.Onaiyekan to deliver Citizens Summit lecture
The National Association of Seadogs, Pyrates Confraternity, as part of activities commemorating its 70th anniversary, has rolled out a programme of events slated for Friday, 9th, 10th and 11th December 2022.
This includes the Prelate of the Roman Catholic Church and Cardinal John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan as keynote speaker at a special Citizens’ Summit for the 70th Anniversary Lecture. The event will be held in Abuja on Saturday, 10th December 2022.
A statement signed by the NAS Capoon, Mr Abiola Owoaje, stated that the Citizens Summit being an initiative of #OurvotesCount, an advocacy programme of the organisation is aimed at advocating for a” purposeful democratic election as a critical first-step solution in effectively challenging the ills militating against the attainment of the full potential of Nigeria.”
According to him, the Citizens’ Summit is expected to attract political leaders, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials, intelligence community/security agencies and relevant stakeholders.
The event will review the nation’s state and propose strategies to lead to a future “where the potentials of Nigeria can be translated into a reality of progress and prosperity.”
“With the 2023 General Elections approaching and the desperate state of the nation, we plan to leverage our 70th Anniversary for agenda setting to drive soul searching and proactive action towards deliberate nation-building,” he added.
Also listed in the programme of events is the unveiling of an investigative report on the State of Nigerian Embassies and Consulates around the world. The committee explained that the investigative report, independently funded by the Pyrates Confraternity, is to be unveiled at a
ceremony that will have in attendance officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, members of the Diplomatic Corps and other relevant stakeholders.
Owoaje disclosed that the report which identified the age-old difficulties that Nigerians experience with consular services abroad is geared towards provoking conversations that would reshape the status and operational efficiency of Nigerian Foreign Missions to deliver representation that citizens will be proud of.
“The activities kick off with “Weekend of Service to Humanity in alignment with the theme of the Platinum Jubilee: 70 Years of Service to Humanity. Across five continents of Africa, America, Australia, Asia and Europe, our members in 60 Decks( chapters) will observe the ” Weekend of Service to Humanity” between Friday, December 9th 2022 and Sunday, December 11th. This activity entails members embarking on community projects and events with a dedicated focus on specific United Nations Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), especially the four SDGs ,Pyrates are strategically passionate about championing.
Shedding light on the activity, Owoaje stated that the “Weekend of Service to Humanity” will feature projects centred around specific United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These community interventions across many communities in Nigeria, the USA, South Africa, the
United Kingdom, Canada, The Netherlands, Japan and Australia are designed to demonstrate practical steps towards the attainment of a just society”, a core principle of the Pyrates Confraternity. For wherever the community of man needs a helping hand, in whatever cause or struggle, to enthrone this principle, the Pyrate must be first”.
The NAS Capoon said that, “this three-day event aims to demonstrate practical steps towards attaining a just society, a core founding principle of the Pyrates Confraternity. Since 1952 when Prof Wole Soyinka and his friends in the University College Ibadan founded the confraternity, it has remained an organisational philosophy that “wherever the community of man needs a helping hand, in whatever cause or struggle, to enthrone this principle, the Pyrate must be first”.
