AFRICANTIGER

Strategic Development Agenda for the Igbo Nation

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MISSION STATEMENTThe Igbo Council of Europe (ICE) is an advocacy and consultancy groupwith a powerful vision to herald the great Igbo renaissance built aroundthe principle of fraternity, equality, progress and purposeful leadership, acrucial turning point in the quest for a glorious new dawn in modern daydevelopment of the Igbo nation.

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FOREWARD

To begin, I want to thank my good friend and colleague George C.E.Enyoazu for introducing me to the cause of the Igbo people with all theassociated politics and history. I have participated in discussions on theIgbo plight and experienced the overwhelming desire of Igbo people livinghere in Ireland for a secure and sustainable future for their nation. The on-going effort to develop Igboland is testimony to that deep belief in everyIgbo man or woman that the Igbo have the capability to contributepositively in no little measure to global peace and harmony.

The commitment of those Igbo I have come to know, to advancement,despite the terrible sufferings endured during the Biafran-Nigerian War, hasbeen so impressive and inspiring. I experienced that commitment topeaceful transformation in many ways through my interaction with some ofthe Igbo Diaspora in Ireland, wishing to bear witness to their vision for aprogressive homeland grounded on an industrial-economy as a hallmarkfor foreign direct investment.

This booklet explores and explains the roots of Igbo identity and in daringbrushstrokes outlines how the future might be when vision is translatedinto reality.

It is my honour, as an Irish public representative from a party with its rootsin the peace movement, to have contributed with these few words to whatis a seminal statement of hope and intent by Igbo men and women abroad.

Cllr. Mark DeareyGreen PartyLouth County CouncilDundalk Town CouncilIreland.September 2009.

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CONTENTS PAGE

SECTION 17 NDI IGBO, Who we are8 Map of Igboland

10 Igbo in Nigeria’s first republic

SECTION 214 Introduction to the African Tiger Strategic

Development Agenda17 Broad outlines of strategies for industrial development20 Urbanising mini cities and satellite towns22 Build, sell and recycle25 Strategies for employment generation27 Roads and infrastructure in the South East32 Security 35 Conclusion to the strategic agenda

SECTION 336 Igbo language and culture40 Resources

All rights are reserved by the Igbo Council of Europe. Copyright © 2009

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THE EXECUTIVE MEMBERS OF IGBO COUNCIL OF EUROPE - ICE

George Chigbonkpa Ezekwesiri Enyoazu, President-General

Lawrence Chinedu Nwobu, Secretary-General

Echezona Ifeanyichukwu Chidume, Director of Legal Affairs

Arinze Chris Onuorah, Director of Media & Public Relations

Frank Uche Attoh, Director of Financial Affairs

Innocent Chuks Madu, Director of Protocols

Valentine Amanchukwu Obidegwu, Director of Cultural Affairs

Peter N. Ezenwaka, Special Adviser

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NDI IGBO - WHO WE AREThe Igbo people of West Africa have their ancestral home in present daySouthern Nigeria. Igboland is divided into two unequal halves by the RiverNiger. The larger half falls within Eastern Nigeria, while the smaller part is inWestern Nigeria. Presently the Igbo States in the Nigerian polity arecomprised of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo, parts of Delta,Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River and Kogi States[1]. TheIgbo people however sojourn in almost all the countries of the world, ins e a rch of greener pastures. Thus, they have become rovers whosefootprints are solidly entrenched in all enviable professions and endeavourssuch as business, education, politics and administration, science andtechnology, religion, arts and entertainment, sports, and other sectors.

NriIgboland is awash with myths ofcreation. But the Nri myth hasgained greater pro m i n e n c e ,a c c o rding to Chigere (2001),precipitating vast scholarly interests.He records that Nri has come torepresent, not only a sacred placeamong the Igbo people. It plays therole of the Kingmaker, with “thegeneral privilege of conferring royaland priestly titles and givingrequisite ornaments to chiefsthroughout” a large part of Igboland.Also Chigere notes that Nri hascome to imply culture in Igboland: alot of towns claim ancestry to Nri,and it’s prestigious to do so (Chigere2001 p. 23). It’s a remarkable truththat Nri wields both spiritual and

political influence in Igboland today.However, Nri gives a very clear

indication of what an ideal Igbosociety is (and should be) – sacred,industrious, organized, choosing itsown leaders with a mandate to dothings for their community. Just asNri signifies Igbo culture, everycommunity in Igboland is anembodiment of that culture of thepeople. Every community isi n t e rconnected with othercommunities. And there’s a sense ofpride associated with excellence. Infact, progress wins a lot of friends.When it happens, people from farand near shall show interest instudying the entity and itsachievement.

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MAP OF IGBO LAND

For a detailed map of Igboland please go to :Ihttp://igbology.igbonet.net/docs/igboworld/detailedmap.html

Igbo UkwuThe bronze and other associatedarchaeological finds in Igbo Ukwutown prove that Igbo civilization wasone of the earliest in the We s tAfrican rainforest area. Dated over1000 years ago, Connah (2004)acclaims the high level of skill,brilliance, uniqueness andtechnological sophistication of thefinds, and wonders how the Igbo gotinvolved with such a complexv e n t u re at such an early date(Connah 2004 p. 116). But latter dayingenuity of the Igbo people inscience and technology would onlyconfound those who marvel at IgboUkwu discoveries carbon-dated tobe over 1000 years.

In fact, the Igbo Ukwu finds couldbe described as a foretaste of theIgbo and Biafran feats in indigenoustechnology. It’s a fact that most ofthe Biafran scientists are of Igboorigin. At the height of the war,Biafran scientists single-handedlyput their brains to work, whiche n g e n d e red enviable inventions,such as the dreaded Ogbunigwe(mass killer or destroyer) and oilrefineries. Ukaegbu (2005) lists otherexploits of the Biafran scientists,including: production of grenadeand rocket casings, mortar shells,bullets, armoured cars, building ofa i r p o rts, refining and mass-p roduction of salt, production of

alcoholic drinks, soaps and otherconsumables which cushioned theeffects of the blockade. Above all,he emphasizes the superborganising structure of the BiafranR e s e a rch and Production Board ,and the teamwork, efficiency andcommitment of all its personnel(Ukaegbu 2005).

Nevertheless, since after the war,some Igbo scientists andprofessionals have proven that theIgbo can contribute to thetechnological advancement of theworld, amongst other things.Examples of such are: EzekielIzuogu (scientist and inventor of thefirst indigenous African automobiletechnology, the Z-600), Augustine

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I t ’s noteworthy that the war- e r afeats were achieved due to theassemblage of qualified people whorose up to the challenge of the time.They had the vision, they loved theirland, and they worked patiently as ateam and made a visible difference.Today, their work is rememberedand written about. Whilecommenting on the war- t i m eachievements, Madiebo (1980)states that the Biafran Researc hand Production Board consideredno problem impossible to solve(Madiebo 1980 p.114). That is theindomitable spirit of the Igbo!

