The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • SOS, Governor Yero of Kaduna State

    I have been a resident of Kaduna city since 1972; I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly side of this beautiful northern city but we are praying to Almighty Allah to bestow more of his goodness on the city.

    I want to ask his the Governor whether the under listed areas are still part of Kaduna city. These are: Television village, Ungwa Romi village, Ungwa Sunday village, Ungwa Gimbia village, Juji village Sabon Tasha and Nassarawa?

    What prompted this question is lack of government presence in form of road network infrastructure from time immemorial.

    Despite the fact that the bulk of tax receivable by Kaduna State comes from these areas as it represents industrial zone where workers pay their taxes from source and as at when due, but unfortunately the huge population in these areas are lacking roads which always keep people indoors after rainfall compared to other parts of Kaduna city such as: Malali, Ungwa Rimi, Kawo, Tudun Wada, Barnawa, Ungwa Shanu and others.

    I am left to wonder how a father of two children will over feed one child and leave the other child to starve to death.

    It is a good thing to call your attention to this abnormally so as to correct the trend as 2015 is around the corner, as you abandon us to our fate and look the other side when we need your support most.

    The teeming population of these areas with our voting power may likely decide to turn our face too to another side come 2015, a stitch in time saves nine.

    However, it is not too late to give us a sense of belonging.

     

    Israel Oyegbile

    Sabo Tasha, Kaduna

  • Chimamanda: Inspiration to aspiring  writers

    SIR: An average Nigeria reader must have read one of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s books or at least heard of her and her numerous awards. Aspiring writers, however, who have not read and appreciated Adichie’s writing skills have either not made their career choices out of passion or are not serious about their career. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is unarguably the foremost female Nigerian writer and the youngest most influential Nigerian author of our time. This internationally acclaimed young wordsmith has authored three awe-inspiring novels, and counting; first, in 2003, she came out with “Purple Hibiscus”. While the masterpiece was still making waves and fetching her fame and accolades, she re-surfaced even stronger in 2006 with “Half of a Yellow Sun”, whose screen adaptation viewership was recently approved by the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB). In 2013, she released her third novel “Americanah”.

    She also has to her credit, a collection of short stories, “The thing around your neck” published in 2009. Adichie currently shuttles between her base in the United States and Nigeria.

    The Orange Broadband prize for fiction (now The Baileys Women Prize for Fiction) and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize winner has a mystical way of skillfully developing her stories. The actions in her fictions are carefully inter-woven and flows naturally leaving the reader doubtless of the ingenuity of her stories. A more critical reader is left wondering how she does her magic of genuine character integration and interaction, skillful link of actions and ideas and the smooth flow and development of her stories. Experience  no doubt is essential to good story-telling such as Adichie’s but the ability to gather ones experiences and weave them into factual-fiction is a job for those who possess the flair, passion and intellect for writing.

    This literary intellect who has brought honour to her country, continent and of course her profession is no doubt a role model to many young and aspiring writers, both at home and abroad. This symbol of courage and inspiration who has been described as “the 21st Century daughter of Chinua Achebe” is worth her salt, and is therefore worth emulating. The story of Chimamanda whose professor felt surprised that she could write the best essay in her class, maybe due to her colour, means that a shining star is always admired no matter which direction it is coming from. Aspiring and up-and-coming writers and in fact the black race should therefore draw inspiration from her story and strive to make the best out of their career regardless of their skin colour, race or whatever.

     

    • Uzoaganobi Ebuka

    Owerri, Imo State.

     

  • Ebola and Catholic Church

    SIR: We understand why the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in its wisdom recently issued certain directives concerning the practice and observance of the Church’s liturgy and worship. The outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West Africa nay Nigeria necessitated that individuals, governments, groups and organisations, including faith-based bodies, needed to be on top of the situation by adopting certain preventive and pre-cautionary measures to check the spread of the killer and highly deadly disease.

    The Catholic Church especially in the Archdiocese of Lagos, was one of those that suspended the practice of handshake during Masses. Many faithful were so surprised about the negative impact such discontinuation would have on both the Faith and faithful. Some Catholics say the measure slightly distorted the Liturgy and Order of the Mass. However, no much fuss was made concerning the shaking or non-shaking of hands by the faithful. It was understandable that EVD could be contacted via shaking of hands; after all, even our politicians and leaders starting the practice of elbow-raising in lieu of handshaking.

