Every year a reckless organisation that styles itself World Igbo Congress connives with irresponsible politicians of Igbo extraction to hold a jamboree in far away USA they call; annual convention. This year, their so called annual convention will is slated to hold from August 28 to September 02 at the Hyatt Regency Two City Hotel in Tampa, Florida.
Every year a reckless organisation that styles itself World Igbo Congress connives with irresponsible politicians of Igbo extraction to hold a jamboree in far away USA they call; annual convention. This year, their so called annual convention will is slated to hold from August 28 to September 02 at the Hyatt Regency Two City Hotel in Tampa, Florida.
Lined up as special guests are Governors Theodore Orji and Ikedi Ohakim of Abia and Imo states respectively amongst other undistinguished guests as reported by the Guardian newspaper online edition of August 25, 2008. The WIC lauds itself as championing Igbo causes. What Igbo cause are they championing in far away USA? What Igbo cause are they championing by dealing with Igbo politicians with questionable mandates? What Igbo causes are they championing by undermining the rule of law in Igboland? For Governors Theodore Orji and Ikedi Ohakim still have cases pending at Election tribunals questioning their mandates. What Igbo causes….?
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Anyway the so called WIC convention is just a scam, period. FBI and EFCC should be invited to scrutinise their books. A true champion of Igbo cause should hold its convention in Igboland and not far away USA. It should disassociate itself from politicians with questionable mandates. It makes economic and political sense to hold conventions periodically at Awka, Enugu, Owerri, Aba, Abakiliki, Umuahia, Onitsha, Port Harcourt, Asaba, Agbor, Ukpor and other Igbo cities. Economic sense, in that it is cheaper for Igbo indigenes to travel to these Igbo towns than to fly out to the USA. Economic sense, in that large turn out of delegates will have a beneficial multiplier effect on local businesses in the town hosting the convention – think about the local hotels, local eateries, beer parlours, etc.
The political advantages of hosting such a convention in Igboland are enormous; the whole Igboland will be able to see for themselves the achievement of the Igbo governors first hand and not the propaganda they dish out daily in the media. For Imo state, Igbo’s will see if Governor Ohakim’s Clean and Green Initiative is a reality or a ruse. They will see how clean and green or dirty and brown Owerri, Orlu, Okigwe and other Imo towns are. They will see the state of schools in Governor Ohakim’s Imo state (please visit Holy Ghost College, Owerri). They will see for themselves the state of hospitals, roads and other infrastructures in Ohakim’s Imo state. They will speak to the pensioners that Governor Ohakim has refused to pay their stipends whilst jetting off to Florida with their money and gauge their suffering. They will see for themselves whether Governor Ohakim is the real deal. These cannot be seen from far away Florida.
In Anambra state, Igbo’s will see for themselves whether Governor Obi’s Anambra Integrated Development Strategy (ANIDS) is real or a scam like Governor Ohakim’s Clean and Green Initiative. Igbo’s will see for themselves the state of schools in Governor Obi’s Anambra state. Igbo’s will be able to visit Governor Obi’s ANIDS funded hospitals and pass judgment on its success or failure based on first hand information and evidence on the ground. Igbo’s will be able to visit his stock exchange building and see if they can trade in stocks from there or whether the building is a white elephant.
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Igbo’s will see for themselves the sanitary situation in Onitsha, Awka and Nnewi. Igbo’s will see for themselves whether there are functional water supplies in the state. Igbo’s will see for themselves the real situation on the ground that cannot be seen from far away Florida. For Abia state, Igbo’s will be able to ask Governor Theodore Orji first hand if he was taken to Okija shrine. Igbo’s will be able to summon the High priest of Okija shrine and ask him first hand if he knows Theodore Orji and under what condition. It has been reported in the papers that Abia state is owing civil servants several months salary, an Umuahia based convention will give Igbo’s the opportunity to ascertain the truth first hand from the civil servants.
An Aba held convention will show Igbo’s first hand what Governor Orji has done, development-wise in Aba. These and all others cannot be ascertained from Florida. A convention held in Enugu or Abakiliki will highlight the development or lack of it in Enugu and Ebonyi states first hand by Igbo’s. These cannot be highlighted from far away Florida. For a convention held at Asaba, Igbo’s will be able to see for themselves first hand whether the cry of marginalization by our Delta state brothers and sisters are real and ask Delta state politicians of Igbo extraction where they stand. The same goes for a Port Harcourt based convention. Again these cannot be done from Florida.
From the above discourse, one can then see that hosting an Igbo convention locally, in Igboland, is where the true benefit lies and not some fraudulent jamboree somewhere in a hotel, in Florida attended by questionable politicians and characters and without their wives. The hosting of the so called World Igbo Congress annual convention in the USA is simply idiotic to say the least. US Embassy in Abuja and Lagos please do not issue visas to these charlatans that want to go to this irresponsible junket. Charity they see begins at home. Let them fix their home front first.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of SaharaReporters
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