Tips for a Successful Business

Most people often go into business without a basic knowledge of the simple fundamentals that can minimize prospects of failure. Here are a few tips that can help aspiring entrepreneurs to handle their trades with little chances of failure.

Raising Capital

There are so many conventional ways of raising capital like bank loans and support from family members but You can work for somebody and save a fixed percentage of the your income for some time. In Nigeria, precisely among the Ibos, young aspiring entrepreneurs go into contracts with an established business entrepreneur in which they work for an agreed number of years without taking salaries. During the period the servant stays in the house of his boss as a dependant. At the end of the agreed years, the boss starts a new business for him or gives him an equivalent amount of financial capital to start his own business.

Location of the Business

If you live a culture of family inter-dependence you can establish your business far away from the financial distractions that family members can bring. The farther away you are from home the difficult it is for them to come with their problems.

Most people in rural areas must travel to the urban areas to buy the goods they need. You could sacrifice to stay in the rural such a rural area. The whole population becomes your clientele

Choice of Goods to Sell

The choice of the commodity to trade is very critical. Be sure the item you wish to trade is undersupplied. If you think well you may find a commodity that people need but which is not being supplied. You May think about items you saw somewhere you traveled to but which are at another location

Lifestyle

New businesses grow only if the entrepreneur makes a sacrifice to live a simple lifestyle. You can do a simple calculation to find your average daily profit. You then ensure that your personal daily expenses do not exceed your daily profit.

Consistency

It is advisable to stick to particular merchandise. You can specialize in building materials, electrical fittings, electronics etc. Eventually people will come to associate you with the goods you trade such that when it is mentioned you come to mind.

If your business develops problems and you have to start again you have to continue with the same type of product or products except where you are sure that the product was the problem in the first place.

Must entrepreneurs prefer imperishable goods except where they have reliable means of preservation?

Time Management

You must give all your time to the business and nothing else.

A secretary of a Baptist Conference Says he Never voted Chris Okotie

The body of the Baptist Church in Nigeria is referred to as the Baptist Convention. The Nigerian Baptist Convention which is headed by a General Secretary is fragmented into regional conferences which are headed by secretaries. Reverend Philip Mwelwis Dafes is the Secretary of the Plateau Baptist Conference that has Plateau and parts of Kaduna and Bauchi States under it. Following the re-election of the German Chancellor, Angela Markel under the Christian party in Germany for a second tenure, we approached Reverend Dafes and asked what role the church has played in Nigerian politics and what it still can do.
In his appraisal of the Nigerian democracy since 1999, Dafes said his perception is mixed. The shortcomings of the democracy according to him, is accentuated by political indiscipline that has resulted in Nigeria being placed as the number 137th most corrupt nation out just over 180 countries of the world. Dafes said the root of the problem is in the inability of the nation to evolve into a true democracy where actual winners of elections are announced as the winners rather than the current situation that ensures that losers are actually announced as victorious. Such leaders cannot be held to account by the people since at the back of their minds, they know they were not elected.
Religion is what people believe in and if Pastor Chris Okotie wanted to become president then he ought to have the backing of other Christians since they have the same belief. Contrary to this, Dafes said he never voted Chris Okotie. According to him, he never met Okotie in person and does not know his manifestos. Furthermore, should Okotie win, he will be compelled to have some cabinet members from the secular world of Nigerian politics that will inevitably stain him as a clergy man. The history of clergy men in Nigeria politics has been a source of embarrassment to the rest of them as such politicians failed to live up to their calling as men of God.
Dafes said that not all Christian politicians are truly committed Christians. It is the reason why it is difficult to change them. According to him one of them once said that the church should not mingle into their affairs because the type of oath they take is far different from the type of oath usually taken in the church.
Dafes also explained that it will be disastrous to find a political party on the basis of religion like the Christian Party in Germany because our level of political development is so modest that it will be better for us to just sustain the status quo. Such parties will not find acceptance. Though political parties are not founded on the basis of religion, he says however, some parties are perceived as Christian parties while others are perceived as Islamic parties with the different faiths voting largely along this line. To stress his point, he added that a presidential aspirant once pronounced that all Muslims should vote Muslims and all Christians should vote Christians. He said that until we pull ourselves out of this predicament, we will continue to experience the current political difficulties. The Christians he says cannot separate themselves from the Muslims and vice versa as God knows why he brought us together as the people of one nation.

Black People and the Obama Hype

Had Barack Obama, the democratic candidate in the United States Presidential Election failed to win, it will have dealt a big blow on the psyche of black people not just in the US but also around the world. It would have also resulted in a serious backlash that time alone would have been able to heal. This is because a lot of black people particularly in Africa had already conditioned their minds to believe that Obama is the President in waiting. This is despite the slim margin that put Obama ahead in the opinion polls and previous experience to the fact that black politicians have often been handed big surprises at the moment of decision.

For the sake of Obama alone Africans had wished they had a franchise, which they could exercise in the US elections. Obama’s presidency is important to Africans because Africans are aware of the fact that they are often the underdogs in global issues; be it in politics, economy, science or technology. Thus a black President of the most powerful nation on earth would have reinforced the belief of Africans that they could also do it. Obama’s presidency will give Africans a bigger sense of belonging in global issues.

I personally have heard songs in eulogy of Obama as the black “President of the World.” One is from Ghana and the other from Jamaica. To underscore the significance of Obama’s presidency of the US, a Nigerian woman who happened to be the Director-General of the Nigeria Stock exchange, Ndi Onyiuke Okereke, raised one hundred million naira (N100, 000 000) with the aim of supporting the Obama campaign which Obama however declined to take as it violates portions of the electoral laws in the US. In Kenyan where Obama’s father was born, there are newborn kids that have been named after Obama. Obama’s T-shirts and speeches on DVDs have sold in thousands. There is also the audacity of hope, a book by Obama that are now found on every bookstand.

To African-Americans, Obama’s Presidency will no doubt give them a sense of belonging in their own country. They also hope that it will be an opportunity to address peculiar problems of black people in the US.

Obama however will be a President for all races and an advocate of a better world for us all. In as much as Obama has enjoyed the full support of black folks within and outside the US, he has also enjoyed the support of the other races in the US. As a matter of fact, the earliest indication of the potential of Obama Presidency was made by some white liberals who vowed to support him leading to his eventual declaration of his intention to run for the presidency. Had Obama had only black votes he would have lost the elections. It should not be forgotten that Obama’s mum is white.

