Press Release-Group credits Fayemi over Ekiti NECO success Result

PRESS RELEASE Group credits Fayemi over Ekiti students success in NECO exams  A youth group, the Progressive Youth League (PYL) has credited the immediate past administration in Ekiti State, headed by Dr Kayode Fayemi, for the excellent performance of Ekiti students in the Senior Secondary School examination results released by the National Examination Council (NECO). According to the NECO Senior Secondary School examination released last Friday, Ekiti State came top with 96.48 percent among all the states in the federation. It was followed by Edo State with 96.31 percent. The PYL said the excellent performance by the students who were in the junior secondary school one when Dr Fayemi commenced the various educational policies of his administration, has proved that sound educational policy and a conducive atmosphere for learning were sine qua non to good performance. The PYL, in a statement by its Southwest Coordinator, Barrister Adeoye Aribasoye, said the excellent performance of the students had vindicated Dr Fayemi as a visionary leader whose educational policies provided incentives for both teachers, students and parents and laid a solid foundation for great performances in internal and external examinations. Aribasoye who lauded the free and compulsory educational policy of the Fayemi administration between 2010 and 2014, said the brilliant performance by the Ekiti students in the examination has also proved sceptics of free education wrong. “It is reassuring to note that this brilliant results were achieved by students who were the pioneering students of the free and compulsory educational policy of the immediate past administration.” The group which called on the present administration to revert to some of Fayemi’s educational policies which it has discontinued, stated that the success recorded by the students stemmed primarily from careful planning and incentives which had unprecedented positive impact on learning culture in the state. It listed some of the incentives instituted by Dr Fayemi to include, the distribution of solar-powered laptop computer to every secondary school under the laptop per child initiative; payment of rural allowances for teachers in the rural areas; Core subject allowances to teachers who teach core sciences , Mathematics and English Language and comprehensive renovation of all secondary school and primary school buildings in the state under Operation Renovate All Schools (ORASE).   “In all, the immediate past government renovated 183 secondary schools and 836 primary schools, thereby creating a conducive atmosphere for learning. This is in addition to the provision of books to the students. Fayemi's giant strides in education made Ekiti one of the three states in the federation that benefitted from  the World Bank's $50m State Education Programme Investment Project (SEPIP).” “It is on record that the Computer per Child programme of the Fayemi administration, which provided computers for both teachers and students, was launched six months ahead of the introduction of computer-based examination by the Joint Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB).” Aribasoye said while the administration organised computer training and mathematics clinics for teachers, also organised remedial programmes for students in each of the local government areas, just as it distributed about 400 motorcycles teachers serving in the rural areas of the state, and ensured that teachers benefited from the relativity pay for all categories of workers in the public service and also benefited from the 27.5% Teachers Pecuniary Allowance. The youth leader said, PYL is opposed to the introduction of fees in public schools by the Governor Ayo Fayose administration, said the group has finalised arrangements to commence a campaign to make education in primary and secondary schools free in Ekiti State. “Rather than exhibiting a jocose excitement about a brilliant results it did not contribute to, PYL urges the present administration to make education free and compulsory and also give incentives to teachers and students as did the immediate administration.” The group also congratulated the students and their parents for complimenting the efforts of the immediate past government in lifting education standards in the state. Barrister Adeoye Aribasoye Southwest Coordinator, Progressives Youth League.

APC urges Nigerians to Embrace “Change Begins with Me” campaign

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday felicitated with Muslim Faithful over the Eid el-Kabir season and urged all Nigerians to embrace the “Change-Begins-with-Me” campaign.

