PROFESSOR EPIPHANY AZINGE, SAN
Director General,
Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
Supreme Court Complex
Abuja.
Posted On 04/09/2010 08:07:55
PROTOCOL
Permit me to preface my remark by congratulating His Royal Majesty, Asagba of Asaba, Obi (Prof.) Chike Edozien on his 84th birthday Anniversary. Your majesty, in congratulating you, let me also commend you for your visionary leadership which has found expression in social transformation and cultural renewal in Asaba. You also deserve pubic acclamation for your unrelenting and courageous pursuit of the upliftment of Asaba and Asaba people in the political equation of Delta State and Nigeria. Let me assure you that in the fullness of time, history will record you as one traditional ruler who dedicated his lifetime to the service of his people, armed with intimidating intellectual credentials, fertility of mind, international exposure and profound understanding of how to chart a new future for his subjects.
My discourse this evening is titled: ASABA YOUTHS AND ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL REBIRTH. Time will not permit me to engage in serous intellectual analysis or definition of terms and concepts used in the topic. I have therefore carefully avoided a strict legal definition of the term “Youths” and contextually will categorize Youths as Asaba men and women between the age bracket of 18 – 60 years.
It is however inevitable to address the topic without an attempt to compartmentalize the age group of people listed as youths along the following classification:
1. What percentage of this group are educated?
2. What percentage of this group are public servants?
3. What percentage are in Business ?
4. What percentage are in Politics?
5. What percentage are in DIASPORA?
6. What percentage are certified deviants; threats to peace and security; social rejects and economic ally dependent.
I can say without equivocation that the percentage of the age group listed above that are educated cannot exceed 25%. Note that education here is limited to school certificate. As regards percentage in Public Service, one can conveniently talk of 15% . If the word “business” is used loosely to cover any type of unclassified job, then we can talk of 25%. About 10% are involved in Politics – I mean Politics and not political thuggery. 7% are in Diaspora while the rest hover around threatening the peace and security of the town.
ASABA REBIRTH
By Rebirth, I mean actions or activities that can refocus our people and give them new direction. I mean also actions that make people work in concert and unity, create harmony and purposefulness, provide leadership, inspire younger ones for positive change and throw up role models for the young generations of Asaba people.
ECONOMIC REBIRTH
My message on Economic Rebirth is that it will be fatal imagination to think that government alone can develop Asaba. This has never happened anywhere in the world. Without prejudice to the good faith effort of the present Administration to improve an infrastructural facilities, Asaba is still a far cry from being a model capital city. The youths of Asaba have a critical role to play in championing an indigenous initiative to develop a mega city in the Asaba capital territory. With the input of captains of industry, business moguls, influential entrepreneurs, and seasoned technocrats amongst us, a mega city is no a tall order in our guest for economic rebirth in Asaba. But the major rule has to be played by our youths in Diaspora. We must challenge them to provide the needed linkages required to attract the right investors that will enables us achieve this objective. What I have in mind are namely:
i. Building of shopping malls and world class entertainment centres;
ii. Harnessing the potentials of the river Niger and its banks as a catalyst for development of Asaba;
iii. Attracting investors through utilization of the Private-Private Partnership initiative. This can cover all aspects of commercial life in Asaba. Again our sons and daughter in Diaspora can serve as a veritable instrument in setting the machinery in motion.
iv. The last issue I want to discuss as a catalyst for economic rebirth is the Establishment of Private Universities as serious economic venture. I am aware of the efforts of few Asaba sons in this regard. Let me however state that Asaba youths must come together to support the Private University initiate. A world class private university in Asaba will not be out of place at this point in time when we are privileged to have a world class scholar as our traditional ruler. I want to believe that His Royal Majesty will have a say on how this can be achieved at the shortest possible time.
Over and above building up Asaba as a mega city, let me use this medium to enjoin Asaba Youths at the commanding heights of government to use their privileged position to attract public offices and government presence to Asaba. Any Asaba son heading a government parastatal or indeed any top business conglomerate can only be judged by his capacity to site a branch of his office in Asaba. This is a challenge that confronts Asaba Youths in government. Government cannot do this for us. Our ability to accomplish this will set us truly on the path of economic rebirth.
At this time of economic meltdown and deregulation, the thought of industrialization does not sit properly with liberal economists. But serious scholars no longer bother about them since the collapse of the security market and the blitz of world wide recession. I am a strong advocate of industrialization especially in an environment where the youths are restive and the labour force is idle. Asaba sons deserve meaningful and respectable employment through Rapid Industrialization. This is a challenge for Asaba Youths who have the financial muscle to champion this initiative.
