The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • Whither Oyo’s forest reserves?

    SIR: This question becomes pertinent because it appears that forest resources in most parts of Oyo State have been depleted to the extent that Mango, Shea butter, locust beans,cashew and Kolanut trees are being sawn into planks by sawmillers as soft woods, while the state depends on sister states in the South-west and middle belt states for her supply of hardwoods for furniture and building purposes. As a stakeholder in the forest sector, I can say unequivocally that with the rate that the forest resources are being depleted, the future of the sector is bleak and the government should be notified for urgent intervention which Ajimobi’s government is noted for.

    Vegetation wise, Oyo State falls within both tropical forest and guinea savannah. Aside, Ibadan/Ibarapa area where we have tropical forest, other zones in the state are not so blessed in forest resources. Consequently, teak and gmelina plantations were established by both western regional and later Oyo State government in various parts of the state. These plantations include Olokemeji, Gambari, Ijaye, Osho, Lanlate, Igangan Olaseyinde, Olla hill, Olokoo, Odanbon amongst others. All the reserves have been depleted due to indiscriminate felling since 1999. It is remarkable that there was a modicum of security in the forest reserves during military regime; however, the security of the forest reserves has been porous since 1999.

    The travail of Oyo State plantations began in 1999 during the mad rush for teak wood by Chinese and Lebanese businessmen. It was at that time that most of the teak and gmelina reserves were allocated to all sorts of people as political patronage, consequent upon which the reserves were depleted and has since not recovered till date.

    The blame for virtual depletion of the forest resources in Oyo State should not be heaped on the forestry department because of the undue influence of the politicians on civil servants, lack of operational vehicles and necessary equipment to safeguard the plantation. Also, unlike other uniformed personnel, forest official do not carry arms limiting their effectiveness in safeguarding the forest resources of the state. In view of the above, Oyo State government is advised to formulate a policy that would save the state forest resources from extinction. It should be made an offence for any unauthorized person to exploit the forest reserves. Equally, activities of the chain saw operators, rafter cutters and firewood hewers who operate in the forest reserves should be stopped throughout the state. However, because of the fact that kerosene has gone out of reach of the common man, charcoal makers and firewood hewers should be spared but made to register with government, while their activities should be monitored by forest officials.

    New plantations for natural and unnatural trees should be established in various zones in the state and old ones closed for some time with stiff penalty for intruders, so that the forest could be replenished. The Forest Department should be reinvigorated with modern equipments and vehicles as against rickety and hired vehicles driven around by the officials of the department.

    • Adewuyi Adegbite

    Apake, Ogbomoso.

  • Re: The Christians against Aregbesola

    I read this piece on the back page of a national daily of 17th Oct 2013 by Abimbola Adelakun and commend the writer’s informed views on many of the issues.

    I, however, have serious disagreement with the writer on some of the issues highlighted.

    The writer wrote “My preliminary assessment of the re-classification remedy masquerading as a revamp of the education sector is that it is meretricious, and does not demonstrate genuine commitment to resolving the problems of education …. Why do governors go for artificial restructuring while they neglect the real issues of funding, curriculum content development, continuous teacher retraining among others? “

    The question is a valid question when asked generally. However, in the spirit of responsible intellectual discuss, I would have expected the writer to have made an effort to find out (through any sources) what Aregbesola’s government may have done/or failed to do on these specific issues raised and then comment agreeing, disagreeing, or advising in relation to them.

    Otherwise how do you expect a thinking government to respond without restructuring to optimise resources, between for example a school with 15 teachers and 120 students population and another with 30 teachers and 600 students, both with dilapidated structures which are in such sorry state that even animals will complain being there.

    It is widely reported that Aregbesola’s government increased running cost of schools – given to principals to maintain schools – which he met at between N200 to N600 per month depending on the size of the school (Two hundred to six hundred Naira) to N400 per pupil per term implying a movement from N600 Naira per term to N40,000 (forty thousand) per term for a school with hundred pupils. It has also been reported that more than 2000 teachers have been retrained in collaboration with Osun State University in a continuous process of teacher re-training while substantial work has been done in terms of curriculum and provision of instructional materials including books, learning aids and Opon Imo, the internationally acclaimed Tablet of Knowledge.

