Apex Igbo group in the Diaspora, Igbo World Assembly, IWA, has revealed its plans to save the Igbo nation from another pogrom following the quit notice by the coalition of Arewa youths to Igbos residing in the northern part of the country.
IWA said it would liaise with appropriate agencies to file a petition to the International Criminal Court, ICC, to prevent genocide and bring culprits to book.
IWA is the umbrella organization that represents the apex national Igbo organizations residing in countries across the world.
The group said this in a statement jointly signed by Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze, President, United States of America chapter and Chief Oliver Nwankwor, Secretary General, Netherlands chapter respectively.
They noted that those inciting the violence by giving fellow citizens quit notice should be held accountable for any incident that might occur within the timeline of the quit notice
It said that plans were underway to enable Ndiigbo residing in the North to report provocations, insults, adding that such evidences will be used in support of filing the case in the Hague.
The group in the statement also urged the Nigerian Government to return to the 1993 constitution and adopt fiscal federalism, saying that by this, each region should be responsible for the development and management of resources including minerals from their region.
It said, “This will foster industrial development and competition among regions instead of the current docile nature of a majority of states as presently constituted.
“Nigeria needs to implement the National confab recommended equity in state creation within the geo-political zones.”
It noted that the quit notice declaration was made by a sponsored group of criminals with primary intent to steal property, suppress the legitimate grievances of other groups and their inherent right to self-determination.
“The continued agitation of Igbo youths across the country is a by-product of persistent injustice and marginalization arising from bad leadership and unjust structure of the country’s polity,” it added.
Without mincing words, the group said that a Nigeria where equity was served was the only way to save the situation.
IWA said it “believes that the posture of the Northern youths is targeted towards suppressing all forms of opposition to the failed system.
“As a way of maintaining sanity in the system, IWA in its recommendation warned that Nigerians across the nation should exercise restraint at this point in time so as not to overheat the polity.”
IWA further advised the Federal government and the International Community to setup mechanism “to conduct referendum in each State and the various geopolitical zone of Nigeria for the people to decide how to be or not to be in Nigeria.”
IWA recommended that the government should “arrest the signatories to this threat and their supporters and put them on trial with immediate effect.”
It noted that some people may have been traumatized by this threat, calling on the government and the International community to setup plans and provide resources to deal with Igbo internally displaced people from the Northern Nigeria.
On its plans to save Igbo property in the North, IWA urged the government to work with Ohanaeze and Igbo groups in the North to help document Igbo properties.
It said, “IWA will register such ownership to the appropriate International Community agency for recollection/repatriation from Nigerian government at any time.
“There will be no more abandoned properties in Nigeria as we are in a new century.”
