INAA PRESIDENT’S OPENING REMARKS

By Mr. Julius Enarusai, INAA President 

On behalf of the Ijaw National Alliance of the Americas, I welcome you all to this historic event which happens to be the first public event since my tenure as President of this great Organization a few months ago. Therefore, I have to perform this ritual of making the opening remarks because it goes with the territory.

Seven years ago, this organization decided to move the venue of the “Boro Day” observance from Nigeria to here in the United States after sponsoring the event in Nigeria for 3 consecutive years or so. We decided to observe “Boro Day” in the United States for a variety of reasons and primarily for the following reasons:

1.      To use “Boro Day” as a platform for Ijaws in the Americas and elsewhere to dialogue. Therefore, “Boro Day” observance goes beyond celebrating Boro’s contributions to include the concept of Ijaw Unity and solidarity in a peaceful, progressive and united Nigeria. For many years, other Nigerian ethnic groups, joined by many of their civil and political leaders from Nigeria have consistently met annually in the United States to formulate political and socio-economic agendas while implicitly sending a world-wide message of their solidarity at the same time. Currently, the “Boro Day” summit here in the United States is the platform for an annual international Pan-Ijaw gathering to brainstorm, discuss, form alliances necessary to promote peace, self-help and a shared understanding of the challenges and ways to address them with direct or indirect policy-makers from home. In the process, the Ijaw would also be sending an implicit signal to others about their solidarity and unity of purpose.

2.      The need to internationalize the fundamental meaning of Boro’s grievance, the scope of his vision and the underlying message. It is INAA’s view that the countless number of people throughout the world who, like the Ijaw, are victims of inequity and injustice because of their ethnicity, can identify with the Ijaw struggle and contribute intellectually and materially to the cause.

3.      Despite our sojourn abroad, many of us still care deeply about our ancestral homeland and would like to join hands with people at home to acknowledge and celebrate our modest achievements in the areas of integrity, patriotism and selfless service to make life better for the Ijaw and people of the Niger Delta. The annual “Service & Devotion” award bestowed annually is one way to show-case the distinguished men and women from our ethnicity at an international setting.

Since the change of venue, many of you have always traveled from Nigeria and Europe to join hands with INAA and contributed meaningfully to uphold the integrity of the event. The Ijaw National Alliance of the Americas thanks you sincerely. The organization is grateful that you believe in the importance of its efforts to spread the word from Kaiama in Bayelsa State to Newark, New Jersey, U.S.A. Also, my sincere thanks to other Ijaws, Niger Deltans and other Nigerians here in the United States who have consistently attended these Summits over the years. Even though we are in this together, INAA will not take your kind and sustained support for granted because, without your support, the events would not be as successful.

Our march toward the Path to a New Era has begun. With dedication, genuine sense of purpose and the will to overcome, we will surely convert the rickety “Path” to a macadamized highway that will enable us arrive at, and secure the New Era. Thank you very much and may the almighty God bless and guide us in this journey.

 Photo Gallery - Cross Section of Attendees

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