With a keynote address delivered by Hon Sam Godongs who spoke extensively on the need for reawakening by the Berom nation. His lecture was centred on four key objectives which include: understanding what is going on, how best can we come up with a frame of thought, to maximize our benefits within the scheme of things in our land and how best to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. He described the Berom people under three categories, history, demography and culture.

Godongs eemphasized that the Berom nation must have an agenda devoid of the perspective of the society, he defined an agenda as a principle one holds dear.He also redefine the mantra which he coined in the year 1996 “WOROM BARA TEYEI, SELE BEGWA NA SEI VWEL, WOROM SOGO – WOROM ASE WOROM” He asked the Berom nation to continue to play a big brother role on the Plateau but with utmost caution to avoid being stabbed.

Four Four papers were presented at the retreat by different scholars such

1. Population and Housing Census: What Benefits for Berom Nation by Mr. Pam Du Deme, State Director, National Population Commission Plateau State.
2. Re-animating The Berom Spirit for Development in Contemporary Times by Da Chollom Gyang, Secretary General BECO
3. 2023 General Elections: Where should the interest of Berom lie? By Jacob C. Pwakim, CSO worker
4. Berom Agenda: The Right Perspective by Dr. D.D Nyam, BECO Chairman Jos North

There was a question and answer session consequent on the papers presented.

The Gwom Kabong Da Gabriel Sha who was represented by Gwom Jishe, Da Ezekiel Kwon was delighted that a unit of BECO was putting on such a commendable outing, he said this is maiden in the history of BECO.

Awards of recognition of leadership excellence and commitment to the Berom dreams were later presented to deserving individuals, responding on behalf of other awardees, The BECO President worldwide, Da Gyang Dudu Dalyop who was awarded with exemplary leadership award saluted the organizers of the retreat for their well thought idea of bringing out such a laudable programme, he made a handsome donation of Fifty Thousand Naira (50,000) only.

The idea for the retreat according to the Chairman of BECO Jishe unit Mr. Jick Lawrence is to spur the Berom nation to brace up Contemporary challenges.

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Protocols.

It is with great pleasure that today; I stand to address you on this august occasion of the swearing-in of the Executive Council Committee Members of the newly created BECO branches in Jos North Local Government Area.
Uneasy it is said, lays the head that wears the crown. To my mind, this suggests that leadership is a serious business as one would be required to be a role model to the people being led. It is for the Humble and not for the Simple. It therefore, behoves on all of you being sworn-in today to learn the art of Humility and not Simplicity (where anything goes).

When suddenly we were Nigerians, we believed in the course and gave our all in all for it. Before we realised it, we were being slaughtered, killed, maimed and sacked out of our ancestral land; Our Heritage. When we wailed and cried and looked up to the government that has the primary responsibility of protecting us (lives and property), a very BIG government official told us to give up our lands or risk being killed. Another government official that we consider our very own, instead of identifying with us, pledged his life for the very government that apparently and perhaps tacitly nodded at the plight and predicament of our people. As if these were not enough, our close neighbours whom we salvaged from the hands of their feudal lords who were using them alive as mortar in building walls and ensured they were carved out of the North Eastern state to Plateau (Jos), are shamelessly telling us that we (Beroms) don’t have land in Jos North Local Government Area. See boundary adjustment problems identified by Irikefe panel page 25. 1976.

In a memorandum submitted by the Afizere Cultural and Community Development Association (ACCDA) to the committee on the amendment of Gazette No 4 vol.10 of 12th May, 2005 dated 20th July 2005 at page 4, the Afizare stated that the following villages were formerly occupied by them. These are Old Airport, Rayfield, Dadin Kowa, Anglo Jos and Giring (Abattoir). To claim that all these areas they listed were under T/Wada (Gyese) is quiet preposterous. For the records, Giring is a substantive village which was gazetted since 1935, with Jishe (T/Wada) being one of the component hamlets of the village. These claims were obviously unsubstantiated, baseless and quiet an unfortunate development. They have not relented and have continued to cause so much disaffection because of this.

Kabong Village which was upgraded from Hamlet to a Village with a substantive village Head since 1935 is today being claimed by the Afizere as their ancestral land. The same Afizere have laid claims of some parts of Goemai land having been graciously accommodated by the Goemai. You may wish to See PLATEAU STATE PEACE CONFERENCE 2004 MAIN REPORT PAGE 25 AND 26.

What are we expected to do as a people? This Land is our Heritage, This land is our Identity, This Land is our Destiny and This Land is God’s Ordination for our people! Striping us of this Heritage, Identity and Destiny reduces us to Nothingness. This is therefore, Completely Unacceptable.

We are all aware that peace is not necessarily the absence of war, but the establishment and execution of justice, fairness and equity. The Bible teaches us in Romans Chapter 13: 1 – 7 that it is God who establishes a government and we need to be obedient to such constituted authority from God. Second, those rulers (government) are put in place to punish wrongdoers and not lawful citizens. While we submit to constituted authority, we nevertheless, have our expectations of a responsible government.

Today you are being sworn-in as leaders to Uphold, Educate, and Promote the Culture and Tradition of our people in every responsible way possible in our respective villages and hamlets. We have no body to turn or look up to except our God, the creator of the Heavens and the Earth who has given this Land to our forebears and who has also bestowed on us the responsibility to hand over the same to our children’s children to the Third and Fourth Generations.

First our Unity as a people is paramount and non-negotiable: Worom ase Worom simplicita! My Exco at the Local Government Level is championing this course and we expect you to do the same in your respective areas. The tower of Babel in the Bible readily comes to mind that God said: Indeed the people are ONE and they all have ONE language and this is what they begin to do: Now nothing that they purpose to do will be withheld from them. Gen. 11:1- (6) NKJV. I stand today and challenge all Berom sons and daughters to be one and speak with one voice in Unity and only then can we redeem our Land: Our Heritage, Our Identity and Our Destiny. Worom Sogo!

Second, the Bible declares that: For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. Rom. 8:19 NKJV. Our forefathers spoke to the Land and it responded to them. Today, I make bold to declare that no divination against it shall stand and whatever has been buried in it shall be vomited and converted to fertilizer. Hear o Land, the Voice of the Lord!
We will teach you to invoke the spirit of the Land to consume its enemies from within and without. Together we shall succeed in Jesus name.

We call on all Plateau indigenes and indeed all true Nigerians who know the truth of our plight and predicament to remain solid on the path of Truth and Righteousness.

Finally, I must sincerely thank you all for the sacrifice you have made in making time in spite of the busy schedules of these days to grace this occasion. It our prayer that the good Lord who brought you here safely, will take you back to your various destinations safely in Jesus Name.

Thank you and God Bless.

Arise Berom Nation!
Arise Plateau People!!
Arise True Nigerians!!!
God bless the Federal Republic!!!!

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