EPA Kano Adress by Dr. Adeiza Musa Abdulraham, President

Posted by: Dr. Joseph Ozigis Akomodi


AN ADDRESS BY DR. ADEIZA MUSA ABDULRAHMAN, THE PRESIDENT OF EBIRA PEOPLES ASSOCIATION, KANO STATE BRANCH,
ON THE OCCASION OF ITS MAIDEN EBIRA DAY AND 10TH YEAR
POST-CORONATION ANNIVERSARY OF OHINOYI OF EBIRA COMMUNITY
IN KANO AND JIGAWA STATES, ALHAJI ALIYU ABDULMALIK
ON 3RD OF SEPTEMBER, 2005

The Executive Governor of Kano State
His Excellency Malam Ibrahim Shekarau
The Executive Governor of Jigawa State
His Excellency Alhaji Saminu Turaki
The Executive Governor of Kogi State
His Excellency Alhaji Ibrahim Idris
The Emir of Kano
His Royal Highness Alhaji (Dr.) Ado Bayero
The Ohinoyi of Ebiraland
His Royal Majesty Alhaji (Dr.) Ado Ibrahim
The Ohinoyi of Ebira Community in Kano and Jigawa States, His Highness Alhaji Aliyu Abdulmalik
Other Distinguished Guests of Honour
Special Guests of Honour
Guests of Honour
Gentlemen of the Press
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen


