Distinguished ladies and gentlemen you are all welcome to this remarkable and history making day: The presentation of the maiden edition of Nenwe Who is who.
THE BACKGROUNG:
Before the presentation day of the HISTOY OF NENWE TOWN, the author Senator Chief M.B Chukwubike read aloud to me half of the book and made me read aloud the remaining half to him. This exercise took us three evenings. He never told me all the reasons for that but during the exercise I observed that there were many events, places and personalities that were supposed to be a book of their own and I promised myself it would be realised one day and put in a big library.
Years and decades passed the personalities increased naturally. Updating the history book he wrote also became very imperative .
Having worked for many years in data collection in a county in Europe and participating in their biannual historic and who is who update, I thought in 2020 to replicate the same in Nenwe through a continuous update that would pull our history and people out of the oral history where they have been and gradually disappearing. Many people were enthusiastic about the project and I got as many as wanted involved in it, However at some point I observed there was little progress because enthusiasm and eager to work was high but knowing what to do was the essential and that was what we lacked , though everyone was good in their specialised areas educating the team on this novel way of documenting history and working on line since I live overseas was imperative at this point. This dragged and delayed the work.
In 2023 after returning a couple of times to Nigeria I got a dedicated team of 8 people who were ready in the arduous data collection. I am happy to announce that today in my little Nenwe circle we have a handful of people who now understand the working principles of this system which is just the primary stage that is prelude to the archiving which is my or our next target.
Ladies and gentlemen here we are today with the work ready. However permit me to add that as I said earlier it is a ‘work in progress’. There are less than a 90 names out of the double that were supposed to be publish in this edition, there are just a couple of historical events, personalities and landmarks as against tens that I wrote already. The publication was first come first served and many contacted people are still to understand what it is all about therefore didn’t consent to their personal information being published . It is well understood .They might by this first edition understand what I meant and they might appear in subsequent editions.
The presentation in this book is not uniform as it should be professionally but this will also distinguish it as the first edition. The arrangement is alphabetical and space allocated is not according to importance.
THE TEAM;
Mr. Silas Nwenya, Mr.Patrick O.Chukwubike, Ken.Ogbu, PhD, Chief. Godwin Onuh (Ezeife), Prof. Michael O Maduagwu, Fidel Nwabueze Ogbo,PhD, Surv. E Okorie, Mr. IKechukwu the Greatest Ude ,Cyril O Oleh, PhD, Mazi Clem Ebere, Nicholas Udeh Esq. Mrs. Kande Daniel, Louis Orji,PhD, Engr Bismarck Orji, Engr Ken Mbah, among others (aguwa ndi oma aba l'iro).
I must recognize the contributions of these gentlemen and ladies who were always ready to source and transmit to me information and contacts when needed. I must remember Chief Camillus Igwebuike and Mr John Nwaru (both resting in peace) who in the beginning were very supportive and always listened to my questions and curiosities on phone. Most important is the home front where I am fortunate to have someone who has too much authentic heroic Nenwe blood of Chief Harrison Chukwumba (Ebili jiishi edje ogu), at some point I thought my wife Ndidi Harrison would have left me so that 'I marry Nenwe' due to my exaggerated time and dedication to Nenwe projects but she is still holding forth just like my beloved sister Ngozi who in our everyday quarrel in everything, but if I mention to her Nenwe is involved she would pardon everything.
THE FUTURE;
As already mentioned the main aim is to have a virtual and physical cultural, historical data bank and library where thousands of documents and graphics we have in the family library could be made accessible to the general public free of charges, a promise made to my Dad four decades ago; precisely on the day of presentation of his book ; The History of Nenwe town.
A portal and platform will soon be created where all the historical information and actual data could be sourced virtually ie. from any part of the world.
As this first edition of the book Nenwe Who Is Who is being presented and unveiled today simultaneously at Abuja, Enugu and virtually via zoom, I wish to thank you all for coming and for all your support I want everyone to see this as a service to humanity irrespective of your origin. I also promise to make available myself and experiences to anyone who may wish to implement such a program in their own communities.
There will be the books' NENWE TOWN unveiling program in between the Christmas 2024 and New year 2025 .
In March 2025 we shall have the general premiation day of the personalities in this first edition and the facilitators by the Coordinator also in Nenwe . You will all be informed of the exact dates and venues of these two events in Nenwe.
Please a second favour after that of getting copies of this absolute first edition, is to kindly write any corrections, comment or suggestions through the email in the book. Nenwe.whoiswho@gmail.com or to mine chukwubike@gmail.com, I shall personally reply you.
I thank God for the gift of life and memory and pray for the Grace to still be with me and the team for a while . I end this with a conversation about my memory with my mom Magdalene Ekpete in 1997.
In a conversation I told her the name of the European doctor who used to treat me in the Awgu Joint Hospital when I was a kid. She wondered how I knew her name . My dad went into his room and got his 1965 diary and confirmed the name was correct. My mom asked me the techniques and I told her something. The next day she asked me again what I said yesterday the techniques were and I told her I didn’t remember. In her typical way she said. “These are those who don’t remember what they ate in the night but will tell you the taste of the wine in the wedding at Cana.(Hahaha!!) May her soul and the soul of Bridget another one with super memory rest in peace.
Thank You for coming and for picking a copy of this maiden edition of Nenwe Who Is Who.
Charles Okechukwu Chukwubike
Coordinator/Moderator & Team Lead
NENWE WHO IS WHO PUBLICATIONS
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