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Njoku-Obi (developer of CholeraVaccine), Damian Anyanwu (Inventor),Philip Emeagwali (Americancomputer scientist andmathematician), Augustine Esogbue(NASA scientist), Peter Nwangwu(Famous pharmacology re s e a rc hscientist), Bartholomew Nnaji(Robotics scientist), Cyprian EmekaUzoh (Father of Modern ChipI n terconnection Technologies, Wo r l d -class scientist and prolific inventorholding over 100 US patents), etc. etc( S o u rce: Nation Master).

One noticeable dilemma is that Igboscientists and inventors in Nigeriahave never been encouraged to thrive.R a t h e r, countless impediments areplaced on their wheel of pro g ress ino rder to scuttle their eff o rts and ru i ntheir chances of emerging ascontributors to societal development.For instance, the moulds for theengine blocks, the engine blocks,mud guards, crankshafts of DrI z u o g u ’s proto-type, a hard work ofmany years were removed in asuspicious scenario on March 11th2006 (Daily Sun, 10 Apr 2006). Thisincident had the semblance of amotive that was more sinister thanro b b e ry.

C o n v e r s e l y, the Igbo scientistsoverseas have operated on fert i l e ,friendly and enabling enviro n m e n t ;hence they have lived up to theircalling. What an iro n y !

Igbo in Nigeria’s FirstR e p u b l i cDuring the First Republic, the Igbonation made an enviable pro g ress inqualitative and coherent leadership,o rganisational cohesion, fiscal andindustrial development, planning,superb educational system, goodg o v e rnance, integrity in politicalo ffice, and so forth. In fact, this solidfoundation was laid before theinception of the First Republic,c o u rtesy of the Ibo State Union andleaders of thought. Notably,g o v e rnment initiatives adequatelyencouraged farming and other alliedp roduce for food and export. Thus,items such as rice, yam, cassava,cocoyam, vegetables, palm pro d u c eand cashew nuts were readily ando rdinarily the mainstay of thee c o n o m y. It was essentially on thesethat Eastern Nigerian economythrived and expanded to become thel a rgest growing economy. TheE a s t e rn Nigerian government had aclear vision which was pro g re s s i v e ,and complementary to the notion ofthe Ibo State Union. As a result, theE a s t e rn Nigerian DevelopmentCorporation (ENDC) w a sestablished, which became a toolt h rough which series of developmentp rojects emerged, including:University of Nigeria Nsukka, AbaTextile Mills, Shoe Industry Owerri,

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Nigercem Nkalagu, Enamel PlateI n d u s t ry Umuahia, Golden GuineaBrewery Umuahia, Obudu CattleRanch, Glass Company PortH a rc o u rt, Ulonna Farm Settlement,Niger Steel Company Emene, AfricanContinental Bank (ACB), HotelP residential Enugu and Port Harc o u rt ,Co-operative Bank of Eastern NigeriaLtd (Co-operative and CommerceBank). The following lines fromNkemjika (2008) explain themotivation behind the industrializationof Alaigbo and Eastern Nigeria:

“ These were the enterprises thatengaged secondary school leavers,graduates of technical colleges,polytechnics and universities inp roductive activities. As a result of thatdevelopmental effort, EasternNigerians had no need to migrate intheir numbers to Lagos, Ibadan, Kano,etc, for employment opport u n i t i e s(Nkemjika 2008). ”

Nkemjika also emphasizes thatthese and many other developmentalstrides were achieved within a tenyear period 1957-1967 (Nkemjika2008). Another time an Igbo-ledg o v ernm e n t set out to accomplish forthe Igbo was under the Sam Mbakweadministration when rapid eff o rt wasg e a red towards the industrialization ofIgboland amongst others.

It beats one’s imagination how inIgbo States in recent memory, someindividuals had had the privilege ofoccupying the government housesfor eight years stretch as governorswithout any substantive legacy –i n f r a s t ru c t u r a l l y, industrially ortransparency-wise. In many cases,they left the Igbo States in worsesituations compared to when theytook over the reins of power. As itstands, Igboland degenerates into asteady decline with our youths everexiting the land in search of betterprospects in other parts of Nigeriaand the outside world. This massexodus denies Igboland aspects ofthe necessary manpower. Where arethe jobs that will entice our youths tostay and build Igboland? How canwe build the Igbo nation if a sectionof the youths in Igboland is restive,indulge in vices, such as robberyand kidnapping?

Unless the trend is checked,Igboland will continue to suff e rmarginalization. When Igbo peoplein exalted positions fail to putIgboland on the road map top ro g ress, the wishes of ourdetractors would be served. Then itbecomes obvious that our ownpeople are the instruments ofmarginalization policy against us.

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I ro n i c a l l y, while Igboland isdeprived, Igbo businessmen andwomen have their businessesconcentrated in other parts ofNigeria, thereby causing rapiddevelopment of those non-Igboareas. Still, the success of the Igbobusiness people in other parts ofNigeria, especially in Nort h e rnNigeria has caused a backlashagainst them – hatred, constantkilling and looting (destruction) oftheir businesses. This has becomean unending cycle that denies theIgbo people in those hostile areas

security of lives and properties, theability to consolidate and enjoy theirprosperity. Above all, the homelandis underdeveloped: beaconing on allsons and daughters to return home.The task that must be done is tobuild Igboland into an economy thatwill meet the demands of today.

Compared to the consolidatedprogress made by the Igbo between1957 and 1967, the question one v e ry o n e ’s lips: are the Igbo oftoday in decline?

The Igbo as the PhoenixThe time has come for us to ponder, come to self-appraisal and rediscoverwhere we missed it. The Igbo must rise to take their collective place in theworld. The Igbo have come a long way, ours is an ancient civilization whichmust not be eclipsed for eternity. We have what it takes to create one of theworld’s economic miracles – The African Tiger! Although we have knowntrouble, trials and persecution, but we can only be stronger. Nations thatdefy their odds are the ones that eventually celebrate real greatness. Justlike the mythical Phoenix, we must rise from the ashes!! The time is now; ifwe must have a place those future generations would be proud to callhome. As one of Africa’s single largest ethnic groups, projected at 40 millionpeople, we shall prevail. Let’s rise above all barriers, eschew all bitterness,divisions and individualism. Ngwa nu industrious and innovative people, wehave a date with destiny!!! And the God of Heaven will prosper us in ourquest to build Igboland.

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African Tiger: Strategic DevelopmentAgenda for the Igbo Nation F rench philosopher Frantz Fanon (1925-1961) once said that “ e a c hgeneration must out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfil itor betray it.” Like Fanon said, the greatest mission that beckons the Igboof the present generation remains the rapid development of their nativelands by any means necessary. It is a divine mission that stands in greatneed of fulfilment. Therefore in furtherance of those objectives, the IgboCouncil of Europe on the 30th of November 2007 constituted a work-groupto understudy the present-day social, political, and economic malaisebedevilling the Igbo nation with a view to proffering practical, commonsense solutions. It is thus, with great faith in God that we present theseobservations and recommendations in what we hope would incite theneeded paradigm shift that would engender the exploitation andmaximisation of the abundant human and material resources in aggressiveindustrialisation and modernisation of Igboland.

