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Speeches

Welcome Address by Mr. Eronini Simeon C. Chairman, Igbo Cultural Society Austria at the Occasionof the New Yam Festival, Saturday 10th October 2009.

Your Excellencies, Ambassador and permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Austria & Slovakia, Ambassador and Mrs. Dr. Jerry S. Ugokwe, Honourable Okey Emuchay Consul General, Nigeria Embassy South Africa, NANCA President Engr. Yemi Ogundele, Traditional Chiefs and Title holders, Igbo Council of Elders, Ethnic Group Representatives, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I feel very elated once again, for this rare opportunity in a special way. Though a challenge, it is also and more importantly a repose of confidence. For the friends of this great association, I doff my cap for your making out time to come and celebrate with us today on this historic Igbo New Yam Festival.

May I start by congratulating the members of Igbo Cultural Society, my predecessors, the chiefs and elders, my fellow executive members and ndi Igbo in general for their consistency and determination to make this new yam festival an annual event. Being far away from the shores of our dear motherland, you have endured that our most potent heritage, our culture, has not been abandoned. Also my appreciation to the sponsors and organizers of today’s celebration for the efforts devoted to make this annual new yam festival a reality.    

Yam, as a superior and major food crop occupies a large space in the Igbo life and has received not surprisingly, much commentary from various disciplinary fields and deserves even more. On this note, it is pertinent to add that it is important for a people to come together to acknowledge their stereotypes and individuality. The culture and traditions of a people are dynamic. Their heritage also sharpens their perceptions and worldview, and in most cases, constitutes the prism through which others, who make contacts with them, perceive them.

The New Yam celebration therefore, is a confirmation of the collective experience of Igbo cultural values marking the labours of our “heroes past and present”. It is also aimed to stimulate the consciousness of especially our young Austrian born Igbo and the host country into the appreciation of the patterns of Igbo-folk-life in agriculture worldview. It signifies that Ndi-Igbo understand their cultural diversity and cultural locus (loci) even in Diasporas, as their basic human right and relativity, and also as a mutual commission, commitment and communion to overcome prejudice and intolerance between different cultures.

Your Excellency Sir, and my distinguished guests at this juncture,  I crave your indulgences to permit me derail a while. Igbo Cultural Society Austria has been long confronted with the problem of a meeting place which has stampeded our regular meetings, aborted our Igbo Language Classes efforts aimed at integrating our teeming number of Austria born children and wives. Igbo house will help to a very considerable extent to abate the rate of crime, indiscriminate arrests and imprisonments of our dispersed brothers, reduce the high rate of sexual humiliations confronting our wives, sisters and daughters on a  daily bases in the street. Sir, the most unfortunate people in life is not those that are not growing, but rather those that fail to acknowledge the need and room for personal growth, and until you make a decision to change detrimental character traits, nothing will change, except the increase of pain caused to loved ones. As a result Sir, I have found myself pregnant with the desire to find a solution to this malady. It is not known when I shall deliver and free myself from this hazard and ordeal. It depends on the concern, care and co-operation of the mid-wife, who should devote time for my delivery. Here you are!! Shall I send you?   

Your Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, on-behalf of Igbo Cultural Society Austria, I will wish to end my address to you by once again expressing my profound appreciation to you for the untiring efforts displayed to grace this our thirteenth edition  of the

Annual New Yam Festival. Thanks for coming, thanks for your patience and may God bless you. 

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria,

Long live Igbo Land and the Igbo Cultural Society Austria

Igbo Kwenu, Nigeria Kwenu, Austria Kwenu, Igbo Kwezuo nu!!!

I thank you all. Back to top

 

Welcome Speech Presented by Mr. Eronini Simeon C., Chairman, Igbo Cultural Society Vienna, Austria on the Occasion Of the New Yam Festival, Saturday 13th September 2008.

