The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • Re: Whither Oyo’s forest reserves

    SIR: I refer to the above titled write-up in The Nation few weeks ago, written by Mr. Adewuyi Adegbite. The article was a clarion call on our government to wake up to its responsibility and protect our forest resources from extinction.  Whether the government saw the article or not I cannot say, however, it is disheartening that our government focused its developmental efforts on development of infrastructures to the neglect of our forest resources and other ventures which can generate revenue for it more than the monthly allocation from Abuja.

    The article was an eye opener on the level of destruction of our forest reserves by illegal activities of unscrupulous elements in our society. Exonerating forestry officials from the blame for virtual annihilation of the reserves which is unabated is spurious and dubious. Since there are forest guards stationed at the reserves to guard the forest from intruders, there ought to be security in the place. If any untoward things happen to the forest, they should be held responsible. The illegal felling of trees in Olla Hill located in Ogo-Oluwa Local Government and Surulere Local Government of Oyo State was brazen. The operators were said to be daring that they are sawing the trees right inside the reserves. Not only that, those who are cutting the unripe trees for rafters are equally operating without hindrance. It was even said that mobile policemen stationed in the forest to guard the villages against the intruders from Osun State are collaborating with the illegal exploiters to destroy the forest.

    I believe this practice is not limited to Olla hill. Therefore, government has to be proactive if it wants to preserve the reserves for generations unborn and make it a money spinning venture which it ought to be. Illegal activities must be stopped by closing the reserves indefinitely with strict penalty for intruders.

     

    • Odelami Olatunde

    Idi Araba via Ajaawa, Oyo State.

  • Our strength lies in our interdependence

    SIR: To my mind, Nigeria is currently on the fastest lane to ‘Kigali’ or self-destruction because as a people we have failed woefully to protect our independence with our communal interdependence! We have failed to discover early enough that in tongue, religion, creed, status we may differ, but our humanity is the strongest unifying factor!

    With this we have completely jettisoned the dictum that “an injury to one is an injury to all”. This has continued to hurt and haunt us as a people so much that whenever a section of the society or the country is in crisis, instead of others to rally round to solve the problem, the general feeling was and still is always that was/is their problem after all they have offended us in the past!

    For examples, the First Republic failed largely due to ‘ethnicisation’ of politics or politicisation of ethnicity; The civil war was seen as the creation of the Ibos, annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election and the accompanying crisis was seen as a Yoruba problem; Jos crisis and Boko Haram are largely considered as the problem of the North; etc. But for how long are we going to live as strange bed fellows? As the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Said Abubakar recently queried, is it going to be possible in our generation that a Hausa will be elected as the governor in the East, Igbo as governor in Yoruba zone….?

    If this marriage of convenience called Nigeria will not experience a miscarriage in the name disintegration, the people and their leaders must urgently change the way they think by fully realising that the only way to ensure our independence is by protecting our interdependence!

    • Soji Oyeranmi,

    Ibadan

  • Helen Ukpabio’s “Witches on the Run”

    SIR: I am writing to draw the attention of the Nigerian public to the activities of Lady Apostle Helen Ukpabio who has just announced a witch-finding and witch-delivering session tagged “Ember Months Special 2013”. The program is taking place from November 11-17, at the headquarters of the Liberty Gospel Church in Calabar, Cross River State.

    The theme of the event is ‘Witches on the Run”. Ukpabio is inviting people to come for “free deliverance”. The poster for the programme has an image of a cat like animal at the background. A cat is locally believed to be a witch’s familiar in the region. The image of this familiar invokes fears and fantasies of impending danger or misfortune in the minds of the local population.

    The poster further states “Is your family sold out to witches? Are you oppressed or tormented by the witches? Are you a victim/prey/slave/servant in witchcraft coven?

    Are you a witch or wizard? There is a special deliverance for the possessed and the oppressed.”

    In a region where people often spiritualize the cause of their problems or attribute the misfortune they suffer to malevolent supernatural and occult forces, many can easily connect and link their problems and tragic experiences to these questions.

    Ukpabio claims to have divine mandate and power to exorcize the spirit of witchcraft.  She made witchcraft deliverance the primary mission of her Liberty Gospel Church. This time, her goal is to exploit popular fears- of accidents and deaths- often entertained by Nigerians during the ‘ember months’ using witchcraft images and imaginaries.

