the time has come for Igbo Diaspora to mainstream best practices to assist her people.
They can do this by sourcing funds and attracting foreign direct investment. They should provide important advice for States in arranging educational and cultural exchange programmes, and sister-to-sister city twin development strategies. A good example is the need to understudy the Malaysian development process and experiences. It is no longer news that the high yielding palm seedlings from Malaysia actually came from a town in the Southeast of Nigeria. This is imperative, given the fact that the GDP of Nigeria was by the mid 1970s three times higher than some of the ASEAN Tigers, namely; Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. As economic dynamos, they are today in the category of the Newly Industrialized Countries (NICS). Noteworthy are also the experiences of other countries such as India, China, Brazil, Israel and Vietnam.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
The issue is what Ndigbo can and should do to improve their economic growth and development needs. It does appear to me that the way forward to achieving the expected investment haven, is for the various States to strive and establish a sound foundation for good governance; transparency, especially in the area of separating public funds from private funds; provision of basic infrastructure particularly roads and electricity; a transparent taxation policy; legal and regulatory confidence-building frameworks; as well as, peace and security of the environment. It is needless to say that no development can take place without peace and stability. Ndigbo should reinforce their Town Unions, which in the past, set standards for security and ownership, as well as acceptable mode of behavior.
Economically, Ndigbo should take advantage of the on-going land reform efforts by the Federal Government to release land for integrated economic development. As a minimum, feed the people and be self-reliant in basic food production. Create farm belts or agricultural parks and cultivate crops you have comparative advantage in, including chicken and fish farming. It is common knowledge that Farm Settlements worked in the past, and I know they can work again once the will is there. I assure you that Igbo sons and daughters in the Diaspora will add value to this efforts. It will be useful to re-establish Agricultural Boards that set standards for agriculture, and Marketing and Produce Boards that set standards for export crops.
A vibrant education system can and should improve economic growth and development needs because business is dependent upon knowledge, particularly managerial and technical knowledge. Ndigbo should give basic education to all without exception. Education is the key to the long term future of any society that wants to progress. Clearly, modern industrialization, modern agriculture and the information technology of the 21st century require everybody to be literate and knowledgeable in the New World Order that is expected to emerge after the global economic meltdown.
In this connection, the Government Colleges and Mission Schools, that set standards for education, should be repositioned as necessary incubators and springboards to prepare students for a better future, as it was done in the past. Some in this audience were beneficiaries of that glorious era, and we should not forget.
I can attest that education is the secret of the ASEAN Tigers, all of which leapfrogged economic development gap within a period of 15 to 20 years. We also know for a fact, that about 80% of all the high-growth businesses created in the United States in the past 20 years were launched by college graduates. Without doubt, what we have today is a knowledge economy and what propels societies to the cutting edge of innovation is circulation of ideas, skills, technology and credit (money). Ideas and not natural resources alone eradicate poverty. Indeed, there is no known country in the world that has industrialized as a result of only natural resource endowment without technological in-put and skills. This is why the Jews, Chinese and Indian Diasporans are unstoppable. It is evident that they mix and match knowledge from different parts of the world to uplift their countries of origin.
On healthcare, Ndigbo should make efforts to rehabilitate Specialist and General Hospitals in their respective States, in the overall interest of the people. Among the efforts made by Nigerians in the Diaspora, aside from the huge money transfers to Nigeria, the annual medical missions rank next, in terms of tangible benefits to the less privileged. Ndigbo sons and daughters with their professional friends, play great humanitarian role in this regard. They have not only treated the sick without charge, they have also helped in the rehabilitation, capacity building and equipment of some of these hospitals.
Furthermore, every effort should be made in these States to establish export free zones, industrial parks, development corridors, technical and finishing schools for artisans, internet cafes, science and technology parks, ICT villages, including cultural and hospitality centers. In all these, no one State can do it alone. For effective integrated development effort, two, three or four States can join hands on healthy competitive basis to create economies of scale, and overcome the expected financial bottlenecks. We should create development corridors in these States to provide a veritable platform that will facilitate collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas. The advice is that you need not embark on capital intensive projects at the initial stage.
