Ibo world cultural summit in Accra
The first World Igbo Diaspora and Cultural Summit is scheduled to take place in Accra, Ghana, from August 29 to 31,2014 at the College of Physicians and Surgeons.
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The purpose of the summit, according to the King of Igbos in Ghana and convener of the summit, Dr Chukwudi Ihenetu, Eze Ohazurume, is to restore the Igbo culture and tradition for the teeming Igbo sons and daughters in the world and especially in Ghana.
Essence of summit
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, he said most of the Ndi-Igbo in the Diaspora “have lost touch with the language and those core traditional cords that identified the Igbo man in the past.
“Having come to settle in Ghana and having achieved a certain level of economic freedom, they have integrated into the Ghanaian society by mostly inter-marrying with Ghanaians or foreigners.
“The children from these marriages and indeed children of Igbo families who have been living in the diaspora for a long while have lost track of everything an Igbo man should hold dear.”
The same can be said of Igbo people all over the world.
According to Dr Ihenetu, the summit would be an opportunity for the Igbos on the west coast of Africa to re-establish a firm relationship with their root through a process of tutelage which would in the long run make the Igbos in the diaspora part of the decisions that affect Ndi-Igbo in general.
Ezeigbo Foundation
He said the summit would also serve as a forum for the launching of the Ezeigbo Foundation, adding, “ This foundation has been set up to assist Igbos in Ghana in trade, business and education”
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Additionally, Dr Ihenetu said the foundation was championing the idea of the Igbo Village in Ghana to serve as a rallying point for the preservation of the Igbo culture and tradition.
“Already 250 acres of land has been acquired for this purpose. The foundation, since February, 2013, has also been running the Igbo language schools at different centres in the Greater Accra Region and hopes, with the launch of the foundation, we would build physical structures for these schools and extend them to the other nine regions in Ghana and beyond”, he added.