ENUGU-USA: On the threshold of greatness

ENUGU-USA: On the threshold of greatness

(A cry not to walk away)

EZEJIOFO UDEH

espatfame@aol.com

New York City

Saturday, April 15, 2006

“We came to the, albeit obvious, conclusion that Enugu State Organizations in the U.S. speaking with one voice on issues would make the greatest impact. We must become peacefully engaged in the affairs of our state and country. We believe that a regional cooperation will better serve our goal of making Enugu State one of the best, if not the best, in the Union. Let ours be a united voice, no matter how much we struggle inside our Enugu family to reach a consensus. This call is inspired by noteworthy shipments of books and other miscellaneous items to the State University by the Dallas and Washington Organizations, for example, and by other collective sacrifices to date. Imagine what we could do as a regional body”

Chris Chukwu (President, Enugu-USA, 1998 -2000)

For most of us, walking away some twenty years ago from Enugu, the capital of Ndiigbo in the Southeast of Nigeria, was with joy and happiness of folks on a quest to achieve a life-long dream of studying in the United States of America, with hope of returning home to contribute to the economic development of Alaigbo, the Igboland. However, having achieved the first part, the second has proven difficult as the land we left behind has been turned into a basket case of economic and developmental quagmire. The economy has stayed in shambles as successive military and civilian administrations refused to reverse course. Consequently, 99 percent of those we left behind remain in abject poverty with no hope of solace, while the remaining one percent lives in opulence, dining on the riches of the fifth largest exporter of crude oil. Twenty-something years into this our academic pursuit turned economic exile, we are still here, not knowing when to buy that one-way ticket home.

As sad as it may seem, it is obvious that our stay in this foreign land is fast assuming a permanent status. To understand properly the complexity of our plight, in view of the deplorable economic condition at home, and to figure avenues for assistance, if any, to the poor masses -- the 99 percent Nigerians, a short story written in 1974 by Ursula K Le Guin (a part of "The Wind's Twelve Quarters," titled 'The ones who walk away from Omelas') came to mind. Perhaps because of its powerful message, this short fiction is among the most popularly used in ethics and leadership seminar across the globe. I read this story during my graduate school days at New York Institute of Technology, and I have since added it to the reading list of my students. Sharing this story with you forms the thrust of this submission.

THE SHORT STORY

With a clamor of bells that set the swallows soaring, the Festival of Summer came to the city of Omelas, Ms. Le Guin began a moving story of a beautifully constructed utopian society where happiness, prosperity, and opulence are the order of the day for its citizens. The people are always merry; they do not have any of what people in our society call "sins," and generally live in harmony with one another. They are not barbarians. They do not know rules and laws. The horses are happy to race; the race is one of the scenes that the author uses to show the tranquility of the people. As they did without monarchy and slavery, so they also got on without the stock exchange, the advertisement, the secret police, and the bomb, Ms. Le Guin wrote. Omelas, indeed, is a town of perfection.

Despite the opulence grandeur, the citizens of Omelas are aware that the prosperity and, indeed, their survival depend on the misery of one child who is locked in a small room somewhere in the basement. They all understand that their happiness, the beauty of their city, the tenderness of their friendships, the health of their children, the wisdom of their scholars, the skill of their makers, even the abundance of their harvest and the kindly weathers of their skies, depend wholly on this child's abominable misery.

According to Le Guin, at the coming of age, every citizen of Omelas is confronted with the reality of the existence of this poor child by coming to terms with its material condition. No matter how well the matter has been explained to them, she wrote, these young spectators are always shocked and sickened at the sight. They feel disgust, which they had thought themselves superior to. They feel anger, outrage, and impotence, despite all the explanations. They would like to do something for the child. But there is nothing they can do. If the child were brought up into the sunlight, out of that vile place, if it were cleaned and fed and comforted, that would be a good thing indeed; but if it were done, in that day and hour, all the prosperity and beauty and delight of Omelas would wither and be destroyed, Ms Le Guin wrote.

