The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • Awo beyond criticism?

    SIR: Yoruba is a major ethnic group in Nigeria. The Yorubas are civilized. Professor Wole Soyinka, Africa’s first Nobel Prize winner in Literature is from Yorubaland. The Yorubas gave Nigeria many firsts including the first television service. Many great builders of Nigeria are Yorubas. Lagos, a mega city in Yorubaland of Nigeria, is one of the fastest rising cities in the world. Lagos contributes largely to the status of Nigeria as one of the fastest rising economies in the world.

    Although Yorubas are one of the most advanced civilizations in Africa, many Yorubas don’t like anybody to criticize the legendary sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who is of Yoruba origin and of Nigerian heritage. Many Yorubas are strongly intolerant of any form or grade of criticism against Chief Awolowo. But Chief Awolowo was a strong critic in his time.

    The article, “ Awo Family without an Awo,” by Sam Omatseye in his column, “In Touch,” in The Nation of June 6, 2011 generated a lot of positive and negative critical tornados and tsunamis in Nigeria because many Yorubas found it offensive. In the article, Omatseye stated what he thought were the failings of the family of Chief Awolowo. Some sons and daughters of Awolowo, Awoists, and some Yoruba groups, politicians, business men and women, professionals, students and traders were very angry with the writer as if criticizing the late legend of Nigerian politics, his family and legacy was heretical and a taboo.

    In his great memoir, “There was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra,” Professor Chinua Achebe criticized Chief Awolowo for his role in the Nigeria-Biafra War (Nigerian Civil War). This made many Yoruba talents, icons, luminaries and legends to generate and direct a great deal of anger and hatred against Chinua Achebe.

    My question is: is Chief Obafemi Awolowo critically untouchable? Many exceptionally distinguished people in the world are and were objects of criticisms: legendary poets, famous politicians, iconic captains of industries, extraordinary inventors and innovators, celebrated thinkers and philosophers, and great scientists; some of them are on the list of Time magazine’s 100 list of all time greatest people.

    Why are many Yorubas angry whenever Chief Awolowo is criticized. As people from a great ethnic group in Africa, Yorubas are expected to be tolerant of views people hold on their reverred leader. They need to understand that he was not a perfect human being. Even the gods are criticized!

    Chief Obafemi Awolowo is a great man in the history of Nigeria and Africa. He built many great things in Nigeria like the first television service in Nigeria, mass free education for the Western Region of Nigeria, the Liberty Stadium (now Awolowo Stadium). His newspaper, Nigerian Tribune is the only surviving newspaper today in Nigeria out of the newspapers founded by Nigerian nationalists, outliving the The West African Pilot founded by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and The Daily News founded by Herbert Macauley.

    Though Chief Awolowo made great political and economic achievements, many of which still stand strong today, he need not be projected as critically untouchable.

    • Uchechukwu Agodom,

    Kofar Kaura, Katsina

  • Rivers: The return of bad old days

    SIR: The unfolding brigandage in Rivers State does not in any way come as a surprise to us, especially to some of us who have are familiar with the meddlesomness of the powers that be in the embattled state. As it was under the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, so it is under the watchful eyes of President Goodluck Jonathan.

    When the five gangsters (for that is truly what they are) acting under the instructions of the powers-that-be and under the adequate security cover by the highly compromised Nigeria Police Force, last week, invaded the River State House of Assembly and tried to illegally remove the Speaker of the House, Otelemaba Amachree, in a “democratic coup”, the 2006 Oyo and Anambra states fiascos became readily a reference point. It became evident that our politicians are ready to rock the boat for their selfish interests. It marvels the world how we take a step forward and 10 steps backward.

    Sadly, we have learnt nothing from the previous farce. Recall that in similar gestapo manner, 18 out of the 32 members of Oyo State House of Assembly impeached the then governor Rashidi Ladoja in a flagrant violation of the provisions of Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution. Few months later, renegades in Anambra laid siege in the state. Ten out of the 30 members purportedly impeached Governor Peter Obi. It took the swift and courageous efforts of the Judiciary to restore sanity to the two states.

    Interestingly, the above absurdities share a remarkable similarities with the current Rivers imbroglio. Like in Oyo and Anambra states, the five lawmakers of the Rivers Assembly are trying to rubbish the fundamental principle of democracy anchored on the mantra of quorum. The five do not only want to have their say, they equally want to have their way at the detrimental of the 27 members. Their act was no less an attempt to criminally ride to power through the back door. Taking a cue from his benefactor, who gave a tacit support to the illegalities in the Oyo and Anambra brouhaha, the President has also given an overt backing to the ongoing madness in the state, though the duo of Abati and Okupe have (in futility) tried to absolve him.

