News
2023: We Need All Nigerians To Win Presidency, Igbo Group Admits
Actualizing the Igbo presidency project would not be feasible without the support of other regional blocs, the World Igbo Summit Group, organizers of the world Igbo summit said, yesterday.
The group said it was reaching out to groups such as Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in the northern part of the country, the Afenifere in the South-West and the Niger Delta in the South-South region, amongst others, on how the South-East can produce the next president of the country in 2023 general election.
The Director-General of the group, Dr Ifedi Okwenna, made the disclosure at a press conference in Abuja.
He said that the meeting would hold during the 6th World Igbo Summit organized by the group, the Igbo Renaissance Centre of Gregory University, Uturu, Abia State, and the leaders of the Igbo collectives, holding today at the President Goodluck Jonathan Auditorium of the university.
He said: “Indeed, considering our current and determined quest for a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction, we should use this opportunity to show strong leadership in reshaping and resetting the nation and in removing all obstacles and unjust structures that enthrone injustice, inequity, lopsidedness and maladministration in Nigeria.
“This is the time our voice and demand for restructuring Nigeria and networking for our Presidential aspiration should be loudest.
“In appreciating the current challenges enumerated above and the urgency for Ndigbo to equally reset and exploit the opportunities therein, the 6th World Igbo Summit is being organized to harvest ideas and options going forward.
“The 6th World Igbo Summit shall have in attendance great sons and daughters of Ala-Igbo in the seven Igbo speaking states, Ndigbo in all parts of Nigeria and those in the Diaspora.
“It shall draw participation from Igbo leadership in Government, Politics, business, organized sector, captains of Industry, youths and women groups. Representatives of other Social Cultural groups such as PANDEF, Afenifere, World Yoruba Summit Group, Middle Belt Forum, Arewa Consultative Forum etc shall attend and deliver goodwill messages.
“If we tell you that we are not interested in the presidency of this country, then, we might not be telling you the truth. In all honesty, every man needs power because we have been out of power for a very long time although we may be divergent in the approach in most cases. World Igbo is a powerhouse and all we come there to do is to breed ideas…as a matter of fact, there will be an executive session where all the presidential Aspirants are going to meet and quietly discuss on the way forward. That is the first thing that will come before the conference itself starts.
“In most cases, we can’t bring all other together if we are playing individualistic politics but all of them have agreed to come to form a roadmap. Nobody is out there to fight anybody. What we need is how do we engage Nigerians. We have come to realize that the Igbo nation cannot be President on itself. We need other people. That’s part of the discussion. Thanks that’s why we have other cultural groups attending to this year’s edition.
“All we need is the intellectual power, better ideas, the strategy to relate with the Niger Delta, our brothers in the south-west, the area groups because we know basically that we can’t go and fight for the presidency, boxing Nigerians to give us president. We definitely have to work and network with them than benefit.
“We as Igbo must understand that for us to do it irrespective of the party you belong, everybody go your party fighting because, at the end of the day, no cultural groups give you a ticket. It is the party that will give you the ticket to contest the election. It is only when we at our respective parties that we can now say we are ready for it. So, I think, basically, this is part of the reason why we are meeting. We are removing our personal interest, come to the table and look at the pathway.”
Okwenna further revealed that the summit will witness the unveiling of a research document on how the Igbo will realize their presidential ambition.
“As a matter, there is research already done on the best way to achieve Nigeria’s presidency of Igbo extraction.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.