Thus Obama’s victory is a physical and tangible actualization of Martin Luther’s dream of a United States were people are judged not by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. Hence Obama is a unifying symbol and the US that made that happen for the first time, is undoubtedly, the leading nation on the surface of the planet.

NUBES Honours Danboyi and Others

Pamson Dagyat

Students are aware that the community will look at them expectantly when they pass out of school. The formation of student unions is to provide them with a platform on which they can nurse their leadership skills and be able to live up to the expectations of the community. The National Union of Berom Students (NUBES) National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) Vom branch is not different. On the October 25, the National Association of Berom Students organized an award and cultural day festival during which they honoured nine Berom sons.

The organization of cultural days and award presentation ceremonies is one of the activities student unions perform. The activities nonetheless have significance to their respective communities. The purpose of a cultural day is necessitated by the threat of western culture on all other cultures including Africa’s. Thus the cultural day was also aimed at fortification of the Berom culture in view of the threat of extinction, which it also faces. Hence there were people dressed in the traditional Berom attires. Typical Berom traditional meals were also served. There were also Berom traditional dances to entertain all present.

The Berom people make up one of the most populous tribes in Plateau State, occupying three of the seventeen local government areas of the state. These three local governments of Jos-South, Riyom and Barkin Ladi happened to form the most developed, urbanized and economically strongest parts of Plateau State. In view of these opportunities the Berom people feel there shouldn’t be poverty among their people but the reverse is the case. Thus a paper that was delivered during the occasion traced the root of the problem to the inability of the Berom people to embrace western education fully. This, the paper stressed, is connected to the fact that majority of the people were blinded by the abundance of the mineral deposits in the land.

The fellow tribesmen honoured are people who have made the Berom proud by distinguished performance in various spheres of human endevour. They include Honourable Emmanuel Danboyi, a member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Da Gregory Pam Pwojok, the Dagwon Kwata Zawan and Da Choji Balak, the Da Gwon Rwei of Vwang. Others include Amos Dauda Gwom, Reverend Canon Dalyop Gyang Mang, Pam Gabriel Dagyat, Coach Peter Gyang and Tobias Choji

To Honourable Emmanuel Danboyi, the award ceremony is significant because it afforded the elders being hounoured the opportunity to meet with the students and encourage them and the community at large. In an era where people can only forge ahead when they have the relevant education, it will indeed be wrong of any elder to shun an invitation from the age bracket that have often been scolded for refusing to embrace education. When the youths continue to get educated there will be that assurance of continuity for the tribe they originate from. The tribe will in turn be able to move on in a world of competition.

Honourable Danboyi agrees that the Government of Plateau State is determined to change the fortunes of the state for good. It has support but not as much as it should be he said. Thus he uses any slight opportunity to address a crowd to solicit for support for the government.

All members of the Plateau State House of Assembly recently visited Germany. Honourable Danboyi also used the opportunity to talk to the people on lessons the members learnt during the visit. Danboyi said they were led to German schools to see the kind of attention the Germans attach to education. He says it has served as an inspiration and he would use his position as member of the Plateau State House of Assembly to press for changes in the sector in Plateau State. Danboyi also talked about the fact that they were lead to the House of a royal king that was renovated at the cost of eighty million Euros. That to him is a reflection of the significance the Germans attach to their traditional rulers. He called on the people of Plateau State to attach the same significance to their own traditional rulers in view of the obvious role they play as anchors of peace and the custodians of the tradition of the people.

Obama Becomes US President

As early as 4am on November 5 Nigerian time, I woke up and tuned to the BBC. My aim was not to merely keep up with my normal routine but to be able to witness the declaration of Obama’s victory first hand rather than be told by a third party. A BBC reporter was at a venue in Arizona where John McCain and some of his supporters had gathered in anticipation of the results of the elections. The result however, came earlier than I had expected and I had it first from McCain himself. The BBC reporter announced that McCain was on his way to the podium to give a speech and since I have not heard the result declared, I thought McCain was going to speak about something else. McCain on climbing the stage told his supporters that he had just spoken to Barack Obama a short while ago. During the speech the Republican candidate said he congratulated Obama for his victory at the polls. I screamed and jump up from my bed. Obama the African-American had become the next President of the United States of America.

Obama, in his acceptance speech, which came later, underscored the fact that his election has proven that anything is possible in the US. Yes, the US has led the world to understand that anything is possible. The fulfillment of Martin Luther’s dream came earlier than many had thought. Martin Luther foresaw the gradual fading away of the line that divided the races in the US.

The news of Obama’s victory was relayed alongside other stories. There was also the story of suicide bombings in Iraq and the war in eastern Congo. Since the Civil Rights Movements, the US had grown from racial segregation to a stage where white people could vote a black man to become the President of the United States. Thus Obama is truly a symbol of change and whom people from all parts of the world supported. He is hence a global figure that will be expected to lead the world to overcome the problems of sectarian differences that saw people fly planes to buildings and killing thousands, a problem that has led to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan killing hundreds of thousands of people.

Obama could also be that symbol of change that can lead the world to overcome global poverty and hunger. A problem that has led to the type of wars in Liberia, Sudan, Angola, sierra Leone, and many other parts of the world.

It happened that the US, a country whose presidency Obama had won, is largely responsible for the causes of global warming. Obama could also be that symbol of change that will lead the world to overcome this next big threat after terrorism.

Obama’s political victory might be just the first stage in a series of unthinkable changes that will finally remake our world.

