Nigeria-Biafra War Memorial 2006 (1)
A KWENU Special
Monday, May 29, 2007
With all the problems in community-based associations, where empty egos and petty power squabbles reign, the 2006 Memorial hung in the balance until last week Wednesday, during the presentation of Igbo-USA Peace Committee report. On that day, Chairman of the Igbo-USA Nigeria-Biafra War Memorial Committee, Dr. M. O. Ené, announced that the annual event would hold at the same venue: Salvation Army, Westside Community Center, 699 Springfield Ave, Newark, NJ 07103.
It held.
Saturday, 27 May 28, 2006, it was a long weekend. The sun was out, but not in full force. It was a perfect day for barbeque, and there were plenty of BBQ basins smoking along the streets of Newark. Music blared from a house across the street from the Salvation Army facility. In keeping with an expressed desire to expunge so-called “African time” from social intercourse, Event Chairman MOE was at the venue by 2 PM.
By 3 PM, a whole hour after the
scheduled 2 PM, only a handful of Jerseyeans had joined the Event Chair. They
included Mr. Max Gbanite, an Igbo-USA delegate at-large just back from Abuja, Dr.
Ken Igwe and Mr. Cornelius Akubueze, President and Secretary of Igbo-USA,
respectively. Also in loop were Mr. Christian Moghalu, an executive member of
Igbo-USA, who came with a friend, Mz. Chris Udoye. The favorite pastime of Nigerians
took center stage: making light of recent political happenings. There was plenty
to talk about, mostly un-publishable "insider" stuff. The group only stopped to
admire the wartime photo of Biafran officer Ken Igwe with an awe-inspiring,
butt-less,
automatic gun with doubled bullet-magazine and with the confident pose of a gallant
and fearless youth.
By 4 PM, the classroom-size room looked unlikely to contain the growing numbers, including Chief Austin Egwuonwu, ex-WIC Chairman, who came decked in military-fatigue uniform. Someone commented that it was called “kampala”! Wrong; kampala was an entirely different kind of popular Biafra military outfit. This one was called "camouflage." Also in the room were Mr. Austin Uzodike, ex-WIC scribe, and his wife, Mrs. Lynda Uzodike; Mr. Victor Akpu, the Igbo-USA chief whip and a delegate from Enugu State Association (ESA), Mr. Warrick C. Ekwueme, another ESA delegate; and the following New Yorkers: Mr. George Ezike of PANDEM and son, Jideofo; Prof. Ezejiofo Udeh, ex-scribe of Enuigu-USA, with daughter Ugonna, and Mr. Uche Nnamani of Enugu Cultural Foundation, NY. Some of the bosses of the principal NJ Igbo associations were in the house: Chief Boniface Udenta, President of Enugu State Association and his wife, Mrs. Lizzy Udenta, and Sir Joe Anemelu, President of Anambra State Association (ASA).
Besides the New Yorkers, Chief Obidike Ajuluchukwu drove in from Maryland to support his New Jersey friends. It was not an all-Igbo affair and never was intended to be an only-Igbo affair: Dr. Harris Enabulele, a popular political activist from Edo State and national officer of OUK’s campaign outfit, Reality, also attended.
INTRODUCTION
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Photo below shows Uzodike, Egwuonwu, Ené and Igwe on the discussion panel |
Dr.
Ené called the session to order by asking Chief Egwuonwu, ex-WIC Chair and a
fellow veteran (53 Brigade, Ajalli) to say the benediction. He prayed for the
repose of the souls of those who did not make it out of the blaze of Biafra, for
peace in our time, and for unity in the community. Egwuonwu called on Ndiigbo
never to forget the supreme sacrifices of so many brethren for the survival of
all future generations.