This is contained in a statement signed by the APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun. Odigie-Oyegun urged Muslims and all Nigerians to use the Sallah occasion to show love, promote harmonious and peaceful co-existence with one another, irrespective of ethnic or religious affiliation. He urged Nigerians to pray for the peace and quick recovery of the nation’s economy. “Muslim Faithful and indeed all Nigerians are enjoined to use the occasion of Eid el-Kabir to pray for the peace, development and prosperity of the country,” he said. He called on Nigerians to support the administration to pull the country out of the present hardship and restore the country on the path of growth in all facets. “Indeed, Nigeria is today passing through challenging times in its socio-economic life. “Happily, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration is already employing all legitimate and innovative means to restore the country’s battered economy to health in the quickest possible time. “In a bold move to repair our value system that has been badly eroded over the years, on Sept. 8, President Muhammadu Buhari launched the laudable national re-orientation campaign, “Change Begins with Me’’. “The party appeals to all Nigerians to be part of this campaign which will institutionalise the best practice and time-honoured values of honesty, hard work, patriotism, abhorrence of corruption, accountability and integrity in our everyday life,” he said.

5 lessons from Mark Zuckerberg’s visit to Nigeria

5 lessons from Mark Zuckerberg’s visit to Nigeria 1. The visit of Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg , to Nigeria has created so much buzz around the country and even the world. Nigerians have posted so many memes and comments on the social media, and we at Jumia travel have kept our ears on the ground. Read on to discover 5 lessons we have learned from the legendary visit. Lagos is undoubtedly the heartbeat of Nigeria Since Abuja became the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, there have been arguments over which of the two cities -Abuja and Lagos- is the actual heartbeat of the Nation. For those who are still in doubt, the visit of the famous CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, to Lagos has proved that the city is indeed the core of our nation. The social media genius could have visited to any other part of the country, but he picked Lagos. Of course, he visited Abuja later on, but that visit seemed more like an afterthought. 2. Nigeria’s Jollof rice reigns supreme What more is there to say? Mark Zuckerberg, a well-travelled member of the world’s top class who has probably tasted the best of meals around the world, gushed about Nigeria’s favorite meal- Jollof rice! That certainly is enough to prove that the meal indeed reigns supreme. 3. There are too many talents in Nigeria In Mark’s own words: “This trip has really blown me away by the talents of young entrepreneurs and developers in this country, and making a difference and making a change. It reminds me of when I wanted to start Facebook. I wasn’t starting a company at the time but wanted to build something to see if it would work. And that is what I see people here do, pushing through challenges, building things that you want to see in the world. You are not just going to change Nigeria and the whole of Africa but the whole world.” 4.Simplicity should be a core value for any searching for success Even President Buhari commended the simplicity of Zuckerberg as he thanked him for sharing his wealth of knowledge with Nigerian youths, and inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs. Although Mark is among the world’s richest men, he does not dress lavishly or engage in impulsive spending. In Buhari’s words: “In our culture, we are not used to seeing successful people appear like you. We are not used to seeing successful people jogging and sweating on the streets. We are more used to seeing successful people in air-conditioned places. We are happy you are well-off and simple enough to always share.’’ 5. The future of Nigeria lies in the hands of the youth There have been Memes suggesting that Mark Zuckerberg may have boycotted the older men who play key roles in the Nigeria’s telecommunication and media industry as he understands that the future can only be driven by young talents. The CEO mentioned that he was blown away by the talent and level of energy of the Nigerian youth that he saw at the Co-creation Hub in Yaba, Lagos, and this surely reaffirms the belief that the future of Nigeria certain lies in the hand of its youths. Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/5-lessons-from-mark-zuckerbergs-visit-to-nigeria/

CcHub is 5:Foolishly creating the Future - by Bosun Tijani,CEO Co-Creation Hub Nigeria(CcHub)

