A group of concerned leaders have formed an intervention association to help channel the energy of Igbo youth into more creative and productive sectors such as the promotion of cultural practices, like art and traditional music to help reduce the growing level of delinquency among adolescents in the South-east geo-political zone.
The new group said its presence will compliment rather than undermine the efforts of the Ohaneze Ndigbo, was formed to aggressively champion the course of emancipating the youth within the ethnic group, promote the development of cultural, entrepreneurship potentials and the growth of Igbo communities.
President General of the recently inaugurated Ndigbo United stated in an exclusive interview in Abuja that the group was formed to fill-up many yawning gaps created by the lack of coordination and the leadership disputes within the Ohaneze Ndigbo and other Igbo groups.
Ifeanyichukwu stated that the organisation will concentrate on the development of the waning Igbo language and culture among youth, vigorously pursue the unity of people from the Igbo ethnic stock, encourage youth from the eastern and Igbo-speaking parts of the South-south geo-political zone to bring out the best of themselves through entrepreneurship development and training for skills acquisition.
“We realised that the Ohaneze Ndigbo and other groups existing before now are not preaching or educating the people about how to develop Igbo language and culture. Many of our people have families overseas but do not even bother to teach their children anything about Igbo customs and traditions. The result is that many Igbo children born overseas do not know how to speak Igbo language or what the culture is all about.
“We realised that except we fill up the gaps, Igbo language and culture will go extinct in the nearest future. The promotion of Igbo culture and language was part of the aims and objectives of organisations like the Ohaneze Ndigbo but may be, the challenges confronting groups compelled them to forget about the need to promote these areas of our lives.
“Ndigbo United Forum Worldwide has taken this responsibility upon itself to promote, sustain and develop Igbo culture, language and traditions throughout the globe to make our heritage known worldwide,” Ogbueshi Gabriel stated.
