The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • APC as a party for all

    SIR: The embattled leading political party in Nigeria, The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should wake up from its deep slumber and face reality; it is high time PDP leaders and loyalists stop accusing the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) of promoting religious differences and disunity in the country.

    It is interesting to note that through several    comments made by PDP leaders and their loyalists’ one can easily deduce that this party is highly religious and sentimental. It is clear to all Nigerians that PDP is desperate to win the coming general elections, and this is evident through the lack of issue focus in their political rallies. It is disheartening to hear the vice president of the country, Namadi Sambo stressing that PDP is a Muslim party, and that the party accommodates Muslims. He made this statement during a recent campaign rally in Minna, Niger State capital.

    Many may think that the Christians community in Nigeria is against the APC candidature of Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), but our northern Christian Brethren spoke otherwise. Upon his declaration as the winner of the APC primaries election on Thursday, December 11, 2014 in Lagos, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), while reading his acceptance speech, said it was time for Nigerians of all gender, ethnicity and religion to unite for the common good of the country.

    But since Buhari made this clarion call, all hell seemed to have been let loose on him. In many quarters, Buhari, a Muslim, is seen as a cruel religious extremist. This is because of his no-nonsense stance on corruption. On several occasions, Buhari has tried to disabuse the minds of the people on his religious position. This is one of the reasons why he has been choosing Christians as his running mate since his entry into partisan politics.

    In 2003, he picked the late Dr Chuba Okaddigbo, a south eastern Christian as his running mate in that year’s presidential election. Another Christian, the late Ume Ezeoke, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, also from the south east, emerged as his running mate in 2007. After the two unsuccessful attempts, Buhari changed style by picking Pastor Tunde Bakare, a fiery preacher from southwest, as his running mate in 2011. But he also failed in that presidential election. Now, he has gone for a Lagos pastor, also from the southwest, Professor Yemi Osinbanjo, as his running mate in the coming 2015 presidential election.

    This false, divisive narrative that if Buhari wins the forthcoming presidential election, he will Islamize Nigeria was adopted by the ruling government and PDP as their strategy to prevent the inevitable change that

    our country and people desire and require. And they have succeeded in making some of us victims of the tales which they invent, propagate and sell as gospel truth to gullible listeners, even though it is all nothing but a tissue of lies.

    Fellow Nigerians, the issue of religion should always, be a matter of personal conviction, and should not be given room to dictate our political ideology or be of any consequence when it comes to election. Government has no business preferring one religion to the other. The role of government is to protect lives and property of citizens and to also respect and protect their constitutional rights.

    Our constitution, which in many respects is similar to the American constitution, does not permit a state religion. The Sharia identified in the constitution is almost synonymous with customary law. It is only

    applicable in matters of personal status such as marriage, divorce and inheritance. So therefore, Sharia cannot be the law of Nigeria.

    Apparently, it has regrettably appeared that religion and ethnicity, rather than proficiency and sagacity, amongst other leadership qualities, have consistently played a role in the political leadership of Nigerian.

    All that Nigerians need are competent leaders who will significantly abate corruption and reduce unemployment to near zero level. Nigerians should know that this is the moment to define our destinies come March 28 presidential election. We should vote based on track records of aspirants and their present manifestoes. We shouldn’t allow ourselves to be carried away by religious or ethnic affiliation, rather we should perform our civic right objectively.

    Poverty does not know religion, it doesn’t know Muslim, it doesn’t know Christians, it doesn’t know Hausa, and it doesn’t know Yoruba or Fulani. Poverty is poverty. The truth remains that APC does not have any religious

    agenda whatsoever and looks more like the party to take the country to the next level.

     

    • Judith Felix, LAPAI,

    Niger state.

  • Still on the Chibok girls

    SIR: By the 10th of March 2015, it was precisely 330 days, since the abduction of over 200 girls from a government secondary school in Chibok town, Borno state. It is sad that up till now, the government has not provided any genuine or tangible information about the whereabouts of the girls-11 months after their abduction. It is most unfortunate that despite global intelligence partnership, the girls’ whereabouts remain a mystery, thereby foreclosing any thought of getting them free soonest by this inept government.

    With over eight billion dollars reportedly spent on security in the past four years, the federal government ought to have rescued these Chibok girls and all other Nigerians in terrorists’ bondage. That will, at least, to a reasonable extent justify those billions spent in the name of security. Until early this month, the more the government is spending more money on security, the more unsecured Nigerians and Nigeria become. There is the need for budget to be secured first, from corruption, before we can achieve any meaningful national security.

