My fellow Umuahians,
Since the formal inception of GCUOBA-USA, we have had the singular focus of restoring Government College Umuahia. And we have maintained and executed on that focus over the years. Exactly 8 years ago, on the 22nd day of December 2014, Abia State Government relinquished control and governance of the school, and we all heard the resounding clarion call. GCUOBA-USA’s focus did not change but was elevated and energized by the sound of that global clarion call and yes, we responded with gusto and magnanimity alongside other Umuahians from all over the world and reopened our much-revered alma mater. I must say that GCUOBA-USA played a pivotal and indelible role in this effort. We applaud all of you who joined hands and resources to accomplish this amazing feat. Thank you again!
As we approach the end of 2022 and embrace the season of Christmas and what that means to all of us, I am delighted to greet you in the spirit of brotherhood as the new elected President of GCUOBA-USA and on behalf of the new executive team.
We would like to thank the past executive presided by Okey Eneli for the exemplary leadership and successes that they rendered during one of the worst periods the world has ever experienced. We also express our profound gratitude to the board members under the wise and able leadership of Dr. Emma Okafor. They took on a challenge that seemed impossible at the beginning but stayed the course and ensured that we worked with other well-meaning Umuahians to reopen the school again. That was no small feat, and we remain eternally grateful to them and others before them.
We, the new GCUOBA-USA executive council have agreed to pursue the following goals in our two-year term and those goals are as follows:
- Sustainability – We will work with all current initiatives on the table to ensure that we sustain this great accomplishment of ours.
- Change the dynamics of our fundraising
- Explore ways to expand the old boys’ donor base.
- We will work tirelessly on putting together a complete roster and profile of all Umuahians in the United States to enable us to create a resource-rich and formidable network.
- Leverage our compelling story and accomplishment to engage friends, partners, foundations, and corporate sponsors
- Including using non-Umuahian persons/organizations to raise money for us via performance-based fee models.
- Re-create the “Umuahian Magic”
- Every Umuahian must enjoy benefits from being a ‘dues’ paying member of this organization
- The ultimate aim is twofold; to provide the enabling environment to ensure that no Umuahian anywhere in the United States is left behind and to ensure that Umuahians are supportive of each other in our different life, professional and business endeavors sharing information and collaboration opportunities etc. Let us lift all boats.
We clearly recognize the challenges with each of the goals and equally recognize that we must not do this alone or by ourselves. We intend to create task forces and not committees around each one of these goals to ensure expediency and actionable recommendations.
On the goal of “Sustainability,” we will put together fundraising programs that plug in and align with the “Endowment Committees” overarching goal. In the meantime, please take advantage of the end of year tax benefits and contribute what you can to the newly constituted endowment fund. Our websites are still open, able, and willing to receive funds (www.gcuobausa.org/donate ).
On the goal of “the dynamics of our fundraising,” we will have one task force focused on expanding our donor base and creating a strategy or infrastructure to identify and collate old boys and their profiles. The second task force will focus on leveraging our story and messaging to facilitate our outreach to friends, partners, foundations, and corporate sponsors with templates available to every Umuahian to customize and send out to your network. We will have tools and templates to empower every Umuahian in the United States to become a formidable fundraising center. Dr. Ogbuawa and our late brother, Dr. Okechi Nwabara have proven this model and we simply just need to follow their lead.
On the goal of “re-creating the Umuahian magic,” this task force will focus on identifying 2 -3 actionable recommendations that can deliver measurable value to the old boys’ network. There is no better way to encourage membership than to create compelling WIIFM’s (What’s in it for me) for members.
We would be making these announcements early to mid-January and not necessarily at the same time. If you have the expertise and desire to serve in any of these task forces, please reach out to our General Secretary, Austin Umezurike at austinumez@yahoo.com .
We are aware of the discourse that is raging on our various platforms. I urge every one of us to show and exercise restraint as we work through these growing pains. I have been a member of this organization since its formal inception and have always been extremely proud of the decorum that has been prevalent and in existence up until now. These times call for wisdom and good judgement and more importantly a level of civility that dignifies all of us. The great news is that noble and skilled minds are busy at work on our behalf resolving or attempting to resolve these issues that seem to be dividing us. And lest we all forget, they do these tasks as volunteers, sacrificing their most valuable asset (time) for us all. So, let us all exercise patience and restraint as these issues require wise and patient deliberations to ensure that we do not end up here again in the next few years. I would also ask the various committees that are addressing these matters to manage expectations by providing some tentative timelines for their deliverables, consequently enabling peace and calm.
We will continue to look forward to serving you and this organization for the next two years and more importantly look forward to your participation.
Here’s to wishing all of you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a happy New year in advance.
In UNUM LUCEANT!!!!
My best regards,
Ed Ukaonu
President, GCUOBA-USA
Osita Okpalaoka says
Exceptionally well written. I totally endorse your plans and pray that they will come to fruition.
After more than a week’s absence, I just read 2 days ago at the WhatsApp platforms, of some raging issues going on within the organization. I have not discussed this with any individual yet, but I will go ahead and say these. This is a fight no one wins, as we will all come out scarred. The efforts of so many in this journey should not come to nil because mature men, which I assume we all are, cannot “sit” down to discuss their differences. What a shame it will be if all our efforts and struggles go down the drain, and the hopes of the young boys are dashed. All of us will become laughing stock, especially to our competitors, if you are still able to identify yourself as an Umuahian! Let us put our egos aside, do the needful, in order to achieve our goals, for the future, and for posterity! Anyone who truly loves Umuahian idea and ideals, should be able to compromise in some way to achieve them. No one knows it all!
May God imbue the new executive with His wisdom, and give them strength as they pilot this ship through this raging storm that it is going through.
Let us not forget “IN UNUM LUCEANT!!!”
Dr. Romie Ogbolu says
Here is my comment. You are not going to like it.
!. Dr. Emma Okafor is a complete fool. He lacks management principle. He is neither a manager nor knows how to run GCUOBA business.
2. Most of you do not know what a PMP is. A PMP is a certified Project Management Profession. That is a USA certified professional.
Do you know a PMP? I don’t think you do.
3. You want to improve GCUOBA? Get the right people on board.
Nnabuenyi Ogbolu, PhD, PMP
Former Captain of Nile House,