And normally, William Dawson, the late LIU chairman, would have given a speech, likely inspiring the graduates who received their tool kits. He passed away back in January, and since then, there have been a cohort of men who have been working together to fill the gap. But now after almost 6 months, the LIU will soon have its next chairlady. Today, the minister confirmed that they have already found the ideal person - a recent university graduate - but that she'll have some big shoes to fill.
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"Yes, in principle, but we are still waiting to sign the contract with the individual. Very well known person to you guys, but it's going to be in the next week or two you're going to learn her name."
"She was already a part of the Leadership Intervention Unit so you'll probably be able to narrow it down very soon. She just concluded her degree program and she's not back home and like I said in principle she has agreed so I'm hoping we can finalize that agreement very soon."
"Certainly she will have to have the support and a good relationship with all of the partners on the ground but at the same time, like I mentioned on the untimely passing of Brother William Dawson, that his role, because he really served many functions, would have to be taken up by multiple individuals. In terms of the current mediation situation, we have a lot of individuals who are filling that role and doing an excellent job at it. We have Footy Gongora, we have Mr Andre Dawson who is brother to William Dawson, we have Geovanni Brackett, we have Sticks as well, and so all of these individuals along with Brother Nuri Muhammed and the commissioner of police all engage in mediation sessions when the time arises but the job of the LIU chair is much greater than that but we have to at all times remember is that the whole purpose of LIU is an all of government approach and so this person will not just have to chair the LIU meetings with civil society, with community activists, with the pastors and businessmen who sit on the LIU but she will also have to implement the strategies that we have come up with, come up with memorandum of understandings with various industries and departments so that they know their part and their role in this entire all of government approach."
