From Magnus Eze, Enugu
Igbo leaders and elders rose from the sixth World Igbo Summit at Gregory University, Uturu, Abia State, weekend, declaring that 2023 was the right time for one of their own to become President of Nigeria.
This is as Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, predicted that the future was bright for the Igbo in Nigeria.
The Summit chaired by elder statesman, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (retd) was aimed at reawakening the Igbo consciousness and ensuring that Ndigbo become more organized and cohesive, making their voices and demands for restructuring Nigeria and networking for Presidency of Igbo extraction, loudest.
A communiqué from the event said that the Igbo shall continuously seek for a system or polity that guaranteed and secured their social, political and economic interest in Nigeria, based on equality of citizenship, equity and justice.
It also said that they shall diligently and boldly work hard to convince other Nigerians to support their quest to become the President of Nigeria in 2023.
The communiqué signed by Senator Ike Nwachukwu, Prof George Obiozor; Prof. Gregory Ibe, Mrs. Josephine Anenih and Dr. Ifedi Okwenna, therefore, urged Igbo politicians to ensure that their respective political parties produced candidates of Igbo extraction as presidential candidate of their respective political parties.
“We call Igbo legislators in the National Assembly to seek collaboration with members from other zones to amend the Electoral Act to accommodate a provision that compels INEC to ensure rotation clause in parties’ constitution, as a requirement for registration, while all our sons and daughters in any political party strive to ensure “rotation of Presidency” clause in their party constitution.
In a paper delivered by Onu at the summit, he noted that Ndigbo had played very important roles in the development of Igboland and the country, urging them not to rest until Igboland and Nigeria of their dream were realised.
Since Ndigbo were known for hard work, ingenuity, enterprise, competitiveness and drive, the minister further urged them to embrace science and technology.
Onu said: “Ndigbo businessmen and women should pay special attention to the local production of machine tools that can help them in the production of capital goods, repair and maintenance of machinery as well as production of spare parts. At every time, they must ensure that they continuously conduct research and innovation in order to remain competitive and become more efficient.”
He also said that the Igbo must have the right leadership at all levels.