The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • APC’s wind of change

    SIR: The birth of All Progressives congress (APC), is a clear signal that Nigeria is about to walk on the right part of a true democratic state. Now that we have an alternative political party to provide succor even if only for the flavor of change, I expect Nigerians to whole heartedly embrace this party as a beacon of hope for a new Nigeria as this is our dignified specific.

    All over the world, countries that practice true democracy are where democracy is rotated by elections among major political parties. This gives flavour to policies of divergent views which brings about possible ways to move nations forward. Accepting otherwise means we are not ready to move on with the rest of the world. When a political party rules for almost two decades without meaningful development, and the opposition is not strong enough to unseat that incumbent even when crisis persists like what we have seen with the PDP, the people are simply in chains.

    So, if men with a history of progressive abilities from their different political platform as we have seen comes together to create an opportunity for freedom for all, we can only make the most desired change possible by queuing behind them. Any alliance to wrestle power and redefine hope for a Nigeria of our dream should be welcomed. Change is a consistent solution that always comes. Looking at the space and time, the APC seems to be the unstoppable bulldozer for this change today and if APC can put one of Nigeria’s important political defects in check, the imposition of candidates which is an all important issue beside this great birth, a new dawn will truly be born!

    This PDP led administration has succeeded itself at the centre for 14 years of our democracy. What we see at every new dispensation is claims of obliviousness of bad policies of the outgone by same recycled politicians from same political party. I’m not being contemptuous here: First dispensation, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was Deputy Governor. Second dispensation he was governor; third dispensation he was vice president/president and now in this current dispensation he is president. Same people with glaring inability to govern have held on to power since 1999. In reality, our economy is in shambles because with ideas so synonymous, nothing can be an additional value.

    The world has passed the stage where governments like that of the PDP with lots of lapses and failed policies year after year can be allowed to remain in power.

    • Iluogwikphe R. Ogbhemhe,

    Port Harcourt.

  • Boko Haram’s July gift

    SIR: Gifts are like hooks in as much as it attract attention from the receiver; gift is cake until you taste it you wouldn’t know which brand it is made of.

    Boko Haram has just declared ceasefire from their hostilities. Imam Muhammadu Marwana, the armour bearer of the Abubakar Shekau-led Boko Haram dreaded sect reportedly said “in sha Allahu, from the time Iam talking to you, we have ceasefire because of the discussion held so as to have peace over this struggle.”

    Marwana is asking Nigerians and individuals who lost their family members to forgive and forget.

    Over 4000 innocent Nigerians have died, properties worth millions of naira perished since 2009 when the dreaded sect started their bombardment. Nigeria as a country has not known peace; the North-East remain the centre of golgotha. The UN building in Abuja; the media, Chinese construction workers and the latest South-west merchants were not spared from the Boko Haram hunters. There is no one or region that is not affected by their activities. Nigeria police force and the military have also become their prey on daily basis. The pain inflicted by the sect goes round and the rumours spread across the globe like wild fire!

    Now, the dreaded sect through one of their commander has asked for forgiveness in the month of July after sucking the blood of 30 innocent students in Potiskum, Yobe State. I wonder if they could be taken by their words and how many relatives and families who lost their loved ones would be ready to forgive.

    The federal government, after much pressure, has offered the sect amnesty but instead of accepting the offer, the sect told the federal government to come out for amnesty instead.

    What is the idea behind Boko haram’s July gift? Could this be a special gift for the month of Ramadan or a methodology for another dubious and callous acts?

    Yes, they have offered a gift that looks like cake. Cake is good and delicious but the perception could only be confirmed after the taste because some cake appeared to be good but are not.

    Christians in the 17 southern states have described the ceasefire deal with the Federal Government as a ruse. The Jama’atu Nasri Islam, the umbrella association of muslims has welcomed the move. However, the situation now is like dinning with the devil; long spoon is needed to avoid unexpected damage. A mere statement of ceasefire from this group of terrorists is not enough; Nigerians need evidence in their action.

    • Sunday Alifia

    Ibadan

  • Who is afraid of Ekweremadu?

    SIR: A national daily quoted the Governor of Enugu State Sullivan Chime to have said in a town hall meeting in Enugu that it is the turn of the Enugu North Senatorial District (Nsukka Zone) to produce the next governor come 2015. In a swift reaction, Senator Ike Ekweremadu was also quoted to have told reporters in Abuja that there was nothing like “zoning” in Enugu governor’s seat.

