ENUGU ASSOCIATION - USA, INCORPORATED
(Coming of Age, Coming Home)  

Chief/Hon Jones A. Okeke (Los Angeles, California, USA)
Chairman, Enugu USA, Board

In summer of 1998, a handful of Enugu persons resident in the different regions of USA, gathered in College Park, Maryland to discuss ways and means of forming an enduring Umbrella Association of Enugu people in the contiguous United States of America.  At the time, none of the pioneers of this movement envisioned that within a mere span of nine years, the eventual Enugu Association, USA, Inc., and its subsidiary – EnuguUSA Medical Mission, Inc., would quickly so blossom into a stable, reputable and influential Ibo, Diaspora, Apex State Association and a Health and Wellness delivery organ, respectively.       

 Indeed, the EnuguUSA, Inc. as many Nigerian Diaspora Associations, experienced in its early years, the usual mistakes and malformations of a well-intentioned group of professionals whose major common denominators were common language, ancestry and the strong urge to give back to the (Waawa) Community from where they originated.  Suffice it to say that many of the champions of the pioneering efforts of the EnuguUSA Inc.’s foundation ideals were mostly motivated by the growing ultraistic concerns for lack of benign and development-oriented politics as well as the self-serving urge to provide enabling political, economic and social environments for Enugu people and their friends in the Diaspora to possibly give or attract amenities and services to their People and Communities, back home.  

The membership composition of EnuguUSA Inc. since its official ratification in Newark, New Jersey in 2000, has grown from 13 to 28 paying affiliate members in 2007.  This growth marks more than 100 percent increase in chapter affiliate membership to the Association in less than 10 years.  Correspondingly, the quality of leadership in the Association has also strengthened exponentially as a result of the cumulative   professional experiences as well as the successive efforts and achievements of the committed men and women that have served and are still serving the Association today in various capacities.  Most prominent National Officers of EnuguUSA and EnuguUSA Medical Mission past and present include, but not limited to the following:  Founding National President, Chris Chukwu; founding Chairman of ESBOD, MOE Ene (Ph.D), Engineer Obi Taiwan; President Alloy Attah, VP. Deborah Agu, President John Egbo, President Afam Charles Agwu, VP. Lolo Oby Ike, Medical Director Sam Ngwu (MD), Medical Director Kanayo Ubesie (MD), Medical Director Chinwe Okonkwo (MD), Medical Director Martins Ugwu-Dike (MD); Executive Director Ethelbert Odoh, Coordinator Sunday Gozie Ogbodo (PhD), Chairman Bernard Ugwu, VP. Mrs. Oby Clara Ebulu, President Jude A. Akubuilo (PhD), Engineer Richard Chime, Chief Easy Ojonta, Chief Emma Obi, Engineer Steve Nnamani, Hon. Solomon Maduko, Attroney Dominc Ezeudu, Hon. Jones Okeke.          

EnuguUSA Inc. received a tremendous boost with the introduction in 2003 of the pace-setting Health and Wellness subsidiary of the Association  --  the EnuguUSA Medical Mission Inc.  The EnuguUSA Medical Mission since its inception, has attracted from reputable American-based non-profit Associations, Diasporan Enugu State individuals and faith-based Organizations in the United States, over $1.35 million in cash, medicines and supplies.  The EnuguUSA Medical has hugely become a sort-after household name in the grassroots Communities of Enugu State today.  By this December, the Mission would have served over 150, 000 patients in over 60 Communities of Enugu State.  The countless man-hours expended in volunteer service time by Physicians sympathizing health professionals as well as the dedicated team of chief organizers of the Mission for the past five years, if quantified, runs into millions of US dollars in value.  

Essentially, the ultimate decision to stage this year’s annual EnuguUSA Convention in the Coal city Capital of Enugu, was reached by the governing body of EnuguUSA, the EnuguUSA Board of Directors (ESBOD), in 2005, at the Atlanta, Georgia Annual National Convention of the Association.  That decision was re-certified by the current ESBOD at the Houston 2006 National Convention.   

The hosting of this year’s first International Convention in the Coal City State, is literally exploring virgin territory for EnuguUSA.  The challenges of organizing the Convention in Enugu would naturally have presented the Association with unimaginable  organizational nightmare if not for the divine intervention that were the culminating results of a veritable chain of events that was triggered by the ascension to office of the present occupant of the Lion Building – His Excellency, Attorney Sullivan Iheanacho Chime, Executive Governor of Enugu State.   

The theme of this Convention was dubbed “EnuguUSA and Enugu State, a Partnership for Success”.  This year’s Convention theme could not have been more appropriate, considering that the State Governor, on his own accord, has appointed at least six Diasporan Enugu professionals to varying levels of service in the current administration, the first for any recent regime in the State.  The appointment of Engineers Godwin Madueke and Johnbull Nwagu, persons who have served EnuguUSA in some capacity, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor, coupled with the selection of the current EnuguUSA National President, Attorney Jude Agozie Akubuilo to serve at  a cabinet level position in the administration, is commendably encouraging to members of the Association.    

Governor Chime administration has also stepped up its involvement with the annual EnuguUSA Medical Mission program, with needed increased logistics support.  The Governor is also ostensibly leaving up to the expectations of many, by throwing his  Executive weight and support behind the Convention with expenditures of apparent political and financial capital to ensure the success of this Nuevo experiment of Enugu Diasporan Mass Return, with the potential to rain in foreign currencies to the State economy.   

In return for the Governor’s hospitality and kind logistical gestures, members of EnuguUSA expect the Governor to make good on his promise of donating a temporary structure to EnuguUSA, to house its administrative liaison office and double as the handling facility for the annual EnuguUSA Medical Mission Program, in lieu of a permanent office complex.  Residents of Enugu State indigenes in the USA also expect Governor Chime to clarify the specifics of his administration’s policy of providing  affordable housing scheme for State Government workers as well as how interested Diasporan Enuguites could benefit from a similar housing and real estate programs from his administration.  Other possible expectations from the Convention could be to know the State Government’s official position providing enabling environment and incentives for potential foreign investments capital to the State.