I also take this opportunity to thank the general membership of this association for the opportunity given me to serve in the capacity of the founding president of Issele-Uku Association of North America. This has been a life time privilege and a rewarding experience that I will always cherish.

As we move towards the future, this association will continue to play a vital role in the present and future re-orientation of our priorities relative to our collective quest for an improved general development. It is my hope that we will act as a conduit for direct contact with the local and state governments in Nigeria towards influencing the government to play their part in improving the lives of our people. We as individuals and or organizations can never take the place of the elected government, but through our association, we can influence the government to live up to their responsibilities to the people.

And as we come to these cross roads, we will be confronted with two options; to sit on the fence and complain about the status quo, or to become involved in making the changes necessary in reducing the level of suffering among our people. In order to make any difference, we must come together to fight for our common cause as a united front. We, therefore, call on all our people to join us in making this happen.

Our membership has been growing considerably in the past three years and this association is getting stronger and more focused. Today, a new chapter of Issele-Uku association is being formed here in Austin, Texas. We thank Mr. Dan Osemene, Tony Ezeagbor, Sam Osemene and Ike Medua for making this possible. We also thank these gentlemen and their beautiful wives for hosting this convention here in Austin, Texas.

We are looking forward to extending our Issele-Uku association chapter to the Washington D.C. area in the near future. Dr. Ben Emeka Nwaochei and the other dedicated people of Issele-Uku will be working on this proposal to make it a reality.

The Issele-Uku association of North America is committed towards the safety and security of our home town and has committed itself towards lending a hand in making our community safer and more secure. The constant harassment and loss of property among our population at home in the hands of armed bandits is a case in point. The Atlanta chapter, under the leadership of Mr. Nkadi Azuh, has taken the initiative to send thirty torch lights to the Issele-Uku development union to enable them serve the security needs of our people.

We have received information that the local main roads connecting Issele-Uku with other near- by towns have undergone major improvements and now transportation between the local towns is much more assessable. We welcome these changes and we look forward to more improvements in our community in the areas of personal safety, electricity, hospitals, drinking water, and improved physical school structures.

Issele-Uku association of North America will continue to engage our illustrious sons and daughters at home and abroad to become more actively involved in the daily lives of our community by sharing their influence and speaking up on issues that are important to the general developments in our community. We still believe that giving back to the community is more rewarding than personal gains.

During the 2007 Issele-Uku association national convention in Houston, one of our members, Dr. Victor Anazia, spoke about his plans to help rehabilitate the dilapidated Pilgrim Baptist hospital at Issele-Uku. Today I am happy to announce that Dr. Anazia has kept his promise. The Pilgrim Baptist hospital is now fully functional; the infrastructure has been restored, hospital equipments have been shipped from here and medical personnel have been hired to provide medical services to that community. We applauded the great work that Dr. Anazia has done in that hospital to make this possible.

In the past three years since the formation of this association, we have made some progress in the area to increase membership in this association. Our new membership enrolments have increased considerably and Issele-Uku people all across this nation are calling us up wanting to join our cause.

We will continue to encourage membership until most Issele-Uku people in North America become registered members of this association.

This year’s distinguished service award, the first of its kind, was won by retired army Brig. Gen. Fred Bini Chijuka, for his long term selfless service and dedication to the development of Issele-Uku during his leadership role in the IDU. We congratulate Gen. Chijuka for this life time prestigious award. We also thank him and the IDU for recognizing this association as the official mouth piece of Issele-Uku related issues in the United States.

Our next goal will be to invite the Obi of Issele-Uku to the next convention here in the United States. We believe that extending our hands to our traditional leader will strengthen our influence by fostering better understanding between us and the people we serve. Other communities have invited their traditional rulers to the USA and there is no reason why we can’t do the same.

The 2009 convention was made possible by the extra-ordinary involvements of very dedicated members to whom I give my sincere appreciation and thanks. As my term comes to a close, I reflect on the good and hard times we have shared as a community of relatives and friends. I am also proud of the accomplishments and impact this association has made in the lives of our community over the years. We have come a long way and I look forward to the continued survival and achievements of this great association in the future. I thank all the good people that have worked with me over these years and I wish you well now and in the years to come. A new leadership will continue the vision of this association and we want them to succeed in our goal towards improving the lives of our people everywhere. I thank you all very much for the opportunity you gave me to serve.

And once again, on behalf of the Issele-Uku Association of North America, I welcome you to the 2009 national convention in Austin, Texas. Thank you. Peace.