The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • NDDC scholarship: What’s going on?

    SIR: I wish to draw the attention of the authorities to the way the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is toying with the future of youths they are supposed to be committed to building.

    Early this year calls were made by the commission for entries for the Foreign Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme. Exams were held in March in which not less than 4000 youths travelled from all parts of the country even overseas to write.

    Follow-up interviews were conducted and rounded up by April 24, which had no less than 1500 candidates. The successful scholars ought to have departed for studies in September, but as I write, NDDC has not released the final results of this scheme. Not even an official statement on the delay has been issued. Most prospective scholars have lost their admissions that took quite a lot to obtain, not to talk of risks taken travelling from one end of the country to the other to participate in tests and interviews.

    Please, we want to know what is happening to the final list; has the monies allocated for this year’s scholarship been converted for electioneering campaigns?

    Is this the way NDDC is fulfilling their mandate to the youths of the region?

    NDDC is failing its own youths!

     

    • Oluwaraji Rasaki,

    raji_saki@yahoo.com

  • Horn-free Day: Fashola scores another goal

    SIR: Chief Nicholars Lugard, an erudite academic and celebrated administrator gave The Polytechnic Ibadan’s 39th graduation lecture early December 2013. He noted that one of the challenges facing the Nigerian nation of contemporary time is that  Nigerians still celebrate the heroes and heroines of their fathers and grandfathers. The academic chief wondered why our own generation has not had our own heroes and heroines. The chief is not the only one that has fulminated on the tragedy. Many have been known to throw their hands in the air while acclaiming all is lost for Nigeria.

    This hopeless and hapless case changed for the better with the birth of democracy in 1999. Let the truth be told, this dispensation has thrown up some new political heroes who have remained largely unsung. One prominent unsung hero of our time is Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State. A myriad of thought-provoking ingenious acts in Lagos State attest to this. Select ban on Okada on some Lagos roads, though badly politicised by some political  hawks, is one testimony to this. No civilized city in the world use Okada for public transportation. A Christian friend who recently pilgrimaged to Israel told me on coming that he never heard any vehicle touting horn for the over one month he spent in the Holy Land. It is in such civilized acts which accord with global best practices that thumbs up the Fashola’s administration as civilized and in the comity of advanced administration’s anywhere in the world. Noted and agreed that other state governors like Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Rauf Aregbesola of Osun, Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano and Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, a list that crosses political divide, Fashola stands out like a shining star.

    Who says we have no heroes?

     

    • Femi Oyedemi,

     The Polytecnic Ibadan.

     

  • Disband the Super Eagles now

    The Nigeria national team, Super Eagles, has made Nigerians sad by their recent performances toward qualifying the nation for 2015 African Cup of Nation and also defend the cup they won in 2013 in south Africa.

    The total disbandment  of the current Super

    Eagles should be the best option in spite of the outcome of the qualifying matches towards Morocco 2015.

    Since the appointment of Coach Steven Keshi as the national team coach, our Super Eagles did not have a clear pattern of playing and the coaches are bereft of sound technical knowledge of modern football to bring smile to faces of Nigerian.

    Anybody following the matches of our national team, since the appointment of the present coaching crew, what we watch as matches was just wining all the football competition they played  based on individual talents exhibited by all the players.

    When we qualified for the last Nation Cup in South Africa, our group matches were was played with all Nigerians having their hearts in their mouths, because the matches were not the true reflection of teams that are made of champion stuff.

    The three matches played so far by our national team, in qualifying us to Morocco 2015 ,the Super Eagles, show that Nigerias national team need total overhauling to start afresh by inviting serious minded and vibrant players who would give their best and would not place selfish interest above that of national interest.

    It must be noted that other countries passed through  this type of trying period in their football history and they went back to the basic and came out stronger to the admiration of the entire world.

    Football in Nigeria should be seen in context of unification and all hands must be on deck to ensure it’s played to the delight of every Nigerian.

    We should forget the idea of making it to any competition by all means possible without  taking into consideration the role of the beautiful game.

    The time to act is now for our football to move forward like what is attained in other parts of the world.

    – Bala Nayashi, Lokoja, Kogi State

  • CBN and ATM billing

    During the last Eid-el-Kabir (Sallah) holiday, on Sunday to be precise, I did a transaction with my First Bank card at a Guaranty Trust Bank branch close to my residence in Surulere. Everything went on very well as the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) dispensed cash to my satisfaction, but rather unfortunate b,y the machine did not release my card. I was left dumbfounded as to why the machine refused to release my card when I had cashed my money. I waited a while but to no avail.