    It is at the apogee of sadness and regrets that Nigerians have virtually been compelled to temporarily forget the Chibok girls, as if nothing of that magnitude has happened. Only Hadiza Bala and Oby Ezekwesili remain the leading vanguard of this struggle to get the girls back to their parents. What a shame to a country professing to be the most populous in the African continent. There is God ooo!

    Nigeria still unfortunately has more than 11 million out of school children. The government should wake up to its responsibilities and secure Nigerians and Nigeria. May Allah give us good leaders after this coming presidential election and; may the elections be free, fair and credible. Amen.

     

    • Comrade Abdulbaqi Aliyu Jari

    Facebook.com/abdulbaqia.jari

  • My prayer for Adeboye at 73

    SIR: On this occasion of your 73rd birthday, my family and I join several Nigerians in congratulating you. I also seize this opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you for your ceaseless prayers for Nigeria and Nigerians.

    Your continued dedication to the service of God has drawn the admiration of many within Nigeria and around the globe.

    I pray that God in His infinite mercy grant you renewed strength and health, and the grace of many more years to provide your most distinguished pastoral care and leadership to Nigerians and the international Christian community.

    Happy birthday and more of God’s blessing on you and your family, amen.

     

    • Pastor (Dr) Olu Onagoruwa SAN, OFR

    Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos.

  • Open Letter to Patience Jonathan

    SIR: Dear Dame Jonathan, I hope all is well with you and your family? Let me begin by apologising for conveying this message to you through this medium. If it were possible, I would have preferred to converse with you directly to obviate the public backlash that may likely be occasioned by this open letter.

    Madam, be rest assured that before writing this long innocuous letter, I had dispassionately ruminated over the possible consequences of an ‘ordinary’ citizen like me engaging the most ‘vociferous’, powerful and dreaded woman of the most populous black nation on earth. I equally adverted my mind to the fact that you are not only a married woman but the wife of the President and Commander – In – Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I did that because in my culture, it is not permissible to express perceivable insolence towards a married woman.

    Let me quickly state that this cultural immunity is not rigid. The immunity is liable to be disregarded, taken away or waived. When a married woman exudes total contempt for acceptable cultural, moral, ethical and legal prescriptions and standards without reference and regard to her marital status she is deemed to have waived this immunity and will be treated like any other person. Just in case you are oblivious of the non – recognition of the office of the First Lady by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and by any other law in Nigeria, may I humbly put you on notice that a ‘First Lady’ whether of Nigeria or of a state of the federation is and remains and unconstitutional being. It is a creation of the society and the political class not law.

    Being the wife of the president or governor does not make one a public officer; it does not confer any legally cognizable privilege or right.

    Whatever respect and recognition is accorded you and wives of governors by other citizens of this country is purely out of courtesy. It is not because they stand to lose anything if they don’t respect you. It does not also imply that they regard you as anything more than what you are; a woman that happens to be the wife of the president. Recall that Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka had admonished you in the past to first be a lady before being a “first lady”. He also described you as a “mere domestic appendage “. Mr. Soyinka actually spoke the minds of millions of Nigerians especially we the “collective children of anger”.

    During one of your recent needless campaign tour(s), you reportedly described the presidential candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress ( APC ), General Muhammadu Buhari as “brain dead”. An unfortunate outburst that has been upheld and reiterated by the spokesperson of your husband’s second term campaign organization, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode who is presently standing trial on corruption charges. Haba Madam! Is it not you that is called ‘Mama Peace’? Cases of political rivalry abound in other parts of the country because of your meddlesome and autocratic actions in the politics and affairs of this country.

    Please do not get me wrong, it is not my wish that you or the future wives of presidents and governors of this country be confined to the kitchen. Indeed, I am an advocate of women emancipation.

    Dear first lady, you are not the first woman on planet earth whose husband is privileged to be the president of a country. Others were before you, and many will be after you. So there is nothing peculiar or spiritual in being the wife of the president of a country. It’s time you retrace your steps and retreat from your inglorious war of attrition and campaign of calumny against weak and innocent people. Why should Lagos, Rivers and other states be shut down because of your visits? Why should innocent citizens be subjected to untold hardship because of your movement(s )?.