    Same government has been commended by UNICEF and several international agencies and won awards for providing nutritionally rich free meals to pupils in primary 1-4, provision of free school uniforms to about 750,000 students in public schools, increase in examination and running grants to schools and reduction in school fees in state-owned tertiary institutions.

    Going by the National Education Policy there is no secondary school as we used to know it in the 70s and 80s. Now what we have is the 9- years Universal Basic Education – which enjoys financial support from the Federal Government – and 3 years Senior Secondary School which is entirely state funded. The 9-years is further divided in Lagos and some states which have attempted to implement it properly as 6 years primary, 3 years Junior Secondary and 3 years Senior Secondary. The Junior and Senior Secondary Schools are run as distinct schools with different structures and administrative heads.

    Aregbesola’s government’s reclassification has not done anything to affect this 9-years, 3-years structure and it is not the basis of any of the current complaints from CAN or any of the religious organisations.

    The current complaints are fallouts of the infrastructure upgrade and the need to maximise physical, human and financial resources.

    Has the writer checked the state of any of such schools before and the replacement structures constructed by Aregbesola’s government which necessitated the restructuring and reclassification before using words like meretricious or madcap to describe such efforts

    Must we in the name of demonstrating writing skill use such a word that if incorrect in usage portrays the user as not only unfair and discouraging of genuine efforts at nation building, but also as indecent?

    Osun Baptist Conference has a mixed-sex secondary school in Osogbo founded in year 2000 – Zion Baptist High School (in the premises of a school formerly called Newton Memorial ) but are against mixing boys and girls in government -owned school which name was retained as Baptist school.

    Same Baptist changed Baptist Boys High School in Iwo to Baptist High School to put girls there several years ago and it is still a mixed –sex school till today after government take over. So in Iwo the complaint is different from Osogbo, it is Hijab and not mixing of sexes.

    It is because we run a deceptive and lawless society that any group of people can claim ownership of whatever kind, on schools taken over 38 years ago through the instrumentality of the law which they have not challenged in court.

    They have for all intent and purposes not contributed to further development of the schools and do not pay teachers or any of the workers in the schools. They have gone ahead to found and run new schools with permissions from government.

    In other places where people have respect for rules and laws and respect for the rights of other citizens, they will be prosecuted and fined for disrupting the peace. They will be held in very low esteem by the populace as liars and people working against the interest of the common man. But here religious leaders buy private jets without any other means of income beyond exploitation of the gullible and the society idolises them.

    If we must call a spade its name, CAN, Baptist, Muslims and any other so called religious organisations claiming ownership on the schools, are being economical with the truth and except society rises up irrespective of our faiths against the indefensible, the self emancipation desired to make positive changes in our lives will continue to be illusory.

    Kola Omotunde-Young is an IT and Human Development practitioner resident in Oke Fia, Osogbo

  • National conference: Igbo charter of demand

    SIR: After years of suffering the worst form of marginalization in Nigeria the Igbos of the South East will be attending the proposed conference with a view to redressing the gross injustice meted out to them since Nigeria’s independence in 1960.

    The Igbos are underrepresented both in the Executive and Legislative Arms of government because we have only five states as against six and seven by other geo-political zones. Kano State alone has almost more local governments than the South East put together.

    Our roads are the worst in the federation. Thesecond Niger Bridge promised us since 1999 has become an illusion.

    Sadly, the rest of Nigerians have failed to reciprocate the supreme sacrifice made by Igbos in the early 60s when the NCNC which had the majority in parliament was set to form the central government and produce the prime minister by going into alliance with AG. But because of themood of the nation, especially given the reluctance of the North to embrace independence, NCNC now formed an alliance with NPC and ceded the primes minister to the North.

