The National President of AlaIgbo Human Rights Network (AHURIN), Sir Justin Onyenso, has said that members of the socio- cultural organization are always poised to help enlighten, sensitize and educate Igbo people both home and diaspora on the importance of love, unity, peace, creativity, science, technology and innovation to enable them reposition Igbo land to advance socially, culturally, educationally and economically.
Onyenso made the disclosure in an address during the official launching of AlaIgbo Human Rights Network, held at Umuororonjo Youth Hall, Old Stadium, Tetlow Road, Owerri, on Thursday.
He expressed bitterness that prior to the return of democratic rule in 1999 Igbo Nation has been politically, socially and economically marginalized and taken for granted in Nigeria despite its huge contributions to the economic and social growth of the country, regretting that apart from the economic and political shortchanging of the Igbo, innocent Igbo breeds are being killed, maimed, displaced, illegally arrested, detained and incarcerated by security agencies on daily basis due largely to their quest for self determination, fair share of the nation’s resources, justice, social and political equality.
Hinging on the theme of the launching “Repositioning Alaigbo”, the National President harped that Igbo land is vastly and richly blessed, frowning that Igbo Nation has been bedeviled with hatred, selfishness and disunity, militating factors he said can be jettisoned if the people from the Rising Sun come together, reason in unison, love themselves mutually, help one another, as well as indulge fully into agriculture/farming, trading, artisanship, entrepreneurship and commerce and industry.
Onyenso observed that “it is on the premise of these seething problems that AlaIgbo Human Rights Network deemed it worthwhile to do the needful to help in repositioning our dear Igbo Nation”, adding that politics, religion, self determination bestride Igbo.
“During the build-up to the 1999 general elections, all eyes were focused on our then, 2 most prominent political leaders, Dr. Alex I. Ekwueme (PDP) and Chief Dr. Emmanuel C. Iwuanyanwu (APP), to clinch the presidency. But along the line, the Nigerian factor of a glass ceiling against Ndigbo was brought to play. Hence the likes of Harry Akande and our own son, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, were ferreted in to scuttle the chances and growing popularity of Chief Iwuanyanwu in APP, while Olusegun Obasanjo was drafted from incarceration to frustrate Dr. Ekwueme in PDP”, Onyenso observed.
While advising Igbo people to “desist from destroying human lives as such negates our much reverence to Mmadu-Mma nke Ndu, besides it is a sacrilege to wantonly spill the blood of fellow Onyeigbo because the repercussion is monumentally catastrophic on both the perpetrator and those that condole it, Onyenso reiterated that AHURIN was initiated to help “fight for the rights and privileges of every Igbo who may be wrongly deprived of justice, equity and fairness. We intend to partner Ohaneze Ndigbo to check and dismantle the numerous military checkpoints dotted all over Alaigbo and also stop extortion, intimidation, humiliation, dehumanization of our people anywhere in Nigeria”.
Thus, AHURIN called for cooperation and help of every Igbo person to fully achieve its earnest desire of positively repositioning Alaigbo for the good of all Igbo breeds.
An inventor and innovator who is the Guest Speaker at the event, Engr. Obi Vincent Ugochukwu, advised Igbo people to come together to solve their problems, encouraging them to actively prioritize science, technology and innovation to be able to cushion poverty, suffering and insecurity as there is a lot of benefits attached to technology.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Planning Committee Chairman, Gabriel Ezirim, while thanking men and women of the organization for attending the event, urged Igbo people to explore every good opportunity to advance goodness, welfare and wellbeing of the people for improved living.
