By Chioma Gabriel
The Convener/National Chairman, Igbo Agenda Dialogue, Chekwas Okorie, on Wednesday, said that Igbo people in the 13 states where they are indigenous, and in the other 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory, have been facing existential challenges and problems since the end of the Nigeria/Biafra war in 1970.
In a statement issued on behalf of the group, he said: “The Igbo have survived, thrived, multiplied, and prospered only by the special grace of God and our doggedness, resilience, and never-say-die spirit. Millions of our people were compelled by excruciating circumstances to seek more conducive environments abroad for greener pastures, including education and acquisition of skills to improve their well-being and provide for their families and relations back in the Homeland.
“On the flip side, this near exodus of fleeing Igbo people from Nigeria has resulted in making the record that there are Igbo settlements in every one of the 196 countries on the world map. Similarly, the Igbo people in the diaspora contribute to approximately 75 per cent of Nigeria’s huge foreign exchange remittances year in, year out.”
Okorie expressed sadness that Igbo people appeared to have surrendered and lost confidence in their citizenship of Nigeria, as the overwhelming majority of the people refuse to participate in the country’s democratic process.
According to him, “The resultant apathy is largely responsible for the poor leadership recruitment we experience at the National, State, and Local Government levels in every election cycle in Nigeria.
“This has further exacerbated our already precarious situation.
“My fellow compatriots, I am of the firm belief that we can reverse our unacceptable situation without firing a shot. We are unarguably the largest ethnic group in Nigeria and have the widest geographical spread. We have the most enviable network of associations, unions, and groups in Nigeria and the diaspora. We are like a sleeping giant that only needs to awaken from its self-induced slumber to resume its place of pride in the country.”
Recall that the Igbo Agenda Dialogue, IAD, was inaugurated in August 2025 as a non-partisan socio-political platform. It is planned to be a coalition of all associations, organisations, and unions to constitute a powerful, non-partisan Igbo political grid.
The group also plans to host the first-ever Igbo political summit in the first quarter of 2026. The key highlight of the summit will be the unveiling of the first Igbo Charter after the famous AHIARA DECLARATION.
Okorie urged all patriotic Igbo men and women, youth associations, unions, and institutions to support the Igbo Agenda Dialogue, IAD, by all lawful means possible to deliver on the noble objective of reawakening the Igbo political consciousness.
He said: “We have the capacity to redraw the Nigerian political map by simply taking our destiny into our own hands. We have no excuse to be irrelevant or beggarly in our common patrimony called Nigeria.
“A resurgent Igbo beyond where our founding fathers left it is possible in our time. A unified and proactive political action in the 2027 general election will draw both local and international attention to the Igbo Nation. The time is now or never.”
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