The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • Ibadan Disco: Taking consumers for granted

    SIR: Every responsible organization seeks maximum satisfaction of their customers to enhance larger share of the market. However, the operations of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBDEC) are antithetical to this. Sadly, many of the new owners of electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) are only interested in making illicit and ungodly profit at the expense of their poor customers. IBDEC is a major culprit in this regard.

    The company has the penchant for distributing predatory bills to their customers, billing them on spurious estimation for the electricity they did not consume. It is unethical for IBDEC to be playing on people’s intelligence with sheer fabrication and manipulation, basking in the euphoria that people don’t know their rights and will not react to their antics.

    Recently, special adviser to Minister of Power, Jonathan Ogbonna, informed the nation about the drop in electricity supply to the nation. He attributed it to the maintenance works going on at Utorogu and Ughelli east gas plants, which necessitated the shutting down of the two stations all of which affected power generation, with supply falling drastically from over 4,000mw to 2900mw.

    Minister of Power Prof. Nebo also confirmed that the federal government had closed down the two gas plants since June 2, and that re-commissioning was in progress. He said the closure, which was carried out by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Corporation affected Egbin and Omotosho stations.

    Ironically, IBDEC decided to prey on the people of Ogbomoso by increasing their bills by over 200%. The bill served on this writer for May, was N1,291 for 100 units at the rate of N12.91 per unit, and N500 compulsory monthly fixed maintenance fee totaling N1,791 But in their June bill, the bill was doubled to 200 units which is N2,582 plus N500 fixed maintenance fee totaling N3,082 – despite the total blackout. My only offence is being hooked on estimated billing. Considering that I actually use less than 20 units monthly if on pre-paid meters, I could not have paid more than N758.20. No wonder they hoard and refuse to make pre-paid meters available.

    The same scenario is playing out in Oke Ogun area of Oyo State; Shaki, Kishi, Igboho etc are currently having a bust-up with the company on same poor electricity supply and outrageous bills given to them monthly without improvement on the quality of service.

    The protests going on almost daily against the notorious estimated bills should be enough reason for IBEDC to discard the controversial estimated billing system and make the electricity consumers pay for the actual points they consume. The rate charged per point is still the same throughout the nation. IBEDC should make pre-paid meters available for their teeming customers, repair their damaged and obsolete equipment, and make electricity more stable and regular in the community.

    Enough is enough.

     

    • Pastor Mark Debo Taiwo,

    Takie, Ogbomoso.

  • Where have the books gone?

    SIR: There’s a popular saying that readers are leaders.  Well, if this saying is anything to go by, Africa will be out of leaders in a few years. One might want to argue, I mean, people read a lot, thanks to the internet. This may true, but how exactly are we reading?  According to a research study done by Dr Fayaz Ahmad Loan in his paper, ‘Impact of the Internet surfing on reading practices and choices’, he explains that the internet has encouraged interactive reading and superficial reading but is also responsible for decreasing concentrated and in-depth reading. Superficial reading doesn’t allow the reader to be impacted by the material he or she is reading, unlike in-depth reading.

    The benefits of in-depth reading cannot be over-emphasized.  An avid reader myself, the impact of reading on my vocabulary, perspective and personality is evident. Our foremost need in Africa is not more money, more jobs, etc, but more readers. Reading broadens our horizons and allows us think outside that box we ever so often place ourselves in. This is what we need in Africa; broader horizons.

    Of course, there have been several campaigns aimed at revitalizing the reading culture in Africa, but even these campaigns have gradually slowed down due to many reasons, such as little or no financial support, public apathy or even lack of motivation to complete these projects. An example of this would be the Bring Back the Book campaign that was launched by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010, a project that started with so much drive and zest but is now nearly comatose. What hope does this give our leaders of tomorrow?

    The likes of Chimamanda Adichie, Wole Soyinka and late Chinua Achebe who we so much celebrate today were definitely book readers now turned successful book writers. It doesn’t matter your background, age or status, reading can make a huge difference in your life. In the words of Gustave Flaubert, a French novelist, ‘Read in order to live’.

     

    • Olafisoye Oluwademilade,

    Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State

  • Re: Fashola’s take away on Ekiti poll

    SIR: I have always been an admirer of Governor Babatunde Fashola far across political and geographical boundaries, not because he has actually satisfied my ‘wantings’ of the image of good leadership but because I can appreciate his efforts beyond the definitions of mediocrity. Maybe even more because he has over the years portrayed himself as a focused and committed person. But his opinion as regards his perceived nutrients or should I say valuables which he terms as ‘take away’ on Ekiti poll, I think he might have narrowed down his line of vision and viewed issues only from a one-dimensional perspective, hence a one-directional varnishing point!

