USA Africa Dialogue Series - Fwd: Ijaw Foundation raises N28m take-off fund for Otueke varsity

 

Quote:

 

"If after reading the above you still maintain that the amount of $180,000.00 is insufficient

to have a meaningful impact, you should search your conscience and ask if a single

dollar added to the pot by yourself  and by each and every other adult Diaspora

Nigerian of working age would not have built up an amount that would be enough

to kickstart not only Fed. U of Otueke but indeed all of the nine newly created univeristies in Nigeria!"--

---Ola Kassim--excerpt from below.

 

UnQuote

 

Rev Okala:

 

Thanks for your response.

 

I have a simple challenge for  anyone who finds it necessary to criticize

the 28 million Naira approx. ($180,000.00 US Funds) raised in support

of Fed. U of Oke by the Ijaw Foundation as being too measly to be of

any significance in the take off of the institution:

 

THE CHALLENGE: Please point to any other Fund Raising Campaign by any other Nigerian Diaspora organization anywhere in the world that has either come close to or ever surpassed the amount of $180,000.00 in recent years.

 

I have attended many fund raising events in Nigeria, Canada and in the USA.

To my knowledge no other organization has been able to raise any amount of money

that is higher than the above sum of money, either in pledges or in the final amoount redeemed.

 

 

Diaspora Nigerians talk big about our commitment to development in Nigeria-but

we frequently fall short when it is time to let our wallets do the talking.

 

There could be many valid reasons for our failure to raise significant funds to help in Nigeria:

 

a) we may not as individuals and in aggregate be as rich or as financially comfortable working and living abroad as we are perceived to be in Nigeria. Even when we earn good incomes, the increased cost of living and the numerous taxes--income, residential, sales etc, chip away at our abilities to give to collectiveefforts after taking care of our nuclear families and our relatives in Nigeria.

The $10 to 12 billion dollars we send to our relatives in direct remittances every year probably takes sufficient toll on our finances that there is little left to contribute to public projects. A Diaspora Nigerian would rather first donate to his Parapo society so they might build toilet facilities in in the primary schools in their hometown before donating to a big project anywhere else in Nigeria. This is the Charity Begins at Home principle which I also support.

 

b) the perception that any amount donated to a public cause in Nigeria--is money down the drain as it would be 'chopped' or diverted to private pockets--due to lack of accountability on many such projects in Nigeria.

 

c) the false perception that  Nigeria--(that is the FGN) is so rich and has enough resources to provide eachand every other infrastructure and services that are needed to improve the living conditions of Nigerians at home.

The "Nigeria is a rich country idea" is a delusion that is so rampant and depply ingrained in our psyche that anyone suggesting that she is not is frequently reminded

that if the leaders would only stop stealing, there would be enough to go around for every Nigerian--even at the rate that we are producing new citizens. I would readily admit that life will be a bit better if we are able to eliminate corruption in Nigeria--but not by that much.

 

I will conclude by congratulating the members and leaders of the Ijaw Foundation, the VC of Fed U. of  OItuoke--Prof.

Bolaji Aluko and the senior administrative and academic staff of the budding institution for a job well done.

Little drops of water make the ocean. The amount of $180,000.00 is no doubt only a smidgen of what is needed

to establish a brand new university and keep it running. Nonetheless it is an an amount it no longer needs to find--

in order to supplement the anticipated capital and recurrent allocations from the Federal Government of Nigeria.

 

If after reading the above you still maintain that the amount of $180,000.00 is insufficient

to have a meaningful impact, you should search your conscience and ask if a single

dollar added to the pot by yourself  and by each and every other adult Diaspora

Nigerian of working age would not have built up an amount that would be enough

to kickstart not only U of Otueke but indeed all of the nine newly created univeristies in Nigeria!

 

Bye,

 

Ola

 

---

From: Chukwuemeka Okala <reukal@yahoo.co.uk>
To: "AfricanTalk@yahoogroups.com" <AfricanTalk@yahoogroups.com>; TalkNigeria <talknigeria@yahoogroups.com>; Africare-Newpublications e-group <africare-newpublications@yahoogroups.com>; "AfricansPolitics@yahoogroups.com" <AfricansPolitics@yahoogroups.com>; "NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com" <NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com>; "NaijaObserver@yahoogroups.com" <NaijaObserver@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: Adeniba Adepoyigi <adenibaadepoyigi@yahoo.com.au>; Amauche Ude <udeamauche@yahoo.com>; Bobson Arigbe (DHS) <barigbe@dhs.nyc.gov>; Dominic Ogbonna <enyimocha@gmail.com>; Emeka Ugwuonye <emekaugwuonye@aol.com>; Evelyn Joe <MsJoe21St@aol.com>; Femi Ogunyipe <foluyipe@yahoo.com>; George C Ogbonna <ogbon001@umn.edu>; Iyalaje <ogban_ulisa@yahoo.com>; Iyalaje <fsorunmila@aol.com>; joan.Osa Oviawe <joanoviawe@gmail.com>; Moshood Olayinka <molayinka@aol.com>; Muhammad Musa <garkuwa2@gmail.com>; Noyo Edem <babytonia62@yahoo.com>; Ola Kassim <olakassimmd@aol.com>; Olushola Fashedemi <ofashedemi@yahoo.com>; Pius Adesanmi <piusadesanmi@yahoo.com>; Pius Adesanmi <piusadesanmi@gmx.com>; Prince Dickson <pcdbooks@yahoo.com>; Sergius Ndinojuo <sej30@hotmail.com>; Tajudeen Raji <traji@aol.com>; Yakubu Usman <yakubu.usman@yahoo.com>
Sent: Friday, 16 September 2011, 7:54
Subject: [NIgerianWorldForum] Re: [AfricanTalk] RE: Ijaw Foundation raises N28m take-off fund for Otueke varsity