    On the first working day of the week, I was one of the earliest customers to get into the bank hoping things will be sorted out within minutes, but was shocked as I was told my card had been returned to the closest First Bank branch. Though I am aware of the new Central Bank rules on ATM transactions and card, but I am of the opinion that in this case I was not at fault. I did not press a wrong Personal Identification Number (PIN) nor commit any other error; indeed my transaction was almost completed when the machine refused to release my card.

    I met the bizarre occurrence of my life in First Bank branch as the card had been perforated and cannot be used anymore, I was told I had to fill a form for another card to be issued and was billed N1,000.

    Personally, I consider the payment of this money as a rip-off unbefitting our banking system and customers; everybody is put under general classification.

    My point, therefore, is on what basis I am being made to pay this penalty; as far as I am concerned the machine is at fault for not releasing my card even after dispensing cash. This is an unfair rule that will always assume the user to be at fault even when the machine is wrong, a fool-proof system needs to be put in place to determine why card is not released by the machine.

    I am by this requesting a refund of my N1,000.

     

    – By Badejo Adedeji Nurudeen

    Surulere, Lagos State.

  • Horn -free Day: The Kenyan example

    Travelling is part of learning. I was a member of a team that went on a tour of Nairobi, Kenya between May 2 and 7, 2011.

    The Nairobi weather was so cool that one of the delegates, who were drawn from cooperative societies across Lagos State, commented that the collar of his shirt had no stain, unlike Lagos where the struggling for vehicle and the scorching sun would make one sweat and deposit some of the sweat on one’s clothing.

    Contrary to what I thought, Nairobi had its fair share of traffic jam but the vehicle maintained reasonable distances. The traffic was particularly heavy during the visit as the country was experiencing fuel scarcity and thus had vehicles queuing up at filling stations.

    On the third day of our sojourn, I thought aloud “Don’t they horn in this country?” Others in the vehicle said that they noticed it too and asked one of our guides who replied that blaring one’s vehicle’s horn really made no difference as the vehicle will move only when it was ready to move.

    Why then do we blare the horns in Nigeria thereby causing noise pollution? It makes our situation not even getting better. This provokes questions such as asked by our late musician Sonny Okosun, “Which Way Nigeria?” in one of his albums.

    In Nigeria, our danfo drivers and others have indeed turned vehicular horns into baby toys, blaring ‘pam-pam-pammm’ continuously, even when there is no need to blare the horn or when there was even no obstruction whatsoever on the road.

    May be we need to remind ourselves that the ear drum is a very delicate part of the body which should be protected from noise.

    According to study, sound is picked up by a small, spiral-shaped organ called the cochlea, located within the inner ear. Thousands of tiny hairs in the cochlea sense the vibration and pass the message to the brain via the cochlea nerve.

    These sensitive hairs can be damaged by excessive noise.

    It is important to note that once hearing is damaged, it cannot be restored. I therefore wish to implore you to begin to protect your hearing and those of others by limiting the blaring of vehicular horns and other equipments that produce noise that can damage the ear drums. Pass on this message to others.

    I therefore salute the Lagos State Government for declaring October 15 of every year as a Horn-free Day; the first of which was observed on Wednesday.

     

    – Mrs. Ebun Akin-Falaiye

  • Benue: let’s get it right in 2015

    SIR: Benue State by all ramifications should be a thriving agrarian society but due to vision-less leadership and corrupt minded politicians, the state probably the least developed in the country.

    The food basket of the nation has over the years seen little seen little or no advancement in almost all sectors of the economy. It is riddled with poor road networks, potable drinking water is nearly absent in all corners of the state, high employment rate, dead industries, enormous brain-drain to other states, primary and secondary schools are lacking in basic infrastructure and so many ills to numerous to mention.

    The cause of the many societal ills lies mainly with the political class. The political class of the state care for only itself and not for the future of the state hence wouldn’t shed a tear for the growing poverty in the state. Largely the little infrastructural projects put in place is usually centered at the state’s capital. This trend is not only ugly but inhuman as there are other citizens who stay outside the capital city and deserve the dividends of democracy.

    I want to use the medium to call on all my brothers and sisters from Benue State to come en-mass and vote only leaders with a plan for the state, leaders whose manifesto’s posses the

    spirit to exploit and build on both human and natural resources in other for greatness to be achieved. Let us shun electoral violence, rigging and general misconduct because we will suffer the brunt of evil leadership.