    He complains that a good governor in Fayemi as referenced by some public commentators he qualifies as eminent did not win in his own ward forgetting the common axiom that even the real and true “prophet is not recognized in his own home,” how much more the mediocre ones?

    He talks also about logical human behaviour refusing to remember that the ruling and elite class in our country in which he belongs has stripped most of us bare of any logic nor logical juxtapositions of any kind by their greedy megalomaniac attributes, offering us only crumbs of the whole we entrust to the. Or, how can you match the poverty in Lagos with the high profile economic status that is known of the state?

    On different and now crystalizing (so to say) political ideologies, I wonder what Fashola is driving at her. Is he attributing the distribution of rice and money only to PDP simply because PDP won the elections? Or was he not informed that Fayemi also distributed same to the electorate? On his reference to infrastructure, I am amused because I have seen several PDP governors develop far more infrastructure in their states than Fayemi would have ever done. Has he been to Cross River State? I hold still that our political platforms are short on ideological directions and thrive only on the ideologies of the individuals that form the party.

    Governor Fashola should desist from insulting (or seemingly so) the electorate of Ekiti State; their choice is made and is clear! The incumbent Governor Fayemi himself halfway through the elections upheld the transparency with which the election was conducted and APC shouldn’t now, after the loss, attempt to discredit the process.

     

    • Arc. Eric Williams Itembanye Akpo, Lugbe Abuja.

  • Super Eagles: All about self?

    SIR: No man goes to war and foots his own bill. When people are sent to represent their country, it is expected that inasmuch as they have not gone to the war front on their own, they owe their victories to their nation.

    Nigerians are very passionate about football and will give their all to support their team. Some Nigerians recently died at a football viewing centre in Yobe State in an attack by the Boko Haram terrorist groups. Probably, the people had no electricity at home to watch the game or they could not afford to buy the “I pass my neighbour generating set so they went for the cheaper option of going to a viewing centre and so became victims of circumstance.

    The Nigerian senior national team is doing the nation proud in far away Brazil. They have grown with every passing game despite the fact that they have been criticized for not being tactical. From the first goal scored by Osaze Odemwingie to the brace by Ahmed Musa against Bosnia and Argentina respectively, one would have expected that they would have dedicated their goals to those who lost their lives at the viewing centre or use the medium to make appeal for the release of the over 200 girls kidnapped in Chibok. But what did we see? First it was Osaze who dedicated his goal to his son and Musa later dedicating his own goals to his sons too. If I may ask, what about the other players who are yet to score a goal? Or is it now a thing of personal and family glory?

    The nation griefs daily; civilians and military are murdered by the Boko Haram sect in the North with rising cases of kidnap and murder of people in the South. These players should know that we only take time from our troubled times to rejoice with them whenever they win or score a goal. The heart cannot weep all day; she searches for happiness no matter how far just to keep body and soul going.

    They should know that our existence as a nation does not depend on the outcome of their participation in Brazil; whether they win the World Cup or not Nigeria remains Nigeria. We should all learn that when you wear the national colours, isn’t for you or for your family but for the whole of Nigeria.

    • Nathaniel Adeiza Abdullahi,

    Abuja

     

  • Gov. Wada, please pay us our allowance

    SIR: I hereby appeal Governor Idris Wada to without delay pay the annual leave bonuses due to civil servants in Kogi State. He did not pay the 2013 leave bonus and now 2014 is in the middle and there no sign that he is ready to pay.

    Apart from non-payment of leave bonuses, the governor has refused to implement promotion of Civil Servants since he took over. He has also refused to pay the annual salary increment which workers are entitled to.

    This is unfair and dishonorable. Apart from the salary which is very meager, these are entitlements which workers all over the world are entitled to.

    The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) which is supposed to put pressure on government to pay these allowances has gone to sleep since Idris Wada assumed office in 2011. The fear is that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Kogi State Council has compromised workers’ interests.

    Apart from non payment of leave bonus, implementation of promotion and increment, salaries of primary schools teachers and local government workers are not being paid. This is not definitely good for Kogi State workers. Though, the governor is coming from the private sector this attitude is not motivating workers. This is not a good way to save money for the government.

    Even the military administration paid leave bonus and implement promotion and increment for Civil Servants. Governor, Wada should use his good offices to pay Kogi State Civil Servants their 2013 and 2014 leave bonuses and implement their outstanding promotions and increment.

