J Pamni Address

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CHAIRMANS OPENING ADDRESS

JAMES EDWARDS PAMNI ACIPM, MNIM. FCAI

National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB)

Headquarters, Benin-City, Nigeria

@

The 2

nd

Maya Peoples Assembly

On Saturday 28th

November 2009

@

Mahmud Ribadu Square,Yola, Adamawa State of Nigeria


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Protocols,

I feel highly hounoured and privileged to be called upon,

from amongst the many men and women of substance

of Mayaland at home and abroad, to chair this great

gathering of our people at the 2nd Maya Peoples

Assembly with the theme The essence of Unity in theDevelopment of Mayaland and in facing the Challengesof the 21st Century, which is holding at the famousMahmud Ribadu Square, Yola, the capital City of

Adamawa State Of Nigeria. This second edition of the

assembly represents a milestone in the history of the

Maya people. In the course of conceiving and executing

the first edition, many hurdles cropped up but the

resilience of the organizers and the support of all lovers

of Mayaland saw the event through, which held at

Abuja, the Federal Capital city on 10th

November 2007

with a resounding success. Today the Maya People have

not only sustained the assembly but have blazed the trail

for others to follow. We have rekindled the true spirit of

the Maya man and woman, known by all since time


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immemorial. Even though we are today one of the

smallest ethnic groups in Adamawa State, we have a

very proud history of survival and resistance in the midst

of more populous and powerful neighbors. Our

forefathers only gave in to the might of the colonial

powers. Today, Maya homeland stretches through and

or borders Farabaune, Kwaba, Guri Kasuwa, Mayo

Bandaru, Bujum Kwana, Yanga and salti. I am indeed

very proud to belong to and to identify with this group,

and I believe every true Maya person should equally be.

Fellow Maya compatriots, as a people, the 20th

Century

has not been very kind to us. We suffered must from theeffects of colonial cum feudal rule. We suffered

economic, social and political deprivations. At some

point in time, some of our people were ready to deny

being Maya and rather identify with other more

powerful ethnic groups on account of what we were all

passing through. However, today we are at a threshold

of a new era. A new era for our people, a new era for all

Nigerians and indeed, a new era all peoples of black and


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African descent. The down of the 21st

century holds a lot

of promise for our people and indeed all Nigerians. The

end of military rule, the restoration of democratic rule

and economic liberalism occasioned by globalization are

all pointers to a new era of freedom, progress and

prosperity for all. There is however a precondition and a

key to this progress and prosperity. It is knowledge, hard

work and vision. It applies to individuals, groups, nations

and continents!

For us as a people, the time has come to re-enacts our

pre-colonial exploits in the field of war and diplomacy.

This time around it is going to be an economic war andpolitical diplomacy to empower and prosper our people

for the full restoration their dignity, to enable them take

their pride of place in the scheme of things at local, state

and national levels. This however has to be anchored on

tolerance, patience and perseverance, and absolute

obedience to and cooperation with constituted authority.

All our struggles must stem from these new vision and

the guiding principles. The task ahead of us as a people


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is enormous and requires united and concerted efforts.

The train that will drive this new vision is the Maya

Peoples Assembly. Essentially, the assembly has been

conceived and designed to accommodate all shades of

opinions, differences and diversities of all peoples of

Maya origin. No Maya person should therefore be left

out of this train. The assembly is a vehicle for mobilizing

our people and a tool for harnessing and channeling

their creative energies towards self empowerment and

contribution to national development in line with the

tenets of the 7 point Agenda of the present

administration and the aspirations of the national vision

20:20:20. In the affairs of the 21

st

Century both in theeconomic, social and political spheres size does matter.

Size and number are very critical factors in the politics of

who gets what when and how in Nigeria. Therefore for

the progress of the Maya People, unity is a basic

necessity. It is not a choice. Hence the era of playing it

alone or playing the local champion prevalent before

now is gone never to return. Unity however has more

meanings and connotations. It could mean agreement,


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harmony, accord, union, concord or unanimity, I

therefore expect that as many of us as are gathered here

today will have different interpretations and definitions

of what this gathering is all about, and I believe we can

all be right. That is what defines our unity. It is unity in

diversity. Lets us understand our difference. Let us agree

to disagree. Let us not stop talking. Let us not stop

gathering, let the Maya Peoples Assembly continue.

Fellow Maya people, I will like to give us some food for

thought at this 2nd

assembly with regard to the unity and

development of Mayaland, which I believe the main

speakers at this assembly will be dwelling on in theirrespective papers.