     

    • Ikwuh John

    Otukpo, Benue State

     

  • Re-The Senator Afemaai need 

    I read with disgust, the report of the campaign carried out in Etsako central local government area of Edo state by Professor Julius Ihonvbere in The Nation, October 14, page 57. The professor claimed that he is the most qualified of all the aspirants vying for Edo North Senatorial seat, to represent them at the National Assembly under the platform of All Progressive Congress, APC.

    I want to say the claim by Ihonvbere is wrong; the era of paper qualification as a yardstick for elective position is gone in Nigeria. I want to commend the current senator representing Edo North Senatorial district for his commitment and loyalty to the APC. When others won election on the platform of the then ACN and later defected to the PDP, Senator Domingo Obende remained firm and stood by Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

    With Obende’s performance as senator, and as one loved by the people, I want to disagree with the professor particularly on his claim to be more qualified to represent the zone.    What we need is an individual who can bring the dividend of democracy to the people. Professor Ihonbvere was the presidential aide on project monitoring to former President Olusegun Obasanjo; yet he was unable to influence any project from the federal government to Edo North Senatorial Zone.

    What credentials has he to showcase his professorship? He should stop the campaign of calumny against other aspirants. The current Senator has performed creditably in the 64 wards that make up Edo North with physical projects and distribution of items.

    He has moved motions at the National Assembly that has positive impact on the lives of the people. One of such is the gay law.

    I make bold to say that Senator Domingo Obende deserves a second term in office.

     

    • Afolabi Daodu,

    Akoko-Edo LG, Edo State

     

  • Abia workers’ unpaid salaries

    SIR: When Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and other patriots in the Nigerian Governor’s Forum were raising awareness on the massive misappropriation of the country’s oil earnings and lack of accountability, the PDP led Federal Government went all out to weaken, if not destroy, the governors forum. It suited them to do so in order to have no challenge in their rapacious treasury looting.

    But now, even PDP governors are feeling the pinch, yet none of them can muster the guts to complain. A major fallout of this is the inability of some states – ironically enough, mostly PDP – controlled – to pay workers’ salaries.

    In Abia State, the situation is about one of the worst. For about four months now, primary and secondary school teachers, Abia SUBEB staff and staff of Secondary Education Management Board have not been paid their salaries. (Salaries were last paid for April). Local Government workers were last paid in May. Staff of the state radio and television station, the BCA, are equally being owed salaries running into months as are those of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba. That of Abia Poly was so bad that for eight months no salary was paid to workers until recently when they were paid only four months following a strike.

    The question workers – teacher, LG Staff, Abia SUBEB staff, etc. are asking is:

    What is going on in Abia State? Are the state and local government allocations not coming to Abia State? How is it that the local governments, being run with Governor T. A. Orji’s appointees since 2011, cannot pay salaries given that none of the councils embarked on any meaningful development projects. It is infuriating when the government assails us with propaganda on its so – called Legacy Projects. Who will enjoy these ‘Legacy Projects’? Corpses. When citizens have been starved to death, who then will enjoy those “Legacy Projects”?

    It may suit the Abia State governor to treat workers anyhow because he is not coming up for re-election, but his party, PDP, should note the ill-will his actions is attracting to the party.

    The labour unions – NULGE, NASU, NUT, etc, and the parent body, NLC – should note that their members are disappointed in them for keeping quiet over this matter.

    As for the opposition parties, namely APC and APGA, I urge them to sit up and speak out on the many failings of the T.A. Orji-led government of Abia State. With a good, sustained campaign on the failings of the PDP government in Abia, the opposition will easily defeat the party in the 2015 general elections.

    The governor and his party are forgetting that civil servants constitute a significant part of the population that bothers to vote at elections.

     

    • Ibe A. Uche

    Umuahia

     

     

  • Molete Inferno: Ajimobi and the opposition

    SIR: Tell no lies, claim no easy victory, tell it to the world the way it is -Amical Cabral, former Guinea Bissau President.

    People who witnessed what happened in Oyo State, especially in Ibadan, the state capital, between 2003 and 2011 will testify that the present administration has left no one in doubt as to the development going on.

    Recall that when this present administration came on board, he met a lot of infrastructural decay. For example, Ibadan used to be second to none in the list the dirtiest cities in Africa before Governor Abiola Ajimobi came on board but everybody is now proud to be associated with the new Ibadan where decency has been restored.

    Determined to restore the lost glories, Ajimobi swung into action and started with beautification projects and infrastructural development. In the process, the government was forced to demolish some shanties and illegal structures to pave away for the much needed restoration. And that process has attracted many investors to the state.

