The Alaigbo Development Association (ADF), a socio-political Igbo think tank organisation, has called for regional autonomy for the Igbo nation, with its own constitution, flag, regional executive council and legislature, otherwise they would be forced to opt out of Nigeria.
In a statement in Enugu signed by the President of the organization, Professor Uzodinma Nwala, and the Secretary, Professor Nath Aniekwu, ADF blamed the perennial and incessant crises in the country on the forced marriage of different ethnic nationalities in the country, fostered on them by the erstwhile British colonial administration.
The group then called for the “restoration of the original right to freedom and self-determination of the various nationalities that were forced into the artificial Nigerian federation created by Britain and bequeathed on the Fulani”.
Under the restructural arrangement proposed by Alaigbo Development Foundation, each region would have control over its internal affairs, land and its resources, including security, police, regional guard, paramilitary, prison and other intelligence agencies.
According to the ADF, each region would have its own judicial system with customary courts, regional and supreme courts.
Furthermore, each region would have control over its economic and natural resources and internal revenue and would be contributing 20 per cent of these revenues to the federal union.
The group however explained that the various states within the regions would maintain their territorial character and structures, including all the local governments within their present jurisdiction.
According to the ADF, the Federal Union Government would have powers to collectively ceded to it, the various autonomous regions, the principles of consensus, power-sharing, Union character and power rotation, which would govern the relationship of the autonomous regions and the control of the affairs of the Federal Union.
lt maintained that the Federal Union Army should be jointly controlled by the autonomous regions and would not be used for any internal operation.
Alaigb Development Foundation then emphatically stated that if this proposal was not accepted and Nigeria not restructured along these lines, then the Igbo would have no option than opting out of Nigeria and establishing the REPUBLIC OF ALAIGBO or the REPUBLIC OF BIAFRA.
“For Umuigbo, that is the option of Self Determination and Freedom guaranteed by our Creator and enshrined in the United Nations Charter of Peoples Rights”, it concluded.