The CcHUB – the dream of two naïve but determined young lads gave birth to Nigeria’s first innovation hub exactly 5 years ago today. With a deep sense of responsibility, we took on the challenge of building a platform capable of spotting and supporting smart Nigerians to build the future we collectively desire. Albeit our experience of working in social innovation and innovation consulting respectively, Femi Longe and I set out on the journey knowing we were betting against odds in an attempt to create something. That ‘something’ was to simply build a ‘movement’, a renewed social fabric for enabling creativity despite the countless barriers to it in Nigeria. Our fascination and excitement for technology innovation and social capital was largely disconnected from the start-up movement sweeping the world at the point. While we drew inspiration from the work being done by many innovation hubs across the world, we were adamant on our goal of creating a movement around addressing social issues in Nigeria with technology. Our motivation hinged on the single fact that Nigerians are aspirational and as such desire better – the future without doubt belongs to entrepreneurs who are able to address social challenges in commercially sustainable ways. To achieve our objective, we would be required to work with start-ups, enable civil society organisations and ultimately inspire PPPs that will strengthen our ability to support innovation as a nation. Without doubt, we have managed to do a lot of good while being commercially viable. Yes, we are one of the few financially sustainable innovation hubs in Africa. I have been incredibly lucky to work with some exceptional and deeply committed young Nigerians to whom I owe a lot of gratitude. We have collectively created an incredible platform that is about to unleash our talent further and empower us to support the amazing community that we serve. As we look ahead into a future with promises, I look back at the catalytic role played by Indigo Trust, Omidyar Network and MainOne Cable Company with a heart full of appreciation. These are three unique organisations that took a bet on us even when we had no business plan. Without your investment, there won’t be CcHUB. Our commitments for the next 5 years will again be on working with a handful of new and established organisations to deepen the innovation ecosystem in Nigeria. We’ll seek to create ways to develop talent, fund both early and growth stage businesses and accelerate the development of smart infrastructure for economic prosperity in Nigeria. Wish us well! - ‘Bosun Tijani culled from http://cchubnigeria.com/cchub-5-foolishly-creating-future/

Bono and Dangote Visit Displaced People In Nigeria's Northern Region and VP Osinbajo

Rock star, Paul David Hewson, (aka Bono) and Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, yesterday met with the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa to discuss the possibilities of a global partnership to address the humanitarian crisis in North-eastern part of the country through international advocacy. A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, said Osinbajo told the delegation that the federal government would welcome a global partnership that would ensure a concerted and focused international response to the humanitarian crisis in the North-eastern region. Bono leads the ONE campaign group, an advocacy organisation with more than seven million people around the world taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable diseases especially in Africa. It has on its board people like Mo Ibrahim, Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg among others. It was founded in 2004. Addressing members of the delegation that included former UK Development Secretary Douglas Alexander, Osinbajo said: “It is very important that you chose to come and offer some partnership. This is great and we are pleased…Partnership is certainly the way to go.” He said no matter how prepared a country could be, handling the kind of crisis in the North-east with two million displaced people including children would prove a difficult task. According to him, a global partnership to address the situation should be coordinated and more focused on what was required to be done, for instance, in addressing the issue of malnourished children and not attempting to do too much things at once. Speaking earlier, the Irish-born artist, Bono, said he had visited some of the IDPs, saying “We want to be useful to you.” Bono added that what he saw in the region was “deeply disturbing.” He also commended the social investment programmes of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, saying: “We have heard of the incredible plans, the social investment funds,” adding also that the level of transparency already seen in the administration is both “very exciting and transforming.” Meanwhile, Dangote, monday at the meeting, disclosed that a total sum of N4.5 billion had so far been spent by the Dangote Foundation in trying to provide succour to IDPs in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States, which have been ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency. He added that the foundation would continue to reach out to the victims until the end of the current programme by government to restore normalcy to the people. Bono, who is currently in the country to draw international support for victims of insurgency in the North-east said funding to the region needed to be scaled up in order to achieve maximum impact. Bono further lamented that of the estimated $300 million required as part of the reconstruction programme, only about $100 million had so far been realised, stressing that going by the magnitude of destruction and deprivation in affected areas, there’s need to scale up resources to cope with the humanitarian crisis. He said working with the Dangote Foundation, he would use his ONE Campaign NGO platform to garner global support towards addressing the plight. According to both Dangote and Bono, the new partnership will focus on the most marginalised citizens, particularly girls and women, who face the brunt of poverty and help empower those most at risk from extreme poverty, extreme climate and extreme ideology. Specifically, Dangote said: “I am in ONE and partners across Nigeria to strengthen civil society and help the government respond to our ongoing health needs and the urgent malnutrition crisis in North-east Nigeria. ONE’s extensive network of youth groups and its 2.3 million members will help bring international attention to and action on these issues. All of us can and must do more.” On his part, Bono, an ambassador for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the leader of the rock group, U2, said: ”I am proud to be standing alongside Dangote, whose foundation works for the future of Nigeria and Africa through its young people. The youth of Nigeria, Africa and indeed everywhere are like rocket fuel- there are no limits to how far they can go, they can transform the continent-or they can blow up in your face. Harnessing their energy requires investment in their education, employment and healthcare.” Bono said he was particularly heartbroken at the condition of displaced persons-some children never knew their parents and some severely malnourished. A particular account was painted by Dangote, where Bono asked a woman in Borno State why she had not breastfed her child – only for the woman to strip her chest bare, revealing her breasts and telling Bono she had no milk to give to the child – once again, depicting the horrible condition of the humanitarian crisis at hand. However, the new partnership will help amplify the calls of million of Nigerian ONE members, who have been campaigning for years on issues including health, anti-corruption and agriculture. This year’s Make Naija Stronger campaign calls for the government to deliver on its commute, net to invest more in healthcare. ONE campaign is a powerful global advocacy group which was instrumental in Nigeria’s debt cancellation, which led to its exit from the Paris Club and it’s incursion into the country at the request of Dangote is expected to produce more concrete results in the rebuilding of the North-east.