Moreover, I implore you to follow the Federal Government’s example to reform your Civil Service by introducing innovations to achieve better service delivery. As I indicated, the 21st century is a knowledge based age, encourage and reward excellence in order to drive development process and impact best practices in these States.
It is an open secret that the excellent economic performance of the former regions of Nigeria was complemented by an equally virile and efficient Civil Service. Make no mistake about it, investments will not amount to much, unless there is an efficient public service system and administration to assure sustainable economic growth and development.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
Summing up, I believe that when these measures are put in place, with a sense of mission, accountability and ownership, Ndigbo will not only re-invent their economic ingenuity, build bridges across Nigeria, but will also create veritable framework for improved standard of living for their people and for the mutual benefit of all Nigerians.
In the final analysis, however, it will be left for the Igbo sons and daughters outside the homeland, to determine whether they will stand-by, and visit their land of birth, only when it is time, for electioneering campaigns, award of chieftaincy titles, birth, marriage, burial ceremonies, and award of honourary degrees, while they return to other cities to live. This is with the hope, in their own estimation, that it is the next generation of the Igbos, that will rebuild and develop their homeland. No, I believe that the time for finger-pointing and the blame game is over. You are equal stakeholders in your respective States, and in the Nigerian project. In this age of the 21st century, Ndigbo should be wiser in the overall interest of the race and our dear country, Nigeria. I believe that this is the essence of this epoch-making gathering.
Ndigbo have no choice, whether home or abroad, but to join hands in the current crusade of rebranding Nigeria ‘Good People, Great Nation’. I wish you fruitful deliberations and thank you for listening.
Diaspora Igbo economic summit to promote education
Vanguard
THE First Diaspora Igbo Economic Summit in Atlanta, USA, has resolved to set up a special fund education. In a communiqué at the end of the two-day event that ended May 30, it was resolved “to organise the Igbo Diaspora to provide the necessary support for quality vocational education across Igboland that will afford the Igbo unemployed the opportunity to learn valuable skills for the modern economy”.
According to the communiqué, “to achieve this, the summit reiterated the need to create a Diaspora Fund built on contributions of say $300 by all working Igbo men and women in the Diaspora. The implementation of this plan should be started immediately”.
In order to strengthen the Igboland economically, “education should be promoted aggressively. The great achievement of Ndigbo in the pre-civil war era was attributed to high quality education, the well-known Igbo hard work, competitiveness and ingenuity,” said the communiqué which Nze Joe Eto, chairman of summit organising committee and Dr. Anthony Ejiofor, Executive Director, signed.
Other positions of the summit included a call “on all Igbos to come together unapologetically with the type of traditional self-help programmes that spurred their amazing record of development in pre-civil war Nigeria.
Ndigbo in the USA and North American attended the summit which also recognised Ohaneze Ndigbo, as the apex Igbo organisation must champion the cause of Igbo unity and should forge for the race one common agenda for operating in the Nigerian polity and pledged to work with the organisation and its eminent president to tackle all the problems in Igboland. The Summit pledged to work with Ohaneze to source international funds to solve the erosion problems in Igboland.
The establishment of a heavy equipment spare part manufacturing factory in Igboland was another item on the communiqué. The Summit resolved to work with other Igbo groups to implement programmes identified in the South Eastern Nigerian Economic Commission master plan.
Among the attendees were the founder of the World Igbo Congress, Dr. JOS Okeke, the Consul General HE Honourable Chudi Okafor, Ambassador Raph Uwechue, President General Ohaneze Ndigbo, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Managing Director World Bank, Professor Pat Utomi of the Lagos Business School, HRH Dr. Chukwuka Okonjo, Obi of Ogwashi Uku, HRH Dr. Kamene Okonjo, Professor Fabian Osuji, former Minister of Education, Professor Anya O Anya, former chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Professor Ebere Onwudiwe, political economist, and Dr. Chii Akporji of the World Bank.
