SPEECH PRESENTED BY DR. BEAVENS AJIDUKU AHMADU ON THE OCCASION OF THE FOUNDATION-LAYING CEREMONY AND LAUNCHING OF 500,000,000 MILLION NAIRA APPEAL FUND FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF JUKUN UNITY CENTRE IN JALINGO, ORGANIZED BY ABI’U BAUKA SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, JALINGO CHAPTER ON THE 6TH JULY, 2024
Dr Beavens Ajiduku Lecturer, Taraba State University, Jalingo
THAT WE MAY BE ONE
“When we look at modern man, we have to face the fact that modern man suffers from a kind of poverty of the spirit, which stands in glaring contrast with a scientific and technological abundance. We’ve learned to fly the air as birds, we’ve learned to swim the seas as fish, yet we haven’t learned to walk the Earth as brothers and sisters”.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“If we could but recognize our common humanity, that we do belong together, that our destinies are bound up in one another’s, that we can be a force only together, to conquer together, that we can be human only together, then a glorious world would come into being where all of us lived harmoniously together as members of one family, the human family”
Desmond Tutu.
I will not bother too much with our history as a people because we have too much to bother us at the moment and that is the issue of unity. But for the sake of reconnecting us with our glorious past, let me give a brief summary of who we are and where we came from as a people. The Jukun people are mostly found in the Middle Belt around the Upper Benue and Lower Benue region of Nigeria. Linguistically speaking, Shimizu (1980) classifies the Jukunoid people to include; Idoma, Igala, Tigom (Tigon), Ndorom (Ndola), Kuteb, Ichen, Nupe among others. As a linguist, I believe Shimizu’s classification is genetical, and if this true, then these group of people and several others share the same deoxyribonucleic acid otherwise known as DNA.
We are told that in the past the mighty Jukuns conquered kingdoms and queendoms. We are told that powerful empires trembled and quaked at the mention of the name Jukun. Some even collapsed before the mighty warriors of the Jukuns arrived with their fearless and devastating warriors. Our forces remained indomitable throughout history. They did remarkably well and they ended up securing a beautiful territory for all of us. Let us then ask ourselves, could the Jukun have achieved all these unprecedented historical feats without unity? The answer is definitely, “no”! The modern Jukun man has passed through a lot problems and one of such problems is that of disunity. But today, apart from any other thing else, he is educated and talented. But one may ask, how can a people be so educated and talented and yet be so disunited? We have produced some of the best brains in Nigeria who are competing on a global scale with other people. We have produced world class musicians, beauty queens, footballers and so on in our disunity. If we are united and supportive towards one another, how much more can we achieve? In Taraba, where we call our traditional or ancestral home, we would find out that out of the 16 Local Government Areas, there is hardly any without a Jukun tribe or a Jukun-related tribe. But sadly enough, all these groups have been balkanized as a result of one reason or the other and today, we stand fragmented without a common goal, a common front or a common vision. In contrast, other tribes more fragmented than we are, are regrouping, resuscitating and restrategizing for the progress and safety of their people. Now is the time to unite in order to have a common vision and focus.
A word on unity?
According to Dr. Martin Luther King, we are all tied together in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Our goal is to create a beloved community and this will require a qualitative change in our souls, our actions and our dispositions towards one another. In doing this we must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive for whoever is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.
The bond of unity is the most powerful force in the world. Unity is the state of being one, or united, the quality of being one in spirit, sentiment, purpose which involves living in harmony, agreement, concord and uniformity. When we stand united, we stand unstoppable. Unity is strength and where there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved. The strength of any team is in its unity, not its individuality. Unity may be difficult to achieve at the beginning but with a positive mindset and deliberate efforts, we can succeed. Unity is that beautiful flower that everyone loves but no one loves to work for it due to some reasons. If we desire unity, then we must all get down to serious business. Unity is the delicate flower that needs to be well cultivated and nurtured with care, love and passion right from the depth of our souls and when it matures, it will radiate with infinite beauty just like the rainbow in the sky to give us a banner. Unity and love can yield tasty fruits which can be eaten and its leaves can flourish and blossom into a beautiful symphony, producing endless dreams and possibilities. The melody that comes when we unite and love one another can be so sweet to the ears. We all can dance to the rhythm and God almighty Himself will be happy on that day.
What can hinder people from uniting?
Several factors can hinder people from uniting. They include some of the following:
*communication barriers: the Jukun language has so many dialects and varieties scattered in different locations. We have to find a way of reaching out to our brothers who are gradually being subdued by other cultures and civilizations.
*conflicting interests: it is true that we all have different interests, goals, beliefs or values but we must not let our personal interests to override or jeopardize our collective interest as a people.
*prejudice and discrimination: our biases based on superior and inferior stigmatizations must be discouraged in totality. No one, no group should see itself as superior to another group. We are all one in with a common culture and tradition. There should be no stereotypes or misconceptions about any of us
* lack of vision or lack of common goals: when a people operate without a common vision or a common goal, such a people will suffer disunity and a sense of direction.
*external influences: there is no doubt that some external forces mainly politicians, religious bigots, cultural chauvinists, e.tc, have burrowed into our midst and have found a home amongst us. Some have been using social media to create and perpetuate divisions among us. This is a dangerous development and it reeks of a clear and present danger in all ramifications.
*lack of visionary leadership: the absence of effective leadership in the past caused a lot fo fragmentations amongst us. Today, all Jukun people should thank God Almighty that we have a young, intelligent, visionary and active Governor in His Excellency, Dr. Agbu Kefas, the Executive Governor of Taraba State. Governor Kefas has performed credibly well and his vision of putting Taraba on a global pedestal is a monumental plus for the Jukun people all over the world. He is already providing the leadership we have been yearning for.
*past conflicts: unresolved issues or historical grievances have taken a great toll on the unity and progress of the Jukun people over the years. The spirit of brotherhood and togetherness have been lost but with constant dialogue coupled with deliberate efforts towards addressing some of the issues, a solution would be found.
* other factors such as distrust, suspicion, power struggle, fear of change, personal agendas, ego, pride and of course, poverty are among the ginormous monsters that have laid siege to our unity and progress.
How can we achieve the unity we so crave today?
Despite the challenges we may face, unity is still possible through efforts such as active and constant constructive dialogue, purposeful listening, deeply penetrating empathy, understanding and a willingness to compromise and work together towards a common goal. Below are some suggestions that might help us to achieve unity:
*embrace diversity: let’s appreciate and celebrate the individual differences that exist among us. We must recognize the value of diverse backgrounds, cultures and beliefs we are coming from.
*forster open communication: we must encourage honest and respectful dialogue to build trust and understanding
*respect and empathy: we must learn to treat others with kindness, compassion, and understanding
*promote inclusivity: we have to create conditions where we make sure everyone feels valued, included and empowered.
*listen actively: we must listen to the view of others to understand their personal experiences .
* encourage collaboration: we must work together towards a common purpose, we must celebrate the successes of others; we must share in their problems and assist where and when necessary and above all marry each other to foster love and unity.
Dr Beavens Ajiduku
By being united, we can achieve more together than we could when we stand alone as individuals, leading to a stronger, more supportive and more prosperous Jukun nation. We must bring back that unity that made our ancestors to conquer their enemies in battle fronts.
Thank you.
