The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • Waiting for the Akinrinade memoir

    SIR: Lt.-General Alani Akinrinade’s recent interview which was serialized in The Nation made a profound reading and a lasting impression on me. The interview in my estimation brought out the best in the man widely known and regarded as courageous, disciplined, cerebral and valiant.

    The retired General in an answer to a question in one of the sessions sounded that he would not want to write a book or his war memoir on the last civil war in which he was a major witness and active participant, though he didn’t offer any plausible reason for his stance. I hope I’m wrong.

    But should this be true however, I wish to use this opportunity to appeal to the General to reconsider his stand and rescind his decision. If the interview he had with this newspaper is anything to go by, I bet, his is going to be a classic and a class on it’s own. Therefore, remaining silent or not writing at all will not do any good to Nigerians and honour to him as well. Please Sir, write.

    • Olu Ajayi,

    Abeokuta.

  • Strike: FG, ASUU should consider the students

    SIR: One of my prayer points in 2011 when I gained admission to University of Ibadan (UI) was that there should not be strike throughout the duration of my four-year course. But this prayer has been rendered ineffectual by both the federal government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) who seem to be fighting every year. I have spent two sessions in school now with two strike actions. By prognosis, I pray I still don’t experience two more before completing a four-year programme.

    Since ASUU embarked on its total and indefinite industrial action on July 1, it is really having negative impact on us. We are at home idle, only just to roam about the streets; this is not too good for us as an idle hand is the devil’s workshop. Do not let the devil engage us into prostitution, internet fraudsters etc before you decide to call off the strike.

    I don’t want to believe that the government is lackadaisical about this issue because their children are not schooling in Nigeria or because their children are attending private universities. We are regarded as leaders of tomorrow, would it be good to see the leaders of tomorrow engage in all nefarious activities just because ASUU is on strike.

    Government, ASUU, strike a balance and call off this strike.

    To my fellow colleagues at home, please irrespective of our religion, let us take this case to God in prayers so that the Almighty God would intervene and that FG and ASUU would come to meaningful conclusions. And also let us all engage ourselves in activities that can add value to our lives. ASUU, Government, for posterity sake, consider the students and resolve the crisis as we are at the receiving end.

     

    • Saanu Grace Damilola

    Department of Communication and Language Arts

    University of Ibadan

     

  • Injustice to the Tiv in Taraba

    SIR: What is democracy if people’s preference do not matter, their expectations crashed, their voices not heard and their needs and aspirations not adequately cater for? Democracy is of no relevance if appointments and employment opportunities are skewed in favour of some particular interest groups or tribes, while some are left to wallow in miseries and frustration.

    Beginning from 1999 when the new dispensation began, the indigenous Tiv people of Taraba State have neither produced a local council chairman, state assembly member, commissioner, adviser or Senator to mention only few.

    Now the Tiv people are asking some pertinent and reasonable questions like; are we really the indigenous people of Taraba State? If we are then, why is that the key positions in the state are dominated by other interest groups or tribes? While we grope in darkness?.

    The Tiv people are the single largest ethnic group in southern Taraba State. And they are predominantly in seven local government areas of Takum, Donga, Wukari, Ibi, Gassol, Bali and Gashaka. The 1947 census put the Tiv as the undisputable majority ethnic group in the defunct Wukari Federation with a total population of over 40,400, representing 34%.

    It is unfair that other ethnic groups in the state have not considered the Tiv for any of the strategic posts in the state they pioneered its creation through one of their illustrious sons, Hon. David H.Gba’Aondo of blessed memory who move motion in the Federal House of Representative Lagos in 1983 for the creation of the state. The big question is; are there no qualified persons from the Tiv who can function very well in these offices?

