People who claim Ogbaru heritage and clanship, inhabit the two sides of Niger begining from Odekpe through Adiawai on the Eastern flank of the Niger and on the western frank of the Niger from Oko down to Onya and Ase (i,e the whol of the Ndokwa areas). That is why we have, interestingly, different sp ellings of the clan name - We have Ogbaru, Ogbahu, and Ogbesu. Ogbahu is the Eastern version, while Ogbesu is the Western (Ndokwa) version. Ogbaru is the government ascribed version! I am sure that none of us here will disclaim any of the variants of the name when we are identified with them! It is important to remind ourselves that State boundaries have not inhibited indetification with out Ogbaru heritage - the Ndonis in the Rivers and the Abor in Delta are as staunchly Ogbaru as any other person.

People who claim Ogbaru heritage and clanship, inhabit the two sides of Niger begining from Odekpe through Adiawai on the Eastern flank of the Niger and on the western frank of the Niger from Oko down to Onya and Ase (i,e the whol of the Ndokwa areas). That is why we have, interestingly, different sp ellings of the clan name - We have Ogbaru, Ogbahu, and Ogbesu. Ogbahu is the Eastern version, while Ogbesu is the Western (Ndokwa) version. Ogbaru is the government ascribed version! I am sure that none of us here will disclaim any of the variants of the name when we are identified with them! It is important to remind ourselves that State boundaries have not inhibited indetification with out Ogbaru heritage - the Ndonis in the Rivers and the Abor in Delta are as staunchly Ogbaru as any other person. It is true that we sometimes claim different origins - some claim emigration from Benin, while others claim Igala origin, and so on. But today, being Ogbaru is a heritage we are happy and proud to claim. Ogbaru people inhabit a very fertile land and therefore are agrarian, concentrating largely on yam cultivation. We also have access to the river and have a fishing tradition. In fact, quite a major proportion of our tradition is river (water) based. And about tradition, we have a rich heritage in tradition - our family and mariage custom, including respect for elders, our work ethic, our festivals, our orientation to life, our belief systems and above all our pride in who we are - these are the elements of Ogbaruness which make us who we are, the progressive aspects of which we should strive to uphold and preseve. Because of their orientation to life and their belief systems, Ogbaru people are in fact a distinct people in the way they live, and their behavior. The Ogbaru person is above all a family and acommunity person. Concern over the welfare of family and community is a major trademark of the Ogbaru person. Their thoughts are never far away from home and their actions are often guided by the desire to be relevant to the homeland, and to preserve the name and prestige of the family and clan. The Ogbaru person is hardworking, but he is also joyful about living, being quite aware of the need to strike a balance between work and play - that is the essence of Nso-olu, and also our elaborate festivals. Ogbaru morality is (was?) pristine - behavior towards people whether they be relatives or others is guided by elaborate moral codes and supported with appropriate sanctions. We know them all - in regulation of sexual behavior, the regulation of childhood conduct, the regulation of intra and inter family conduct, the regulation of various other social functions. There is even the regulation of our eating behavior, in the things we forbid. I remember as a child when my guardians would not live in a compound with people who ate ede (cocoyam) and the eleborate cremonies we went through using ash to clean up the suspected environment in as far away place as Kano! A major attribute of the Ogbaru person is the disposition to speak the truth and stand by what is true. This disposition was fostered by our concern of the family name and also by the fact that our justice system which was based largely on the Alusi system, made truthfulness second nature. Also, because the of the belief in the Alusi system, Ogbaru discord is rarely settled by homicide but, at th worst, the recourse to the Alusi -- which is really an arbitration system since the real Alusi practice insists on hearing both parties to a dispute before invocation of the deity. There is yet another attribute of the Ogbaru person - being endowed with a kind of disposi- tion. The Ogbaru person is considerate and kind, with a disposition to be if help and assistance to others. Our generosity with food is proverbial and quite well known among our neighbors. Upon arrival in an Ogbaru household, you are given bath water and while you are taking your bath, the sound of yam is being pounded will almost follow you out of the bathroom. Our traditional soup, now quite popular with most people - ikele - is of course, quite easy to prepare.

