From James Ezieke
Global Igbo Foundation Initiatives (GIFI) has organized inaugural stakeholders meeting and end of year party to reposition Igbo race all over the world. The event brought the Igbo community together to celebrate the successful end of year with funfair.
The convener and global President, Amb. Lois Jonathan while welcoming Igbo sons and daughters as well as friends of Nd’Igbo in attendance reiterated the contributions of the founding fathers who laid down their lives for the growth and advancement of Nd’Igbo. She posited that Igbos known for their ingenuity and industry have continued to build country’s economies, but end up treated disdainfully.
Dr. Jonathan stated that this meeting became necessary going by various challenges faced by Nd’Igbo especially in Lagos and other part of Nigeria including incarceration of our brother Mazi Nnamdi Kalu who have done nothing compared to those who are killing Nigerians in their numbers and later turn around to be repentant Boko Haram sects. It’s highly unfortunate. I know this nonsense will stop one day and very soon, she averred.
She therefore charged sons and daughters of Igbo extractions to put all hands on deck to ensure that they correct these anomalies and reposition for greatness.
Delivering his keynote address on the theme Igbo Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Ace Speaker and Astute Politician Rt. Hon. Sam Onuigbo, Member North-East Development Commission urge Igbo sons and daughters all over the world to come together and chart a new cause for the advancement of the region. He implore them to come home and develop their fatherland, stressing that no place like home. “If you invest in our land, it will be there forever. Nobody would wake up a day and start demolishing your multimillionaire investments for no reason. It’s really heartbreaking for a billionaire to wake up and watch all his life investments destroyed because of politics or tribalism. It’s not acceptable and we must put an end to it now, he opined.
Hon. Sam Onuigbo therefore charged Igbo sons and daughters to emulate Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, Air Peace among others whose investments are thriving and cannot be destroyed for whatever reasons.
Royal Father of the Day, HRH Igwe Dr. Ibe Nwosu, Eze Igbo Na Abuja emphasized greatly on the unity, peace and progress of Igbo race especially as they are being treated as half cast in their fatherland. He charged them to unite now as meaningful results could be achieved without love. “if there is no love, no unity, and no peace, you will achieve little or nothing at all, he submit.
High point of the occasion was cutting of End of Year Party cake and launching of almanac.
Dignitaries that grace the event include His Excellency Chief Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, former Enugu State Governor and National Chairman of PDP, Rt. Hon. Sam Onuigbo Member, North-East Development Commission, Hon. Okey-Joe Onuakalusi, member House of Representatives, Sen. Ndubueze Chiwuba, Sen. Akobundu Augustine HRH Igwe Dr. Ibe Nwosu, Eze Igbo Na Abuja, Hon. Stanley among others.
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