African-Americans Dr. McHenry & General Ward, embraced into Igbo ancestry by Ohanaeze Ndigbo
Two renowned African-Americans, Dr. Emmitt McHenry, who developed the .com code for internet emails, and General William Ward (Rtd) who was the inaugural Commander of United States Africa Command from October 1, 2007 to March 8, 2011, have traced their origins to the Igbo tribe in Nigeria.
They were inducted by the Nigerian Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide at an inaugural event hosted at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, in Washington DC in the United States (U.S). The event was presided over by Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
According to a statement from Dr Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, about 400 years ago, thousands of blacks were shipped out of the continent in the transatlantic slave trade era.
“Over the years, the black population in the United States of America and the Caribbean have grown into millions. Interestingly, some of the African-Americans passed the information of their ethnic origin to their children before they passed on. This strong message has transcended generations to the present day. McHenry [and General Ward], their father passed the message from their great-great-great-great grand-fathers, that they are Igbo,” said Dr. Ogbonnia.
Chief Iwuanyanwu noted that the Igbo people’s legendary sense of adventure and entrepreneurship is having a beneficial impact on the global community. He expressed his satisfaction with African-Americans ancestors tracing back their Igbo ancestry.
The Igbo chieftain praised the inductees’ readiness to join Ohanaeze Ndigbo’s current visionary dynamic as it strives to achieve an enviable pedestal through transformative and avant-garde programmes in Igbo land, Nigeria.
In the U.S. alone, scientists such as Prof. Bart Nnaji, expert in artificial intelligence, robotics, geometric logic and innovations; Prof. Philip Emeagwali, the best in computer programming that developed a computer that can perform measurements of 3.1 billion per second.
Others are Prof. Charles Umeh, the director of the laboratory for instructional mechatronics and advanced electronic packaging and laser processing applications. They also include Dr Aloysius Anaebonam, a renowned pharmacist; Emeka Nchekwube, neurological surgeon with four patents in the field of medicine and many others.
Chief Iwuanyanwu used the occasion to appoint Dr. Emmit McHenry, General William Ward and Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze as members of the Presidential Advisory Council of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
Source: News Agencies
Abeeb Lekan Sodiq is a Managing Editor & Writer at theafricandream.net. He is as well a Graphics Designer and also known as Arakunrin Lekan.
