By Easter of 2022, it would be six years since we embarked on a fateful journey to contribute our quota towards helping us Aro rediscover ourselves, re – engineer our society, rebuild our infrastructure, re – enact our famed prowess in creativity, pragmatism and organization, while taking our destiny in our hands. As the millennials would say, Aro needed to regain its swagger!    

We made it clear that whoever wanted to be part of the Nzuko Aro servant- leadership must realize that it was not an ego trip. We were not looking for an opportunity to make name or engaging in popularity contest. It was no avenue to launder images. 

Membership of the team was based on the understanding that it is an opportunity to give back our essence to our community. Each member would seek to run his Office from his pocket as we were not going to pay for flight tickets or hotel bills for any executive member for official Nzuko Aro assignments.

We committed to transparency in the management of Nzuko Aro accounts, timely publication of accounts and openness to scrutiny. We set out to mobilize all especially the elite and the traditional institution, to take more than a passing interest in what was going on in Aro, how we were being governed and the grassroot system that was in operation. 

We were open to guidance, advise and constructive criticism.  It was clear that credibility, integrity, consultation, well considered policies and programmes would bring support, but we were pleasantly surprised at the quantum and quality of support it engendered. Nde Ezes, PG’s of villages, women, youth all keyed into the vision. Nde Aro took ownership of the reforms. 

From the Body of National Patrons to Aro academics, intelligentsia and the Diaspora, ideas, suggestions, funding and all manner of encouragement poured in.  It has remained so such that we can easily recount monumental achievements recorded during this period. The confidence of the Aro at home and the Diaspora was rekindled in Nzuko Aro as a veritable institution for the incubation and delivery of development to the community. 

Through the reforms introduced by the administration which encouraged Central Working  Executive Committee members to absorb the cost of running their Offices, the Union saved millions of naira that was ploughed into development projects. We ensured strict accountability with zero tolerance for revenue leakages with annual auditing of accounts and quarterly publication of financials. 

 In the area of physical infrastructure, the main auditorium of the Aro Cultural and Civic Centre was completed through an effort championed by Mazi (Dr) Alex Otti with the financial support of many Umu Aro. This feat broke a 40 year jinx. Effort is on to complete the fencing of the edifice championed by Dr Emma Nwadeyi while the land filling and landscaping are in progress. 

The fencing of the Eze Aro’s palace was done with a gate magnificent in its royalty. The project was graciously delivered by Mazi Lawson Obasi (Sobaz). Although Arochukwu was gazetted an urban area about 1976 virtually all the internal roads were earth roads. This situation changed dramatically in the last six years as the Amaikpe /Avia Ovuru/ Ibom; Atani/ Isimkpu; Civic Centre/Amaoba ; Amanagwu/Asaga, Avia Ovuru/ Akama/ Ugwuavo roads were asphalted. We remain grateful to Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa, Dr Alex Otti and Sen. Kalu. Also Nde Agor road and Eze Aro compound were asphalted, through the kind intervention of Engr. Chukwuemeka Maduagwu.

Also, through the efforts of Prince Eberechukwu Kanu Oji, a serious road project is going on around Agbagwu. Nzuko Aro also coordinated the rebuilding of police offices and DPO’s quarters, a project that was encouraged by the late Dr Kemka Jombo -Ofo with contributions from Umu Aro. The pressure mounted by the leadership of the Union resulted in some work on Okobo road and the Aro/Ohafia road. On the part of the Union, we carried out some palliative work on Okobo road and grade it every dry season.It is not yet uhuru for these two projects but a lot is happening in the background.

Nzuko Aro leadership maintained cordial relationship with the Akwa Ibom state government which resulted in that government extending the Nkana road project way into Aro territory and even constructing an additional bridge. We owe a debt of gratitude to Governor Udom Emmanuel and the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Ephraim Inyang.  The road is experiencing landslide/erosion challenges around Ugwu Nma Bassey and we’re hoping the contractor will do the needful.