There is one attribute of the Ogbru person that deserves to be treated separately, and that is related to our philosophy of life. The Ogbaru person is esily satisfied and easy to satisfy. That dispo- sition has considerable implications for how we approach work and life generally. The Ogbaru person has an innate pride in himself and his self concept is very strong. While the Ogbaru person will work hard, he usually does not aim to own excessive wealth. The Ogbaru person does not think 'rich'. He is satisfied with having enough to eat and to feed his family. As a result of this disposition, the Ogbaru person is lost in a world in which a person is defined solely by wealth rather than by their human self. Our summary of our understanding of the Ogbaru person would therefore be that the Ogbaru person is embarked in a rich culture, is concerned about family and community, is concerned about personal and social prosperity, and is concerned about posterity - that is, the Ogbaru person is concerned about his community and family even after he is dead and gone. The Ogbaru person is kind, and has a generous disposi- tion. He is hardworking, is truthful and joyful about life, is concerned about equity and how his actions affect other persons. The Ogbaru person usually prefers to settle disputes through arbitration and dialogue. The Ogbaru person is not overly con- cerned with wealtha nd his self concept is quite high, even though he is not rich. That is my assessment of the Ogbaru person as our culture programs him or her to be or, should I say, as our culture used to program the Ogbaru person to be. It is obvious that these are very good attributes, and yet these very attributes are also part of our problem, part of the reasons why we are unable to fit into the general pattern of the behavior of our neighbors or the general pattern of behaviors that now characterize the Nigerian society.

Now that we have some framework and I beleive some concensus about the people we are talking about, it is possible to address what the dilemma of Ogbaru people is in the present dispensation in the country. Our first difficulty is our dispersal in four states in Nigeria, namely, Anambra, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers. The dispersal has clear consequences. The major one is the present lack of focus and concerted effort by our people in seeking developmental goals. Notice, for example, that the two road networks in Anambra and Delta are among the worst roads in the country. The road road from Odekpe (Okpoko) to Ogwu and beyond, and the road from Utagba (Kwale area) to Onya through Abor are both in deplorable conditions, with the roads in neighboring areas receive more surfacing or maintenance efforts. This dilemma is likely to continue for some time since we don not have the significant population that will permit us to fight for a separate unified entity. The important point then is to determine how we may achieve development for our peoples even though we may be placed in different states. A second dilemma of note is the high degree of poverty of our people. Rural poverty is of course the bane of Nigerian society and a consequence of so many years of poor governance, but it would appear to me that the level of poverty in Ogbaru is palpable. Beyond governmental causes, we must look inwards to seek some answers. Our poverty is caused also by our disposition. We, as a people have not been able to move into the productive areas of the Nigerian system because of the Ogbaru orientations we discussed earlier. For example, because of our penchant to be truthful, to fear (and perhaps, at least, fear of the Alusi), our people have not been successful as traders. I am sure we all have relatives who tried their hands at trading (the Onitsha style) and failed, because our culture has not origramed us to deal in the market place as the current culture of trading demands. The business culture in Nigeria now demands lying, cheating, subterfuge and dissemling. The Ogbaru person will either fail in all of this or will be easily caught. Recall that Ogbaru had produced great traders including the Madams Izadi, Nnoruka, Oyolu, Okwei, etc. But as I indicated, the current trading culture is totally alien to the Ogbaru mentality. Also, the Ogbaru child is usually not trained to endure the hunger and deprivation which our neighboring Igbos go through. So while the little Igbo boy may survive on abacha and ugba, our Ogbaru child will invest his little income (or pocket money) on good pounded yam and fish (ikele) soup. Clearly, his upbringing is at work. Another serious problem is the increasing level of illiteracy among our people, especially among the up-coming young generation. Our people have placed education on the back burner, and, unles we ac now, we will pay the price of this attitude for generations to come. In addition to above, we have several other traits that incapacitate our people, not the least of which are our intense commintment to the land, our social customs and even our eating habits. It is true that the Ogbarus are good farmers but because of their culture, their farmings is one-crop based, namley, yam, in fact, yam specific kind- Aga! It is well- nigh impossible to convince the Ogbaru farmer to examine the economic possibilities of a diiferent economic crop. Or even to eat them! If you were home recently, you would have noticed that our women have gone into vegetable farming in a big way. But getting the Ogbaru person to eat vegetable is a big problem. That is why in addition to the loss of fish (due to the effects of the dams up the Niger) we have dietry deficiences in Ogbaru because they refuse to eat any vegetable as supplement in the absence of fresh fish- Mady o bu Ewu na ta afifa? I recall, sadly that I lost the last of my maternal uncles largely because he refused any change in his diet, Let me also mention the loss of fishing facilities as one of our problems. The damming of the Niger in several spots has meant in practical terms that our peoples'livelihood has been greatly tampered with. Access to even the breast of fish as used to be the case has but gone. For most of the year, our people now depend on the ubiquitous Azu-fridge to survive and even that is incresingly difficult for most families to buy because of the high degree of poverty that is prevailing right now Ogbaru people are buffeted by change all around them. Their neighbors around them are embracing the changing culture more rapidly than they are. What are the options? How do we maintain some of the things and tenets that are dear to us while taking advantage of the innovations that are engulfing the world, not just Nigeria, but also internationally. As we often hear, the world is becoming a global village and while we cherrish our culture we should, of our own, move into the twenty-first century or we will be moved along without a direction chosen by us!

