Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwanyi (Enugu), and Seyi Makinde (Enugu) are the other G5 governors slated to attend the event to discuss their mission and vision (Oyo).
In a statement released in Umuahia on Friday, the organization announced that the retreat will be held at the Micheal Okpara Auditorium on Wednesday, December 28, 2022.
The Chairman of Board of Trustees (B.O.T) Prof. Madubuike Ezeibe, Igbo Think Tank, and Chuks Ibegbu, Local Organizing Chairman/Leader, Nzuko Ndigbo, announced in a statement that the theme of this year's retreat will be "Ndigbo Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow" and the sub theme will be "Ndigbo in the Geopolitics of Nigeria, the Case of 2023."
According to the chairman of the BOT, the event will feature timely and educational lectures from credible professionals and will be attended by Igbos both at home and abroad.
Prof. Madubuike disclosed that the inaugural retreat took place in 2016 and was sponsored by the first governor of Abia state, Ogbonaya Onu.
He noted that the ceremony is typically a time for the Igbos to reconsider their future plans. He stated that the group's mission is to bring peace to Igbo land and the rest of Nigeria through promoting unity.
Prof. Madubuike revealed that the political calculation that brought together former president Olusegun Obasanjo and Olu Falaye, led to peace. He also recalled that the former governor of Ekiti state was in charge of Kudirat radio, which is the same role that Nnamdi Kanu is currently playing.
"Fayemi became a virtuous guy and the leader of other governors, and he played a positive role, therefore it is likely that the individuals you refer to as this....today will emerge as magnificent individuals. If we play the same card that the elders did in 1999, suddenly people began to claim that rotation is no longer in effect and that advancement is based on merit.
Therefore, we are concerned with doing whatever we can to preserve the country's calm. This year's retreat will be filled with numerous essential topics. We seek peace throughout Nigeria, not only in the south east." Professor Madubuike disclosed.
