Executive Secretary's Corner
Fred Ogbutor
Executive Secretary
AEI-USA, May 2018 - Present
AEI-USA News Update
HOUSTON 2018 has come and gone and was a very successful convention, on behalf of the AEI-USA Houston, Texas Chapter we send our heartfelt thank you to all who graced what was a very colorful and joyful event.
We are grateful for those that generously supported our convention, we are very appreciative, and may your generosity be rewarded in multiple fold. We give special thank you to all who honored our invitation to support our high table, this effort was headed by the Chair for the evening, Chief Attorney Mrs. Cordelia Nwokocha (AdaIgbo Global) and her family. And to all the members of Houston Chapter, thank you for putting together a fantastic show, and in doing so you have demonstrated that true strength is not only measured in numbers, and but also in togetherness and having one heart for a common purpose.
I encourage those that were not able to attend this wonderful convention to visit our updated website (aeiusa.org) and AEI Facebook page to enjoy the beautiful pictures from the event. The pictures will give you a glimpse at what took place and what to expect in our next convention, coming up on May 24th - 26th 2019 in Raleigh, North Carolina (RAL19), you cannot afford to miss this one.
We achieved a lot in the Planetary section of the Houston, Texas convention on Saturday morning May 26 2018. We approved amendment to AEI By-law and elected of new officers to serve for the next tenure.
Key items on the amendment were:
Member bereavement changes: we introduced AD Hoc contribution to ensure that our purse is replenished to guaranty that bereavement fund will be available for future recipients, also, made changes to minimum requirement to be eligible for family Bereavement.
These are important changes, I have included below the full text of the approved changes to AEI-USA Bylaw, also the original text is on the AEI-USA website.
New officers were elected at the Houston convention to continue the great job that have been done by past officers, in guiding AEI-USA thus far. We give special thanks to past executives and board members, to Ms Ifeoma Obiekwe (Ada Orimili) our outgoing Executive Secretary and Mr Lennox Anunwah outgoing Board Chair, we appreciate your exceptional services and to all who have offered to serve in the new tenure much gratitude for your sacrifice.
The New Executives: Fred Ogbutor (Executive Secretary), Ifeanyi Nwigwe (Assistant Executive Secretary), Peter Nwangwu (Financial Secretary), Arinze Agwuna (Treasurer), Sir Uche Okafor (Whip), Jude Anunwah (Publicity Secretary). Board Members: Peter Anagor (Board Chairman), Gladys Ibik, Sir Abuchi Nwogbo, Ekezie Ezigbo, Okey Nkenke, Sir Francis Nkwonta, Uzo Nkenke.
The tasks ahead to continue the success of organization includes, membership and chapter growth, improving our financial strength, continued efforts to integrate our youths/young adults and where possible continue lending assistance to our brothers and sisters back home.
We plan to continue the past practice of going on medical mission back home. At the Houston convention the focus was to conduct a successful election, the mark of great democratic organization is its ability to peacefully transition leadership, this was accomplished with great success in Houston. Big congratulation to the AEI family.
We want to remind our members who have not paid their dues to please remit their payment through your chapter or directly to our AEI-USA financial secretary. Mr Peter Nwangwu at address below:
7406 Ninth Street NW Washington, DC 20012, cell 202-369-3624
Our next convention is RAL19, this will be AEI-USA 23rd Annual convention, the destination is the city of Raleigh, North Carolina. Although AEI-USA does not have functioning chapter in Raleigh, we have two of dedicated members, Chief Abuchi Nwogbo (Oketele) and Mr. Amobi Okafor, they are ready and willing to help coordinate a destination convention. The National body will host RAL19 convention with our membership financial support. We are certain that this will be a very successful convention just like Houston 2018.
The AEI-USA Executive Council have already started the planning for a great convention in 2019 in coordination with Abuchi Nwogbo and Amobi Okafor they our boots on the ground. HOU18 was a great show but RAL19 is posed to be a bigger one.
The venue for the gala night has been confirmed at the Hilton Hotel Banquet Hall, a venue fitting for a grand convention, we plan for aggressive publicity for this convention. We have secured Group Block rate at four hotels in close proximity to the Hilton. The Flyer with detailed information for members to start making reservation early, will follow shortly.
