Ohanaeze plans big for Zik, Ojukwu, Biafra heroes

Magnus Eze, Enugu

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has unveiled plans to immortalise foremost nationalist and Nigeria’s first president, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, leader of the defunct Republic of Biafra, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, governor of former Eastern region, Dr. Akanu Ibiam and those who fought the cause of Biafra, whether living or dead.

President-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nnia Nwodo, who disclosed this in Enugu, said the socio-cultural group plans to build an Igbo Memorial Centre in Enugu, which would be modeled after the Washington Memorial in America.

Nwodo, who spoke at the 2019 national convention of Igbo World Assembly (IWA) on the theme: “Way forward for Ndigbo”  said just like the Washington monument, the precinct of the Igbo Memorial Centre would serve as tourist site. He said the plan was to have cenotaphs of great Igbo sons and daughters that have distinguished themselves in various fields at the centre.

“We have applied to state government to give us land for the Washington Memorial in Enugu.

There would be cenotaphs of our great sons and daughters, both living and dead there, and we will engrave names of Biafran soldiers who died during the war on a special marble that would be erected there. It would be built in such a way that whoever wants to know the history of Igbo would not need any further information or explanation after visiting the memorial,” her said.

Issues to be discussed at the summit with traditional rulers in the South East scheduled for November include streamlining the celebration of new yam festival, funeral and traditional marriage celebrations in Igboland, and addressing the issue of xenophobic attacks on Ndigbo in South Africa and other countries. Resolutions reached at the summit would be sent to various state Houses of Assembly of  Igbo-speaking states for proper legislation, said Nwodo.

Chairman of IWA, Dr Nwachukwu Anakwenze, said the group was partnering Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other stakeholders to fashion out ways of improving the lives the Igbo.

He said IWA was concerned about the unemployment of Igbo youths.