    However, one decision that now appears fatally  flawed and blowing ill-wind within the Catholic Faith in Nigeria is the so called “interim”  approval of reception of Holy Communion by hand by both Tom, Dick and Harry. The interim approval by CBCN was reportedly announced via a letter read to the faithful recently in masses in the Archdiocese of Lagos. The letter was said to have been signed by Archbishop Alfred Olawale Martins, who is in charge of the Metropolitan See of Lagos. In the letter, the faithful have been given options. They are to choose between Holy Communion by hand or through the usual method, reception of the Holy Viaticum/specie on the tongue. Although, the fear of Ebola Virus has led to this development, it seems that the real end is here. The Church, the last hope of the ordinary people for succour and salvation, is now being bombarded by force of darkness, although her founder and guidance, Lord Jesus Christ, made it succinctly clear that the gates of Hell shall never prevail against the Church.

    Without mincing words, communion by hand remains sacrilegious and any serious lay catholic that resorts to it perhaps is either an agent of the devil or doing so wittingly or unwittingly to imperil his/her salvation.

    Concerning the “interim” reception of the Holy Communion by hand, this is the highest blunder the Church in Africa/Nigeria will make. Now, attack on the Holy Eucharist, is tantamount to taking away whatever/the only thing that remains in the Catholic Church. The rest is killing, feasting, dancing, rollicking parties, hollow rituals, and money-making through the worldly-propelled and organized harvests and bazaars. My late father-in-law, so devout, always used to say that, even if the Pope/papacy made mistakes (which is quite uncommon), he himself, would never make mistake as to holy observance, piety and practice of the Faith. Upholding the faith should be the stand of true christians.

    So, why are priests afraid of Ebola? One thing concerning the end-time occurrences which have long been predicted is massive loss of faith. The Evil One has perhaps thrown up Ebola and the faithful including ministers of God are crashing irretrievably.

    Apostasy is a deadlier disease than Ebola, HIV/AIDS, Boko Haram insurgents, kidnappers, armed robbers, etc. Apostasy is spreading; it is contagious, millions have already contacted it, but the remnants will never get the virus because Jesus, Mary and Joseph will be for them and with them till they all make it to Heaven.

    We wish and pray that CBCN would immediately revise the “interim” order on Holy Communion, since those who will die will definitely die and since we will all die at the end, Ebola or no Ebola. Why should priests doubt the potency of the Holy Communion which they hold over all evil and viruses? Why should some young, able-bodied priests now find it difficult to hear confessions or distribute Holy Communion? These are perhaps some of the manifestations of the end of this age.

    • Ifeanyi Alia,

  • The many faces of oppression

    SIR: Oppressive regimes hammer on irrelevancies to divert attention from wicked policies and inhuman acts, such as cowing of workers’ unions and maltreatment of workers. Take the case of an academic institution that prides itself on hunting students, mostly female students, for “indecent dressing”. The institution is located several kilometres away from town. Yet, the junior workers who buy motorcycles to ease transportation are prevented from using them. How can you say motorcycles constitute higher insecurity than cars that have room for hiding guns and explosives? Yes, that is one form of boko haram. Such harams are perpetratedby dictatorial/totalitarian rulers and administrators.

    Nigeria is a country flowing with milk and honey. Why is there high level of mass abject poverty? It is because of Boko Haram, as expressed in self-aggrandizement and insensitivity to the rights of ordinary citizens. Many ordinary persons allow themselves to be used to oppress fellow ordinary citizens for ulterior motives. But, it is doubtful that any sinner will go unpunished. Too many inhumanities are committed in the names of totalitarian religions that are intolerant of other religions; and now intolerant of women’s dress freedom. Women are policed with particular reference to a particular day in the week. On that day, women are particularly harassed by some indoctrinated young men and some elderly men that lack self-respect. I have travelled to several countries in Africa and Europe. I visited America severally; I was in India. Why eccentric laws about “indecent dressing”?

    The “national conference” of President Goodluck Jonathan wants only university graduates to be eligible as Nigeria’s President. Isn’t that another Boko Haram? How is Jonathan better than General Muhammadu Buhari, intellectually and in terms of spoken English? Does he have the age and experience of Buhari; or does university education make up automatically for age, experience, and morality? Several university administrators today perpetrate might is right, dictatorship and totalitarianism; religious bigotry, ethnic jingoism, etc, and all of those who do it are university professors. Why has Jonathan not stopped oil thieves and stabilize Nigeria’s electricity?