The success of a convention is rooted in the support and financial commitment of our members and our ability to solicit financial support from friends. To this end we are asking our AEI family to support this convention financially in donations and AD purchase and attendance. Each member is expected to bring in two pages of AD. Bear in mind that RAL19 is a destination convention hence the convention is being funded from AEI-USA national purse. Thank you for your anticipated support and generosity. God Blessings to all.
CHANGES APPROVED AT 2018 HOUSTON CONVENTION
AMENDMENT: Ratified by the General Membership on May 26, 2018 (HOU18 Convention) Member Bereavement Benefits: $5000
Method of contribution: by Ad Hoc:
Excluding the bereaved spouse, following a death; all members, depending on the amount of active members, will contribute an
agreed specified amount toward the bereavement payment up to the current total of $5,000. This amount will be divided among
the members, and will fluctuate depending on the number of active members at the time of the bereavement.
Method of payment:
The payments, to the bereaved family, will be extracted from the current insurance fund account and all excess collected amounts
will be deposited into the current insurance fund account.
Family Bereavement Benefits: $1000
Death of Non-member spouse: the amount of $1000 to be paid to members for the death of a “non-member spouse”
Eligibility:
1. A minimum of 2 years ACTIVE membership is required
2. Member must be in good-standing
3. Deceased non-member spouse must be ineligible for membership,
i.e. male indigenes of other towns legally married to Enugwu-Ukwu women.
Death of member parent: the amount of $1000 to be paid to members for the death of a “parent”
Eligibility:
1. A minimum of 2 years ACTIVE membership is required
2. Member must be in good-standing
3. Member must be biologically related to the deceased parent or
legally adopted by the deceased parent.
Death of Member child: the amount of $1000 to be paid to members for the death of a “child”
Eligibility:
A minimum of 2 years ACTIVE membership is required
2. Member must be in good-standing
3. Member must be biologically related to the deceased child or has
legally adopted the deceased child.
4. Child must be under 18 years of age i.e. ineligible for membership
Method of payment:
The payment, to the bereaved member, will be extracted from the current insurance fund account.
Only one disbursement per child per family i.e. families with multiple members will only receive one payment
Fred Ogbutor (Icheku)
AEI-USA Executive Secretary
We are grateful for those that generously supported our convention, we are very appreciative, and may your generosity be rewarded in multiple fold. We give special thank you to all who honored our invitation to support our high table, this effort was headed by the Chair for the evening, Chief Attorney Mrs. Cordelia Nwokocha (AdaIgbo Global) and her family. And to all the members of Houston Chapter, thank you for putting together a fantastic show, and in doing so you have demonstrated that true strength is not only measured in numbers, and but also in togetherness and having one heart for a common purpose.
I encourage those that were not able to attend this wonderful convention to visit our updated website (aeiusa.org) and AEI Facebook page to enjoy the beautiful pictures from the event. The pictures will give you a glimpse at what took place and what to expect in our next convention, coming up on May 24th - 26th 2019 in Raleigh, North Carolina (RAL19), you cannot afford to miss this one.
We achieved a lot in the Planetary section of the Houston, Texas convention on Saturday morning May 26 2018. We approved amendment to AEI By-law and elected of new officers to serve for the next tenure.
Key items on the amendment were:
Member bereavement changes: we introduced AD Hoc contribution to ensure that our purse is replenished to guaranty that bereavement fund will be available for future recipients, also, made changes to minimum requirement to be eligible for family Bereavement.
These are important changes, I have included below the full text of the approved changes to AEI-USA Bylaw, also the original text is on the AEI-USA website.
New officers were elected at the Houston convention to continue the great job that have been done by past officers, in guiding AEI-USA thus far. We give special thanks to past executives and board members, to Ms Ifeoma Obiekwe (Ada Orimili) our outgoing Executive Secretary and Mr Lennox Anunwah outgoing Board Chair, we appreciate your exceptional services and to all who have offered to serve in the new tenure much gratitude for your sacrifice.