Since the cessation of hostilitiesand particularly in the last decade,many have become incre a s i n g l ya l a rmed at the incre a s i n g l ydwindling fortunes of the Igbo in allfacets of national life. The Nigerianstate has remained unrelenting inthe deprivation and marginalizationof the Igbo, and many amongst theIgbo have themselves becomewilling tools in helping to advanceand actualise the agenda ofsubjugation by the Nigerian state.

The consequence is that a newcult of disunited, and mendicantIgbo political class who have nosense of history has been foisted onthe Igbo public by outside forces,

desirous of perpetually arresting thedevelopment of the Igbo nation. Asa direct consequence, no unifiedstrategic plan for the developmentand advancement of the Igbo nationexists and schemes to creativelyexploit the abundant humanresources within the Igbo nation thathas served to develop places faraway from Igbo land is yet to beinitiated.

The federal government haslocked the East out of every criticali n f r a s t ru c t u re that could havehelped in maximising the abundantpotentials that exist in the are a ,create millions of jobs and stem

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migration. It has therefore becomei n c reasingly urgent that the Igboundertake certain extraordinary selfhelp measures to create anindustrial capacity in the East thatcan aid her self sufficiency.

The Nigerian state has, owing tothe excesses of successive leaderscontinued to fail, but the Igbo neednot fail along with Nigeria. It ispossible with a little bit of vision andleadership to create an oasis ofprosperity in a desert of despair.Progress has many friends, whilefailure is an orphan. Once we beginto take the giant strides ofdevelopment, we will compel therespect of both our friends andenemies. Ours has been a tragichistory, which makes it all the moreurgent to create a capacity for selfsufficiency in the East. As a distinctpeople who constitute one of thet h ree single largest black Africancultures and ethnic groups we standchallenged to succeed. Our destinyand future is in our own hands.

It is thus as a response to theplight of the Igbo nation that theIgbo Council of Europe has decidedto intervene at this great historicaljuncture to seek to provide ideasand solutions for the construction ofa cohesive and mega-prosperousIgbo nation. We also stand ready topartner in the mobilisation of themillions of Igbo in the Diaspora who

constitute a core and strategic armof the Igbo nation that can play acritical role in fund raising, provisionof expertise and skilled manpower inthe economic development plan.

Singapore,Taiwan asModels of DevelopmentPhilosophers have long proclaimedthat “once there is the will, there is away.” Mankind has come a long wayin developing the wonders thatsurround us today through sheerw i l l p o w e r. From electricity,automobiles, jet aircraft, ships,submarines, even footprints on themoon. Through willpower, sweatand toil man has truly taken greatstrides and accomplished gre a tthings.

Nations such as Singapore andTaiwan provide a great inspirationfor the Igbo nation. Singaporegained independence in 1965, anation of just 693 sq km, less thanone fifth of Anambra State, with apopulation just under 5 millionpeople. Lacking any naturalresources, and in spite of a severelylimited landmass, she hasdemonstrated the possibilitiesembedded in the human spirit andthe positive virtues of discipline,willpower and leadership toovercome overwhelming odds andcreate an economy that has becomeone of the richest in the world.

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Singapore presently hosts some ofthe best universities, re s e a rc hinstitutes, and has one of the bestinfrastructure and national airlines inthe world.

Taiwan presents a model ofdevelopment that should likewisei n s p i re the Igbo developmentproject. Incidentally about the samesize as the present day Southeastzone, with a population just short of30 million, she has risen throughindigenous technology that initiallyproduced substandard products tobecome one of the fore m o s tp roducers of goods, there b yc reating one of the richesteconomies in the world.

Singapore and Taiwan are nationswhose successful developmentmodels re p resent a nexus thatshowcases the possibilities that canbe unleashed when humanre s o u rces and other extantpotentials are well harnessed. As wehighlight the practical benchmarksand other projects necessary tobegin this development initiative, itis important that the Igbo strive togravitate their dreams andaspirations towards the loftiermagnetic pull of peoples andnations like Singapore, Taiwan etcwhich has proven that progressive

societies can be built through simpleo rganisation, planning andexecution.

Finally, in contemplating the wayforward for the Igbo nation, we havechosen to be more of realists inproviding a vision for the economic,political and cultural development ofIgbo land. The Bible rightlyacknowledges in Proverbs 29: verse18 that “a people without a visionperish.” It is our fervent hope thatthis vision that we put forw a rd ,though not perfect, will provide thef u l c rum and synergy that willunleash the abundant yet untappedhuman and material resources in ournative land to herald a mega-prosperous Igbo region.

We believe that Igbo land shouldbe for the Igbo what Israel is for theJews, we also believe that as y n e rgic accumulation andconcentration of Igbo enterprise,industry and creativity in Igbo landcan help us achieve this strategicdevelopment agenda for the Igbonation that can help us build asociety comparable or evensurpassing Singapore or Ta i w a n .The Igbo Council of Europe workg roup hereby present thesep roposals that will hopefullyunshackle the Igbo nation intofulfilling her destiny.

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B road Outlines of Strategies for IndustrialDevelopment Dedicated Cluster Industrial Parks:

The concept of dedicated cluster Industrial parks is a cost effective way ofattracting businesses to take advantage of the various incentives usuallyinherent in such arrangements. It is widely used around the world, and hasthe advantage of concentrating industries and small scale enterprises in asingle area, thereby making it easier to benefit from packaged incentivesand other multiplier advantages. Setting up industrial parks is usually quitepractical and cheap; all that needs to be done is highlighted as follows:

The provision of land, constru c t i o nof feeder roads, construction ofindustrial units and warehouses,p rovision of incentives like i.e. taxwaivers, free land, and construction ofa dedicated power plant to uniquelys e rvice the industrial area or areas atsubsidised rates amongst otherpossible incentives. Power generationremains a major challenge facing thedevelopment of an industrial base,

h o w e v e r, the construction of a clusterindustrial park gives an opportunity too v e rcome the power challenge bybuilding and integrating a power plantsolely for the industrial park that mightutilise solar energ y, wind energ y, coalor other sources of energy to pro v i d eregular uninterrupted power supplyto the industrial parks at costeffective rates.

Artist impression of a Cluster Industrial Park

Massive dedicated clusterIndustrial parks should be set up in the3 senatorial zones of every state in theSouth East and in major urbanc e n t res. Types of industries shouldtake into consideration the areasw h e re the various towns, cities orstates have comparative advantages.W h e reas Orlu axis for example haslong been known for Pharm a c e u t i c a lproducts, industries related top h a rmaceuticals can naturally be setup in Orlu. Ebonyi State beingnaturally endowed in agriculturalproduction will likewise attract aconcentration of agro-allied industries.The strategy of locating industries ina reas of comparative advantage willhelp in maximising pro d u c t i v i t y.

