The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • Save BCC Lions Football Club of Gboko

    SIR: before its declined fortunes, BCC Lions Football Club of Gboko was once a leading and formidable club ruling the Nigerian football landscape, especially towards the end of 80s and early 90s. Historically, BCC Lions FC, formerly owned by Benue Cement Company Plc, Gboko, which is also known as Lions of Gboko, commands huge followership and supporters across the country, most especially in the northern Nigeria.

    To the Tiv people of Benue State, BCC Lions FC represents what Enyimba is to the Igbos, Kano Pillars to the Hausas and Shooting Stars to the Yorubas. As a giant among the Nigerian club side, BCC Lions FC was the first

    club in the northern part of the country that won the Challenge Cup in 1989 by beating Iwanyanwu Nationale 1-0 in the final at Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi. The club also won the cup on three different occasions – 1993,1994 and 1997. In 1994, BCC Lions also won the Nigerian premier league title and the African Cup Winner’s Cup in 1990. There is no doubt that the club of Gboko has produced great players who have really done the club, state and the nation proud in their chosen career. Players such as Dominic Iorfa, Sam Adingi, Moses Kpakor, Felix Pilakyaa, Bolaji Douglas, Aham Nwanko, Imadu Dooyum, Sam-Pam Jr.,Wilfred Agbonavbare as well as Lemi Yisa, John Zaki, Amir Angwe and Terfa Kpako.

    In terms of administration, the club also produced the legendary and efficient manager in the person of Dominic Iorfa who passionately managed Lobi Stars FC, Makurdi for many years and was instrumental to

    the success of the club both within Nigeria and Africa. However, the future of the club had continued to evaporate since the Gboko base team lost to Shooting Stars FC of Ibadan at the Amateur league in 1998. Since then, the club was unable to regain its lost glory, unlike other big clubs in Nigeria that had gone on relegation for a number of times and barely managed to bounce back to the premier league. An attempt to resurrect the club in 2002 by the administration of Dr. George Akume and Guilder Brewing Plc has totally failed. In 2007 the board chairman of Benue Cement Company Plc, Alhaji Aliko Dangote approved N110 million for the club to participate in the 2008/2009 season which ended a disaster – finishing 13th on the table.

    I am, therefore, making a compassionate plea to the government of Hon. Gabriel Torwua Suswam and the good people of Benue State, Tiv sons and daughters and the management of Benue Cement Company Plc, Gboko to, as a matter of urgency, wake up the sleeping giant for it to return to it glorious days.

     

    • John Akevi

    Bauchi.

     

  • Ipaja public library needs attention

    Ipaja public library needs attention

    SIR: I wish to call the attention of the concerned authorities to the condition of the Ipaja Public Library- a branch of Lagos State Library board located at B24 Pako Bus Stop Abesan Estate Ipaja, Lagos.

    Though the library was built in a noise-free area and it is well ventilated, flood is trying to scare away the users and also try to destroy the library building.

    The flood which is usually caused by the poor drainage system in the street where the library is located used to lock both library users and the staff inside anytime it rains.

    The first time the rain met me in the library was on Thursday, October 10 2013. By the time the rain stopped and I came out to leave, I met a ‘pool of river’ in the front of the library (which is about 30-40 feet to the main road). I asked the security man how people pass in that kind of situation and he told me that I have to roll up my trousers and remove my shoe and enter the ‘river’. Apart from the germs and rubbles in that flood, I was afraid there might be dangerous creatures in that flood, but since there was no other escape route, I didn’t have option than to do as the security man advised.

    I hereby call on the authorities at the Lagos State Library Board, Ikeja to come to the aid of the library before this year rainy season sets in to prevent floods from destroying the entire library building.

    For the records, the library was built by Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development as a Family Support Programme (FSP) under the military government of Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa and it was commissioned on May 19, 1999 by the then First Lady, Munira Marwa. Since the library was commissioned, I don’t think there has been any major renovation to maintain or upgrade the level of the library and its facilities.

    I plead with Governor of Raji Fashola and the chairman of Alimosho Local Government to renovate and upgrade the facilities at the library. Also, the drainage system in the street where the library is located should be reconstructed and raised to prevent the overflow of erosion that used to cause flood inside the library.

    As regard the library, the shelves are few and the few books there are outdated. New books should be purchased to encourage the students and other library users to patronize it.

    • John Tosin Ajiboye,

    Lagos.

  • Fayemi’s giant strides in road construction

    SIR: A fortnight ago, I, together with some publishers and editors of online news magazine and social commentators were in Ekiti State on the invitation of the government for an assessment tour of projects coupled with an interactive section with the governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi. We arrived Ekiti on Thursday February 6, and we were all lodged at Ikogosi Warm Spring Resorts situated at Ikogosi-Ekiti. The next day, we started the tour of 12 local government areas.