The New Executives: Fred Ogbutor (Executive Secretary), Ifeanyi Nwigwe (Assistant Executive Secretary), Peter Nwangwu (Financial Secretary), Arinze Agwuna (Treasurer), Sir Uche Okafor (Whip), Jude Anunwah (Publicity Secretary). Board Members: Peter Anagor (Board Chairman), Gladys Ibik, Sir Abuchi Nwogbo, Ekezie Ezigbo, Okey Nkenke, Sir Francis Nkwonta, Uzo Nkenke.
The tasks ahead to continue the success of organization includes, membership and chapter growth, improving our financial strength, continued efforts to integrate our youths/young adults and where possible continue lending assistance to our brothers and sisters back home.
We plan to continue the past practice of going on medical mission back home. At the Houston convention the focus was to conduct a successful election, the mark of great democratic organization is its ability to peacefully transition leadership, this was accomplished with great success in Houston. Big congratulation to the AEI family.
We want to remind our members who have not paid their dues to please remit their payment through your chapter or directly to our AEI-USA financial secretary. Mr Peter Nwangwu at address below:
7406 Ninth Street NW Washington, DC 20012, cell 202-369-3624
Our next convention is RAL19, this will be AEI-USA 23rd Annual convention, the destination is the city of Raleigh, North Carolina. Although AEI-USA does not have functioning chapter in Raleigh, we have two of dedicated members, Chief Abuchi Nwogbo (Oketele) and Mr. Amobi Okafor, they are ready and willing to help coordinate a destination convention. The National body will host RAL19 convention with our membership financial support. We are certain that this will be a very successful convention just like Houston 2018.
The AEI-USA Executive Council have already started the planning for a great convention in 2019 in coordination with Abuchi Nwogbo and Amobi Okafor they our boots on the ground. HOU18 was a great show but RAL19 is posed to be a bigger one.
The venue for the gala night has been confirmed at the Hilton Hotel Banquet Hall, a venue fitting for a grand convention, we plan for aggressive publicity for this convention. We have secured Group Block rate at four hotels in close proximity to the Hilton. The Flyer with detailed information for members to start making reservation early, will follow shortly.
The success of a convention is rooted in the support and financial commitment of our members and our ability to solicit financial support from friends. To this end we are asking our AEI family to support this convention financially in donations and AD purchase and attendance. Each member is expected to bring in two pages of AD. Bear in mind that RAL19 is a destination convention hence the convention is being funded from AEI-USA national purse. Thank you for your anticipated support and generosity. God Blessings to all.
CHANGES APPROVED AT 2018 HOUSTON CONVENTION
AMENDMENT: Ratified by the General Membership on May 26, 2018 (HOU18 Convention) Member Bereavement Benefits: $5000
Method of contribution: by Ad Hoc:
Excluding the bereaved spouse, following a death; all members, depending on the amount of active members, will contribute an
agreed specified amount toward the bereavement payment up to the current total of $5,000. This amount will be divided among
the members, and will fluctuate depending on the number of active members at the time of the bereavement.
Method of payment:
The payments, to the bereaved family, will be extracted from the current insurance fund account and all excess collected amounts
will be deposited into the current insurance fund account.
Family Bereavement Benefits: $1000
Death of Non-member spouse: the amount of $1000 to be paid to members for the death of a “non-member spouse”
Eligibility:
1. A minimum of 2 years ACTIVE membership is required
2. Member must be in good-standing
3. Deceased non-member spouse must be ineligible for membership,
i.e. male indigenes of other towns legally married to Enugwu-Ukwu women.
Death of member parent: the amount of $1000 to be paid to members for the death of a “parent”
Eligibility:
1. A minimum of 2 years ACTIVE membership is required
2. Member must be in good-standing
3. Member must be biologically related to the deceased parent or
legally adopted by the deceased parent.
Death of Member child: the amount of $1000 to be paid to members for the death of a “child”
Eligibility:
A minimum of 2 years ACTIVE membership is required
2. Member must be in good-standing
3. Member must be biologically related to the deceased child or has
legally adopted the deceased child.