Your Excellencies, Ambassador and permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Austria, Ambassador and Mrs. Dr. Jerry S. Ugokwe, Professor Pat. Utomi, 2006 presidential candidate fed. Rep. of Nigeria, RT. Honourable Chf. Goodluck N. Opiah, the honourable Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly, Hon. Dr. Obioma N.U. Ekennia, deputy chief whip, & Hon. Bro. Stan Dara deputy majority leader Imo State House of Assembly, NANCA President Mag. Dom. Aghaizu, Traditional Chiefs and Title holders, The Igbo Council of Elders, Ethnic Group Representatives, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

I thank you all for this rare opportunity in a special way. Over and above its being a challenge, it is also and more importantly a repose of confidence. I thank you friends of Igbo Cultural Society for making out time to come and celebrate with us. Coming together is the very foundation of the African life in general and it finds particular expression and dimension in the life and existence of the Igbos.

Igbo is expected to be Igbo everywhere and every time. It is quite normal for a community of people to map out a time to be much more conscious of the ‘Self and recognize the ‘Self’ and also the things that form their being and social physics. It is also very normal and important for a people to come together and get excited about the things that punctuate their character and behaviour, and also be informed about their attributes and dynamics of values and heritages.

The New Yam celebration therefore, is part of upholding and promoting the Igbo Culture and Cultural Heritage. Ji or Yam according to Igbo legend is a special gift to the Igbos by the supreme God who also taught them the art and science of growing Yam.

Particularly in Igbo Land, Yam like the kola nut, is revered, and indeed represent the most important objects that signify the commencement of a serious occasion and also the demonstration of acceptance and friendship. Specifically, the New Yam Festival in Igbo Land heralds the immediate end of the harvesting period when people could begin to eat from the fruit of their labour in the farm.  

As a result, I crave for your indulgence to please come and partake of the festivity, a constellation of traditional rites, ephemeral presence of ancestral spirits, culinary adaptations of yam, performances in dance, drama and cultural history.. all of which constitute an integral part of our Nigerian and/ or Igbo heritage. 

It is pertinent to mention at this juncture that this cultural event also plays a vital role in our lives. It helps to facilitate friendship and co-operation among all Nigerian peoples, promotes unity and understanding even with nationals of the host country, Austria. 

My distinguished guests of honour, it is perhaps not a day for lectures on the Igbos and their way of life, but for the Igbo friends attending this cultural event for the first time, it is an opportunity to learn something about the Igbos of South- Eastern Nigeria. If one is correctly informed about a people, it becomes easier to understand, to appreciate and to relate with such a group. 

Your Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, on-behalf of Igbo Cultural Society Austria, I will wish to end my address to you by once again expressing my profound appreciation to you for the untiring efforts displayed to grace this our twelfth edition of the annual New Yam Festival. Thanks for coming, thanks for your patience and may God bless you. 

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria,

Long live Igbo Land and the Igbo Cultural Society Austria, 

Igbo Kwenu, Nigeria Kwenu, Austria Kwenu, Igbo Kwezuo nu!!! 

I thank you all.  Back to top  



Welcome Address to the Second Legislative Period

Of the Igbo Cultural Society Austria under the leadership of Mag. Phil. Samuel Ogbonna Chairman beginning from 1.07.2006 -30.06.2008 on Saturday, 12th August 2006  in the General House of the first Session  

Chee Chee Che Igbo Kwenu! Ndiigbo Kwenu!! Ohaneze Kwezuonu!!!

Respectful honourable General House, it is with all pleasure to stand before you this day 12th August 2006 to welcome you all and at the same time kick off the second legislative period under my leadership, the sixth legislative session in the history of this great consortium.  May I specially thank the Igbo chiefs in Vienna for their presence today; in the same token, I recognise the presence of the title holders of this Society both academic and otherwise, the Nzes, the Ozos and all others,“Onye chiri nke Ochiri” you are not left out. In addition, I feel the participation of the council of elders of the Society, I welcome you and for the new faces, those who after some considerations decided to join the Ohaneze Ndiigbo in Austria, I welcome and thank you too for your positive decisions. Finally, I welcome my fellow members of the Executive with whom I am going to serve you.  With every respect, I thank you all for electing not only me but also all the personalities in my team in the last legislative period. Thank you in addition, for the new faces in the current Executive Committee Members.