    Those asking for the redeployment of the partisan Commissioner of Police from the state missed the point. For all we know, Joseph Mbu is being used by his paymasters to hatch the plan. The police boss, who has lost every sense of professionalism in his duty, is only but a useful tool for those who are hell bent in enthroning anarchy in our society. His shameful role in the unfortunate crisis is not only a clear violation of the recently launched Code of Conduct for Nigeria Police, it is a demonstration of how a public officer could turn an errand boy in a bid to earn a living in this part of the planet.

     

    • Barrister Okoro Gabriel,

    Lagos.

     

  • Open letter to Governor Yuguda

    SIR: I feel duty bound as an ordinary citizen of the stateto draw your attention to an issue that is bordering the good people of Bauchi State.I am aware that you have many advisers who have the responsibility to guide you in taking decisions. But I am also aware that a lot of your appointees are interested in advancing their personal interest rather than guiding the governor in the right direction.

    Since the creation of Bauchi State in 1976, Local Government administration has been governed by duly elected chairmen except during the military era. However,since 2007, when you came on board as the governor, there has been no autonomy for the local governments in the state. Council polls were last held in 2008; since then the state government instituted caretakers committee to man the affairs at the grass roots level. Instead of holding elections, your government has been dissolving an appointing sole administrators for all the local councils.

    This is in spite of objections raised by the House of Representatives on the development.

    Your Excellency, I wish to draw your attention to the following constitutional provisions: Section 7,of the 1999 constitution gave the government of every state the responsibility to ensure the existence of democratically elected local government councils under a Law enacted by the state House of Assembly providing for the establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions of such councils.

    The Local Government Council is meant to facilitate equitable delivery of basic service to the local areas and it must ensure representation of all groups in the community in the delivery of these basic services.

    Your Excellency, there is organic disconnection between your administration and the people at the grass root. And once the people of the grass root don’t matter; once the people at the grass root don’t participate in the governance of their area such a society with the government of the day is doomed. Sir, this matter needs to be address now!

     

    • John Akevi

    Bauchi

     

  • My driver’s licence woes at Ogun Joint Tax Board

    Sir: I applied for the renewal of my National Driver’s Licence on Tuesday, June 4, at the Okemosan office of the Joint Tax Board, Abeokuta, Ogun State. Upon the payment of the required sum of N6350, I was instantly issued with a computer generated acknowledgement slip which stands as substitute for a receipt for the transaction. It’s however annoying as it is baffling that up till now I have not been able to have my image captured and without which it would be impossible to have the actual license.

    I must acknowledge though that earlier on, I had applied for the reissue of my car number plate which was promptly processed and got within 24 hours. But in the case of the driver’s license, it is a different ball game altogether.

    I have been visiting the board every week hoping that luck would smile on me one of these days. But at every turn, I have always met with a brick wall. What I later discovered is that I’m not alone in the lurch; there are hundreds, if not thousands of other applicants who have found themselves in this quagmire.

    From the discreet enquiry I made, I understand that there is just one camera in use and this device works erratically. It got to a point that it broke down completely and out of use for a period of time. As it is now, it would seem like the camera can no longer cope with the loads of work at it’s disposal and has again been working in fits and starts even after its repair.

    Some questions applicants have been asking and which are begging for answers are :Why is that only one camera is in use in spite of the huge revenue generated? Why will innocent people be subjected to untold abuse and hardship simply because one is acquiring a driver’s license? Is it a sin on the part of applicants to have complied with this obligation to own a license?

    My appeal therefore is that the authorities concerned both the state government and the Federal Road Safety Commission should do something urgently to reverse this ugly and avoidable situation.

     

    •Olu Ajayi,

    Abeokuta.

  • Abia’s regime of multiple taxes

    SIR: The President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan should hearken to this clarion call and come to the rescue of Abians, especially Aba residents from their quagmire. Since the beginning of the present civilian rule in 1999, Aba residents have been overburdened with catalogue of taxes and levies, probably with a view to restoring the city to its past glory but there is virtually no sign of improvement up to this moment. I remember vividly when Aba was the pride and envy of the neighbourhood states in the area of infrastructure, industrialization, landscaping, cooperation and what have you. During this period under review, even up to the regime of the old Imo State civilian governor, Dr Sam Onunaka Mbakwe, there was absolute sanity in the city as people were doing their businesses with confidence and aplomb without being molested by touts. In short Enyimba city was an epitome of comfortability.