    Zoning is not enshrined in the Nigerian constitution of 1999 so amended. It is only unpopular and weak aspirants that would base their ambition on such parochial tendencies. Enugu North Senatorial Zone has taken refuge in zoning and power shift. They have expended so much energy on zoning in a manner that suggests that aspirants from the zone are incapable of competing in a free and fair contest.

    Since the creation of Enugu State in 1991, the contest for governorship in the state has always been opened to all aspirants from the three senatorial districts. As late as last election, Governor Chime had contested against aspirants from Enugu East and Enugu North and no one was barred from contesting the PDP primaries.

    In 2015, Enugu people are desirous of a leader who would consolidate on the achievement of the Chime administration. The people desire a development –minded leader with a disposition towards making the whole state his constituency and not one who comes with a “zoned” mentality. Such mundane and primordial consideration as “zoning” and “power shift” as being canvassed by those who cannot match the intimidating profile of Ekweremadu should be consigned to the dustbin.

    It will be terrible for the ambition of such a political heavyweight to be sacrificed on the altar of zoning. One is left to wonder why the gentleman governor would now be involved in such an undemocratic principle. I am worried that if this discriminatory policy is allowed to stand, we will not only be encouraging illegality, but also be destroying the core values of merit, hard work and excellence in favour of indolence and mediocrity.

    It needs to be stated that Senator Ekweremadu has not yet thrown his hat into the ring but has met the constitutional requirement. Be that as it may, his perceived ambition has featured prominently in the political discourses in the state and my candid advice to the North Senatorial District (Nsukka Zone) is to device a means of winning the gubernatorial election come 2015 than basking on the euphoria that the governor had erroneously zoned the coveted seat to them.

    • Emeka Ozoagbo

    Enugu, Enugu State.

  • John Kumuyi’s wedding brouhaha

    SIR: Arguably, the church has deviated from its paramount functionality of promoting God’s instructions into elevating human rules. It has shifted from the responsibility of connecting men to God  into connecting men to men, serving and servicing the body but starving the spirit and soul. Godly-character has been replaced with gorgeous charisma and character. The church now passes for a congregation of deceitful doers, home of hypocrites, platform of pretenders and circle of sycophants.

    In recent weeks, I have read loads of comments on the wedding ceremony of John Kumuyi, son of the Pastor W.F Kumuyi. I will share with you a comment I recently received  from one of John’s age-long friends, Kenny Oretimehin.

    “I have spent over 20-years in Deeper Life Church and I’m privileged to know this John guy, every boy in the youth-choir with me can bear witness that unlike some other pastor children, John was an epitome of a child of Jesus. John so humble, kind as in no segregation of any sort. John ate with us and times he would stay in the brick hostel with us, sometimes slept overnight.

    If disobeying some church rules is a sin then I think all Deeper Life members are sinners! The TV was once the devil’s box and now all Deeper Life churches use flat screens!

    I just want Pastor WF Kumuyi to beware of the sycophants around him! The same way they moved him to curse the youth choir in the congress of 2002 leading to the permanent ban of the youth-choir led by Dr Oikelomen (Bro Albert).

    I grew up in a church choir where the colour of your tie is a sin, the wrist watches and belts were always sins, the bright coloured shirts and gowns/blouses were issues!

    Why should John’s apology letter be read in the church? We were not told of his wedding! We don’t even know anything about him. The apology is a word of expressions from the offending to the offended. Why should he apologise to me that he didn’t offend? Besides the letter should be read by himself not by this pastors to show a level of godly sincerity and repentance.

    Pastor Kumuyi should remember his late wife Sister Abiodun; she wouldn’t want her son’s wedding to cause headaches! Pastor should be careful with the people around him.

    To my brother and friend, John Kumuyi, God bless you and your marriage.

    The church as a gathering of (un)gathered people must not loose sight of its primary responsibility of promoting cordial relationship between God and man, even in the face of its expanding secondary responsibilities.

    • Elegbede Tayo Jet

    Lagos

  • State of Abia’s schools

    SIR: Education is one of the key areas where the administration of Governor T.A. Orji has taken radical steps to restore its glory. As at today, Abia State government has embarked on construction and reconstruction of over 154 classroom blocks, in both the primary and secondary schools across the 17 LGAs in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). The state government had paid the counterpart fund of N1 billion.