My dreams and I know, your dream too, are to advance our people, to move our people forward in development so that they too may begin to enjoy the good things of life. Our people need to be empowered politically and socially so that they may be a vibrant part of the Nigerian nation. Our dilemma is how to do this and still remain some of our cultural heritage, particularly those that are still functional and those that we still cherish, as well as, how to evolve the tools (political and otherwise) with which to effect changes in our condition. That is a task that should be all consuming for all of us. What should we be doing at home and abroad?

A second objective is to establish an agenda, a program of work that will foster growth and development. This requires the evolution of both short and long term objectives and the creation of priorities of action. In doing this, when your positions are worked out, you may then wish to liaise with people at home to explore the practical implications of your programs and proposals. Educating the Home Front

A top priority action, initially, is to galvanize our people at home and educate them on the program of activities you are proposing. This is particularly important because your input carries greater impact than efforts made by those of us at home. Perhaps, once a year or every two years, your ambassadors may visit our communities for this educational process and bring to them your message for the re-vitali- zation of our homeland.

A major objective for action which I suggest for your consideration is education. You will be giving Ogbaru communities a great boost if you promote education. Name all the towns in Ogbaru and offer one scholarship per year to one child in each town. You can do it. If some of us can do so with our naira based income, then each one of you can, infact, give a scholarship a year. Only $100.00 (one hundred dollars == ten thousand naira) can sustain a child in secondary school. Such action will not only sustain the receipient child, but will enhance the culture of education among our people. This effort will re-focus the attention of our people on education. At present, the number of Ogbaru children going to school is deplorable. And we cannot hope to keep our people in contention for positions in the country and for individual progress if they remain un-educated. We must move beyond our immediate families and strive for the survival of the clan. That is, infact, the real basis for our personal and family survival.

A major component of your activity which should help to lift the condition of Ogbaru is to plan to establish industries in Ogbaru. Fortunately, and by the special patriotism of one of our daughters, the Ogbaru on the Eastern flank now have national grip electricity, and we are hopeful that this will also be the case for the western flank. We need industries in Ogbaru to help the employment situation of our people. The factory established bu Igwe Onunuju of Umunankwo is clearly one good example. We need more of this to bring work to our people.

There is need to re-educate our people on the matter of raising our children In the context of the current circumstances, and especially in Nigeria, we need to raise our children to be more hardy and to be able to delay gratification, that is to be able to ignore present gratification in favor of long term goals and objectives. That is, the capacity for endurance. I do not propose the abandonment of our cherished traditions, but if our children are to survive in this increasingly competitive world, then we must imbue them with more survival skills, and endurance is perhaps the most critical.

We need to promote social cohesion among our people, by creating an atmosphere of accommodation and tolerance even in the face of necessary disagreements. No group can make progress if it is mirred in internal dissent and harsh controversies. There is need to create social harmony among yourselves, and among those of us at home.

One major thrust of your activities should be to promote advocacy for things concerning Ogbaru in both governmental and non governmental circles. We must fight always to bring to government awareness the needs of Ogbaru in the different states in which we are located. Also, we must promote Ogbaru culture wherever we are. Ogbaru dances, Ogbaru food, Ogbaru language, Ogbaru philosophy. Nigeria can certainly benefit from the adoption of Ogbaru attitudes about life. We should do so through precepts, as well as, through publications and public speeches. Ours is a culture we should be proud to challenge Nigeria and indeed the world with.

We need to generate and sustain regular social and political dialogue among Ogbaru people in the various states in Nigeria - Anambra, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa. This will help create a common focus for the prosecution of the Ogbaru agenda. The proposed Assembly would comprise representatives from the various states, and Ogbaru indigenes in Diaspora. The Assembly should help in creating political awareness among our people and ensuring cohesion in the pursuit of relevant goals. Finally, let me thank you all for your attention and once more express my conviction that in evolving this assemblage of Ogbaru in Diapora you have taken the first step in bringing prosperity to our people and laying the foundation for a bright posterity as we enter the new milenum.Thank you, Mbona, and God bless.