Distinguished members and participants in Ogbako Ndiigbo, today we have collectively opened another dimension in the metamorphosis life of our Organisation. Before the end of this legislative period, our Society will pass the stage of a child. We will enter the period of teenager. That means, we will be gradually experiencing the reality of life, we shall start to be a little bit of independent and we also shall be facing and tasting both the good and the bad side of life. This period of teenage life is the most dangerous and strenuous phase in the life of every person and to Organisations like ours the same applies.  Scientifically, if a child by the time of eleven to thirteen years misses the right understanding of some particular methodological thinking processes, he cannot learn it again. As a result of that, we as a Community shall maximise the next two years to finally break through to constructively solidify the community hood (if you like, call it nationhood). We shall apply all our efforts as a society, all our experiences and contacts, all our strengths and if possible all our resources and of course collectively and democratically, to achieve this community or nation hood in Austria. 

Having said that, I am personally convinced, I hope you too, that the foundations that the earlier leaders and Executive Committee Members and to some exceptional cases, some personalities of our great Society and especially the last (old) and present Executive Members have laid down, are enough to face the challenges ahead.  On that note, on behalf of the Executive Committee and the entire members of the Society I thank all of you and those mentioned above for their various actions and reactions. May the Almighty God reward all of you for your individual and collective contributions to the society!

Now to the reality, as it is enshrined in our Constitution and in my nature and style of administration, we are presenting you today, some of the projects that we would love to embark on and some of them will be completed before the end of my government. However, some of these projects have already started since last two years and some will continue and will remain as an integral part of our Organisation if you so wish.

Modernisation and Commercialisation of “Iri –Ji Festival”

Respectful members of ICS, it has been the wish of many of us and the promise as past and present Executive Members made that our New Yam Festival, the best, the highly and most quality and professionally organised event and of course the most attended black Festival in the whole of Austria shall be used to tap so many advantages to Ndiigbo. These advantages have long been identified and we the ruling council has promised to make it happen.  We have in the last two years gradually worked towards that. It is on this perspective that I said during my address to rap up the last legislative period thus, 

“It was not possible to put it into practice this period though efforts were mounted on different areas to achieve it, but some machinery were not available to help”  

And I remembered vividly that I concluded by saying,  

“Now that some of those missing machineries have been put to place, we are prepared to practice this in the forth coming legislative period” 

My dear brothers, you can agree with me that the events happening right now towards preparing for the tenth Anniversary like the personalities and illustrious sons of Ndiigbo coming to participate in the Festival speaks for itself. I have been informed that some individuals of ICS are also inviting some very important private friends of theirs to grace the occasion. I personally encourage you to do so. Let us all join hands to wrestle with the challenges. The Executive Committee Members and my humble self are assured that success will be on our side at the end of the day.  We shall not be scared from the financial burden attached to it.  Our brother Prof. Chinue Achebe in his book Things Fall Apart  told us that, 

“If a man comes into our room and shit on the floor, we shall not stay and look at him, rather we shall take a knife and cut his head”

I compare the situation we found ourselves to the advice our dearly Professor and brother told us. We shall all join hands together tackle the financial burden and clear our faces at the end. We shall fight like wounded soldiers and revenge by defeating the financial fear with the motto: I tunye, Mmtunye, I tunye Mmtunye- Meaning Anyukoo Mamiri Ogboufu.  Igbo kwenu. Igbo Mmanma, Ohaneze kwezuonu.  

Commercialisation of our Web Site

Another source of income for the ICS is our Web Site. It is our collective duty to find Sponsors and Advertisers to patronise our Homepage. The Executive Committee will look around among the Igbo Business tycoons in Austria in the first instance to patronise this Web Site because, charity begins at home. We as members of the Society shall do every thing humanly possible to patronise them. We shall be sending our families to their business centres to buy goods from them before turning to other shops. With that, we shall built economic force amongst ourselves.  