    He should do this without delay. This is the only way Civil Servants can be part of his transformation agenda.

     

    • Ibrahim Abdullahi,

     

     

  • It’s Fayemi versus pretenders

    SIR: Three and half years into the administration of Governor Kayode Fayemi in Ekiti State has witnessed transformational and infrastructural developments in various sectors. The patriotism and selflessness that characterised the socio – political and economic transformation of the state speak volume of the integrity of Fayemi.

    Considering Governor Fayemi’s achievements, it is curious to note his main challengers for the June 21 poll,  Micheal Opeyemi Bamidele of Labour Party, Kole Ajayi of Accord Party and Ayo Fayose of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in particular have not really come out with any identifiable manifestos and programmes of their plans for the people of the state.

    It is rather unfortunate that the trio have resorted to inundating the poor masses with barrage of attacks on the eight-point agenda of Governor Fayemi..

    Fayose’s name will not be forgotten in a hurry by an average Ekiti indigene because of the way he governed the state in three and a half years before he was unceremoniously removed after he was found guilty of financial misappropriation by a panel of inquiry. His case with EFCC over his billion naira deals with a non-existing Ekiti State Poultry project is still pending before a court of competent jurisdiction.

    That Fayose, who was defeated in the last senatorial election because of his antecedents has now garbed himself in the robe of honour has not made him an honourable man. Nothing has changed in Fayose’s attitude, behaviour and disposition to warrant the people of the state voting for him to govern the state again.

    Apart from Fayose, Bamidele is another candidate in the June 21 poll. MOB, a member of the House of Representatives became Fayemi’s estranged political soul mate when it became obvious that his efforts to have a shot at the seat of power were going to be checkmated by the leadership of the party.

    It is obvious that MOB’s defection to labour party, an off-shoot of PDP is borne out of his desire to play a spoiler game in Ekiti governorship election. However, Fayemi’s achievements and performance are obvious for all to see.

    The question Bamidele has to answer before contesting for the governorship is what Ekiti has benefitted from the eight years of service in Lagos State and his membership of House of Representatives.

    Kole Ajayi of Accord party is certainly contesting in the governorship election to probably play to the gallery.

    All said, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must use the Ekiti state gubernatorial poll to redeem it battered image. INEC must get it right in Ekiti. “War” must be averted in Ekiti state. A repeat of the Anambra governorship election debacle must be prevented.

    The aftermath of the 1983 political shenanigans which started in old Ondo State is still very fresh in our memories. We cannot afford another crisis in Ekiti when Boko Haram insurgency is still a major concern. The new found peace in Ekiti state must be sustained. The credibility and the outcome of the June 21 poll in Ekiti state will either make or mar the integrity of INEC.

    • Toyin Omogbemile

  • Curbing abuse of herbal medicine

    SIR: The proliferation and influx of herbal medicine from within and outside the shores of Nigeria, particularly from China should be a source of anxiety for the citizens as its development has led to an upsurge in various categories of healers.

    Globally, people develop unique indigenous healing tradition adapted and defined by their culture, beliefs and environment which satisfies the health needs of their communities over centuries. The increasing widespread use of herbal medicine has prompted the World Health Organisation to promote the integration of Herbal Medicine and Complementary and Alternative Medicine into the National Health care System.

    But despite the widespread use of herbal medicine worldwide and their reported efficacies, they are not completely harmless. The rate at which Nigerians, both rural and lately urban dwellers, develop chronic kidney diseases and subsequently kidney failure due largely to the consumption of these herbs call much for concern. Worse culprits are the artisans and commercial bus drivers, who consume these products arbitrarily, mostly in form of alcoholic  herbal mixtures to treat ailments such as pile, weak erection, premature ejaculation, back pains and low libido because they have many wives and concubines and will want to satisfy all parties. Some of these mixtures are supposedly used in the treatment of a wide range of diseases at the consumption of a single dose.

    In as much as these herbs are effective, the multifarious side effects, which most times outweigh the benefits, particularly if consumed in excess, should not be over looked. Therefore, government at all levels should enlighten the public on the potential danger of consuming these herbs, especially in their raw forms due to the high toxicity.

    A body to be saddled with the responsibility of evaluating the safety efficacy and quality of herbal medicines and their products should be constituted to carry out random clinical trial studies for these drugs before consumption. Also, the Federal Government should check the influx of sub standard imported herbal mixtures mostly from India and China, and standardize the local ones by re-branding them in form of tablets and capsules.