The mass establishment ands u p p o rt of small scale enterprisesremains the greatest area of potentialgrowth and job creation in theimmediate short term. Many of suchsmall scale industries already exist inunplanned and sometimes squalide n v i ronments in major urban centre ssuch as Aba, Onitsha, and Nnewiamongst others. Soft goods such asshoes, handbags, clothings,sunglasses etc are already pro d u c e din these areas. Because of lack ofg o v e rnment aid and support, lack ofenabling environment, lack ofinfrastructure and difficulties inacquiring equipment such as

industrial sewing machines,p roductivity and quality of goods arelow and lack standardization.T h e re f o re, new small scale enterprisesshould be established in thedesignated industrial parks andalready existing small scaleenterprises operating in squalide n v i ronments should be relocated tothe newly created well plannedindustrial parks to enable them benefitf rom advantages and incentives thatwi l l a id productivity, rapidindustrialisation and generation ofemployment. It is possible to achievea target of upwards of two millionsmall scale enterprises in the shortand long term engaged in thep roduction of all kinds of soft and hardgoods for export and local marketspotentially generating up to ten millionjobs.

Provision of aid through thec reation of a targeted “enterpriseloans scheme,” that will providefunding for small scale enterprises,and the establishment of an“equipment pro c u rement and leasinga g e n c y,” by the region or variousstates. This agency will purc h a s eequipment such as industrial sewingmachines and other critical equipmentfor leasing to some of the operators ofsmall scale enterprises who cannota ff o rd such equipment.

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Establishment of a “qualitycontrol agency” with the specificagenda to aid the standardizationand enhancement of the productionof soft and hard goods i.e. softgoods: shoes, toys, textiles, bagsetc, hard goods: mechanical parts,computer chips etc. Standardizationand quality control will make thegoods more acceptable for theexport market.

Establishment of free tradezones, export processing zones anda South East chamber of commerce.The chamber of commerce shouldhave a website which would scoutfor foreign investors, by highlightingand promoting potentials in solidminerals, agriculture andmanufacturing amongst others inthe south East re g i o n .

Expansion and modern i s a t i o n -regeneration of the Onitsha and AbaI n t e rnational Markets and theEstablishment of more internationalmarkets in other suitable locations.

C o n s t ruction of an ambitiousindustrial and tourist resort in OgutaLake which will be a haven forinvestors and tourists.

The Nigerian film industry wasrecently classified the 2nd largest inthe world. It is an industry that has alot of potential for the creation ofemployment and generation ofre s o u rces. A film village withmodern studios should be created inEnugu that will maximise thepotentials of the film industry in thearea.

A major plank of theindustrialisation agenda mustconcentrate on making the alreadyexisting entre p reneurial base anational asset by helping theindividual producers in Aba andNnewi particularly who had hithertooperated in very crude challenginge n v ironments to incre a s ep roductivity and standardize theirgoods towards intern a t i o n a l l yacceptable qualities in preparationfor a potentially massive exportindustry that can put the Southeastin the same league as Taiwan,and Singapore.

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Urbanisation, Mini cities and Skyscraper satellite towns: Planning and Regeneration ofSoutheast Cities

The concept of skyscraper or condominium satellite towns was mooted asa strategy of land management that can suck in a huge population in arelatively small area. Through this mechanism, the suburbs of the cities willbe highly beneficial, as people who live in those areas would not have anyneed to move to the cities. This strategy is already well employed in Asia,North America and other parts of the world where high-rise buildings arecommon. To a large extent, the Southeast has traditionally been familiar withhigh-rise buildings that are usually limited to five or six storeys. Thus, theconcept would only go further by introducing high-rise buildings upwards often storeys and beyond. Under this concept, the Eastern states should zoneat least 50% of property development to Skyscrapers in well planned selfsufficient complexes. Such settlements will be self sufficient, as theprovision of security, pipe borne water, electricity and other facilities will beguaranteed by the service charges to be contributed by all the residents ofthe complex.

Artist impression of a satellite town with rail-way link

Building a new city is a win-win costeffective and profitable venture. Theproperty or housing sector is one ofthe core areas of job creation andgrowth in most economies. Thereare several options which can beexploited in constructing such newcities.

A state governor can create theinitiative with some incentives andinvite private investors to invest inthe development of the complex. Bybuilding and selling, the investorswill make a profit and recycle theirinitial capital into constructing a newcomplex, this recycling process willin no time result in the developmentof a whole new sizable modern citywith much profit to the investors.

A l t e rn a t i v e l y, the state canearmark funds and invest directly inconstructing the settlements by alsoapplying the same principle of build,sell and recycle, which will in no timesee to the development of a moderncity. This has the added advantageof generating revenue for the statethrough profits from the sale of thep ro p e rties in the short term andthrough property taxes in the longterm.

Regeneration of unplanned citiesin general is also critical in order tobegin the journey to join theadvanced and civilised world.Efforts should henceforth be madeto have at least the minimum planning or master plan for everylarge town and city in the East thatwill provide a blueprint for organiseddevelopment. Already existing largecities like Onitsha, Aba etc shouldhave a master plan for theirregeneration and modern i s a t i o nrapidly implemented. Unavoidably,many existing structures in alreadybuilt up cities like Onitsha and Abawill have to be destroyed in order tocreate befitting cities that host largeand expanding intern a t i o n a lmarkets. Regeneration will includeexpansion and dualisation of roadsand construction of new roads andbridges, development of ultram o d e rn central business districts(CDB), that will host banks andother business services, planting ofroadside trees, development ofm o d e rn high-rise (condominium)housing estates, creation of greenparks. Better standards of wastedisposal, which includes recycling,incineration, and general wastedisposal in dedicated land fill sites,should also be enhanced to ensureclean and healthy environments.

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Build, Sell, and Recycle: Constructing a Regional Capital

F rom the beginning of time, every distinct people or nation have had a capitalw h e re their culture, economy, politics and social networks are anchored.

It is therefore urgent and necessarythat the Igbo create a functional citycapable of sucking in a hugepopulation, and creating jobs andopportunities. A research of othermajor cities revealed intere s t i n gpossibilities. Mumbai in India with alandmass of just 468 sq km has apopulation in excess of 12 million,while Delhi with a landmass of 1,484sq km has a population in excess of15.9 million people. The researchfindings demonstrate that theSoutheast can create a re g i o n a lcapital with a population in excessof 15-20 million in a landmass of just

1000 sq km. Interestingly, the Igboare the only major ethnic group thatlacks a major and befitting capitalc i t y, while they have iro n i c a l l ycontributed in building otherNigerian cities.