    At this event Ukpabio will instigate witchcraft insinuations and suspicion, incite hatred and violence against children and other vulnerable members of the population often scapegoated as witches.

    Ukpabio’s witch-hunting mission is set to erode the gains made so far by state and non-state actors in combating witchcraft related abuse in the region.

    Witch hunting will not end in Africa as long as witchcraft entrepreneurs like Ukpabio continue to act with impunity and the authorities refuse to bring them to justice.

    In Cameroun, the government has ordered the closure of around 100 pentecostal churches following the death of a nine-year old girl in a local church. The girl reportedly collapsed and died during a prayer session to cast out the ‘numerous demons’ that controlled the girl’s life.

    I urge the government of Cross River to take action against the witch-hunting activities of Helen Ukpabio. The Nigerian government should act now to stop this woman from re-infecting the region with her virus of witch-belief and deliverance.

     

    • Leo Igwe

    Founder Nigerian Humanist Movement,

    Bayreuth, Germany

     

  • Golden Eaglets’ victory: What next?

    SIR: Give it to them; the Nigeria U-17 team are the champions of the world. What a sight to behold inUnited Arab Emirates. They took the world to the cleaners in spectacular and enviable manner. This is what makes a champion.

    The revelation of the 2013 U-17 World Cup is the Nigerian team. They are now the most successful team in the age grade competition (winning four times-1985, 1993, 2007 and 2013), one more than Brazil.

    This is a tournament Nigerians would not want to forget in a hurry. Talk of the defence splitting passes of Musa Yahaya. What of the power packed crosses from the boots of the captain-Musa Mohammed? Or his curling free kick which only Messi , Ronaldo, Okocha and Ronaldinho display on the field of play.

    How about the player of the tournament? Good passer and goal poacher; the revelation of the tournament-Kelechi Iheanacho. Not forgetting Isaac Success. If not for injuries, we all know what he can do. Not to forget the lanky striker, Taiwo Awoniyi and his good positioning. The safe hands Dele, the son of Alampasu. What of the promising lad, Chidera Ezeh or the rock of Gibraltar Zaharadden Bello? What of the individual brilliance of Akinjide Idowu in the midfield and the hardworking Chidebere Nwakili?

    They all in unity took down their opponents to the cleaners. They spanked the Mexicans 6-1 in the opening game. They equalised late in the match to share points with the Swedes in the second fixture. The team cruised to the Round of 16 after spanking Iran 5-0 in the last group match and emerging winners of the group. They didn’t spare their Iranian counterparts in the Round of 16 winning 4-1. Then the quarterfinal match with the Uruguayans. The final score was 2-0. Once more, a rematch it was for the Nigerians against the hard fighting Swedes in the semis. Coolly and calmly, the Nigerians slotted three goals in their net to set a date with the Mexicans. With three goals, Nigerians emerged victors of the competition.

    What’s next for these eaglets? I remember the 2007 invincible team of the late Coach Yemi Tella. Six years gone by and we are yet to see them play for Nigeria. I remember the cerebral Toni Kroos who featured in 2007 for Germany and how he commands a regular shirt in Bayern Munich-reigning UEFA Champions league winner. But our Nigerian folks do not play top flight football. Iker Casillas and Xavi-two revered footballers in the world today were but discovered at this same competition in 1999.

    Four times we have won this competition but yet waited for 19 years to win the Nations Cup, wobbled and fumbled in South Africa 2010 World Cup, and missed Germany 2006 World Cup. This ought not to be, lest we become the laughing stock of the world. The only reward that will favour both these eaglets and the nation is to see them graduate through the ranks-U20, U23, and the Super Eagles.

     

    • Kelechi Amakoh

    University of Lagos

  • Why now, Zenith Bank?

    SIR: I am too pained in my heart, to do a proper introduction of myself, so everyone reading this would have to forgive me for that. I am a young male employed by Zenith Bank in 2012, when the bank decided to opt for contract staffing of fresh university graduates.