    While on the tour, I saw wonders. I encontered transformation. I saw creativity. I experienced innovative ideas. I met one-on-one with development. I saw newly renovated classrooms in all the secondary schools along the road. The primary schools seen were also in a perfect condition. I saw the General Hospitals under construction and renovation across the state. I saw the Oba Rufus Adejuyigbe Hospital under construction at Ado-Ekiti. I saw the newly completed Aduni Olayinka Cancer Diagnostic Center at the University Teaching Hospital, UTH, Ado-Ekiti. I saw the 40, 000 hectares tomatoes farm at Iyemero-Itapaji. I saw the civic center under construction at Ado-Ekiti; I saw the 12, 000-seater pavilion under construction at Ado-Ekiti. I saw the well-renovated Oluyemi Kayode Stadium at Ado-Ekiti, and the newly acquired three generating power plants at Ero Dam, Ikun- Ekiti.

    However, what I saw in Ekiti that propelled this piece was the road network across the state. In the words of Sam Fasanmi, a Varsity Don, “Any Community deprived of good roads will be outfitted of social, economic and educational transformation.”

    Virtually all the state roads in Ekiti have been fully tarred. The access roads in Ekiti are also under re-construction as each of the local government in the state have tarred five kilometres each. A total of 200 kilometers (access roads) have been tarred by the 16 local governments while the state government has tarred a total of 1, 200 kilometres of roads.

    On the state roads, the roads from Ikogosi-Erinjiyan-Ilawe-Ekiti needs to be rehabilitated. However, the roads from Erinjiyan -Ilawe -Ado-Ekiti were without a pothole. The dual carriage way from Ado -Ikere -Ekiti, the gateway to the state has been rehabilitated. The road from Ado -Ijan-Ekiti is under a massive re-construction.

    Driving through Okeimesi-Itawure-Efon-Alaaye to Ipole Iloro and back to Ikogosi-Ekiti was my most memorable time in Ekiti, the folklore land with rolling hills. No porthole seen. Also, the route from Iwaraja in Osun State to Erinmo-Ijesa connecting Efon-Alaaye to Aramoko-Ekiti to Ijero and from Aramoko to Igede-Iyin connecting Ado-Ekiti, the capital of the land of honour, as Ekiti is being fondly called, were all without a dent.

    I salute the Fayemi-led administration for their efforts towards making Ekiti a place to be and to visit. I appreciate his efforts aimed at abolishing poverty from Ekiti land. Fayemi’s giant stride in Ekiti is an outright vindication of Abram Lincoln’s affirmation about democracy being an avenue to serve the people!

    • Maxwell Adeyemi Adeleye,

    Magodo, Lagos.

     

  • Time for Nigerians to end the wars

    SIR: All over the world there is war and strife; from the battle in the Arab world where bloodshed is the order of the day to suicide bombings that daily deplete the world of its human species. Horrific pictures detail man’s inhumanity to man, videos show how these barbaric acts are carried out openly displaying little or no regard for the sanctity of the human life. IR: All over the world there is war and strife; from the battle in the Arab world where bloodshed is the order of the day to suicide bombings that daily deplete the world of its human species. Horrific pictures detail man’s inhumanity to man, videos show how these barbaric acts are carried out openly displaying little or no regard for the sanctity of the human life.

    From Afghanistan to Iraq, from Pakistan to Syria the story is the same. Even Africa is not left out. The Rwandan genocide of 1994 is still fresh in our minds and the country is yet to recover from the worst genocide in human history. South Sudan is still embroiled in war for control of natural resources and power with wanton destruction of lives and property going on.

    For more than two years now, the fear of Boko Haram has become the beginning of wisdom as these men unleash terror and fear on the populace in the north-east leaving destruction and ruin in their wake. From Borno, to Yobe and Adamawa– the once amiable enclave of the Northeast with its serene environment and warm people are under the rule of terror. Other states of the North like Zamfara, Plateau and Nasarawa also have had their share of the violent attacks and death in the wake of visits by members of this dreaded sect the recent being the attacks on Izghe village in Gwoza local government area of Borno State.

    It’s all the same story of violence and mayhem all over the country as these are exhibited in different forms and patterns but all with the same result. The rich oppressing the poor and delighting in the misuse of power as a show of strength and wealth. Yet we as a people of diverse cultures and multi ethnic society should be united by our shared strength – our country.