Survey of Nigerian Core Values

Given the amount of resources that has been available to the nation, Nigerians admit that the nation has not done enough between independence and toady. It is however common knowledge that if any individual, organization or nation must succeed, he must have certain core values to which he attaches considerable significance. In Nigeria it is generally accepted that the core values of discipline, integrity, dignity of labour, social justice, religious tolerance, patriotism and self reliance have been eroded
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Nigeria is shouldered with the responsibility of consistently raising the awareness, provide timely and credible feedback, and positively change attitude and values amongst Nigerians. It is also responsible for accurately and adequately informing and sufficiently mobilizing citizens to act in ways that promote peace, harmony and national development. The NOA in collaboration with the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru Plateau State on 20th October 2009 presented a book titled ‘A Survey of Nigerian Core Values. As the name implies, the book is a survey of the level of perception of the values of the nation among its citizens in the 36 states of the nation and Abuja. According to Idi Farouk the Director General of NOA, the 269-page book is an intellectual exercise whose aim is to articulate a set of national core values that would enhance and promote positive value re-orientation, national integration and cohesion. He said that these values have been weather-beaten over the years thereby leaving us in the state of confusion in which we now find ourselves.
Farouk drew a direct line of transmission between material resource and the quality and attitude of human resource. In that wise he says, the level of progress of a nation is a direct consequence of a favorable combination of these two broad factors. He thus played up the significance of the patriotic duty and responsibility of Nigerians to ensure that the vision 202020 of President Umar Musa Yar’adua succeeds. Thus his agency has a twin responsibility of enlightening Nigerians on the significance of the president’s vision and the pursuance of value orientation and attitudinal transformation of Nigerians. NOA is hence delighted that the book will provide the needed reservoir of data to back up its effort towards addressing the specific needs in the attitudinal gaps of the various social spectra of Nigeria.
The collaboration between NOA and NIPSS according the DG was necessity by the common responsibility the two have. While NIPSS addresses the same subject at the leadership level, NOA does the same thing albeit at the grassroots.
Earlier, Nigerian orator and one of its few remaining nationalists, Yusufu Maitama Sule, the Dan masanin Kano electrified the gathering when he addressed the same issue. In his speech, Maitama dwelt on Nigerian traditional core values whose erosion is responsible for the chaos in which we find ourselves.
The Dan Masanin Kano noted that a number of countries which include Brazil and the Asian tigers had about the same level of progress as Nigeria at its independence. Today, he noted, these countries are far ahead of Nigeria on the global development index. He attributed the steady progress of these nations to the reverence they attach to their traditional values.
Despite Nigeria’s diversity he says, there are more similarities than differences in our traditional values and should have served as the basis for national integration and cohesion, core values the nation has not adequately been able to preserve.
The orator did not fail to mention the role of another core value, discipline towards the progress of the nation. According to him, Nigeria’s past leaders have been conscious of the modest level of discipline among Nigerians and the fact that it has contributed enormously to our chameleon speed of progress. That he says explains why every administration since the mid-seventies had war against indiscipline as part of its agenda to building the nation.
The former Nigerian Ambassador to the UN noted that democracy differs from nation to nation even in the western world. This is because there is the need for democracy to reflect local cultures. When this fails to happen, it results in the state of events in which Nigeria has found itself today. Thus he advocates an African derivative of democracy to be known as Afrocracy which must be preceded by a bloodless cultural revolution.

Education Is Indeed Neglected In Nigeria

The primary school I attended in Nigeria was built during the colonial era. It is an eight block structure. Two were actually built during the colonial era while the other four were built in the post colonial era, precisely in the seventies and eighties.

There is no doubt that we lack a maintenance culture in Nigeria. For unpatriotic Nigerians however, the lack of maintenance culture is either deliberate or encouraged as it serves their purpose. The structures have continued to wear away as a result of the lack of maintenance. Those built during the colonial era have been able to stand wear and tear for a longer period of time since they were built with a deliberate aim of ensuring they lasted for a longer period. No matter how strong a building is, it will eventually begin to wear out however. That is what is happening to even the colonial blocks of my primary school presently.

Of these eight blocks only three are adequate enough for the population of the school thereby confirming the suspicion that the classroom blocks are built primarily to get some people rich.

In Nigeria, it is an open secret that authorities hate maintaining school buildings as it is the only way of ensuring that contracts are awarded for the construction of new ones during which money is made by contractors and the members of the administration awarding the contracts.

The other day as I passed around the school I saw the blown roof top of the most solid structure built with rocks derived from the rocks which are available in my community. It has been like that for the past three years. It then dawned on me that the local authority whose responsibility it is to maintain the structure is determined not to undertake that responsibility.

I decided to see certain prominent persons who went to that school hoping that their show of interest in seeing that the structure is rehabilitated will compel the local government education department to see to it that the building is given the desired attention. On arrival at the house of one such individual I first met with his son who is known to me. I then asked if he could arrange a meeting between me and his dad. He asked if all was well. I answered that I wanted to see the man in my position as a journalist. He told me I have to go and come back some other time to enable him arranged the meeting. I responded by calling his attention to the fact that the man is around and people are seeing him and why not me. I then went ahead to tell him the exact reason why I wanted to see the father by revealing to him the situation of the school. He responded by saying that why the school is like that is that people are only trying to get some money for themselves and doubts if his father who happened to be an ex-security official would want to attend to such an issue. The guy who said this claims to be a graduate of sociology. Seeing that he didn’t have any intention of letting me see the man, I left to the house of a second individual who was also educated in that school. I also met with a son of his who was sweeping the yard when I arrived. I told him to tell the father that I am a journalist. When the man came he asked why I wanted to see him. On hearing the subject of my mission, he simply told me he doesn’t talk to journalist and opened the door for me to find my bearing. He actually banged the door behind me. This is a man who had been the chairman of a local government during his period in the service.

Chris Hassan and NAPEPS Successes

Chris Hassan became the Plateau State Co-coordinator of the National Poverty Alleviation Programme just six months ago. Accepting this position automatically placed on his shoulders the responsibility of the implementation of the new blueprint of National Poverty Eradication Council (NAPEC) for the eradication of poverty across the nation. The new policy became imperative in view of the shortcomings of the previous programme where trainees were more interested in the monthly stipends but not the skill, which is necessary if poverty must end.

Challenges

Chris says the biggest challenge on his assumption of office, as the Coordinator of the programme, was the absence of communication between his office and the people the office is meant to serve. According to Chris, a lot of people even in the immediate neigbourhood of his office in Jos South were oblivious of the organization. Those who knew were skeptical of the financial assurances of the organization to help them bid farewell to poverty. His office was then compelled to commence investing huge financial resources on jingles. It also had to create offices in all the seventeen Local Government Areas. There was also the recruitment of the manpower made up of people of grade levels nine to ten to run these offices with the sole intention of reaching all the districts across the states.

Programmes

The Coordinator said the policy guidelines of NAPEP are designed by NAPEC, which is chaired by the President. It has, as its members, seventeen serving federal Ministers, the National Coordinator of NAPEP and the national economic adviser. Two of the programmes of NAPEP in Plateau State are the ones drawn by NAPEC at the national headquarters in Abuja. They are the primary programmes that all states branches must adhere to. These include the Village Economic Development Solutions, VEDS and the Micro Credit Scheme. Having studied the peculiarities of Plateau State, his office decided to bring in additional programmes to compliment those of the federal office. Thus at the state level, the Mandatory Attachment Programme for unemployed graduates, the Skill Acquisition and Widowhood Schemes were added.