4. Child must be under 18 years of age i.e. ineligible for membership
Method of payment:
The payment, to the bereaved member, will be extracted from the current insurance fund account.
Only one disbursement per child per family i.e. families with multiple members will only receive one payment
Fred Ogbutor (Icheku)
AEI-USA Executive Secretary
Enugwu-Ukwu On Our Mind
We assembled in Chicago in the summer of 1997 for a hometown gathering. It was not a convention in the manner to which we are now accustomed; but it served the purpose of bringing us together to seek a common goal. The result of that meeting is the organization now known as the Association of Enugwu-Ukwu Indigenes in USA.
As its name implies, AEI is an exclusive organization. It is reserved solely for individuals with lineal, marital or adoptive ties to Enugwu-Ukwu, who also happen to reside in the USA. Therefore, you can be from Enugwu-Ukwu and choose not to belong to AEI, but, you cannot belong to AEI if you are not from Enugwu-Ukwu. That is the one criteria on which we insist with uncompromising rigidity. There are reasons for this stance.
Enugwu-Ukwu is our home. Admittedly, we are far removed from it. But, the founding of AEI is based, fundamentally, on this fact. Our organization was formed to serve as a conduit—if you will; a means of bridging the gap between us and our hometown. While we all have our individual reasons for coming to America—as our homeland continues its unabated degeneration into global obscurity—the reasons why we stay assumes a certain uniformity. Through AEI, we remember the ones we left behind.
At the very heart of our organization's formation is the notion that we must work collectively to address the developmental quagmire in Enugwu-Ukwu. At our 2000 Convention, in Atlanta GA, we began to do just that. We started by revamping all of the primary schools located within Enugwu-Ukwu. Within a couple of years, we had moved on to a full scale upgrading of the Ide Girls Secondary School (IDGSS). At IDGSS, we rebuilt their classrooms, we rebuilt and revamped their Labs, we provided a field for athletic competition and, most importantly, we provided an electrically powered well for fresh drinking water and other life sustaining necessities. Our comprehensive rebuilding efforts at IDGSS underscores the importance we, as AEI members, attribute to the education and social wellbeing of our youth.
AEI has made significant strides in Enugwu-Ukwu's provision of healthcare as well. In 2005, under the stewardship of our Health Committee Chair, Dr. Ngozi Agwuna, we began hosting medical clinics for our indigenous brethren. The success of the 2005 clinic led to the expansion of our 2007 clinic. Not only did we extend our stay from two days to two weeks, but—in line with our health committee's commitment to addressing existing and emerging healthcare needs—we added health education classes to educate the villagers on proper child care and basic healthcare techniques; ensuring that they are equipped with the requisite knowledge to address daily concerns that can range from the minimal to the significant.
Enugwu-Ukwu and its neighbors are serviced by only one hospital—Enugwu-Ukwu General Hospital. It is an under-staffed, under-equipped organization which has neither the capacity nor the ability to manage even the most basic needs of its population. AEI began addressing this problem in 2006 by providing revamping assistance. We provided water by repairing the well and the assisting generator. We also upgraded the maternity ward; and other facilities. Perhaps, our biggest accomplishment, at the hospital, is not the work we did ourselves, but the examples we set for some of our more affluent compatriots—who, by observing our efforts, have now continued the rehabilitation efforts themselves; freeing us to focus our attention elsewhere.
Enter the Boys Secondary School. The condition of this facility epitomizes the endemic problems of today's sub-Saharan Africa. Such is the deplorable state of the Boys' school that their population—pre-AEI intervention—had dwindled down to less than twenty pupils. (Illustrative pictures can be found on our website: http://www.aeiusahealthed.org). In the past year, we have provided an athletic field for the boys; this year, we are building a lodge for the youth-corpers, who are the only teachers available for the children.
AEI's next goal is an ambitious but attainable one. We are planning to build a solar powered library for the youth of our community. This project will be a difficult one; it will be our most challenging. However, the necessity of such an endeavor cannot be overstated. This fact is made clear in a 2008 report generated by the UN Secretary General at the behest of the General Assembly vis-a-vis resolution 62/242. In many words and pages, the report details and describes the ravages of our continent, but it inevitably leads to one conclusion: AFRICA IS IN BIG BIG TROUBLE.
