OGBAKOR IKWERRE USA, INC.

An address at the Inaugural Convention of Ikwerre Development Association, United Kingdom and Ireland, November 15-16, 2002.

Presented by Dr. Godwin Obiri, President

The president, Ikwerre Development Association (IDA) UK/EIRE

Honorable Executive Board of IDA UK/EIRE,

Honorable members of IDA UK/EIRE

Invited guests, and

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen.

I want to thank the leadership of IDA and its members for requesting the participation of Ogbakor Ikwerre USA (OIUSA), Inc. at this fine event. It is with great delight and enthusiasm that I address you today on behalf of OIUSA, a non-profit body of Ikwerre citizens residing in US and Canada. I bring to you the warm embrace of our collective membership across the Atlantic Ocean.

      Rumu Ikwerre Anu Meka, Nkalem Anu meka, Anu meka, Ikwerre Nuotu Anu Meka.

 This address is intended to focus on a few areas that are of immediate concern to OIUSA, namely the relationship between IDA and Ikwerre Forum UK & Erie, partnership with IDA, OIUSA 2003 convention, and the current state of Ikwerre.

We’re pleased that Ikwerre people in the United Kingdom and Ireland have a forum to discuss the affairs of our ethnic nationality. We congratulate IDA for this bold initiative of assembling Ikwerre sons and daughters here today to have a meeting of minds for the “Promotion of Responsible Leadership and Sustainable Development in Ikwerre Land.”  We strongly encourage you to continue in the same spirit for the eventual emancipation of our people. The struggle for the advancement of Ikwerre is greatly advanced with all of you coming together as a unified force. And you have just taken that first strategic step. We applaud all the Ikwerre indigenes residing in the area for embracing camaraderie among each other. Your collective decision to be organized under one unit has added another voice in the pursuit of the Ikwerre agenda and the struggle for a promising future for Ikwerre people. However, the success of this step you have taken may not be fully realized if there is palpable acrimony and discord among Ikwerre people in United Kingdom and Ireland. Unity among Ikwerre people everywhere is a necessary factor for the emancipation of the Ikwerre ethnic nationality. If we are not together and cannot have respect for one another, then we must as well stop deceiving ourselves about working for the interest of Ikwerre. Ikwerre interests must take center-stage over our personal interests. My brothers and sisters, we gather because of Ikwerre and for Ikwerre. We must not forget that It’s ALL About Ikwerre.

You must resist all forms of distractive tendencies to allow the positive and progressive side of our people to be harnessed for the eventual development of Ikwerre. It takes more effort and resources for one person to bring about noticeable development to a community. Success and progress are more achievable when more people join hands in one accord. More often, genuine dialogue between people has resolved even conflicts that many thought otherwise. We believe strongly that IDA and Ikwerre Forum can resolve their differences. You have got to sit down and begin to discuss whatever might be the root cause of the disagreement amongst you and settle on the best solutions. Therefore, I would use this moment to call again on the leadership of IDA and of Ikwerre Forum to meet very soon to resolve whatever differences you still have among you. I have directed Professor Chris Ogbonda to meet with the leadership of the two bodies during his visit. I am hopeful that the leadership of the two bodies will give him appropriate audience and support. The struggle for the emancipation of the Ikwerre ethnic nationality does not need differences amongst us, rather it needs a unified voice that is strong and can produce positive results for our people. We are counting on all of you to deliver on this promise.

Now let me address the relationship between OIUSA and IDA. For some time now, OIUSA has been interested in a constructive relationship with our brothers and sisters on this side of the Atlantic. I would use this opportunity to formally invite your association to join OIUSA in developing and nurturing a stronger partnership for the development of our Ikwerre community. Although the Ikwerre ethnic nationality has made significant strides in producing highly educated citizens in different fields of endeavor, events of the past few years reveal a trend that is unacceptable to every well meaning Ikwerre citizen. There is no recognized leader. There is lack of respect for Ikwerre. There are persistent indiscriminate attacks on Ikwerre interests. And more so, there is bold and unrestrained acquisition of Ikwerre lands, etc. At the very least, you can agree with me that there are enormous problems facing the Ikwerre people today. These problems undoubtedly pose huge challenges for OIUSA, as well as your association in the coming years. Some forces within and outside have prevented Ikwerre from achieving the desired level of progress capable, and that’s where your association and OIUSA should now direct sizeable efforts. When we do so unselfishly and without acrimony, the dream of our collective community has a better chance of being realized. If we do not take bold steps now to address these problems, the price we will pay in the future, as a community is high. OIUSA would like to extend a hand of partnership to your association, because we feel the time has come for us to leverage on the comfort we enjoy in foreign society to articulate a clear vision and direction for our people.

As most of you would know, OIUSA 2003 convention will be held in Ikwerre land. I want to use this opportunity to invite all the members of IDA to participate in this groundbreaking event. OIUSA uses the convention forum to deliberate on issues affecting the Ikwerre ethnic nationality, and how to better support our people. This particular convention is unique in that it is intended to provide a forum for us to celebrate our past gains and dialogue about our collective future. One of our planned activities during this convention is the launching of an Educational Endowment for Ikwerre Studies in honor of late Senator Dr. Obi Wali at the Rivers State University of Science & Technology. In addition, OIUSA’s continuing efforts in assisting to restore normalcy to Ogbakiri will be a significant part of the convention. For three years, the Ogbakiri crisis has been a pivotal issue in OIUSA. OIUSA will be undertaking a Water Project for the benefit of the six villages in Ogbakiri. The convention will also feature presentations and workshops on conflict resolution, individual and community empowerment, economic development, and political participation awareness. Screening for certain disease conditions and distribution of free medications will be implemented at each local government area in Ikwerre during this occasion as part of the convention activities.

To ensure effective communication with your organization during the remaining months before the convention, I made a request to your association for the appointment of one person to serve as liaison to our 2003 Convention Planning committee. I am pleased that your leadership has responded accordingly. This person will participate in the deliberations of the committee and periodically communicate decisions of the committee to your association. This, I hope, will augment current communication channels between OIUSA and IDA.

It is our hope that your association will participate fully in the upcoming convention, which would likely rekindle the embers of hope amongst our people. The spirit of despondency and lack of useful direction that have visited our people due to many years of calculated marginalization must be stripped from amongst our people now. It must be replaced with an enduring sense of determination, pride, vigilance, and sincere respect for one another. This, we hope, will raise the strength of our people’s minds that can be accompanied by the strength of will. The future will be bright when hope is restored to the fabric of Ikwerre consciousness, and now is the time. No one can restore our hopes until we, the people of Ikwerre descent, continue to take serious and deliberate steps ourselves in that direction. The 2003 convention, featuring genuine Ikwerre sons and daughters from USA, United Kingdom, Canada, and other countries, is a powerful catalyst to restore dignity and self-worth to our communities. This is the dominant principle behind our desire to hold this convention in Ikwerre land next year, and it should be yours too. Please join hands with us because together we can make Ikwerre great again. We hope that members of this fine association will honor this important invitation because we are seriously looking forward to having all of you with us during this strategic gathering of Ikwerre people in Port Harcourt in 2003.

My brothers and sisters, this is a great day for Ikwerre. Each time we gather gives great opportunity to dialogue, and in so doing, it projects the Ikwerre ethnic nationality. That’s a good thing. Please keep this light lit. Let it continue to shine strong every day as a sign of your collective resolve to join the struggle for the survival of our only ethnic nationality. Thank you and may God continue to bless the Ikwerre ethnic nationality and the world.

Nkalem Anu Meka!

Dr. Godwin Obiri

President, Ogbakor Ikwerre USA, Inc.