    I had to take it believing that the exposure and the need to equip myself with a certain level of experience were far more important than being idle. My remuneration was pegged at 69,999 Naira a month. The responsibilities assigned to me were the same with other professional non-contract staff in the operations unit of my branch. There is absolutely no disparity in my work load and to make matters worse, my branch could be classified as a non-performing branch in terms of income generation, so my branch head equally subjects me to marketing duties by making sure I introduce accounts to the branch if I want to be appraised very well in the bi-annual appraisal system of the bank.

    I go to work each day, concealing my disdain for the conditions I have to work with. What provoked this write-up is the issue of 13th month salary, also called December bonus. Zenith Bank has a policy of paying 13th month to all cadres of staff, professional and non-professional (contract). By that I mean the security staff and bulk note counters also enjoy of this largesse.

    I expected that those in my category would equally be paid this bonus, having put in more than a fair shift of workload during the year, but to my utmost bewilderment and those of my professional (contract) colleagues, we were denied of the benefit.

    I have tried to rationalize why the bank would decide to treat us with such disdain and contempt for our efforts and I am yet to come up with an answer.

    I want the bank to understand that as frontline officers of our various branches, they’re treading on our emotions and the level of bottled up rage in most of my colleagues would definitely spill over soon; and that the bank as an institution would be setting itself up for the worst public relations disaster of any financial institution in the country.

    To the general public, if you walk into any of the Zenith Bank branch and the attending teller doesn’t reciprocate your friendliness or warmth, please don’t take offence; understand that his animosity is not to you but the employer he/she has to contend with.

     

    • Chris Xander

    Lagos

  • PHCN privatisation and its aftermath

    SIR: There is light at the end of the tunnel as the long and tortuous journey to privatisation of Power Holding Company of Nigeria came to its expected logical conclusion on October 31. The handover which made major headlines in national dailies and beamed on broadcast media stations across Nigeria has left many wondering whether this new development will bring a one-in-all cure to the ills in the power sector. It is expected in this private sector driven era that the new investors will provide qualitative services, while carefully counting on their return on investment.

    Every business comes with its peculiar challenges and the challenges in the power sector do not begin or end with this privatisation. The available megawatts of energy presently powering our homes and industries are a far cry from the expectation of Nigerians. The transmission network is dilapidated, weak and cannot comfortably wheel already generated energy to distribution companies.

    Endemic corruption which has eaten deep into the fabric of our society should be addressed under the new regime. Metering of customers is an enormous challenge that needs to be surmounted immediately. It ensures accurate billing and removes prevalent loss of energy. Nigerians of every stratum are not good at paying for utility services. Customer education on why they should not be reminded of their responsibilities which is lacking should be the priority of the new owners.

    Power sector is highly technically driven. The new owners should endeavour to tap from the wealth of experience of the ex-staff of PHCN before hastily jumping into indiscriminate disengagement of staff as is currently obtainable. The new owners should put machinery in place aimed at separating the wheat from the chaff, the competent from the incompetent, and the productive from the non productive.

    The new owners should hit the ground running because before now they are neither formidable players in the power sector or even known stakeholders.

    The new companies should take a critical look at the work places of PHCN and review it quickly. It is not easy to work in a company where the monthly operational expenses do not reflect at least 10% of the revenue collected; or where training of staff is not accorded top priority. The above mentioned challenges are avoidable pits the incoming companies should be wary of to be able to excel.

     

    •Sunday Onyemaechi Eze

    Samaru, Zaria

     

  • Nigerian rulers’ five cardinal sins

    SIR: Nigeria is bedeviled by five cardinal sins perpetrated by the rulers. The Original Sin from which the others emanate is Indiscipline. The five cardinal sins identified here are corruption, politicization of religion, election rigging, neutralization of executive members of workers’ unions, and mass media gagging. I don’t want to mention ethnicism, because favouring “one’s own” seems all too natural, which is the reason Nigeria has the federal character policy in place, unfortunately more in the breach than in compliance; worse of all ignoring rotational presidency. Indiscipline of course means that you allow your emotion and feeling to get rid of your right-thinking faculty and so do wrong things, such as truncation of rotational presidency.

