As commonly said, “everything has a history, including people”! Having the benefit of a good sense of history makes us realise that beyond facts and dates, other factors such as context, process, change, time and perception help us to not only understand how journeys began, but also helps us appreciate the strength of the bond that binds us together.
Our journey to becoming an Association dates back to sometime around 2015. As individuals who had found themselves in an environment far from our ancestral abode where we call home, having interacted sometimes briefly at the mall when we bumped into each other or at other times at our individual homes when we invited one another for an evening meal or an early morning breakfast, we thought it necessary to make these meetings more deliberate and frequent. The rationale behind this decision initially, was to keep up the spirit and consciousness of brotherliness – spend some time together, chat, share jokes, dine, wine and reminisce on our roots.
Initially, we were just a “handful” – A small gathering of Edo-Deltans seated under the shed, having a good time. Small in number, yet large at heart and in love. At peace with posterity for finally seeing us through the first series of these meetings which had become a monthly occurrence. From the baby dedications to the career successes, from the conjugal journeys to the entrepreneurial startups, we had become a band of brothers and sisters who had now been able to foster that consciousness of oneness – knowing that although thousands of miles from home, we’ve got us whom we could call family. Through the good and bad times, the high and low points, we held the bond!
Considering how rapidly our numbers had increased over a period of time with more Edo-Deltans coming to WA and with the consciousness of the next generation budding, the idea to formally birth an Association was formed.
Consistent with the birthing process of every ideology, the road isn’t always smooth. So, it was for us at the initial stage, as we went through the process of the registration hurdles and application for incorporation; but in it all, we stayed focused on the end goal and our mantra remained consistent – “To bring together all Edo State indigenes residing in Western Australia under one united ideology to initiate and support projects that are beneficial to its members and the Australian community, to be Ambassadors of Edo State and Nigeria in general”. Having this goal in sight, no mountain was insurmountable and on the 17th of January 2019, the Edo Nigeria Association of Western Australia Inc. was formally incorporated. Indeed, the juice was worth the squeeze!
Prior to the formal incorporation and while we stayed optimistic on the formalisation process, we took the leap of faith to hold an inaugural meeting in the private residence of a founding member Mr Frank Bademosi who was pivotal to the successes achieved so far since our inception. At the inaugural meeting late in 2017, a decision was reached to continue with the monthly occurrences and three months later, a caretaker committee was inaugurated to oversee the affairs of the Association. This inaugural committee chaired by Mr Ralph Peter until the formal incorporation of the Association, following which, a standing committee was inaugurated in late 2019, headed by Ephraim Osagie. This was followed by the Committee chaired by Mr Sidney Abiodun. With the inauguration completed and a constitution formally drafted to guide the Association’s activities, Annual General Meetings were to be held, where new Committee members will be elected, the most recent having held in January 2023 leading to the emergence of the Committee chaired by Dr Stephen Enoma.
While it is impervious to accurately predict and decipher what the future holds or to precisely project events and occurrences on specific timelines, every member of our beloved Association is encouraged to support in energizing the pillars upon which our foundations are formed. At the ENAWA, we are a band of brothers and sisters and we believe in the strength of unity, knowing that together everyone achieves more.
We are poised for a bright future and we believe that the journey to that blissful future has only just begun!