    Road side traders were the worst hit. We cannot really blame the government because security of lives should be taken more importantly by any leader but the people have forgotten that all these are in their best interest. They cried and shouted that Ajimobi has taken their means of livelihood.

    The government had peeped into the future, sensing the negative effect posed by street trading. Many people had lost their lives not only when vehicles skidded off the road but through the numerous high tension wires beside the roads. These made the governor to dwell more on how to avert avoidable deaths.

    I could remember how I felt seven years ago when my mother’s shop was demolished in Isale-Eko of Lagos. I thought the life was coming to an end but today, we are one of those heaping praises on Governor Fashola for the developmental strides he has recorded in Lagos.

    That brings me to the issue of the petrol tanker which somersaulted last Saturday night beside the Molete bridge, spilling its content in the process. The inferno led to the death of over 17 people, including traders, while many sustained various degrees of injuries.

    Apart from those who died and sustained injuries, over 20 vehicles, 23 motorcycles, many shops and goods worth several millions of naira were also destroyed.

    I almost burst into tears watching Governor Ajimobi at the Molete scene of the tanker fire where over 17 people lost their lives. I overheard people saying that “and Ajimobi had warned us against street trading o!’ These were the same persons who echoed the lies peddled by the opposition elements!

    The incident could have been minimal and avoided if those traders, many of whom lost their lives, had relocated to the nearby Scout Camp market which had over a thousand stalls with modern conveniences constructed by the state government and given to the traders free.

    The Molete incident happened a few days after a trailer was said to have veered off the road at Mobil area and hit the MTN building. The casualties would have been unprecedented if it were to be when traders gathered at the Mobil area.

    We should all rise about parochial sentiments as Oyo State belongs to us all. Anything that happens will definitely affect us all. We should all join hands with the present government to fight the menace of street trading. No politician should be happy about what happened.

     

    • Sikiru Akinola,

    Otun Baale Apaara’s Compound

    Oyo, Oyo State.

  • Reflections on APGA’s defection crisis

    SIR: Nothing is static in nature. Everything is in a state of flux. So, not surprisingly, the dynamics and features of our politics have undergone negative evolution. In the first republic, men with robust intellect, deep erudition, and moral scruples were in our political arena. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, K.O Mbadiwe, Anthony Enahoro, Festus Okotie Eboh, and others dominated our politics. The duo of Azikiwe and Awolowo stood out from among the pack owing to their political sagacity and erudition. Dr. Azikiwe, the ceremonial President of Nigeria, was a top-notch, fiery, and brilliant journalist, who studied in the USA while Chief Awolowo was a London- trained lawyer. Both wrote good books that are studied by university students in Nigeria. They’re the true representation of the philosopher-king leaders, which Nigeria needs urgently.

    Sadly, our warped perception of issues has negatively affected and influenced our manner of politicking. Politicians perceive their occupations of exalted political offices as an opportunity to corruptly enrich themselves. It is corrupt political leadership that has stalled our national development. So, for all our oil-wealth, our roads are death-traps; and hospitals, mortuaries. Our educational system is dysfunctional, and the country is grappling with energy crisis. These are the imprints and consequences of failed and inept political leadership.

    But, not all our political leaders are guilty of corrupt enrichment and bad leadership. There are politicians who acquitted themselves very well in the area of political leadership. Kayode Fayemi and Peter Obi, former governors of Ekiti and Anambra states respectively, readily come to my mind. A dispassionate and impartial assessment of Obi’s eight years in office shows that he performed well as a governor.

    On his second coming as our governor, Peter Obi rode to power on the coat tails of late Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the former Biafran war leader. Upon the death of Ojukwu, Obi became the face of APGA. He was the cornerstone of the party, and he fended off the political offensive and darts that came from PDP and APC in Anambra State.

    But, to our greatest surprise, some weeks ago, Obi publicly defected to PDP after rumours concerning his romance with PDP had made the rounds. He said that he was alienated and ostracized from the party. He accused the party apparatchik of sidelining him. But, is he telling us the truth? He played a pivotal role in the emergence of Dr. Obiano as our governor.

    The fact is, Nigerian politicians have Jekyll and Hyde personalities; they are two-faced wily people who do trick us into believing that they intend good things for us. I have no doubt that Peter Obi has become infected with the political disease called duplicity. He was denied the job of becoming the aviation minister on the grounds of his non-membership of PDP. So, he joined the ruling PDP to achieve his selfish goals. Can Anambra people repose trust and confidence in him again?

     

    • Chiedu Uche Okoye

    Uruowulu – Obosi, Anambra State