Igbo Congress Seeks Unity, Demands Release Of Nnamdi Kanu

The World Igbo Congress (WIC) has warned Igbo natives who are working against the progress of the Igbo nation.

The Chair of WIC, Dr Festus Okere, stated this in his address during the group’s convention held in Boston, Massachusetts from August 28 to 31, 2025.

He said the theme of the convention, “Kokorokoo! Igbo Billie N’ura”, was a clarion call on Ndigbo to rebuild their consciousness for collective progress.

According to him, “It is the call of history. It is not merely a sound
that announces the dawn. It is a summons to consciousness; a cultural code engraved in our bones. I say to all Umu Igbo, at home and in the diaspora, wake up! Time is running out. Enough of ‘Sit down de look’.

“A real Igbo person is not known for being excessively subservient. Our ideal, generational politicians and leaders of blessed memories, including Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Dr M.I. Okpara, Sir Francis Ibiam, Dr Alex Ekwueme, Dr Sam Mbakwe, General Emeka Ojukwu, and General Phillip Effiong, did not kowtow in their political behaviorism. The story and history of who we are, including our identity, history, culture, and values, should not and will not vanish in our generation.”

He stated that the resilience of the Igbo spirit was behind their successes despite setbacks. In his words, “Our journey may be interrupted but must not be erased. Those who distant themselves from who we are, culturally and otherwise, including induced name changes, are detaching themselves from our ancestors with dishonor.

“Those of us who sell us out,
betray us, or have become willing tools to destroy us, should always remember that, ultimately, they are
still Igbos and are seen and treated as Igbos by their new friends\masters.”

He warned that the survival of the Igbo nation in Nigeria was under siege, noting that, “Igbos must
resolutely unite to own their destiny in the continued threats facing the Igbos in the Nigerian polity. The
continued, deliberate exclusion of Ndi Igbo in the governance of Nigeria, since after the Biafran-Nigerian War, has remained a contemptuous and disrespectful disregard for the Igbos who continue to contribute more than others to Nigeria’s existence and development. Our culture demands that when one suffers, all must be concerned.”

He warned that Igbo natives who abandon their culture would remain slaves: “We need to re-define the paths of our future and
determine our faith with unwavering resolve.”

WIC also called on President Bola Tinubu to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

According to WIC, “Courts, at home and abroad, have found him innocent and unlawfully renditioned. Releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu would cement that history for the Igbos. Free Kanu as other similarly situated non-Igbos have been freed. For Nigeria to survive, tribes must die. Equity, justice, and fairness should prevail. Let true peace reign all over the country and let everyone have a genuine sense of inclusion.”

The group also affirmed its commitment towards the “Onye Aghala Nwanne Ya – Igbo identity”. It stated that, “The time for neutrality is over. The time for excuses is gone. Under this WIC administration, we are focused on protecting and promoting Igbo interests, especially in the diaspora, while collaborating with Igbo organizations in the homeland. We are launching the Igbo Credit Union—our own financial lifeline, beginning in the USA. Let all hands be on deck to accomplish this goal.”

Okere also stated that WIC had concluded plans to erect the cenotaph to honour Biafran heroes and heroines who died during the Nigerian Civil War “not just for land, but for identity”. It also called on the government of Nigeria to declare a national holiday on May 30th of every year, “not to divide Nigeria, but to remind it”.

On the essence of the convention, Okereke stated that, “We are gathered here not just to reflect, but to react. Not just to remember, but to reclaim. Let us leave this
convention not with folded hands, but with flaming hearts. Let us not leave as guests, but as guardians of our heritage.

“If we do not wake up now, our children will inherit not a legacy, but a lament. If we do not rise now, we will be remembered not for what was done to us, but for what we failed to do for ourselves and for our prosperity.”