KWENU: Our Culture, Our Future

In search of lasting solutions

Acho Orabuchi

Dallas, Texas

aorabuchi@netzero.net

Thursday, May 12, 2005

 As we regurgitate our endemic problems with intellectual exercise laced with emotional bearings, actionable solutions continue to be elusive. However, the participants of the on-going Pan Igbo Political conference in Dallas were charged with coming up with executable solutions. The excerpts of the welcome address of the National Chairman of PNF USA attest to this:

Mr. Chairman, panelists, honorees, distinguished guests, all protocols observed, on behalf of Pan Ndi Igbo Foundation USA, Inc. and Ndi-Igbo community in the United States, I welcome you to the Pan Igbo Political Conference and the Fourth Annual Women Recognition Awards Night in Dallas organized by PNF USA.

I thank you immensely for honoring our invitation to this august occasion. You have taken time out of your busy schedule to be here to discuss the affairs of the Igbo.  I believe that the common interest that brought us together here would foster a continued desire for us to come up with constructive agenda that would revitalize our sense of duty. We pray that Almighty God will grace and bless our activities here and beyond. In addition, we ask God to guide and protect all of us.

I encourage everyone to work judiciously and diligently toward finding a solution to Igbo problems. Most importantly, we have to come up with ways to execute the solutions. The era of all talk and no action is behind us. History will remember us well as those who sacrificed personally for the future and collective interest of Ndi Igbo. It is truly edifying to see all of you here. This gives everyone the assurance that it is no longer going to be business as usual. We are going to be responsible for charting our destiny. This is just the beginning. It took commitment and sacrifice for PNF USA to organize this great event.

Remembering our past glory is okay as we chart the course. However, we cannot keep dwelling in our lost glory or in our past mistakes. This is a new day filled with hope, optimism, and abundance of opportunities. If we can utilize only 50% of the opportunities we have now, 95% of our problems will be solved. We know what our problems are. As a matter of fact, we have plethora of articles enunciating Igbo problems in the today’s Nigerian socio-political environment. Our problem could be reduced to lack of constructive, transformational, and unselfish leadership; lack of unity; lack of collective economic base; lack of ideology; and lack of agenda.

We must adopt an integrated approach to solving our problems. Lack of constructive, transformational, and unselfish leadership; lack of unity; lack of collective economic base; lack of ideology; and lack of agenda cannot be solved in isolation. They must be tackled simultaneously. The Igbo must have a working collective strategic plan to deal with amorphous situations arising from the nascent democracy. Unfortunately, since history shows that the political climate in Nigeria could be characterized as turbulent and unstable, Ndi Igbo must have a dynamic, but constructive plan that has series of options for uncertain situations. We should be proactive in our actions and not reactive for the most part.

While we talk politics, may we not loose sight of those who stayed the course in the midst of enormous corruption. Those individuals who have served the country and our race without a tainted character deserve honor. We also honor women for their significant contributions in our society. I doff my hat for them.

The time to act on formulating Igbo agenda replete with ideological underpinnings is now if we sincerely want to reconstruct our political capacity. We could not defer acting on the factors I have enumerated above any further. The time for action could not have been more urgent! I call upon all Igbo indigenes, including those in government, Igbo organizations, civic and political leaders, and church leaders to have a common vision in order to work collaboratively to achieve a common purpose and common goal so that history will remember us kindly. We are in an era of finding and implementing solutions. As a result, the era of bickering and blame should be behind us as we execute our constructive plans. The work ahead may be difficult and burdensome. However, the burden is lessened with love and unity among us. We are marching on! We have to come up with actionable solutions at the end of the conference.

I will not conclude without sincerely thanking members of the Pan Igbo Political Conference and the Women Recognition Awards Committees for their magnificent effort in putting these events together. They have a special place in my heart.

Thank you.  And may God richly bless us all.

Long Live PNF! Long Live Ndiigbo!! Long Live Nigeria!!! Long Live USA!!!!

At the conclusion of the conference in Dallas, more news would be reported.