Keynote address by the Vice President Federal Republic of Nigeriaat the meeting of the National Council on Development Planning (NCDP), held in Kano, Kano State on Thursday, august 25, 2016

Keynote address by the Vice President Federal Republic of Nigeria His Excellency Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON,

Protocol I am delighted to be here with you today for this very important meeting of the National Council on Development Planning (NCDP) taking place in this historic and dynamic city of Kano.　 I must say how honored i am to be so warmly welcomed. I thank the Kano State Government under the leadership of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje for the warm hospitality extended to me and all participants here.　 Similar appreciation goes to the leadership of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning for the arrangements made to ensure the successful convening of this meeting. 　 This Council meeting is well timed and well thought out, as it enables effective partnership and cooperation amongst all tiers of government to envision our collective future while tackling the challenges facing the economy. Your deliberations will also complement the on-going process of articulating the medium term sector strategy 2017-2019 and the 2017 Budget. The focus of the 2016 NCDP’s meeting is on　　"National Strategic Planning as Vehicle for Attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria" This focus is　appropriate indeed.　 　 It shows the intrinsic link between planning and expected outcomes, in this case the SDGs.　 The adoption of the SDGs in September 2015 was intended to place our world on the path of sustainable development by the year 2030. The 17 SDGs which combine economic, social and environmental objectives are intended to be universal unlike the Millennium Development Goals which were meant solely for developing countries.　 The universal application of the SDGs and their 169 targets show that they are a menu of options.　 This allows implementation to take account of different national realities, capacities, policies and priorities. In the Nigerian context, some of the issues that must engage our minds relate to economic diversification, boosting economic growth, eradication of extreme poverty, promoting social inclusion, creating jobs and stemming environmental degradation including climate change.　 　 The empirical evidence from across the globe has shown that national strategic planning is very critical for attaining structural transformation and sustainable development.　 The countries of East Asia have proved this convincingly even though their development was largely private sector driven.　 Such plans provide strategic direction, coherence and coordination.　 They are indeed a framework for guiding the activities of all stakeholders towards achieving a common goal. Planning specifics such as goals, targets and indicators which embody the SDGs also enable tracking, monitoring and evaluation. Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen- Successful implementation of strategic plans and attainment of the SDGs entail partnerships as encapsulated in Goal 17-which is about the need to create　 (global) partnerships in order to attain sustainable development.　 Accordingly, just as the Federal Government seeks international partnerships at the global level with regard to rules and resources, we also seek partnerships at the national level.　 Such domestic partnerships entails working closely with the States which is one of the main reasons for the establishment of NCDP.　 Other essential partnerships are also being built with other sectors of society especially the private sector which is the　 indisputable engine of growth in successful economies. Let me now speak about some of the things that the Buhari Administration is doing with regard to strengthening short and medium term planning.　 We have strengthened the link between budgeting and strategic planning by merging the National Planning Commission with the Budget Office of the Federation.　 We have adopted Zero-based Budgeting which compels the interrogation of public expenditure at micro levels and allows effective deployment of limited financial resources to areas and sectors with the greatest need.　 We have used a short-term strategic implementation plan to guide the 2016 budget and just yesterday the Federal Executive Council approved the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the Fiscal Strategy Paper　 which are fully consistent with the SDGs and AU Agenda 2063. The strategic priorities of the Federal Government in the area of tackling insecurity, combatting corruption and growing the economy will undoubtedly find expression in any medium term plan.　 The same is true for the policy interventions in the Strategic Implementation Plan notably with regard to the policy, security and governance; diversification of the economy; power, rail and roads; oil and gas reforms; ease of doing business and social investments.　 　 The commitment of the Buhari Administration to promoting broader macroeconomic and structural reform is obvious in our push to mitigate supply-side constraints. With the deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector there has been a significant increase in the availability of petrol throughout the country with savings of　N1.4 trillion on subsidy payments alone. Also a more flexible exchange rate regime will help to ease the pressure on the external reserves.　 In the short run of course there will be consequences for inflation,　 but we expect that with the greater clarity we are seeing in the implementation of the policy by the CBN, the foreign exchange market will stabilise, and confidence will be restored.　 With regard to diversification, agriculture is a major priority of this government. The obvious gains are food security and a reduction in the financial burden and pressure on foreign exchange resulting from importing foods that we can produce.　 