The Aro Okeigbo Social Club of Nigeria (AROSON) has announced plans to raise ₦250 million for the construction of a new Secretariat and Club House complex in Arochukwu, Abia State.
To this end, a landmark funds drive and investiture ceremony has been scheduled for Sunday, December 28, 2025, at the AROSON Club House project site in Baraki, Arochukwu. The twin event, being packaged by the Central Planning Committee, forms a major part of activities marking the 2025 AROSON Day Celebration and is aimed at mobilising support for what the Club describes as a legacy development project for the Aro Kingdom.
The fundraiser is targeted at mobilising ₦250 million to build and equip a modern Secretariat and Club House that will serve as AROSON’s administrative headquarters and social hub in Arochukwu. According to publicity materials released by the Club, the December 28 event is expected to attract prominent sons and daughters of Aro, friends of the Kingdom, corporate organisations, and development partners.
Background of AROSON
AROSON is one of the foremost socio-cultural organisations of Arochukwu sons and daughters, established to promote unity, preserve Aro heritage, and mobilise resources for community development at home and in the diaspora. Over the years, the Club has evolved into a strong platform for networking, philanthropy, and civic engagement among Aro professionals, entrepreneurs, and community leaders across Nigeria and beyond.
The Club maintains a strong presence at major Aro cultural events, including the Ikeji Aro Festival, where members rally support for community causes and showcase the values, history, and positive image of the Arochukwu people. Through these engagements, AROSON has helped bridge generational gaps, strengthen inter-village bonds, and reinforce a shared vision for the future of the Aro Kingdom.
Contributions to Arochukwu Development
AROSON has played a visible role in supporting social and infrastructural development initiatives in Arochukwu. Among its notable interventions is the donation of a water borehole to the General Hospital, executed in partnership with other Aro development stakeholders.
These contributions complement broader community development frameworks such as the Arochukwu Development Plan (AroDep 2030), which focuses on improving health, education, and civic infrastructure in the Kingdom. Beyond physical projects, AROSON members have supported welfare programmes, medical outreaches, scholarships, youth mentoring, and cultural preservation initiatives aimed at improving livelihoods and nurturing the next generation of Aro leaders.
Uniting Aro People at Home and in the Diaspora
The proposed ₦250 million Secretariat and Club House project is being positioned by AROSON leadership as both a physical structure and a unifying symbol for Aro sons and daughters across Nigeria and the diaspora. The facility is expected to serve as a permanent centre for meetings, documentation, cultural activities, and social interaction, while providing an institutional base for long-term planning and coordinated development efforts.
Organisers of the funds drive have therefore called on traditional rulers, political leaders, professionals, traders, artisans, corporate bodies, and friends of Arochukwu to attend the December 28 event, place goodwill advertisements in the official brochure, and make generous donations toward the project. They stress that every contribution, regardless of size, will help consolidate AROSON’s role in uniting the Aro people and accelerating development in their ancestral homeland.
Leadership, Dignitaries and Honourees
The Chairman of the Occasion for the landmark event is Mazi Sir Dave Imoko (Ugwu Aro), a former President of AROSON and respected elder of the Club.
Dignitaries expected to grace the occasion include two former Presidents-General of Nzuko Arochukwu Worldwide and National Patrons of AROSON, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa and Mazi Emmanuel Kanu Ivi. Also expected are another former President of AROSON and National Patron, Mazi IK Onu; former Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, Dr. Mao Ohuabunwa (Ugwu Aro); and eminent politician and security expert, Mazi Chikwe Udensi (Ugwu Aro), among many other distinguished personalities from within and outside the Aro Kingdom.
As part of the ceremony, AROSON will formally inaugurate new National Patrons, AROSON Ambassadors, and Associate Members whose contributions continue to strengthen the Club and the wider Aro community.
New National Patrons
The following distinguished sons of Aro have been approved for inauguration as National Patrons of AROSON:
Mazi Okoro Ukpabi (Ugwuaro), Mazi Ikechukwu Victor Okoronkwo (UgwuAro), Mazi Bank Anthony Okoroafor (UgwuAro) and Mazi Henry Okey Onyeador.
Others are Mazi P. C. Okoro (UgwuAro), Mazi Emmanuel C. Okoro and Mazi (Dr.) Jacob Nwosu (UgwuAro)
AROSON Ambassador Designates
The following individuals have been designated for inauguration as AROSON Ambassadors:
Dr. (Engr.) Emeka Maduagwu, Mazi Nkemji Anige (UgwuAro), Mazi (Dr.) Okey Ijomanta (UgwuAro), Mazi Mike Akpara and Mazi (Dr.) Emma Nwadeyi (UgwuAro).
Associate Membership Category
The following individuals have been approved for admission into the Associate Membership Category of AROSON:
Mazi Chris Onyeador (UgwuAro), Mazi Emmanuel Ogbonnaya Azionwu (UgwuAro), Mazi Obi Chijioke (UgwuAro) and Mazi (Barr.) Oscar Chukwuma Okoro (UgwuAro).
Others include Engr. Dr. Christopher Kalu Okoro (Rector, Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba), Mazi Gabriel Okoronkwo, Mazi Onyedikachi Nkemakolam, Mazi Vincent Akamnonu, Mazi Moses Nwamuo Kanu (Ikemba Aro) and Mazi Nnamdi Urim.
Leadership Reactions
Speaking on the development, the President of AROSON, Sir Chijioke Kingsley Oti described the Secretariat and Club House project as a historic milestone that will strengthen the institutional capacity of the Club and enhance its service to the Aro community. He urged members and friends of Arochukwu to see the project as a shared responsibility and a lasting legacy for future generations.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Central Planning Committee and National Secretary of AROSON, Mazi Obozuluike Ofoelue (Ikemba Aro) stated that the December 28 funds drive has been carefully structured to be inclusive and transparent, assuring that all funds raised will be judiciously applied to deliver a befitting Secretariat and Club House worthy of the Aro name.