How do we define who is a Maya person in line with the

demands of the 21st

Century Nigeria. Hitherto, we say

that every person who uses the term Maya irrespectiveof where he comes from is a Maya person. However,

things have changed and so have such definitions. It will

therefore not be out of place if everyone who identifies


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with the Maya people and agrees that he is a Maya

should be regarded as a Maya person. In addition every

person who resides or settles in Maya Lands particularly

the present day Maya district of Demsa Local

Government Area of Adamawa State is automatically a

Maya person and has all the privileges and rights of the

Maya person irrespective of tribe religion or political

persuasion. Closely related to the issue of a redefinition

of who is a Maya person is question of whether the

Maya as a group can go it alone in the present day

Nigeria. We have practiced good neighborliness but we

need to go further into sustainable cooperation, alliances,

accords and good working relationships with ourneighbors. We should forget the past and forge ahead.

Mayaland which our forefathers bequeathed to us has

been blessed and endowed with abundant human and

natural resources comprising rich soil for the cultivation

of Industrial and tree crops such as groundnut, cassava,

cotton, sugar, shea butter, gum arabic, and mineral

resources with known deposits of iron ore, limestone,


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amongst others. We also have intelligent, talented and

creative individuals among us in the areas science and

technology, sports, music and entertainment. Hence we

need to set up a committee to develop a Maya Economic

Development Strategy for the development of the

human and material resources of Maya land in line with

the 7 point agenda and vision 20:20:20.

Government at all levels has been willing and

committing huge resources for the development of our

people and land, however, the results (outputs) have not

been matching the inputs. We cannot leave that to

governments alone. We have a role to play in terms ofmonitoring the implementation of programmes and

projects. We need to develop a mechanism for achieving

that. In addition, we need to make our elected or

appointed leaders accountable by calling upon than to

give accounts of their stewardship. A forum such as this

assembly will be an ideal platform for such account for

stewardship. We also need to institute politics of

development. All political parties and candidates seeking


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our votes must enter into a covenant or agreement with

our people specifying their programmes for the

upliftment and development of our people and land

regularly report progress and with which we can hold

them accountable. The time has also come to uplift the

standard of our representation at local, state and

national level. Let us equally evolve a mechanism that

would ensure that representation remains at the highest

level always and that we always put forward our first

eleven.

Based on our history as a people who were never

conquered and in view of our contributions towarddevelopments at local state and national level, I believe

the time has come for us as a people to have our own

chiefdom. This however will not come unless we unite

and work with constituted authority starting from our

Royal father, the Hama Bata, Humon Saul Swade, CON,

who has remained our benefactor and will always

continue to play a preeminent roll in the affairs of our

land and people.


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Fellow Maya people, I will not end this address without

appreciating and giving honour to whom honour is due.

Today Maya sons and daughters are playing important

roles in all spheres of our national life. We also have

some of our distinguished sons and daughters in

important and in strategic positions at state and federal

levels. At the Federal level, two of our illustrious sons

have recently been elevated in their chosen careers. We

have Mr. Philemon I Leha who has been promoted as

Commissioner of Police and now heads the Anambra

state Police Command. We also have Prof Joel Dada

recently appointed a Professor at the University ofMaiduguri. At the state level our dear patron Hon.

Justice Wesley Leha was recently elevated to a High

Court Judge at the Adamawa State Judiciary. We equally

have our amiable Member of the State House of

Assembly representing Demsa Constituency in the

Adamawa State house of Assembly, Hon (Mrs.) Wale

Fwa, For all these appointments and other dividends of

democracy and on behalf of all peoples of Maya origin, I


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wish to place on record our profound appreciation and

gratitude to our dear Head of State, His Excellency

Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar Adua GCFR, President and

Commander - In - Chief of the Armed Forces of the

Federal Republic of Nigeria, and our own indefatigable

Governor, His Excellency Alhaji Murtala Hammanyero

Nyako GCON. We pray that God in his infinite mercies

will continue guide and direct them and also grant them

sound health to carry out the tasks He has committed

into their hands. We also congratulate these icons for

the feats they have achieved and for making the Maya

people proud.

I thank you all for listening. I also congratulate you all for

being part of this grand and epoch making event of the

2nd

Maya Peoples Assembly.

Long Live Maya Land,

Long Live Demsa Kingdom,

Long Live Adamawa State, and,

Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria

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J Pamni Address