We are therefore looking to self sufficiency in a number of key types of produce including rice, wheat and tomato paste, while scaling up the export of traditional and non-traditional crops like cocoa, cassava, cashew and sesame seeds. A strategic framework for coherent coordination of trade, industrial and investment activities is also being developed.　 A mixture of support instruments and incentives will be used to bring about growth in sectors that are critical for economic revitalization, especially in agriculture, agri-business, agro-processing, and SMEs promotion.　 It will also leverage the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan comprising Nigeria Automotive Development Plan, National Sugar Master Plan, and Local Patronage Initiative.　 I urge State Governments to key into and get maximum leverage from these initiatives. Indeed, infrastructural development is being accorded priority in current interventions with total capital budgetary releases from January to July 2016 amounting to over 50% of total budget that has been released to the MDAs going to these needs. If security is added, this rises to over 70% with the Presidential Initiative for the North East being prioritized in order to give a new lease of life to our people in North East.　 Some of the key Sustainable Development Goals relate to the social sector which is very much in tandem with the priorities in our social intervention programme.　 Just as conditional cash transfers address Goal 1 which aims to eliminate extreme poverty, we are also tackling Goal 2 which aims for zero hunger through our Home Grown School Feeding Programme which was launched in July 2016.　 The Teacher Corps programme to put 500,000 unemployed young graduates to work meets the objectives of Goal 4 on quality education and Goal 8 which is about employment. 　 In other words, our on-going interventions speak to the ultimate aim of the SDGs to get people out of poverty and address health and education issues of children and other vulnerable groups.　 It is important to emphasise that neither planning nor implementation can gain much traction without strong governments and institutions . The capacity to implement is largely a function of the ability of state institutions to deliver social goods. Public health for example, eradicating Polio, AIDS, Laser fever, Ebola, depends so completely on , well funded, well resourced healthcare systems. A healthcare system organised to respond promptly, efficiently and robustly will save more lives and livelihoods than one that is less endowed. The capacity to enforce not just law and order, but social services like immunisation, public education programmes,　 is the very essence of Statehood.　 Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,　 　Let me take this opportunity to highlight the African Union Development Agenda which is described as　　"Ágenda 2063", to which Nigeria, has subscribed.　 Agenda 2063 seeks to develop an Afro-Centric or home grown development framework that is predicated on harnessing the vast opportunities of the continent, as well as proffering solutions towards addressing the peculiar challenges African Nations are faced with in the current global sphere. It is a call to action to all segments of African Society to work together to build a common future and destiny as espoused in the AU vision. It represents a source of inspiration for the development of national and regional sustainable development plans.　 The task before us　 therefore requires finding ways to promote partnership and collaboration in the articulation of a strategic national plan that that is aligned to the SDGs and the AU Agenda 2063. I enjoin you to participate actively in all related activities such as taking stock of the country's performance particularly on the defunct MDGs, convening multi-stakeholders dialogues and validations at zonal levels, and the work of Technical Working Groups. Such active participation will ensure that the concerns, interests and aspirations of our people are reflected in annual budgets and national development plans.　 It will also quite naturally help to ensure effective implementation. Other critical challenges we will face in mainstreaming and implementing the SDGs are in the areas of implementation capacity, needs assessment & costing, financing etc etc. Others include rationalisation of the 169 targets and identification of the ones that are most relevant to our specific needs, situation and challenges, and harnessing baseline and disaggregated data needed to monitor progress. Your contributions on how these issues can be addressed would be invaluable. Excellencies,　 Strategic planning may sound academic or esoteric but the truth is that no modern economy has made notable progress without strategic planning.　 I must say that governments in Nigeria have never been short of good ideas ,　 good intentions, or even good plans. but one of the key difficulties is just that ability to keep to the plan, plodding through day by day, doing the routine things that eventually fulfil a　 plan. The discipline to stay focussed over the long term is crucial to the success of any plan. To do so as a team requires even harder work, but success in any aspect of State building requires just that -hardwork. Nigeria is well placed in terms of human and natural endowment to be a thought leader and economic role model in Africa and indeed globally. I am confident that if we remain positive, determined and focused our country can achieve such lofty goals　 and great heights that we have set for ourselves.　 　Permit me to again　 thank the National Council on development planning for their kind invitation to me to be here, and　 may I wish you a very fruitful and productive meeting and look forward to receiving the outcomes of this meeting and another invitation next year. Thank you all. Copyright 2014 State House Abuja. A