THE First Diaspora Igbo Economic Summit in Atlanta, USA, has resolved to set up a special fund education. In a communiqué at the end of the two-day event that ended May 30, it was resolved “to organise the Igbo Diaspora to provide the necessary support for quality vocational education across Igboland that will afford the Igbo unemployed the opportunity to learn valuable skills for the modern economy”.
According to the communiqué, “to achieve this, the summit reiterated the need to create a Diaspora Fund built on contributions of say $300 by all working Igbo men and women in the Diaspora. The implementation of this plan should be started immediately”.
In order to strengthen the Igboland economically, “education should be promoted aggressively. The great achievement of Ndigbo in the pre-civil war era was attributed to high quality education, the well-known Igbo hard work, competitiveness and ingenuity,” said the communiqué which Nze Joe Eto, chairman of summit organising committee and Dr. Anthony Ejiofor, Executive Director, signed.
Other positions of the summit included a call “on all Igbos to come together unapologetically with the type of traditional self-help programmes that spurred their amazing record of development in pre-civil war Nigeria.
Ndigbo in the USA and North American attended the summit which also recognised Ohaneze Ndigbo, as the apex Igbo organisation must champion the cause of Igbo unity and should forge for the race one common agenda for operating in the Nigerian polity and pledged to work with the organisation and its eminent president to tackle all the problems in Igboland. The Summit pledged to work with Ohaneze to source international funds to solve the erosion problems in Igboland.
The establishment of a heavy equipment spare part manufacturing factory in Igboland was another item on the communiqué. The Summit resolved to work with other Igbo groups to implement programmes identified in the South Eastern Nigerian Economic Commission master plan.
Among the attendees were the founder of the World Igbo Congress, Dr. JOS Okeke, the Consul General HE Honourable Chudi Okafor, Ambassador Raph Uwechue, President General Ohaneze Ndigbo, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Managing Director World Bank, Professor Pat Utomi of the Lagos Business School, HRH Dr. Chukwuka Okonjo, Obi of Ogwashi Uku, HRH Dr. Kamene Okonjo, Professor Fabian Osuji, former Minister of Education, Professor Anya O Anya, former chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Professor Ebere Onwudiwe, political economist, and Dr. Chii Akporji of the World Bank.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
On the Upcoming Economic Summit of the World Igbo Congress
By Ebere Onwudiwe & Okey C. Iheduru
Ndigbo at home and abroad have been treated to a number of colourful ‘summits’ ostensibly organized to articulate strategies to develop that part of Nigeria. The latest is the First Igbo Economic Summit being organized by the World Igbo Congress (WIC) in the city of Atlanta, USA, 29-30 May 2009. Despite the unfortunate choice of foreign venue for the summit, this is a welcome change for an organization whose mere mention in the USA where it is headquartered elicits negative reactions due to its recent lack-luster leadership. Generally, WIC events are dismissed as ‘useless and sterile jamboree’; while its leadership marked by perennial squabbles and juvenile internet hecklings have earned the organization the sobriquet ‘World Igbo Confusion.’
But WIC means well. It was a brilliant idea at its founding as the pivotal platform for the Igbo Diaspora to partner with the homeland to incubate and disseminate practical solutions to development problems there. While contemporary indignation and frustration with it is unassailable, there is something in the forthcoming Atlanta Economic Summit that warrants a serious reconsideration of the tendency to dismiss the organization as amateurish.
The founders of WIC are part of the unsung Igbo heroes who shouldered the onerous task of poverty reduction in the defunct Republic of Biafra. Today, Igbo Diaspora remittances constitute the most visible form of insurance to many beneficiaries (individual, household and local community) to withstand the economic crisis and shocks that reduced income. In the social economy, the Diaspora has financed social services and infrastructure including transfer of medical equipments, health centers, books and computers, sponsorship of scholarships, apprenticeship, start-up funds for business, and many other forms of resource transfer to practically every community in Igboland.