Although the citizens of Omelas are aware of the child's deplorable condition, most of them feel helpless, having accepted that their happiness is dependent on its deprivation. However, it is not everyone that could live with this sort of guilt. Some of the people, after visiting the child, where they discover the mystery and truth behind their world, realize that they, like the child, are not free. The burden on their conscience made them to reconsider their stay in Omelas. They just started to walk away. They keep walking through the beautiful gates. They keep walking across the farmlands of Omelas. They leave Omelas, they walk ahead into the darkness, and they do not come back. But they seem to know where they are going, the ones who walk away from Omelas, Ms Le Guin concluded.

THE LESSONS AND METAPHOR

The main theme of this short story is ethical decision-making and moral principles. It highlights how people react differently to certain norms in their society. It shows how people either get used to evil by taking the path of least resistance, or how people get disgusted with evil, do nothing, and just walk away. The story, however, did not go far enough to suggest the risky option of confronting the evil mystery to free the child.

Perhaps, metaphorically juxtaposing Omelas for Nigeria, we can start to appreciate and understand the lesson of this short story as it relatives to our plight as economic refugees in USA, and whatever difference, if any, we can make in the lives of the 99 percent languishing in poverty in the geographical contraption of Nigeria.

Today, in Nigeria, the elitist one-percent is, no doubt, enjoying the enormous wealth accruing from oil. The elitist minority are similar to the citizens of Omelas. They feast over the wealth of Nigeria. They are behind the corruption and decadence that have stifled the economic life of an average Nigerian. They live in sheer luxury as they perpetuate successive incompetent leadership to continue the vicious circle of siphoning wealth to foreign banks. They are well aware of their action and they intend to keep it as-is. They live the lifestyles of the citizens of Omelas.

On the other hand, the remaining 99-percent of Nigerians represent the little child of Omelas locked in a small room in the basement, whose anguish feeds and sustains the wealth and luxury of the one percent. Ndiigbo are among this hapless 99-percent of Nigerians. The same Ndiigbo are the usual victims of discrimination, marginalization, and persecution. The 99-percent of Nigerians, especially Ndiigbo, deserve to be rescued from the vicious cycle of poverty. They are yearning for the basic necessities of life. They need good health. They need education. They need elements of leisure. They need a share of the oil wealth. They need somebody to give them a voice or at least, lend them a hand.

To the one-percent Nigerians as in Omelas, things should remain the same. Demand for change to them is at best subversive. They want it to stay the way it is. However, for any meaningful progress to happen in both situations, it takes more than the opulence we have witnessed in Omelas at the expense of the agonized little child, and the prosperity of a mere one-percent on the breaking-backs of 99-percent Nigerians. In a decent society as in any well run organization, it takes competence, character, and sense of community to lead, and it takes disciplined people of social conscience to follow. Nigeria, unfortunately, is not a decent society. The Nigerian leadership, in a nutshell, socks. The question is: How we can make change? What can we contribute to alleviate the pains of Nigeria? On a second thought, do we really need to waste time in salvaging Nigeria, or do we just allow this behemoth to take the path recently predicted? Without dwelling in much imagination, the conclusion is that Nigeria's problem is as complex as it is grim. The problem is deeply rooted in the history of the amalgamation of strange bed fellows of nations forced to form a country baptized "Niger-area" by Lord Luggard's girlfriend.

In addition to the sad state of Nigeria, the situation of Ndiigbo is even worse and different. Ndiigbo are an original people who speak Igbo and breathe Igbo. We are dedicated, enterprising, and hardworking. Our only problem is our entrapment in Nigeria that made us a part of the 99-percent of Nigerians who represent the little child of Omelas. A closer review of the problem of Ndiigbo in Nigeria presents a heightened sense of urgency on our part to act. There is, indeed, a necessity to galvanize efforts and confront the demon of poverty. There is need for us to be the catalysts of change -- a change of Igbo economic development and political situation in or out of Nigeria.

THE CRY NOT TO WALK AWAY

Moreover, in Nigeria's situation, unlike in Omelas, those who walked away could return home. Those who walked away could send help to rescue the little child. Those who walked away could challenge the injustice to the child and stand up for what is right. This is where all of us in the Diaspora can help. This is where our activities and participation are most needed. Walking away is not an option for us. Walking away is un-Igbo; as they say, ‘Onye aghana nwanne ya.’ We can only walk away to the extent the economic exile can carry us; however, we do have a moral duty to aid our people even from the comfort of our exile homes as there is a moral burden if we don’t. This, among others, definitely played a role in propelling Maazi Chris Chukwu and Ndi-Enugu in the Washington D.C. area to make the clarion call to Ndi-Enugu in USA , a call best described as ‘a rallying cry not to walk away’; which ultimately led to the formation of Enugu-USA.