    My heart bleeds whenever I visit some major roads in Aba that were sound in all ramification in the past but have degenerated to their present state now.

    Every year, Aba residents are laden with payments of multiplicity of taxes and levies like infrastructural levy, sanitation levy, property rate, Loading and unloading levy (this is for transporters and importers) and numerous others, not to talk of their ordeal with health Inspectors that compel them to pay for abatement fees that are not receipted. My utmost concern is that Aba residents need liberation from their present untold hardship. This plea is informed by the fact that in spite of these payments, their roads still remain deplorable, especially roads and streets in the suburbs. A visit to roads like Ohanku, Obohia, Cemetery, Omoba, Ngwa, Eziukwu, Hospital, jubilee, St Michaels will confirm this.

    The present governor, Dr T A Orji has been doing everything to arrest the situation in Aba but I feel he cannot go further with the dearth resources he receives from the federal allocation, and no revenue is being received from industries as they are no longer viable. More over, Aba is not the only town he is committed to.

    Against this backdrop, I plead with President Jonathan in the name of God to relieve Aba residents from the pangs of perennial taxes and levies.

     

    •Nkemakolam Gabriel,

    Port Harcourt.

  • Rivers’ House of commotion

    SIR: In Christian belief, resurrection is the event in which Jesus Christ came back to life after he had been killed. When an old story came to life, resurrection has taken place. However, in the political arena, and to be specific in Rivers State House of Assembly, the menace we thought had gone with the wind had found its ugly way back to our political terrain.

    Between 1999 and 2007, Nigeria’s democracy experienced series of political gangsterism. The case of Ngige in Anambara State was pathetic. When Governor Ngige fell into the black book of the then President Obasanjo, he was kidnapped, taken to the forest and forced to sign his resignation letter under duress. He was treated like a criminal! Joshua Dariye of Plateau State was impeached by eight House of Assembly members who could not form two-third majority in the House; in Ekiti State, Fayose escaped to a neighbouring country to avoid arrest; Ladoja of Oyo State followed the same path where his colleagues were buried. This was an occasion that preluded the six INEC Direct Data Capture machine being diverted to rig election for the ex governor of Oyo State, Otunba Alao Akala. An incident of order from above as usual was played in the scene. Shameful era indeed!

    This politics of do or die affair disappeared during the era of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. Governors during his administration settled down with rest of minds without intimidation or harassment from “oga at top”.

    What has suddenly gone wrong with our mentality? Instead of consolidating on the nascent democracy and build solid foundation for the younger generation, we now scuttle it simply because somebody, somewhere want to achieve a personal ambition.

    The event that took place in the Rivers State House of Assembly few days ago can best be described as theatre of war. We may also call it a state of anarchy, where there are no rules to individuals conduct. Nigerians watch on live telecast Tuesday how members of the Rivers State House of Assembly demonstrated their real persons. It was like two rival cults members showing their stuff. Human Heads were smashed, blood stains every where. Are these ones honourable? Can any good law come out of these law breakers?

    What could have led to this national embarrassment? It is clear that President Goodluck Jonathan’s quest to remove Amaechi at all means from the governors forum resurfaced at the Rivers House. Hence the speaker has to go to pave way for the smooth impeachment of Governor Amaechi. Amaechi on the other hand is like the son and the father fighting. The son is winning while the father loosing out, but the father wouldn’t give up because he believes he is the father.

    There are more honourable ways of doing things. Why should our leaders operate with such impunity? Our image is at stake! Nigeria no longer set a good example to other African nations, but rather bad example. Let us learn from history to avoid this fire on the mountain.

     

    • Sunday Alifia,

    Ibadan.

  • The shame of a party

    The Peoples Democratic Party has become a huge joke. The self-styled “largest party in Africa” moves from one crisis to another these days with most largely self-induced. The party under the leadership of Bamanga Tukur seems bent on burning the house she inhabits even when no provision has been made for a new abode.

    The latest in a series of laughable actions of the party is the suspension of Otunba Gbenga Daniel on June 27. Unlike the suspension of former governor Rasheed Ladoja of Oyo State and Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Daniel’s own was done by his ward executives in Sagamu local government of Ogun State. At a press conference addressed by the chairman of the party in Ogun East senatorial district, Doyin Fakoya, Daniel was suspended for allegedly romancing with the Labour Party in the state.