In conjunction with other groups, Nzuko Aro coordinated the rehabilitation of Amoba Primary School. On the cultural level, nothing excites the Aro as the rebranding and repackaging of the annual Ikeji Aro festival. We have since been staging what has been adjudged as the best Ikeji festivals of the modern era. The glamour has grown in leaps and bounds. On Ekpo, that enigmatic masquerade dance that excites both the young and old, Nzuko Aro re – established the Code of Conduct for Ekpo and has striven to keep the organizers within bounds of safety and decency to avoid the kind of crisis that led to loss of life in 2011. 

In the health sector, the Union established the Aro Health Committee made up of Aro health professionals domiciled at home and abroad with the mandate to ensure that our people had access to medicare.  The Committee headed by Mazi (Dr) Okoro Ukpabi, is on top of the situation. Working with the All Aro USA, free medical services is now obtainable at the AAUSA clinic, powered by donations from  well meaning Aro professionals with additional funding from the Nzuko. 

We have organized a fund raising to rebuild the Arochukwu general hospital. Umu Aro again donated generously to the project. Work has so far been completed on the male and female wards and the theatre. The rebuilding of the out patient ward is in progress. We have reached an understanding with the Abia State Government on the effective management of the Aro general hospital. Meanwhile, through the efforts of one of our Adaukwus Total PLC has built a Children and Women hospital and it is awaiting commissioning.

The Covid 19 pandemic created a new challenge for our people and the administration. With lockdown imposed and no real assistance from government, we had to take steps to ensure our people didn’t starve. We procured sanitizers, facemasks and palliatives to the tune of eight million naira that was distributed to all the villages in Aro. This was consolidated with enlightenment programs for the control of Covid in Aro. Our efforts were greatly complemented by the village unions.

On Security and peace building, it is apparent that without peace no meaningful progress can be achieved. We set our to encourage the traditional institutions to work in harmony while supporting the palace to resolve the Ugbo/Ikpanja crisis. We maintained very cordial relationship with security agencies in Aro often supporting them to be able to carryout their functions. 

Those who lack the capacity to plan only have the capacity to fail. We resolved to take a wholistic look at the needs of our kingdom in the short, medium and long term and to develop systematic and coherent ways of tackling them. This gave rise to the Arochukwu Development plan 2020- 2030. The ten year development plan which is at the final stages of development will, among other things, guarantee sustainable community development through engagement of Aro citizens both at home and the Diaspora.

We established the Arochukwu Development Fund under the control of a Board of Trustees made up of eminent Aro leaders for development projects in Aro.   Virtually all the projects executed so far were funded through donations by well meaning Umu Aro. The funds were warehoused in the ADP. The Fund promotes efficiency in utilization of scarce resources as the Board scrutinizes all expenditure before release . Nzuko Aro Executive members are not signatories to the account. 

Following the sad transition of our revered sage, His Majesty, Mazi Ogbonnaya Okoro, the Eze Aro, Nzuko Aro mobilized Umu Aro for his befitting burial. It was also an opportunity to give a facelift to the Palace and the adjoining buildings. We organized a highly successful 5th All Aro National Conference in Abakaliki to further cement our bond. In Politics, Nzuko Aro without being partisan, encouraged our people to actively participate in Politics. We are currently mobilising Nde Aro to seize the opportunity of the continuous voter registration exercise to register. 

We are still grapling with some challenges the most difficult being the Aro/Ohafia and Okobo roads. Both roads are literally impassable. The reconstruction started when Sen. Mao was in the Senate. Our brother, Dr. Uche Orji has been of immense help working with the House of Representatives member and the current Senator. We hope that the underground work currently going on will yield dividends.

To appreciate some of our leading men and women who have contributed immensely towards turning the new page for Aro, the Administration organized a highly successful Award ceremonies. Nearly 30 million naira was realized from appreciations at the ceremony which formed the nucleus of the fund in Aro Development Fund. This catalog of positive developments is not exhaustive.

It remains for us to thank all our people, those that advised, counseled, contributed, donated and volunteered resulting in this pleasant story.    We, as a people, only need to sustain the reforms and make them irreversible. This is the only way not to fritter away the sacrifices and consolidate on the successes of the last 6 years.