    No self – respecting woman will act and talk in a manner capable of portraying her husband as weak and irresponsible.

    Always be mindful of the fact that Nigeria is greater than the first family. It is greater than Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Without Nigeria, there will be no country for your husband to lead. And without your husband you will not be the wife of the president. Nigerians are not prepared to tolerate another four years of the locust. In 2011, your husband told us the story of his humble and undignified childhood; that he had no shoes.

    We were seduced, we voted for him in the hope that he will appreciate the historical significance of his election. Instead of paying us back with responsible and God fearing leadership, he took away our tattered slippers and gave it to the dogs. Now again, he thinks his ethnic, religious and hypocritical messages will secure him a second term.

    Chai, there is God ooo!

     

    • Inibehe Effiong,

    (From African Examiner)

  • PDP now operates as opposition party

    The ruling party in this country, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), would create history and also be listed in The Guinness Book of Records as a party in power but operating as opposition.

    After the election of 2011, no sane person would believe the self-acclaimed largest party in Africa would find itself in this tight corner of defending most of the policies and programmes of the party with difficulty.

    It’s a well known fact, that before, if you were contesting under PDP in any platform you could go to sleep because victory was assured in any election. However, that has changed for now.

    With the coming of All Progressives Congress (APC) as a legitimate opposition party, the ruling party has been having sleepless nights on how to go about to convince Nigerians to elect the party in this coming election.

    PDP, as a political party, in spite of being in government and with its war chest, is finding it difficult to sell itself to Nigerians unlike what we all saw in the past before any election.

    The recent campaign undertaken by the party across the country has exposed the struggle of the ruling party to stay afloat and be relevant in the scheme of things in this country.

    The party is so divided that in most of its campaigns it has always been alleged of buying crowd to attend. The stoning and destruction of posters and bill boards by the same PDP members have been seen in places like Bauchi, Kastina, Taraba and all PDP states; it shows the centre can no longer hold for the ruling party this time around.

    As the general elections of March 28 and April 11, 2015 draw near, what would be the fate of a ruling party that is gradually turning into an opposition party?

    We keep our fingers crossed.

     

    •By Bala Nayashi

    Lokoja, Kogi State.

  • Water, water nowhere in Benin…!

    I write to draw the attention of the Edo State government to the sorry state of potable drinking water in Benin City.

    I recall that as a young lad, we used to have public water taps where we went to get water.  The water from these taps were not only good for all domestic purposes, we could also drink from them as well. You could find these water taps on almost every street in Benin, and as a matter of fact, they were more in areas where the poor man, who couldn’t afford to rent a three-bedroom flat, lived.

    But today, sir, all the water taps have disappeared. What has gone wrong, and if indeed something has gone wrong, why is it taking the government this long to provide a very basic human need like water?

    I recall that there was once a reservoir of water built during the military government of Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia. It was from here that the whole of Benin City got water. Therefore, I do not understand why the government in Edo State cannot build another one, just so as to give the poor people of Edo State access to clean, safe and potable water. Do you know how much an average family, school or hospital spend on buying sachet and bottle water?

    Trust me, sir, the current method of relying on sachet water which source and quality is suspect only helps to endanger the health of the good people of Edo State and Nigeria in general. May I also use this medium to decry the present habit of sinking boreholes in nearly every home in Benin City, especially in the GRA. Sinking of boreholes in residential areas like the GRA is a threat to the environment because there are cities around the world today which have experienced earthquakes because of the indiscriminate sinking of boreholes.

    I make bold to say that it is the failure of government, across board, from the local, state and federal levels, that has forced Nigerians from all walks of life to resort to water from boreholes and sachets. This has to stop. These governments must sit up.

     

    •By Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku,

    Africa Network for Environment & Economic Justice, (ANEEJ),

    Benin City.

  • Ugwuanyi’s legal victory: Matters arising

    Recently, a Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a suit filed by the outgoing Senator representing Enugu North Senatorial District, Senator Anyaogu Eze, challenging the victory of Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, winner of the last PDP Governorship Primary conducted in Enugu State.

    Eze approached the court praying that it should hold that a sister court presided over by Justice Adeniyi Ademola endorsed the delegate list his faction of the party used in conducting the parallel primary which produced him as governorship candidate as authentic.

    But, in his judgment, Justice Evoh Chukwu held that the harmonised list which produced Hon. Ugwuanyi as governorship candidate subsists; meaning that the primary election which trumped up Ugwuanyi as PDP Governorship candidate for Enugu State is the authentic primary that is duly recognised.

