GREETINGS
In the name of Allah I greet all who have helped to make this Day a reality. Special posthumous Happy birthday greetings to Madiba.
WHO IS MANDELA?
- He was born on 18 July 1918 in the tiny village of Mvezo on the banks of the Mbashe River in the province of Transkei, South Africa. Last year marked 100 years of his birthday. In 1942 he joined the African National Congress (ANC) and for 20 years was involved in a campaign of peaceful, non-violent defiance against the South African government and its racist policies. He was arrested in 1962 and convicted of sabotage and other charges.
- He served 27 years in prison, many of these in the notorious Robben Island. Following his eventual release from prison on 11 February 1990 after global campaign, Mandela led his party in the negotiations which led to the establishment of democracy in South Africa in 1994. He became the first President of post-apartheid South Africa. Nelson Mandela died at 95 in December 2013. He achieved so much for SA in record time of just one term in office: racial harmony, reconciliation, including the hosting of the first World Cup. Mandela received more than 260 honors in his lifetime including Nobel Peace Prize “for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa“ with Frederik Willem de Klerk .
WHAT IS NELSON MANDELA DAY (NMD)?
- Nelson Mandela International Day commemorates the lifetime of service Nelson Mandela gave to South Africa and the world. It was launched on his birthday, 18 July, in 2009 via a unanimous decision by the UN General Assembly. He was the only human being to be so honored and he was an African. Today I commend all kwarans for joining the progressive forces world wide in marking the 10th anniversary of Mandela Day.
THE MESSAGE
- The message behind Mandela Day is simple – everyone has the ability and the responsibility to change the world for the better. If each one of us heeds the call to simply do something good every day, we can live Nelson Mandela’s legacy and help build the country of our dreams. Please greet somebody Happy NMD!!!
KWARA STATE AND 2019 NELSON MANDELA DAY
- 2019 NELSON MANDELA DAY assumes a special importance for Kwara State. On Saturday 9th March 2019, your Excellency emerged in a free, popular and fair election as the 4th democratically elected Governor of the state in this dispensation. Your election marked the liberation of Kwara State from 16 years of PDP rule that has worsened poverty and underdevelopment. Mandela was a freedom fighter and true symbol of liberation. 2019 election marks the liberation of Kwara.
APPRECIATION AND COMMENDATION
· The 10th anniversary of NMD offers opportunity to reflect on the state of our state, Nigerian nation and Africa as a whole.
NIGERIAN LEADERS MUST LEAD LIKE MANDELA
PUNCTUALITY
- Let me appreciate His Excellency for his commitment to punctuality in public functions. In this respect the His Excellency shares the same value with Nelson Mandela. Mandela was a stickler to punctuality. Mandela decried the concept of Africa time. Africa must be time conscious like Mandela. Africa already lost on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of 2000. For us to meet up on the new sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of 2030 we must be time conscious and get the work done at the right time.
· At the last EID, His Excellency arrived at the mosque well before 9am unlike the past when state governor and government officials would arrive after the Emir was seated. There has not been doll moment since your assumption of office which is commendable.
LESS THAN 100 Days
Your achievements are also remarkable within a short time .
- Kwara rehabilitates three major water works “The three are the Lafiagi Waterworks (Kwara North); Igbaja Waterworks (Kwara South); and Asa Dam Waterworks (Kwara Central),”.
- Government has also approved the release of N48,548,720 for their rehabilitation.
- N50m approved completion of Secretariat Complex
- He has approved immediate release of the first tranche of N200m as counterpart funds for the takeoff of Rural Access and Agricultural Market Project (RAAMP III) in the state.
PRESIDENT MUHAMMED BUHARI MUST LEAD LIKE MANDELA: PROMOTE INCLUSION
- The relevance of Mandela day for Nigeria cannot be overstated. President Muhammadu Buhari can be described as “another Mandela” of our time. Like Nelson Mandela, President Buhari brought moral authority, not money power to power. Mandela fought against apartheid for which he was imprisoned for 27 years. He was later elected as the first democratically non-racial President of South Africa. Similarly president Buhari won election as the 4th democratically elected President in this dispensation because he was perceived as incorruptible and seen as MaiGazkia. Since his election, President Buhari has commendably exposed and fought corruption. However there is still a lot for Buhari to meet the standard left behind by Nelson Mandela.