If only we could distance ourselves from the UN's dire predictions about Africa and rely solely on the fact that Nigeria is a separate country—separate and distinct from the rest of the continent. Could we say, for example, that what applies to the African continent, in totality, somehow does not apply to
Nigeria? That Nigeria escapes this conundrum because it is the "Giant of Africa" and should not be lumped in with the rest of the "riff raff". In truth, we could—because self-delusion is a concept with which Nigerians are intimately familiar. We have deluded ourselves for decades that our country is something that it is not; that we have achieved things that we have not.
In further truth, Nigeria, according to Philip Emeagwali, is currently two hundred years behind the developed nations; and it will continue to lag behind, continue to slip into perpetual global irrelevance. From UNICEF, we learn that the general literacy rate, for Nigeria, is roughly 55%. Confirming that statistic is the fact that of the 239,682 candidates who sat for the internal examinations, administered by the National Examinations Council (NECO), only 4,000 received the minimum requirement of credit in five subjects, including English and Math. Therefore, the rate of failure was approximately 98%. What does all this mean? Well, it means that less than 2% of these youngsters, who are reportedly between the ages of 16 and 19, are qualified to enroll in higher institutions. Those are not the numbers that should be attributed to a country which prides itself as being the Giant of Africa.
Our continent is drowning and someone somewhere has to throw it a lifeline. Understandably, the problems of Africa cannot be handled by any one individual, organization or even country—there are simply too many details to attend; the problems are immense and far beyond computation. Fortunately for AEI, our focus is on our own little neck of the woods, Enugwu-Ukwu.
In recognition of a universally accepted fact, we believe that education is the foundation on which every successful progressive community is built, hence our library project. We believe that this work—in conjunction with our previous efforts—will go a long way to reversing the trend of ignorance in our community and consequently, other communities as well. We want our children to read different books, to learn different things and engage in different activities. In so doing, their minds and, hopefully, that of their extended relations, will expand.
It is our conviction that the meaning of life does not dwell in the length of time we inhabit this earth nor in the material abundance that we can acquire, but in the richness and the wonderfulness of life itself. Knowledge, in all its wondrous glory, is the key to an open mind; it plants the seed that education inevitably cultivates.
As its name implies, AEI is an exclusive organization. It is reserved solely for individuals with lineal, marital or adoptive ties to Enugwu-Ukwu, who also happen to reside in the USA. Therefore, you can be from Enugwu-Ukwu and choose not to belong to AEI, but, you cannot belong to AEI if you are not from Enugwu-Ukwu. That is the one criteria on which we insist with uncompromising rigidity. There are reasons for this stance.
Enugwu-Ukwu is our home. Admittedly, we are far removed from it. But, the founding of AEI is based, fundamentally, on this fact. Our organization was formed to serve as a conduit—if you will; a means of bridging the gap between us and our hometown. While we all have our individual reasons for coming to America—as our homeland continues its unabated degeneration into global obscurity—the reasons why we stay assumes a certain uniformity. Through AEI, we remember the ones we left behind.
At the very heart of our organization's formation is the notion that we must work collectively to address the developmental quagmire in Enugwu-Ukwu. At our 2000 Convention, in Atlanta GA, we began to do just that. We started by revamping all of the primary schools located within Enugwu-Ukwu. Within a couple of years, we had moved on to a full scale upgrading of the Ide Girls Secondary School (IDGSS). At IDGSS, we rebuilt their classrooms, we rebuilt and revamped their Labs, we provided a field for athletic competition and, most importantly, we provided an electrically powered well for fresh drinking water and other life sustaining necessities. Our comprehensive rebuilding efforts at IDGSS underscores the importance we, as AEI members, attribute to the education and social wellbeing of our youth.