    Some of the renovated and constructed classroom blocks across the state include: Owaza Secondary School Obehie, Ukwa West LGA; Akanu Ngwa Community School, Obi Ngwa; Holy Rosary Girls Secondary school, Umuahia; Amigbo Central School, Oguduasa, Isuiwuato LGA; Isuikwuato High School; Lokpaukwu Central School, Umunneochi; Akirika Obu Primary School, Ndoki, Ukwa East; Central Primary School, Umunteke, Ukwa West; Obinolu Secondary Technical School, Umunneochi; Okporo Ahaba Secondary school, Aba; Amizi Olokoro Primary School, Umuahia South; and Ibeku High School, Umuahia.

    Currently, the state government is building three gigantic and model one-storey classroom blocks of 28-Room capacity in each of the three senatorial zones in Abia State. For Abia North, it is located at Ovim (Technical) Secondary School, Isuikwuato; for Abia Central, it is located at Government College, Umuahia while the one of Abia South is located at Abayi Girls Secondary School, Aba.

    Abia State has maintained a tuition-free education in public primary and secondary schools since 2007 and that naturally increased school enrollment. Over 1000 students of tertiary institutions have continued to receive the annual bursary awards since 2008. Government has periodically acquired and distributed free textbooks, thousands of exercise books and teaching aids to schools across the state. These encouraging packages have been yielding outstanding results. In 2012, three Abia students won the NNPC organized science quiz competition for secondary schools in the country. In the same year, ASOPADEC equally organized quiz competition for the best science schools in the 12 LGAs of its operations to encourage hardwork and excellence among secondary schools in the state.

    The Federal Ministry of Education’s study of literacy rate and drop-in-school enrolment, ranked Abia first in having done well in literacy rate and enrolment of children in schools.

    To boost the capacity of teachers, government has invested heavily in organizing workshops, conferences and seminars to enhance efficiency, productivity and expose them to the modern teaching techniques. Resource centers and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) centers were established to improve the knowledge of teachers in a fast-changing globalised world. Governor T.A. Orji is also building a gigantic modern library complex at Ogurube Layout, near the State House of Assembly Complex, Umuahia.

    The state government also took the decisive step in returning some missionary schools to its original owners as a pilot phase. This is done to facilitate and kick-start a rejuvenation of the dwindling standard of education especially in public schools. The tertiary institutions in Abia State have not been left out in the robust education policies of Governor Orji. Abia State University was enabled to attain full accreditations in virtually all the courses approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the students have fared better in competitions with other universities. The state Polytechnic at Aba has proved through the performances of her students that the institution enjoys enabling environment that promotes academic excellence.

    No quantum of propaganda will diminish the high performance rating of Abia State government by those whose stock in trade is to engage their connections in the media to disparage a purposeful leadership acknowledged by a wide spectrum of enlightened minds.

     

    • Moses Nna

    Ukpakiri, Obi Ngwa LGA, Abia State.

     

  • Children and cell phones

    SIR: Our children are now very much interested in the manipulation of cell phone, watching films and other thrillers every day. They are deep rooted in the act in such a way that they often forgo doing their home work, reading their books and attending to other home chores. More worrisome and disturbing is that those in the secondary schools go to school with the gadgets which they browse in the class even when lessons are going on. The frivolous activities have in fact contributed in no small measure to the massive poor performance in examinations by students.

    Unfortunately, this syndrome is manifesting at the time the government is setting every thing in motion towards achieving quality education for all by 2015. All the same, the situation is not completely out of hand as the government, especially the school authorities, can do something to remedy the situation.

    I suggest that the government, teachers, parents and other stakeholders do everything within their strides to correct these aberrations. Otherwise, our nation would be infested with bunch of illiterate graduates in the near future.

    The last UTME witnessed massive poor performance by students ever known before in the history of this country as only 10 out of 1.7 million candidates who sat for the examination scored 300 and above.

    Such a poor performance should move stakeholders, especially the government to find a lasting solution to the problem,

    Regrettably, the deadline projected for making education in the country superb clashes with the next general election. I have the eerie feeling that government wouldn’t do much on the issue since the campaign for governance in 2015 has dominated the polity.

    Nigeria has all it takes to bring back education to an enviable height like in the days of our famous trio of Obafemi Awolowo, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and Nnamdi Azikiwe of the blessed memory. My heart bleeds whenever I see the poster, STUDY IN GHANA in our major towns and cities. Imagine Ghana that was sent packing decades ago now, like the biblical Joseph feeding us educationally. Nigerians now go to Ghana to study. Is not shameful?

