Aba Reunion, a platform floated by three United States-based Nigerians for the generation of men and women who grew up in the commercial town in the 1970s to late 1980s, is planning a homecoming in December 2024.
In the post-civil war era, Nigerians of diverse origins flocked to the then South East town for work and commercial engagements. The town soon grew to become a melting point for trading, attracting traders from all over the former East Central State and the Midwest to take up residence and grow their families.
Some of those whose parents made Aba their base have now become adults and dispersed to different parts of the globe.
Bishop Ogbonna Ugwuozor of Church of Anointing in Los Angeles, California; Chuddy Ambassador, a Dallas, Texas based entrepreneur; and Chief Okey Ibeneme, who is based in Maryland; came together to found a union, named Aba Reunion Group with an objective to create a forum for social and business networking among those who had their formative years in Aba, popularly called Enyimba City.
Ugwuozor explained that, in the years ahead, the group would put to use the professional skills and wealth of members to renew the town where they all grew up.
“Over the years, our Aba has lost its lead as a business hub that attracted huge commercial interest from Nigeria and the West African subregion.
“Aba Reunion has been established to recover the lost commercial and social status of the Aba that we chose to call Enyimba City”, said Ugwuozor, who has led several intercessory prayers for Nigeria.
Also explaining the roadmap to the 2024 Homecoming of Aba Reunion, the clergy said that an inaugural convention is to hold in Dallas next March to set up the Homecoming Planning Committee.
“We have done a lot of spade work to link up a lot of members in different parts of the world and the last six to seven months have been spent on Membership drive and sensitization”, said Ambassador, who runs a chain of businesses in Dallas and shuttles Nigeria on business trips.
Ibeneme said that the team is working on mobilising members for a good turnout at the convention holding in Dallas.
“The next phase in our steps to actualise the plans to rebuild Aba is to mobilise members for the inaugural convention and so far, the feedback has been very positive”, Ibeneme said.
He further said that the success of the membership drive has resulted in over 500 subscribers to the WhatsApp platform where they have been exchanging nostalgic stories of the past.
Ambassador also said that the Aba Reunion has brought together some old schoolmates, neighbours and friends who had not heard from each other in over 30 years.
“We have been able to bring together hitherto young boys and girls, some of who left Aba for greener pastures abroad and in other Nigerian cities. The idea is to have a great homecoming and interrogate the challenges of the town to possibly work with the Government of Abia State to recover the town from the decay it has slumped to”, he added.
Picture: Bishop Ogbonna Ugwuozor, Co-founder, Aba Reunion Group.
