Being a speech delivered by HRM Alhaji A.K. DANESI (Oba Idanesi II), the Aidonogie of South Ibie Kingdom during the 4th edition of South Consultative forum held on Sat 4th April, 2015.It is my pleasure and honour to welcome you all to this 4th edition of South Ibie Consultative Forum.
South- Ibie Consultative Forum (SCF) initiated in 2012 by the palace, draws heavily on dynamic cultural ideas and traditional practices considered to have created community solidarity amongst some of the growing communities in the country. Each year, the forum holds its Annual General Meeting on the very Saturday of the Easter Holiday period. This main event is preceded by other preliminary activities such as the Final Football Tournament — The Aidonogie of South Ibie Unity Cup (played Thursday), and the Turbaningl Award of Chieftaincy Titles to deserving personalities (Easter Friday), as well as, special Juma’at Prayers (services) in all the Central Mosques within South Ibie Kingdom. Saturday’s activities included a speech by the Aidonogie of South Ibie Kingdom, the lecture proper, interactive session; and of course, the Dinner Night.
The principal objectives of South Ibie Consultative Forum as spelt out are:
1. To discuss topical issues of local and national significance to the Community through lectures and interactive discourse.
2. To foster enviable unity and understanding amongst the sons and Daughters of South Ibie Kingdom within and outside the kingdom.
3. To keep abreast of major developments and encourage economic growth in our motherland.
4. To encourage the legitimate pursuit of fruitful education and discourage all forms of illegal acts, in order to uphold high moral standards of our forebears.
5. To serve as a source of support and inspiration to the young Ones in the preservation and promotion of our culture (customs And traditions).
Lecture/Interactive Session
This year, in furtherance of the objectives of South- Ibie Consultative Forum, a lecture titled Entrepreneurship through Peaceful Co-existence as a Panacea for Sustainable Development is billed for presentation today by our son, in the person of Professor Obagah. Please join me to welcome Professor M. 0. N .Obagah to this year’s forum. The topic for this year’s presentation addresses the challenges of high level of unemployment and the state of insecurity of our nation today. After the presentation of the lecture, opportunities shall be given to participants to share ideas, ask questions and seek clarifications on the specific an other general topical issues. As they say, ignorance is no excuse for the failure of anyone in life.
2014 Progress Report
a) Book Launch
Today’s forum is especially significant to the sons and daughters of Ibie, as the much orchestrated reviewed edition of the History of South Ibie written by Sylvester Aigberua, shall formally be presented in this venue as reflected in the programme of events. Please join me to express deep appreciation to Mr. Aigberua for his untiring efforts and contributions.
b) South Ibie Community Town-Hall
South Ibie Town hail built under the auspices of Umaokhakpoghomeh Age Group of Iyakpi, received minimal support of the Edo North Senatorial Constituency Development from Senator Domingo Obende.
c) Area Customary Court
Towards the end of last year, the Edo State Judiciary approved the sitting of an Area Customary Court in South Ibie. Currently, the temporary operating location (office) of the Court is the South-Ibie Town-hall.
d) National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN)
As you are all aware, the Edo State Government approved an uncompleted upstairs building at Ekhaevbele Primary School, Sabo, South-Ibie for the temporary take-off, of a study centre of the National Open University of Nigeria in 2013. In line with the agreed specifications handed to us by the management of NOUN, the building was completed and all the necessary teaching and learning facilities installed. It is sad to report that at the point of formal commissioning of the study centre, some persons from our community wrote a petition to the institution management threatening to burn down the centre. They claimed that there was chieftaincy dispute in the community, and it should not have been we initiating the project. To the embarrassment of everyone, the authority has vowed not to open the centre until those petitioners have withdrawn their petition. Our prayer today is to ask those who have written the petition to withdraw it so that the centre can be opened.
e) Erection of Locked Up Stores Building
It is with great pleasure that I announce the erection of a locked up store storey building at the Market site of Iyakpi by the Etsako West Local Government Council. To this, we are grateful to Almighty Allah, the Council Chairman (Chief (Barr.) Hassan Kadiri and the Local Government APC Chairman (Chief Alh. A. U. Akokhia) for their thoughtfulness.
B. Community Mediated Projects/Services
For a very long time, our ancestors have always echoed the old adage which says: The Heavens help those who help themselves. It is for this reason that apart from the above governments’ induced projects, we have always believed in self- development. This spirit handed down by our great ancestors has yielded fruits such as instituting Planned Neighbourhood (South Ibie Boundary Adjustment) Committee, Aidonogie of South Ibie Unity Cup, fostering Local Commerce (South-Ibie central Market Renewal at Ibienafe for the sales of our agricultural and other commercial products.