Welcoming those present, Ené recounted the history of the memorial-weekend event. He revealed that he floated the idea of memorializing the Nigeria-Biafra War and reaching out to the forgotten veterans in 1996, but no one would take it up during those heady Abacha days. In 1997, he organized the first memorial lecture at which a memorial mass was said for the repose of souls lost during the war. Igbo-USA stepped in on July 6, 1997 with yet another church service in Orange, NJ and raised some money for the veterans. He continued the lecture series until the idea went national in 2000, thanks to the efforts of then WIC Chair Egwuonwu, and continued as a tradition with all past and present Igbo-USA presidents.
2004 & 2005 Veterans Fund: How far so far?
The first item on the agenda was the 2004 & 2005 Veterans Fund: How far so far? Igbo-USA President Ken Igwe started his account from the beginning: a decade ago. Following Dr. Ené’s proposal for an annual memorial lecture and for something to be done about the status of war veterans at Oji River, he traveled to Oji River at his own expense to ascertain their needs and how they could be helped. He was then the Vice President of Igbo-USA. The New Jersey initiative was later nationalized when Egwuonwu-led World Igbo Congress (WIC) got involved.
On the issue at stake, he stated that he was aware of the garbage spewed by those who had never sacrificed a useful hour for the survival of Ndiigbo, those who never contributed a red cent to the Oji River veterans, and those whose destructive, pull-him-down tendencies had no added value to Igbo existence. He recounted his military service in Biafra, his personal contributions to the veterans at Oji River over the years andin different settings, and his continued service to the Igbo community in New Jersey and beyond.
“Therefore,” he asserted emphatically, “I did not want to dignify ignorance.”
The meat of the matter is actually simple. In a nutshell, Igbo-USA raised about $1400:00 during the 2004 memorial [See Biafra Bidding]. A local pharmacist also donated a wheelchair. In keeping with its policy, Igbo-USA matched the contribution with $1000.00. The wheelchair and $2400:00 were channeled through the local Songhai Charities in the hope that the organization had the logistics and the accounting standard to accomplish the task. By 2005, Igwe was now Igbo-USA president, and the money was still sitting with Songhai. So, after the May 2005 event, which netted $1600:00, he decided to deliver the money direct to the war veterans after more months of waiting for Songhai to deliver on 2004 funds first.
Early this year, on a trip to Nigeria, he tried to deliver the money, but the arrangements made to hook up with the point man on the ground, Barrister Zik Obi, fell through because of the attorney’s prior post-festivities engagement in Lagos. By the time he came back to the States, there was an impending lawsuit against Igbo-USA by Anambra State Association (also known as AESA) and Igbo-USA funds were being channeled toward its legal defense. He decided not to plough the money back into the system until a reliable delivery channel was established. This was accomplished early this month, when Mr. Zeribe Ezeanuna delivered the 2005 funds in full glare of Anambra State television crew and media persons.
[Mr. Ezeanuna would later deliver the video tape at the session.]
There was no elaboration on the lawsuit, but documents available to KWENU show that the matter is pending in Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, Essex County, DOCKET NO.: C-289-05. (*) So far, KWENU estimates that the lawsuit and countersuit have gulped over $30,000:00 and the countersuit is yet to be addressed. The cost is set to top the $100,000:00 after depositions, and before the case is even heard by a judge! Interestingly, one of the complaints alleges that there was no report on the 2004 fundraiser for Biafran veterans. And more lawsuits are being prepared as we publish these facts! With such monies channeled properly, the Igbo community could have called the bluff of expensive service industry eating deep into the fiscal fabric of Igbo associations, or they could have set up a pension fund for the veterans. But that’s another section of the history, another story for another day.
AND THE 2004 FUNDRAISER
Continuing, Igwe rhetorically wondered why the Internet detractors and gossip peddlers zeroed in more on the 2005 funds, and glossed over the 2004 fund that was a part of the ongoing litigation. The answer, he offered, was that the 2004 fund ($2400:00) was sitting with a charity outfit controlled by acolytes of the detractors. He reported that he had written to Songhai Charities Chairman, Hon. Elliot Isibor, to return the money to Igbo-USA, which had established an independent channel of funneling money to the war veterans. Only recently, according to Igwe, Executive Director of Songhai Dr. Justin Ogbonna sent him a form to sign so the money could be delivered to the veterans. He informed the now room-full of people that Igbo-USA was no longer interested in Songhai’s channels, that the umbrella association would prefer to take back its money and its wheelchair from the charity association and channel them directly to the veterans.