    The marginalization of the Tiv people in Taraba State needs to be addressed so that we can move the state forward. The other tribes must change their attitude towards the Tiv. They must be more willing to give than to take. They must see their position in the state as a privilege not as right. Political and traditional leaders from Tiv must united in their goals, eschew selfishness and treat sectionalism as a taboo. Educated Tiv sons and daughters should not be afraid of speaking out against political, economic, social and every form of marginalization in the state. Silence sometimes is taken as agreement or compromise so the Tiv people of Taraba State must speak out now.

     

    • John Akevi

    Bauchi

     

  • When politicians play the hide and seek game

    SIR: The drama that took place between President Goodluck Jonathan and the four northern governors in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital is an ominous sign of what to come. Both actors in the scene arrived in the capital city separately to be anointed by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo. But the show got twisted when the four governors decided to hide in order to avoid their own President who was holding secret meeting with the same Obasanjo they came for. The drama got more interesting when Nyako said “we have come to greet the most accomplished Nigerian and to consult him for very important matters”. President Jonathan also visited the Hilltop to greet the “Father” and of course, for consultation as well while Obasanjo remain the consultant.

    The irony here is that both actors are from the same PDP and at the same time dribbling themselves using hide and seek tactics to achieve their ambition. It is obvious from their desperation that the actors at Obasanjo’s house are working towards presidency come 2015.

    Why the hide and seek politics if both actors are working towards pushing Nigeria from political and economic doldrums? Why is everybody working in different directions? In the National Assembly, Speaker Tambuwal is accused of playing double standard. In Rivers State, Amaechi is seen as a traitor and a betrayer simply because somebody wants to achieve a personal goal. 2015 is still some miles away, but the political atmosphere is heavily pregnant; the North singing war tune to take over power; President Jonathan is hanging on by all means even though there are clear evidences that he is struggling. But the stark reality is that all these individuals are seeking sectional agenda, not the interest of a decaying generation.

    The quest for personal agenda is our problem. A United States report has just warned Nigeria’s leaders to beware of another civil war. The report says that “parochial interests, cultural, ethnic, economic, regional and political secessionist tendencies are endemic in Nigeria”.

    The birth of the insurgent in the north that is now spreading like wild fire is not accidental. The fact remains that the youths that transformed into the terrorist group in the North and other parts of the country today were used by politicians to outsmart their perceived opponent or enemies, but dumped thereafter.

    Can we ever win the war against the menace called selfishness, the disease that has eaten deep into our marrow? Isn’t the more reason why human beings are slaughtered like Christmas chicken across the country? Governors conducting minor election among themselves only to have the result disputed; a member of parliament using the mace as a weapon against fellow lawmaker?

    How do we move the country beyond where we are when our thoughts and permutations are on how to milk available resources while leaving the masses in the grave yard of poverty? Nigeria is rich; the God-given resources can simply go round if it is not left in the hands of few insatiable and greedy individuals.

     

    • Sunday Alifia,

    Ibadan, Oyo state

     

  • Umeh and the future of APGA

    SIR: On July 15, the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu affirmed Chief Victor Umeh as national chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA). The validation of Umeh’s position by the appellate court followed his appeal to an Enugu High Court judgement presided over by Justice Innocent Umezulike.

    The lower court had in its verdict on the case brought against the APGA national chairman by one Mr. Jude Okuli, ordered the removal of Umeh on the ground that his tenure had expired in 2010. It further pronounced as unconstitutional the 2011 National Convention, where Umeh and other National Working Committee (NWC) members were re-elected.

    With his latest victory at the Court of Appeal, Umeh may have breathed a great sigh of relief and perhaps can now comfortably sleep with his two eyes closed. But then, we may not have seen the end of the protracted leadership tussle in the party, particularly, as the opposing camp believed to be loyal to Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, and led by Barrister Maxi Okwu has refused to accept the defeat in good faith. So, there may be more battles for Umeh to fight.

    Rather than warming up to continue with the war, I think what should be paramount in the minds of the combatants in APGA now is the survival and sustainable growth of their party. How the party would remain in control of Anambra State should be of great concern to the members now more than anything else.