    Parents should do something about their children’s indulgence in frivolities because they are the first to feel the impact of their misbehavior. The bottom line is parents should not buy their children cell phone until they finish their secondary education.

    • Nkemakolam Gabriel

    Port Harcourt, Rivers State

     

  • Abia scores another first in health sector

    SIR: All is now set for the Abia State government to score another first with the commissioning of the first Dialysis Centre in the South-east zone of the country.  The centre which is at Abia Specialist and Diagnostic Centre Umuahia was made possible by the state government when it acquired the defunct Alaoma Hospital on Aba road through private-public partnership with international health and specialist organization’ MECURE of India to construct the centre.

    The centre was part of the numerous completed and ongoing projects embarked by the present government in the state. After inspecting the equipment installed there, the Governor Theodore Orji happily said that all the facilities needed for the take-off of the centre are ready, adding that government is waiting for the technical partners from India who will man the machines. The state government had also concluded plans on how indigenous health professionals will be trained to work there.

    With the take off of the centre, it is obvious that the centre will bring succour to many people suffering from renal problem as they do not need to travel far or outside the country or spend so much money on dialysis.

    Another good thing about the centre is that majority of doctors and nurses that will be in-charge are Nigerians who will undergo training. There are also enough machines to attend to several patients at a time, unlike the case in several public hospitals where there is inadequate machines for dialysis. No wonder recently Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) approved the centre for medical students’ internship.

    Since 2007, the Theodore Orji-led administration has recorded massive giant strides in the area of health care delivery in Abia. So far, the government has equipped and upgraded one hospital in every three senatorial zones of the state into a referral hospital for specialist treatments and diagnosis. It has also undertaken a massive re-equipping and modernization of the Amachara General Hospital as the pilot hospital for Abia Central Senatorial Zone and the Abia State University Teaching Hospital Aba to serve the people of Abia South Senatorial Zone, while the Umunnato General Hospital is to serve as the Specialist Hospital for the Abia North Senatorial Zone.

    With the completion of centre, the state government has set another pace in the health care delivery in the country.

    • Dr. Romanus Uwa,

    Aba, Abia State

     

  • The upsurge of religiosity

    SIR: The way religion is practiced in Nigeria today borders on the absurd.  Every corner you walk, there is a place of worship.  At any given time of the day or night, people are shouting on top of their voice.  I understand they are casting out demon afflicting their life.  Since when have there been so many demons in the world?  People are beat up with guilt for sins they have committed whether knowingly or unknowingly.

    The upsurge of religiosity seems to be a manifestation of vacuity in the social structure.  Not that the world was ever without religion.

    I believe religion has a place in our life.  There are so many things in life we cannot understand.  Believing in a Supreme Creator that has the supernatural power over the affairs of His creation has a pacifying quality.  I can go to sleep at night consoled that evil in the world is part of a spiritual design.  In other words, what I considered evil may be a function of a Higher Order to exercise a divine will.

    I might have accidentally made a case for the excesses of religion by believing in a divine will.   However, it is hard for the intelligent mind to give credibility to the masquerade of churches claiming spiritual authority over people’s life.  Except for gullibility of mind borne out of ignorance and poverty, what these churches are preaching are nothing a psychologist cannot treat in an advanced culture.  Especially when you factor that most of these pastors are not versed in the deeper inclinations of spirituality.  I believe they flourish because their followers mistake charisma and clairvoyance for spiritual power.

    How else can one explain the materialism of most these pastors? It reminds me of a typical Nigerian politician; once they get established, they become overweight.  Next thing, they overdress and buy luxury cars.  Recently on the news was the case of a Bishop of Bishops in Cross River State who was arrested by the police for raping a 15 year old girl he was supposed to be praying for.  The boundary of ethics and immorality gets blurred in their mind when they become intoxicated with their purported spiritual power.

    I implore people to be inspired by the truth and not clever antics by these nowadays pastors because that is the only way their life will have meaning.

     

    • Pius Okaneme,

    Umuoji, Anambra State.

     

  • The President and his promise on power

    SIR: To say President Goodluck Jonathan is showing disdain for the plight of Nigerian masses is an understatement. Nigerians are tired of the President’s promises that have since turned a national swindle. His assertion last year in several quarters that there would be additional 4,500 megawatt in the next six months and that power would continue to increase progressively has turned out to be a ruse.

    Early last year, the President told a newsmagazine: “ By the middle of next year, you will dash me your generator. I will send it out of the country, because we won’t need it anymore”.