    Corruption is the number one cardinal sin built into the Nigerian system. Some parastatals are allowed to keep a percentage of their income for running cost. Meanwhile, the state or headquarter pays the workers’ salaries and allowances. The percentage kept by the parastatal for running cost grows into millions and the Director helps to clear the excess one way or another. Or, take another example; the Central Bank is allowed to keep “Social responsibility fund” and so donating buses, classrooms and halls, as deemed fit! Is that part of the purpose of a Central Bank in developed countries, or is part and parcel of the Nigerian factor? You also have explicit corruption in clear cases of misappropriation. I don’t know where to place Oduahgate, etc.

    Politicisation of religion is second on the cardinal sin list. It is explicit in Muslim leaders who claim that Islam is inextricably bound-up with politics. Meanwhile, some or many Christians keep saying Jesus is the answer to all problems, while some other Christians join in using religion to perpetrate corruption and political destabilization of Nigeria.

    Not less virulent is the third cardinal sin, election rigging. The Peoples Democratic Party banks heavily on it, and so has staunchly resisted electoral reform toward a truly independent electoral commission.

    The fourth cardinal sin, neutralization of executive members of workers’ unions, is grave because it means that checks and balance are eclipsed. That is one clear area where Ghana is doing far better than Nigeria. What is democracy without checks and balance? Ditto those who gag the mass media. All this is written to elicit repentance, positive reaction, or revolution.

     

    •Pius Oyeniran Abioje, Ph. D,

    University of Ilorin.

  • Time to update voters register

    SIR: The saying that we should make hay while the sun shines may perhaps be more applicable than ever to the task of updating voters register now that 2015 is still far off. The duty of updating the voters register rests squarely on the electoral umpire and needs to be done from time to time. This updating is necessary at this auspicious time.

    Firstly, during the last voter’s registration some eligible voters were not captured at most polling centres due to technical hitches. Some centres were overcrowded and so were beyond the carrying capacity of the ad-hoc staff and equipment made available at those places. So inadvertently, a good number of eligible voters were disenfranchised through no fault of theirs and this made it impossible for them to cast the 2011 ballot and others.

    I disenfranchised at the polling centre in front of Queen’s Hall, University of Ibadan. Queues were usually long with several lists of booking for registration or the equipment was simply not functional on most days leading to a few prospective voters being captured eventually. There is therefore need for a fresh updating of the voter’s register nationwide to capture more people to perform their civic responsibility in the 2015 and beyond.

    Secondly, some youths who were not up to 18 years at the time have come of age since the exercise was carried out in 2010. This means that youths who were 15 at that time will now be at the mandatory age of 18.If the exercise is being planned for 2014, then more youths would be eligible for the exercise. Our population indices and statistics show that the bulk of our population is made up of youths; therefore they form a decisive proportion of the electorate that must not be left out of deciding who their leaders should be. It is therefore very important and necessary for a voters update to be carried out nationwide before 2015 and any other crucial elections for that matter in order not to disenfranchise the youths that have reached the mandatory 18 years of age since the last exercise. Thirdly, an update of voter’s register would capture those who must have returned from overseas sojourn or education after the last exercise. Although socio-economic factors show that most Nigerians have the tendency to emigrate to other countries for greener pastures, conditions in those foreign lands especially the global economic meltdown and unemployment rates have made many to return home. No matter how insignificant the statistical figure of these returnees are, so long as they are of voting age (18 and above),there must be an update of the voters register to capture them to perform their civic responsibility when it is time for voting during elections.

     

    •Emmanuel Tyokumbur.

    University of Ibadan

     

  • Anambra stampede: CAN and politics

    SIR: Last week’s avoidable tragedy at the Uke Adoration ground in Anambra State, that claimed over 28 persons, once again brings to the front burner the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) ‘s frequent meddling into the country’s murky political waters, and the consequences of such action on its members in particular and the country at large.

    It is not in dispute that the remote cause of this sad incidence was the visit to the venue of the weekly adoration crusade, organised by the Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry, Uke, by some politicians in the state, who reportedly turned the religious gathering to a political fan-fare of sorts seeking for the votes of the congregation towards the November 16 governorship election. Accusations have continued to fly across the different political camps in the state.

    However, as the politicians continue to “dance on the graves” of these innocent victims, this piece will concern itself with the quirky directive issued, few days after the ugly incident, by the Southeast CAN urging its members to desist, henceforth, from allowing politicians to use their altars as campaign grounds.

