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"At the opening ceremony of HIAC on 26.12.07, The Igwe of Nnewi, Igwe Kenneth Orizu III is having his blood pressure taken by Dr Wilson Onyeka, NAC Chairman, Board of Trustees. "Igwe Kenneth Orizu III cuts the tape to declare the HIAC open. (Right to left) Ms Akamelu-Nsoedo, NAC Trustee; Dr Amobi Ilika, Anambra State Commissioner for Health; and Dr Wilson Onyeka.
NNEWI ADVANCEMENT CHARITY UK (NAC UK) ANNOUNCEMENT
NAC UK HAS SUCCESSFULLY OPENED A HEALTH AND INFORMATION ADVISORY CENTRE AT NNEWI ON 26TH DECEMBER 2007. The members of Nnewi Advancement Charity UK (NAC UK) are proud to announce the opening of a Health and Information Advisory Centre at Nnewi on 26th December 2007. In 2005, with a membership of over twenty illustrious sons and daughters of Nnewi, the Charity decided after a period of extensive consultation and comprehensive needs assessment of our community to establish this long term project aimed at helping the most needy and vulnerable at Nnewi. The Centre focuses primarily on health promotion, primary disease prevention, screening for the most common killer chronic diseases like high blood pressure and Diabetes Mellitus as well as educating and empowering sufferers to become expert in the management of their diseases. It employs full time nurses, part time doctor and office staff to man the Centre between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm Monday to Saturday. Our members have worked tirelessly to establish this Centre at the heart of our beloved town. To get the centre up and running, NAC UK invested about £20,000 (five million naira), funds raised entirely from generous donations from our members, friends and well wishers. The centre was jointly commissioned by the honourable commissioner for Health Anambra State, Dr Amobi Ilika and His Royal Highness Igwe KON Orizu III Igwe Nnewi during a ceremony chaired by Chief/Dr Ajulu Uzodike, Ozi-uzo Nnewi the Chairman Cutix PLC. The opening ceremony was well attended by Nnewi dignitaries, indigenes and residents among who were: Chief JCN Ikejiuba, Mr Willy Nzewi, Dr Uzo Udechukwu, Dr Amanchukwu Ezika, Chief B. Obiamalu, Mr Nnamdi Asomugha, Bar. Bonny Obunadike, Bar. Eddie Onyeka, Rev. Canon B C Okeke, Vicar St Pauls Anglican Church Umuenem Otolo Nnewi.(Representing the Anglican bishop of Nnewi. Rt Rev Dr Okpara.) His Royal Highness Igwe KON III while breaking the Kola nut, thanked NAC UK members for establishing the centre and prayed for their collective good health, God’s blessings, long life and prosperity. In his keynote address, Dr Amobi Ilika, eulogised NAC UK members for their philanthropy and selflessness in establishing this unique centre for the purpose of catering for the health needs of the less privileged people of Nnewi, he was particularly impressed by the amount of investment in the infrastructure of the centre and the fact that the services offered by the centre are entirely free of charge. He urged the members not to relent in their effort to sustain the centre, the Nnewi people to use and support the centre and other Nigerian communities to emulate NAC UK and do likewise for their peoples. Some of the dignitaries present and representatives of those unavoidably absent, made generous donations towards the running of the centre. The centre saw about two hundred clients on the opening week and within two months of commissioning well over a thousand patients have benefited from our free medical screening, advice, prescription and treatment.
BACKGROUND
Touched by the yearning needs of their impoverished kindred in Nnewi, yet realising that these needs cannot be met by levies, these charity-minded individuals felt there had to be another way of raising funds and material for good causes. Good causes they articulated, that would include not only supporting the educational and healthcare needs of the Nnewi community in Nigeria, but also the educational, health, social and cultural needs of the Nnewi community in Great Britain, particularly the youth and the aged, most of whom are first generation immigrants yet to be fully integrated into the UK culture. Consequently the vision of registering a charity organisation as a vehicle to address these urgent needs was enunciated. Following a period of consultation, they worked tirelessly for the incorporation and registration with the Charity Commission in the UK, which they fully funded. Their sacrifice and efforts were rewarded in April 2003 with the registration of, Nnewi Advancement Charity (UK) Limited, NAC(UK), registration number 1097302 by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
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Some
members of the Nnewi Community Association of Great Britain and Ireland
conceived the need to form this Charity in the year 2001. This was
sequel to
the donation of about £15,000.00 worth of hospital equipment to the Nnamdi
Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi by the Association, largely funded
by a membership levy of £100.00. Though this was a worthy cause, this method
of fund raising was found unsustainable in the long term.
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