    Twelve other members of the party in the same area were suspended along with the former governor to restore “discipline” to the party. Asides from standing logic on its head in hastily concluding that Daniel and the other 12 were responsible for indiscipline in the party, the so-called suspension cannot be divorced from the series of crises that have bedevilled the party across the country. We should not forget also that there are cases in court by aggrieved members of the party in the south west zone over the way and manner the former national executive committee ran the party.

    Before Fakoya and his gang turn discipline into a condiment or spice that must be added to PDP to make it a sweet-smelling soup in Nigeria, we need to take a proper look at Daniel’s antecedents as a politician and how it is debatable if anybody has worked tirelessly in raising the party’s profile in the south west. Many seem to have forgotten that this same man that has now become persona non grata headed the Jonathan/Sambo campaign in the geopolitical zone where, apart from Osun State, President Goodluck Jonathan won handsomely even when PDP lost governorship elections in some of the states. For a party which is gradually coming out of the darkness, it is incomprehensible that one of its leading lights even when it does not seem fashionable to identify with it in the zone is being hounded out of the party.

    Suddenly, he must be hounded out of a party that he is the oxygen that the asphyxiating party needs badly. His other reward is the prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), thereby wasting money and resources in establishing a fraud case against him for nearly three years now. The state chapters of PDP across the south west are embroiled in needless fights and acrimony that the national body is powerless to stop and those who can help settle some of these disputes like Daniel must be kicked out. Is it possible that there are fifth columnists that are programming the party to self-destruct?

    Ironically, other leading and high ranking PDP members that are fraternising openly with opposition parties, taking chieftaincy titles and honorary degrees from state universities, shunning state functions, and criticising the party openly at every available opportunity are waltzing around, daring the party hierarchy to do their worst. They remain brides that must be courted and kids that must be pacified with candies so as to stop crying.

    It is, however, not too late for PDP to redeem herself. Just as Gov. Aliyu Wamakko’s suspension was rescinded after the party saw the futility in embarking on such a course of action, so also must Daniel be recalled and allowed to take PDP in the south west to the Promised Land.

    By Niyi Ajibade

    Lagos.

  • If I were President for 48 hours

    IF I were to be president for 48 hours, my first pre-occupation would be to inaugurate a strong committee on security issues. Security is a crucial problem we face in this country, with crimes like killings, kidnapping, and terrorism which is becoming rampant.

    Second, the issue of bribery and corruption which has become frequent; I will set up a panel of honest individuals from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest and prosecute corrupt officers and individuals.

    Third, I will embark on a nationwide road repair project to save our roads from further degradation. Federal Trunk A roads like Lagos – Ibadan express road which is in a dilapidated state will be resurfaced with durable materials. I will also institute a panel to ensure regular maintenance of these roads to facilitate easy movement of people and goods and also reduce cases of accidents.

    I will also inaugurate a panel of economists to proffer solutions to the country’s economic problems and make the economy buoyant as this will increase the standard of living, reduce unemployment, and reduce poverty.

    Lastly, I will set up an Agricultural Board to boost the agricultural sector with the aim of making more food available at cheap prices to the average masses and also boost our foreign income.

    From Hannah Okebiorunkosi

    (12 years old, JSS 3)

    Student, St. Pesak Group of Schools

    Odoguyan, Ikorodu,

    Lagos State

  • Ogun West: Before another misadventure

    SIR: Like a recurring decimal, the clamour is again loud and high-sounding that Yewa-Awori must produce the next governor of Ogun State. The agitation is not new in the state. It has been on since the Second Republic, but it gained prominence during the aborted Third Republic. During the days of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), fierce arguments were canvassed on why a politician from the Yewa-Awori axis of the state should be allowed to lead the state. Happily, it found a listening ear. The late Professor Afolabi Olabimtan was in pole position to clinch the ticket.

    Suddenly, as if possessed, an array of politicians from the axis rushed to grab the same ticket.  All efforts to placate them to drop the ambitions failed. SDP leaders then decided to conduct a primary to choose its flag-bearer among the 11 politicians jostling for the ticket.

    Among the ticket-chasing pack was a certain politician from Ogun Central by name Olusegun Osoba. The insistence of Osoba in that race altered the political calculation. Alarmed by the danger, elders from Ogun West made spirited effort to appeal to the aspirants from the zone to allow just one or two aspirants from the area contest the primaries. They laboured in vain. Like a raging bull, 10 Yewa-Awori aspirants charged into the battle and were worsted by Osoba for the SDP ticket.