TURNING POINT - The Power of a Dream

Martin Luther King Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist who was a leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs. King became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, serving as its first president. With the SCLC, King led an unsuccessful 1962 struggle against segregation in Albany, Georgia (the Albany Movement), and helped organize the 1963 nonviolent protests in Birmingham, Alabama. King also helped to organize the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. There, he established his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history. "I Have a Dream" is a public speech delivered by American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, in which he calls for an end to racism in the United States and called for civil and economic rights. Delivered to over 250,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the speech was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement. Beginning with a reference to the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed millions of slaves in 1863, King observes that: "one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free". Toward the end of the speech, King departed from his prepared text for a partly improvised peroration on the theme "I have a dream", prompted by Mahalia Jackson's cry: "Tell them about the dream, Martin!" In this part of the speech, which most excited the listeners and has now become its most famous, King described his dreams of freedom and equality arising from a land of slavery and hatred. Jon Meacham writes that, "With a single phrase, Martin Luther King Jr. joined Jefferson and Lincoln in the ranks of men who've shaped modern America". The speech was ranked the top American speech of the 20th century in a 1999 poll of scholars of public address. I HAVE A DREAM SPEECH Martin Luther King's I have a dream speech August 28 1963 I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity. But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an shameful condition. In a sense we've come to our nation's Capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check; a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children. It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges. But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our chlidren are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "for whites only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, that one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exhalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I will go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning, "My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrims' pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring." And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that; let freedom ring from the Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" CONCLUSION Barack Obama on November 4th ,2008 won the Presidential election to become the first African-American President of the United States and a fulfillment of hundred years of African-American aspirations and Martin Luther King's Dream of over four decades.I don't know your Dreams but Whatever may be your God given dreams,by the power in the blood of Jesus you will achieve it today. If you Believe say and type a Big Amen.