Dr. Chidi Topaz Olujie and Mal. Haruna Mohammed, the incumbent president and vice president of NNAD has no doubt become synonymous with humility, sincerity, excellence, prudent human and material resources management within and outside the NNAD’s boundaries- for their ability to match words with actions.
The two gentlemen dived into the murky waters of NNAD’s politics earlier than the 2020 when the entire good Nigerian Deaf community who had envied and admired their brilliant personalities and outstanding individual achievement in various life endeavours thronged from every angle – and spoke plainly with one voice that the duo are the right men NNAD needed for its urgent socio-economic revival and structural advancement.
Its almost four years ago when the thriving Deaf Nigerians from all walks of life came together to overwhelmingly elected Dr. Chidi Topaz Olujie and Mal. Haruna Mohammed in kano as the president and vice president of NNAD, this well intentioned choice made by the majority of Deaf Nigerians was largely determined by the duo’s unique antecedent as an outstanding, exceptional achievers who had seen it all as far as managing Deaf affairs is concerned.
These are men of great repute, men of intellectual acumen and social crusaders to the core. They came up with a powerful mission statement and guiding principles which was directly anchored towards promoting principles of equality for all, probity, transparency, accountability and above all respect for the supremacy of NNAD’s constitution, which they follow religiously and pursued for the realization of their administration’s policies and programmes.
Barely three and a half years of their stewardship in office, the duo has transformed NNAD into an enviable and viable entity that is capable of rubbing shoulders with other progressive associations within and outside the country. Such indeed is a highest level of accomplishment expected of every leader running an organization peculiar to NNAD.
Needless to say the self-sustaining, people-oriented and humanity-centred policies and programmes they have initiated, executed and implemented within a short spell such as : reviving the decaying Deaf education through the instrumentality of Deaf E3 project, second National Deaf Education Summit, drafting and adoption of a brand new constitution, youth and women leadership summits, promotion of Nigerian Sign Language (NSL), youth empowerment through capacity building training and hustling for the employment of unemployed Deaf Nigerians across board, to mention but a few have without mincing words brought them huge recognition, respect and admiration within the plank and ranks of thriving Deaf Nigerians from all walks of life – especially among the prospective delegates who are leaving no stone unturned to ensure they cast their massive votes for them again in the upcoming election in Ogun State come this year’s September by the grace of God.
Interestingly, as if that was not enough, the duo’s outstanding ability to derive and define leadership by reality which they dexterically demonstrated throughout the past three and a half years in various programmes and policies executed by the current administration which has direct bearing on the lives of Deaf Nigerians has equally been hugely recognized and welcomed by even the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) leadership, leading to the recent overwhelming acknowledgement and election of Dr. Chidi Topaz Oluijie as president of WCARS representing West and Central Africa in the WFD. Such is a feat that calls for massive celebration not only by Nigerian Deaf community but the whole of Africa at large.
We wish Dr. Chidi Topaz Oluijie and Mal Haruna Mohammed, our newest breed in NNAD’s political firmament, and Delegates’ choice in the making, a resounding victory at the fast approaching NNAD election.