    Ever since, Igbos have shouted themselves hoarse to be allowed to produce the president of the country. It is the only one of the three tripods that held the nation (East, West and North) that is yet to taste the presidency, whereas the others have enjoyed it between 11 years and 39 years.

    Whereupon, the Igbos will be appearing at the proposed conference with an irreducible minimum three-point agenda: That after the presidency of Jonathan in 2015 or 2019, it will be the turn of Igbos to occupy the presidency; That after the presidency of Jonathan in 2015 or 2019, it will be the turn of Igbos to occupy the presidency; and that after the presidency of Jonathan in 2015 or 2019, it will be the turn of Igbos to occupy the presidency.

    Because we believe in the unity and continued existence of this great country, the Igbos are further compelled by circumstances to make another sacrifice, which is to serve for one tenure of six years at the presidency. This will make it easier for all zones to access the presidency at the shortest possible time.

    If we are re-negotiating Nigeria and given the traumatic marginalization of Igbos over the years, other Nigerians must cede the presidency to Igbos after President Goodluck Jonathan. That is our only agenda Igbos should present at the conference.

    • Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe

    Lagos.

     

  • Relief at last on Sango-Ojodu Road

    SIR: I am one of the many that wrote severally in the newspapers to call the attention of the Ogun State government to the deplorable state of Sango-Ijoko-Akute-Ojodu Road. I recall saying in one of the publications that Governor Amosun should not ignore the road just because previous governors refused to construct it in spite of its strategic importance to the economy of Ogun – so much money could accrue to government coffers along that axis.

    “If you pride yourself as the people’s governor, a progressive, then the difference must be clear,” was

    once my challenge to the governor.

    And so, you could imagine my joy when I read in the papers in the morning of Monday, October 21 that construction work would begin on the road and I returned in the evening to see the work of the bulldozers. I was elated.

    The fact is, I have suffered horrendously on account of that road. I lament every morning as I set out for the day and return home depressed and drained because of the appalling state of Sango-Ijoko-Akute-Ojodu Road. The experiences of residents of the area are only better imagined than experienced.

    This is huge relief for me.

    I am however shocked by the reaction of a few of our people. If you build your house so close to the road, you know you risk demolition anytime the road is to be properly constructed or expanded. This is the reason why people should observe town planning laws and obtain necessary clearance papers from the government before building. I wonder why people just build houses anyhow in Nigeria.

    As for the ranting of the disgruntled politicians who have nothing to show for their eight-year rule in Ogun State, let’s ignore them like tax.

    I’m however of the view that owners of houses that did not breach any extant law but are affected in one way or the other by the road project should be compensated.

    I thank Senator Ibikunle Amosun for achieving this great feat. Your name will certainly be etched in the Ogun State Hall of Fame.

     

    • Yemi Abraham

    Ogun State

     

  • Need for paradigm shift in Nigeria’s healthcare sector

    SIR: That Nigeria’s healthcare industry needs a breath of fresh air is no longer in doubt. The perennial strikes occasioned by inter and intra professional squabbles, remuneration related matters, poor, inefficient services and the sheer redundancies in this sector reflect this. These are also symptomatic of a larger problem bedeviling the sector, hence the need for a paradigm shift.

    The conceptual and organisational frameworks for healthcare delivery are not well thought through, lacking in vision, drive and innovation. The policy direction is superfluous, incoherent, and lacks the bite for effectiveness without this backbone. The National health bill as submitted at National Assembly fails to represent a paradigm shift. It simply endorses more of the same- the proliferation of large university teaching hospitals better known for their bureaucracies and inefficiencies than service, research and innovations.

    Primary healthcare meant to avail all citizens affordable, accessible and participatory healthcare has ground to a halt as any doctor in search of professional respect and some financial comfort have migrated to the tertiary health institutions or have fled the shores to greener pasture. No incentive to diversify or differentiate.

    There is no longer a team based approach to care delivery as battle for supremacy is the order of the day.