     

    •Bilikis Bakare

    Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa-Ikeja

  • Memo to Ondo State Chief Judge

    SIR: The firmament of justice is currently cloudy in Ondo State. Lawyers have down tools; judges have recessed; the liberty of many citizens have been jeopardised  while litigants’ hope that the current imbroglio that have seen the wheel of justice ground to a halt would soon come to a good end.

    The Chief Judge of the Sunshine State recently issued a circular through the Chief Registrar of the State High Court directing judges and magistrates to henceforth impose as a condition for grant of bail the production of tax clearance certificates by sureties to accused persons. The certificate is purchasable at an amount of N75, 000 from the State Board of Internal Revenue and evidence of tax payment from any other establishment is not acceptable. In effect, an accused has to look for a surety who is willing to sacrifice that amount before he could perfect his bail bond.

    Expectedly, the new directive has been greeted with protests by lawyers, leading to a massive court boycott. This is not good for the image of the Sunshine State. Therefore, I wish to most respectfully use this medium to appeal to My Lord the Chief Judge to reconsider his stance.

    Bail is a constitutional right and no statute or rule of procedure must be seen to clog unjustifiably the exercise of that right. Where such exists, Your Lordship will find no difficulty in striking down same as being inconsistent with the constitution. It seems to me that the new directive seems to impose very stringent conditions that would ultimately render the right to bail illusory.

    Grant of bail is a matter of judicial discretion; this is settled in a plethora of authorities and by the provisions of Section 122 of the Criminal Procedure Act (applicable in Ondo State) the court before whom an application for bail is made has a discretion in imposing terms as to the production of sureties for bail. It is also trite that in exercising its discretion, the court must take into consideration the circumstances of each case. In other words, each case must be an example of itself. Compelling a court to exercise its discretion in a particular manner would amount to putting an end to its discretion. I am of the candid opinion that this new directive has successfully fettered the discretion of courts in Ondo State as it relates to imposing conditions for grant of bail.

    The courts are enjoined not to impose excessive conditions for grant of bail (Section 120 of the CPA) because refusal of bail should not be used by the court as punishment for the accused. Where for example, an accused is arraigned for a simple offence that carries a maximum imprisonment term of three months on conviction and he is granted bail by the court but unable to get sureties that possess this tax clearance certificate, would he not have been made to remain in custody and punished unjustifiably for an offence for which he has not been convicted?

    My lord, the new trend in the administration of criminal justice the world over (including Nigeria) is that prisons be decongested, most importantly, persons awaiting trial for offences that are not serious should be kept off the bars until they are tried and if found guilty, convicted and sentenced.  Does this new directive not seek to knot that which is being sought to be untied? For if accused persons are not able to meet the conditions of bail, wouldn’t that amount to taking away by the left hand the bail that has been given by the right?

     

    • Vincent Adodo, Esq.,

  • APC Convention praiseworthy

    SIR: One of the most significant issues that deepen democratic culture in any country is the transparent conduct of party conventions through which officers are elected to run the party’s affairs. In that wise, kudos goes to the All Progressive Congress, APC for the credible manner it conducted its maiden National Convention in Abuja recently.

    Apart from the huge attendance, with politicians drawn from all the six geo-political zones, the smooth and rancour-free manner that characterized its conduct is worthy of emulation by other political parties.

    At the end of the exercise there were visible signs of a deliberateattempt to forge not only unity of purpose amongst the party members, but to strengthen national unity as well. This is noteworthy. And it will go a long way towards the sustenance of inter-party peace, such that the elected officers would not be distracted by settling feuds.

    Instead, the members would concentrate their energy in promoting the political philosophy and ideals which the party stands for, as enshrined in their party’s constitution and manifesto. Ultimately, the people whose interests the flag bearers are supposed to serve would benefits from the dividends of democracy.

    The very fact that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, APC’s arch rival has come out to commend the process that saw to the emergence of Chief John Oyegun as the National Chairman is praise worthy. It should serve as a moral lesson for politicians of different shades to imbibe as Nigerians look forward to issue-based campaigns devoid of violence, name-calling and unwarranted brickbats.

    What Olisa Metuh, the PDP National Publicity Secretary said is instructive: “the new leadership(of the APC) should ensure an issue-based opposition that will purposefully and constructively engage  and challenge the PDP with decency and maturity as prescribed by democratic tenets and principles”. Well said. The hope however, is that the same PDP would not be the first to politicize even rather sensitive issues ranging from grave insecurity through massive corruption in high places to the raging youth unemployment in Nigeria, which the World Bank had since 2010 warned Nigeria had assumed a scary time-bomb situation.

