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Dozie
Ikem Ezeife, Esq
Attorney-At-Law
Oakland, California
CHIEF EDWARD NWOKEDI: The New
face of Nigerians in Diaspora
SENATOR FRANCIS ARTHUR NZERIBE:
End the road for the ubiquitous and loquacious gadfly
STAKEHOLDERS' CONVERGE: A task
that must be accomplished
Chief Audu Ogbe: The Mikhail
Gorbachev of the PDP
Does "Democracy"
Necessarily Exclude Military Regimes?
2003 And The Illegal Use of
Public Resources For Personal Political Campaign Activities.
Brain Drain - A legitimate
Commercial Asset for Export
The Savanah Bank Imbroglio - A
critical look!
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CHIEF EDWARD NWOKEDI: The
New face of Nigerians in Diaspora
by Dozie Ikem Ezeife, Esq
Against the backdrop of the
corruption and insensitivity of the political leadership in Nigeria,
appears a silver lining in the horizon. The exemplary act of
philanthropy and unmatched patriotism recently exhibited by Chief
Edward Nwokedi, the Kpakpando of Alor, Anambra State was a real source
of pride and inspiration to Nigerians in Northern California. That is
the new spirit that is taking roots among Nigerians in Diaspora these
days. It is a good thing and it engenders hope.
On Saturday November 9, 2002, at
the premises of the Book Exchange, the last of 30,000 schoolbooks was
loaded into a 40-feet container to travel by road and sea to Alor, a
town in Anambra State of Nigeria. These books will fill the shelves of
a library/learning center serving not only as a children’s library but
also as a resource center for teachers and the general public. Novato
Unified School District supplied about half of the books. Donations of
books from school districts throughout Marin County in the State of
California make up the other half of this shipment. This project
initiated by Chief Nwokedi was co- sponsored by the California Nigeria
Education Alliance to benefit the children of Alor. The point person
at CNEA who managed this project was Tracie Modeste, a young lady from
the sister Islands of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Book Exchange is a non-profit
community organization operated by the founder and Director, Marilyn
Nemzer in Marin County. The Book Exchange collects donated textbooks
and library books and gives them to schools, community literary
projects, daycare and community centers, hospitals, libraries,
convalescent homes, drug treatment facilities, and prisons throughout
the state of California. The Book Exchange collaborates with service
clubs, religious organizations and other groups to ship books to
developing countries worldwide. The Book Exchange collaborated in this
project with Chief Nwokedi, Tracie Modeste and the California Nigeria
Education Alliance.
This shipment to Alor is the Book
Exchange’s 33rd shipment for children around the world
since Mrs. Nemzer began the project in 1987. It is the third
international shipment already this year. More than 20,000 books were
sent to the Philippines and Ethiopia this last summer, and a fourth
overseas shipment is currently in the works for Haiti.
Present at the final loading in
Novato were Ross Millerick, the President of the Novato Unified School
District, Roger Collins, a board member. Also present were Marilyn
Nemzer of the Book Exchange (who incidentally is also a member of the
Marin County Board of Education) and her husband, Ken with the entire
volunteer staff of the Book Exchange (Kit, William, Kirk, Karrie,
Judith and Kim). An impressive delegation of the Nigerian community in
Northern California were on hand to lend support to Chief Ed Nwokedi
and to express appreciation to the Book Exchange and the Novato
community for their magnanimity. The Nigeria delegation included Chief
Ishmael Ikharo, the Sariki Samali of Auchi; Chief Chris Chime Ogbodo,
the Akuruno of Akwuke; Chief Sam Ogbu, the Ijele II of Nkanu; Chief
Obasi Obasi, a Gubernatorial candidate in Ebonyi State; Eugene Elendu;
David Iphie; Charles Kelechi Emeziem; Master Okechukwu Ezeife, George
Okereke, Okwuruoha of California and Ochiagha Dozie Ezeife.
At the loading dock, Chief
Nwokedi explained his belief that he could avert the impending squalor
and desperate poverty children at home will face in future by arming
them with the tools education can provide. He was tired of waiting on
the government to act to avert this looming disaster and had decided
to make a personal commitment to do all he could to assist the
children of Alor. Citizens of Alor and Nigerians in general have a
great son in Chief Nwokedi and owe him a debt of gratitude for this
exemplary act of selfless service. Chief Nwokedi saw widespread
poverty amongst and despair in the faces of his people especially the
children. He was moved by what he saw and resolved to do something to
bring succor to those in need. For about a year he laboured tirelessly
with Tracie Modeste in collaboration with the Book Exchange to gather
these books.
What is truly remarkable about
what this young man has done is the fact that he is relatively a very
young man and he was born and has lived all his life in the United
States. He nonetheless has not lost his ties with and commitment to
his roots. He is not a transplant like most of us who lived a greater
part of our lives in Nigeria before joining the brain drain.
Nevertheless he has shown more love for and interest in his home than
most of us. At least in concrete material terms.
True to his traditional title,
the Star of Alor is shinning bright for all to see and emulate. He is
truly the shinning star that would bring development and progress to
Alor and indeed the entire state of Anambra in Nigeria. Kpakpando! You
are great son of Nigeria and we are proud of you.
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"The
Book Exchange is a non-profit community organization operated by the
founder and Director, Marilyn Nemzer in Marin County. The Book
Exchange collects donated textbooks and library books and gives them
to schools, community literary projects, daycare and community
centers, hospitals, libraries, convalescent homes, drug treatment
facilities, and prisons throughout the state of California. The Book
Exchange collaborates with service clubs, religious organizations and
other groups to ship books to developing countries worldwide. The Book
Exchange collaborated in this project with Chief Nwokedi, Tracie
Modeste and the California Nigeria Education Alliance."
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