Igbo World Assembly to file petition against Arewa Youths at ICC

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The Igbo World Assembly (IWA) has promised to liaise with appropriate agencies to file a petition to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prevent possible genocide against Igbos residing in the North following the quit notice slammed on them by a coalition of various Arewa youth groups.

The group, in a statement jointly signed by its President, Nwachukwu Anakwenze; and its Secretary General, Oliver Nwankwo; condemned in complete term the quit notice and promised it will ensure that culprits are brought to book should any act of violence be meted against Igbos anywhere in the country.

According to Igbo World Assembly, appropriate mechanism is being set up to enable Ndiigbo residing in the North to report provocations, insults, incidents, among others; adding that such evidences will be used in support of ICC filings in the Hague.

Igbo World Assembly, which is the umbrella organization of all national Igbo organizations across the world, insisted that the federal government “should arrest the signatories to this threatening quit notice and their supporters and put them on trial with immediate effect.”

It also said that those inciting the violence by giving fellow citizens quit notice should be held accountable for any incident that might occur within the timeline of the quit notice.

Noting that some Igbos may have been traumatized by the threat, Igbo World Assembly called on the government and the International community to setup plans and provide resources to deal with Igbos that are likely to be internally displaced from the North.

To save Igbo property in the North, the group added that the government should work with Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other Igbo groups in the North to help document Igbo properties.

“Igbo World Assembly will register such ownership to the appropriate International Community agency for recollection/repatriation from Nigerian government at any time. There will be no more abandoned properties in Nigeria as we are in a new century.” the group assured.

As a way of maintaining sanity in the system, Igbo World Assembly called for return to fiscal federalism as contained in the 1963 Constitution as the way forward to save the country from eventual collapse.

It noted that by adopting fiscal federalism, each region should be responsible for the development and management of resources including minerals from their region.

“This will foster industrial development and competition among regions instead of the current docile nature of a majority of states as presently constituted.

“Nigeria needs to implement the National confab recommended equity in state creation within the geo-political zones.

“The continued agitation of Igbo youths across the country is a by-product of persistent injustice and marginalization arising from bad leadership and unjust structure of the country’s polity.

“Igbo World Assembly believes that the posture of the Northern youths is targeted towards suppressing all forms of opposition to the failed system.

“Without mincing words, a Nigeria of equal ownership is the only forward to save the situation.” the group said.

Igbo World Assembly also warned in its recommendations that Nigerians across the nation should exercise restraint at this point in time so as not to overheat the polity.

It urged all Igbos residing in the North in particular and Nigerians in general to go about their engagements, lawfully; stressing that adequate security personnel should be deployed accordingly to ensure that there is no intimidation, hindrance or molestation.

The group finally advised the federal government and the International Community to setup mechanism to conduct referendum in each State and the various geopolitical zones of Nigeria for the people to decide how to be or not to be in Nigeria.