The challenge that faced WIC at its founding was to articulate concrete strategies to turn this financial manna from the Igbo Diaspora into sustainable development in the homeland. This still remains ‘the road not traveled’ by WIC, one which hopefully, the new Joe Eto administration, given the priority of economic empowerment in his platform, is set to explore.
WIC can shed its current reputation of an internet name-calling and irrelevant club of amateurs by returning to its central mission as a change and development agent in Igboland. In truth, WIC does not deserve this image. Whatever the case, the organization needs some “re-branding of sorts and the Atlanta Economic Summit is a necessary first step, one that must be supported by the political and economic leaders from the Igbo zone. That support will be a wise and complementary development policy for the region if only because WIC can be a powerful vehicle to trigger and promote change in the homeland.
From what we have observed so far, the new Eto administration is keen on cultivating and harnessing the Igbo Diaspora’s social energy, their passion for ‘giving back’, to move from poverty alleviation to development. This is good news for Igboland and the country as a whole.
Although there are many wealthy Igbos all over the world, previous Dispora development efforts have failed. We hope that the new WIC administration will learn from those failures. That it will go beyond economic summits and grandiose conventions to build a sustainable and respected organization able to back its bark with a bite.
Frequently initial enthusiasm to support WIC’s development efforts dissipated because people got tired of the all ‘heat and no action’ of its immediate past leadership. To sustain enthusiasm for its projects, the new WIC must bring in the thousands of Diaspora Igbo professionals presently too disgusted to be part of its current cacophonous umbrella. It can do this simply by becoming a more focused, more refined and serious organization befitting of the time and effort of these very busy professionals. If the Eto administration focuses on this, a more harmonious and capable WIC will emerge.
In addition, WIC must try to promote the interests of Igbo migrants abroad, not just those of political leaders at home. It must craft social events and conferences as forums to build social capital and networks of abundant Diaspora Igbo talents and moneymen that can generate feasible projects and the funds to implement them at home. More importantly, the new WIC leadership needs to focus on more humble objectives. Our review of WIC’s annual convention agendas shows that the organization suffers from certain grandiosity despite palpable skimpy resources which its past leadership did pretty little to boost.
Also, it will not hurt to learn a few things from a number of successful models of Diaspora mobilization for homeland development. For example, a WIC program can organize Diaspora Igbo executives in major companies to borrow a leaf from their Indian counterparts. It was the Indian executives in major multinational corporations that influenced their companies to outsource knowledge-intensive operations to India through the creation of Technology and R&D outsourcing networks.
South Africa, South Korea and Israel benefited from the Mentoring/Venture Capital Model whereby managers and owners of European start-up firms of South African origin, for instance, worked with South African start-up firms to develop and finance commercially viable projects through their venture capital networks.
There is also the example of Chinese Diaspora. Diaspora as Investors Model, or ‘Bamboo network’ was instrumental in the rise of Greater China. Here, Diaspora members who know the reality of home country well and had access to risk-mitigation strategies were able to build personal trust between members of cross-border investor networks that enabled them to reduce transaction costs.
The new WIC should learn from these examples by kick-starting its new focus on economic development via the creation of a network of Igbo executives at home and abroad with a mission to develop programs to manage its homeland development projects.
Ndigbo at home and abroad have been treated to a number of colourful ‘summits’ ostensibly organized to articulate strategies to develop that part of Nigeria. The latest is the First Igbo Economic Summit being organized by the World Igbo Congress (WIC) in the city of Atlanta, USA, 29-30 May 2009. Despite the unfortunate choice of foreign venue for the summit, this is a welcome change for an organization whose mere mention in the USA where it is headquartered elicits negative reactions due to its recent lack-luster leadership. Generally, WIC events are dismissed as ‘useless and sterile jamboree’; while its leadership marked by perennial squabbles and juvenile internet hecklings have earned the organization the sobriquet ‘World Igbo Confusion.’
