AN ADDRESS BY ENGR. USIAGWU ARTHUR OSARETIN , PRESIDENT IGBANKE GENERAL UNION WORLDWIDE ON THE OCCATION OF IGU 2019 CONFERENCE ON THE 30TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 2019
Our Royal Fathers,
Members of IGU Worldwide Exco,
Immediate past President of IGU,
Executive Vice Chairman OLGA,
Distinguished Chiefs of Igbanke Land,
Chairmen, and Executives of Various Unions,
Representatives of Various Affiliate Clubs & Associations,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.
With a deep sense of service for our community, I most humbly welcome you all to this epoch-making annual conference, strategically configured for a three-fold target: reunite and fellowship with one another with a feel of “home-sweet-home,” deliberate and focussed evaluation of the journey so far, and to set a progressive agenda into the future. My heart goes to the good people of Omolua community in appreciation for their selflessness in hosting this all-important Conference.
Barely three hundred and sixty five days ago, was a new vista of community service to our beloved homeland opened by your election of my team and I to steer the ship of this great community. Ladies and gentlemen, I like to assure you with a high sense of responsibility that this rare demonstration of confidence in us will never go unharnessed. You have indeed given us a noble opportunity to contribute our quota in rebuilding Igbanke to greater glories.
In accepting this responsibility, I emphasised that the task of moving Igbanke forward remains a collective responsibility. All men and women of honour must step out to be counted in this all important assignment, for this is a rebirth of our dear community. In the last 12 months we have engaged ourselves in areas that can guarantee quick wins in line with our quest to take Igbanke to the next level of development.
We have taken over all the street sinages across Igbanke originally installed by Association of Igbanke Professionals (AIP) in 2013. These sinages have been refurbished, missing ones replaced across the six communities of Igbanke.
Our Executive Committee have interfaced with the government of the day with several correspondences and visitations to ensure Igbanke Community is no longer left out in all developmental imitative of Government at all levels. We are in talks with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and the Office of the Inspector General of Police for a share of their service delivery. These constant interventions are already yielding some good dividends.
Permit me to inform you that Igbanke Police Station, which was formerly a Police Post under Abudu Division, is now a Divisional Police Headquarters. We are all aware of the security challenges bedevilling our community in the last 5 years. Ensuring good Police presence in our community, therefore, was taken as a priority by this new executive.
We have also delivered a patrol vehicle to ease the logistics of officers and men of the division. Igbanke General Union has also reinstalled the Police Station sign post. We have also produced and installed another sign post at Oligie to showcase the new status of the divisional headquarters in Igbanke.
At this juncture, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, my deepest appreciation goes to our Enigie for their royal prayers and blessings. We like to also place on record, the forthrightness of DSP Chukwuyem Moni Okunbor who worked day and night, providing my team and I with directions. Let me also express my appreciation to IGU Worldwide President’s Dominion Partners for their relentless financial support. May the Good Lord bless them all, Amen!
Igbanke General Union now has a functional and interactive website and a huge presence across all social media platforms. With this, IGU EXCO can now easily communicate with all Igbanke sons and daughters within Nigeria and also in Diaspora.
Quite exhilarating too, is the recent inauguration of three strategic committees to help drive development and security of lives and property while ensuring that national assets are not encroached on.
In the light of the foregoing, the following Committees were inaugurated on the 14th day of September, 2019:
- Igbanke Development Advisory Committee;
- Igbanke National Assert Committee; and
- Igbanke National Security & Peace Committee.
While thanking the Chairmen and members of these Committees, It is my sincere belief that they would give their various committees the necessary support needed to move our homeland forward.
Within these last 12 months, we have been able to acquire a temporary IGU worldwide Secretariat at the old Police station in Idumodin. We want to use this facility as a spring board for a permanent secretariat at the vintage Rest House also known as ‘Olor eboh.’ We need to rehabilitate this world heritage centre and put it into good use as soon as possible. I entreat all well-meaning Igbanke sons and daughters to come on board as we work towards achieving this long overdue project initiative.
We feel highly elated to report that our administration has right from our inauguration witnessed notable and treasurable accomplishments that can best be described as legacies for our homeland. Today, Igbanke Grammer School wears a new look. Alumni of the school came together under the auspices of Igbanke Grammar School Development Association with tremendous collective zeal to improve dilapidated infrastructure of the school. The main admin block housing some class rooms, the Principal’s office, Staff room and school Hall is now wearing a new look with power and water supply already in place. Over 10 Million Naira has been expended in this intervention.
Recently, the Association of Igbanke Professionals took over the Library and carried out a complete refit and stocking of this facility with state of the art books for our children. It is noteworthy that about four million Naira was spent on this project. Let
me on behalf of the good people of Igbanke express our appreciation to these groups for their selfless services to our mother land. May the Good Lord bless them richly!
I also promised a new constitution to replace the old one. The new revised constitution has been carefully put together to take care of current exigencies as well as reflect the aspiration of current dispensation. This constitution is here today for adoption.
Ladies and gentlemen, the task to move Igbanke to another level of development should be continuous and collective. I want to draw our attention to the state of our drains across the 8.5km road. This road undoubtedly is our pride. The current state of the drains calls for immediate intervention to avoid a secondary negative effect on the roads. We need funds to manage the drains to ensure rain water runs through without any hitch.
May we never be tired of service to our community! Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. Service to others is the rent we pay for our room here on Earth. No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. Join the race to making Igbanke our pride – to behold and to treasure!
Once again, I welcome you to this all important conference and I believe strongly that after this meeting Igbanke community will be better for it.
Wishing us all a reward-filled deliberation!
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
Long live Edo State!!
Long live Igbanke Land!!!
Engr. Usiagwu Arthur Osaretin (MNSE, MIEEE, C-ENG)
President, Igbanke General Union Worldwide
DOWNLOAD LINK: President Address IGU Conference 2019- Nze–ARTHUR USIAGWUs ADDRESS 1
