Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) “Lighting the Way” A Speech For OAC 2013 End of Year Ceremony

1. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) “Lighting the Way” A Speech For OAC 2013 End of Year Ceremony Delivered by Dr. Ferdinand K. Odoemenem Aboh Mbaise, 28th December 2013

2. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way Discussion Points: Greetings and Protocol. Preamble – the story of “the Good Morning Speech”. Selecting the Topic “OAC – Lighting the Way”. What OboamaAbroadians Congress (OAC) Stands for. Understanding our home town, Oboama. How Can OAC Lighting the Way?

3. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way Greetings and Protocol

4. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way • Greetings and Protocol: • To God Almighty, who is the Chairman/Head of this event. • His Royal Highness, Eze Julius Amaefule, the Eze in Council and the Paramount Ruler of Oboama. • Members of our Eze’s cabinet. • High Chiefs, Chiefs, Ndi Opara Oboama and Ndi Nze. • Executives and Members of Oboama Abroadians Congress. • Students and Youths. • And my fellow Citizens of Oboama. • I greet you all with utmost respect.

5. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way Preamble – the story of “the Good Morning Speech”

6. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way Preamble – the story of “the Good Morning Speech”: A certain well known Great Ibo man, highly educated, eloquent and experienced in the fight for the liberation and emancipation of his people, was invited to deliver the Key Note Address at the General Assembly of a rival Tribe. He accepted to come and deliver the Key Note Address and this brought tremendous Joy to the leadership and all citizens of the rival Tribe, to the point that all of them including their own “Abroadians” returned home to listen and hear the speech from the Great Ibo man. On the day of the event, this Great Ibo man arrived at the venue of the ceremony quite on time, people of the rival Tribe rushed out and lavishly welcomed him with dance groups that were prepared as part of his reception.

7. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way • Preamble – the story of “the Good Morning Speech” Continued: • Then came the time for him to deliver the much awaited Key Note Address. After a glorious introduction by the MC, the Great Ibo man rose up from his seat and was escorted to the rostrum by 4 eminent leaders of the rival Tribe. He took the microphone, cleared his throat and began to deliver the Key Note Address and this is all that he said in the address: • “Ogoni People Good Morning”. They all replied Good Morning and he said • “Ogoni People, I say Good Morning”. They all replied in a louder chorus. Then he said for the 3rd time in a much louder voice: • “Ogoni People, All Ogoni People Here Present, I say Good Morning to you all”. The whole hall went wild with every one present replying and saying Good Morning to the Great Ibo man. As things calmed down for him to continue, he then said: • “That’s the end of my Speech, the Good Morning Speech”.

8. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way • Preamble – the story of “the Good Morning Speech” Continued: • Now I, Ferdinand Odoemenem, ask you my own people: • What was the message of “the Good Morning Speech”. • What can we learn from it as citizens of Oboama and members of OboamaAbroadians Congress. • I am not here to tell Oboama Good Morning. No, not at all, because Oboama, as a town and as a “Nation”, woke up long time ago. • But I want to tell OboamaAbroadians Congress Good Morning. Yes, we as an organization need to wake up, because we have been in deep sleep for too long. We have been sleeping while things are passing us bye. • Abraodians Congress must wake up and be really awake before it can “Lighting the Way”. This is the main point in my speech today.

9. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way Selecting the Topic “OAC – Lighting the Way”

10. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way • Selecting the Topic “OAC – Lighting the Way”: • I was given a blank cheque (simply told to give a talk). • I saw that OAC is using “Lighting the Way” as it’s Motto. • Felt the need to really Understand what OAC means when it carries “Lighting the Way” as a Motto on its letterhead.

11. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way What does “Lighting the Way” Mean? Offer a helping hand to Make the way to success or some where lighter, i.e. less heavy, less painful and less laborious. Not sure OAC has done this before!! Provide leadership that can galvanize, mobilize and move the people to success. Not done before by OAC!! Steer, direct and point to the right route to success or to some where. Also not do before!! Provide light on the roads in Oboama so that people can see their way at night. May be since OAC contributed in providing light in Oboama. Is this what it means? Which one of these 4 does OAC mean when it says “Lighting the Way”. Let’s discuss and agree on what it means.

12. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way What Does Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) Stand for?

13. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way What Does OboamaAbroadians Congress (OAC) Stand for? OAC Leadership to provide the answers. Should the basic Concept of the OAC, the Aims and Abjectives be overhauled and modernized to enable OAC Lighting the Way? Yes, I strongly believe so.

14. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way As an organization of all Sons and Daughters of Oboama in Diaspora, OAC should: Play roles similar to other Diaspora organizations. Pull together and unite all Sons and Daughters of Oboama for the common purpose of moving Oboama forward. Contribute to and create opportunities that will lead to reduction in the wastage of Human Resources in Oboama. Bring home to Oboama, resources, commerce, industry and quality education. Promote agriculture and other means of income generation, etc.

15. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way Understanding our home town, Oboama

16. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way For OAC to play a meaningful role, it must have a good understanding of our home town, Oboama, Know the: Population, the growth rate and distribution. Resources and opportunities available to the people. Well being and health of the people. Literacy level and how to educate the people. State of the commerce in Oboama. What can be done to create jobs and opportunity.

17. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way Population, Growth Rate and Distribution: According to the 1991 and 2006 Census records, the population of Oboama was 6,316 in 1991 and 11,312 in 2006, while Ezinihitte was 92,462 and 165,593 respectively. Annual population Growth Rate was estimated to be 5% and 5.27% in 1991 and 2006 respectively, which is among the highest in Nigeria. The distribution shows that there are more Females than Males in both Oboama and Ezinihitte, with Females at 54% and Males at 46%. The records also project that the population of Oboama should be 13,645 in 2013 and grow to 16,310 in 2021, 15 years from the last census. The pressures and challenges created by the high population growth rate can be seen and felt every where you go to in Oboama. Farmable land is rapidly vanishing and there are many more people to feed.

18. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way • What are the Resources and Opportunities available: • People (i.e. Human Resource) remains the main resource in Oboama. • Natural resources are gross limited to: • Farm land that is fast vanishing due to buildings, • Laterite that occurs below the top soil and • Under ground water which occurs at 50 – 100 ft below the surface. • What are then the Opportunities?

19. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way How Can OAC Lighting the Way?

20. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way How Can OAC Lighting the Way (Recommendations): Provide purposeful leadership, one that unites and motivates. Educate our people and teach them how to create value. Encourage Oboama to participate in what is happening in Nigeria, in politics, industries, investments and asset purchases to create opportunities for our people. Make OAC a commercial organization that can invest in and own properties, shares and equities. Create an empowerment programme through which capable people in Oboama can gain access to funds for trading and business financing. Assist the under privileged to gain access to quality education and opportunities.

21. Oboama Abroadians Congress (OAC) – Lighting the Way Thank You