Bisimilaahi rahmaan raheem
The Honorary Guests
The Distinguished Guests
My fellow District Chiefs
The members of the Jokadou District Authority and the Badge Messengers
The Village Alkalis of Jokadou district
The Ward and the Lady Councilors of Jokadou district
The Village Development Committee Members of Jokadou district
The Staff of government Institutions in Jokadou district
Members of the Public and Private Sectors in Jokadou district
The Elderly Persons of Jokadou district
The Imams and religious Leaders of Jokadou
The Women leaders and women of Jokadou district
The Youth leaders and youths of Jokadou district
My fellow People of Jokadou district
My fellow villagers of Kuntaya village and of all the forty villages of Jokadou district
My Uncles and Aunts, Brothers and Sisters
The Security fraternity of Jokadou district
My distinguished guest from the Taranga FM radio and the state radio
I salute and welcome you all to this maiden event of the thanksgiving and award ceremony for the year 2021 on behalf of the Jokadou District Assembly
My name is Alpha Mairam Khan. I am the head of the district authority of the Jokadou district. Please allow me address this joyous gathering by presenting the highlights on the purpose of the thanksgiving and award ceremony and highlights on the social development gains of the Jokadou district for the year 2021.
Highlights on the purpose of the thanksgiving and award ceremony and on the social development gains of the Jokadou District for the year 2021
The purpose of hosting the thanksgiving and award ceremony is to express appreciation and gratitude to individuals, villages, Staff of government institutions as well as members of the public and private sectors in recognition of their valuable contribution in the social development initiatives of the Jokadou district through peace building, respect for the rule of law, excellent service delivery and social cohesion. The event shall consist of some citations and the presentation of certificates to the awardees which are as follows:
1. The villages of the Jokadou District
a) To those villages within the district that had not had any record of criminal offences and civil crimes that the police in the district encountered or brought before the Jokadou district tribunal over the year 2021. In this category, ten villages have been selected for this award.
b) To those villages within the district that has been most compliant to the payment of the annual rates and taxes for the year 2021. Three villages have been recognized for the award in that category
2. The staff and government institutions
For the recognition of their very good track record in respect of the excellent service delivery of the staff of the government institutions within the district during the year 2021. Thirty-three staff and five institutions shall be presented with certificate awards in this category and by extension letters of expression of appreciation shall be conveyed to their heads of institutions on behalf of their junior staff.
3. The public and private sectors within the Jokadou District
In recognition of the moral and material support to the socio-economic development initiatives of the Jokadou district during the year 2021 and they comprise of development organizations, prominent individuals as well as public servants. Thirty-three awards shall be presented in this category.
At this juncture, may I take this opportunity to mention that awardees have been selected based on the popular choices made by the Jokadou District Assembly in collaboration with the Jokadou District Authority. In this regard, please allow me to congratulate the deserving awardees on behalf of the Jokadou District Authority through the Jokadou District Assembly and on my own behalf for the merit of the award.
Highlights on the social development gains of the Jokadou District Assembly
The social development gains of the jokadou district consist of the achievements of the Jokadou District Authority and the Jokadou District Assembly in the areas of peaceful co-existence, law abiding and human development. It is important to note that these achievements were made possible partly through the commitment of the people of the district to dedication to service with love for one another and partly due to the leadership style of the Jokadou District Authority. In this regard it is significant to bring into light the successes, the challenges and the way-forward in respect of the social development initiatives of the Jokadou district.
The successes of the Jokadou District Assembly
With the advent of the new chieftaincy in the Jokadou district in 2020, a new district authority was established for the enhancement of the operations of the new dispensation within the district. The district authority is composed of the members of all the ethnic groups of the Jokadou district. This means that all the ethnic groups of the district are represented in the Jokadou District Authority.
The first initiative in the social development strides of the district authority was the visit to all the Alkalis and people of the forty villages of the district for familiarization. That tour had positively impressed most of the village Alkalis in that they emphasized that, contrary to their expectations, they would have been invited to the district headquarters for the familiarization meeting.
The chieftaincy leadership responded that it was better to travel to meet with the Alkalis and the villagers so as to begin acquaintance and also that most of the village Alkalis are elderly people so they deserved the visit.
Another initiative was the establishment of a district authority office in 2021 to serve as both chamber and tribunal court. That had been considered necessary in that the resident of the chieftaincy is not conducive for the district authority dispensations. The office is now available and situated adjacent to the Kuntaya Police post.
Another initiative was the invitation of all the village alkalis of the district to a training workshop on the administration of the government birth attestation document. Health workers of the district took the village alkalis meticulously across the attestation document on the modalities of filling it and also provided advice on how and when to stamp and sign. It was discovered that some of the Alkalis did not understand the repercussions for giving away a blank signed and stamped attestation document.