    Why do we let strife, anger, religious intolerance and hatred into our hearts and into our lives? Why do we look at our neighbours, family and friends and see only the “darkness” instead of the “light”? When did friends, colleagues and neighbours become infidels and sacrificial lambs for the slaughter? When shall we see war and strife as “demons” to be cast out of our lives for good?

    Nelson Mandela came out of prison in 1990 after 27 years behind bars with hard labour and wicked and uncompassionate wardens yet the first thing he did was to forgive his captors and embrace them in the name of peace and love and enjoined his fellow South Africans to embrace same. It is time for all to embrace his last request to Africans to unite or face the consequences of violence and ultimately war on our hands.

    Nigeria is at a fragile stage in its quest for a free and fair election hence the urgent need for all hands to be on deck to realise this goal of a peaceful and united country. Our politicians and aspirants should watch their utterances so as not to ignite negative feelings against any tribe or religion or incite violence in the hearts of the populace at this time. They should preach peace and tolerance in their messages and campaigns to their supporters geared towards achieving sustainable growth and development of the nation.

    • Olalekan Jimoh,

    Ilorin, Kwara State

  • Who benefits from Lagos home ownership scheme?

    SIR: From the look of things, the least of the Lagos housing scheme can only be afforded by millionaires and multi-millionaires. Many Lagosians and residents who saw or read the Lagos Homs advert in the dailies or through other media have praised the government for the laudable scheme. Truly laudable, but when deeply considered, it is a travesty of the populace.

    The question here is, who among the various classes of residents in Lagos State is the scheme meant for?

    Lagos being a state rich in people of divers classes: first class; second class and middle class, with the latter having more than 50% and on an average salary of N50,000 to N100,000, it is hard to know the true beneficiaries of the scheme.

    An average first class resident in Lagos State has more than one house within the state. His second class counterpart has one and can afford to live in rented three or two bedroom flats in GRAs while the middle classes struggle to get one of the uncomfortable houses with lots of efforts in order to afford the exorbitant rent.

    The average wage earner should of necessity be the first beneficiary.

    With the eligibility and the mortgage charge being equal, the scheme will not be benevolent enough if the sales amount is not reconsidered.

    A plea to Lagos State government and the supporting agencies to help review the sales amount for the inclusion of common average earner living in the state.

     

    • Kariola Mustapha,

    Lagos Mainland

  • Open Appeal to the IGP Abubakar

    SIR: For almost two years now, we have followed up with deep concern the sad news of the kidnap of our brother in-law, Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Udemba, which took place on March 21, 2012 at Nkwelle Ezunaka, Anambra State. Regrettably, important-personnel inaccessibility at your exalted office, our longstanding experience of lengthy, frustrating,and unreliable bureaucratic process, coupled with apparent investigational reluctance of the Anambra State Police Command have compelled us to make this appeal public. While family and relations are still gasping to recover from, as much as understand, this unfortunate incident that took place at Nkwelle Ezunaka area close to Onitsha, Anambra State, we are still worried that little or no attempts have been made by the Anambra State Police Command to investigate Udemba’s kidnap.

    Developments regarding the willingness and readiness of the Anambra State Police Command to investigate his kidnap have, for some time now, remained disturbingly controversial and suspect at best. Sir, we are still in shock that even as the name of a major person of interest in his kidnap was provided to the Nigerian Police with copies forwarded to the former Anambra State Police Commissioner, Ballah Nasarawa, neither has any arrest been made nor has any investigation situation report provided to the long-suffering family of Udemba. Sir, you would need to imagine for a moment, the level of psychological and emotional trauma to which the wife and children of Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Udemba have been subjected for almost two years now.

    It is expedient to mention that at some point, letters of complaint and appeal were directly addressed and dispatched by this party to President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State. Given the gravity of this matter, those letters were registered and delivered by courier but neither a reply nor a response has come forth. Moreover, countless efforts made to reach those two important offices for help were unsuccessful and access impossible. Sir, besides the Presidency and the Governor of Anambra State, we are hereby appealing to you, in particular, and to all Nigerians, in general, to come to our assistance and possibly suggest ways to help all of us come out of this quagmire with the result of investigations on all those involved, in any way or associated with his kidnap, publicized. We firmly believe that the family, his relations and friends have the right to an honest, helpful and transparent investigation result from the police at this very challenging time. At this juncture, we solicit your urgent assistance and that of all well-meaning Nigerians.

    While we do appreciate some positive changes that have taken place in the Police Force as evident in many states and in some of the states around Anambra State, at the same time we restate our unwavering conviction that an entire town, family and relations of Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Udemba, both as loyal citizens of Nigeria and human beings with inalienable rights, deserve a meaningful closure to this ugly incident.