Unification of NDI-IGBO all over Austria

Good and loving people of Ohaneze in Austria, one thing we as past and present Executive could not achieve in the last legislative period was the final journey to the unification of all the Igbo people in every corner of Austria. However, when I was addressing the General Assembly by the end of that regime period I said, 

“Contacts have been established on individual bases

and everyone wanted it to take place [and I added that]

Due to time constraint, the project was not pursued

within this period. We hope to make it a priority and

achieve it in the next legislative period” 

Today, I have the pleasure to announce to you that the first consultative meeting will take place after our forth coming “Decade Celebration”     

Staging of an Igbo World Congress in Austria before the End of this Second Legislative Period

The Executive Committee is of the mind that with the celebration of our tenth Anniversary we must have launched our relations to many International Institutions and open our doors as well as arms to embrace our brothers and sisters all over the universe. It is on this note that we are convinced that before the end of the next two years, the kind of Igbo World Congress in the United States of America will be organised in Austria, in Vienna as the headquarters.  As a result of this vision, we appeal to all of you both present and absent to kindly support this movement because it is one of those things we shall do to belong to where we suppose to and wait for what the future has for us as “Igbo nation”. I beg you, I appeal to every one of you to join this movement.  

Active participation of ICS at Igbo Conferences all over the world especially in Ohaneze Ndiigbo in Nigeria.
The council of elders, our various chiefs and title holders; when we succeed in hosting hundreds of Igbo personalities around the world in Austria, we are then matured also to attend Igbo Conferences all over the world.

These visions of ours are however, very capital intensive in nature as a matter of fact. But Ndiigbo says “A naghi aso Mgbagbu aga Ogu” and they added in conclusion “Onyekwe Chinya Ekwe”

Very soon, we shall let the cat out of the bag and unveil to you how we shall tackle all these and we shall collectively and democratically deliberate upon them. My only promise is that every one of us (you and me) who is willing to join in making these visions come through will have one role or the other to play and every member of the Society shall be engaged in one aspect of the duty or the other.  If you are ready, the Executive Committee Members are ready too and I am also ready. 

At this juncture my dear brothers, I want to speak on one important thing that is involved in these issues, that is to say that all these projects are not personal oriented, or personal aggrandisement, rather they are visions and dreams that will protect you and me, protect your sons and daughters and mine and eventually secure us (the Executive Committee Members), our children and Igbo generations yet unborn. From the fundamentals of my being, I humbly beg every one of you to make use of us and achieve these visions so that at the end, we shall all share the glories together with one another.  

In pursuing these projects, we are going to be confronted with challenges and critics, we are not going to be scare from such, and we will put our ears on the ground and will select good critics and make use of them to win the challenges and confrontations. We shall not give up!  

Yearly Summer Excursion

One of the things we want to start in this legislation period is a yearly Summer Excursion. This event will involve all registered member of ICS and their families and friends. Each year the Social Secretary in conjunction with the Executive Committee Members shall find a suitable and conducive area within Austria vicinity to stage the Excursion. The concept of this event will be made known to you as time approaches.  

Develop new Method of Winning new Members

Ndiigbo, the strength of any Organisation lies not only on the strength of its financial capabilities; it is also measured on the numerical strength. I am happy to inform you that the Executive Committee has long noticed this and have vowed to tackle the problem.  This campaign has already started and we hope that the numerical strength of the Society will as from this day be in continued growth. We are therefore inviting all Igbo person to attend the general meetings and other events of the Society and also to come up with new ideas and constructive critics instead of “stay back at home and criticise syndrome” facing some of us.  

While, we shall be willing to amend differences and relations with present and former members of ICS, we shall not be willing to write off debts of members because no government has ever done that in recent memory. As has been the case, we shall be willing to find suitable means and bearable methodology to enhance quick payment of accumulated debts from members. These debts are incurred through non payment of dues, levies and voluntary pledges from members.  