Inextricably, intertwined with the idea of industrialization is the need to make Asaba an attractive tourist destination for Nigerians and foreigners alike. Again we cannot imagine that this is the responsibility of government alone. On a private-private partnership, the tourism potentials of Asaba can further be explored. The Majestic Niger of the “Lander brothers” and MUNGO PARK holds a lot of attraction to historians and many tourists abroad. A commercial boat or yatch can be designed to ply the river on guided tours of the strategic routes. Similarly the relics of Royal Niger Company, palaces of past Asagba’s of Asaba and other historical, cultural or religious monuments can form the thrust of making Asaba a tourist destination. I challenge the youths of Asaba to seriously explore this potential as a vehicle for economic rebirth.
Asaba people deserve empowerment – I mean genuine financial empowerment. It is the responsibility of Asaba youths to create necessary channels for empowerment of Asaba citizens. Since we do not control the reigns of government at the top, it behoves those who are Commissioners, Directors-General, Chairmen or Chairperson of parastatals, Members of House of Assembly, Permanent Secretaries, Principals, Vice Chancellors, Chief Executives of Organizations etc to endeavor to empower Asaba citizens around them. On the theory of trickle-down economics, it is expected that those empowered will in turn assist those at the lower end of the ladder. This is for me a process of economic rebirth and emancipation of our sons and daughters that presently are steeped in poverty and penury.
POLITICAL REBIRTH
It is indeed the collective responsibility of Asaba Youths to strive to place qualified Asaba sons and daughters in strategic positions to enable them influence things in favour of Asaba. I imagine that we have a databank of all Asaba graduates, their disciplines, their qualifications, their present jobs and positions, their career prospects and their ultimate ambition. This should be for us the pattern of identifying those that we can project for sensitive appointments. Our future depends on how well we can utilize our brain-bank for the positive development of Asaba and her people.
Part of our political rebirth process will depend not so much on assuming leadership but on providing leadership to our Amoma brothers and sisters. His Royal Majesty has done this admirably and commendably. But Asaba youths are still expected to provide similar leadership at all levels of government and even in the private sector. But we must not limit our horizon to Amoma. We are expected to provide leadership in Delta State and indeed the entire South South. These are challenges that we must rise up to. Asaba sons and daughters are now expected by 2011 to represent us at the House of Representatives and the Senate. The issue of Governorship is negotiable. And negotiate we must. The basis of negotiation for 2011 will be dependent on concessions to be extracted for 2015. That is the path to political rebirth.
Our process of political rebirth must not accommodate any attempt to make us appear apologetic of Asaba Status as a state capital. Rather Asaba Youths and all well meaning Asaba sons and daughters must continue to pressurize that Asaba’s development must be in accordance with its political status of a state capital.
More significantly, it is the responsibility of Asaba Youths to ensure that our political elites are ready to collapse all competing political interests under one leadership and be prepared to speak with one voice on Asaba affairs. The divisiveness, lack of cohesion and disharmony does not paint a picture of a people at the threshold of political rebirth. This is a major challenge for Asaba Youths. It is an even greater challenge for Asaba Politicians.
CONCLUSION
I have in this short discourse highlighted the enormous challenges facing Asaba Youths. As a Scholar, I must not fail to express my displeasure at the rate at which our sons and daughters are dropping out of school. I hope to address that issue at another forum. But as regards Economic and Political rebirth of Asaba, I challenge Asaba Development Union and other social groups like FALCON, ASDEV etc to champion the process.
Let us create an informal forum for meeting of Asaba sons and daughter in strategic positions to discuss Asaba destiny. We should also develop a report back system whereby critical decisions reached are referred back to His Royal Majesty periodically.
May I also urge that a special fund/account be established for prosecuting the realization of the objectives articulated above (including having the account details published on the website) to enable Asaba sons and daughters wherever they may be world wide donate to a worthy course.
Lastly, may I appeal to Asaba Youths to always remember that our personal fate in life is inextricably intertwined with the destiny of Asaba. It is therefore our duty and indeed responsibility to push for her economic sustainability and political respectability. SO HELP US GOD.
AHABA, IGWE! IGWE!! IGWE!!!
ASAGBA AHABA, AGU! AGU!! AGU!!!
LONG LIVE HIS ROYAL MAJESTY
LONG LIVE ANI AHABA
Thank you and God Bless.
I remember Epi from our SPC days. He has done well for himself.
A challenge to all Asaba youths, all hands must be on deck, nothing is too big and nothing is too small, we have to make it happen.