Loan Disbursements so Far

Under VEDS individuals are not qualified to apply for loans. A group made up of a minimum of ten people and a maximum of thirty must register as a cooperative group according to the terms stated by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. These cooperative groups then apply on behalf of the members. So far 149 cooperative groups have benefited from the loans in the state. The total financial loan disbursement to these groups now stands at N146 million. Under the Widowhood and Micro Credit Schemes, N2 million have been issued out to each of the seventeen Local Government Areas of the state amounting to a total of N 34 million. In addition to these there is also another N6 million from an NGO known as the Grassroots Women and Men that has also been disbursed evenly to the seventeen Local Government Areas. The grand total of loan disbursements now stands at about N186 million.

Repayments of the Loans

In view of the fact that Nigerians have often seen public funds within their reach as a piece of that Nigerian national cake, it could be the reason why there may be difficulties in the repayments of the loans. Chris says there is usually the pre-assessment of potential beneficiaries, which is undertaken by the monitoring department of his organization in addition to that undertaken by the micro-financial institutions nearest to them and through which the loans are issued. They must show an existing venture they intend to use the loan to improve. Besides the pre-assessment, there is also the post assessment usually undertaken using standard means of appraisal such as templates to ensure that beneficiaries remain committed to the ideals of the scheme.

In the event of failure of repayments by beneficiaries, his organization will resort to a memorandum of understanding that involved a legal document singed by the guarantors of beneficiaries.

Funding of NAPEP

Funding of the organization comes primarily from the Federal Government through the Millennium Development Goals office. In addition to that is counterpart funding from the Plateau State Government. There is also the NGO, Grassroots Women and Men. The state branches across the nation never receive allocations in the year 2008 however. The money that has been used in 2008 is a rolled over of the financial resources that was meant for 2007 in addition to the N50 million from the state government. In 2008, the Grassroots Women and Men also gave N6 million.

Plan for the Next Six Months

The next six months is a period during which the organization will continue to give out loans says Chris who pointed a stack of application files at a corner of his office. This however depends on the availability of money to give out to beneficiaries. The Coordinator thanked the Governor for his commitment to the poverty alleviation programme through prompt action whenever it matters. The NAPEP boss says the indication from the 2009 budget is that they may get more than they got in 2008

Nigerians Lack Fire Safety Consciousness

The past few months in Plateau State recorded incidences of fire outbreaks during which possessions acquired over years of hard work and sacrifice perished. The frequency of fire outbreaks is usually higher during the dry and windy seasons of the year. As the dry seasons draws nearer, we approached the Plateau State Director of Fire Service, Michael Pam Dung at his office along the Bukuru express way to find out about their plans towards preventing fire accidents in the coming dry season.

Mr. Dung explained that a reasonable degree of prevention of fire outbreaks can be achieved if the fire service has its operations improved upon to a professional standard. This is usually achieved with a good manpower base that is properly trained and welled equipped. The public must also be adequately educated to understand that the fire service knows there is a fire outbreak only when it is informed through phone calls or other efficient means of communication. Majority of the public, he says are ignorant that fire fighting as undertaken by his organization is free. As a result they sometimes prefer to put out fires on their own using manual approaches with all its shortcomings.

One problem his organization has often faced is the problem of chaotic development of residential areas that has often led to the inability of his organization to put out fires as a result of the unavailability of in-roads.

Mr. Dung said that Nigeria is a country where emphasis has often been placed on security consciousness but not on safety consciousness. Safety consciousness however, ensures prevention. He noted that most fire accidents would have been avoided but the lack of a culture of safety consciousness has been responsible for our inability to prevent them leading to lost of lives and belongings. He said that the national fire code is underway and it is hoped that its final passage into law would ensure the enforcement of crucial fire regulations. When that happens he says he is sure the frequency of fire accidents will reduce.

The Plateau State Government according to Dung is now determined to overcome some of the difficulties of the Plateau State Fire Service. More persons have been recruited into the service. An ambulance has also been purchased to help them in their rescue operations for victims of fire accidents. As at the time of granting this interview, Dung said that some equipments have been ordered and are being expected at the end of the week.

Dung called on private organizations to take up the responsibility of sponsoring radio and television programs aimed at creating awareness, as doing so will go a long way towards ensuring they arrive fire accidents sites as quickly as possible. Such forums will also serve as channels for educating the public on fire safety consciousness and its significance.

On the optimal use of Hadejia-Jama’are-Kamadugu-Yobe River Basin

The River Dilimi with its catchment on the Jos Plateau stretches through five other states in the northern part of Nigeria where it is variously known as Hadejia, Jama’are, Kamadugu and Yobe River. These five other states include Jigawa, Kano, Yobe, Borno and Bauchi. The river thus supports economic and domestic activities among hundreds of thousands of Nigerians.
Growing challenges resulting from population explosions and the consequent desire for economic activities to support the increasing population has further played up the significance of the river in the various states. This is also coming at a time when the nation’s authorities have devolved powers for generating electricity to the state governments. Some states could thus be considering building water barrier dams across the basin with the intention of generating hydro-electric energy. When this happens, the communities downstream would be prevented from getting access to the water anymore. Already the decision of the Bauchi State Government to build a dam across the basin at Keffin Madaki has resulted in a showdown between the state and the other four, downstream.

The world is indeed a small place. A Plateau man travelling upwards to the northern part of the country may fail to realize that the high velocity and explosive Hadejia River he sees at Kano and Jigawa is the slow and gentle river Dilimi he apparently left behind in Jos. It would be the reason why the river had become his refuse dump resulting in the people suffering all manner of water borne infections downstream as a result of his abuse of the river. At this time of dire need of additional megawatts of electricity, he may also be tempted to build a dam and broaden the irrigation opportunities of his brethren. These considerations informed the hosting of a capacity building workshop for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) which was held at CRUDAN office at Sabon Barki in Jos-south Plateau State.

