The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • The law on homosexual marriage

    SIR: Why is it that the only thing Nigerian rulers do quickly is whatever will limit the people’s freedom, even freedoms guaranteed by God? Commercial motorcycles are banned, without any consideration for the pedestrians who patronize them. Many houses and shops are demolished arbitrarily, etc.

    The House of Representatives is advocating 14 years imprisonment for anybody caught in homosexual marriage and act. How is that an urgent priority in Nigeria? Are the homosexuals the ones destroying our economy? Why are the legislators refusing to award death sentence to those embezzling pensioners’ entitlements which result in the death of many pensioners? Why no death sentence for those defrauding and misappropriating our national resources, thereby creating mass misery and avoidable deaths?

    Who is to be imprisoned for 14 years; adults who find themselves to be homosexually oriented which they cannot explain how it came about? Can the legislators explain how homosexuality ensued? And if not, why legislate on a mystery that you don’t understand? Homosexuality has been in the world from time immemorial, and found in the most ancient books and anthropological records. Does wisdom not require threading cautiously?

    Some scientists have identified homosexuality with genetic disorder, like happens with sickle cell. Why should the homosexual suffer inordinately for his or her natural sexual orientation? It is a different matter if an adult homosexual is romancing an underage person. Even then, the punishment should be same as with a heterosexual adult seducing an underage person. Otherwise, the Yoruba say, why ask a married woman who owns her pregnancy, when you are not the husband? How can you tell a free adult who to marry or who not to marry?

    What solutions have Nigerian rulers found to political disorder, election rigging, insecurity, embezzlement of public funds, inadequate infrastructure, and strangulating mass poverty? What is the punishment for liars who say Nigeria’s economy is the fasted growing economy in the world? What is the punishment for those who renege on their election promises, such as President Goodluck Jonathan who promised to spend a single term, and is now scheming renege?

    Without any conscience about mounting debts, dearth of infrastructure, and mass abject poverty, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi-Okonjo Iweala said international investors are dying to come to Nigeria. She did not say why they are not here. What punishment for such persons insulting the intellectual integrity of Nigerians? Why distracting Nigerians with homosexuality issue that is personal and private affair? Yes, witch hunt.

    Were Nigerian rulers there when God was deciding the sexual orientation of every individual or what? How many of the world’s mysteries can the legislators explain? Until we respect homosexual right, divine freedom and justice will elude Nigerians as a whole. The country will chase shadows, instead of what really matters.

    • Pius Oyeniran Abioje, Ph. D,

    University of Ilorin.

     

  • A most mediocre JAMB

    SIR: In a country where corruption has eaten deep into the pillars that uphold it, where do we place credibility? The recently concluded examination (Paper-pencil test) has proven the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board culpable, inadequate and inefficient in all aspects.

    Students were said to have cheated during the course of the exams; but really, who is to blame? If the examination questions were not leaked by JAMB officials, is it then the candidates that manufactured the papers?

    I was at the JAMB office in Ikoyi where a certain science student who wrote the examination for English, Biology, Chemistry and Physics had another subject Government replacing one of these subjects! After complaining, she was asked to change her course but is this possible when she never wrote Government in the West African Secondary School Certificate Examinations?

    After seeing my results in the exams and not printing it out immediately knowing that I have at least a minimum of three (3) checks with the scratch-card, I tried to print the result the next day only to be told that it had been cancelled! What a painful experience because I did not cheat. How can JAMB reward hard work with frustration? How shallow can a system be?

    I read a report of court granting JAMB seven days ultimatum to remark scripts of students. How can JAMB itself validate the fact that there was truly malpractice? Can their supervisors be trusted because as I have heard in some centres, the supervisors themselves are the backbone of malpractice?

    A centre might have as much as 400 students, if only 50 were involved in malpractice, should the remaining 350 go down with them? What really is the job of the supervisors if they cannot separate the goats from the sheep?

    A way out is having JAMB agents disguise as students unknown to none at the exams centres that way, we can really know what goes on there.

    There is no use crying when the head is off. In the self-same way, there is no use fighting malpractice when corruption is deep rooted in the system. The future of the youths should be considered paramount. I do not say JAMB should be scrapped or not, only that the system in the country is ignoble.

    Left is two words to the government of this country, not an order but nevertheless must not be left unsaid ‘TAKE ACTION’ and don’t discourage us the more.

    • Funke Adeoye

    Iju-Ishaga, Lagos.

  • Politicians and the mad race to 2015

    SIR: A major danger to democracy and indeed the country is the perception of politics and political power as meal ticket. This has reduced the polity to a market place where every Okeke, Adamu, Tunde etc., flock to hustle for their stomach. The competition is so fierce and no effort is spared in order to achieve success; every means fair and foul is deployed. There is also the case of parvenus who are obsessed with the trappings of power and are ready to do almost anything to have it. These combine to make our politics and elections truly precarious affairs.