OMANIA MAGAZINE ASABA AREA OFFICE
Suite 21, Mayo Plaza Suite 23, Ashiofu Plaza
48, Osolo Way, Ajao Estate DLA Road, Asaba.
Lagos. Nigeria. Delta State, Nigeria
Tel: 080 3514 6850, 080 7753 1515 Tel: 080 5729 7711
E-mail: omaniamagazine@yahoo.com http://www.facebook.com/omaniamag
INTRODUCING OMANIA MAGAZINE
The resolve that gave birth to OMANIA MAGAZINE was the result of a comprehensive research sponsored by EDGE MEDIA LTD. and conducted by a team comprising of young Anioma professionals. Below is part of the report:
Anioma is geographically larger or equal in size with some other states in Nigeria but however, endowed with more human and natural resources. It is strategically positioned, not too deep in the volatile Niger delta, and far from the savannah and the desert of the north.
However, that same Anioma, her people’s socio-cultural and economic activities and events are largely under reported. Aniomans especially in other states/cities in Nigeria and in Diaspora barely know their Culture, traditional rulers and leaders except in few cases.
Most Aniomans barely keep abreast with developmental activities in their localities, not because they do not want to, but because the medium does not exist. People do not have the channel to speak their minds, air their views and contribute to governance.
Cottage industries, business organizations and overall business activities of Aniomans at home and in Diaspora are under reported, not spotlighted or rarely advertised. These and many more that we cannot state here is part of the report of the research team.
It is after a careful study of the said report that OMANIA MAGAZINE was born basically to take care of the general interest of Anioma people from Oshimili to Aniocha, Ika, Ndokwa, etc. Hence, OMANIA MAGAZINE shall provide an indebt, authoritative, unbiased and incisive news monthly.
Already, we have people in major towns and localities who shall file in reports and interviews from government officials, community leaders, traditional and religious leaders, captains of industries, business men and women, sports personalities, etc.
Please send us an e-mail today and identify and air your views. Join hands with us to make our collective dream a reality via email: omaniamagazine@yahoo.com
http://www.facebook.com/omaniamag
OMANIA MAGAZINE… We are passionate about our people, culture, events and news.
Best wishes.
Mike Ifeanyi Odittah,
Editor–in–Chief.
Publisher: Surv. (Chief) Tony Ike Ashiofu. Executive Editor: Bruno Chike Odittah.
Prof , that was a good write-up…..but you know that this rebirth is a tall order without a think tank in place and pressure groups to lead the agitation? If only some of these social clubs like Asdev, Falcon etc will rediscover themselves prssure groups and give impetus to the repositioning of Asaba Nation, may be there will be hope
ANIOMA: RE-APPRAISING OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS
Anioma and Anioma people belong to an ever-changing world where fundamental landmarks are witnessing constant changes. Globally, identity crises are becoming burning issues, as indigene-ship and settlerism engages in a fatal combat.
Nationally, the call for true federalism is getting louder by the day. Ethnic nationalities are seriously involved in the re-appraisal of their efforts, ideologies and even dreaming new dreams. Some are extending their frontiers, as you read this.
Your contributions to Anioma’s development in the past (if any) need to be revisited. Some of us have done credibly well, no doubt about that; some have not, though they believe in the Anioma project.
According to the opinion poll randomly sampled by EDGE MEDIA LTD. across Oshimili, Aniocha, Ika, Ndokwa and other communities in Diaspora indicate that less than 10% of Aniomans are indifferent while majority are standing up to these new realities. If you are indifferent, we may wish to know why you took that stand.
Quality leadership entails committed and dedicated follower-ship. Anioma no doubt, is blessed with men and women mentioned among the very best. We only need to forge a closer relationship; re-engineer and re- appraise our efforts, look at our road map again and see where we have missed it.
The unprecedented and fundamental reform sweeping across globally and even nationally does not make this clarion call come at any better time than NOW. How will you be counted? Have you spoken enough in the past? Have you been so indifferent all these while? If Anioma state becomes a reality today will you rejoice? If you are asked to join or support a network of Aniomans at home or in Diaspora, will that be asking for too much?
Your voice truly counts, your contributions / suggestions matters and we greatly count on you. Currently, we have in our data base over five thousand names and contacts. So why don’t you join us today to make Anioma a great place? Please send to us your response to this clarion call through e-mail: omaniamagazine@live.com
http://www.facebook.com/omaniamagazine
We will love to read from you as your ideas and suggestions are too precious to be ignored.
OMANIA MAGAZINE brings you this message.
Best wishes,
OMANIA MAGAZINE.