For sometime, many Ikwerre sons and
daughters recognized the need for a national
organization of Ikwerre people in the
United States of America (USA). However, no attempt was made by anyone to
make this recognition a reality, until
Ikwerre Community Association (ICA) of Los
Angeles, California called for the first
meeting of all Ikwerre people on July 6, 1996 in
Los Angeles, California. Ikwerre
responded in mass to this call, and a national
organization was formed. The organization
was named National Organization of Ikwerre
People (NOIP). At the conclusion of this
meeting, a Caretaker Committed was selected to
manage the affairs of the organization
until the next convention. At the 2nd annual
convention in Washington, D.C. on July 4,
1997, the "Ogbakor Ikwerre USA" (OIUSA) was
adopted in place of NOIP, and executive
officers were elected. The organization is
incorporated in Atlanta, Georgia, but
maintains a headquarter in Los Angeles.
There’re about 200 individual and
association members of OIUSA. Membership is mainly
individual Ikwerre indigenes living in
the USA and Canada. A president, who is the chief
executive, heads the secretariat in Los
Angeles.
