The London Isaac Boro Day 2008: my View
This year I attended the Town Hall session of the Major Isaac Boro Day (IBD) held at The Resource Centre London. And boy, was it worth it!!
I have long held the notion that the IBD should be a period of recall for the Ijaw struggle, during which we use the symbolism of Boro to remind ourselves of the past, reflect on the present state of the struggle, identify future challenges, and finally, strategize on the way forward. In other words, it should be a time to emphasize the need for us to collectively emulate Boro: think and act long-range.
Then add a dinner evening to the mix and you’d have the perfect Boro Celebrations! This year’s event was close!!
The Town Hall meeting was great. There were two children of Major Boro, two representatives of the Ijaw National Alliance of the Americas, a traditional ruler, a politician, and a professional strategist, in addition to the UK and Ireland based Ijaws. It was an open-house brainstorming session during which Ijaws discussed vital issues ranging from the environment to political and traditional leadership and generally charted the way forward.
One major plus for this year’s event I must say was the absence of politicians from back home. In the past, the celebrations in Nigeria had been mostly muted, because most politicians in state executive councils saw the IBD events as an opportunity to travel abroad at the expense of government. So I am glad that the invitation to this year’s event was limited to a few that could convey the core outcomes to the relevant political and traditional leadership back home.
However, there were a few shortfalls. Firstly the event started an hour and half late. As a result some relevant issues were not discussed and others rushed through. Also, the IPA should have probably publicized the programme of events, at least on its web site a month or so before the events. That way everyone would have known what was to be discussed and be better prepared, probably. But all is well that ends well, and these may be lessons for next year.
Following all the discussion during the session however, I came to realize (even more) the strategic importance of having a solid umbrella organisation such as the IPA in Europe, and INAA in USA. They were at the core of every strategic idea that came up. It will be very difficult for the Diasporas to advance the course of the Ijaws if these bodies are not solid in leadership, supported by the smaller Ijaw unions and individuals. We all thus need to commit time and financial resources to these bodies and ensure the leadership is vibrant. I seriously do not think that £10.00 a month is too much to ask of every one of us. These unions have a lot of work to do on our behalf. The IPA on the other hand also needs to encourage more of us to become more actively involved in its activities. Also planning and publicizing meetings and events well in advance will enable most outside of London and UK to attend, as travel is much more costly on short notices.
Then there was the most emotional reminder of the legacy of Major Boro in this poem written and read by Igoniwari Halliday. It got the equivalent of a standing ovation of the session and rightly so. It encompassed the evolution, achievements and challenges facing the Ijaw struggle initiated by the late Boro. It concluded ‘Major Boro, may your spirit live forever with us’.
That effectively means the onus is on us to keep the Boro spirit alive. And what is the spirit? Strategic thinking, avoiding selfishness and sacrificing for the common good.
Boro is a hard act to follow individually, but if each of us takes small steps in his path the collective results just might surprise everyone and even Boro himself.
|