    I would implore the Okwu-led faction of APGA to sheathe their swords, bury the hatchet and shelve any further fight to see how they can work together with Umeh so that victory can be theirs in the Anambra November 16 governorship ballot and other future elections.

    • Michael Jegede,

    Abuja

     

  • NAFDAC and democracy dividends

    SIR: Contrary to the incessant accusation of non-performance heaped on the administration President Goodluck Jonathan, a lot is being silently achieved in an attempt to garner numerous democracy dividends for the Nigerian citizenry. A monumental achievement is being made in the nation’s health sector by the Paul B. Orhii-led National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)

    Aside successfully securing the adoption of emerging sophistications in technological paraphernalia for anti-pharmaceuticals counterfeiting, which has empowered consumers to independently detect and discard fake, counterfeited or cloned drugs, series of dynamic and pro-life elongating achievements have indeed been recorded by the Orhii-led NAFDAC management team.

    Just recently, another feather was added to the agency’s cap when it secured a court conviction against the producers of the much publicized killer teething mixture known as “My Pikin”, which killed 89 Nigerian children. This, of course, is in addition to other several court convictions also recorded by NAFDAC in drug- counterfeited offences and cases between 2009 to date, a positive development that confers on Dr. Orhii the status of a premier NAFDAC chief executive to have achieved this feat since the agency’s inception.

    Interestingly, efforts are underway to ensure that a sizeable aspect of assets forfeited by convicted drug counterfeiters are channeled towards compensating victims of the heinous act. Already, the agency, has sustained its zero tolerance to the prevalence of counterfeited pharmaceuticals in Nigeria as evidenced in its recent extension of cooperation to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) nationwide.

    The NAFDAC’s sustained battle against die-hard counterfeiters of pharmaceutical products is being locally and internationally acknowledged. This is in spite of the fact that the agency is making frantic moves to unveil novel strategies and solutions targeted towards providing backups to those already in existence.

    The driving force behind these stellar innovations cannot be likened to a prophet without honour at home because recently President Jonathan recently honoured the NAFDAC boss with the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) award. There have been other appreciation and awards. The latest is the June 24 award of Special Congressional Recognition in far away United States of America. It was an endorsement orchestrated by a notable American Congress woman, Janice Hahn. The presentation was made at a well attended reception held in the James Madison Hall at the historic Capitol Hill, Washington D.C.

    One of the intrinsic dividends of all these efforts and initiatives is the leap in the status and reputation of Nigeria as a nation committed to the cause of ensuring that only standardized and genuine pharmaceuticals are provided for the people. Through standardization of healthcare provision, the brain drain syndrome that has remained a big worry in the sector is checked, while the right and proper health services are within the reach of all irrespective of financial and societal status.

    For Dr. Paul Bortwev Orhii, Nigerians are yet to see his best!

     

    • Martins F.O. Ikhilae,

    Lagos

  • Where is Nigeria’s democracy?

    SIR: Democracy is defined as the government of the people by the people and for the people. This implies that the government would be the government owned by the people, would be by the people and also would be on the interest of the people. But conversely, our politicians have changed our definition and understanding of democracy.

    By Nigerians understanding of democracy, it is now the government of some people, by some people and for their relatives and cronies. This however has continued to make Nigerian masses wallow in abject poverty and this prompted me to ask, where is our democracy?

    The survival of every nation always depends on the commitment and the good its leadership can bring to bear on the lives of its people. No nation is assured of its continuous existence if her people are deprived of basic amenities. It is very unfortunate that our leaders cannot create an enabling environment for the citizens inspite of the elephantine resources that we have got.

    Our government have failed to live to the expectations of the people. Many innocent Nigerians have become victims of bomb blasts, abduction, robbery, and many forms of attacks. Nigerians are vulnerable to all sorts of attacks. Only the political office holders seem to be safe in this country. Is this how we are going to continue?