A regional mega-city and capitalhas the advantage of concentratingsubstantial economic resources inthe East, creating more security forthe Igbo by reducing migration toother areas where they couldbecome victims of ethno-religiousconflicts, and a substantiali m p rovement in populationdemographics as many who had

Artist impression of a Regional Capital

migrated and helped to augmentthe population of areas outside thesoutheast, will now be primarilydomiciled in the East with all thepolitical advantages which hadh i t h e rto accrued to other are a swhere they had domiciled.

In 1939 Enugu was named thefirst ever capital of the Easternprovinces which endured until 1951.It became the capital of the Easternregion between 1951 and 1967when it became the capital of thethen Biafra. At the end of the war,Enugu became the capital of theEast Central State. Following furtherstate creation, it became the capitalof the old Anambra State andsubsequently Enugu state. Enuguhas thus been historically bestowedwith the destiny as a capital of theEast which is yet to be fulfilled. Theregional capital project is therefore aplan to create a mega-city andregional capital for the Southeast inEnugu. The project will involve anambitious regeneration of significantp a rts of the city and thec o n s t ruction of new plannedcomplexes.

Build, sell and recycle, is a conceptthat simplifies the relative ease, andcost effectiveness with which awhole new modern city can be built.As the name indicates, all it involves

is to source the initial capital, buildthe modern housing complexes, sellthem with a modest profit, recyclethe initial capital and build anotherset of housing complexes. Usingthis simple method, a whole newwell planned city can be built in as h o rt time at a profit to all thestakeholders. It is a win-winsituation which will enrich the statein the short and long-term.

The existing six regions presentan opportunity for the people of theSoutheast to construct a regionalcapital that will be the seat of policyand decision making for the regionand where they can, to a larg eextent, concentrate developmentinitiatives to nurture and create ap roud and befitting mega-citycapital. The following highlights willindicate practical steps that arerequired to rapidly create a befittingcapital city for the South East:

A master plan of a scenic citylined with trees should be drawn upby qualified architects with majorroads, flyovers, city ring ro a d ,central business district (CBD); welldeveloped housing complexes,industrial parks, green parks etc. Atleast 50% of land planned forresidential pro p e rties should bezoned for “high-rise complexes instructured estates”.

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Creation of a South East CapitalDevelopment Board in partnershipwith private investors, with eachstate of the 5 states and the IgboDiaspora under a Diaspora solidaritydevelopment fund contributing to itsannual development budget.

Major roads in the regionalmega-city and encircling ring roadcan be constructed in a coste ffective way under the publicprivate partnership scheme. Thering road will link all the major axisgoing into and coming out of thecity centre in a circle with one half inthe North side and the other half inthe Southside. An interconnectingtollgate between the north side andSouthside should be installed by thepublic private partnership scheme torecoup their investments.

Rail link or tram way should beconstructed in the long term withinthe regional capital city under a wellplanned urban transport scheme inpartnership with the private sector.

Regional mega-city should havean imposing gate on approachingthe outskirts which should compriseof large edifices with arc h e s ,statues, a fountain and an electronicsignpost which would read adesignated welcome message.

Well developed housing estatesby both public and private investorsshould be conceptualised andc reated. Such luxury homes andapartments in well planned estatesshould be sold at a profit, and thecapital recycled to begin anotherhousing development. This recyclingchain of property development willcreate a construction boom, whichwill in turn create thousands of jobs.

Some of the profits from the saleof luxury homes by publicdevelopers should also be recycledto build low-cost housing or towncouncil houses for the poor, low-income earners, and displacedpersons, while still retaining andinvesting the initial capital in theconstruction of luxury homes andapartments for the affluent. Privatedevelopers given land at subsidisedrates should dedicate at least 5% ofhouses or apartments in any givenestate to town council houses forlow-income earners. In this way,profits or gains from the rich will becontinuously recycled to buildhouses for the poor.

Creation and development of al u x u ry Diaspora Village and acomplex in the mould of ‘BeverlyHills’ targeted at film stars, footballstars and other celebrities.

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Tree Planting and theEnvironment:Tree planting is a very cheap andpracticable way of creating andpreserving a beautiful and healthye n v i ronment. Trees should beplanted in all the major towns andcities in the South East. It haso v e rwhelming benefits whichinclude beautification of the givenareas and erosion control amongstothers.

Strategies for employmentgeneration:Various practical strategies forcreation of employment can beemployed as listed below.

Small scale enterprises remainthe core area of employmentgeneration. The creation therefore ofdedicated industrial parks withinwhich small scale enterprises will beclustered and its attendant multipliereffects will potentially create millionsof jobs.

The construction industry is amajor area of growth and generationof employment. Any major drive inconstruction of housing, roads andother general infrastru c t u re willgenerate jobs.

The concept of direct labouremployed during America’s gre a t

depression, could be used in theSouth East to mobilize andintermittently employ jobless youthsat a much cheaper rate to digdrainages, pave streets, plant trees,flowers, general construction, etc.

There is currently a severes h o rtage of artisans. Vo c a t i o n a ltraining centres or workshops whichcould fill the void should be set-up inthe three senatorial zones of everyState in the South East re g i o n .These skills acquisition initiative willenable jobless youths train in areassuch as tiling, tailoring, hairdressing,welding and mechanical works,plumbing, carpentry and woodworks, bricklaying, bus-tru c kdriving, etc. On completion of theirtraining, successful trainees shouldreceive sizable grants to help themset-up their businesses. Thisscheme is a well acknowledgedmodel for creating employmentaround the world.

Many job seekers are not awareof the availability of jobs because ofan absence of any central point tocommunicate such vacancies. Jobcentres should therefore be set up inthe immediate short term in thestate capital of every state in theSouth East on a pilot basis,eventually spreading to other majordesignated towns in each state.

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Employers in every state should bemandated to notify the job centresof any vacancies. This contact pointby potential employers andemployees will facilitate access tojobs by jobseekers. The job centreswill also provide some technical aidto jobseekers such as preparation ofcurriculum vitae’s, assessment andplacement of potential candidatesfor vocational training programs.

Night Economy andTourism:Night economies and tourismgenerate a substantial amount ofemployment and income. It isestimated that night economiesgenerate upwards of half of the totalnumber of employees who functionduring the day, while tourism alsogenerates a significant amount ofemployment. The need to cre a t eemployment and divest from adependence on earnings fro m

mineral resources towards a moresustainable tax economy has madeit increasingly necessary for theSouth East to create an enablinge n v i ronment for night economiesand tourism to thrive.

Wealth Creation:South East Lottery: The greater the wealth amongst thecitizenry the more there is socialpeace. The lottery is a viable meansof creating wealth amongst thepopulace, and can also serve as anadded means of generatingresources for the government. ASouth East lottery could be createdwhich would run fortnightly or asdesignated. Participants would buytickets and would be eligible to wincash prizes including a bonus prize.Winnings from the lottery have thepotential of creating newm i l l i o n a i res every fortnight or asdesignated.