    Is Jonathan not a university doctoral graduate? What type of education and morality are there in someone who took undue advantage of a dead President to create political turmoil and misery in Nigeria? Is it university education Nigeria needs or nationalists?

    • Pius Oyeniran Abioje, PhD,

    University of Ilorin.

  • The Rochas Okorocha I know

    SIR: Prior to 2005, when I struggled with thousands and succeeded with 250 candidates for admission into the Rochas Foundation College Ogboko, I never knew or heard of Owelle Rochas Anayo Ethelbert Okorocha. A family friend had informed my father of the institution in Owerri. We went to Owerri to obtain the admission form; the then Director of Programme [DoP], Mrs. Mgbor informed us that a campus of the college was being established in Ogboko. She advised and directed us to Ogboko since it would be closer to us. We did.

    I took the entrance examination and emerged the eighth best of the over 500 successful candidates. Remarkably, on the day of the interview, securely straddled behind my father on his Yamaha moped, along the Akokwa- Orlu road now being dualised, he gave me titbits that could help me at the interview. He gave me the full name and appropriate titles of the founder and his position as the then special adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo on inter- political affairs. The interview trimmed us down to the 250 pioneer students of the Ogboko campus of Rochas Foundation Colleges scattered all over country in Owerri, Ibadan, Kano, Jos and of course Ogboko.

    Hardly had we settled for academic work in October 10, 2005 than the news came in October 22, 2005 that our daddy (for that is what we called and still call our founder and sponsor), was among the 117 passengers of the Belleview Boeing 737 plane that crashed in Lisa, Ogun State with no survivors. Incidentally, I had lost my school beret on Friday and was brooding on my imminent fate on Monday. The news came on Saturday. My beret immediately became trivial. I prayed: Heavenly father, if the punishment for losing my beret is the price to be paid to make this news false, I am ready to receive a double portion. On Monday, the news was false and the punishment forgotten. He had boarded the flight but left before departure due to lack of space.

    The day we wrote the English language examination of the West African Examination Council (WAEC), sponsored by our founder, was the day he won the 2011 Imo governorship election which was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He later won the supplementary elections.

    Frankly, I am yet to see any philanthropy that surpasses that of the Rochas Foundation. From my lost beret to my sandals, my pen to my books and schoolbag, tuition and transportation as well as my daily lunch were all free. I also received termly allowances. This applies to each of the then 5,000 students of the Rochas Foundation Colleges, now over 10,000 students. It is also worthy of note that most of these campuses have boarding facilities all free of charge.

    While most NGOs (non-governmental organizations) are solely committed to providing food items and housing, the Rochas Foundation is mainly based on providing free standard education- the best empowerment to humanity. Hence, the school’s motto: we educate to empower! Some have argued that the Rochas Foundation is actually sponsored by foreign agencies and that Rochas Okorocha actually makes high rate returns from the venture. If foreign organizations decide to support a commendable vision, what about it? And since philanthropy has become a lucrative business, why have Okorocha’s detractors not adopted his style of philanthropy instead of the rice-and-salt distribution during campaigns to woo electorates? Another feeble argument raised is that Okorocha’s free education was a selfish venture for political gains. He has since silenced them by replicating his humanitarianism as the governor of Imo State by making education free from nursery to tertiary levels in the state.

    • Uzoaganobi Ebuka,

    Owerri, Imo State

  • Roads: Getting it right in Ogun

    SIR: The provision of a good road network, especially in a city like Abeokuta, is certainly in the interest of its residents. Beside its necessity for easy access and communication across the city, it harbours a lot of economic benefits. Contrary to the thinking in some quarters that the road re-construction and expansion in the state is a total failure and wasting of money, I make bold to say that the re-construction and expansion of roads in the state under the administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, remains the most successful and uncommon programme ever run by the state government since the creation of the state in 1976.Anybody who says that the funds meant for the road re-construction in the state have not been judiciously applied may have deliberately blindfolded himself such that he cannot see the progress being made by the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administration.

    Ogun State since its creation has structures and infrastructure that even dates back beyond its creation in 1976 courtesy of the Obafemi Awolowo government in then Western Region. Successive government in their own way had ensured that certain social amenities like road, water, healthcare, education etc are in place in one form or another in most part of the State. So Amosun certainly has structures to re-build in virtually all sectors of the society.