    At the dawn of civil rule in 1999, the scar of the SDP defeat was still fresh in the minds of Yewa politicians to contest for the ticket and since the choice of who becomes the Ogun state governor was made by Afenifere leaders, Osoba  had little opposition.

    By 2003, the agitation had become deafening. Otunba Gbenga Daniel from Ogun East effortlessly secured the PDP ticket. Daniel eventually won.

    During his second term, Daniel made a heavy weather of his desire to hand over to a Yewa-Awori man. However, the sincerity behind the assertion soon became questionable when five of his close aides jumped into the race for the sole PDP ticket. The contest became rowdy.

    Daniel’s PPN picked Gboyega Nasir Isiaka from Imeko while PDP settled for General Adetunji Olurin from Ilaro. But like what happened in the SDP days, another Egbaman, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, picked the ACN ticket. He dusted the two Yewa contestants in the race.

    Ahead 2015 gubernatorial election, the agitation is again reaching a crescendo. Politicians and interest groups are again asking that Ogun West be allowed to produce the next governor of Ogun State. They are arguing that Senator Amosun should spend just four years and quit.

    Having failed to win the coveted seat in 2011, the noble way forward for Yewa-Awori is to plan for 2019. With the political realities on the ground and the approval rating of Senator Amosun, if agitators go into the 2015 political battle, they will be worsted again and it will be the fourth time that will happen. They would suddenly wear the toga of ‘serial losers’ or ‘perpetual agitators’.

    • Tolulope Obalanlege

    Ota,Ogun State.

  • Who pays Rivers’ retirees terminal benefits?

    SIR: Sequel to the failure of previous efforts to achieve any positive result, it has become compelling to use this platform to bring to public attention the untold hardship Rivers State Civil Service retirees of July 1, 2007 to January 1, 2011 are going through concerning the non-payment of already worked out federal share of their terminal benefits (gratuity and monthly pension) for over six(6) years now without any known justification.

    Based on the extant procedure, any service by any person in any state Civil Service up to March 31, 1976, is the responsibility of the Federal Government in terms of payment of terminal benefits upon retirement.

    Suffice to say that the retirees, who had completed 35 years of meritorious service, never expected that a proportion of their terminal benefit will get embroiled in uncertainty at the end of their service period.

    The federal share of terminal benefits have become problematic in the aftermath of the enactment of the Pensions Reform Act of 2004, and the subsequent coming into force of the contributory pension scheme from July 1, 2007. The Act removed anybody with less than three (3) years of service from participation in the contributory pensions scheme who will continue to draw pensions under the old arrangement. Despite circulars Nos. HCSF/C503/11/96 of 28th June, 2004 and TRY/N/10XB.10/2004; OAG7/TS/026/VOL.IV/284 of 28th September, 2004 on the “Implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme in the Federal Public Service”, which were never addressed to any state government, the contributory Pension Scheme was not in place when the retirees of July 1, 2007 to January 1, 2011 left the Rivers States Civil Service on retirement. In fact, the scheme was only introduced in 2012. Besides, the exemption provision of the Act, to all intents and purposes, covered all the affected retirees.

    Everything considered, we believe that the Rivers State Government has the responsibility to pay the outstanding Federal Share of the terminal benefits of retirees.

    Letters of 15th June, 2011 and 13th August, 2012 addressed to His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, the Hon. Commissioner of Finance, The Head of Service of Rivers State, and the Rivers State Accountant-General by this author were neither acknowledged nor any reply given till date.

    Meanwhile, some retirees have died without enjoying their benefits. In addition, the retiree’s benefits, initially computed up to October, 2011 or thereabout when it was rumoured that a team from Federal Establishments Abuja, was coming to Port Harcourt, to screen the retirees, have since shot up. The team has not showed up till date.

    The nagging question is, who will pay the Federal Share of the terminal benefits of Rivers State Civil Service retirees of July 1, 2007 to January 1, 2011?

    We hereby make this Save Our Souls (SOS) to all those concerned to initiate action and take urgent steps to pay the retirees who have been suffering from short payment of their monthly pension. As the saying goes, a stitch in time saves nine. The living should enjoy the fruit of their labour.

    • Elder Daso Josiah Koko (JP)

    Port Harcourt.