COMMUNIQUE OF THE EDO OKPAMAKHIN AT THE END OF THE 2004 CONVENTION

Preamble

Edo Okpamakhin, a Pan-Edo socio cultural and political organization held its 2004 Annual Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, USA from Saturday 3rd to Sunday 4th July, 2004. The theme of the Conference was: Edo � The Way Forward. Eminent Edo sons and daughters from home and abroad, Europe and the Americas attended the conference. 

A keynote address and a total of 8 papers were presented and exhaustively discussed. There were also two discussion sessions. All these were reviewed, at the end of which the following resolutions were proposed, debated and adopted and they are hereby issued as the Conference Communiqu�:

1. GENERAL ISSUES

- The Conference thanked all participants, especially those that came from home (Edo State, Nigeria). It urged them to carry back the resolutions and work for their successful execution.

- It noted the continued interest, leadership and guidance of Omo N�Oba N�Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa, Oba of Benin as exemplified in his goodwill message and thanked His Royal Majesty for his efforts to protect the culture, tradition and territory  of Edo people.

2. It acknowledged the primacy of Edo Nationalism within the Nigerian Nation State and urged for the promotion and projecting of Edo State and its people.

 AT THE END OF THE CONVENTION THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS WERE TAKEN:

1.  The Edo Okpamakhin voted to adopt the call for the Sovereign National Conference.

 2. The Convention notes with deep concern the absence of a clearing house for issues affecting the welfare of our people, similar to those like the Afenifere, Arewa Consultative Conference, and Ohaneze Ndigbo of the Eastern parts of the country, etc.

 3. The Convention notes that the Edo Okpamakhin should serve as a check against the divide and rule policy that has characterized Nigerian Politics since 1914.

 4.  The Convention called on Edo Okpamakhin to serve as a catalyst to move and motivate those at home in the collective objectives of the state to growth.

 5. Edo Okpamakhin recommends the development of committees to address issues concerning Edo people and make appropriate recommendations at national level.

 6. The Edo Okpamakhin recommends the need to integrate our women into the mainstream of the social and economic and political development programmes of the State.

 7. The Edo Okpamakhin recommends the development of an economic base that will reduce Edo State�s dependence on Federal allocations.

 8. The Convention was presented with an Industrial Roadmap towards the economic emancipation of Edo State. Accordingly, the Convention accepted the commitment to transform the Roadmap into reality. To facilitate the realization of these objectives the convention directed every Edo person should contribute toward this project. 

 9.  The Convention recognizes that agriculture is the basis for economic and industrial development. The Convention notes that the State was self sufficient in the past in agriculture, but that it has been neglected over the years. Today key products like rubber, palm oil, cocoa, maize, cassava, rice, etc are no longer being produced in sufficient quantities and some are in fact being imported from other countries, also, the convention notes that big chunk of Edo land has been encroached upon by neighboring clans that are from the other states. The Convention recommends that appropriate authorities should step into this matter and particularly a permanent mechanism be put in place to stop this trend 

 10. The convention notes the continuous deterioration of security of life and property in the states and calls on all concerned to address the problem because security is the key to attract the much development to the state. There must be security to attract investment and credible development as objectives to the state.

 11. The convention also notes that the Edo people must develop and sustain local taxation policy that would enhance the financial ability of the State to sustain itself and also encourage accountability by setting up appropriate tax collection system which guarantees such accountability.

 12. The Convention laments the abysmal absence of Federal presence in Edo State, in comparison to the situation in other states. The Convention therefore calls for the correction of this disparity.

13. The Convention notes that Edo land has over the years suffered severe deprivations in the following major areas:

a.      Human development:

b.     Material development:

c.      Infrastructural development;

d.     Means

 14. The negative fall out of the most recent Federal and State elections made it obvious that Edo state has been deficient of credible leadership and regrets the dearth of forward looking leaders who are willing to use their high positions to uplift the state and their people:

 15. Edo Okpamakhin is concerned about the lack of access to maritime waterways which has denied the State access to international trade. We therefore call for the establishment of a sea port at Gelegele.

 16.   While current reports of Nigerian deportees from Italy shows that Edo indigenes constitute over 80 to 90 % of them, Edo State has not benefited from any of the international funding for the rehabilitation of the deportees. The convention further calls for the stoppage of the sales of our young girls into the slavery of prostitution.

 17.  While Edo Okpamakhin recognizes the efforts of several of our leaders including our women in the control and struggle to abolish prostitution which are eroding our youths overseas, Edo Okpamakhin recommends that to reverse the trends in the trade in humans, the federal Government should implement the Italo-Nigerian Protocol of Agreement on employment quotas for Nigerian citizens in Italy; it should further implement the need for international funding of projects on victim rehabilitation and social integration programmes.

 THIS COMMUNIQUE WAS ADOPTED AT THE CONVENTION IN SESSION IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ON SUNDAY, JULY 4, 2004, AND SIGNED BY THE FOLLOWING NATIONAL OFFICERS OF THE EDO OPKAMAKHIN

Dr Oboma Asemota, MD - National President
Dr. Kienuwa Obaseki, P.hd -  National Secretary
Chief (Prof) Joshua Oje. Aisiku - National Vice President