The Future is Here

After 18 years of unbroken commitment and presence on the newsstand; years of sheer hard work, personal sacrifices and community service, it is most befitting now to raise the stakes a notch higher, without necessarily relenting or taking a bow since in the service of motherland there’s no end. Having come this far it’s important to re-appraise our position. We re-affirm our resolve as we did when Aro News was born about 18 years ago:

“That we solemnly believe in Arochukwu. That Arochukwu has enormous potentials which must be galvanized, synthesized and channelled towards sustainable development. That we, at the Aro News are proud of Aro history, customs and traditions and are deeply committed to their preservation as integral and indispensable part of our heritage. That truth and justice are inexorably intertwined with peace, stability and growth. That we are distressed by the dismal collective progress made in Arochukwu over the years in the areas of provision of social amenities, infrastructure, poverty alleviation, general suffering, women and youth empowerment, literacy and education, erosion of communal values and norms and so on. That it seems a spell of lethargy and fatigue has hung over the town for nearly a century dispelling and eroding the awesome enthusiasm, dynamism, commercial acumen, decency and finesse which made Aro-Okigbo one of the greatest towns in the West-African sub-region until 1900. That the spirit of the age and time which gave rise to the rapturous strength and growth witnessed in Aro in the later part of the 19th century, almost resembling a renaissance, just before the colossal plunge of 1900-1902 must be resurrected and articulated properly if Aro is to take its rightful place in Nigeria.”

These were our position, vision and drive over a decade ago. That position remains incontrovertibly valid and unassailable even now. Aro News stable has single-handedly championed causes, worthy and integral to Aro’s strategic interests. It has through its agenda setting role raised issues which added up to development and quality of human life. Issues bordering on education, primary health care, tourism, peace and security, culture and tradition, sports and youth development, agriculture and food security, job creation and youth empowerment, politics and corporate social responsibility, provision of social amenities, financial freedom and accountability and so on – all championed within the thrust of its editorial policy and beyond. Without sounding immodest, there’s indeed no doubt that Aro News has through its activities uplifted Aro in the past 18 years. There is also no doubt that Aro News has striven to uplift the dignity of the Aro man – through the provision of a veritable platform for discourse. It closed a yawning gap; enhanced mutual trust and understanding and gave a voice for the articulation and synthesization of issues in the genuine development of Arochukwu.

The Future

By taking up the new challenge of opening and running Aro News International – an online medium, this team has blazed another trail that will be of immense benefit to Aro. It opens up new vistas, new opportunities, potentials and benefits that are limitless. It means that Arochukwu has been taken to the global centre stage. Anybody can now access information on Arochukwu from anywhere in the world. There is now a huge platform for mutual interaction and exchanges among Aro in Diaspora, those at home and foreigners. This portends huge possibilities; and holds promises that are almost unlimited. Indeed, the future is here with us, we must seize the opportunity that beckons. Welcome to the world of umu-chukwu. Welcome to www.aronewsonline.com.

Our Core Values & Objectives

Aro News is a community-based newspaper and business concern established to nurture, protect, and promote the interest of Arochukwu in governance, politics, economy, culture and development; In the pursuance of the above goal, the primary focus of our editorial policy is Arochukwu, both at home and in diaspora; In this direction, we are neutral on every issue but Arochukwu interest; Aro News, as a newspaper, subscribes to and upholds all fundamental principles and ideals of journalism based on advancement of basic human freedom, freedom of speech, objectivity, fairness, justice, equity and good conscience;

We strongly share in the doctrine of the media profession that “opinion is free; facts are sacred”; Aro News is and will continue to be a forum for ideas, debate, discussions, discourse and constructive criticisms as well as opinion molding for people and events that shape the interest and well-being of our community, We therefore welcome rejoinders, petitions and recourse mechanism as legitimate form of feedback; We are not and we will never be a public relations arm or mouth piece of any individual, association or group whether in Arochukwu or elsewhere no matter how highly placed;

Aro News is and will remain a platform to celebrate Aro culture, accomplishments, research, selfless service, philanthropy, creativity, innovation and exemplary conduct; We are not and will never be a forum for oppression, discrimination, mediocrity, sycophancy, rent seeking, corruption or fraudulent practices; Over the years we have recorded giant strides and grown from a little beginning to a well-established corporate entity based on hard work and integrity. Aro News has not only evolved but transformed into a professional community newspaper with primary interest in community service and any other venture that would sustain our vision, survival and existence;

We are proud to have in our team, dynamic professional Aro sons and daughters with track records of excellence in public service, private sector, the media, economy, law, and business in Nigeria and overseas. These excellent professionals have volunteered to offer their talent, experience, time, energy and resources in support of this community initiative; Aro News hereby reaffirms its respect and loyalty to Arochukwu traditional institutions, Nzuko Aro and other service arms in our community; However, the loyalty of Aro News will continue to be guided by the ethics of the media profession and corporate social responsibility to our community within the boundaries of our editorial policy; In the discharge of our mandate over the years, Aro News is proud that, we have remained a major source of information dissemination, community mobilization, social interaction, education and enlightenment among all Aros in Nigeria and around the world.