    The wholly welfarist approach to healthcare policy structures and directions bequeathed by successive military administrations persist. This approach assumes an all benevolent government that assumes responsibility for her citizen’s health by employing retinues of doctors etc usually in large poorly managed hospitals for benefit of the people.

    A more pragmatic approach to healthcare as both a welfare issue as well as a business is the only way to save the day for Nigeria. Healthcare is business, and business is healthcare!

    Poor regulation is visible in many areas. It starts from the indiscriminate proliferation of medical schools. There is a glut of medical schools around; I do not believe this augurs well for the profession or nation as a whole.

    Who regulates graduate medical education in Nigeria? Who defines what is standard in terms of institutional facilities, capacity qualifications, criteria for training director selection, resident selection, course content and learning modalities, examination techniques and peer interoperability and exchangeability with other countries? Who scrutinizes the two post graduate medical colleges?

    How come Nigerian doctors cannot just migrate and practice in the UK, South Africa, and Singapore etc without being subjected to a plethora of examinations and assessments? Qualifications of the Royal colleges are widely accepted for practice in Australia, Singapore, and Ireland etc. Why is Nigeria’s not acceptable anywhere?

    As some people would want us to believe, the problem is not always about funding and lack of equipment, but a lot about oversight, standards and regulations!

    The way to go is for government to divest direct ownership and participation in running hospitals. Government must ensure a strong national insurance programme, public and private. India to which many Nigerians gravitate for medical tourism made a choice to have a competitive advantage in healthcare and began the liberalization of this sector. The annual outflow of cash from Nigeria to India for medical tourism is a testament to the success of this philosophy.

     

    • Timi Babatunde MD

    Lagos

     

  • What more does ASUU want?

    SIR: The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has overstepped the bounds of reason. To say that most discerning Nigerians are angry with the union is an understatement. Whoever anticipated that ASUU’s show of shame would last this long?

    At first, we all sympathised with the pedagogues, thinking they were protesting to secure better learning conditions for the younger generation. Alas, we were wrong!

    Now, the varsity teachers have made it clear that they are more interested in their personal comfort than the future of our nation. At the beginning of the strike, the union bought us over by presenting poor infrastructure as the ostensible reason for their action; yet even after government has made concessions, releasing 130 billion naira and making a commitment to do even more, the lecturers have remained implacable.

    Isn’t it clear that they have less than noble intentions? To make matters worse, ASUU has resorted to ludicrous antics in a bid to hoodwink Nigerians into thinking that they are national heroes fighting for the evolution of a better educational system. This is far from the truth. Rather, they are simply using our young ones as pawns in a ruthlessly brutal duel to prove some political point, which is best known to them and their sponsors.

    In times past, ASUU has called off strikes even when their requests were not acceded to. Why is it that they have remained adamant now that government is responding positively? I am especially appalled at the manner with which these people continue to insult our sensibilities by maliciously passing the buck to the government and deliberately maligning well meaning people like the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who has nothing to do with the whole thing.

    The last I heard, 100 billion naira has been released to put needed infrastructures in place on our campuses. Furthermore, the Federal Government has also committed to spending N200 billion in the 2014 budget on the universities as well as in each of the next three-four years until the universities are brought to world-class standard. This is in addition to the N100 billion dedicated and already made available for 2013. Every university student knows that most lecturers don’t take their responsibility seriously. Most of them run personal ventures at the expense of the students they are being paid to teach. Yet, they keep agitating for pay raise. What an irony!

    It is time for Nigerians to wake up and nail the real culprit. One of our major problems is the fact that we don’t take time to analyse issues for ourselves. Rather, we flow with the tide of public opinion which is most often defined by a few opinion shapers. We must tell ASUU that we cannot condone their excesses anymore. We will not allow them to continue to make scapegoats of our bright young minds, who incidentally are our hope and pride, in a bid to satisfy their selfish ends.

    • Issachar Odion,

    mail4issachar@gmail.com

  • Mr President, I am disappointed sir!