In a letter dated December 17, 1997 to other Enugu organizations, Mz. Chukwu captured the essence in part;

Chris Chukwu (President, Enugu-USA, 1998 -2000)

THE BIRTH AND GROWTH OF ENUGU-USA

Following the heavily attended inaugural meeting in 1998 at College Park, Maryland, which saw an army of Umu-Enugu who refused to walk way, Mr. Chukwu became the leader and coordinator of Enugu-USA. President Chukwu worked tenaciously with numerous excited Enugu men and women to nurture and shepherd the new organization to a successful national convention in Los Angeles, dubbed ‘Unity 99.’ Due to the misplaced political ambitions of a few in Los Angeles, the majority of Ndi-Enugu in attendance, bearing the interest of the young organization at heart, voted unanimously to suspend elections, and reposed confidence on Mz. Chris Chukwu by mandating him to select members of the executive to work with him till the next convention scheduled for the greater New York metropolis the following year.

President Chukwu’s administration championed the proposal and successful implementation of ‘Computer Internet Access’ project for the Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT) and Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) both in Enugu. I was privileged to serve in his administration as National Publicity Director with the venerable Dr. M. O. Ene as the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Furthermore, the Chukwu’s administration, in late 2000, organized another very successful national convention in Newark, New Jersey where a hotly contested election brought Engr. Aloy Attah of Dallas, TX to power. One of the high points of the Y2K convention was a keynote speech titled ‘Enugu: From Coal to Technology’ and meticulously delivered by Dr. Emeka Nkwuo (Oputaobie I of Awkunawnaw), an accomplished Enugu son resident in New Jersey.

President Attah, with the precision of the engineer he is, set out to build upon the gains of the previous administration. He coined the popular phrase, ‘Together Enugu Achieves More’-TEAM. And as a team leader, he expanded the number of chapters and brought in more people to participate. Attah’s administration organized a national convention in 2001, in Houston, TX. The convention was graced by the presence of the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani. The highlight of his administration is the proposal of Enugu-USA Center. He envisioned the center as self-sustaining, to be located in Enugu to serve as a link to Ndi-Enugu in the USA and Enugu State citizens in Nigeria. The center, he further explained, would promote interaction between business entrepreneurs in Enugu State and their counterparts in the USA with the view to promote Enugu State as an investment haven. His presentation was very comprehensive and thorough that the Board of Directors gave a unanimous approval. President Attah’s tenure was crowned by a profitable 2002 national convention in Dallas, TX which left the bank account of Enugu-USA in green to the tune of five figures. I was also privileged to serve, having been elected National Publicity Director, and Dr. M. O. Ené served on as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Following the remarkable performance of Attah’s administration, Enugu-USA, poised to take its first baby steps forward, needed a seasoned manager/leader to implement numerous bold proposals on the table which include but not limited to Enugu-USA Center, Medical Mission, and Educational Program. Shortly before the 2002 Dallas convention, on the advice of many, I decided to throw my hat in the ring to shepherd our young organization. However, on getting to Dallas, I noticed that my friend Hon. John Egbo still harbored presidential interest after losing to Engr. Attah in the 2000 hotly contested elections. After persuasive plea from many, led by Dr. Jude Akubuilo, and considering the overriding interest of my young family, I decided to back down to the great disappointment of some supporters. In a ceremonial selection, President John Egbo emerged. I settled for the Secretary-General position, while Hon. Afam Agwu became the Chairman of the Board of Directors

President Egbo’s tenure started with a bang as he embarked on a tour of most of the chapters of Enugu-USA. He championed the implementation of the Medical Mission program dubbed Enugu-USA Medical Mission. However, his aggressive push of the program and certain unilateral decisions, such as registering a separate entity without approval, led to the first crack in the new administration. As the Secretary-General, I worked with him to correct some of the flaws and assisted in persuading the Board of Directors to approve, albeit retroactively, the Enugu-USA Medical Mission. This led to the first-ever Enugu-USA medical mission to numerous towns and villages of Enugu State. In 2003, despite the fractured executive, Egbo’s administration organized a successful national convention in College Park, Maryland.