STATESMANSHIP
- Nigeria needs urgently new statesmen and women. It is regrettable that most leaders have returned back to their defunct regions. One of the remarkable legacies of Nelson Mandela was his statesmanship. His 1994 cabinet reflected both the political and partisan diversity of South Africa just coming from racially motivated conflicts. President FW de Klerk, whose political party, National Party (NP) jailed Nelson Mandela was one of the deputy presidents from 1994 until July 1996. The other was Thabo Mbeki from ANC
- The most remarkable was the appointment of Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi who came from the rival Ikatha political party whose record showed support for apartheid regime until it lasted. Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi was made the interior minister. Buthelezi actually served as Minister of Home Affairs for two terms. In 1998 when President Nelson Mandela was in Washington to receive a Congressional Order Buthelezi served as Acting President. This was the man who opposed anti-apartheid sanctions just to please the apartheid regime.
BIGGER PICTURE
- As the nation awaits his cabinet President Buhari must demonstrate the same statesmanship in his political appointments and allocation of the National resources. The President has commendably promised inclusive governance. The President must work the talk in including not just business men and women in his cabinet but tested members of organized labour, women group and people living with disabilities who must add value in the areas of economy, security and anti corruption. Nigerians look forward to a pan-Nigerian cabinet. HE in Kwara State must also reflect inclusion in his expected cabinet.
MANAGING DIVERSITY
· Nigerian leaders must learn to manage diversity like Mandela. South Africa just like Nigeria is a diverse country. It was commendable the way Nelson Mandela gave practical effects to the spirit and content of the South African non-racial and non-sexist constitution. In his famous speech at the 1964 Rivonia Trial which sentenced him and others to life imprisonment for daring to overthrow the hated apartheid he declared that; “I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.”
· According to Mandela the struggle against oppression, he would fight against white oppression is not divisible: white or black. Interestingly President Muhammed Buhari also said something to this effect at his inaugural speech last year when he said “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody”. Labour commends him so far about the courage he has brought to the table to expose corruption in the security sector with the recent approval of the investigation of “Generals” of easy fortune who diverted monies meant for arms procurement.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
· President Buhari just like Nelson Mandela inherits a lot of conflicts of diverse society. It is commendable that Buhari has contained the insurgency in the north east and tamed the menace of Boko haram. However there are still serial conflicts that are claiming hundreds of lives such as the so-called farmers/herdsmen clashes.
PRESIDENT BUHARI MUST ADDRESS THE NATION
· President Buhari can learn from Mandela approach to conflict resolutions. In most instances, he personally intervened and even addressed the nation to douse tensions and restive confidence. I recall his role in saving South Africa democracy when Chris Hani, the leader of the South African Communist Party and chief of staff of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC) was assassinated on 10 April 1993. His criminal assassination fuelled tensions and violence. Promptly Nelson Mandela addressed the nation appealing for calm, in a speech regarded as ‘presidential’ and statesmanlike. Buhari should emulate Mandela and address the nation on series of avoidable violence rampaging the nation in recent times. The interior minister must also be seen to promptly intervene in the scenes of criminality. The recent attempt to politicize the killing and death of Funke, Chief Fasoranti’s daughter shows crisis of governance which only the President can dispel through bold engagement with the citizens. I commend the recent directive by the President that all Nigerians to stay in any part of the country. Indeed all governors and appointed state officials must compliment the President in ensuring that only them must speak for Nigerians not some self appointed regional or ethnic groups.
RECONCILIATION
· Mandela stood for reconciliation. President Buhari is in a better position to also reconcile Nigeria. But he can only do this based on comprehensive work plan for genuine National reconciliation. The only document close to that today is 2014 National conference. But reconciliation is not just to be done by government but by civil society that include labour movement.
OBASANJO MUST LEARN FROM NELSON MANDELA
· I have read the recent open letter written by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Muhammadu Buhari. Somebody said that since President Obasanjo belatedly graduates from Open university he has been writing open letters to his successors. The method of OBJ dramatizing personal advise confirms again that he is certainly not leading like Nelson Mandela. Open letters are not helpful. They open more wounds making healing of exiting ones difficult.