    SIR: That President Goodluck Jonathan gleefully commissioned a high class Department of Engineering at Afe Babalola University when the same department in public universities are in shambles is a disservice and unpatriotic! Would Mr. President be so confident to commission such a department in any public university?

    The fact remains that your patronage and contributions to private universities is a clear indictment; it is an attestation that you care less about what becomes of the public universities. You can only correct this notion by doing the needful, that is, implement the agreement reached with ASUU to reposition our universities for a better service delivery. Granted you used to be a stake holder, yet l do not expect you to kill the ‘womb’ that produced you. What would the government lose if the public universities are functional? Allowing ASUU to reluctantly embark on strike is a political arrangement between your government and private universities whose continued sustenance largely depends on high patronage because a smooth and uninterrupted academic calendar in the public universities is a threat to the private ones. Only an insane mind would blame ASUU for going on strike because the quasi development on our campuses over the years was a product of strikes. Apart from paying wages and salaries, there was never a time in the history of Nigerian public university that the government willingly, without prodding, made funds available for effective running of the schools.

    Meanwhile sir, should your administration be in need of a more seasoned and purpose-driven Minister of Education who will not be interested in winning political war, whose mission is to rebuild public education and bring sanity to the sector, l volunteer my services without charge. As it is sir, we cannot all sleep and face the same direction if this deadlock must be broken. l promise not to use public funds to buy armoured cars because my own life is not in danger as l will not act against public interest.

     

    • Tola Osunnuga

    Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State

  • National Conference as jamboree

    SIR: The proposed National Conference will not succeed beyond Aso Rock and other selected venues where it will take place. For the avoidance of doubt, the proposed exercise shares striking similarities with the previous charades by the leadership of this country as part of their usual grandstanding and thoughtless bids towards addressing the myriad problems dogging Nigeria since the 1914 Amagalmation.

    When in hisOctober 1, Independence nationwide broadcast, President Jonathan Goodluck announced the proposed National Conference, which according to him, is targeted at finding solutions to Nigeria’s many challenges, some of us were sceptical about the effectiveness of such exercise in the light of the barriers imposed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended) on its outcomes. Accordingly, that cynicism has been justified by the President’s recent remarks on the proposed exercise, where he was reported to have said that the decisions of the conference would be sent to the National Assembly for ratification and possible incorporation into the on-going Constitution Amendment exercise.

    It is important we do not lose sight of the position of our extant laws on the proposed exercise, however attractive this option (National Conference) might appear. We need to draw our attention to the provisions of Section 4 (2) and Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). To be sure, the said provisions empower the National Assembly and their counterparts at the 36 state Houses of Assembly to make laws as well as alter any part of the Constitution in manners clearly stated therein. It is my firm submission, with regards to the foregoing provisions, that any outcome reached at the proposed conference MUST receive the endorsement of the lawmakers before it can become implementable.

    Meanwhile, it is germane to note that the proposed conference is no different from the previous ones. The Ibadan 1950, Lagos 1952, London 1957 and 1989 conferences yielded no consequences in finding solutions to the problems and challenges confronting the country. Similarly, the 2005 National Dialogue convened by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo is worthy of mention here. The outcomes of that exercise suffered fatal rejection from the National Assembly, which relied heavily on the aforementioned sections in refusing to deliberate on the proposals. There is no guarantee that the proposed conference would not suffer similar fate like the previous exercises, as much as the decisions reached at the conference would have to pass through the lawmakers for implementation.

    Much as one is not averse to Nigerians coming together to brainstorm on the way forward for the country, it needs be expressly stated that such discourse must be conducted within an appropriate platform and with the highest degree of sincerity from the conveners. If the Presidency is serious and strongly desirous to finding a lasting solutions to the country’s challenges, then it must convene a Sovereign National Conference. He can invoke Section 14 (2) (a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which confers sovereignty on the Nigeria people, to do this. The country can also learn from the experiences of Benin Republic (1989) and Congo Brazzville (1991) respectively, that successfully convoked sovereign national conferences to address problems and difficulties confronting their countries at those periods.