According to Sam Ishaya, the focal contact person for the Hadejia-Jama’are-Kamadugu-Yobe River Basin project for Plateau State, the aim of the capacity building for the CSOs is for them to in turn train communities with stakes in the river to play strategic and key roles in determining how the water resource is governed and where development project will be carried out, in a more transparent, environmentally friendly, cost effective and efficient manner. Already, there are the Fida, Chalawa and Hadejia dams along the basin. The sensitization will among other things teach approaches by which the demerits of these dams can be minimized as much as possible in addition to ensuring that additional dams are not built. The workshop thus has dam impacts within the basin, policy frameworks of the world commission on dams and water and energy policy advocacy as topics to be addressed during the workshop.

The Delimma of Jassawas of Jos

At the casualty unit of the Jos University Teaching Hospital, JUTH, Abdulrazak a Yoruba did not look like the victim of the Jos crisis of November 28, 2008. Following the unusually high number of casualty cases, hospital bed spaces could not meet the demand. Thus the beds were reserved only for the critical cases. Abdulrazk and his younger sibling looked like visitors as they sat on top of the wards’ cupboard for patient’s paraphernalia. The two reside in the Hausa quarters of Rikkos in Jos-North. On the morning following the elections, some Hausa youths launched an attack on a Miango Quarters of Rikkos killing the men and throwing the remaining members of the families out of their houses. The houses were then set ablaze. The Yorubas who happened to live with the Hausas by virtue of Islamic brotherhood could not sleep. They were certain the Miango boys would launch a revenge attack. The Miango boys came some twenty-four hours later. They were according to Abdulrazak, little boys who drew their valor form the heavy weapons with which they were armed. All pleas fell on deaf ears. they later discovered themselves at the casualty unit of JUTH. JUTH, Plateau Hospital, ECWA Evangel Hospital and other auxiliary medical centers became a rendezvous of the living and the death from the different suburbs of the city were ferocious attacks followed the local polls of December 27.

In the terminal years of General Ibrahim Babangida, who ruled Nigerian between 1985 and 1993, Jos-North was created out of Jos Local Government Area (LGA) leaving the remainder as Jos-South. The northern portion happened to be the pearl and pride of the whole of Plateau State, which also included Nassarawa state at the time. The Berom were the predominant indigenous tribe of Jos LGA. The division of the Jos now left only a handful and helpless remnant of the Berom tribe in Jos-North. The other indigenes of Jos-North were the Jarawas and the Anagutas. When all ethnic groups of Nigeria residing in Jos-North are taken into account however, the Hausas who now started calling themselves the Jasawas (Josites) make up the largest ethnic group.

History of Crisis

The first Hausa man to be appointed the Administrator of Jos-North is Samaila Mohammed now representing Jos-North and Bassa LGAs at the House of Representatives in Abuja. He held the postion between 1990 and 1992. In 1994 Col. Mohammed Mana Governor of the state appointed late Aminu Mato as the Administrator of the LGA. It resulted in the first Jos ethno-religious crisis.

On September 2001 Governor Joshua Dariye tried to appoint a Hausa man as the state’s coordinator of the National Poverty Alleviation Programme (NAPEP). There were protests by indigenous tribes leading to the reversal of the decision by the Governor. Six days later fighting broke out between the Hausas and the indigenes. It was one of the worst crises ever witnessed in the history of not just Plateau State but the whole nation. Thousands of people died and any progress made in ethnic and religious relations were shattered.

The 2001 crisis in the city of Jos lasted for just three days. The result of the fight however created ripple effects that traveled across the state. The crisis lingered in the form of occasional attacks between the Moslems and the Christians in the different localities across the state. In May, it blew up so severely in the town of Yelwa in Shendam LGA in the south of the state.

Who is an Indigene in Jos-North?

The Yelwa crisis compelled the President, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo to declare a state of emergency in Plateau State. An Administrator appointed by the President replaced the democratically elected Governor of the state Chief Joshua Dariye. During the period of emergency, a peace conference was held and attended by all ethnic groups of Nigeria that are well represented in the state. There were also delegates from social groups, NGOs and trade unions. At the end of the conference, it was agreed that the only indigenous tribes of Jos-North LGA are the Berom, Jarawas and the Anagutas. With the exception of the Hausas, Nigerian Bar Association, Nigerian Labour Congress and Jama’atu Nasril Islam (an Islamic NGO), all participants endorsed this resolution of the conference.

The Jasawas and the Federal Character

Appointments to fill vacancies in federal ministries, parastatals, and agencies, military and paramilitary organizations are based on the principles of the Federal Character Commission. The Commission allocates job quotas to the thirty-six states of Nigeran and Abuja. The state quotas are in turn shared among the local governments of the state. As long as the Jasawas are not recognized as indigenes of Jos-North, i they don’t stand the chance of getting appointed into these federal organizations. What the indigenes of Jos-North fear is an obvious fact that should the Hausas become citizens they would dominate the quotas available to Jos-North.

How the Hausas Win Elections in Jos-North

It is needless to stress that politics in Nigeria as a whole follow religious and ethnic paths. Of the twenty electoral wards of Jos-North, seven are strongholds of the Jasawas. The remaining thirteen are strongholds of the Christians. Whenever the Jasawas are able to strike a deal with a tribe that is well represented in Jos-North it helpls them to win elections, The Irigwe people make up the second largest ethnic group in Jos-North. In 1996 the Jasawas had a power sharing deal with the Irigwes. It yielded a beautiful dividend as the Jasawas won the set up a government in the LGA. After the 2001 crisis all indigenous tribes became jittery of any political deal with the Jasawas.

Bitrus Kaze’s Scholarship Award Enters Second Year

Legislators in Nigeria have learnt to come to terms with the misunderstanding of the nature of their roles in the administration of the country by many of the folks they represent. A legislature’s responsibility is to make relevant legislation that will help in administering the constituency he represents. The people however don’t understand the difference between the roles of the legislators and the executive. They also expect the legislators to carry out projects. Since the legislators would not want to fall victims of ballot denial as a result of the ignorance of the people, they have resorted to satisfying some of these needs of the people they represent. There are also those who just feel the need to assist, considering the dire need for such assistance in the communities they represent. Such persons go to the extent of using their personal incomes to attend to such needs. The ignorance of the constituents has given rise to constituency allowance usually given officially to legislators to help them attend to these needs.