    This year, on January 24, President Jonathan told a bewildered world in an interview anchored by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in Davos, Switzerland that power generation and supply under his administration had reached a peak that no previous administration had attained. He drummed his chest that Nigerians are impressed with the current level of improvement in power, and that if there was one area ordinary Nigerians applauded his administration for, it was power.

    The President would enthuse: “I would have loved that you ask ordinary Nigerians on the street of Lagos, Abuja or any other city this question about power. This is one area that Nigerians are quite pleased with the government that our commitment to improve power is working. So if you are saying something different, I’m really surprised. That is one area that even civil societies agree that the government has kept faith with its promise”.

    His claim was immediately perforated on Twitter by Nigerians who were following the interview in Nigeria with many tweeting that they were monitoring the interview with generators. When Amanpour put that forward to the President, he buckled and acknowledged that his administration had not achieved the target it set for itself and promised to deliver results by the end of the year. Surely, darkness is visible indeed!

    Granted that electricity crisis is not entirely President Jonathan’s making, but the question on every lip is “what effort is he making to redeem the nation from the throe of darkness?” The other question is, does the troublous electricity deficiency defy all antidotes? The earlier the Presidency comes to term with the power responsibility and that the solution to electricity crisis resolution is beyond sloganeering the better for us all. Nigerians didn’t elect him as a national historian to tell us how much successive governments before his failed on account of power generation and other intractable maladies.

    How can the future of the country be bright if we are aspiring to be one of the 20 biggest economies in 2020, yet we are aspiring to produce 10,000 megawatts of electricity next year?

    Nigerians are patiently waiting for President Jonathan and Professor Chinedu Nebo, the Minister of Power to deliver on their power promise if that means climbing up to the pick of Mount Nebo to actualise it.

     

    • Erasmus Ikhide

    Lagos.

     

  • Her ‘Executive’ First Lady

    SIR: Whether one likes it or not, Dame Patience Jonathan, wife of Nigeria’s President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is one figure in the nation’s political terrain that cannot be ignored.

    The Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa State is almost always in the news. If she is not making headlines for the good reasons, she will be sure making the delight of news editors for the really controversial and quite unusual reasons.

    Mrs. Jonathan continues to attract more attention than some key political office holders under her husband’s administration. Sometimes she gets praised for her act of kindness and show of love. Remember her pet project- Women and Child Initiative, which is being replicated in most states of the federation.

    To her credit also is her push for more women to get political positions and making the women’s voice count more in the affairs of the country. But on the other side, Mrs. Jonathan’s conduct has become controversial and contentious. Indeed, her demeanor lately is becoming a source of concern. Anytime she is visiting a city or state, there will be apprehension and panic. The city is almost locked down because First Lady is in town.

    Do you recall when she visited Lagos sometime and the city was shut down causing traffic jams and agonies for the members of the public? At times the airspace is shut while awaiting the arrival of Her Excellency.

    Just last month, Dame Patience was in Port Harcourt the Rivers State capital for a week for some private functions. According to reports, the First Lady attended a wedding of the daughter of a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly. The First Lady’s security blocked many places. It was even said that the state governor, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi abandoned a function because his convoy couldn’t gain access to the road because the First Lady was in town.

    Why would a city be shut down because the wife of the President is in town? Why would the First Lady’s convoy cause pains and make the people panic? For an office that is not bestowed with any executive or any other functions to constitute a discomfort to the people is disdainful and rather snooty.

    Asides the shutting down of roads, the First Lady has engaged in tactless utterances and has remained impervious to the obvious resentment her comments attract. We are witnesses to the verbal assault the First Lady gave Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi. At an occasion she blasted the governor for ‘sacking’ her Okrika people. At another time, she lampooned the governor for not ‘transforming’ Port Harcourt; according to her the city has lost its former glory. She compared the state of city now with the tenures of past governors.

    When the First Lady was abroad for what some describe as medical tourism, she made some rash comments. Besides these distractions, the nation must be spending a lot on frequent travels and tours on the First Lady and her entourage.

    President Goodluck Jonathan must step in and save us all from distractions coming from the office of the First Lady. A First Lady must show high level of discipline and be a model for the people. The conduct of such a person must be in line with exemplary principles. Every form of thoughtless and offensive comments must be abhorred as the office should not cause us unsolicited ripples. The office must not cause tension. If the office must remain, it must focus on helping the people and providing opportunities.

    • Stanley Ibeku,

    Africa Regional Centre for Information Science,

    University of Ibadan.