KWENU: Our Culture, Our Future

Alaboso still ONN President

 

ACHO ORABUCHI

Dallas, Texas, USA

 

aorabuchi@netzero.net

 

Thursday, February 9, 2006

 

In a heightened political environment of the Nigerian community, particularly in Dallas, Chief Alaboso Joejim is still the President of the Organization of Nigerian Nationals in America, at least for the next one year. This time his mantra is quality and credible leadership, which is undoubtedly in short supply among Nigerians in the Diaspora. Organization of Nigerian Nationals (ONN) was founded in July 22, 1990 with infamous Dr. Jerry Ugokwe as the founding interim president, to be the umbrella organization for Nigerians in America; especially for those Nigerians residing in Texas area, but parochialism had hampered the ideal until recently when Chief Joejim took over the embattled organization.

 

Lately, however, life seems to be coming to the organization, but very slowly. Alaboso has much work to do for the organization to bring it to the desired level of expectation. Nigerians were yawning for a renewed leadership in the organization. The seemingly air of hope coming from Alaboso’s re-election prompted distinguished Nigerians to attend Chief Joejim’s second inauguration on Saturday, January 28, 2006 at Wyndham Hotel in Dallas. The event attracted people like Vice President of International Sales & Marketing, Pro-line International, Inc., Mr. Larry M. Mallory, Mr. Philip Odoemena, Rev. Frank Ekejija, Mr. Colin Atobajeun, Mr. Agbaje Peters, Dr. (Mrs.) Rachel Azinge, Olufemi Owoseni, Dr. Theodore Okechukwu, and Dr. George Njoku. 

 

Other dignitaries in the audience were the Dr. Chimezie Osondu, Dr. Richard Nwachukwu, Chief Sam Nwankwo, Nze Chinasa Madumere, High Chief Ike Nwoha, Dr. Richard Nwachukwu, High Chief Eddie Osuagwu, Mazi Felix Okereke, Barrister George Anibowei, Chief Godwin Ihegboro, and Mazi Felix Oti.

 

Joejim seized the occasion to speak on the need for credible leadership among Nigerians and the ineluctable need to groom and support the Nigerian youth for future leadership. In a speech entitled, “Integrity is the Antidote to Relevance”, he made available to the press, Joejim touched on other issues while elaborating on the dire need for quality and credible leadership among Nigerians in America. The excerpts:

 

Southern leadership in the Diaspora has an inescapable and important role to play in the shaping and supporting of the southern solidarity movement, in ensuring the south’s retention of the presidency in the year 2007. The solidarity we saw displayed in Enugu last year should not be allowed to die; rather, we should focus on helping them develop strategies to realize this mission.

 

We should seek to share in the responsibility of giving the movement a much needed voice on this issue especially in the Diaspora.  In the last year alone, the question of southern presidency was raised on a number of occasions by Dr. Acho Orabuchi, the leader of PNF USA, and it is no coincidence that the southerners all over the world are now growing more interested in the concept of the south delivering the next president of our nation in the year 2007.

 

The southern demand for the presidency constitutes a positive development that comes at an important time in the history of our great nation. There is some consensus even with the northern elite, in support of the south’s demand. The northern leaders have not lost sight of the aspirations and capabilities of the southern leaders; after all it is unarguable, the amount of time they have held the leadership position in our country since our independence.

 

While calling for the solidarity of southern leadership in the Diaspora to actualize the south’s 2007 aspiration, we cannot help but mention the need to sanitize the tainted reputation of our leaders in the Diaspora. The spate of corruption seen recently in our organizations has to be eradicated if we are to have a voice and be relevant in leading and shaping the future direction of our great nation. We stand at a cross road in the history of our nation when we can and should contribute positively to the ongoing debate about who should be the future leader of our country.

 

As this concept is gaining support and momentum, the essence of its purpose should help recruit a broad range of southern leaders in the Diaspora to join this movement. They should be clamoring to weigh in on this very important discussion because what we need to propel this movement to the next level is a comprehensive, consistent, and unequivocal support for those of us here.

 

I commend the tireless effort of leaders like Dr. Acho Orabuchi, who I consider as an indelible symbol of the struggle of this campaign. He has and is still lending his voice in support of the need for a southern leader come 2007. We need vocal leaders like him who is constantly using all the means at his disposal in support of the actualization of this goal. Frankly speaking, it is his willingness to stand alone in the face of unyielding opposition on a lot of issues regarding integrity and speaking his mind even when issues are not popular, that sets him apart from other leaders in the Diaspora. This in fact was one of the attributes that  ensured the unequivocal support for his nomination to be the 2006 Organization of Nigerian Nationals Leadership award recipient in Dallas, Texas. While I commend for his impeccable leadership qualities, I congratulate on being the first recipient of this award from Nigerians in the Diaspora. As the president of the Organization of Nigerian Nationals, I thank him so immensely for his sacrifice and selfless service to Nigeria. It’s really an honor for me to present him with this coveted award.
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