Honorable Bitrus Kaze is a Member Representing Jos South and East constituencies at the House of Representatives in Abuja. In order to live up to the unconstitutional demand of the people he represents, he last year started a scholarship programme for needy students of his constituency. The Personal Assistant of Honorable Kaze, Pam Dalyop, explained that in 2008, the first year of the programme, a total of 240 students studying at various institutions of higher learning benefitted from the programme. This year, an additional 60 students have been added to raise the total to 300. He says the scholarship is part of the broad effort towards community development as one way of achieving community development is to have an enlightened population that can work and cater for themselves and their extended family circles as is the tradition in Africa.

Dalyop praised his boss whom he referred to as “a law maker with a purpose” who wouldn’t want to make public his activities for the people as he believes his works will speak for him. All he wants from the people is their maximum support to enable him carry on with the responsibility to his people excellently.

A first year medical student of the University of Jos, Kim Dalyop Danboyi who came out of the constituency office with his hands loaded with one thousand naira bills said the initiative is of immense significance as long as students use the money for the purpose for which it is meant. He said he is not going to use his money to buy an expensive mobile phone or a set of fashionable jeans trousers like most students do. He has had a book, Biological Sciences, in mind and intends to use 65% of this allowance to buy that book. The money he says can also be used for the payment of tuition fees, particularly by students in the Polytechnic whose tuitions are highly subsidized. The medical student used himself as a proof to the fact that Kaze’s scholarship is real and admonished students to ensure that the money is put into proper use to help them in their studies.

A Squadron Leader Upholds Family Military Tradition

The Air force girls Comprehensive School again passed out their students during the 7th Speech and Price Giving Day held on June 17. As usual, it was a colorful ceremony with parents coming from across the country to celebrate with their graduating children. One of the parents who came all the way from Lagos was retired Squadron Leader Yusufu Garba Mamman.

One considers self very important when young but considers his children more important once he begins to have them. It was the mood of Squadron Mamman as he gave all attention to his daughter, Maryam who was passing out form Air Force Comprehensive School Jos. The man says his father was a soldier and this compelled him to grow up in the barrack. Eventually he himself joined the military till he retired. Military has thus become a family tradition and explains why Maryam went to Air Force Primary School and eventually Air Force Secondary School together with her siblings. Coincidentally, the school has maintained a remarkably high standard since it was founded in 1987. Thus his decision to educate his children in the school makes a lot of sense.

Despite the obvious financial rigidity of Mr. Mamman he says he is not sending his daughter abroad for University education just like most affluent Nigerians now do. His reason is that she is too young to be sent to a foreign country where she will be her own guardian. He prefers her to be close to him. When reminded that the Nigerian education sector particularly at the tertiary level has been the subject of endless crisis for long and that as we were talking the Academic Staff Union of Universities are on strike, Mr. Mamman expressed his strong conviction that the situation will be resolved for the benefit of all parties and Nigerians at large.

Nigeria and Obama’s Visit to Ghana

Nigeria’s democracy suffers from epilepsy and would not function properly. It ensures that only the incumbent wins an election. Members of the opposition parties have thus been defecting to the ruling party. Nigeria is practically now a one-party state.

Foreigners from outside Africa often say that Nigeria is the most conspicuous African nation. By extension, its sins are also conspicuous and Americans have also seen them. The administration of Barack Obama has not hidden its displeasure with the path of events in Nigeria. Thus it chose not to come to Nigeria despite Nigeria’s leading role in Sub-Saharan Africa. it means that Nigeria is still an outsider in the circle of nations, a status it suffered during the military era. It also means that Nigeria during and after the military era has remained the same.

While Obama’s refusal to come to Nigeria is a source of pain to Nigerian leaders, it is a source of joy to the ordinary man. Professor Jubril Aminu who is presently a Senator and who served as a Minister of Education and Petroleum Resources at different times during the military era condemns Obama’s action. According to him, “Obama should have come to Nigeria and scold us here. It would have made more sense.” Again he says, “I don’t have anything against Ghana, but Obama shouldn’t have been specific by pronouncing Nigerian democracy as sinister as one of his aides told us when we visited the White House.” These comments seem to express the mind of a man that has chosen to remain stiff-necked. On the other hand, an ordinary Nigerian commented mockingly on VOA Hausa on the morning of the second day of Obama’s visit to Ghana saying, “Aso Rock has a history of electric power failure and Obama would not compromise his security. He could be shot in the dark.” Too harsh one would say, but the Nigeria situation is capable of provoking such vitriolic comments.

In case the Nigeria leadership cannot troubleshoot, the hitch has now been diagnosed for them. There are more than six billion pair of eyes now staring at it to see whether it cherishes material possession or its integrity.

Reasoning together in the 21st century

No man is an island, goes the saying. The knowledge and experience of a single man isn’t enough to help him move on to ensure progress in what ever he chooses to do. The different groups that make up Nigeria, whether religious or ethnic are units that must reason with the others if progress must be achieved in Nigeria.

The Peace, Justice and Reconciliation Movement (JPRM) is a non-governmental organization based in Jos Plateau State. Together with the Christian Council of Nigeria, it organized a peace submits titled “Come let us Reason together.” The submit was hosted at the Jossy Royal Hotel Jos and was attended by the renowned Dan Masanin Kano, Alhaji Maitama Sule who gave a speech. There was also a message from former military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon. Also in attendance were the Plateau State Governor, Jonah David Jang and his Kano State counterpart, Ibrahim Shekarau who was the major attraction of the submit for the paper he delivered title, “reasoning together in Nigeria in the twenty first century.”

 

Istifanus Habila heads the JPRM. He said that the summit is an annual event that has been held for the past five years. He says the choice of Ibrahim Shekarau to deliver the paper is a result of the fact that the Kano Governor has become noted for talking about the need for peace across the country and that explains why he was invited to deliver the paper. See the full paper:

A Paper presented by His Excellency, The Governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau at a National Inter-Faith Conference Organized by Justice, Peace and Reconciliation Movement (JPRM) in Collaboration with Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) at Jossy Royal Hotel, Bukuru Road, Jos, Plateau State

Jimada Thaani 15, 1430

June 8, 2009

Courtesies,

All praise and gratitude are due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. May the blessings of Allah be upon our exalted Prophet, the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, his companions, the members of his family and all those who tread their path till the Day of Judgment.

Allah (SWT) says, in the Holy Qur’an, Chapter 45, verse 13, and I quote,

And He has subjected to you, as from Him, all that is

in the heaven and on earth. Behold, in that are signs

indeed for those who reason.

