The Wukari Millennium Forum in Taraba State, has held its 3rd Annual Convention and Life Achievement Awards 2020.
The event took place at the Atoshi Recreation Center in Wukari Local Government Area of State, North East, Nigeria.
The Forum, is a sicio-cultural development organization, and the theme for this year was “Sustaining Peace, Unity and Development Through Education: The Way Forward”.
The aim of the forum is to collaborate, engage and partner with bodies, organizations and persons in the promotion of Peace, Unity, Understanding and development through education for enhanced human capacity building.
Speaking at the occasion, the Chairman of the Forum and Gargea Donga, Elder (Chief) Binuga Gargea expressed his desire to become an apostle of the gospel of Peace, Unity, Education and Agriculture in Southern Taraba in particular, and the nation at large.
He also expressed worried on the increase rate of injustice, which he said is responsible for conflicts, noting that peace has not achieved wide implementation because several people who desire peace, talk peace and preach peace had refused and cannot live at peace with one another.
Gargea who quoted the 7 social sins of the society as listed by Mahatma Ghandi of India, said they are all apply directly to the current problems facing Southern Taraba.
These include Wealth without work, Commerce without morality, Pleasure without conscience, Education without character, Science without humanity and Worship without sacrifice as well as Politics without purpose.
“There is need for a change of attitude if we want to move forward as a people. Education comes next, immediately after peace and unity. We must educate our children and encourage them to be all they can aspire to be at the Ivory Tower.
“Our crop of young men and women in Southern Taraba are too easily and lazily satisfied with either a certificate, Diploma, HND, or First Degree Certificates.
“We must encourage them to go higher, work at attaining higher educational qualifications. Post-graduate qualification should be our minimum standard henceforth, no less much more.” Chairman, Wukari Millennium Forum emphasized.
According Chief Binuga Gargea, it is through good education that society is modernised and the mind trained, pointed out that education also occupies a central role in the development of human person so as to reach full potential, whereby in return, become useful to the individual and to the society in general.
He however, commended the Forum for their foresight and untiring efforts towards identifying and recognising distinguished illustrious sons and daughters of Wukari and Southern Taraba indigenes for their outstanding track records of excellent services to their communities and Nigeria as a whole.
In his remark, the Chairman of Wukari Local Council, Adi Grace, restated the local and the state governments commitment of ensuring peace and security of lives and property of the people under the leadership of the rescue Captain, Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku.
He also appealed to the people not only of Wukari Local Government Area, but the state in general to put aside sentiment of all forms and embrace one another for the development of the state.
On his part, the Secretary General, Wukari Millennium Forum, Alhaji Abdulmumini Sangari described the Chairman of the local council, Adi Grace as a peace lover who is contributing immensely towards ensuring peaceful coexistence in the local government area and appreciated all those that graced the occasion as well as those who intended to.
According to him, the Forum had minimized the invitation for this year’s event because of the covid-19 pandemic, adding that all health protols were duely observed at the occasion.
Highpoints of the event were presentation of Awards to the Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Sani Usman GSS psc(+) fdc(+) Bsc, MSc, Chief of Defence Intelligence an indigene of kano state and the Corps Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Alhaji Shamsiddeen Sale who was born in Wukari LGA.