    It’s still nearly two years to the 2015 general election but it’s already generating so much heat. As usual the presidential seat is the focus of much attention. Interested parties are getting even more belligerent. The North is again staking a claim to the much coveted seat while some elements from the South-south are threatening war should President Jonathan be evicted from Aso Rock. Rivers state is in near crisis, the Nigeria Governors Forum is in crisis. Both is said to have their roots in the politics of 2015. Governance is taking a back seat; every effort seemed geared towards retaining or capturing power and influence come 2015.

    In all of these jousting, however, the people who ostensibly will cast the deciding votes don’t seem to be taken into any serious consideration. This shows the nature of our democracy. Perhaps the decision of Nigerians doesn’t really matter. If not why should politicians who are yet to justify their present mandate be concerning themselves with 2015? All over the country abound work to be done and yet politicians who are just at mid-term are dissipating so much energy on a distant election. The country is very sick, our security is dismal, infrastructure in decay, health, education, agriculture in near collapse, unemployment rife and yet political office holders have the effrontery to occupy themselves with 2015. This is tantamount to going after rats while one’s house is on fire. What irresponsibility!

    Woe unto that country whose leaders are children. Nigeria’s political elite remain a major clog in the wheel of its development. They have learnt absolutely nothing from history. It was the same irresponsibility of politicians that led to the incursion of the military into our polity from which consequences we’re yet to recover. They are at it again. In their blind quest for power they place the country on perpetual election mode with all the tension that come with it. It will serve political office holders and the country better if they leave 2015 for now and concentrate on delivering good governance to the people. If they persist on the present treacherous part they may not have any election to contest come 2015.

     

    • Nnoli Chidiebere

    Aba, Abia State.

     

  • The trouble with governors’ forum

    SIR: The crisis within the so-called Nigeria Governors’ Forum has not only caused unimaginable embarrassment to the Nigerian people but has also unwittingly brought terrible shame to the country. It is no gainsaying that the nation is presently confronted with monumental security, socio-economic and political problems hence it is incumbent on the political leaders in the country to take a decisive action with a view to finding immediate and lasting solutions to the seemingly intractable problems facing the nation. Certainly, the present situation in the country calls for undiluted spirit of patriotism and commitment on the part of our political leaders to enable them ameliorate the terrible sufferings of our people and as such, there should be no room for our governors to engage themselves in unnecessary and unproductive ventures or jamboree.

    The present situation whereby the governors constitute themselves into various irrelevant associations such as the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF), the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and most recently the P.D.P Governors’ Forum (P.D.P.G.F.) and always junketing to Abuja for meetings which could only be described as a mere jamboree, thereby abandoning their state official duties is totally unnecessary and complete waste of public fund. Such regular meetings do not serve any useful purpose to their people in view of the abject poverty prevalent in the country. The Nigerian constitution did not provide for the Nigeria Governors’ Forum or any such forums for that matter. The only body known to the constitution is the National Council of State which is comprised of the President together with the governors of the 36 states and other top government functionaries.

    The bickering among the governors on irrelevant issues such as the election of the chairman of the governors’ forum in the face of the multifarious problems currently confronting the nation is certainly the height of gross insensitivity on their part. The ugly scene on the nation’s television whereby their “Excellencies” were seen quarrelling over the conduct of the election of their chairman is appalling and totally in bad taste. The incident cast serious aspersions on the image and reputation of the governors usually addressed as “Excellencies.” The unbecoming behaviour calls to question as to whether they still deserve to be addressed as excellencies in view of that unfortunate incident during the controversial election of the chairman of their forum.

    In the light of the foregoing therefore, I hereby call on the various state Houses of Assembly to prevail on their governors to withdraw immediately from the various unproductive forums by urgently passing resolutions to that effect so as to avoid future wastage of tax payers’ money. The public fund used for the regular Abuja jamboree by the governors could better be channeled to more meaningful projects that would definitely impact positively on the lives of the downtrodden masses of the country.

    • Nze Nwabueze Akabogu (JP)

    Enugwu-Ukwu,

    Anambra State.

  • El-Rufai and his unemployed daughters

    SIR: A report in The Punch of May 24 quoted Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s at the sixth annual Alao Aka-Bashorun lecture organized by the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch as saying that 42 percent of Nigerian youths are unemployed and that he has two daughters with Master’s degrees and that they are yet to gain employment.

    I agree when he says: “We are sitting on a demographic time bomb”; but I cannot comprehend this: “I have two daughters with Masters Degrees and they are unemployed. They have been at home for more than a year and I cannot get a job for them”.

    That Mallam el-Rufai, is looking for jobs for his daughters shows how elitist he is and how much he believes in guanxi (Chinese word for personal network) and not merit. Most Nigerian youths look for jobs themselves, carry around their CVs, or even try self-employment. Therefore, if his daughters are unemployed, then they have become – like other youths their age – hapless victims of the weak system which el-Rufai helped create.