· Having left the office in 1999 after one term (unlike OBJ who wanted third term!) former President Mandela never grandstand to openly harass his successors former President Thambo Mbeki or President ZUma as OBJ has casually done with President Musa Yar Adua, President Jonathan and now President Buhari. OBJ must learn from Mandela’s approach to conflicts resolutions. In year 2007, late Nelson Mandela set up an Elders forum, an international non-governmental organisation of public figures noted as elder statesmen, peace activists, and human rights advocates. The goal Mandela set for the Elders was to use their “almost 1,000 years of collective experience” to work on solutions for seemingly insurmountable problems such as climate change, HIV/AIDS, and poverty, as well as to “use their political independence to help resolve some of the world’s most intractable.
NOT LATE FOR STATESMANSHIP
· I suggest OBJ should redeem his wading statesmanship by following the foot steps of Nelson Mandela. Like Nelson Mandela OBJ should be measured and balanced in his assessment of the state of the nation. Nigeria needs sobriety for both the leaders and the led alike. Of course there are Challenges of governance. But it is wrong for OBJ to smear Nigeria with Rwanda and Yugoslavia brush of disintegration and genocide while addressing Nigerian problems. Nigeria is work in progress. OBJ should walk his talk that “We need unity of purpose and nationally accepted strategic roadmap that will not change with whims and caprices of any government”. This calls for measured and balanced views like Mandela did in and out of office. In 1993, when Chris Hani, the leader of the South African Communist Party and chief of staff of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC) was assassinated Mandela did not say SA was going to collapse but rose to the challenges of statesmanship.
· I recall that Chief Bola Ige, SAN was brutally murdered on the eve of Christmas in 2001. He was a serving Federal Minister of Justice for Nigeria under President Obasanjo. Despite the scandal and the conspiratory theories, nobody doubted Nigeria survival as OBJ does now over security challenges. On the contrary the nation demanded for justice for the murdered Minister which OBJ never ensured for as long he was in office. It is therefore wrong for OBJ in his letter to betray statesmanship by mischievously quoting Prof. Anya, that “We can no longer say with certainty that we have a nation”. We commiserate with the Chief Fasoranti who in mist of tragedy betrayed no emotion but demanded for an end to insecurity in the nation.
END POVERTY
· The theme for 2019 Mandela Day (10th Nelson Mandela Day) is Take Action Against Poverty (#Action Against Poverty).
· To honour Mandela we must end poverty in Kwara and in Nigeria as whole. The key to prosperity is revival of industries especially textile. We Commend President Buhari and CBN under Emefiele in reviving the textile industry. All state governments must also implement the new minimum wage as President Buhari has also directed the federal civil servants be paid the new minimum wage.
· We must also lessen income gap between the rich and the mass poor. OXFAM just reported that inequality in Nigeria has reached extreme levels, despite being the largest economy in Africa. The country has an expanding economy with abundant human capital and the economic potential to lift millions out of poverty. OXFAM says the combined wealth of Nigeria’s five richest men – $29.9 billion – could end extreme poverty at a national level yet 5 million face hunger. More than 112 million people are living in poverty in Nigeria, yet the country’s richest man would have to spend $1 million a day for 42 years to exhaust his fortune. The amount of money that the richest Nigerian man can earn annually from his wealth is sufficient to lift 2 million people out of poverty for one year.
· We also condemn Serial Killings of Nigerians in South Africa.
· The alleged murder of the Deputy Director-General of Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Elizabeth Ndubusi-Chukwu, in June was one killing of Nigerians in South Africa too many. The killing of Ndubusi-Chukwu according to reports made the number of Nigerians murdered in South Africa in three and half years to rise to 127. The serial xenophobic attacks on innocent Nigerians and other nationals in South Africa are grossly unwarranted, condemnable and unacceptable. Nelson Mandela stood against Xenophobia. We therefore call on the South African authorities to take immediate measures to protect and safeguard the lives and properties of all nationals resident in South Africa and ensure that real compensations are paid to the families of all who lost their family members and relations. We call on the Nigerian government through relevant Ministries and security agencies to carry out thorough investigation into the death of Elizabeth Ndubuisi Chukwu and all Nigerians murdered in South Africa.