In Chapter 16, verse 69, He also says, and I quote again,

Then to eat of all the produce (of the earth) and follow the ways of the Lord made smooth. There ensues from within their bodies a drink of varying colours wherein is healing for men. Verily in this is a sign for those who give in to reason.

Similarly, in Genesis 18, verses 25 to 26, the Holy Bible says, and I quote,

That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the

righteous with the wicked; and that the righteous should

be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge

of all the earth do right?

And the Lord said, if I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

In Isaiah 1, verse 18, the Holy Bible again says,

Come now, and let us reason together, said the Lord: though

your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow though

they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

The choice of title for today’s paper, ladies and gentlemen, could not have been more appropriate if we look at the mixture of people that constitute the audience in this hall. The timing too is not only apt but of extreme importance and relevance to our present circumstances as a Nation of diverse religious beliefs; and one going through difficult and trying moments.

I have taken latitude without the permission of the organizers to slightly vary the theme to read: Reasoning Together in Nigeria, as We Journey into the 21t Century, hoping that the slight variation will prove beneficial. I remember, I gave a talk on this premise at a lecture organized by the Bridge Builders Association of Nigeria sometime in 2005 in Kano. I therefore hope that Mr. Chairman would allow me to echo that paper as I find its content still relevant to our socio-religious set up.

Before I venture into it Mr. Chairman, permit me to commend the organizers of this Forum for their good judgment of selecting General Yakubu Gowon to give the key note address. A gallant and accomplished soldier, a renowned disciplinarian, an honest leader: I had good reason, back in December 2004, when, in a paper I presented at a Northern Peace Conference. I extolled the virtues of this former Nigerian Head of State, when I said, and I quote,

By placing the example of General Yakubu Gowon last,

I am by no means underestimating the contributions of this

priestly General. He was (and still is) judged to have refused

the temptation of amassing wealth for himself and his family at

the expense of the Nigerians he led during the period of oil boom.

The keynote address, as presented by Reverend Victor Musa, the General’s able representative, is food for thought for all those who care to listen, assimilate and act wisely. The import of the Chairman’s address is very clear, and the message quite unambiguous. God, we learnt, exercised His discretion, with a reason, to create us Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists and many more belonging to other beliefs, and many others not believing in anything at all. He puts us all together under one universe, under one watch with endless difference in likes and dislikes. In these are lessons for those who reason before acting or refusing to act. His Excellency, General Dr. Yakubu Gowon (GCFR) is very well known for his fatherly advise and rich exhortations at all times because of his additional advantage as a political philosopher, a peace envoy, a clergy of refute, a social diplomat and most importantly as someone who is cautious of what he says, what he eats, what he hears and what he gets involved in.

The welcome address by the President of the Christian Council of Nigeria, His Grace, and Most Rev. Dr. Rogers Uwadi is both a testimony and further assurance that men and women of God still hold the joker to posture peace, with lots of attendant benefits. Ladies and gentlemen, I appreciate the maturity and courage contained in the welcome address.

Flowing from written and oral records, I did not expect anything less from our revered Danmasanin Kano, an elder statesman and manager of human affairs who is always willing to belong to environments where peace, harmony and progress are the subject matters. He is always handy and ready to share his vast knowledge, expertise and wisdom when it matters most. That is why his name is always associated with activities that seek to salvage man from his own antics, his shortcomings and his many inadequacies. I pray that God the Almighty will continue to bless the Danmasani with good health, peace of mind and serenity at all times.

Special thanks must therefore go to these our respected elder statesmen for setting the tune and tone of today’s conference, whose outcome I believe will be of immense benefit to peace building, cohesion, mutual understanding and respect for humanity.

Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, you may have noticed that I started my talk with quotations from the Qur’an and the Bible. Indeed, my prompt willingness and acceptance to speak to you this morning on the chosen theme are rooted in, predicated on and based upon both imports and exports of these quotations. In these quotations lies an express and implied meaning, narrow and wide implications of reasoning. And on deeper reflections, one can also find treasures of assurances and guarantee for peace and tranquility of the body, mind, heart, soul, psyche and conscience.

We must all agree without doubt or hesitation, that both locally and globally, these are not normal times. They are times of extreme exasperation, fears, anxiety and stress for majority of human beings, with multiplier effects and accompanying multiple challenges. These are times when sentiments, deliberate distortions and wishful thinking have substituted reasoning and wisdom, not out of ignorance but all owing to greed, selfishness and myopic view of the world around us, rooted in materialistic expressions and attachments. These are times when reasoning is being consciously, willingly and deliberately wished away, with utter disregard of the wider negative implications of doing so. These are times when assumptions, presumptions, prejudices and distant judgments of individuals, institutions and programmes are viewed, assessed, evaluated and measured using certain parameters and yardsticks alien, new and unknown to the institution and philosophy behind reasoning.

These are times when inordinate ambition for primitive accumulation of wealth and unschooled greed has refused to bow and submit to the in-built benefits of reasoning. These are times when reasoning must be the guiding light and principle in interacting with people as individuals and as a group; in managing them and their resources; in formulating policies and executing programs targeted deliberately to empower them, so that there will be peace, progress, growth, development, cohesion, spirit of brotherhood, tranquility and harmony.

Reasoning must be the linchpin in reacting to issues, events and circumstances, such that wherever and whenever I refer to reasoning, I am indeed referring to that reasoning which conforms and is consistent with divine revelation, which, in turn, is the only authoritative and reliable source and guide towards ethical morality, decency, common sense etc. Only divine revelation can distinguish between what is Godly and that which is satanic, just as it is only by adhering to God’s revelations that men and women of all extractions can grow and develop to greater heights. Only a marriage to revelation can guarantee salvation here, and hereafter, as we are all aspiring for salvation through various mediums.

The virtue of reasoning together began long before any of us was formed to be a living being. Reasoning has also proved to be most effective even in the days and lives of our Scripture patriarchs, rulers and judges of history. Looking through history, there is hardly any invention that has taken place without the inventor drawing from the mind, opinions and thoughts of other persons.

Reasoning within the contents and context of revelation ought to and must be the flavour and recipe for all of our daily lives and living if we are sincerely, genuinely and honestly committed to building a peaceful society, based on realities on the ground as determined by human and material resources within the permission of the environmental conditions, predicated on equity, justice and fairness whereby all and sundry, will be free and secured at all times and in all moments, as we pursue our legitimate chosen endeavours without fear of the unknown.

