26 February, 1998
Dear Mazi Kanu,
I am writing to you in my capacity as the Chairman of the Eze Aro Advisory Council. As you may have noticed from the Eze Aro's letter the Inauguration of the Advisory Council by Eze Aro on 6 April 1996 at Oror was received with great enthusiasm and it was immediately resolved that Aros should commemorate the invasion of Aro-Chukwu by th eBritish expeditionary forces in 1901/1902 which is now known by the Aros as Anglo-Aro War. The Commemoration is planned to be in the year 2002. it is the intention to invite various Government Dignitaries as well as prominent men and women both within Nigeria and abroad, but we have a very serious problem. With all the greatness of Aros, with their Centuries of History, with all their education and enlightenment, with all the Cultural Heritage, spread all over Eastern Nigeria and beond we have no venue for such an event to take place. Our only option is to complete the Civic Centre as far back as 1975 but for many reasons the Centre has not even reached the ground floor slab. With the situatio as bad as it is the Ezo Aro therefor proclaimed that All Aros wherever they may be should help to build the Civic Centre as a prerequisite for Aro 2002. That is the special request from Eze Aro. This is the main reason which prompted Mazi Matthias Okoro the Chairman of Eze Aro Advisory Council to visit London and Washington Sept/Oct 1997 in order to forewarn the Aros on the importance of the Civic Centre and the Fund Raising to build it. For without the Aros in U.S.A. and Canada we cannot make it.
Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa will be in Chicago during your Conference and Eze Aro has requested if you could sponsor two people from Nigeria here to be at the Conference to make up a delegation of three. Of the two No 1 priority is Prof Vincent Chukwuemeka Ike, the Chairman of Aro 2002, and the second person for which we need your sponsorship is Mazi Matthias Okoro the chairman of Eze Aro Advisory Council, and also who is the co-ordinator of the two committees. even if you are unable to sponsor two, one will be appreciated. That will enable Prof Vincent Chukwuemeka Ike to join Mazi Ohuabunwa in Chicago for ALL ARO (USA).
We have already started to make an effort to contact you. We were about writing to Mazi Nwosu K. Okoro the Nzuko Aro President in New Yourk who has already agreed to further the Fund Raising with you when he met Mazi Matthias Okoro in Washington in Oct 1997. When your letter arrived at the Palace Oror, the Eze Aro immediately gave instruction to contact you. For quick and easy communication even to Aro just use the above Post Office Box. I hope to hear from you soon.
Yours sincerely,