Ideato Committee of Friends of Nigeria (ICFN) on Sunday elected new executive to pilot the affairs of the club for the next three years. In the said election, Ide Chief (Sir) Ernest Eze won the chairmanship position with a promise to make welfare of members a top priority. Success Damian Reports.
On hand to conduct the
elections at Bikel Event Centre, Agor Palaceway, in Lagos were three eminent personalities from the National body of ICFN, they
were the Chairman Board of Trustees, Chief John Umejiego; Vice Chairman of the
club, Ezinna Jude Muoneke and the National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Onyebuchi
Onyeje (Ochiwar).
After the election which was
attested to be free and fair by members, Ide Chief (Sir) Ernest Eze
(Orabugwueze) emerged president of the club having served the club as chairman
in an interim capacity.
Other winners at the election
include Ide Aloy Otiora, who became the Vice Chairman; Ide Chizoba Okoli was
also elected Treasurer of the association, Financial Secretary is now Meshach
Dim while Assistant Secretary is Febian Abasirim. Ide Chidi Godstime Ochomma
was returned unopposed as PRO; while Director of Social is Ogbonna Mike.
Other successful candidates
were Ide Oti Ikechukwu who was elected the Provost to be assisted by Mmadububa
Chinonso. The Secretary is Ide Christian Udenko, while Ide Chukwuemeka Asiegbu
became the Assistant Secretary.
In the end the new executive
members were sworn in by the Legal Adviser of the branch Ide Mike Orjiakor
(Dikeogbogu).
Chief Eze speaking on behalf
of the new executives described their emergence as a call to service and
promised to raise their game. He promised that the new exco will not betray the
confidence the club has in them. “We are called to serve, by the special grace
of God we will do well. If we had given 50% in our last executive, we will try
and raise it to 80% from today.” He urged members of the club to go all out and
drive for membership.
Ide Eze spoke further. “I am
highly excited, the election went peacefully and successfully too, and I appeal
to my colleagues in the new executive to join hand with me so that we can move ICF
and indeed Ideato forward.”
On his plan for the club, Ide
Eze disclosed that his major plan is to commence drive for membership to bring
all Ideato men (North and South) in Lagos to join ICF, “To come together as
bothers, to initiate formidable agenda for the development of Ideato as a
whole.”
He said Welfare of the members
will also be of utmost importance to the new executive.
Eze harped on issue of
security adding that herdsmen have penetrated their communities. He said that there
is every need for the branch to suggest some security measures to the ICFN central
body for onward communication to the government on how to secure Ideato nation.
He especially eulogized the
role of Ide Anayo Iguegbe for his indefatigable and commendable pioneering efforts
as a member of the 10-man committee in formation and nurturing of the group to
the present stage.
Ide Barr Mike Orjiakor, the
Lagos Branch Legal Adviser thanked the interim Executive and called on incoming
administration to emulate the exemplary leadership of the former executive.
Chief John Otuodichukwumma Umejiego (Akanaemmma in
Umuchuma, Ugochukwutubere of Umuobom, Ashiakporodike na Obodoukwu, Founder,
Pioneer President and Chairman, Board of Trustee, ICFN), was the man who headed
the electoral empire that conducted the historic maiden election into ICFN
Lagos Branch new executive.
Commenting on the smoothness of the election he
said even though he has no degree in Election he has PhD in Common Sense,
quoting Ben Bruce. “I applied common sense to make sure that we conducted a
free and fair election where the winners and losers would be happy of what
transpired. I am happy that such a thing
took place today, anybody that lost knows why he lost and those that won know
why they won, so it is a thing of joy.”
On his role as BOT chairman to grow the association
he said, “It is by the special grace of God, that we have kept the association
going, right from inception, this association was formed in the year 1989, May
7, since then we have been growing from strength to strength because of the
grace of God and understanding of one another as brothers. When we started
there was no record anywhere, there were no archives that Ideato as a people
has a common forum where they meet, so we then came up with Ideato Committee of
Friends where Ideato people could meet and discuss issues of development and
socialize because man is a social animal and then be our brothers keeper, see
how we can help our people who are in need.”
On his expectation from the Lagos Branch Umejiego
said “I expect that the club will grow from strength to strength, we expect to
see that in no distant time, they will write to the national body for induction
of new members which is a sign of growth, and then also we will be happy to see
that they own a property here as club house, for themselves so that they will
not be paying rent, they can easily help themselves by whatever they want to do
they go to their hall, I want to see such a growth from these officers, let
them ginger members, so that the progress of the club will be immeasurable.”
Chief (Nnaommadiebube) Muoneka
Jude, Vice chairman, on his part said, “the most important thing in the
election was the unity, you can see unity among the members, the election was
held in unity, oneness and love so that they could get the leader of their
choice. What I expect them to do now is to make sure they carry every member
along, create awareness in Lagos so that they grow their membership, we are expecting
a good number of people; we want them to do better as a branch.
Idegburugburu urged the group
to go for membership drive, saying that Lagos is a big place and encouraged
them to take the club to places like Oduade, Ladipo, Trade Fair, Alaba
International Market and many other places where Ideato nation has presence in
Lagos.
Hon Ide Onyebuchi Festus
Matthias Onyeje, Ochiwar (JP) Onowu, Atunweonweya 1 of Osina, the National PRO ICFN
also commented on the election and branch “Actually I was here sometime last
year during the inauguration of the Lagos branch, and to be sincere with you, I
am highly impressed because the men I met here are men of proven integrity. I
am happy with the branch, they are progressing but they need to do more work to
bring more members, more sons of Ideato people into the club.”
On his advice to the club “My
advice to the newly elected people, already some of them were in the interim
government, I want to advise them to add more efforts, because Lagos is our
latest baby and we are interested in the growth and development of Lagos
Branch. So I want to advise them to inculcate discipline into the club and be
their brother’s keeper, and also we know that people are numerous in Lagos
State, they should throw their dragnets to other areas to fish for our people,
we have many men here in Lagos, men of proven integrity and caliber, so the executive
should scout for members to come in and join to come and join hand to develop
our ideato nation.”
Ochiwar as he is known thanked Lagos Branch “I
and my team from Port Harcourt are happy for the reception given to us, we say
thanked you Lagos branch.”
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