However, the persistent split in the executive had degenerated to an unmanageable proportion during the 2004 national convention which was an election year. President Egbo’s gun-ho leadership style of "shoot now, ask questions later," which of course facilitated the Medical Mission, did not continue to augur well with many. The issue of ownership of Enugu-USA Medical Mission Inc., was not properly resolved till the amendment of the constitution at the Chicago convention. Amidst this confusion, the foundation of Enugu-USA was partly shaken; a few people in the administration developed a siege mentality, the need to survive, and the knack to stay relevant. Unfortunately, I was not present at the Chicago convention due to death in my family; however, the confusion and the need to refocus the organization, boosted by the last minute withdrawal of the sole opponent, Mrs. Ifesinachi Iloputaife to that effect, probably made the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hon. Afam Agwu to end up at the helm in Chicago, notwithstanding the implication of ethical concerns. Despite all, President Egbo’s administration in cooperation with Ndi-Enugu in Chicago led by my homeboy, Hon. Silver Enyi, organized a successful convention with the involvement of more chapters.

Enugu-USA continued to grow as President Afam Agwu was ushered in to power while Dr. Jude Akubuilo became the Chairman of the Board of Directors. President Agwu, in his characteristic teamwork leadership style and the need for guided continuity appointed former President John Egbo as the new executive director of the Enugu-USA Medical Mission. The 2004 medical mission reached more localities of Enugu State, and the 2005 medical mission topped the chart with the shipment of a forty-foot container of medical supplies acquired by the grant writing efforts of a noble son of Enugu, Professor Uzochukwu. Even though bureaucratic and logistic problems are slowing the delivery, there is a reasonable confidence that the people of Enugu State will soon enjoy the fruits of the labor of these gallant sons and daughters of Enugu in the USA. As we are proud and grateful to all for the hard work, we pray that the container gets to our people.

In an effort to expand participation, President Agwu’s administration has resolved to move the national convention to July of every year to accommodate and encourage the involvement of the Enugu youths. The administration worked with the leadership of Ndi-Enugu in Atlanta, GA headed by Dr. Ifeanyi Udibe to organize a highly attended and probably the best convention which featured the first ever youth program. In addition, Mr. President has presented a detailed proposal of Enugu-USA Youth Forum to the Board of Directors for approval. The proposed mission is to facilitate youth participation in the activities of Enugu-USA. Furthermore, the Youth Forum will provide networking opportunity for the Enugu youths to interact and get to know each other. The Forum is poised to empower the youths to be more proactive leaders of social change and to engage in broader youth empowerment initiatives both here in the US and globally. With the approval of the Board of Directors, the Enugu-USA Youth Forum will be a key part of the 2006 national convention in Houston, TX. Thus, the expansion of medical mission, the introduction of Enugu-USA Youth Forum, and hopefully, a peaceful 2006 convention, and smooth transition stand to be the crown the achievements of President Agwu’s administration leaving a more solid foundation than he met.

THE SYNERGY OF CONSOLIDATION

Interestingly, the four administrations of Enugu-USA have each built on solid foundation laid by those who gathered at College Park, Maryland in response to the clarion call: A rallying cry not to walk away. As a recap, the Chukwu’s administration implemented the Enugu-USA Computer Internet Access that benefited ESUT and IMT. President Attah proposed Enugu-USA Center and appointed a Health Committee that proposed Medical Mission. President Egbo implemented the Enugu-USA Medical Mission. While expanding the medical mission, President Agwu moved the annual convention to July in order to accommodate the youths, and also proposed a comprehensive Enugu-USA Youth Forum.

Following the achievements of these administrations of Enugu-USA, it is time to start incorporating all the programs and proposals into a comprehensive implementation plan to consolidate the efforts. A good place to start is to reactivate the Computer Internet Access in Enugu. It is high time we implemented the Enugu-USA Center and situate the Computer Internet Access project within the center to generate funds. Instead of waiting in vain for political promises of governments, Enugu-USA Inc. should move to establish the Enugu-USA Center which brings its activities directly to the people and provide us with adequate information as to where help is most needed. Moreover, the establishment of the Center makes it necessary for Enugu-USA to register as a legal entity in Nigeria. When this is done, Enugu-USA being a legal entity in Nigeria will go along way to prevent the sort of logistic snafu that is currently delaying the delivery of Medical Mission container.