    The APC should build on the critical and delicate issue of geo-political equity in the election of its flag bearers. Now that the choice of the National Publicity Secretary of the party, the Deputy Chairman, as well as Zonal Chairmen  have been elected based on national spread, that should serve as a template for future elections.

    What Nigerians require at this perilous moment of our history are men and women of unquestionable integrity and committed patriots ready to sacrifice their whims and caprices of personal gains to satisfy the needs of the greater majority of Nigerians. And that starts with the

    calibre and character of the APC ambassadors.

    Nigerians are out there waiting for a strong, virile and ideology-based opposition to assuage their pains and reverse the drift to a state of anomie. The next few months are therefore, critical to

    APC in meeting these challenges head-on. It cannot afford to fail, fumble or falter. As Chief Oyegun rightly noted in his acceptance speech: “the very task of salvaging Nigeria will, on its own, be hard

    because the rot is deep. We must learn to let go of past grudges and previous grievances and move forward together as members of the same family.” One cannot agree any less. Here is wishing all newly elected members of the APC leadership a purposeful, pragmatic and peaceful tenure in office in the service of the party and the nation at large.

     

    • Idowu Ajanaku

     

  • Why Fayose’s ambition is dead on arrival

    SIR: When Donald Duke was sworn in as Governor of Cross Rivers State on May 29, 1999, he was unquestionably one of the youngest democratic governors the state and even the Nigerian nation had seen so far.  To the admiration of all, he was able to comport himself in a very dignifying manner in the course of his term of office. He attained the age of wisdom, 40, after he was through with his first term and deservedly, earned the second term in office.

    On May 29, 2003, exactly four years after Duke’s first term, on the other side of the country, Ayo Fayose was being sworn in as the Governor of Ekiti State. At the time of his swearing in, he was 43 years old.

    Throughout the over three years of his turbulent rule, it was one battle or rumours of battles or the other at the expense of good governance. Either the Governor was throwing expletives on the First Class traditional rulers like Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Elekole of Ikole, or threatening kings who failed to do his bidding with deposition or even being rumoured to have locked one of the traditional rulers in the state in the booth of a car. He was also always busy abusing, harassing or assaulting the revered leaders in the state who had made their marks in their area of human endeavour before he was born or at most when he was still a pupil in an elementary school. In that class of men who were not spared was Chief J. E. Babatola, a Minister in the First Republic, Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, Justice Olakunle Olatawura, Justice Edward Ojuolape, Dr. Bode Olowoporoku, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN and a host of others.

    The other category consisted of men who were not necessarily politicians, but whose personalities and profile were considered to be political threats to the governorship of Fayose. Somehow, these consisted of men who had made a mark in their field of endeavour and who had the qualification and right to be governor of the state. This category included, but not limited, to men like Femi Falana, SAN, Segun Oni, Kayode Fayemi and Dr. Daramola, a United Nations consultant among others. Most of the people in this category were hounded out of town but unfortunately, Daramola was assassinated and the security forces are yet to unravel the facts of his assassination.

    The government of Ayo Fayose got to its lowest ebb when it graduated from government of mediocrity and brutality to the realm of direct and brazen stealing of the state’s meagre resources. At the end of the day, Mr. Fayose was impeached and like a thief at night, was smuggled out of the state under the covers of darkness.

    Lately, Fayose has been going around in Ekiti campaigning to have another bite on the governorship of Ekiti State and in a manner of conceding to the puerile nature of his truncated regime, he came back on his knees claiming to have changed. He claims that Ayo Fayose of 2003 is not the Ayo Fayose of 2014 and that his misdeeds of the former time were informed by his tender age.

    The relevant question at this point is whether at mid-forties Fayose was really too young to be thoughtful and to exercise discretion that was needed for the office he occupied? If he has truly changed as he claims now, when, between then and now, did he learn decency and discretion?

    Can the Ekiti people afford to use the future of their children to gamble and investigate if a self confessed fool at 45 is truly no longer a fool?

    Can decency, decorum and good manners be learnt at over 50? What then happens to the saying that a man does not learn how to be left handed in his old age?

    The office of the governor is not a learning field and neither is it a testing ground. Rather than subject the office and destiny of its people to test whether a person has changed from his old offensive ways and manners, it would be suggested that the government should set up a rehabilitation centre where social derelicts could be rehabilitated. This will make us test and access how and if men could truly change in their old age!

    • Soji Olowolafe

    Abuja.