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Roads and Infrastructure in the South East:

Due to almost four decades of post-war infrastructural and politicalmarginalisation, critical infrastructure hardly exists in the South East. It hastherefore become urgent for the region to develop alternative means offundraising for constructing and upgrading infrastructure. High profileinfrastructures to be constructed and or upgraded are listed below.

A South East road link orsuperhighway of at least 6 laneslinking all major towns and cities inthe South East through a circularring could be constructed throughdirect funding or constructed underthe public private part n e r s h i pproject with tollgates as part of themodernisation of south East roadsand infrastructure.

Two ultra-modern internationalairports, comprising of substantialc a rgo terminals in Owerri and

Artist impression of an International Airport and a five star hotel

Artist impression of a regional highwaynetwork

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Passenger terminals in Enugu withadjoining five star airport hotels.

Construction of a 2nd and 3rdbridge across the Niger withtollgates

Obuaku City Project - opposite page.A city conceptualized to harness thepotential of a seaport at Azuminiand encourage international tradingbetween the Igbo and the outsideworld. The seaport could be

constructed cost-effectively through“Public Private Part n e r s h i p ” ( P P P )projects, while the city could be builtunder the “build, sell and recycle”scheme.

All city and allied projects, suchas the designated “Obuaku Cityp roject”, regional capital, andsatellite towns could come underthe “build, sell and recycle” scheme.

Artist impression of the twin cities of Onitsha-Asaba with an inland port.

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The Igbo projects shouldembrace the construction ofcommercial ports, such as OnitshaInland Port, Oguta Inland Port andR e s o rt Centre, Azumini Seaport(Obuaku City).

Regional Rail links in the shortand long-term linking other regionsto be constructed in p a rt n e r s h i pwith the private sector.

Fundraising: Diaspora SolidarityFund, Igbo Tithe and InvestmentCapital

Construction and upgrade ofi n f r a s t ru c t u re will re q u i re thesourcing of substantial amount offunds which can be utilised to

actualise such projects. One of thepotential methods of fundraisingidentified has the added advantageof serving as an important tool ofwealth creation and re d i s t r i b u t i o namongst the southeast population.The methods and options offundraising are listed below.

South East InvestmentCorporation: As the name suggests,this scheme involves the creation ofan investment corporation wherefunds will be raised by askinginterested parties to buy shares orbonds. The funds raised will then beused to construct highways with tollgates, build housing complexes inthe mini city (satellite town) projectsunder the build, sell and recycle

Artist impression of Obuaku City and seaport

scheme to be sold at a profit, buildi n t e rnational airports and hotelswith the accruing taxes andresources, build commercial portswith the accruing taxes. All theprojects listed are profit making, andshare holders or bond holders in theinvestment corporations areassessed and paid their annualdividends from profits made fromhighway toll gates, mini city buildand sell schemes, airport and hotelre s o u rces, port taxes, etc.S h a reholders can also sell theirshares whenever they so choose.This scheme has the addedadvantage of wealth creation andredistribution amongst the SouthEast populace.

Diaspora Solidarity FundThe large numbers of Igbo in theDiaspora could be well harnessed toplay a significant role in thedevelopment agenda by setting up aDiaspora solidarity or developmentfund. However this scheme can onlysucceed where the leaders have beenidentified as being genuinelycommitted to the Igbo project andw h e re a transparent management isset-up to manage the funds. Underthis scheme, specific projects to befunded should be well conceptualisedand advertised. Merchant accountsand bank accounts should be opened

in nations around the world where theIgbo could make periodic donationsto aid the funding of specific pro j e c t sunder a transparent management. TheMerchant accounts would aiddonations by credit or laser card sonline, while those who are notdisposed to the online service couldmake their donations in designatedbank accounts. Bank drafts and otherm o n e t a ry instruments could also besent to designated addresses. Given the large numbers of Igbo in theDiaspora, this scheme has thepotential of generating upwards of $2billion on an annual basis and couldbe organised along State lines or on aregional basis.

Igbo Ti t h eA Tithe is a concept from the Biblewhich mandates all to donate ap e rcentage of their earnings to theadvancement of the doctrine. In thesame vein, the Igbo tithe is a newconcept which mandates all Igbowithin and outside Nigeria to pay av o l u n t a ry periodic tithe to designateddevelopment funds for the rapiddevelopment of the South East. Underthis scheme, designated addre s s e sfor receipt of bank drafts and othermonetary instruments should beestablished and designated bankaccounts opened within Nigeria. In theDiaspora, merchant online accounts,

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designated bank accounts anddesignated addresses for receipt ofbank drafts and other monetaryi n s t ruments should be establishedw h e re such donations could be madefor specific projects under a re p u t a b l eand transparent management to bec reated.

For purposes of transpare n c y, allthose who make donations shouldreceive receipts, and the balances asre c o rded in the accounts should bepublished every quarter with aprecise detail of any ongoing projectbeing funded from the scheme.

Adaptation of Science and Technology:T h e re is the need to create a “South East Central Research andDevelopment Centre” which will adapt existing technologies and createnew ones for the servicing of industries, construction of machineries andproduction of goods. The research centre which can be set up initially ona pilot basis should include all practicable areas of research.

Strategies for Power Generation:Power generation continues to present a major challenge and remains animpediment to industrialisation. However, the South East can adopt aregional initiative which can substantially reduce the spectre of powershortages by setting up independent power plants in each of the SouthEast States. The power projects should be developed in accordance withexisting local resources for power generation. Enugu State for example,has an abundance of coal and could develop power plants based on coal.In Abia, Anambra and Imo States where there are crude oil resources, gaspowered plants could be built. Ebonyi State will likewise construct powerplants with available local resources. Hydro-power and Solar energyamongst others could also be harnessed. These initiatives would bring theSouth East close to self sufficiency in power generation.

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Intelligence Gathering andCreation of Vigilantegroups: In the absence of a state police, arobust and highly effective vigilanteforce in the mould of the erstwhile“Bakassi group” should be created.Criminals in every community areknown; there f o re a well fundedvigilante group drawn from the localcommunities will aid eff o rts inintelligence gathering, identificationand arrest of culprits. Elementsfrom amongst the offenders couldalso be peeled off and recruited astheir first hand knowledge wouldhelp in apprehending the culprits.

Creation of special Anti-Kidnap Squad:The state governments shouldpartner with the police and possibly

Security:Security remains an incentive and a crucial element in attracting local andforeign investors. Unfortunately, owing to the recent phenomenon ofkidnapping which began in the Niger-Delta and subsequently spread toother parts of the country, the South East is presently enmeshed in theworst security crisis in her entire history. It is a crisis whose destructiveeffects rival the civil-war. The long and short term implications of terroristactivities such as kidnapping and other vices which have led to substantialcapital flight from an already marginalized region cannot be quantified. Itis therefore a predicament that requires an absolute draconian response,with utmost determination in order to put an end to it. The South East mustdeclare total war on kidnapping and other vices, which can be won by acombination of strategies as listed below.

the armed forces in creating aspecial joint military-police anti-kidnap squad. The squad will be awell armed special outfit, dedicatedto the eradication of kidnapping andarmed robbery.