Planned Neighbourhood Committee
The Boundary Adjustment Committee, under the dynamic chairmanship of Col. B. O. Musah (Rtd), was formed to provide South Ibie Kingdom with the opportunity to work diligently with other neighbouring clans of Auchi, Uzairue, Ekperi, Ayuele, and Anwainin in identifying and establishing our boundary posts. This committee had been specifically mandated to participate fully in the creation of a living document that would spell out the entire land mass and ‘map’ of South Ibie Kingdom. This document is described as living because of its potentials to forever guide us and our future generations the issues of land dispute with our neighbours.
Local Commerce —Ibienafe Central Market Renewal
Markets are aspects of social development of any community. Today, where is our first class market? Are we doing much to bring these markets into limelight? It is hoped that these questions would prompt a sense of urgency in all stakeholders concerning the implementation of the policies set forth to centralize the market currently being projected at Ibienafe.
Self-help Development
Most often, informal debates or discussions amongst Nigerians about the problems of the country and the development of local communities; would usually lead to a conclusion along the lines that government must do everything for us. Whether the issue was the provision of water, electricity, roads, schools or the development of agriculture; the tendency was to see the government as the key provider of all benefits and resources. This notion is at variance with the long traditions of community self-help prevalent among most dynamic communities in the country.
Today, a new catchphrase is heard and echoed by both government officials and ordinary citizens that government cannot do everything. As a consequence to that, one finds an enormous number of activities being organized, primarily by local community themselves with the aim of developing their communities. From history, one common form that those activities are currently taking is the setting aside of a Community Day either for fund-raising or other events which naturally encourages community members resident outside the local community to come home and join forces with those at home to contribute to the development of such communities.
The society in which we find ourselves today is one in which you have to fight to earn your rights and privileges. We, as a community that has resolved to keep up with the developmental trend; we must strategically position ourselves to take advantage of opportunities that would present themselves from time to time. I wish to let you know that as a paramount Traditional Ruler of this kingdom, I am more than ready to provide the necessary leadership in this direction. It may interest you to know that I have already started providing leadership in this direction, and all I need from you is the necessary information on available opportunities anywhere within the system and I will Insha Allah ensure we get whatever we rightly deserve either in terms of infrastructures or placement of our highly qualified sons and daughters in important positions in government.
What your Hometown mean to you after retirement
The hometown to every Nigerian constitutes a key associational base, as well as, an important cultural foundation. The home town is essentially the birth place of one’s father, or where one’s father’s lineage is from. The hometown is a place of great social and cultural significance. Historically, any of the hometowns of South Ibie has long been the place to which every successful South Ibie man might retire to after his pension. At such a period in the life of a man, he is only retired but not tired. As an experienced personality, is in the best position to contribute his quota to the development of his people; but he is not always there. Why?
Going down to memory lane, consider the leading roles of the likes of Chief A. 0. Braimah and Chief (Aihaji) T. M. Yerimah (all of the blessed memory) in championing the affairs of South Ibie after their retirements from the Nigeria Police Force. As at today, consider the contributions of Retired Col. B. 0. Musah, Chief (Aihaji) Jessy Oyakhamoh, Chief B.A Anavberokhai etc. for their untiring efforts to always move South Ibie to the next level. Today, political processes have led to a renewed emphasis on the importance of unity in diversity to project a community as an associational base and power base. Unless there is cooperation and a strong home base, political agitations for the creation of new wards/zones/centres, local governments, and states will definitely go with the wind.
Your hometown as a source of social and cultural identity confers personal identity in a variety of ways to her citizens living within or outside the community through:
— Your level of participation in hometown activities/developments.
— Building or provision of tangible property such as school building, water borehole, electricity transformer, etc. for the community.
— Donations (cash and kinds) towards community activities, etc.
It is in the realization of the above that the South Ibie Consultative Forum has come up with this initiative for every indigene to redefine his identity and solidarity with the community at this time every year.
Conclusion
First, let me seize this opportunity to thank all the members of South Ibie Consultative Forum (SCF) Planning Committee for their high level of commitment to make this occasion a huge success. Second, to our sponsors of this event, we recognize your individual and collective contributions towards the attainment of our goal. I wish each of you long life, good health, and prosperity and many more years of useful service to the community. We are indeed not tired and we are still in our mission to provide or influence more amenities for our people.
Once again, we welcome you all to this great Day.
Thank you.