A gathering or crowd that seeks to discuss the progress and welfare of a people is rated next to the crowd communing to sing the praise of God according to a scholar. Mindful of the above, we are gathered here today resplendent in our beautiful regalia to celebrate the virtues, values, welfare and heritage of our people on this day we designated as Ebira Day for our people in Kano and Jigawa States. It is also to mark the tenth year post-coronation anniversary of the Ohinoyi of our community, His Highness, Alhaji Aliyu Abdulmalik.
To our esteemed guests both Ebiras and non-Ebiras, I want to on behalf of Ebira people, welcome you to this maiden celebration.
As we gather here today beaming with smiles, exchanging banters and swooping chemistry, one question that may agitate the mind of any Ebira is whether we should be celebrating or commiserating our political losses as a tribe or out-rightly mourning the death of our noble virtues and values. The answers to these questions are best left for another day. However, I must remark that beyond the superficial camouflage of the celebration toga of this occasion, is the subtle desire of EPA Kano Branch to use it as an intellectual discourse forum to chart the way forward for our people as we are not totally unmindful of the impropriety of any celebration at this time of our near political extinction and economic strangulation as a tribe. More so at a time when the cord of our unity is being severed on the altar of mischief, impetuous selfishness and clannish rancor. At a time when we have lost the political sophistry and astuteness of our forebears to have a visible presence at the federal and state levels.
Let us pause a bit and ask ourselves the following questions:
• Where are the elders of our tribe?
• Where are the leaders?
• Where are the men, the real men?
Let us ask:
• Where are the leaders that have the courage, the intellect, the wisdom to lead our people?
• The leaders that have faith in the values, ethos and mission of our people.
• Leaders that can lead with fortitude, patience, and perseverance.
• Leaders who have the humility of restraining themselves from using their God-given wealth and power to terrorize and divide our people.
• Where are the leaders that will not negotiate away our common fortune and future to an outsider on the altar of their selfish consideration?
• Where is that true leader that can articulate our common aspiration, marry our vision with his mission, and carry the banner of our tribe over and above clannish and religious interests?
• Where is that true leader that will never go to sleep until his people do?
• A leader that can translate our dreams and aspiration to realities.
• A leader that will stand tall in Nigeria beyond just being a terror agent or local champion, famous only within our land.
• A leader that can truly re-incarnate the great spirits of our forebears like Ibrahim Atta, George Ohikere, AbdulMalik Atta, AbdulAziz Atta, Mohammed Sani Omolori, Raji Abdallah, and a host of others who straddled this nation as colossus.
This forum of today, no doubt, is an attempt to add our voice to the search for the desired unity that will engender the emergence of such great leaders.
Basically, there are certain steps we must take to facilitate this process.
We must start making detour from the hollowness of our national life where mediocrity is celebrated as excellence, oddity as norms, and travesties as orders.
We must detract from the part of demolition to building, from destruction to construction, and from the part of conflict to peace.
We must end the reoccurring fratricidal conflicts that lack definition and objectivity, I mean, the conflict that has the potential of taking our cherished land to the inglorious era of infamy and backwardness.
We must learn to seek power on a just platform and for a just end as we must remember that those who foolishly sought power in the past by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside it.
We must justify the huge expenditure our forebears invested in our education by excelling them in life.
We must give much to our land to deserve sitting on the high-table in our functions otherwise our youths will question our sincerity, essence and commitment.
Let us remind ourselves of the vanity of sponsoring our children to carry arms against their kinsmen in the name of power game and remind such sponsors that the Law of Kamar may return the pains they cause on others upon their children.
Let us remind ourselves that the inescapable battle of the moment is the battle of wits and intellect and not brawl and bravado.
Let us ask of what we have done to our community first, before we ask of other peoples’ services unto us.
Let us learn to negotiate our common cause with civility and sincerity having in mind that though we may not negotiate out of fear but we must not fear to negotiate.
Let all the politicians who seek to lead resolve to lead above the negative attributes of selfishness, greed, and shortcut.
Let us collectively pledge to break the bond of mass misery of our people remembering that divided we fall, as we shall be too weak to confront our common adversaries.
Today, I place this challenge of renewal and reawakening before you. While calling on all to participate, I must emphasize that EPA Kano Branch is prepared to lead this renaissance to elevate the status of our people in the comity of tribes. We are aware of the enormity of this process, that it may not end in 100 days, nor will it finish in 1,000 days, or even our lifetime, but it is important for us to begin. It is the view of EPA Kano Branch that though Ebira people may not have the power, we have the brain; we may not have the statistics, we have the scholarship; we may not have the armory, but we have the resolve, dexterity, and valor.
Therefore, let the words go forth from here that we are determined to speak with one voice and make our adversaries realize that ours is an emerging generation tempered by adversities, motivated by will and propelled by patriotism.
In spite of the aforementioned problems, EPA Kano Branch finds it expedient to celebrate today with the Ohinoyi of Ebira Community in Kano and Jigawa States on this his 10th year on the throne. He is a man who has demonstrated so much tact, perseverance, patience, and dynamism in leadership in the last ten years. The man whose royal conduct and carriage, aura and magnanimity has remained a pride to us. His grandfather was a king; his father a noble prince, His Highness Alhaji Aliyu Abdulmalik, the Ohinoyi of Ebira Community epitomizes the true attributes of a leader, the nobility and frankness of our ancestors and above all the humane conduct of a true father. Sir, as this crowd celebrate with you today, I on behalf of EPA Kano Branch say ‘Ranka ya dade’, May you reign long. Amen.
My tribute goes to our good fathers behind whom we all flocked to Kano. They include Alhaji Isa Abdullahi, Joseph Onimisi, Baba Obori, Mark Ojiah, Zubair Abdullahi, Usman Bello, etc. We are grateful to you all. Worthy of mentioning also are Alhaji Jim Opotu and Mike Ogirima for their consistent support to EPA, Kano Branch. To the esteemed members of the Executive Council of this Association, members of the Planning Committee, the Youth Club, this occasion is another testimony of your services to our land. May Allah continue to guide you all. Amen.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I will like to end this address by offering a passionate prayer for my people.
O Allah, the beginner and the end.
O Allah, the Alamin, the Lord of Mankind and jinns.
The almighty Allah, the God of Adams; of Ibrahim, of Ismail the son of Ibrahim. O Allah, the God of Moses and Aaron, the God of Isa, the Son of Mariam, the God of Muhammad (SAW). Save us from the sins of our forebears, protect us from the hands of Satan that seek to destroy our land and let Ebiraland flow with milk and honey so that my generation and those after us may dwell in peace and ease, and sing thy praise.
O Allah, multiply your blessings on the people of Kano and above all the people of Nigeria. Amen.
To our non-Ebiras, thank you so much. To my people, I have faith and confidence in your ability and I believe your best is yet to come, but it is very near. God bless you all. Amen.