An address by Dr. Ahmad A. Gumi on the occasion of the launching of MY VOTE, MY PRIDE at the Gamji Multi-Purpose Center, Kaduna on 22 July, 2014 Protocol, Assalamu alaikum. Let me state with this quotation by Lyndon Johnson. “The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying walls which imprison man because they are different from other men ” Ladies and gentlemen, Nigeria today is facing numerous challenges necessitating the need for individuals to complement government efforts by taking on any of the challenges they are capable of addressing and proffer practical solutions. Such offers however should be nationalistic devoid of tribalism, religion or sectionalism. Allah has created us and brought us together as Nigerians. Those clamoring for separation are only exhibiting their nationalistic deficiencies. Our organization, MY VOTE, MY PRIDE is our humble efforts to tackle the challenges facing the country and complement government efforts. Opposing our ideas is not the solution. The solution lies in joining us to ensure good and credible election and good governance. Our efforts are based on the realization that the whole democratic system revolves around people votes. The people should be allowed to choose their own leaders using their votes. If this process is free, fair and transparent, the people will listen and obey those leaders and the leaders will turn respect the wishes of the people and will do practice their possible to protect the people’s lives, property, the freedom to practice their chosen religion and finally to come their rescue in times of distress or calamity. Leaders chosen by the people will not be afraid of the citizenry. This is not happening in Nigeria today because the elections are seen to be manipulated, thus not reflected the people’s choices. This has resulted in suspicions and mistrust by the electorate. Faulty elections give room for the wrong persons to be in government and this in turn leads to poor governance. The fault however doesn’t stop at the leadership. The citizenry are also guilty in the sense that they allow themselves to be manipulated through monetary inducement. The reason for this behavior is because the citizenry are uniformed on the enormous powers of their votes. For example, the citizenry do not appreciate that the offices of state and national assembly are very powerful. While these houses can remove a governor or the president through impeachment, governors and the president cannot remove any member of these chambers! As powerful as the state and the national assembly are, it is only the citizenry the determine who goes to these chambers and it is the people who decide who comes back at elections. In other words, elected officials must carry out the wishes of the state and national assemblies which in turn must also serve the wishes of the people. What is currently happening is that the governance is being run as if the people don’t matter. They are only remembered during elections when indomie and maggi are freely mad available. The legislative arms are in control of the executive, while the judiciary is compromised. MY VOTE, MY PRIDE therefore seeks to address the short coming of free and fair elections by ensuring that the people are allowed to choose and effect changes through their votes. Such votes so casted must be protected peacefully to ensure that the elections held are credible. Incidentally this is what the electoral law is all about. This way, the leaders so elected will be respected and obeyed by the people and such leaders so chosen will equally respect and carry out the wishes of the people. MY VOTE, MY PRIDE is a nongovernmental organization which is nonpartisan, non- sectional and non-religious. Its governing body comprises Muslims and Christians of high integrity with nationalistic commitment. It will be funded by the ordinary people through voluntary contributions. That way, their mindsets will change from relying on politicians to fund elections that of them bearing the cost in nurturing and protecting their votes to ensure that only their chosen leaders are allowed to govern them. The electoral law stipulates that results of all elections held at election centers must be compiled, signed by the electoral officers and the political party agents and PASTED/ DISPLAYED at that election centers for the people to see and know which party won and by how many votes. This important provision of the electoral law is what the people should take maximum advantage of. MY VOTE, MY PRIDE is also taking advantage of technology by capturing/photographing such displayed result sheet so pasted with their specialized handset and transmitted through the internet to their central computers for the whole world to have instant access to such data. The citizenry will also be encouraged to snap such result sheets on their handset. It is our belief that such efforts will go a long way in complementing governments’ efforts in ensuring free fair and transparent elections. Our activities will be nationalistic, transparent, nonpartisan, non-religious and knowledge based. Our aim is to cover the whole country and it is hoped that the people irrespective of tribe, religion or geopolitical location will contribute their widow’s mite as the extent of our coverage will be determined by their level of contributions. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to invite you to the demonstration of how MY VOTE, MY PRIDE will peacefully and by the grace of god contribute its quota to ensuring a credible election in Nigeria through technology. It is our conviction that with the advent of the social media that provides instant access to global information at the click of the computer, patriotic people should come together to provide credible flat form failing which the citizenry could be misguided by mischief makers. Finally I wish to thank all those Muslims and Christians who have started sending in their donations to this noble project. We are encouraged by your responses in cash and in kind. Once more you very much and god bless.
Posted on: Sat, 02 Aug 2014 07:34:53 +0000
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