By Austin Okeke
Be pleased to note that our court action against the Government of Nigeria @NigeriaGov, China Exim Bank et al will be coming up on the 9th of December 2020 at the Abuja High Court.
This is in respect of the $22.7 billion dollar loan, the proceeds of which was deliberately deprive the 5 Igbo States of Nigeria.
We will recall that on 11th March 2020, the Igbo Board of Deputies was established to promote, defend, preserve, and prosper the cause of the Igbos worldwide. It’s motto is, To Restore The Dignity Of The Igbos.
We believe in our ingenious nature and in our inherent abilities and capabilities, believing that getting things done rather than pontificating is the only sure way forward.
We are men and women of valor and with great values, and we have the ability to squeeze water from a stone.
Whatever that had brought us this low, shall have met its Waterloo by this our collective resolve to restore our dignity. Whatever it was, we shall see no more henceforth.
We therefore have gathered as one people with a collective conscience and one mind, inspired by God Almighty, in high spirits, graciously motivated with burning desires to change the lives of Igbo people for the better.
On 11th day of March 2020, we delivered a letter of demand to China Exim Bank in Johannesburg calling upon it to give an undertaking in the following manner:
- Suspend the loan disbursement, alternatively, cancel the approval of the loan to the Nigerian government until such time as it has revised and/or amended the manner it intends to allocate the proceeds of the loan so as to include projects in the South East of Nigeria, which projects shall directly benefit the Igbos; and
- As a condition, tie the loan repayment to the regions of Nigeria that inherit the projects, as Nigeria flounders and threatens to break up.
In going forward, the Chinese government must ensure that all projects are valued and open-bid for, following international best practices to ensure standard quality and fair cost.
The present Nigerian government is prone to project cost inflation, and future generations are not obligated to pay for fraudulently inflated costs.
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Failing which we shall join China Exim Bank as a Defendant party to the law suit against the Government of Nigeria.
We say so because we do not guarantee the repayment of these loans by the other federating units of Nigeria in so far as the deliberate discrimination against the Igbos in Nigeria persists.
The Igbos are not beneficiaries of the proceeds of the loan, and shall not participate in servicing and repayment of same as a matter of principle, fact and law.
The Igbos shall not be held liable for these loans, not now and in the future. We will not mortgage the rights and interests of our future generations for something they neither partook in nor benefited.
We have since initiated a court proceeding against the Government of Nigeria, China Exim Bank and others, the matter remains unopposed till date.
We are in court again on 9 December 2020, at the Abuja High Court.
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I thank you
7 December 2020
Austin Okeke Esq
Igbo Board of Deputies