Another initiative has been the encouragement of all the village Alkalis to establish village elderly committees to be composed of all the ethnic groups of the village and to be derived from all the `Kabilas` or cluster settlements in the village so that members of the committee could always intervene in the mediation of disputes and the resolution of conflicts without reaching the Alkali and also to curb the extension of such cases to the district tribunal. It is part of the success of this initiative that we are gathered here today for this event because the district tribunal rarely encountered such cases and understandably the jokadou district police had encountered few of such cases during the year 2021.
Another initiative has been the development of a farmland loan agreement document for the village alkalis so as to provide to the farmland owners of their villages to serve as security bond for the farmland owners and the farmland renters. The document contains the signatures and stamps of both the Alkalis as well as the district authority and shall be subjected to renewal annually. It is envisaged that such initiative could alleviate farmland disputes within the district.
The success stories of both the Jokadou District Authority and the Jokadou District Assembly with regards to the social development gains of the Jokadou district are numerous. However, for the sake of summarization the above initiatives can be considered sufficient in these highlights.
The challenges and the way-forward of the Jokadou District Authority and Assembly
Although most of the challenges are surmountable, it is important to highlight the major challenges that posed for struggling and attempt to provide solutions which would characterize the way-forward for maximizing the social development gains of the Jokadou district for the coming years.
Foremost is mobilization and commitment to cleansing and sanitization of the youths of the district. I am observing that rarely do the youths of the district engage themselves in providing cleansing and sanitation support services in school fields and yards, the public areas such as the markets and mosques and particularly the main highway and main road in the district authority headquarters. I would like to implore on the youth fraternity of the district to mobilize themselves and develop calendars for the regular cleansing of the residential environment of the district. I used to provide community cleansing services when I was a Ward Councilor and I would like to see the initiative continuing as a I now serve in the district authority. By extension, I hereby encourage the Ward Councilors through their ward development committees as well as the village development committees (VDCs) to develop community cleansing and sanitation programs as part of their wards and village development agenda. Let me declare that I shall always be available to support access to the material resources to be needed for cleansing and sanitation initiatives. It is important to live by the saying that a healthy environment is a wealthy people.
Another challenge is when a village Alkali in a capacity of the village head refuses the youths of the village to engage in community entertainment activities such as music and dance programs, etc. on the grounds that the youths did not seek for permission. Such Alkali is hereby urged to reason with the youths even by warning them and allow them to continue their entertainment programs. The point I would like to emphasize is that the youth are the active population of the villages, and their participation in village physical services can always be desired. If they are given the appropriate encouragement, they will be willing to actively participate in the services. If otherwise, they may be unwilling and that will not be good for the village.
For the sake of peaceful and worthwhile co-existence in the village it is important that the village Alkalis and the elderly communities of the villages to encourage the youths of their villages because they are the future village elders.
Another challenge is when a village Alkali encountered a village problem or a case that must be reported to the district authority went to report to the body beyond the district authority only to be told that they should have contacted the district authority. Village Alkalis are always told that they do not have to bypass the district authority for reporting any matter of village and district concern. Such manners only stain the cordial relationship that the district authority and the village Alkalis are enjoying and also causes waste of time for quick action to take place.
Another challenge is the resource limitation that makes it difficult for district authority to be able to be hosting regular meetings as well as important workshops. Such workshops as building the capacity of the village Alkalis and the village development committees (VDCs) for the enhancement of harmonious relationship are very important in that they can equip both the village Alkalis and VDCs with the knowledge and understanding of their various functional roles. The main services of the village Alkali is the administration of the affairs of the people and properties, the residences, the lands and farmlands of the village as well as promotion of unity and peaceful co-existence in the village. The main roles of the VDC is to provide socio-economic development initiatives for the village such as support in the development of community infrastructures as with the markets, community gardens, community centers ,etc. and even in carrying out their activities the VDC needs to involve the village Alkali who should play advisory roles.
Village Alkalis also can invite the members of the VDC leadership during resident owners meetings. This is advocacy to live in harmony in the spirit of unity and peace.
Honorary and Distinguished Guests, Alkalis and elders of Jokadou district, fellow people of Jokadou district, men and women of Jokadou District, brothers and sisters, I hope that these highlights have served its purpose as it seeks to provide understanding of the purpose of hosting the thanksgiving and award ceremony as well as providing awareness of the social development gains of the Jokadou district for the year 2021. If it does, I am very much grateful for your keen attention. I pray and wish that the thanksgiving and award ceremony for the year 2022 shall be a greater success, Amen.
I take this opportunity, once again to thank everyone here present especially the honorary and distinguished guests for the massive and dignified attendance. Thank you so much