    Rather than embark on this wild goose chase and further deplete the nation’s already leaned national purse, the outcomes reached at the previous (as suggested by the APC National leader, Senator Bola Tinubu) conferences should be dusted and forwarded to the appropriate authorities for possible implementation until such a time when we are prepared for the people genuine discourse-the Sovereign National Conference.

     

    • Barrister Okoro Gabriel,

    Lagos

     

  • FG should give lecturers their due

    SIR: The ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), strike has, indeed, shown the federal government’s carefree attitude to education. The Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said Nigeria’s economy will collapse if the federal government implements the 2009 FG/ASUU agreement.

    But the question is; if the economy did not collapse with the huge salaries being earned by political office holders, why should the economy collapse because of the peanuts the lecturers are asking for?

    If the federal government insists that there is no money to meet ASUU demands, I suggest that they slash the salaries of political office holders by 50%, at least, in the interest of students.

    Not only that but the unnecessary appointments made by the President should also be terminated. All these appointments are only meant to keep party members on payroll thereby wasting our resources. Also, the ministry of police affairs is uncalled for since we have the ministry of defence and the police service commission.

    Idowu Esho Jamiu,

    Eruwa, Oyo State

     

  • Don’t kill the man who tells you the truth

    SIR: I write in respect of the current/ongoing strike embarked on by Nigerian universities. I am an academic with deep passion for the development of Nigeria in all its facets and sectors – education, health, water, roads, housing, transportation (infrastructure in general). I am saddened that education which is the most vital sector of our economy is allowed to decay monumentally. For example, in the University of Calabar the same set of hostels we used in my school days Halls 4, 5 and 6 for males and 7 and 8 for females are still the hostels we have for students 34 years after. I am ashamed as a Nigerian that things have not improved as it should in the education sector.

    ASUU is on strike not because of earned allowances but because of infrastructural decay and the inadequacies in our tertiary institutions. Matters have been made worse by the federal government’s refusal to honour the agreement it willfully entered into with the union four years ago. When President Jonathan came on board as a former constituent of the ivory tower, we rejoiced that the dawn of a new era for education sector have set in. In fact, President Jonathan was the only contestant in that year’s election I voted for. I feel very much frustrated that with him also education will not receive a new lease of life. I expected him to wade in in a decisive manner to honour the said agreement.

    On Monday, ASUU University of Calabar was prevented from embarking on its scheduled enlightenment campaign around Calabar metropolis. Government Police (hordes of them) were mobilized to nip this campaign in the bud. I am asking: is Nigeria now a police state? Have we abrogated from our constitution freedoms of speech and movement? Then, if this is so, whither the Nigeria of our dream?

    To have been denied of three months salary is enough sacrifice and shows that ASUU is serious with her present cause. We call on the federal government to show more commitment to the agreement not just by releasing money to the universities, but by ensuring that the monies are used for the infrastructural development for which the money is meant.

    – We are asking for more decent hostels for our students.

    – More lecture halls, auditoria in our public universities.

    – Better equipped laboratories for our science based disciplines.

    – Constant power supply.

    – Comfortable offices for lecturers and a conducive learning environment in all our tertiary institutions.

    Of concern to me is the studied silence (conspiracy of silence) observed from the members of the National Assembly. Could it be that they are incensed that members of the Ivory Tower have been exposing the jumbo salary and allowances they are receiving? It is only fair that they fight along with us because what is good for the goose is good for the gander. They are elected to mediate in all critical matters that concern our nation. They seem to have failed woefully in this respect.

    They are enjoined to wake up from their slumber before the present imbroglio escalates beyond manageable proportions.

    Government should show sincerity and honest commitment. They should also monitor and supervise projects in the universities to avoid the money going down the drains. ASUU is not insisting that all the money should be provided in one fell swoop but that genuine commitment should be made by government as they mobilize to start work in our universities to stem imminent collapse.

     

    • Prof. G. O. Ozumba

    University of Calabar

    Calabar – Nigeria.