INTRODUCTORY SPEECH DELIVERED BY AMBASSADOR HAMEED OPELOYERU
AT THE FIRST LEBANESE NIGERIAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL, 20 OCTOBER 2007

Mr. Chairman, His Excellency, Foreign Minister Fawzi Saloukh Ably represented by Ambassador Basam El-Niimani, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 Distinguished Heads of Diplomatic Mission

 My Lords Spiritual and Temporal

 Chairman and Members of Board of Trustees of the Lebanese Nigerian Friendship Association

 Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

  It is with a great honour and delight that I welcome you, on behalf of the organizers of this event, which is taking place under the auspices of the Embassy of Nigeria, Beirut. To say that this is an epoch-making event should be seen as a statement of fact and not an act of immodesty.

  This Cultural Festival is unique because it is the first to be organized under the umbrella of the Lebanese Nigerian Friendship Association. There is no doubt that the organizers have been inspired by their collective and individual passion to showcase, on a regular and sustainable basis, the rich cultural heritage of their two countries, respectively situated in two distinct regions of Africa and Middle East. Lebanon and Nigeria have related to one another since the close of the 19^th Century.

  The idea of creating a permanent forum to promote awareness within Lebanon on the experiences, through which these two peoples have passed, is aimed at consolidating the cordial relations, which exist between Lebanon and Nigeria. It is equally aimed at showing our brothers and sisters, who have not had occasion to travel to Nigeria, the high level of socio-cultural exchanges and affinities that have characterized relations between Lebanese and Nigerian peoples. It is our aim to continue to promote friendship between the two countries in all other areas through showcasing the social and cultural dimensions of our excellent bilateral relations. 

  Accordingly, today's event is what is being referred to in business parlance as “buy one and get one free”. Apart from staging an entire cultural extravaganza in the form of arts and cultural displays, this occasion is also being used to launch the Lebanese-Nigerian Friendship Association, which is planned to sponsor and midwife these socio-cultural activities on a permanent basis. The Programme’s pamphlet already distributed to you gives a brief synopsis of the activities and objectives of this Association and I would not bore you with further details.

  Permit me, Mr. Chairman to express on behalf of myself and members of the Embassy of Nigeria, Beirut our sincere appreciation to members of the Board of Trustees of the Lebanese Nigerian Friendship Association. They acted veritably like Boys’ Scouts when the original idea of this Association was mooted. Most of them were members of the Working Committee that saw to the packaging of the details of the Association and have continued to follow through until this very day.  They owe us Sukran Jazeelan for their kindness and magnanimity. I would also wish to seek your indulgence to hereby recognize the nine distinguished members of this Board as follows:

1.  Hon. William Zard Abou-Jaoude

2.  Mr. Michel Attrib           

3.  Mr. Mohammed Hassan Fadhlahlah

4.  Mr. Baheej Ghreizy

5.  Mr. Essam Moukarem

6.  Mr. George Nabhan

7.  Mr. Jawad Roda

8.  Mr. Hani Safiedeen

9.  Mr. Joseph Taktuk

  I must also express our sincere thanks to the officials who have made this Festival possible. When I talk of Boys’ Scouts, we also have those who played the role of the traditional Girls’ Guides Vanguard. I must recognise the unrelenting contribution of Mrs. Jenny Atrib and her colleagues in the Arts Gallery Sub-Committee for their dedication and selflessness.

  Last but not the least, I must express appreciation to all those who contributed time and material towards the success of this event. The artefacts, cultural materials and the “chop-chop” were sourced from personal collections of members, thereby depicting the genuine attachment of these persons to the socio-cultural networks of Nigeria.  

  At this juncture, let me thank our Chairman, Minister Fawzy Saloukh, who is ably represented by Ambassador Bassam El-Ni’man, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs for his invaluable support for this project. I must also salute the contribution of Mr. Haitham Jum'a, Director-General of the Directorate General of Migration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His guidance and invaluable counsel has facilitated our work very greatly.

  I would wish, by way of introduction, to acknowledge the sacrifice of my brothers, the masters of today’s ceremony for accepting this tasking job. 

  Also as a form of important announcement, I wish to bring to your kind attention the goodwill messages received from Their Excellencies President Emile Lahoud and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora on the occasion of this Festival and the inauguration of LENIFRA. We are grateful to both the President and the Prime Minister for their continued support and leadership.

  Finally, I wish each and every one of our distinguished guests good time and happy hours throughout the day and tomorrow. I thank you all.

 20 October 2007

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