 

My friend, did you at all notice the word support in the opening statement and first paragraph of this report? Let me excerpt it for you:

"The Ijaw Foundation (IF), the apex organisation of the Ijaw community in the Diaspora at its annual convention in New Jersey, United states of America, has raised over N28 million to support the new Federal University at Otuoke (FUO), in Bayelsa State."

People should learn to be concrete in their criticisms and avoid wasting the time of the readership because they want to be heard or noticed in every issue.

Emeka Reuben Okala

London, UK

 

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From: Valentine Ojo <elewuoye@gmail.com>
To: AfricanTalk <africantalk@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: Adeniba Adepoyigi <adenibaadepoyigi@yahoo.com.au>; Amauche Ude <udeamauche@yahoo.com>; Bobson Arigbe (DHS) <barigbe@dhs.nyc.gov>; Dominic Ogbonna <enyimocha@gmail.com>; Emeka Ugwuonye <emekaugwuonye@aol.com>; Evelyn Joe <MsJoe21St@aol.com>; Femi Ogunyipe <foluyipe@yahoo.com>; George C Ogbonna <ogbon001@umn.edu>; Iyalaje <ogban_ulisa@yahoo.com>; Iyalaje <fsorunmila@aol.com>; joan.Osa Oviawe <joanoviawe@gmail.com>; Moshood Olayinka <molayinka@aol.com>; Muhammad Musa <garkuwa2@gmail.com>; Noyo Edem <babytonia62@yahoo.com>; Ola Kassim <olakassimmd@aol.com>; Olushola Fashedemi <ofashedemi@yahoo.com>; Pius Adesanmi <piusadesanmi@yahoo.com>; Pius Adesanmi <piusadesanmi@gmx.com>; Prince Dickson <pcdbooks@yahoo.com>; Sergius Ndinojuo <sej30@hotmail.com>; Tajudeen Raji <traji@aol.com>; Yakubu Usman <yakubu.usman@yahoo.com>
Sent: Friday, 16 September 2011, 6:38
Subject: [AfricanTalk] RE: Ijaw Foundation raises N28m take-off fund for Otueke varsity

 

Is this an Ijaw University - or a Federal University...?

And how far will "

N28m

" in running a university, let alone building one?

N28m

is not enough for the take-off of a decent modern primary school!

On Wed, Sep 14, 2011 at 8:04 AM, femi oyesanya <yeyerolling@yahoo.com> wrote:

 

Ijaw Foundation raises N28m take-off fund for Otueke varsity

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Written by Adunola FasuyiTuesday, 30 August 2011

The Ijaw Foundation (IF), the apex organisation of the Ijaw community in the Diaspora at its annual convention in New Jersey, United states of America, has raised over N28 million to support the new Federal University at Otuoke (FUO), in Bayelsa State.

FUO is the first federal university located in the heartland of the Niger Delta Ijaw Communities near Oloibiri where crude oil was first discovered  in 1958 along the entire West African Gulf of Guinea.

In his opening remarks at the three-day convention, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr Reuben Mietamuno Jaja, stated that the purpose of the fund raising was to build an international constituency for the university by establishing an ' Ijaw Foundation Educational Trust Fund'  to supplement the resources of the university.

He said "The Ijaw Foundation Educational Trust Fund will be used  to supplement the academic scholarships for qualified Ijaw sons and daughters, enrichment of university library and science laboratory,  support student books and exchange programmes, support Diaspora faculty  sabbatical programmes for qualified academics and professionals and establish Niger Delta Industrial and Entrepreneurship Institute (NDIEI), a post amnesty re-integration programme for women  and youth in the region."

He further emphasized  that  despite  the economic opportunities  in the hydrocarbon sector , majority of the people  in the Niger Delta Ijaw communities  were yet  to play significant  roles in the  industry due to the widening gaps  in education  and capacity development  of the Ijaw workforce.

"Consequently, Ijaw Foundation's aim is to narrow or close the gap through programmes and contributions that advance education and capacity development of our people. In this regard,  the Foundation salutes President Goodluck Jonathan for his vision  in making sure that one of the federal universities  was located in the Ijaw comunity and, appealed to the National University Commission to ensure that the university received all that is needed  to ensure a smooth take off this year as envisioned by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Bolaji Aluko", he said.

Also, the chairperson at the fund raising ceremony, Mrs. Koripamo- Agary, praised the Foundation for pursuing such a lofty objectives  and thanked the donors and participants   for supporting a worthy cause,  but regretted the inability of many Ijaw leaders to attend the event and hoped that future event would attract many  leaders at home.

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