    We have come to realise that our democracy is make-believe. Our leaders have compromised our democracy for their selfish interest. Leadership is no longer by merit and competency but by intimacy and contribution whether financially or through thuggery. Also, people are not given the right to exercise their constitutional rights.

    Furthermore, we have been deprived of good health services, our lives and properties are no longer secured, our education is deteriorating, our roads are not motorable, no regular power supply and yet Nigerians pay huge amount to PHCN for what they do not consume.

    It is only a failed country like Nigeria that minority enjoys while majority suffers. Varsity lecturers have been on strike for almost two weeks because of the insensitive and bad leaders we have. They pay themselves huge amount of money but are always against any little increment on the salaries of civil servants. Many retirees who served the nation wholeheartedly are there waiting and begging the government to pay them their pensions and here we have our senators approving life pension for themselves in the on going constitution amendment.

    2015 is another opportunity for Nigerians to make changes and vote for credible leaders who have the interest of the nation and its people in mind. Leaders that would restore our lost glories and give us the real democracy not this kind of make-believe democracy that will are seeing now. If all this must stop, Nigerians must rise irrespective of their tribe, region and religion to demand for their rights and also vote out bad leaders come 2015.

     

    • Waziri Mohammed

    Mokola, Ibadan.

  • As countdown to Anambra guber poll begins

    SIR: The Anambra State governorship election has been scheduled to hold on November 16. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared August 13, as the kick-off date for the political activities towards the November election.

    Peter Obi, the incumbent governor, is widely seen as a prudent leader whose style of administration is devoid of profligacy. Even his die-hard critics have confessed that civility has triumphed in the governance at a time politics in the state had degenerated to dangerous dimension. He has truly transformed Anambra State in terms of infrastructure and social amenities. Roads, schools and hospitals have received a boost, Orient petroleum has been commissioned thereby making Anambra an oil producing state in Nigeria. Security has been beefed up with the latest supply of over 300 fully fitted security vehicles to all the communities in the state.

    Yet, an average citizen here still feels a sense of underachievement. The people are of the opinion that Obi should have performed better in view of his long tenure and the cash available to his government. They believe that to whom much is given much is expected, therefore, the available structures are below the expected standard. For instance, Anambra has no stadium despite producing national sports icons like Emmanuel Okala, Mary Onyali, and Michael Okpala etc. Onitsha seaport is still a mockery despite the endless promises from the government. Udoka Housing Estate, the only one built since 1992 is in shambles as civil servants report to their duties from Enugu daily. The state capital is in a terrible shape, some ministries are still using outdated cubicles including the government house itself.

    These are the deficiencies, which would be in the mind of the electorate as they prepare to cast their votes in November. But before going to the polls, let them ponder awhile and think deeply. They should know that Anambra is very important to Nigeria. She is arguably the economic hub of the South-east.

    Let the people carefully evaluate the history of Anambra state. Before making their choice, they should arm themselves with all those issues Peter Obi ignored and vote a responsible leader to fill in the vacuum. Let them know the value of their decision and how it will impact positively on the state. The burden of ruling Anambra state is enormous; the electorate should look beyond the craft and antics of Anambra politicians. Poverty is in the land, no doubt, but after collecting their rice and salt Greek gift, let them endeavour to vote in a leader with clear vision, someone with high moral standard with regards to their yearnings and aspirations. Let them know also that the people on parade now are merely pretenders; the real contenders would only emerge after the primaries of various political parties, which obviously may not produce more than four serious candidates.

     

    • Udeh Andrew

    Enugu

     

  • The case against death penalty

    SIR:Once again, the controversial issue of death penalty (or capital punishment) has been resurrected from the limbo in Nigeria. This is against a backdrop of the recent media report quoting President Goodluck Jonathan as urging the state governors to discharge their constitutional responsibility by signing the death warrants of condemned prisoners pending before them and the subsequent hanging of four death row inmates of the Benin prison, in Edo State.