    With this heartfelt appeal, we passionately plead for your very considerate and expeditious intervention.

    • Sir Joe.C. Anemelu

    janemelu@yahoo.com

  • As Sola Omole takes over at NTA

    SIR:  Somehow I got strangely excited when I learnt Sola has been appointed as NTA’s Director General. For some of us who have been in the business of broadcasting for a while and looking at what Sola is taking on, it really is not an enviable position to find oneself.

    I have had the opportunity to observe my alma mater- NTA from a comfortable distance for quite a while and  I have been very upset at how the whole system has degenerated so badly.

    There has been so much of proliferation of stations, coming with nice sounding titles for many of the guys but the quality of output has been very appalling to say the least.

    It looks like the way we were brought up in the world of broadcasting, with strict adherence to code of practice has no bearing on this new crop of ‘broadcasters’. I have had to bury my head in shame most times as I have faithfully monitored NTA news from my base in the UK for quite some years now. It is too difficult for me to understand how some people have been allowed to cast the national news, which now goes international.

    I recall with great pride, the level of news reporting in my days and it is a shame  that news reporting has virtually been thrown to the dogs now.  Somehow I feel reportorial meetings are no longer held  and  that editorial meetings have been abandoned. Many of the people on air at NTA should not even be reporting for local stations, not to talk of a national outfit like the NTA.

    I am aware that all of that is part of the general decadence in our society where professionalism and fairness are sacrificed on the altar of  political balancing. Granted that we should not disregard the need for support for special needs, there must always be proper training to ensure NTA staff  get properly skilled -from dressing to diction and all that is in between.

    Sola will need to shake off quite a lot for him to get good results in his assignment. I will be praying for him.

    As important and potent as prayers are, faith without works will always amount to nothing. However I have the faith that with Sola’s well endorsed capacity as a news presenter and his consequent managerial skills on an international level, he should be able to work a miracle at NTA.

     

    • Pastor Femi Idowu, (former Bureau Chief, NTA News, Ibadan Bureau),

    United Kingdom

     

  • Youths and the revolution we need

    SIR: Revolution as a radical change in a system could be through a peaceful process or violent one. More often people clamour for the latter out of ignorance or desperation for change. History is replete with narratives of successful process of revolution that was striking and spellbinding in articulation and execution. However, contemporary socio-political realities on ground today give no option than the revolution of the mind. I advocate the principle laid out by D.J. Hopkins in his book, Revolution of the mind. When you juxtapose the social malaise endemic in our society with the maxim that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow, you will be at a crossroad to grapple with the reality.

    The youths of the 21st Century are distinct and unique in the true sense of globalization. We have to create wealth than instant riches; be solution providers than problem creators. Our role in society and nation building lie more on wealth creation, strategic thinking and logical reasoning. For us to lead tomorrow, we need to equip ourselves for the daunting task else history will never forgive us.

    The task before us is enormous, in order to create a paradigm shift from struggle for access to public fund to sustainable wealth creation. We therefore unanimously advocate incorporation of Information and Communication Technology into education. One of the biggest challenges in education today is incorporating ICT into learning.

    Today’s youths must be prepared to compete in a word of rapid technological change and innovation. The leadership of this country need answers as regards how to equip them with the skills they need and equally, how technology be used to improve their education. It is estimated that 95 percent of the decent work in the coming few years will require ICT skills. ICT literacy and its use as a training tool is therefore a must for any competitive nation and company. Since it is a must, we challenge government to make it happen as a matter of urgency.

    Technology is set to be a preferred way of learning in the future. Government should increase access to mobile broadband for subscribers providing tremendous opportunities to education in underserved areas. We must take advantage of the digital revolution to raise our youths to have the same level of education as the rest of the world as we are part of a global village that is our world today. A failed generation of youths is a harbinger of bad omen for the entire society now and the nearest future.

    This vicious cycle of reproducing youths who are not adequately equipped to participate in nation building portents a time bomb. The pockets of anomie being the order of the day lately seems just a prelude to a full blown anarchy that may set in motion distasteful outcome for the nation. This ugly unforeseen calamity is what we the advocate of youth’s empowerment, earnestly seek to halt before it get out of control as it were. Investment, not spending on education and youth-oriented policies are the core thrust of our advocacy for better and capable youths that surely will be the leaders of tomorrow. Most great personalities of old were in their 30’s when they attained such feats that marked their names on the sands of history. Give the Nigerian youths a chance to utilize their inherent talent and the knowledge of their time to take Nigeria to the next level.

