Gregory University set to host World Igbo Summit

The final preparations towards the hosting of the inaugural World Igbo Summit (WIS) by the Igbo Renaissance Centre, Gregory University, Uturu Okigwe, Abia State might have commenced by the unveiling of the logo and symbol of the summit by the organizers.

Regarded as a unique summit, in spite of other Igbo continental  summits with similar agenda, the team of conveners, led by Chancellor of the Gregory University, Uturu, Dr. Gregory Iyke Ibe explained that “this summit, which is open to all Igbo organizations and all Igbo is designed to plug the loopholes obvious in other summits and meet the needs of the Igbo people.”

At a press briefing and the unveiling of the logo of the three day summit (27-30 October) in the university, yesterday, the Director General of the World Igbo Summit, Dr. Ifedi Okennwa, explained that the “summit is a new platform for all segments of our society to rise and mobilize to give the Igbo nation a unified vision and program of action and more permanent direction for the development of ala-Igbo.

The Director of the Igbo Renaissance Centre, Professor Ihechukwu Madubuike stated that the summit is also concerned on “the issues of Igbo forgetting their home turf and investing elsewhere. It has resonated with all of us and we feel that it is time for Ndigbo to think home and invest even only 30 per cent of their earnings for the development of their homeland. 
   
“This is homeland ideology, given the fact that we are not always welcomed even by those we go out to develop their lands. The Igbo run the risk of having the investments they make outside their homeland taken away from them. This concern has been a literary pursuit, but we don’t want it to happen politically and economically because it will impoverish the home land.” 

The Chairman of the Main Organizing Committee, Professor George Obiozor reiterated the call that the Igbo should follow the footsteps of the chancellor of the Gregory University and invest at home. “No one will develop your home for you. While the Igbo go out to develop other areas, there is no reciprocal traffic into Igbo land from other tribes to develop the areas,” he said.