More importantly, it is high time we made the Medical Mission a continuous and ongoing program to provide sustainable preventive health care to the poor people of Enugu State all year round. The intermittent missions are not adequate. The focus should shift to providing preventive health education and services on numerous preventable diseases that afflict our people. The Enugu-USA Youth Forum will yield ready volunteers for the Medical Mission in addition to providing potential leaders born in the USA, who will take over the mantle of leadership and continue the good work of Enugu-USA. Furthermore, a new administration should pursue the introduction of Enugu-USA Educational Fund to fund scholarship programs for the youths of Enugu State residing in Nigeria. Those of us in the USA could have an option of adopting students and paying their tuition through this educational program. The recipients of Enugu-USA scholarship will serve as mandatory volunteers for Medical Mission and at the same time staff the Enugu-USA Center in Enugu making it possible to kill many birds with one stone.

With the level of obvious synergy that would emerge from consolidating and implementing all the programs of Enugu-USA, establishing a foothold in Enugu via the Enugu-USA Center and involving the youths, it becomes imperative to transform our organization to an open, accountable, and transparent one; an organization whose web site will provide comprehensive information about all aspect of the organization’s activities and programs including the audited financial reports. Furthermore, with the new synergy and attendant transparency, Enugu-USA will be distinguished as an organization that attracts the broad spectrum of Enugu elite and their friends in the USA and, at the same time, win the hearts and minds of Ndi-Enugu trapped in Nigeria. Enugu-USA will become the organization where every Enugu person, whether a member of a chapter or not, is recognized as a stakeholder whose role and support are appreciated. Enugu-USA will no longer be perceived to be in the pockets of a few, rather an organization where democratic principles of election instead of selective coronation thrive. With this synergy, our Enugu-USA is definitely on the threshold of greatness.

ON THE THRESHOLD OF GREATNESS

Finally, for the past two years, I embarked with my brother, Dr. Ifeanyi Udibe, and many other Ndiigbo, in what I term "strategic activism" in Igbo-forum, advancing ideas on how to restructure World Igbo Congress (WIC) and make it more inclusive (representation of all Igbo States in its board). I think it is time we focused inward as charity is said to begin at home, although it does not end there. Our situation as economic exiles is not of choice. It is not entirely within our control. However, it is our individual and collective responsibility not to bear the moral burden of those who walked away without doing a thing for the poor child locked in the basement of Omelas. And doing something is following the path of the great Umu-Enugu, those who gathered at College Park, Maryland in 1998. Those who served Enugu-USA in the presidential capacity; such as Presidents Chris Chukwu, Aloy Attah, John Egbo, and Afam Agwu. And those who served as Chairman of the Board of Directors, such as Ndi-Honorable: Dr. M. O. Ené, Mz. Afam Agwu, and Dr. Jude Akubuilo.

As we appreciate their services and desire their continued involvement, we also recognize that the greatest commendation to them would be for a new crop of leadership to emerge standing on their wide strong shoulders to continue on the solid foundation they have laid in propelling Enugu-USA to a new height. And this can only be done when many start to participate. Therefore, I am calling on all those who are not shackled by old convention, those who have no respect for ineffective status quo, those who have stayed on the fence for so long, and those who are open-minded to join the majority voices of Ndi-Enugu converging from the North East, the North West, California, Middle Atlantic, and Southern United States into a formidable ONE ENUGU VOICE that speaks with love and unity, of nothing but, ENUGU-USA: On the threshold of greatness. Let us seize the moment to write our names in the sand of history.

Deeje nu!

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Ezejiofo Udeh, a professor of Management at Berkeley College & Touro University, a member of ESCF-NY/NJ/CT, a chapter of Enugu-USA, writes from New York City. He served as the National Publicity Director (1999-2002) and Secretary-General of Enugu-USA (2002-2004).

A follow-up article titled ‘Enugu-USA: Visions and strategies to greatness’ is in the works.