Some of us may wonder if my concept of reasoning is not aimed at precluding the works of outstanding philosophers and thinkers of old, who based substantial part of their writings on reasoning. I must say that the philosophical works of that group that I came across proved to be a treasure of ancient antiquity and immense validity, particularly for their own time and partly for other times, not minding the fact that most of their works were based on reasoning tainted with elements of knowledge and coated with foam of individual world view informed by the writer’s peculiar circumstances.

But I do not put them aside altogether, as in my life, I read quite a number of philosophical works based on reasoning which greatly helped in further shaping my person, in addition to moulding me and preparing me the more, enough to participate in building social bridges as I journey to the world beyond.

One can very quickly remember the works of Thomas P. (177 – 1809) whose philosophical works such as the Age of Reason, the Rights of Man, Common Sense, Agrarian Justice, etc. were all based on reasoning, just like the anxiety aroused by the great juristic works of Lord Dening, purely based on reason and logic. In the same class with Thomas Payne and Lord Dening, are the great works of Aristotle which are still referred to by many today.

Saint A. Magnus’s (C. 120 – 1280) philosophical works were based on reason tainted with revelation and ethical morality as can be deduced from his main works such as Deliverance from Error, Confessions of St. Augustine, The City of God, etc. Perhaps it is so because after his conversion to Christianity he rose to the rank of a Bishop and holder of Dominican Chairs of Theology, just as he was also popularly referred to as the Universal Doctor.

The biblical accounts of Jesus Christ, the Son of Mary (PBUH) and his entire ministry were purely based on ministering with reason within the wall of revelation which must have greatly influenced the renowned Tele-evangelist, the Charismatic Reverend Jimmy S. who wrote and based many of his writings on reasoning accompanied and consistent with revelation. His works such as Alcoholism, Incest, Sodomy, Racism, etc. have become instruments that shaped the opinions and transformed the lives of many readers.

Arab philosophers such as Al-Kindi (C. 801-870), one of the first translators of Aristotle’s works in Arabic, and Al-Ghazali (1058-1111) popularly called Abu-Hamid Muhammad Ibn Muhammad also belonged to the class of those whose great philosophical works were also based on reasoning rooted in revelation.

It is only in general reasoning that the human mind can be made to submit to truth, see and avoid mistakes and pitfalls of life. A mind subjected to reasoning can suppress lust, avoid greed, and respect the feelings and rights of others. Only reason makes reasonable minds to remain within the limit set by God Almighty Himself: limits which are targeted to protect lives, properties, honour, prestige, progeny and mental state of men and women. Taken further, a man without reason is little different from an animal.

Through popular opinion arrived at reasoning together, leaders at all levels will find the wisdom to empower the led so that they can become proud and willing members of the society who can surrender and sacrifice whatever they have for that society. Love can thrive and spread like wildfire. A leader will be empowered to place the needs of the people he is leading first before his own and that of his relations. Such group effort translates to mutual love and respect which enable all citizens to guard the ideals of our nationhood.

Only reasoning predicated on revelation allows people to react to, or comment on issues purely on tangible, reliable, sufficient, relevant and dependable information. Of course, such type of reason allows people to put all their trust in God Almighty, recognizing that He alone ultimately determines everything here and hereafter.

I am certain that the type of reasoning you had in mind as you framed the theme for this Lecture Forum, is the same or similar to the few virtues I have just expounded. I believe so, particularly having heard your aims and objectives as a faith based non-governmental organization. I assure you that as long as you remain within your objectives for that long you will not derail. May you not derail.

Nobody needs to be reminded that there exists a pyramid, ocean, or desert of ‘unreasonability’ in reason that is not rooted in or driven from revelation. This error in reasoning comes from unilateral, fanatical and arrogant disposition. It is such type of reason that makes people to willingly elect to ignore the laws of the Almighty, thereby going ahead to commit suicide, set one’s properties on fire, expose oneself to the dangers of alcoholism, gambling, fornication, adultery, incest, false and broken promises and other forms of immoralities and absurdities.

It is the same negative platform found in people who assume a kind of sole ownership of collective resources with a propensity and passion as if there was no yesterday behind us or there will be no tomorrow ahead, or indeed there will be no judgment day. It is the manifestation of bad and unpopular reasoning that prepares human being to seek to promote falsehood, raise objections and exasperation mostly on non-issues and settled issues at times when all hands are supposed to be on deck on a journey towards building and nurturing a God-fearing, solid and virile society.

Mr. Chairman, I have digressed so elaborately on my thoughts at the risk of boring you, just to underscore my interest in the phrase, ‘Reasoning together’. I go further to assure you and all members of the Justice, Peace and Reconciliation Movement and the Christian Council of Nigeria, the conveners of today’s lecture that my Administration in Kano State aspires to deploy reason, rooted in ethical morality and guided by revelation in dealing with all people of all standing. I have long come to appreciate that building bridges against our differences is the only way to our cherished justice, equity and unity. This is to me good morality.

As we remind ourselves and resolve to submit to the institution of guided reasoning, through the light of revelation, we must all be honest to accept that there must be among ourselves those who, out of reason elect to keep late hours and at other times have sleepless nights so that others can sleep with all their eyes closed. There must be those who will deliberately expose themselves to the chilly cold of harmattan so that many others will remain warm, just as they must expose themselves to the scorching heat of the sun for others to feel cool. There must be those who, in spite of their advantageous position and social status will, out of reason, avoid visiting the sin of the fathers upon the children, that of the children upon their parents, that of a creed upon its followers, or that of a culture upon its claimants.

There must be among us those who will extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood at all times and moments. There has to be among us those who out of reason will reconcile warring factions and those at loggerheads. And I must add that we must all resolve to continue being reconciliators. It is only by so doing that the peace we have garnered can stand the test of time.

In closing, let me remind us that on that day when we are finally before the Throne of our Creator, there will be no credentials or item of appeal other than our righteousness, tabled for scrutiny. We will be held accountable and responsible as leaders and subjects, as rich and poor persons; for what we did and what we failed to do; as Muslims and as Christians; as property owners and as property caretakers; for everything and anything. Let us Reason Together to correct our ways and have good credentials.

I thank you for the invitation, and I, once again commend the courage and initiatives of the conveners. I appreciate the composure of all those who are present. But most importantly, we must all jointly thank the Almighty God for giving us the courage, will-power, audacity and foresight to think about Reasoning Together as the only way to rescue ourselves from our current social predicament.

Thank you for listening and God bless.