Praise and thanks be to Allah, our Lord and Cherisher, for making it possible to convene this meeting now and here. The challenges were daunting but, Alhamdulillah, they did not deter our coming. The circumstances that conspired against this auspicious occasion include the geographical location of this beautiful part of Nigeria falling close to the Nigerian border with Cameroun, the current season occasioning continual downpour across the nation and the protracted standoff between the government and the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) as a result of which many of our members are now completely out of pockets, having not been paid their salaries for several months. All these are in addition to the acute security challenges in the country. Some of our members are not here also because of their health conditions. We fervently pray to Allah to grant them speedy recovery and endow all of us with sound health throughout our life.
This meeting in Adamawa is significant in many respects. An attempt was made about twenty three years ago, to wit 1989, to hold a national conference here but it was aborted after the arrival of participants by the then Military Governor, David Jonah Jang, allegedly owing to security reasons. He later became the Plateau State Governor, for two terms, and, later, Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. More importantly, this is the season of Mauludun Nabiyy (SAW) which is celebrated with pomp and pageantry here. An effort to reschedule the meeting came too late. I therefore wish to appeal to our hosts and appreciate their understanding and sacrifices for according us this hospitality and grand reception. I commend the commitment and courage of all members all over the country who are here despite all odds. May Allah grant all of us journey mercies back home. If we have not come here, we would not appreciate what our distinguished Chairman and members in Adamawa State go through each time they attend national meetings, conferences and other programmes.
Some events have taken place since our meeting in Osogbo, Osun State. They include the following:
1.Gubernatorial Election in Osun State: Thanks to Allah that the Governorship election in Osun was peaceful. Unfortunately, our Brother, Gov. Isiaka Oyetola lost the election. With that, the whole of South West has no Muslim as Governor at present. However, it is our fervent hope that some of those to be elected next year will be Muslims. We sympathise with Governor Oyetola who assisted a great deal to facilitate hosting our last meeting. May Allah reward and grant him many more opportunities to serve in future.
2.NBAIS Bill: This Association was ably represented at the interactive session in support of the bill to formally establish the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies which took place in the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja, on September 4, 2022. We have also responded to the invitation of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Services to comment and express our feelings on the draft Bill. I appreciate the Vice-President, Dr. Abubakar Kawu, and the Assistant Secretary (Publicity) Mal. Umar Rufai, for their efforts in this regard.
3.Invitation to Maiduguri 2022 Conference: It took time to finalise the invitation to the Conference but both soft and hard copies are now available all over at home and abroad. As many as 80 abstracts have been received and acknowledged as appropriate. Many more are being expected. The Local Organising Committee is working hard to make the conference a huge success. Let me use this opportunity to urge you all to send in your abstracts and full papers immediately. We will take a decision here on the desirability of the virtual presentation and discussion of Conference papers bearing in mind the contemporary challenges in the country and geographical locations of participants. As State Branch Chairmen and members of the National Executive Committee, it is our responsibility to find out the development on the papers delivered by our members in Conferences and update them on what next they are supposed to do to get their papers published.
4.Indexing of NATAIS Journal: Progress has been made to get the Association journal indexed for better visibility and patronage. I commend the efforts of the National Editor-in-Chief to realise this objective.
5.Purchase of Copies of Ogun Conference Proceedings and Printing of Kano Conference Papers: Efforts are on to ensure that the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) makes good its promise to purchase 1,000 (one thousand only) copies of the proceedings of the National Conference held in Ogun State in 2020. It is gratifying to note that the Kano Conference papers have been assessed. They are ready now for publication and presentation, insha Allah in Maiduguri.
6.Updating our Website and Visitation during Meetings: Profs Amidu Sanni, Vice- Chancellor, Fountain University, Osogbo, and Muhib O. Opeloye, our former President and former Commissioner in Osun State, visited us during the last meeting in Osogbo. Among their advice respectively is that our website (nataisonline.org) should be regularly updated, the Association should be made financially independent and that the opportunity of holding our meetings across this great nation should be used to visit important personalities and places. I hereby invite you to visit the website of the Association regularly, intimate us with information worthy of publicity, and express your views on the various posts and to take its advantage to keep abreast of new developments in the Association. Visitation, especially for advocacy, has been part of the meetings of this Association since the Abuja meeting in March, this year. Of course, we will continue to be prudent with the meagre resources available to us while we will intensify our drive for funding with effect from this meeting.
7.ASUU Strike: It is unfortunate that the strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has protracted to date. It is our fervent hope that the impasse will be over very soon. Its negative impact on education in Nigeria and the psyche of students and their lecturers as well as the reputation of Nigeria in the comity of nations is better imagined than mentioned. University campuses are now ghost places. A nation looking forward to bright future cannot afford to handle education with levity.
8.2023 General Elections: I crave your indulgence to take advantage of this meeting to reach out to our teeming members through you to play active roles in the general elections slated for next year. We should urge all Nigerians to collect the Permanent
Voter’s Card and vote for candidates of their choice. Apathy and lackadaisical attitude will only worsen the present challenges in the country. At the same time, we must avoid fraud and unwholesome practices including violence before, during and after the elections.
9.Appreciation: We are grateful to the Executive Governor of this great State, the State Cabinet and entire good people of the State for making this meeting possible. I sincerely thank our eminent Chairman, Adamawa State Branch, for his commitment and sacrifices to ensure the successful hosting of this meeting. I commend the unflinching support of the entire members and various committees especially our distinguished members from Colleges of Education. Our commendation and appreciation go to the Chairman and members of the FCT Branch for their sacrifices each time we need their help. I say to you, distinguished members from all Branches: Jazakumullahu Khairan!
Prof. Musa Adesina Abdu-Raheem National President
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