"We all are victorious"

ADDRESS BY MR. FRIDAY ODEH IDAH ON HIS ELECTION AS THE CHAIRMAN ACDA, ABUJA BRANCH ON THE 9TH JUNE, 2013

I wish to thank God almighty, and the good people of Akweya for the spirited effort to ensuring that the will of the people prevail in this election. May the good Lord reward you abundantly. It is a confirmation that the Akweya of today has gone beyond politics that are characterised with beer parlor mentality where neither clan, chieftaincy title, partisanship, royal and non royal, Allan nor Otobi wards extraction are no longer fashionable. Our victory today is a boost for this association to embark on a faithful journey that shall better our lives. I shall therefore use the opportunity
of this memorable moment to remind us on some of the noble issues we will look into.

1. Land: We shall embark on immediate measures to correct the misstep taken in the realization of our collective dreams on the land. Immediate step shall be taken to constitute a committee that shall work with Community Chairmen, the Patron, Youth, and experienced members of the association to find a lasting solution to the delay and ensure that a befitting hall is build for the benefit of all. Even though we shall not want to join issues with individuals and be draw back with misgivings, effort shall be made to study the land documents, explore more facts about the purchase and the selling of parts at a giveaway price, and even the deliberate waste of our scarce resources in the award of job on the land to cronies.

2. Constitution: The abuse of the provisions of our constitution shall stop. Immediate steps shall be taken to comprehensively update our constitution to meet our present demands. We shall identify individuals who will serve as members of the review committee. Issues such as Burial procedures/requirements, Security of our lives and properties, Standing committees, Cultural day/performances, Discipline & Tolerance, Public hearings, to mention but few shall be addressed.

a. Burial procedures/requirements: The era whereby people regards burial meetings as breeding ground for abuse of alcohol consumption, exhibition of misconduct rather than sober reflections, is over! Dead members & bereaved families shall be a major beneficiary of burial proceeds henceforth. The idea whereby almost 80% of the sum realized from burial levies is wasted on alcohol should no longer be condoned. All outstanding burial rites would be done to the benefiting individuals/communities.

b. Security: It is everybody business to be security conscious. The rituals of allowing errant individuals to invade our meetings with destructive motive shall stop. We shall harvest every aspect of our laws, norms & knowledge to discourage this barbaric attitude. The carrot & stick approach shall be explored; thereafter every surviving acts of criminality shall be hand over by the law enforcement agencies.

c. Standing committees. The old believes that the success of our association is the effort of the chairman alone shall be out fashioned. The engine room of every association, outside the secretariat is vibrant standing committees. Frantic effort shall be made urgently to constitute all the five standing committees with a modified modus operandi. These committees shall therefore be referred to as:

i. Information & General orientation/Performance Monitoring & Evaluation.
ii. Assets acquisition & Management
iii. Ethics, Rights & Privileges
iv. Finance & Wealth creation, and
v. Culture & Social organization.

The details of their names, terms of operations and sources of income would be provided later.
d. Cultural Day/performances: We shall embark on wider consultations to determine the possibility of observing a day every year to show case our cultural heritages, put our dormant cultural materials to viable use, modify & regulates cultural performances that are exclusively reserved by our tradition during social outing/burial ceremonies.

e. Discipline & Tolerance: We have observed in the recent time the lost of love, unity & respect for one and other. Again comprehensive effort shall be made to cement the relationship between members with particular effort to bridge the gap

between the elders & the youth, discourage the use of unguided comments. We owe the Akweya race a collective responsibility to ensure that the old glory of oneness in every facets of our lives is restored. Values have eroded our daily lives, and we must fight rigorously to restore it.

f. Public Hearing: As a continuation of our culture of accountability, we shall observe a day in each half of the year to present our score card, this is a deviation from the usual jamboree approach. Therefore, instead of the 3 months system we shall be having it only twice a year. One in the middle of the year & another towards the end. This will give us time to send copies of printed financial documents to the people whom we own explanation (members & the communities), to study & be better equipped to confront us with figures and concise words during the debate at public hearings.

3. Youth Wing: We shall explore the versatility spirit of the youth into the Akweya project. The era whereby youthful ideas are handle with disdain & levity shall no longer be condoned. As our leaders of tomorrow, we shall give them hope with sincere approaches to their cause. I am a product of the youth; unimaginable ways shall be explore to get the best out of them. In doing this they shall be giving their rightful place & position in our agenda.

4. Women Wing: “Behind every successful man, there is a woman”. Our women shall be encouraged & strengthen to play their usual supportive roles with sincerity. And to ensure that we work together for the benefit of all.

5. National Body: Our relationship with the national body shall never be compromised. While the opinions & rights of our members would be protected to the latter, we would not hesitate to identify with programmes/projects that will transform the association and our fatherland. The era whereby attendance at every national conferences/expanded exco’s becomes a nightmare to some individuals is over. We shall cement our relationship with other zones/branches to partner in achieving the goals. We would embark on a comprehensive networking to create a sense of belonging in the Akweya project. In doing this, the old glory of recognizing Abuja branch/zone would be restored.

6. Finance: The bed rock of our achievements would be how far we create and manage the wealth accruing to us. The association generally depends on the slim monthly dues and seasonal levies to survive. However, we will explore various avenues to improve on our finances. We would encourage our privileged members/individuals who are highly placed to partner with us to empower our teeming unemployed youths, this will in turn boost their economic power that will improve our pulse.

As I conclude, may I use this opportunity to pledge my loyalty and commitment to the growth and unity of this association. We may have fought spiritedly to deliver our own candidate, but I plead with you to embrace the outcome of the election with good faith. God gives power to whom He so wish. The victory today is from God, and the winner and custodian of this victory is the Akweya people! We all are victorious; please let us bring that fighting spirit together in oneness and love to the benefit of Akweya. I therefore appeal that we dissolve the various campaign teams from both sides into one campaign train of success, hope, unity and progress for all.

Thank you.