But WIC means well. It was a brilliant idea at its founding as the pivotal platform for the Igbo Diaspora to partner with the homeland to incubate and disseminate practical solutions to development problems there. While contemporary indignation and frustration with it is unassailable, there is something in the forthcoming Atlanta Economic Summit that warrants a serious reconsideration of the tendency to dismiss the organization as amateurish.
The founders of WIC are part of the unsung Igbo heroes who shouldered the onerous task of poverty reduction in the defunct Republic of Biafra. Today, Igbo Diaspora remittances constitute the most visible form of insurance to many beneficiaries (individual, household and local community) to withstand the economic crisis and shocks that reduced income. In the social economy, the Diaspora has financed social services and infrastructure including transfer of medical equipments, health centers, books and computers, sponsorship of scholarships, apprenticeship, start-up funds for business, and many other forms of resource transfer to practically every community in Igboland.
The challenge that faced WIC at its founding was to articulate concrete strategies to turn this financial manna from the Igbo Diaspora into sustainable development in the homeland. This still remains ‘the road not traveled’ by WIC, one which hopefully, the new Joe Eto administration, given the priority of economic empowerment in his platform, is set to explore.
WIC can shed its current reputation of an internet name-calling and irrelevant club of amateurs by returning to its central mission as a change and development agent in Igboland. In truth, WIC does not deserve this image. Whatever the case, the organization needs some “re-branding of sorts and the Atlanta Economic Summit is a necessary first step, one that must be supported by the political and economic leaders from the Igbo zone. That support will be a wise and complementary development policy for the region if only because WIC can be a powerful vehicle to trigger and promote change in the homeland.
From what we have observed so far, the new Eto administration is keen on cultivating and harnessing the Igbo Diaspora’s social energy, their passion for ‘giving back’, to move from poverty alleviation to development. This is good news for Igboland and the country as a whole.
Although there are many wealthy Igbos all over the world, previous Dispora development efforts have failed. We hope that the new WIC administration will learn from those failures. That it will go beyond economic summits and grandiose conventions to build a sustainable and respected organization able to back its bark with a bite.
Frequently initial enthusiasm to support WIC’s development efforts dissipated because people got tired of the all ‘heat and no action’ of its immediate past leadership. To sustain enthusiasm for its projects, the new WIC must bring in the thousands of Diaspora Igbo professionals presently too disgusted to be part of its current cacophonous umbrella. It can do this simply by becoming a more focused, more refined and serious organization befitting of the time and effort of these very busy professionals. If the Eto administration focuses on this, a more harmonious and capable WIC will emerge.
In addition, WIC must try to promote the interests of Igbo migrants abroad, not just those of political leaders at home. It must craft social events and conferences as forums to build social capital and networks of abundant Diaspora Igbo talents and moneymen that can generate feasible projects and the funds to implement them at home. More importantly, the new WIC leadership needs to focus on more humble objectives. Our review of WIC’s annual convention agendas shows that the organization suffers from certain grandiosity despite palpable skimpy resources which its past leadership did pretty little to boost.
Also, it will not hurt to learn a few things from a number of successful models of Diaspora mobilization for homeland development. For example, a WIC program can organize Diaspora Igbo executives in major companies to borrow a leaf from their Indian counterparts. It was the Indian executives in major multinational corporations that influenced their companies to outsource knowledge-intensive operations to India through the creation of Technology and R&D outsourcing networks.
South Africa, South Korea and Israel benefited from the Mentoring/Venture Capital Model whereby managers and owners of European start-up firms of South African origin, for instance, worked with South African start-up firms to develop and finance commercially viable projects through their venture capital networks.
There is also the example of Chinese Diaspora. Diaspora as Investors Model, or ‘Bamboo network’ was instrumental in the rise of Greater China. Here, Diaspora members who know the reality of home country well and had access to risk-mitigation strategies were able to build personal trust between members of cross-border investor networks that enabled them to reduce transaction costs.
The new WIC should learn from these examples by kick-starting its new focus on economic development via the creation of a network of Igbo executives at home and abroad with a mission to develop programs to manage its homeland development projects.
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