OPINION: Unity of Purpose For Community Development | By Saka Sheidu
On this occasion of Nigeria's 59th Independence Anniversary, I wish to share my views with Ihima Youths Assembly(IYA) at the Independence National Youth Summit.
I would like to thank the organizers of the Summit for inviting me to present a paper on the Topic: Unity Of Purpose For Community Development.
The Theme is particularly apt at this point in time when Ihima is at a crossroads.
Historically, Ihima people were known and envied for their pace setting achievements, which was unequalled if not unparalleled in Ebiraland. Such milestone initiatives were made possible by the preponderance of Unity of Purpose (UOP) of Ihima people.
Permit me to define Unity of Purpose (UOP) as the convergence of thoughts and ideas of otherwise disparate individuals and groups for collective engagements to achieve common objectives for the betterment of the larger Society.
From the 1960s to mid 1980s, Ihima had a large stock of global UOP, which the people deployed for Community Development. We can easily cite such Development strides to include Ihima Community Secondary School (ICSS) and Ihima Community Bank (ICB).
From my research findings, it's not that Ihima is in short supply of UOP but rather, our global UOP has been so utterly fragmented and appropriated that it now resides with clannish jingoists, to serve narrow ends including personal capacity building and clannish proclivities.
For me, this is negative use of UOP, which is antithetical and anachronistic to the overall interest of Ihima.
While we are busy deploying UOP to promote clannish cleavages to gain political ascendancy and other mundane preoccupations, Ihima has been the greatest loser.
Even so, I challenge anyone to show me what we have achieved with the appropriated and misplaced use of our global UOP since the 1990s till date. Nothing except destruction of lives and properties, destabilization, retrogression and destruction of spirit of communality to show for it.
Our present lack of global UOP in Ihima has not only stymied our developmental strides and our world view, but it has also threatened and still threatening the few existing ones for example ICSS or outrightly contributed to the failure and collapse of others like ICB !
Isn't it paradoxical that while we were cutting our nose to spite our face, the Pace Setter of yore has now miserably occupied the last position in the comity of Ebira communities and has become a laughing stock at that? We did not only lose ICB but we also lost its economic multiplier effects as well despite the fact that we can boast of first rate Bankers, Accountants and Economists.
At this juncture, I challenge Ihima Youths, in the spirit of UOP, to use the IYA platform to interrogate the circumstances that led to the demise of ICB to help draw useful lessons for our future guidance.
For UOP ecosystem to thrive, the following irreducible minimum standards are imperative, viz:-
1) Respect for Elders, Culture and Traditional Institutions
2) Religious Tolerance
3) Peaceful Coexistence
4) Politics without Bitterness
5) Volunteering
6) Proactive Leadership
7) Availability of strong Rallying Point such as Ihima Welfare Association (IWA)
8) Patriotic Fervour
SUSTAINABILITY OF UOP
In addition to the above, for a sustainable UOP, there are formidable monsters that must be fought and defeated along the way. These include but not limited to:
1)Security challenges
2)Official corruption
3) Cultism
4)Religious fundamentalism
5)Drug Abuse and Alcoholism
6)Prostitution
7) Unemployment
8) Political Thuggery
9) Riotous and Frivolous Cultural Festivals
10) Cyber Crime
11) Inept Leadership at all levels
THE FUTURE IS YET BRIGHT
As Youths, the future of Ihima is in your hands. You can make or mar it depending on your attitudes.
In 1971, at the tender age of 20, when God granted me the vision of ICSS, I could not have qualified to be a youth going by present standards. I was not even an undergraduate but in my A - levels when I became the President of Ihima Students Union(ISU).
ISU used to organize holiday lectures for primary School pupils to prepare them for Common Entrance Exams. I observed that there were a high number of primary school drop outs not because they didn't pass the qualifying Exams but because of the paucity of available Colleges to absorb them. This prompted me to move a motion on the need for Ihima Community Secondary School to take care of such unfortunate children during ISU General Meeting. We debated this motion at length. Eventually, I put the matter to vote and majority carried the day. I then took the resolution to IWA Annual Conference in December 1971.
Acting pro actively, IWA took it up from there and drawing from the well of abundant UOP, brought the dream to reality in 1974 with the first intake of students and the rest as they say is history. Today, products of ICSS are in various professions at home and abroad.
Our vision wouldn't have seen the light of the day without the existence of a strong rallying point exemplified by Ihima Welfare Association(IWA). Hence it is my submission that IWA should be strengthened and supported to play a pivotal role in our developmental agenda. Rival institutions or forum should be discouraged by all means as such will only lead to dissipation of much needed UOP resources. ICSS was first of its kind in the entire old Kwara State. Unfortunately, however, IWA has also been severely incapacitated owing to our acute lack of UOP in Ihimaland.
As Youths, you owe it to future generations to hold political office holders accountable to the people in a civilized manner devoid of name calling.
Using this platform, I challenge you to always demand a Road Map from politicians against which achievements would be assessed. After all you voted for them. In addition, when questions are raised concerning their stewardship role, we should guard against the temptation to reduce issues to inanities.
Finally, never regard any ideas that come across your mind, no matter how outlandish, as an impossibility. Put your mind to it and avoid procrastination.
The foregoing are in my opinion, ways we can orchestrate and cultivate UOP for Community Development in Ihima and thereby build an egalitarian Society of our dream.
Happy Independence Anniversary celebrations. Thank you and God Bless
Mr. Saka Uru Sheidu, is a pharmacist, Social Entrepreneur, Developmental Model Specialist and change Agent. He was the president of Ihima Students' Union (1971-1972) who moved the motion for the establishment of Ihima Community Secondary School which turned out to be the first community secondary school in Ebiraland.
