The American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), a not-for-profit organization comprising American citizens of Igbo heritage who currently serve or have honorably served in various branches of the United States military, held its annual convention from October 11th to 13th, 2024, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
This year’s theme, “Stand Up for Your People,” focused largely on the pressing issues facing the Igbo homeland, particularly the ongoing insecurity crisis affecting several Southeastern states.
The convention attracted critical stakeholders, including military personnel, veterans, industry leaders, academics, representatives from the North Carolina Governor’s office, and various Igbo associations, creating a platform for dialogue, strategy development, and the exchange of ideas aimed at advancing Igboland.
In her address, the special guest of honor, Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, the widow of late Biafra leader Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, underscored the necessity for the Igbo diaspora to uphold and protect their core values, identity, and heritage. She expressed that concerns regarding the security situation in the Southeast were valid and noted that this issue is not confined to the Southeast but is a widespread crisis affecting many Nigerian states.
She urged the five governors of the Southeast to collaborate more effectively in addressing this urgent situation, warning that the current state of insecurity poses an existential threat to communities in Igboland.
Ambassador Ojukwu highlighted that “the incessant killings and kidnappings, the rising rate of farmland annexation by armed herdsmen and other armed invaders have severely impacted both the agricultural and economic prospects, along with social activities in many Igbo communities.”
She lamented the opportunistic criminal elements who have exploited separatist agitation for their own nefarious ends, sufficiently degrading the capabilities of security forces with their superior firepower.
Ojukwu noted that many people were fleeing their villages out of fear, transforming once-thriving communities into depleted and ghost-like towns. She called on the Southeast governors, as the chief security officers of their states, to intensify their individual and collective efforts to restore order.
She reiterated the call for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, asserting that his freedom would significantly improve the security situation in the Southeast.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia North, stated that the current insecurity in Ala Igbo can be traced back to the arrest and ongoing illegal detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in 2021. He questioned why the Southeast has the highest number of police and military checkpoints per kilometer in Nigeria while unknown gunmen operate freely, causing destruction unchecked. Abaribe maintained that genuine government and security agencies’ intent to tackle insecurity is necessary for any meaningful reduction across the country.
Other speakers included Hon. Uche Onyeagocha, a former lawmaker and past secretary to the Imo State government; business magnate Chief Dr. Kingson Njoku; Haitian Senator Jean Charles Moise; and industrialist John Gregg, followed by a panel discussion on the economic prospects of the Eastern Region.
Dr. Sly Onyia, President of the Veterans Association, announced that AVID is currently working to establish a direct flight from the United States to the Southeast.
The convention concluded with a banquet featuring lively speeches, entertainment, and award presentations. A highlight of the event was the appointment of Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu as the Patroness of the American Veterans of Igbo Descent association.