Mobile Phone Tracking:Kidnappers use mobile phones tocontact the families of kidnappedpersons for ransom, and have toreach an agreement with the familiesfor the collection of the ransom. TheSpecial anti-kidnap squad and othersecurity forces can work with thetelephone companies to identify thelocation of kidnappers calling tonegotiate for ransom by using theglobal positioning system technology(GPS) to track and identify thelocation of the kidnappers. Suchtracking methods would make it

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possible for the security forces tos u rround the location and appre h e n dthe kidnappers.

Point of Collection ofRansom:Kidnappers in reality are veryvulnerable, as they must physicallycollect the ransom, or have it paid intoan account. Sting operations by thesecurity forces should routinely targ e tand arrest kidnappers at the point ofcollection of ransom. An eff e c t i v eexploitation of this important link thatt a rgets kidnappers at the point ofcollection of ransom will remove av e ry important incentive and makekidnapping impossible.

Banning the payment ofRansom:Kidnapping is an opport u n i s t i ccrime that feeds and thrives on theability to collect ransoms, thereforethe States should partner with thefederal government to place ablanket ban on the payment ofransoms for any kidnapped person.This ban will remove the mosti m p o rtant incentive that hassustained the crime.

Creation of Special Courtsand Application of CapitalPunishment: To give teeth to the war onkidnapping, special courts shouldbe created to try such cases. Thespecial courts should speedilyadjudicate on kidnap cases. Kidnapcases for those directly involvedshould necessarily attract a deathsentence and there should be nopossibility of appeal in kidnapcases. Convicted persons shouldhave their sentences executed notlater than a month after thejudgement. This would send a clearmessage that there is zero tolerancefor the crime of kidnapping.

Seizure of Properties usedFor Kidnapping:Kidnappers need to hold theirvictims before a ransom is paid; theyt h e re f o re need to accommodatetheir victims while waiting for theransom. The State govern m e n t sshould pass a law that stipulates theconfiscation by the government ofany property used to hold kidnapvictims. This would have the effectof forcing landlords, hoteliers andother home owners to always verifythe occupants and visitors to theirrespective properties and reducingpotential hiding places forkidnappers.

Criminalization ofAccomplices:Anybody who is aware of akidnapper but fails to report to theauthorities even if not personallyinvolved in the Kidnap case wouldbe liable for prosecution and wouldpossibly face the maximumsentence. This same principle isapplied for military coups and wouldf o rce those who have anyknowledge of kidnappers to reportto the authorities.

Indoctrination and Publicenlightenment: Most crimes are committed not onlybecause of poverty and lack ofemployment but also as a result of aloss of cultural values overtime thatin the past would have made italmost impossible to commit suchcrimes. Therefore, a major strategyfor fighting crime would be amassive and consistentindoctrination campaign, using themass media and traditionalinstitutions to re-establish taboosthat would forbid involvement incrime. The indoctrination drivewould seek to re-establish a strongvalue system anchored on humility,chastity, selflessness, hard work andhonesty, while strongly forbiddingcrime.

Amnesty and Gun Control:A major aspect of the strategy incrime control should be anchoredon taking guns out of the publicspace as a recent proliferation ofa rms and explosives has madesophisticated weapons re a d i l yavailable. This increasing gunculture poses a grave risk to thesecurity of lives and pro p e rt y. Astrict regime of gun control istherefore necessary to take guns outof the public space. This can bedone by making strict new laws thatstipulate a mandatory life sentencefor possession of explosives andillegal possession of guns. A timelimited amnesty can also be initiatedto give gun owners the opportunityto surrender their guns possibly withsome cash prize by the authorities.

Establishment of a free PoliceConfidential Phone Line: The absence of a free confidentialpolice line has made it difficult andsometimes impossible to re p o rt crimeby the public. Yet, crime re p o rting bythe public is a crucial element ofpolicing. As a matter of urg e n c y, theSouth East should partner with thetelephone companies to create a fre econfidential police number for theregion. A free telephone access willg reatly aid the busting of criminalg a n g s .

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New Methods of BankPolicing:The posting of uniformed policeofficers in front of banks is outdatedand ineffective as the police officerswho are immediately identifiable areoften taken by surprise in anambush. Banks can be moreeffectively policed by plain clothedspecial anti-robbery squads who willmount surveillance patrols in thevicinity of the banks in unmarkedvehicles. This method will ensurethat the element of surprise is on theside of the police. The Police canalso partner with the banks to installCCTV cameras and panic buttons

that can notify all the patrol vehiclesin the vicinity and other securityagencies in case of an attemptedbank raid.

Compulsory BiometricIdentity Cards:Compulsory biometric identity cardswith fingerprints and possibly Iris(eye) scans should be introduced inthe longer term for anyone 16 yearsand above. This would consolidatedata on all those resident in theregion that can be useful for thepurposes of planning and crimecontrol.

Conclusion:The strategic development agenda conceptualised for the South Eastaims to create a 21st century tax economy anchored on commerce andindustry and weaned from a dependence on mineral resources. It is apractical and cost effective win-win plan that could be implemented indesignated 5 year or 10 year development plans carefully targeted tomeet set objectives.

Therefore, with faith in God, we present these recommendationswhose careful and determined implementation would herald the 2ndfounding of the Igbo nation.

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The essence of this write-up is tostimulate discussion on the wayswe could revive the Igbo languageand culture in the face of it goinginto extinction. In doing this, weneed to look at the past to build thefuture. We need to articulate thosethings that led to the abysmal stateof the Igbo language and culture. Inthe words of Professor ChinuaAchebe in his lecture “Tomorrow ispregnant today is early enough” onthe 4th of September, 1999 atOdenigbo House, Villa Assumpta,Owerri , he remarked “the future isanother way we say thattomorrow is pregnant”. Languagebeing the keystone to culture, whatthen should be done to promote theIgbo language and culture which isfast going into extinction?. A quickassessment of Igbo languagesituation in Nigeria is a reflection ofshame which is a burden to everyIgbo man or woman. Why is it thatsome children of Igbo parentageonly manage to utter few words or

none at all in Igbo? Our firstlanguage obviously should be ournative language. We should bep roud to speak our languagebecause it is a reflection of ouridentity. The Igbo man or woman isthe least to be proud of hislanguage and often times we feelashamed to speak or acknowledgeour heritage. We speak English toone another even when we comefrom the same area. Very many of usare guilty of this.