I would like to thank the organizers of the Summit for inviting me to present a paper on the Topic: Unity Of Purpose For Community Development.
The Theme is particularly apt at this point in time when Ihima is at a crossroads.
Historically, Ihima people were known and envied for their pace setting achievements, which was unequalled if not unparalleled in Ebiraland. Such milestone initiatives were made possible by the preponderance of Unity of Purpose (UOP) of Ihima people.
Permit me to define Unity of Purpose (UOP) as the convergence of thoughts and ideas of otherwise disparate individuals and groups for collective engagements to achieve common objectives for the betterment of the larger Society.
From the 1960s to mid 1980s, Ihima had a large stock of global UOP, which the people deployed for Community Development. We can easily cite such Development strides to include Ihima Community Secondary School (ICSS) and Ihima Community Bank (ICB).
From my research findings, it's not that Ihima is in short supply of UOP but rather, our global UOP has been so utterly fragmented and appropriated that it now resides with clannish jingoists, to serve narrow ends including personal capacity building and clannish proclivities.
For me, this is negative use of UOP, which is antithetical and anachronistic to the overall interest of Ihima.
While we are busy deploying UOP to promote clannish cleavages to gain political ascendancy and other mundane preoccupations, Ihima has been the greatest loser.
Even so, I challenge anyone to show me what we have achieved with the appropriated and misplaced use of our global UOP since the 1990s till date. Nothing except destruction of lives and properties, destabilization, retrogression and destruction of spirit of communality to show for it.
Our present lack of global UOP in Ihima has not only stymied our developmental strides and our world view, but it has also threatened and still threatening the few existing ones for example ICSS or outrightly contributed to the failure and collapse of others like ICB !
Isn't it paradoxical that while we were cutting our nose to spite our face, the Pace Setter of yore has now miserably occupied the last position in the comity of Ebira communities and has become a laughing stock at that? We did not only lose ICB but we also lost its economic multiplier effects as well despite the fact that we can boast of first rate Bankers, Accountants and Economists.
At this juncture, I challenge Ihima Youths, in the spirit of UOP, to use the IYA platform to interrogate the circumstances that led to the demise of ICB to help draw useful lessons for our future guidance.
For UOP ecosystem to thrive, the following irreducible minimum standards are imperative, viz:-
1) Respect for Elders, Culture and Traditional Institutions
2) Religious Tolerance
3) Peaceful Coexistence
4) Politics without Bitterness
5) Volunteering
6) Proactive Leadership
7) Availability of strong Rallying Point such as Ihima Welfare Association (IWA)
8) Patriotic Fervour
SUSTAINABILITY OF UOP
In addition to the above, for a sustainable UOP, there are formidable monsters that must be fought and defeated along the way. These include but not limited to:
1)Security challenges
2)Official corruption
3) Cultism
4)Religious fundamentalism
5)Drug Abuse and Alcoholism
6)Prostitution
7) Unemployment
8) Political Thuggery
9) Riotous and Frivolous Cultural Festivals
10) Cyber Crime
11) Inept Leadership at all levels
THE FUTURE IS YET BRIGHT
As Youths, the future of Ihima is in your hands. You can make or mar it depending on your attitudes.
In 1971, at the tender age of 20, when God granted me the vision of ICSS, I could not have qualified to be a youth going by present standards. I was not even an undergraduate but in my A - levels when I became the President of Ihima Students Union(ISU).
ISU used to organize holiday lectures for primary School pupils to prepare them for Common Entrance Exams. I observed that there were a high number of primary school drop outs not because they didn't pass the qualifying Exams but because of the paucity of available Colleges to absorb them. This prompted me to move a motion on the need for Ihima Community Secondary School to take care of such unfortunate children during ISU General Meeting. We debated this motion at length. Eventually, I put the matter to vote and majority carried the day. I then took the resolution to IWA Annual Conference in December 1971.
Acting pro actively, IWA took it up from there and drawing from the well of abundant UOP, brought the dream to reality in 1974 with the first intake of students and the rest as they say is history. Today, products of ICSS are in various professions at home and abroad.
Our vision wouldn't have seen the light of the day without the existence of a strong rallying point exemplified by Ihima Welfare Association(IWA). Hence it is my submission that IWA should be strengthened and supported to play a pivotal role in our developmental agenda. Rival institutions or forum should be discouraged by all means as such will only lead to dissipation of much needed UOP resources. ICSS was first of its kind in the entire old Kwara State. Unfortunately, however, IWA has also been severely incapacitated owing to our acute lack of UOP in Ihimaland.
As Youths, you owe it to future generations to hold political office holders accountable to the people in a civilized manner devoid of name calling.
Using this platform, I challenge you to always demand a Road Map from politicians against which achievements would be assessed. After all you voted for them. In addition, when questions are raised concerning their stewardship role, we should guard against the temptation to reduce issues to inanities.
Finally, never regard any ideas that come across your mind, no matter how outlandish, as an impossibility. Put your mind to it and avoid procrastination.
The foregoing are in my opinion, ways we can orchestrate and cultivate UOP for Community Development in Ihima and thereby build an egalitarian Society of our dream.
Happy Independence Anniversary celebrations. Thank you and God Bless
Mr. Saka Uru Sheidu, is a pharmacist, Social Entrepreneur, Developmental Model Specialist and change Agent. He was the president of Ihima Students' Union (1971-1972) who moved the motion for the establishment of Ihima Community Secondary School which turned out to be the first community secondary school in Ebiraland.
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