    It must be pointed out however that in the provision of new infrastructure and amenities, the people has to be carried along to minimize the negative impact of unintended consequences. One is talking about sensitization and mobilization. A 6-lane road, flyover and foot bridges are certainly novel thing for many motorists and pedestrians alike. Enlightenment is needed for the people to appreciate that these facilities requires new attitudes and modification of behaviour.

    Apparently, the people were not prepared for the unintended consequence of the “re-building” agenda of Amosun.  This understandably have fuelled emotional out-burst even from persons who ordinarily should be enlightened enough to appreciate that birth pains are not death throes in this rebuilding strategy.

    In all one must accept the need to re-build in Ogun state with all its unintended consequences.  Let the government do more within its resources and forget about opprobrium from some quarters on its priorities.

     

    • Ademola Orunbon,

     Abeokuta, Ogun State.

     

  • Attention, Benin Electricity Company

    SIR: I hereby call the attention of Benin Electricity Company to the anomalies being perpetrated by its office in Ikole-Ekiti. I refer to the exploitation of the people and residents of Ikole-Ekiti through what I call criminal shedding of electricity.

    I believe that before the company can shed power, it should be with prior notice to the client/customer. Secondly, the method used in shedding is such that there will be epileptic power supply for a day and the following day there will be total blackout. This will amount to supplying epileptic power for just 15 days in a month without corresponding reduction in the monthly bill.

    I feel this criminal act should be checked and corrected. The staff should not skin the customers in order to make profit. The era of logical stealing and exploitation should be over by now as the electricity distribution company now belongs to private body which is expected to promote the culture of transparency and integrity.

    • Adewumi Tope Humble

    Odo-Oro Ekiti, Ekiti State

     

  • Orji’s urban renewal initiative

    SIR: In Abia State, change moved from the realm of expectations to a clear-cut state craft. Though it is fashionable and patronising to resist change, it has remained the most enduring dynamics of human existence and social setting.

    A philosopher once asserted that “in a sick country, any attempt to cure the disease, is an affront to those who benefit from the sickness”. Indeed, the relocation of the markets situated at the heart of Umuahia, the Abia State capital, has remained a vexed issue, a grand demonstration of tough love and test of Governor Orji’s political will; it has turned out a flagship of the administration.

    Three big markets (Umuahia Main Market, Auto Spare Parts Market  and the Industrial Market at the World Bank Housing Estate) in Umuahia had denied the state capital city of the usual decorum and tranquillity expected of a vintage seat of power. As a matter of fact, the plan to relocate the Umuahia Main Market, popularly called Isi-Gate began in 1935 but successive administrations ‘played safe’ and served out their terms. Yet, the nagging questions agitating the people’s mind had been: who would bell the cat?

    Hitherto, a first time visitor to Umuahia would be greeted with a shabby environment and noise, emanating from the Main Market at the heart of the town. The nightmarish and long stretch of traffic gridlock occasioned by the activities in the market was better imagined than experienced. Even the pedestrian bridge built at the Isi-Gate to safeguard human traffic from the risk of road accidents, was abandoned before it was demolished last year. Today, people are beginning to reap the gains of the vision of relocating the market.

    Ubani Ibeku, the new site of the Ultra Modern Market with over 6,000 shops, is a few kilometres from the city centre.  By the side of it is a sprawling estate with about 5,000 two-bedroom houses, which has already provoked strategic thinking on greater development options in the new area. The new Ubani  Ibeku Market has internationalised the business climate of Umuahia and decongested the city from the tantrums and nuisance of the old market. The human face approach adopted and the constructive engagement with the traders made the resettlement less emotionally cumbersome. Governor Orji spared no effort in making the market comfortable for the traders. Provisions are made for basic amenities like adequate water supply, electricity, good and motorable roads, well-paved gutters and flood channels, toilet facilities, recreation ground and other necessities like fire station, clinics, banks, schools and security.

