Empowering Our Community Toward Progressive and Sustainable Change

Fellow members of our great union, it is with utmost honor and great humility that I accept the responsibility to serve as your next president. I thank you for electing me to this position, and pledge to discharge this responsibility to the best of my ability.

I am aware of the enormity of this responsibility and want to use this opportunity to congratulate all the officers elected to serve along with me. I call on my fellow officers to work collaboratively in meeting, or even exceed the expectations of our members who elected us.

I also want to thank the past presidents and their teams for the wonderful job that they did. It was their dedication, commitment and adherence to our principles that got us to where we are today. Since 2013, when this union was formally reconstituted, the union has lived up to its principles and purpose. For example, under the leadership of Chief Benjamin Chinwuko, we raised money and donated computers to Kenneth Dike Library in our dear town. Under the leadership of Dr. Ken Ezenwa, we raised money and remodeled a classroom block and furnished it with chairs and desks for our children at Igwebuike Secondary School, Awka. In addition, we have rallied around our bereaved members and attended weddings and other social events. Given the exemplary effort demonstrated by our previously elected officers, we must continue to build upon the solid foundation they have laid.

I am aware of the challenges that lay ahead. I do not have all the answers and will need your help. I therefore ask for your assistance in piloting the affairs of this great union for the next two years.

I am aware of our member's concerns regarding the way decisions were made in the past, and the financial burden imposed on them by many of the projects we embarked on. I want to assure you that I will listen to your concerns and address them accordingly.

My top priority will be to establish a stronger sense of unity within our organization. To this end, I promise to reach out to all our members who stopped participating in our meetings due to one reason or the other. I will also expand our membership by reaching out to other Awka indigenes in Los Angeles and its environs. Furthermore, I will work to minimize the financial burden that we impose on you by only taking on projects that are discussed and agreed to by all members. It is my aspiration to engage in consensus building. When possible, decisions will be by consensus. When it is not possible to arrive at a consensus, every member will have the opportunity to express his or her views without fear of intimidation.

Finally, I want to ask for forgiveness from anyone that I may have offended during the course of my participation in this union. I need your help to succeed in this endeavor.

Thank you.
In your service,
Azuka Anene, President AULA