ADDRESS PRESENTED BY CHIEF BEN OBI (IGWE APGA) ON 24TH ANNUAL WORLD IGBO CONGRESS

 

Greetings to my fellow Igbo men and women, all the traditional rulers here present, Ndi Ichie, Ndi Ozo, Top government  functionaries here present, distinguished ladies and gentlemen. I stand on the already established protocol.

Igbo Kwenu!

Igbo Kwenu!!

Igbo Kwezunu!!!

On behalf of the good people of Anambra state AND the executive and members of All Progressives Grand Alliance ( APGA ) I welcome us to this year’s World Igbo Congress.

This annual congress has provided us the opportunity to sit together as Ndi Igbo to review our collective challenges, progress, accomplishments and to strategize to proffer ways forward towards actualization of the empowerment of Ndi Igbo in the Nigeria nation.

I, at this point will want to appreciate the hard working team that are committed to the success of this congress. I appreciate your time, resources and wisdom in organizing this congress year after year. “On ye new anyi gbaa unu ume”

My speech today will be short and precise and I will focus on the unification of Ndi Igbo under the APGA platform.

They say that APGA is a regional party and I concur. Because, charity they say begins at home.

It is time for Ndi Igbo to stop walling and complaining. It is rather time for us as Ndi Igbo to come together and have a voice.

Igbos are marginalized, YES. BUT “Nke Ndi Igbo melu onwe fa, kaa” ( Translated that the ones we did to ourselves are greater)

If we; Igbos are not suffering from selective amnesia, we will remember that in the days of Obasanjo as president of Nigeria. Ndi Igbo got the office of the senate president. And in those 8 years, all the five igbo state have a turn and produced a senate president. My question is what did they do for Ndi Igbo, the answer is nothing.

Buhari is not the problem of Ndi Igbo. The south east state get their due federal allocations; what they have done with them is what we should be asking our brothers, saddled with the leadership of the different Igbo states. I make bold to say that it is only in Anambra, that good governance is obtainable under the capable and proactive leadership of His Excellency Chief Dr. Willie Mmaduaburochukwu Obiano and the working leadership in Anambra state is a product of the regional party APGA. Why won't Ndi Igbo cue into APGA in order to?

1, Have our bargaining power with the federal and all the other geo political zones

2, Emancipate Ndi Igbo

3, Achieve one more state to south east in order to achieve equity and balance.

“Igbo enwe eze” is the biggest problem of Ndi Igbo. Dr Patrick Ifeany Uba the CEO of Capital Oil and Gas has been at the fore front of championing the “Afa Igbo Efuna Campaign” He is a grounded APGA chieftain and a product of the regional party APGA. Why won’t other prominent Ndi Igbo cue in to the campaign?

I am the coordinator of operation APGA TAKE OVER SOUTH EAST, Instead of onye Igbo to join; you will hear dissenting voices asking “WHY HIM” and will start planning how to sabotage the success of the operation. Ndi Igbo let us start to have a rethink.

In the north, Igbos has dominant areas where they can stand for and win elections. Places like sabon gari in Kano state, Apata in Jos Plateau state, etc. If we support them and they win elective posts and be amongst the decision bodies, Ndi Igbo and their interests and properties will be protected. So also in the west.

Igbos are known as hard workers and have enterprising spirits, they are used to develop the perceived undevelopable. In Lagos state recently, we heard that our brothers who worked assiduously to develop Alaba market and Ladipo market in Lagos will be moved to Lagos Ibadan expressway. And the federal is saying nothing about it. If we have a voice, we will ask why. If River Niger river port is achieved today, I bet you that most of Igbo consignments will be cleared in Onitsha, giving Anambra state more revenue and clearing all the sufferings and obstacles our people undergo to clear goods in Lagos and bring down to east.

I equally admonish you our brothers and sisters in Diaspora to think home too.

Bring back your acquired knowledge to better our home land. Ana Igbo dim ma, o di mma maka mmadu ncha.

This year’s congress theme “Ka anyi chekwa Igbo” is so timely and need strict adherence to by all and sundry.

Ekene mu unu.

Chief Ben Obi (Igwe APGA)

SSA Inter Party/Political Matters to Anambra State Governor

And the national Coordinator Operation APGA TAKE OVER SOUTH EAST.