    He further noted that, the order of the sister court which Senator Eze relied on to hold a parallel primary was merely declarative and not mandatory. Adding that only one primary was held by the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) in accordance with the stipulated rule in section 89 (4) of the Electoral Act.

    The enthralling celebration and happiness which enveloped the whole state on hearing the victory of Ugwuanyi is a true testimony that he is the choice of the people. Let it be said again that since democracy returned to Nigeria in 1999 and as its currently being practiced in Enugu, there has never been any candidate that has enjoyed public acceptability like the candidature of Hon. Ugwuanyi!

    The difference is that while Eze found himself in the Red Chamber, Ugwuanyi found himself at the Green Chamber but, like I have always believed, it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runeth, but is of the Lord that showeth mercy (Romans 9:16). In this regard, the people of Enugu State have made their choice, instead of fighting against their decision, he should shelve any plan in that direction and join hands with Gburugburu to bring victory to the party come April 11, because the voice of the people is the voice of God.

     

    By Edwin Uhara,

  • Reduce rail fares

    Reduce rail fares

    THIS is a special appeal to the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris A. Umar, on the rail fares and services.

    The rail fares being paid by commuters and travellers are exorbitant. People are not happy with the situation, and they do not hide this, as they complain openly.

    If the fares paid by the travellers can be justified, the ones paid by commuters cannot be defended. The commuters now pay as much as N230 or N750, depending on the train boarded, for a journey between Ogun and Lagos states or within Ogun or Lagos states.

    I want reductions in the fares paid by travellers and commuters, and these should be urgently done. Justifying the fares paid by travellers will be unfair to them, considering the biting current economic climate in the country.

    On the rail services, most of the trains now in use are not good. They are not comfortable; they get to stations late; they break down unexpectedly and they are very dirty.

    I want the minister to look into these issues in order to bring about a good rail system in the country.

     

    Akinwale Festus,

    Ifo, Ogun State.

  • Replace our transformer

    THIS is to call the attention of Senator Ike Ekweremadu to the suffering of the people of Ubaha Awlaw in the Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State.

    The suffering is that the whole community is in darkness as a result of their burnt transformer.

    Our elders have made efforts to no avail to replace the transformer. As our representative, I want the senator to replace the transformer for us.

    Senator Ekweremadu, you have been helping people without attaching conditions to the aids rendered. We need your help urgently. Please, do not disappoint us.

    We shall be expecting a new transformer in our community soon.

     

    Tochi Ekwem, Ubaha Awlaw,

    Enugu State.

  • No distribution of PVCs in Aganmathen community in Lagos

    THIS is a message for Professor Attahiru Jega, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). And we want him to take an urgent action on it.

    Many people of our community, Aganmathen, in the Ajara area of the Badagry Central Local Government Area of Lagos State, are yet to get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    As we write this, over 5,000 people from four of the eight units in the community who were duly registered by the INEC during the second registration of eligible voters are yet to collect their cards.

    No INEC officials came to the units to distribute the cards, and when the INEC Office at Ibereko was visited in order to collect them, they were all disappointed. The officials could not give a satisfactory answer on the non-availability of the cards.

    The affected units are 14, 17, 18 and 19. Also another unit  in Ajara Topo is also affected.

    We did the registration as a condition for voting those that will represent us in the governance of our beloved country, state and local government. Why is the INEC trying to disenfranchise us from performing our legitimate duty?

    Last Wednesday, members of the community protested at the INEC Office, displaying placards urging the electoral body to give them their cards.

    During the protest, the Electoral Officer at Ibereko, Mr Odu Chinedu I.S, was said to have gone to Lagos for an official assignment. Mr Ilo Frednard, who attended to us, promised that the commission would look into the matter within one week. He said there was a hitch with the registration in Units 14 and 15, while the cards of other units were being expected from Abuja.

    Another officer of the INEC blamed the problem on wrong coding, adding that the INEC would not want a situation where coding problem would prevent the electorate from voting.

    We are appealing to Prof. Jega to look into this matter and give us our PVCs.

    If the cards are not provided, we shall continue to ask for them in a peaceful manner.

     

    Mr Solomon Hunwi, Chief Avosegamu Godonu and Mr Todowede Abel,

    Aganmathen, Lagos State.