Does speaking English give usstatus and power within ourcommunity? The answer is notfarfetched and the present state ofthings can be placed at ourconscious eff o rt of imitating theWestern culture. Why can’t we be amaster of our language and cultureand re-discover our common richheritage and values? Our enterprise,community spirit, cre a t i v i t y, hardwork, good moral values and greatsense of social justice are productsof our rich cultural heritage.

Igbo Language and CultureCulture according to Ian Robertson “all the shared products of society:material and non material”. He further views language as the keystone toculture for without it, we cannot pass on the collective experience ofsociety and the lessons it teaches for survival. In other words, language isthe primary way that we pass on our culture from one generation to another.

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To d a y, there is apathy to the studyand teaching of Igbo language inschools within the Igbo community.People are less interested in seriousstudy on Igbo language. You cannotget periodicals or newspaperspublished in Igbo in contrast to thevast array of books, newspapers andperiodicals in other languages. Few ofthe Igbos can make monolingualp resentation through and through inIgbo. In most cases we speak in am i x t u re of English and Igbo. How hasthe mighty fallen? The Igbo that usedto be emulated by others are fallingbehind in their fundamental identity -l a n g u a g e .

The missionaries like T.J. Dennisand J. C. Taylor had a great impacton the development of the Union orCentral Igbo. Igbo is spoken ind i ff e rent dialects like many otherlanguages. We did not seize theopportunity we had to have a unionIgbo developed by us because ofthe problem of reaching acompromise on the dialect to beused. Each group posited that theirdialect was the best. Despite thisu n c o m p romising attitude themissionaries persisted anddeveloped the Union Igbo with thefirst translation of the Bible in IgboLanguage. Our intransigence is thebane of the present state of things in

relation to Igbo Language andCulture. We seem to always quarrelamong ourselves over unimportantthings. We need to give credit tosome of our Igbo scholars for theselfless job they have done andcontinue to do without which wewould have moved from crisisposition today to catastrophe.

One of the deepest truths inR o b e rt s o n ’s definition is thatLanguage as a means ofcommunication holds a key to ourCulture and our ability to pass it on.If we lose our language, we wouldlose one of the major things thatenrich our collective experience, thewealth and survival of societaln o rms. Language enables us todevelop new ideas to apply to thefuture. The Sapir Whorf hypothesisstates that “language not onlyreproduces our ideas, but it alsoshapes the way we think. It ordersour reality”. We can now understandwhy we should deepen the use ofIgbo Language. Babies are bornwithout language. But by the age offive most of them know severalwords and would have reasonablym u s t e red some of the rules ofg r a m m a r. This incredible feat oflearning is accomplished with littleor no formal schooling but has to dowith how you as a parent relate toyour child. The family is the basic

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platform for easy appreciation andstudy of language. In almost all Igbohomes, English seems to havedisplaced the Igbo Language as thefirst language resulting to thepresent unacceptable state of theIgbo Language. This clearly showsthat we are responsible for theaberration. Apathy on the use ofIgbo language as a common meansof communication has had gre a timpact on our dwindling culturalvalues, norms and social control.We have sufficiently thro w no v e r b o a rd some of our stro n gcultural norms considered importantto our well-being and moralstanding. Hence the flagrant displayof such vices as cheating of various

kinds, incest, stealing, corru p t i o nand child abuse. In fact, honestyhas taken a back seat. We embellishthe adoption of Western values tothe detriment of our culture. Most ofthe things we considered as taboopreviously are now treasured withpride. Culture does not make uswhat we are but we also makeculture. It guides us through life, butwe also change and modify it to ourneeds. Granted, there are so manyof our cultural practices that arerepugnant to natural justice, equityand good conscience. An exampleof such bad cultural practices is theone that denies a widow theproperty of her husband.

The way forwardWe cannot kill the past, but we must build on it to make progress. Thefamily remains the basic platform for the re-invigoration of Igbo language,culture, norms, and values. We must all continue to teach our youngergeneration Igbo, talk to them in Igbo. Our dialects can always grow sideby side with the Union Igbo. A review of the teaching of Igbo language atall levels is very vital t o w a rds making it more proactive. Our cultural festivalsand carnivals are essential in projecting our identity. Igbo language should bemade compulsory in schools and special prizes slated for outstandingperformances. Our meetings should always be recorded and read in Igbo.A model school where Igbo is used as the language of teaching should beestablished. Igbo language TVs, radios, websites, resources, publicationsin form of newspapers and periodicals should be used to encouragereadership, learning and re-learning.

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It is disheartening that moneyseems to erode our cultural values.We need to ask ourselves the extentit has helped us as a race. Thecommon belief that we have a priceis disgusting. It invariably impliesthat we have let down our values.People of questionable charactersshould not be put in positions ofauthority. We should value peoplebased on the content of theircharacter rather than by theirwealth. We must put men of ideas intheir rightful place for us to makeprogress as a race. Good behaviourand integrity should always bereinforced in our communities. This

will restore the dawn of social andpolitical ord e r. A situation whererotten and men of questionablecharacter run our communitiesweakens the fabrics of our society.People of impeccable character asrole models will bring the changethat will transform our society. Anytransformation in concrete terms willimpact positively on our languageand culture. There is urgent need tobuild on our community networksboth at home and in the Diaspora asa veritable platform for socialc o n t rol, language and culturaldevelopment.

Finally being Igbo and speaking Igbo are inseparable. Igbo culture andidentity can only be properly expressed and understood in the Igbolanguage. Language therefore is not only a means of communicatingthoughts and ideas, but it forges friendships, cultural ties and economicrelationships. We need to reconcile the past with the present to be ableto shape the future. The way we shape today will reflect on the future. Weneed to re-discover who we are: NDI IGBO.

BibliographyChigere, N. H. M. V. (2001) Foreignmissionary background andindigenous evangelization inIgboland, LIT Verlag, pp. 23.

Connah, G. (2004) Forgotten Africa:an introduction to its archaeology,Routledge, p. 116.

Madiebo, A. A. (1980) The NigerianRevolution and the Biafran War,Enugu, Fourth DimensionPublishers, p. 114.

Nation Master, Igbo People,(online),<http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Igbo-people%23Notable-people>

Nkemjika, (2008) Against South-East Nigeria Economic

Commission. Daily Sun, [online],Wednesday, June 25, 2008,available from: <http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/opinion/2008/jun/25/opinion-25-06-2008-002.htm>

Okerafoezeke, N. (2002) Law andJustice in Post-British Nigeria,Greenwood Publishing Group, p.1

Ukaegbu, C. C. (2005) Lessonsfrom Biafra: The Structuration ofSocially Relevant Science in theResearch and ProductionDirectorate. University of IdahoLibrary [Online] available from:<http://www.class.uidaho.edu/core127177/Ukaegbu.htm>

[1] Okerafoezeke, N. (2002) Lawand Justice in Post-British Nigeria,Greenwood Publishing Group, p.1

Resources

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Strategic Development Agenda for the

Igbo Nation

Published by Igbo Council of Europe (ICE) 2009

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