Opinion: Why I Want to Be President of Okun Development Association

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By Barrister Femi Mokikan

 

OMO OKUN OLORIRE OOOO

OMO OKUN OLORIRE OOOOOOO

OMO OKUN OLORIRE OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

WHY DID I PUT MYSELF FORWARD AS A CANDIDATE FOR THE OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF OKUN DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION?

After a deep introspection that went on for months, I came to one conclusion. Sitting down and grumbling and apportioning blames do not yield desired improvement in any setting. What does is taking action. Reasonable action. Positive action. Result-oriented action.

This is precisely why I am doing this. I aspire to be President of ODA because I am convinced that OKUN PEOPLE AND OKUN LAND CAN BE BETTER IN MY LIFETIME.

With like- minded individuals running the affairs of the Association as the new Executives, Okun should assume her rightful place amongst comity of people in Kogi State in particular and Nigeria in general.

It is not debatable that every aspect of our life as a people can be and should be better in our lifetime.

GRATITUDE TO OUR FOUNDING FATHERS AND ALL PAST EXECUTIVES

The founding fathers of ODA and all the Executives that had the privilege to serve the good people of Okun as the champions of ODA did their best and must be appreciated and commended. As the current Executive prepares to pass the baton on to a new team, we owe each and every one of the outgoing Executive members’ and the ones before them tremendous appreciation and gratitude for their doggedness, never-say-die spirit and selfless commitment, in spite of all the odds and challenges that ordinarily should discourage people of lesser stuff. Jehovah God will keep you for us in excellent health and you will see more of the good life you worked so hard to give to our people.

MY AGENDA

As we all know, election into the various offices of the Executive of ODA is on individual basis and not on party basis. For this reason, individuals seeking election into any of the offices, particularly the office of the National President, will have his or her own agenda.

The Okun land of my dream, as one of those seeking election into the office of the National President of ODA, is an Okun land that will be most admired and respected by all. It will be most admired and respected because it is safe, peaceful, prosperous, beautiful and welcoming, blessed with descent, creative, compassionate and great people with sound mind. I envision an Okun land where the shared values of our founding fathers become the framework for the foundation of our actions.

SPECIFIC AREAS/ISSUES OF CONCERN

There are several issues that I am interested in pursuing for the good of our people. Listed below are the Top 12 of these issues

1. UNITY, ONENESS AND TEAM SPIRIT

If there is anything that makes us as a people vulnerable to the social, political and economic vicissitudes of modern day Nigeria, it is the lack of unity, oneness and team spirit amongst us.

While we proudly lay claim to being an Okun Man or Woman, of a truth, our passion, interest and concern is far from promoting the common good of and for Okun. Our thoughts and acts of omission or commission are self-seeking, self-centered, parochial, narrow and short-sighted.

Sadly, and unlike our other neighboring peoples, we as Okun people do not have a central figure that we all can revere and look unto as a rallying point for instruction, counsel, advice or reprimand. Notwithstanding, we can do better. In the words of our fathers – owo ara eni onkamu se ala eja. You do not catch a sliced fish from the river. You slice it yourself.

We do not need the state or federal government to bring unity, oneness and team spirit to Okun people. We must make it happen on our own. Some people may, for good reasons, think it is impossible. For me, with God all impossibilities become possible. I believe we can do it. It will take time, effort, determination and resources, but we must start. And the time to start is now.

THE HOW TO (STRATEGIES)

a) Give the various Community Development Associations/Unions a strong voice in the affairs of ODA.

b) Promote transparent, honest, open and productive interpersonal and intergroup relationships.

ç) Active engagement of all strata of our various communities: Traditional Rulers, Development Associations/Unions, Youths, Students, Artisans and Craftmen, etc. in inter-communal visitations and projects in Okun land.

d) Inter-Communal support in various ways

e) Harnessing the potentials that abound in Okun men and women in and outside Okun land.

f) Promote Sporting activities amongst communities, through schools, colleges and clubs.

g) Immediate inauguration of O D A Unity Cup to be competed for at secondary schools and community levels to identify soccer talents that will blossom to become Ronaldo, Messi, Victor Moses, Michel Obi, etc. (Remember Pepsi Football Academy) I started one in Kiri that is about five years old now. This will be extended to other sports. Who says we cannot produce our own Usain Bolt.

2. ADVOCACY.

ODA, like every other Community Development Association, is a voluntary organization that is generally limited by its voluntary nature. It lacks the capacity to coerce its members; neither does it have the machinery to impose sanctions without weakening its effectiveness. Yet it must be effective to deliver on its mandate. For these reasons the most potent tool at its disposal is by means of ADVOCACY.

Advocacy is an activity by an individual or group which aims to influence decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions

Our advocacy role will extend to government at all levels, organizations in the private sector, NGOs in different fields, and individuals.

Our medium of advocacy shall include but not limited to media campaign, public speaking; lobbying; visitations; correspondences; networking, etc.

3. FUNDING

No organization can survive without adequate funding. One of the major obstacles to many development associations’ ability to deliver on their mandate is the reluctance or unwillingness of members to voluntarily support with resources. Several reasons account for this. One very much important reason is when people perceive a lack of accountability. Our team will combine the religious books together with our local deities to enforce accountability.  While it is true that our role is not direct physical development interventions, we will no doubt be requiring funding for all of our activities. The Executive will develop a framework with which to generate fund from the sons and daughters of Okun land that God has blessed and positioned in different sectors of the economy. As Mordecai admonished Esther, may be it for this reason that God positioned you so. Every Kobo shall fully be accounted for.

4. YOUTHS AND STUDENTS.

Our focus here will be on massive reorientation and paradigm shift; attitude, self-esteem/self-worth; education; skills acquisition; recreational activities; annual sports festival; competitive spirit; etc.

5. SECURITY AND SAFETY IN OKUNLAND.

6. CULTURAL RE-AWAKENING.

Annual Okun Day to be celebrated in Okun land

7. BEFITTING SECRETARIAT

The Secretariat will consist of Theater-shaped main hall, Boardroom, Syndicate Rooms Library, offices, Catering and dining hall, etc.). The beauty of it is that the bulk of the work will be by direct labour. We will awaken the communal spirit of our forefathers that enabled them to reach unimaginable heights together in their days. We will therefore in the same spirit rely on Architects of Okun origin for the design of the secretariat. Building Engineers of Okun origin, Electrical Engineers, Plumbers, Carpenters, etc all of Okun Origin will all be called upon just as Nehemiah did.

8. BUILD BRIDGES

Build bridges of friendship, cooperation, and collaboration with our neighbors in Kogi East and Kogi West

9. POLITICAL OFFICE HOLDERS: ELECTIVE AND APPOINTIVE.

Harness fully the collective potentials of our elected and appointed sons and daughters into political offices at all levels

10. HOME AWAY FROM HOME

God has blessed Okun land with several highly successful and high flying individuals in different sectors of our national economy. Some are industrialists. Some are captains of industries. Some are public servants. Very successful people. Their friends and associates from other parts of the country look up to them for mentorship at personal and community level. They are very much at home where God has placed them. But they are home away from home. We must reach out to them and get them to develop interest in their home of origin. God has a reason for not making them Lagosians, or Americans, Europeans, Japanese, neither did He bring them to this world through Port Harcourt, Abuja, Enugu, Ibadan or Kano. He brought them through Okun land. God has a purpose for that.

11. RESTORATION OF FAMILY AND COMMUNAL VALUES.

12. CULTIVATING THE SPIRIT OF VOLUNTEERISM

GIVE ME YOUR VOTE AND TOGETHER WE WILL.

THANK YOU.


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