I want to say that it baffles my imagination when members complain that the Society does nothing for them. I hereby beg members to first of all think of what you can do for the Society before thinking of what the Society can do for you.  ICS is just like a child, before one expects help from his child, one first of all trains the child to attain a solid economic independency, please do the same to ICS. In furtherance of this, I want to remind you what our Constitution in article 4 paragraph 4 (see page 2 and 3) says; 

“The registration fee and annual dues are non-

refundable.  A financial member is one who is not

more than three bi-monthly dues in arrears (i.e. six

months, and owing a total of twenty-two Euros (€22, 00)” 

In addition, ANNEX IV under bye-laws (see page 20) describes the benefits and privileges of the members amongst others thus; 

“The Society shall endeavour, where possible, to be

of meaningful assistance to financial Members in

times of need, sorrow and/or celebration.  The Society

 may act as a body in contributing resources for such

 assistance” 

Meanwhile, for one to enjoy the benefits and privileges, one has to be first and foremost, financial up to date.  

Other relevant Issues

When we entered office last two years, we promise to play “open door policy” that means to always share with you our views on relevant actions we intend to undertake. In line with that, it is our opinion that our Logo needs improvement. We shall with time improve on our official Logo to meet up with the taste of the time, but not to change it. Furthermore, we shall soon review the position of the patron of the society. While doing so, we must not fail to carry the exercise according to the Constitution. Article 8 of the Constitution paragraph 6 says;

 “The office of the patron is not for life, but shall be reviewed after a period of five years.”

This exercise will be democratically carried out and we do not expect any panic from any sector of the Society.  

Finally, honourable house, we have deliberated much on the tenth Year Anniversary and the Celebration of the New Yam Festival. I am once again reminding all of us, that our fates of total break through lies on these Events. It is neither mine event nor that of the Executive and Organising Committees but it ours and must be seen and celebrated as such. We must make ourselves proud by maximum entertainment of our visitors coming from far and wide because,  “Anaghi Agbaka ahu Nwata Eze na-Onu”

In my address of the state of the society at the last legislative period I said, 

“Ndinwem na Ndi-nnwe, in spite of the fact that the

Executive Committee is leaving office today, I cannot

end up this address without mentioning one serious

impending challenge that could turn to danger or even

shame. This is not far fetch; it is our forthcoming ten

years birthday as well as tenth anniversary of our

popular New Yam Festival.  This Executive Committee

with the extended members of the Organising Comm-

ittee have been working had to see that the Event must

be very successful. From the report so far made you will

bear with me that solid arrangements have been going

through the pipe line, but we need financial stronghold

to withstand this challenge. I am appealing to every Igbo

Person to help this Society with financial assistant on

whichever terms, please contact the committee if you are

willing to help even when you are not approached and

help us. I can rest assure you that we are going to gain

and will never loose”  

In conclusion, I must not fail on behalf of the Executive Members to ask for your continued support, better as you supported us in the last legislative period. We do expect more positive improvement in your support this time around instead of some people ganging up to instigate some others to destroy ICS in whichever form.  I think gentle men, that we have passed such stage! This Society deserves something better. What we need as one of the factors to improve upon what we have collectively achieved so far is continuity and never the opposite of it.  

My beloved people, I have taken most of your time but you can agree with me that at the beginning of the second term in office, it is dully correct that comprehensive presentation of our projects should be made known to you. Thank you so much to have patiently listed to me, for all your supports and contributions so far and may the Almighty God bless the ultimate realisation of Igbo nation- Amen.  

Igbo Kwenu! Igbo muonu!! zuonu!!! Ohaneze Kwezuonu!!!!

Thank you all.  Back to top

State of the Society –ICS and End of the Legislation Period 27.06.2004 -30.06.2006
by Mag. Phil. Samuel Ogbonna Chairman Igbo Cultural Society in Austria on Saturday, 1st of July 2006 in the General House.
 

