My dear compatriots
I bring you warm greetings in the advent of this new year 2025. The commencement of a new year offers an opportunity for most organisations and individuals to review their plans and refocus their trajectory.
In this season when large gatherings are not encouraged for several reasons such as security, cost of venue and other logistics, this medium seems to me most appropriate to address my concerns.
My esteem compatriots, you will agree with me that in our country, presently conversations are going on about repositioning our dear country to discard the failures of our past attempts at nationhood and to face the challenges of the emerging world. Unfortunately, I am not aware of such conversations in this area amongst the Igala people at either local, national or international levels. This loud silence has prompted me to put up this piece. I believe that Igala people need to come together and chart their pathway in the emerging Nigerian nation that will address the challenges of our people.
Consequently, considering our trajectory as a people from the precolonial days and our contemporary experience, it has become expedient for Igala people to redefine their strategic objectives within the Nigerian nation.
There are conversations that we need to have in order to equip the upcoming generations with adequate knowledge/tools to promote their interests and compete favourably. As our national anthem counsels, without doing this we cannot claim to hand unto our children a banner without stain.
In view of the above, I wish to stimulate a conversation that I hope will lead to a focused Igala peoples charter for development within the larger Nigeria nation.
To address the present and future interests of the Igala people, there is a need for an all encompassing platform which accommodates all spectrum of the Igala society beyond political or religious persuasions. This platform, I recommend should be named Igala Consultative Assembly to be constituted of but not limited to the following:
- Igala Area Traditional Council
- All elected Igala political leaders
- One representative of all Igala districts
- One representative of Development Association with a membership of more than one hundred persons.
- Representatives of the Igala academia
- Representatives of Igala professionals
- Senior Public Servants ( Permsec & above)
- Representative of the military
- Representatives of Students
- Representatives of trade unions
- Representatives of women
This Assembly will serve as the clearing house and approving authority for the Igala people on local, national and international issues.
Furthermore, this Assembly will cause the production of a strategic vision for Igala people which will include but not limited to:
a. The vision for Igala people.
b. The strategy for actualising the vision
c. The implementation plan for the vision.
As I said earlier, my intention is to crystallise a conversation and I hope that more brilliant ideas will emerge from our esteem compatriots whose love and desire for the progress of our people is not in doubt.
Happy new year.
I am your brother,
Samson Ameh Opaluwah
