On March 6, 2021, history will be made in New York at the 2021 International Virtual Conference which will be hosted by the Consul General, Nigerian Consulate, New York, Amb. Ben Okoyen. The theme of this year’s conference which will be chaired by Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations General Assembly, Amb. Tijjani Muhammad Bande; is “Patriotism, Security, Governance and National Development”- the Nigeria perspective. The Nigeria Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo will be the Distinguished Guest of Honor and a Key Speaker at the august event.
This international Virtual conference that discusses the way forward for Nigeria is a collaboration between the Nigerian Consulate New York, a US-based Global Patriot Newspaper and Nigerians in the Diaspora Organization (NIDO) New Jersey chapter, invited Mbaise Policy Roundtable (MPR), a nongovernmental organization with international headquarter in New York, as partner in the 2021 conference in recognition of their contributions to rural development, through private-public partnership and to the deepening of democratic values and good governance in developing countries, Nigeria and Mbaise Nation in particular. As a step to consolidating the partnership and enriching the content of the 2021 virtual conference, the chairman of MPR, Prof Eddie Oparaoji, an international Pharmaceutical consultant and democratic activist of note has been scheduled as one of the key speakers at the world event.
Mbaise Policy Roundtable, MPR, while announcing their acceptance to collaborate with NIDO, Global Patriot Newspaper, and the Nigerian Consulate New York observed that the topic of this year’s conference is apt considering, the challenges facing Nigeria at the present time. The organization called on its members, Nigerians, and their friends across the globe, to key into the zoom conference on March 6, 2021, scheduled to start at 10 am ET/4 pm Nigeria Time, via Zoom, using meeting ID 873-39908541 and passcode: global. The Media Coordinator of MPR, Comrade Casca Ohanele while commending the foresight of the organizers of the 2021 international Virtual conference, and their confidence in MPR as a development partner noted that Prof Oparaoji will add value to the topics of this year’s conference.
In a pre-conference press release previewing Professor Oparaoji’s speech, the former NADECO chieftain stated that the “theme of this conference is instructive in the sense that it is, in a sense, definitive of Nigeria’s problems. The key variables contained in the theme are indicative of a country that is deficient in patriotism. This deficit has ricocheted in all facets of our life especially in our security architecture, governance process, and ultimately our national development. Nigeria is ill and will die if we keep pretending that she is only slightly indisposed. Our problems are deep-rooted; and like a surgeon who must perform a painful operation to remove a painful ailment, we must rally to save Nigeria while the sun shines. Mine is not an apocalyptic or doomsday prophecy but based on the indices on the ground in our country.
Erudite Professor Oparaoji further aligns with Chinua Achebe’s statement that “… patriotism, is an unwritten social contract between a citizen and the state, that cannot exist where the state reneges on the agreement. The state undertakes to organize society in such a way that the citizen can enjoy peace and justice, and the citizen in return agrees to perform his patriotic duties. For Achebe, patriotism simply means demanding the best for your country and your people; and accepting nothing less from them. This type of sacrificial leadership is non-existent in our country. It is the absence of true patriotism in Nigeria that has brought us to a point of inertia…”
Some other distinguished past and present Nigerian leaders who are also scheduled to speak at the conference include: former Gov. Peter Obi, former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim; Gov Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, Human Right Lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) Hon. Abike Dabri-Erewa, President Buhari’s Spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, Dr Akil Khalifani, Amb. Gabriel Aduda, Dr Dakuku Peterside, Professor Appolos Okwuchi Nwauwa, Chief Mrs Moji Makinde, Dr Obadiah Mailafia, former INEC Chairman Prof. Maurice Iwu, and Engr Obed Monago.
MPR is the premier pre-eminent Mbaise Public Policy and Business Advisory Council in the World, focused entirely on the development of Mbaise and Imo State, through the facilitation of financial and in-kind resources, private investments, and private-public partnerships.
MPR is situated to liaise, partner, and/or collaborate with international entities, the Imo State Government and agencies, and the private sector to produce and advance policies that will fast track Mbaise and Imo State development to first-world status.