Igbo Kwenu! Ndiigbo Kwenu!! Ohaneze Kwezuonu!!!

Distinguished, respectful honourable General House, I am felled with joy to welcome you to the end of this legislative period which, more or less serves as our Annual Assembly, Arch Dipl. Ing. Remi Ofoedu, elder statesman and first Chairman of this Society I greet you, Chief Dr. Med. Ama Ovuike, second Chairman of this consortium I salute you, Chief Chidi Eze my predecessor my respect to you, distinguished Chiefs, the Nzes, the Ozos and all titleholders from all disciplines, on your worship; The council of elders, the youths I greet you all, my fellow Executive members, extra ordinary in nature, the unshaking ruling council of NDI-IGBO, I bow for you all.

Today is another important day in the history of this Society, today the Executive Committee elected since the 27th of June 2004, almost fifty three weeks now will democratically come to an end. Today, we are going to give account of what we have collectively done within this period. Whatever happens at the end of this report, history will judge us.

Having said that, I will like to say that it was not an easy period, the two years was just like two weeks, before a twinkle of an eye, the two years were over.

However, if this Executive Committee did not achieve anything, we succeeded in holding the Society together. We have reinstalled discipline even when we have sometimes stepped on the toes of some members. We did it and firmly stand on it believing that the time is over ripped in this Society for everyone to have equal treatment. We did them so that the Society in addition, will be liberated from slumber and gradually forge ahead for eventual emancipation and position itself as a standard Organisation of modern time.  

During my end of the year 2005/ State of the Society report, I said thus;

” The legislative period of the regime will come to an

end in the next seven months. The projects which we

 all accepted to embark upon will be pursued very

vehemently and we are going to complete many of

 them. The executive committee invites you with

every respect to encourage us and render us your

relentless support. We ask all those involved in

one assignment or the other to comply and round

up their assignment because we do not want the

next executive committee to inherit uncompleted

assignment except the long term projects” 

Today, good and loving people of ICS, we are happy to inform you that we have done them. I am personally blessed that most of these aims have been achieved; you can witness them yourselves on the attached information table or leaflets you are holding.  

In retrospect to the aforementioned, it is worth mentioning that we did not do them alone. We did them with all of you. You gave us the benefit of doubt and followed us. You sacrificed your time and supported us with hard work. You did not only follow us, you cooperated with us and thereby contributed immensely to these achievements. For instance, in the tenth year of the Igbo Society in Austria, we can boast of a standard Statute that can stand the taste of the time. Also in its tenth year, we established our own World Wide Web - the modern day techno-communication system available for civil usage just to mention few. Your constructive criticism without fear and prejudice were push factors that led to these successes within the last two years. They were more or less instrumental to action and we became fearless instead of fearful.

Ohaneze Ndiigbo in Austria, I bow down for you. May the Almighty Father in heaven bless you and your heritage! 

My dearly brothers, my beloved Ohaneze Ndiigbo, this report will be inconclusive if I fail to mention some other achievements of the Executive Committee. We are happy to announce that, for the first time in the history of the ICS the Executive Committee Members were only six in number and despite that have performed well above average. We as members of the Executive Committee were committed to do our best for the Society. In doing so, we presented to you qualities and professionalities in almost everything we have done. We represented you professionally in all the outings.  

When almost everyone was afraid to rescue the Society from bankruptcy, when the Society was at a crossroad and at a crossfire, when the fate of the Ndiigbo Society was being shacked and questioned, when members where afraid to inherits the debt of the Society and when many of us where ashamed of the public humiliations as a result of what some officers of the Society in the past committed; Gentlemen,  these six officers of the Society “took the Bull by the horn” and not only save the faces of the Ndiigbo in Austria but also restructured the Society.

I am of the mind that they deserved to be thanked and I say thank you my colleagues of the Executive Committee. 