    Without sounding blasphemous, the body, as it were, was merely playing to the gallery by such directive. Truth is: CAN has derailed from its primaary objective which saddles it with the duty of promoting the spiritual growth and stability of her members. It is befuddling that the body has over the years, continued to fraternise with all manner of politically inclined persons whose main motive is to use it and her members as a ladder to their political heights. This is abundantly evident in the recent threat by some of her members to pull out from the body. The altar has been sold! It is a common sight today to see some of these politicians receiving “laying of hands” before the congregations during major elections.

    Curiously too, the region’s body has also warned its members (churches) “to steer clear of partisan politics”. The practicability of this directive remains to be seen, at least not when the body’s national leadership keeps hobnobbing with the government in power.

    The body at the national level most times had reduced itself to an image maker of the government in power (especially at the federal); thus the region’s move to “ban all politicians from attending our churches with their political teams for campaigns” is like crying over spilt milk.

    The association must return to its spiritual duties and leave politicking to the politicians. A situation where the leaders of the body endorse (either by commission or by omission) candidates for election should be discouraged, as such action indirectly impede their members’ freedom of choice and endangers healthy competition in our body of politicking.

    While Nigerians sympathise with the families and loved ones of the victims of the tragedy, the best way to immortalise them is for electoral body and the politicians to ensure that the November 16 election is free and fair. And whoever emerges the winner must deliver dividend of good governance to the living in the state.

     

    • Barrister Okoro Gabriel,

    Lagos.

     

  • When Cholera came to town

    SIR: It came on me suddenly. I found I was holding my stomach, feeling nauseous. The strength drained out of me. I had developed the runs!

    My mind went through all I had taken up to that point, particularly the bottled water I took only an hour before. Even as a medical doctor, I had cause to be worried. Only a few days ago, in Lagos where I live, there had been three cholera related deaths out of 134 confirmed cases.

    It did not start in Lagos.

    It first broke out in a refugee camp in Namu village, Qua’pan Local Government Area of Plateau State where at the last count 11 lives had been lost out of 130 that were hospitalised.

    After this, the Federal Ministry of Health said it would investigate it and that “the investigation would determine the kind of intervention to be deployed in the community.”

    While it “investigated”, cholera took its time to visit other states, and more lives were lost. They are: Zamfara State with 1,110 cases and 51 deaths; Nasarawa State with 105 cases and five deaths. Ogun State had 115 cases, five deaths and Oyo State, 29 cases, six deaths, and of course, the earlier mentioned Lagos.

    Luckily for me, I only had mild enteritis which responded to treatment.

    Cholera is acute watery diarrhoea, caused by Vibrio cholera, which leads to severe dehydration. Cholera is a global threat, especially in areas with poor sanitary conditions and where clean water and proper sewage disposal are not available.

    Eleven per cent of the world population or 783 million people are still without access to drinking water. Some try to get round it. In Nigeria, sachet water popularly called “pure water” is sold commonly. The business is an all-comers affair, a typical startup for any down on their luck wannabe. The source of the “water’ for “processing” is questionable. Many of the “factories” are found in slums and very unhygienic places, when you can trace them.

    According to a UN study, it is estimated that out of the seven billion people in the world, six billion have access to mobile phones. Incidentally, only 4.5 billion have access to functional toilets. And of the 2.5 billion who do not have proper sanitation, 1.1 billion defecate in the open. With an estimated 30 million people, Nigeria is among the top five countries where people defecate in the open.

    Once a month, environmental sanitation is observed, especially in Lagos. But it is just a day to add to the heap of refuse. And all the rubbish brought out from the filthy gutters is left on the side of the roads to be washed back in when it rains.

    Strategies at tackling epidemics like cholera dwell more on treatment of the victims. That’s fine. But all clinical efforts will be wasted if the victim is sent back to the “offending zone”. There must be renewed efforts at limiting re-exposure to pathogens and even more efforts at removing those factors that will make the pathogens thrive. Critical infrastructure are needed, reduction in illiteracy and improvement in standard of living, that is if corruption will let money go to work where it should work.

     

    • Dr Cosmas Odoemena,

    Lagos