    By way of incentives, government scaled down the initial price tag of the shops, and initiated the payment by instalments for a period of four years.  As a stop-gap measure, Governor Orji procured air-conditioned buses to convey traders to and fro the new ultra market at subsidised  rates.  The panic-ridden mood that usually trailed this kind of exercise was clearly absent as the civil approach employed by the Abia State Government in implementation of the market relocation made it less stressful. Traders were not ejected forcefully. Bulldozers were not used to stampede the traders to the new site. Without much bickering, the market was painstakingly relocated. The other markets – Auto Spare Parts Market and the Industrial Market were also successfully relocated to Ohiya and Ahieke Ndume, respectively. These developments have given impetus to economic activities at the suburbs. For sure, this rare political will marked a quantum leap in the age-long vision of making Umuahia a befitting state capital. The sites of the old markets have been re-channelled into other developmental efforts. Already, a state-of-the -art Event Centre is being developed at the site of the old Umuahia Main Market, while a unique estate has sprung up at the old site of the Industrial Market. More importantly, the decongested city centre has repositioned the state capital for accelerated inflow of development activities and elicited new thinking and paradigms, to maximise the accruing opportunities. Ultimately, the whole scenario of success has cut out Governor Orji as a leader who defied bookmakers to break a 78-year old jinx. This unequivocally stands him out as the chief architect of Abia modernisation.

    • Jasper Uche,

    Umuahia, Abia State

     

  • J.F. Ade Ajayi: A tribute

    J.F. Ade Ajayi: A tribute

    SIR: News of the demise of the renowned historian, erudite scholar, administrator par excellence and winner of Nigeria National Merit Award, Professor Jacob Festus Ade Ajayi came to many as a rude shock, coming a few months after he marked his 85th birthday and few weeks after the transition of another erudite historian, Professor E.A. Ayandele.

    Ade Ajayi was a nationalist in the mould of the renowned nationalists of Nigeria’s pre independence era like Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikwe, H.O. Davies, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, amongst others. Whereas the others fought for political independence, Ade Ajayi and his likes fought for the dignity of the Black man.  Before the coming of Europeans to Africa, Africa was held to be a dark continent with no concept of God and history. The racist historian, Trevor Roper asserted that “Africa had no history before the coming of history, if they had at all; it was a meaningless gyration of barbarian tribes in an obscure corner of the globe”.

    Consequently, the history that was taught in African schools established by the Europeans, including University of Ibadan was European History. European scholars had erroneously concluded that since there was no written record in Africa, particularly South of Sahara, there can be no history either to study, write or teach. However, the pioneering efforts to write and study African history were credited to the duo of late Professor Kenneth O. Dike and late Professor Saburi Biobaku. The duo blazed the trail in the study of African History. Dike worked on Trade and Politics in the Niger Delta, while Biobaku worked on Egba and Their Neighbours. Ade Ajayi, who can be described as the third leg of the tripod on which the study of African history rested worked on Christian Missionaries Activities in West Africa and later history of West Africa and that of the Yorubas.

    Another step taken by Dike and Ajayi to promote the study and writing of African history was the establishment of the Ibadan School of History. This was a group of scholars interested in introducing African perspectives to African history and focusing on the internal historical forces that shaped African lives. Ibadan School also pioneered the use of oral tradition, cognomen, ceremonies etc, as well as multi disciplinary approach in the study of African history. As the pioneer school of history in Nigeria, all other schools and departments of history in other universities owed their development to Ibadan School of History and her scholars. This is where Ade Ajayi’s nationalistic efforts yielded imperishable dividends.

    Unfortunately, by the time of his demise the fortune of a discipline he so much laboured had nose-dived. History as an academic discipline is no longer given the deserved priority by policy makers in Nigeria and the effect is the socio economic and political malaise staring the nation in the face.

    • Adewuyi Adegbite

    Apake, Ogbomoso.

     

  • On Chadian abductees and Chibok girls

    SIR: Just last week, August 14, a number of Nigerians were reportedly abducted by insurgents from Dogon Baga in Borno State. The number was given as 97 among which were youths, children and old men. The abducted people were later believed to have been moved by midnight to Chad Republic.

    August 17, just three days after, the Chadian forces freed all the abductees without a single casualty. They were later reunited with their families after a brief time in Chad Republic.

    Compare this with the abduction of the Chibok girls. It is now over 120 days since the innocent girls were abducted. There whereabouts are still unknown as the Federal Government, international and public attention has been diverted to Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The parents of those girls and compatriots grieve at the inability of the government to locate the girls despite foreign involvement in the operation.

    The Federal Government must redouble its effort to regain its image depleted by corruption, immorality and secrecy in running public affairs. That will be an imperative to help Nigeria beyond 2015.

    • Comrade Abdulbaqi Aliyu Jari

    Katsina