Admin l Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018
LAGOS, Nigeria – Desirous of promoting Igbo cause, Gregory University, Uturu, Abia State recently hosted a team of Igbo World Assembly (IWA), led by its chairman, Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze. IWA, an umbrella body representing the apex Igbo organisation outside Nigeria is domiciled in more than 34 countries around the world. It is in the United Kingdom, United States of America, France, Spain, Finland, Ghana, Germany, South -Africa and others.
The organisation is established with the core mandate and mission to actualize Igbo’s agenda and youth empowerment as well as working with Ohaneze Ndi Igbo to improve the lives of Ndi Igbo through the collective efforts. Anakwenze, a USA based Medical Doctor, told the Management of GUU that they were in the university to partner the institution towards fostering and promoting Igbo culture, tradition, unity and progress.
He thanked the chancellor of the institution, Prof. Gregory Ibe, Ph.D, OFR (Enyi Abia) for being in the forefront of promoting Igbo causes, especially in the area of cultural values and unity among Ndi Igbo. He assured that IWA would work with GUU to foster, promote and celebrate Igbo culture and values for those within and outside Nigeria.
The team leader admonished Ndi Igbo to speak with one voice and go back to their traditional base, disclosing that in efforts to encourage Igbo culture and values, they have established Igbo village in Staunton, Virginia, United States of America, where Igbo culture and values are showcased to the world.
Anakwenze also advised Ndi Igbo to be careful the way and manner they go about fighting for their rights, and encourage everybody to actively participate in the political process of the country, noting that avoiding political engagement and participation would be too suicidal to Ndi Igbo’s interests.
He also enjoined the states in Igbo land to establish tourism centers in the region to attract many Igbos outside Nigeria to come home regularly to see their culture and tradition. According to him, many Ndi Igbo outside are yearning to come back home and have a feel of the Igbo culture and tradition, stating in the United States of America, he was appointed to represent West Africa /Africa in the Frontier Culture Museum, Virginia, USA.
He lamented that Igbo language and culture are dying gradually and millions of Ndi Igbo born outside Igbo land cannot speak Igbo language, hardly do they understand the Igbo culture and tradition. According to him, the worse is case scenerio is that most of the Igbo children born within the Igbo land cannot speak Igbo Language fluently or write single sentence in Igbo language, a situation he described as worrisome. He canvassed that for any Igbo man’s child to gain admission into any tertiary institutions sited in Igbo land, must have a credit level in Igbo language.
Responding, the Chancellor University, Prof. Gregory Ibe, said GUU was the first private university in Igbo land desirous of promoting Igbo nation, fostering unity among the Ndi Igbo globally.
He told the visiting team that the university had established Igbo Renaissance Centre headed by a distinguished Igbo son, Prof. Ihechukwu Madubike, as the director, to put up documentation of culture, traditions and to make a compendium of all sons and daughters of Igbos all over the world who have excelled in all works of life.
According to him, GUU is the only university in the country doing serious work in terms of promoting, documenting Igbo culture and tradition, stressing that the Institution would be happy to partner any organisation to achieve the objectives of returning Igbo nation to her past glory.
GUU, he said is opened to every organisation that has the interest of Ndi Igbo unity and development at heart, urging IWA to come in and work with the Institution to promote Igbo culture, language and tradition as well as Igbo common interest.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Augustine Uwakwe, in his speech, thanked the team for finding time to visit the university to see for themselves what GUU is doing for Ndi Igbo, saying that God has destined the university in Uturu to promote and foster Igbo culture, tradition and unity.
He said the coming of IWA to the university was apt as GUU hosted first World Igbo Summit ,two years ago, adding that the visit of IWA will certainly spur the institution to do more about Igbo agenda.
The Assistant Registrar and Secretary to Igbo Renaissance Center, Gregory University, Uturu, Rev. Canon Samuel Ekechukwu, who took the IWA team to the Igbo Renaissance Centre, Complex, GUU Campus, said that every state in the South East and South-South that speaks Igbo languages has office in the complex.
The cleric, who was a former Chaplain, Protestant of the Nigerian Army, called on IWA to partner Igbo Renaissance of GUU to make proper documentation of culture and tradition for the younger generation and to project the Igbo course across the world. According to him, the complex will have digital library and museum where all the relics of Ndi Igbo will be on display.