Mr. Victor Akpu wanted to know if Igwe gave Songhai a deadline to return the money; Igwe responded that he gave them two weeks from previous week to return the money. Other attendees we spoke with accepted the explanation and urged the association's officials to resolve the outstanding issues openly and with dispatch. "Ka ihe niile tara n'abali buru anwu," one said, "Ozo emene." These matters, many contend, should be given wider publicity and names of detractors revealed so as not to discourage the few who still chip in money for the program.
Mr. Max Gbanite spoke next. He thanked Ené for his vision, and saluted Egwuonwu, Uzodike, and Igwe for their steadfastness in keeping the plight of the war veterans on the front-burner. He regretted that Songhai Charities had not lived up to expectations of the community and found no reason for the group holding on a donation from 2004. He lamented that the wheelchairs of the veterans were rickety and wondered why Songhai could not use its charity status to secure and ship wheelchairs to these brethren. Gbanite promised to help Igbo-USA as a liaison on matters concerning the veterans once he returned to his base in Abuja.
WIC Oji River Project for Veterans
Ex-WIC
Chairman Austin Egwuonwu reported on
the Oji River Project (TORP), which
was conceived, planned, heavily supported, and executed from
New Jersey. From the get-go, Egwuonwu
reported that TORP was partly symbolic – "to show that we cared; it was never
designed to make the veterans rich overnight." In a detailed report, Egwuonwu
recounted that he inherited an empty treasury in 1999. However, since the Oji
River veterans were a part of his manifesto, he dived into it. First, he sent
his wife to Oji River to establish contacts, and followed up later with several
visits; at each visit, he donated generously with to the group and established a
rapport with their leadership.
Chief Egwuonwu recounted the problems he encountered in trying to secure a piece of land along Oji-Udi road from the Anglican Diocese of Oji River, how he traveled to Nachi to meet with Bishop Madu, and how he settled on using a large solid oven at the former colonial leprosy colony. He also informed that there were many manufacturing proposals, including gari-making. In the end, toilet paper-making was selected. To secure the machines, he called everywhere from Taiwan to Israel. Once the Israeli found out he was Nigerian and established he was from the Southeast Igbo, the Israeli told him that the machine could be built at Aba for the cost of shipping one from Israel. He got the contacts, and that was how he sourced out the factory locally.
By 2001, fighting the forces against his reelection attempts and pursuing the project took a huge toll on energy and his personal fiscal resources. After so many obstacles, the machines were installed, commissioned by the Deputy Governor of Enugu State Okechukwu Itanyi, and it functioned. His successor, Dr. Kalu Kalu Diogu was in attendance and inherited the setup with commendation for his foresight and devotion.
Problems set in because no one was prepared for the intensity of everyday management of the factory. A regularly paid coordinator was needed to supervise the operations and to ensure the security of the installation. Of the two big rolls of raw materials from Star Paper Mill, only one was delivered; the other, costing over #200,000:00 (naira) could not be delivered because they couldn’t find #25,000:00 to pay a 911 truck.
With the stealing of major components and the general disrepair of the setup, TORP began a steady decline. In closing, Egwuonwu lamented that good intentions are now abused too often it might turn many good people away from trying to do good. He informed that he did not regret investing time and money in the venture; his only regret was that he didn’t listen to his wife. If he had, he would have simply built the factory and donated it to the veterans! He said that it cost him and his family a whole lot more to build the health center which they donated to his Aku community. Nonetheless, he thanked all those who donated towards the project and encouraged them not to see the project as a waste, but rather as a learning process.