That is not all, the quality and professional character of our work installed stability in the government of ICS- there was no known quarrel or misunderstanding between the chairman and his Vice as has been the case in the past, despite external influences to switch on such actions. The entire Executive Committee was so compact that despite all known and unknown attempt to scatter us, they united us and we quietly, maturely, systematically and tactically carried out our functions very diligently.  We did it because we love our Society, because we believe in what the Igbo people are known for and stand for, that is “Onyekwe Chinya Ekwe” 

On behalf of the Executive Committee, may I use this golden opportunity to thank those members of the Society who carried out one assignment or the other to successful end!  May I also, thank the members of the Audit Committee 2004/2006, the Constitution review and Amendment Committee 2004/2005? Others are the New Yam Festival Committee 2005 and the Summer Sport Committees that served within this legislative period especially the recent one.  You have all performed wonderful with the limited finance and time at your disposals. I thank more especially the financial members who have financially supported us throughout the Session. The same goes to our various donors and sponsors too many to mention. For those who in one way or the other advised or personally supported us you are not left out. You are too numerous to mention your names one after the other, but you know yourself. Thank you so much.  

Less I forget, we inherited an Empty Account in terms of financial statute of the Society, today I am happy to say that we are leaving office with substantial amount in reserve. See your leaflets! This, like I said before, was your achievements, it was your contributions, your patronages and I am proud to have been given the opportunity to serve you in the capacity of chairmanship.  

For my political opponents, thank you so much for all you did even when only few noticed your latent roles. Your roles were noticed and some school of thoughts believed that your behaviours were democratically perfect in your individual understandings in the name of serving the interest of the Igbo people. Despite that, I believe that today, you are convinced that “Ogbonna was the right choice”.  In that case, I stand with the creed “Igbo first than individual animosities”  

Ndinwem na Ndi-nnwe, in spite of the fact that the Executive Committee is leaving office today, I cannot end up this address without mentioning one serious impending challenge that could turn to danger or even shame. This is not far fetch; it is our forthcoming ten years birthday as well as tenth anniversary of our popular New Yam Festival.  This Executive Committee with the extended members of the Organising Committee have been working had to see that the Event must be very successful. From the report so far made you will bear with me that solid arrangements have been going through the pipe line, but we need financial stronghold to withstand this challenge. 

I am appealing to every Igbo Person to help this Society with financial assistant on whichever terms, please contact the committee if you are willing to help even when you are not approached and help us. I can rest assure you that we are going to gain and will never loose.

This Festival is not Ogbonna issue alone. It is neither the problem of the present Executive Committee or the incoming one, nor the matter of the Organising Committee alone. This Event is ours. It is in the totality of the name of Ndiigbo in Austria. Come and help us as you have been known before now, and contribute very generously.

Ohaneze, it is on this note that the present Executive Committee earlier before now in one of our General Assembly publicly registered their willingness even after this legislative period to serve to achieve success in the forthcoming “Decade Celebrations”.  

In other words, we are not asking for third term period rather for the second term. We are ready and willing to collectively continue to serve your interest if you so desire. We need some more! These sons of yours Ndiigbo and my humble self would like to consolidate on the achievements so far made for the ultimate stability of Igbo Cultural Society in Austria and beyond.  

Finally, from the bottom of my heart, in the name of my colleagues in the Executive Committee, I thank you all for all the numerous assistants, contributions, your co-operations and above all, your trust and believe in me. May God almighty reward you in ten folds, may he continue to guide, direct, protect and save you and your families as you continue to champion the course and success of the ICS and the Igbo world wide. May we all live long, witness and enjoy our hard labour. May we live in good health and may bad omen be far away from us. More so, may love for one another and happiness come into us as a Society as we continue to demonstrate to the outside world our old aged culture and tradition.  

Long live ICS, long live Igbo Nation and peace in every one of you.  

Igbo Kwenu! Ohaneze Muo nu!! zuo nu!!! Igbo nma nma!!!! 

Thank You! Ndewo nu!! Back to top