AEI has made significant strides in Enugwu-Ukwu's provision of healthcare as well. In 2005, under the stewardship of our Health Committee Chair, Dr. Ngozi Agwuna, we began hosting medical clinics for our indigenous brethren. The success of the 2005 clinic led to the expansion of our 2007 clinic. Not only did we extend our stay from two days to two weeks, but—in line with our health committee's commitment to addressing existing and emerging healthcare needs—we added health education classes to educate the villagers on proper child care and basic healthcare techniques; ensuring that they are equipped with the requisite knowledge to address daily concerns that can range from the minimal to the significant.
Enugwu-Ukwu and its neighbors are serviced by only one hospital—Enugwu-Ukwu General Hospital. It is an under-staffed, under-equipped organization which has neither the capacity nor the ability to manage even the most basic needs of its population. AEI began addressing this problem in 2006 by providing revamping assistance. We provided water by repairing the well and the assisting generator. We also upgraded the maternity ward; and other facilities. Perhaps, our biggest accomplishment, at the hospital, is not the work we did ourselves, but the examples we set for some of our more affluent compatriots—who, by observing our efforts, have now continued the rehabilitation efforts themselves; freeing us to focus our attention elsewhere.
Enter the Boys Secondary School. The condition of this facility epitomizes the endemic problems of today's sub-Saharan Africa. Such is the deplorable state of the Boys' school that their population—pre-AEI intervention—had dwindled down to less than twenty pupils. (Illustrative pictures can be found on our website: http://www.aeiusahealthed.org). In the past year, we have provided an athletic field for the boys; this year, we are building a lodge for the youth-corpers, who are the only teachers available for the children.
AEI's next goal is an ambitious but attainable one. We are planning to build a solar powered library for the youth of our community. This project will be a difficult one; it will be our most challenging. However, the necessity of such an endeavor cannot be overstated. This fact is made clear in a 2008 report generated by the UN Secretary General at the behest of the General Assembly vis-a-vis resolution 62/242. In many words and pages, the report details and describes the ravages of our continent, but it inevitably leads to one conclusion: AFRICA IS IN BIG BIG TROUBLE.
If only we could distance ourselves from the UN's dire predictions about Africa and rely solely on the fact that Nigeria is a separate country—separate and distinct from the rest of the continent. Could we say, for example, that what applies to the African continent, in totality, somehow does not apply to
Nigeria? That Nigeria escapes this conundrum because it is the "Giant of Africa" and should not be lumped in with the rest of the "riff raff". In truth, we could—because self-delusion is a concept with which Nigerians are intimately familiar. We have deluded ourselves for decades that our country is something that it is not; that we have achieved things that we have not.
In further truth, Nigeria, according to Philip Emeagwali, is currently two hundred years behind the developed nations; and it will continue to lag behind, continue to slip into perpetual global irrelevance. From UNICEF, we learn that the general literacy rate, for Nigeria, is roughly 55%. Confirming that statistic is the fact that of the 239,682 candidates who sat for the internal examinations, administered by the National Examinations Council (NECO), only 4,000 received the minimum requirement of credit in five subjects, including English and Math. Therefore, the rate of failure was approximately 98%. What does all this mean? Well, it means that less than 2% of these youngsters, who are reportedly between the ages of 16 and 19, are qualified to enroll in higher institutions. Those are not the numbers that should be attributed to a country which prides itself as being the Giant of Africa.
Our continent is drowning and someone somewhere has to throw it a lifeline. Understandably, the problems of Africa cannot be handled by any one individual, organization or even country—there are simply too many details to attend; the problems are immense and far beyond computation. Fortunately for AEI, our focus is on our own little neck of the woods, Enugwu-Ukwu.
In recognition of a universally accepted fact, we believe that education is the foundation on which every successful progressive community is built, hence our library project. We believe that this work—in conjunction with our previous efforts—will go a long way to reversing the trend of ignorance in our community and consequently, other communities as well. We want our children to read different books, to learn different things and engage in different activities. In so doing, their minds and, hopefully, that of their extended relations, will expand.
It is our conviction that the meaning of life does not dwell in the length of time we inhabit this earth nor in the material abundance that we can acquire, but in the richness and the wonderfulness of life itself. Knowledge, in all its wondrous glory, is the key to an open mind; it plants the seed that education inevitably cultivates.
