ABIA indigenes in North America under the aegis of Abia State NationalAssociation of North America (ASNA) have explained why their statewide medical mis- sion scheduled for Abia State from 14 - 24 August 2014 was postponed. 

They attributed the postponement to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) out break and scare; saying that the shift was done after due consultation with Governor Theodore Orji. 

In a related development, ASNA has scheduled to hold a three day Abia 2014 Leadership Conference in Houston Texas, United States(US) from November 21 to 23,2014. 

In a statement jointly by Dr Christian Ike and ChiefIsmael Eneogwe, the ASNA's President and Secretary respectively , they said the medical mission will now hold from December 13 - 20 December 2014 in the three senatorial districts of the state. 

Accotding to thestatement, " the Medical Mission was postponed on the advice Governor Orji after due consultations with his medical advisers due to safety concerns at that period, especially when President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency on the Ebola Virus Outbreak on August 8, 2014". 

The postponement, ASNA stated, "was the right thing to do in order to ensure the safety of all parties and ASNA commends Orji on his consis- tent leadership in Healthcare in Abia State. This is evident in the swiftness and dexterity with which he deployed human and material resources to combat the Ebola Virus outbreak and prevented it from entering Abia State. 

"We are very grateful to his excellency for his pledge to provide ASNA the enablingenivironment to carry out this American-style statewide Medical Mission that is targeted to benefit thousands of Abians in the three senatorial zones of our state". ASNA urged Abians that have health needs to avail themselves of this free service stating, "we have effectively mobilized and we will be cominging in with many doctors, pharmacists, nurses arid many other medical and non- medical personnel from the United States and Canada We will also be coming with medications and med supplies". 

The conference whose theme is "Abia 2015, The forward," will have as participants Abia's who is who Nigeria and in Diaspora. 

According to the programme, Governor TA will be the guest of hon and keynote speaker. Topics slated for discussion include: Roadmap to tainable development 

Abia state, Abia. bey' Crude oil, Synergistic paradigm between Abians Diaspora and the leaden at home, among others