Mr. Ezekwenna is an expert on African community matters; socio-cultural, socio-economics and socio-political dynamics, international relations, globalization and other related issues.
Mr. Ezekwenna was born in under-developed rural village called Awuda-Nnobi in Idemili South Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria.
His parents were very poor, financially. His father was a peasant farmer while his mother was a local palm produce trader.
Nigeria-Biafra Civil War (1967-1970) intermittently interrupted his elementary education. Like other children in the former Republic of Biafra, he attended classes (primary school) under trees, falling school roofs and walls; and occasionally had to run inside the bush to dodge falling bombs and artillery shells. He had to trek over twenty miles everyday to attend the high school closest to home.
Mr. Ezekwenna migrated to the United States in 1980s. He obtained a B.A. in Political Science (minor in Philosophy) from Herbert H. Lehman College of the City University of New York in 1989.
While in college, Mr. Ezekwenna was very active in students’ government – Vice-President of Student Government (CASA), Delegate to overall CUNY students’ body and National Students Association, member of the college Senate and Vice-President of African Students Association. He successfully organized and led students’ peaceful protests to persuade the CUNY Board of Trustees to divest CUNY funds from companies doing business with Apartheid South Africa at that time. Senior leaders of ANC in exile including Mr. Thabo Mbeki honored students’ invitation and spoke at one of those events at the college campus.
Mr. Ezekwenna has extensive experience in the field of human/social services. He has experience both in government and private agencies, as well as knowledge of inter-agency interaction and dynamics. His work experience include, working with difficult teenagers at Non-Secure Detention Group Homes, New York City Dept. of Juvenile Justice. He investigated reported cases of child abuse/neglect, rendered services to families in need and conducted Court-ordered Investigation and Report (I & R) at the New York City Child Welfare Administration (CWA). He also had experience working with AIDS/HIV infected, ex-convicts, homeless, disabled, mentally ill and chemically addicted (M.I.C.A.) clients at transitional housing programs (residence).
Prior to the establishment of Africans In America, Inc. in August 2001, Mr. Ezekwenna had observed gross abuse of the continental African victims of human trafficking by affluent, fellow continental African immigrants living in New York area. He also observed the immigrant African community’s nonchalant attitude towards the plights of the victims in their midst. This is reminiscent of disdainful and abusive treatment victims receive from the perpetrators back in the continent without question by the authority or the community.
He also observed how victims of human trafficking passed through the government bureaucracy in the United States without notice and without getting necessary help. Agencies’ knowledge of the issues was highly deficient at that time.
Mr. Ezekwenna also observed that there was no organization in the United States that focuses exclusively on neither human-trafficking related issues, nor rendering direct services to the African victims at that time, as well.
Mr. Ezekwenna has been very active in speaking out against horrible practices whereby more economically advantaged/wealthy members of our Nigerian community in New York would bring poor young boys and girls, and sometimes elderly women from back home, have them perform household works such as: babysitting, cooking and cleaning and other household works without getting paid.
The more economically advantaged/wealthy individuals would seize the traveling documents of the victims, would never adjust their immigration status and would allow the documents and entry visas to expire. They would physically and emotionally abuse the victims and threaten them with deportation back to the homeland into poverty and harder life.
The practice is abuse and exploitation of the less privileged members of the community at its worst; it is called human trafficking, but, it is actually slavery.
For speaking out against the practices which were hidden from public view in the 1980s, (and still hidden today), one particular New York-based Nigerian immigrant family deeply involved in this practice (the family have couple of young underage girls live-in and working for years without pay in their household), attempted to eliminate him through anonymous petitions to law enforcement agencies in United States. When that failed, they also plotted to assassinate him when he traveled to Nigeria, and plotted to make it appear as armed robbery attack.
Prior to the establishment of Africans In America, Inc., Mr. Ezekwenna assisted some of the trafficked and enslaved girls gain their freedom from their captivity and tell their stories to United States government. Some of the worst human traffickers were investigated, arrested, prosecuted, convicted and jailed for over 10 years in US federal prison.
“Following unsuccessful plots by human-trafficking syndicate and their associates to eliminate me, as well as to assassinate me and make it appear as armed robbery attack, it is now: ‘To thy tents, Oh! Israel”, said Mr. Ezekwenna.
Upon establishment of Africans In America, Inc., his first task was raising awareness on the complex issues of African victims of human trafficking and advocating for direct services to un-served (and under-served) African victims.
Mr. Ezekwenna advocates for eradication of modern-day slavery through, rendering direct social support services to the victims, protection and enforcement of fundamental rights of every human being, and adequate remuneration of economically disadvantaged African human-trafficking victims for their menial labor and services; that means sometimes crossing path with well-connected and powerful syndicates, their associates, masters and madams in United States and other countries, especially African continent.
Awareness on human-trafficking issues is definitely increasing within the African community and the larger society and the organization (Africans In America, Inc.) has moved to become a think tank organization consulted by government officials, institutions such as colleges and universities, media and other organizations addressing various social issues affecting African immigrant communities in United States.
Mr. Ezekwenna received some training in Conflict/Dispute Mediation and Resolution. His first approach to human-trafficking cases, where permissible, is to attempt to resolve the situation in amicable cultural way. When that fails, the victims are referred to the larger system for recourse.
Recently a Nigeria-based associate of a powerful international human trafficking syndicate operating between Nigeria and United States challenged Mr. Ezekwenna in Nigerian High Court (Ogidi High Court, Anambra State in very remote hinterland of eastern Nigeria) in an attempt to stop community awareness effort in a Nigerian rural village. Mr. Ezekwenna fought back and soundly won a major landmark court judgment; reportedly the first of it’s kind in Nigerian court system.
Mr. Ezekwenna is a sought-after speaker by the media, government agencies, institutions, civil society and corporations.
Mr. Ezekwenna, a vociferous abolitionist and human rights advocate/activist, case management and program development consultant is the founder, Co-Chair and C. E. O. of Africans In America, Inc., a leading human rights organization addressing social issues concerning the larger African immigrant community in United States.