    • Comrade Ogbu Alexander Ameh,

    Abuja

     

  • Mr. President should declare his intention now

    As the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC released the time table for next year’s election, activities for the election could be said to have started.

    Just recently, President Goodluck Jonathan was speaking on CNBC Africa that he was waiting for the go-ahead from INEC for him to declare his intention on whether to contest or not.

    We Nigerians assume with the release of this time table, it behoves on President Goodluck Jonathan to make his intention known to all Nigerians to douse the already tense atmosphere in the polity.

    Also, his declared intention now would afford Nigerians to measure his achievements.

    The development in the country as regards this administration’s wish to move it forward calls for more concerted efforts on the part of Nigerians, whether to give Mr. President another mandate of governing them for another four years, which would shape or mar their collective aspirations.

    Nigerians would be at a vantage position knowing the kind of leadership that would be saddled with the responsibility of giving the country leadership needed for the overall development of the country.

    Bala Nayashi, No 1 Yashi Area, Lokoja

  • Wake up, Nigeria

    Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of the National Assembly, my fellow Nigerians: Today in Nigeria, a teacher spent extra time with a student who needed it, and did her part to lift Nigeria’s graduation rate to its highest level in more than three decades. An entrepreneur flipped on the lights in her tech startup, and did her part to add to the more than eight million new jobs our businesses have created over the past four years. An autoworker fine-tuned some of the best, most fuel-efficient cars in the world, and did his part to help Nigeria wean itself off oil.

    A farmer prepared for the spring after the strongest five-year stretch of farm exports in our history. A rural doctor gave a young child the first prescription to treat asthma that his mother could afford.

    A man took the bus home from the graveyard shift, bone-tired, but dreaming big dreams for his son. And in tight-knit communities all across Nigeria, fathers and mothers will tuck in their kids, put an arm around their spouse, remember fallen comrades, and give thanks for being home from wars called Boko Haram, kidnapping, robbery and some of the meanest form of crimes against humanity.

    Today, I speak with one voice to the people we represent: It is you, our citizens, who make the state of our Nigeria strong.

    And here are the results of your efforts: The lowest unemployment rate in over five years. A new housing market and a manufacturing sector that’s adding jobs for the first time since the 1990s. More oil refined at home than we buy from the rest of the world – the first time that’s happened in nearly 20 years. Our deficits – cut by more than half. And for the first time in over a decade, business leaders around the world have declared that China is no longer the world’s number one place to invest; Nigeria is.

    That’s why I believe this can be a breakthrough year for Nigeria. After five years of grit and determined effort, Nigeria is better positioned for the 21st century than any other nation on earth.

    The question for everyone around me, the Labarans, Ngozis, Dezianis, Sanusis, is whether we are going to help or hinder this progress. For several years now, we have been consumed by a rancorous argument over the proper size of the federal government/subsidy/missing funds and more. These are important debates – one that dates back… But when debates prevent us from carrying out even the most basic functions of our democracy – when our differences shut down government or threaten the full faith and credit of Nigeria – then we are not doing right by the Nigerian people.

    Now, as president, I’m committed to making Abuja work better, and rebuilding the trust of the people who sent us here. And I believe most of you are, too.

    Last month, thanks to the work of my party, the PDP, and the opposition APC, the national assembly finally produced a budget that undoes some of last year’s severe cuts to priorities like education. Nobody got everything they wanted, and we can still do more to invest in this country’s future while bringing down our deficit in a balanced way, but the budget compromise should leave us freer to focus on creating new jobs, not creating new crises.

    In the coming months, let’s see where else we can make progress together. Let’s make this a year of action. That’s what most Nigerians want: for all of us in this executive to focus on their lives, their hopes, and their aspirations. What I believe unites the people of this nation – regardless of race or region or party, young or old, rich or poor – is the simple, profound belief in opportunity for all – the notion that if you work hard and take responsibility, you can get ahead in Nigeria.

    Let’s face it: That belief has suffered some serious blows. We have lost lots of good, middle-class jobs, and weakened the economic foundations that families depend on.

    After four years of economic growth, corporate profits and stock prices have rarely been higher, and those at the top have never done better. But average wages have barely budged. Inequality has deepened. Upward mobility has stalled. The cold, hard fact is that even in the midst of recovery, too many Nigerians are working more than ever just to get by, let alone to get ahead. And too many still aren’t working at all.

    So, our job is to reverse these trends. It won’t happen right away, and we won’t agree on everything. But what I offer tonight is a set of concrete, practical proposals to speed up growth, strengthen the middle class, and build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class.

    Nigeria does not stand still – and neither will I. So, wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more Nigerian families, that’s what I’m going to do.

    By Prince Charles Dickson