    Although Nigeria has maintained a kind of moratorium or suspension on criminal execution since her return to civilian rule on May 29, 1999, the policy appears to be reversed, somehow, with the hanging of a number of condemned persons across the country in 2006, 2012 and this year. Obviously, public and political opinions are sharply divided on the ongoing heated debate on whether to retain or abolish the punishment in our penal code.

    For proponents of death penalty, the severe measure has a uniquely deterrent force, which no other formal punishment has or could have. In their argument, the fears of being caught for committing gravest crimes like armed robbery and made to face the commensurate gravest punishment would help reduce the rate of such crimes. They also contend that capital punishment would permanently remove the worst criminals in our midst, thereby providing an enabling environment for a safe and peaceful society.

    For opponents of death penalty in Nigeria, the pristine argument of deterrence of the penalty is otiose and no longer tenable. This is in the light of the futility of such harsh measure in stemming the tide of violent crimes – as criminals do not often think about the punishment that awaits them but about the possibility of being caught and arrested.

    From the standpoint of this writer, capital punishment is morally unjustifiable and unacceptable. For one, human life is so sacrosanct and inviolable and it is only God, the giver of life that has the inalienable right and control over it. For another, death penalty removes the humanity of the executed persons and the attendant chances of rehabilitation and their giving something back to society, in terms of community service. Additionally, the penalty is contrary to the contemporary international human rights standards and values- a development that made the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, through the Resolution 62/149, to call on member states to commute without delay all death sentences to terms of imprisonment.

    It is important to state that the intractable problem of violent crimes in Nigeria, which gave rise to application of capital punishment, has its root cause in our grotesquely unjust system that incubates and breeds criminals. These include awful legacy of bad governance, rampant corruption, deplorable state of the economy, inefficient criminal justice system (including the police, the court and the prisons), relative deprivation, mass poverty, chronic unemployment, widening gap between the rich and the poor, human exploitation, greed, unbridled materialism, ungodliness, immorality, erosion of the spirit of social solidarity and decline of traditional family values. In fact, if we did not push back the frontier of these often ignored factors that fuel violent crimes, our all-out efforts to surmount the upward spiral of such crimes will be in vain.

    As part of the reform of the administration of justice in Nigeria, the Federal Government should respond swiftly and vigorously to the contentious issue of death penalty. This is considering that the penalty has obviously failed as a deterrent measure against violent criminals. Removing capital punishment from our criminal laws is also made paramount by the fact that Nigeria is a signatory to internationally recognised human rights protocols, which guarantee each individual’s right to life, like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (or the Banjul Declaration of 1981).

     

    • Okechukwu Emeh, Jr

    Abuja.

     

     

  • N150 million lie against Sylva

    SIR: Our attention has been drawn to a strange report by an online medium that alleged that a certain Lt. Col. David Ahangba, a former special assistant to the late National Security Adviser, General Andrew Owoye Azazi, received N150 million on behalf of his boss from the Bayelsa State government under Chief Timipre Sylva.

    The money was alleged to be an inducement to the then NSA to help the former governor’s second term ambition.

    The report as it concerns Sylva is wholly untrue. Sylva did not give any money to Azazi and could not have done so for the intention suggested in the story because Azazi was not in a position to stop the organised political onslaught against the governor at the time.

    The decision to exclude Sylva from the Bayelsa State governorship race was taken at highest level of government and politics in the country. And Azazi was just an errand person in the process and was never in a position to halt the well-calculated course of action.

    We are concerned that even when Sylva has been unjustly prevented from re-election and made to face a series of persecution by the same elements that orchestrated the injustice, his name is still being undeservedly dragged in the mud. Sadly, this latest assault is coming when Azazi is late and unavailable to respond to the charges against him.

    Sylva wishes to be left out of this alleged transaction between the former NSA and his aide, as he has nothing to do with it.

     

    • Doifie Buokoribo

    Media Adviser to Chief Timipre Sylva

    Yenagoa