At this point, more people had arrived. The gathering moved to the main hall where the event held in 2005. And Igwe left to attend successfully to a family medical emergency; he would return to the session, as evidenced by the panel photo, which was taken at the main hall by Obidike Ajuluchukwu of Blacktvonline.com.
QUESTIONS
Asked whether he was involved in the management of TORP after his tenure, Egwuonwu informed that he handed over to KKD and that all the workers were paid. The only thing he left undone was delivery of the second roll of paper from Star Paper Mill. He heard later that coordinator and security personnel were complaining of non-payment and that the veterans were also complaining. He presented a copy of the complaint letter from the veterans. KKD later appointed his deputy, ex-WIC Vice Chair Chuka Obiesie, to reevaluate the situation, and that was where his role stopped.
Speaking again, Gbanite commented that he was a witness at the beginning of the issues, and that he had suggested “pure water” as a more viable and cheaper setup. He suggested that WIC could still salvage the setup by using NYCS personnel and arranging with IMT, Enugu or FUTO Owerri for credit-bearing internships by its engineering students. He also informed that PRODA, Enugu was back in business and could help to reactivate and expand the facility.
Dr. Enabulele suggested that if TORP needed to be reactivated, Igbo-USA must draft Egwuonwu back to the rescue because he fought in the war, he worked for the setup from the scratch, and he harbored the soul needed to make a difference. He said that the apathy of Igbo governors was baffling because they could not have become governors of today if those men didn’t lay their lives on the line for the survival of Ndiigbo and their neighbors.
Such speakers as Messrs Chris Nwigwe and Jude Madu wanted to know what it would cost to put the original plan back on track. In fact, Nwigwe asked pointedly if the project was still viable. Egwuonwu passed the question to Uzodike, who was until recently the Secretary of WIC and still a Board member. Uzodike responded that as far as he was concerned, TORP was no longer viable; the veterans were not equipped to manage the setup. He suggested that it was better to do what Ndiigbo abroad could to help them than worry about the Project. Mr. Madu wondered whether the setup could be remodeled for another product, such as the aforementioned “pure water.”
Many speakers were of the opinion or were convinced that the setup should be consigned to the basket of experience. Ezeanuna would later inform KWENU that the veterans themselves want the remnant of the setup sold off before it fails into irredeemable disrepair or is carted away by criminals.
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A group photo of some who stayed until the end of the session
All photos, with the exception of the first photo, are from Blacktvonline, thanks to Chief Obidike Ajuluchukwu.
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(*) ANAMBRA STATE ASSOCIATION OF NJ, INC., A NEW JERSEY CORPORATION ALSO KNOWN AS ANAMBRA/ENUGU STATES ASS’N OF NEW JERSEY BY ITS PRESIDENT, CHARLES ONYIUKE, Plaintiff,
v.
IGBO-USA, INCORPORATED, EBONYI STATE ASSOCIATION, KEN IGWE AND AUGUSTINE UZODIKE, Defendants.
And
IGBO-USA, INCORPORATED, EBONYI STATE ASSOCIATION, KEN IGWE AND AUGUSTINE UZODIKE, Defendants – Third-Party Plaintiffs
v.
THE ELDERS, OFFICERS AND CABINET OF ANAMBRA STATE ASSOCIATION OF NJ, INC., A NEW JERSEY CORPORATION ALSO KNOWN AS ANAMBRA/ENUGU STATES ASS’N OF NEW JERSEY, INDIVIDUALS CHARLES ONYIUKE, IZUCHUKWU IGWE, FRANK OYIBO ACHEBE, ANTHONY ADUBASIM, AMBROSE MGBAKO, JOE OBI OKEKE, UZO AHANEKU, MARYANNE IBIDA, NKECHI NWAFILI, JOANA OKAFOR SEA AND SEBASTIAN ADIBE.
****
Marc D. Garfinkle, Esq. is for Plaintiff;
LAW OFFICES OF JUDE O. NKAMA, LLC is for defendants.