    The second assumption is that el-Rufai wants to gain public respect at the expense of President Goodluck Jonathan’s government. Regardless of how hard el-Rufai bites his lips and offer cockamamie definitions of government and leadership, the truth is that he is part of the government; he is part of Nigeria’s problem.

    He should send his daughters CV’s to Nigerian Airways, Ajaokuta Steel Co; Delta Steel, Aluminum Smelting Co. Ikot-Abasi and the numerous government businesses that he helped privatize. If his privatization programme worked, his daughters will have work today and Nigeria will be easier for the present government to rule. Because he failed, that is why we are plunged into these problems today.

    President Jonathan is culpable for any social problem we may have in Nigeria because he is our leader. It is also instructive to note that all our former presidents – Yar’Adua, Obasanjo, Abacha, Babangida, Buhari etc are also to blame. Their failure is what Jonathan is confronted with today as Jonathan’s successor will have to confront Jonathan’s failure.

    A former minister of el-Rufia’s status should be the least to cry wolf. He was the Director General of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and among the very few who co-ordinated the economic activities of the Obasanjo’s administration. His continual criticisms – that are sometimes more of a diatribe than constructive criticisms betrays him. I love his gusto, his intelligence, his zeal but will not buy the idea of him seeking for jobs for his daughters.

    Years from now, when we are no longer revolted by seamy details, when we are exhausted with this holier than thou attitude; when we must have noticed those that play the Orwellian intrusion, when we are worn-out of those brimming with a dangerous self-righteousness and when the salacious has become tiring, we may well wonder what this was all about. How was it that we lost our country on account of a lie told about leadership by some smarmy men? The answer is that we live in an era where fame has become synonymous with celebrity, in which personality has replaced ideology and a former minister, suffused with zealotry, said what he should not have uttered.

    • Uwalaka, Temple,

    Woosong University, Daejeon,

    South Korea.

  • Government and Boko Haram amnesty

    On the 24th of April, 2013, the Federal Government of Nigeria inaugurated committee to work on security menace in the northern part of the country and come out with a blueprint on how amnesty will be fashioned out for Boko Haram – an Islamic sect that is constituting a threat to our national security in spites of oppositions from well meaning Nigerians.

    From all indications, amnesty can be described as a situation whereby government of any given society agrees not to punish people who committed a particular crime and who have agreed to surrender their weapons to the authority and show their readiness to embrace dialogue and to be reabsorbed into the society as law abiding citizens.

    Going by the above definitions, Boko Haram group does not merit amnesty, Nigerian government is planning to negotiate with them. In the first instance, the so called amnesty is going to be sponsored by tax payers money which supposed to be spent on welfare and security of the citizens. Also, considering the aims and objectives of Boko Haram, one can authoritatively conclude that amnesty and Boko Haram are poles apart; or better still the two parallel lines that can never meet.

    Despite appeals from government, traditional rulers, Muslims and Christians communities, Boko Haram remained adamant and reaffirmed that they are not interested in amnesty programme our government is proposing to offer them irrespective of what it may cost the whole nation and concluded that they are fighting just battles. The following utterances underscores this position. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau stated: “We are also at war with Christians because the whole world knows what they did to us”,adding that “the group’s successes in killing innocent civilians indicate they (i.e. Boko Haram) are on the right path.” Also one of their leaders once said that the kidnapping of the French Family was in revenge for the French invasion of northern Mali.

    From the foregoing, Nigerian government should not fail to recognise the fact that Boko Haram has foreign supports and unsevered relationship with radical group in northern Mali, Al Qa’ida, the movement for unity and Jihad in West Africa and Jama at Ansar Al – Muslimin fi Bilad Al Sudan (known as Ansaru). On this premise, Boko Haram can be described as Multi- national Islamic terrorist group which cannot be silenced by mere negotiation and monthly salary like Niger Delta militants. It is an indisputable fact that Nigeria as a nation has what it takes – cash to pay Boko Haram and to grant them pardon, but before the deal will be done, let Nigerians have a second thought on this turning issue.

    I want Nigeria government and the advocates of amnesty for Boko Haram to know that the background of militants in Niger Delta and what prompted their activities differ from Boko Haram vision and mission. At the same time, I want to assert that Nigeria has spent one hundred and fifty eight billion naira (158) to pay the so called reformed militants to secure oil pipelines, a duty that our security personnel are constitutionally meant to do. And while we are still chewing on that, government is proposing another amnesty for another killer group.

    It is a well known fact that Boko Haram target is divided into three: The Christians (largely Igbo) minorities in the north and central regions of the country, the Nigeria government, army and police and the Muslim political and religious elites in Northern Nigeria. To be factual, these three groups represent the whole nation. Hence, the representatives of these groups and other stakeholders as a matter of urgentcy should put heads together and map out strategic plan on how to put an end to the menace of Boko Haram in the north and the nation at large instead of embarking on expensive and dangerous negotiation of amnesty programme with Boko Haram. Boko Haram attacks have already tarnished Nigeria’s image internationally. Hence, the northern part of our country and the seat of power – federal capital territory, Abuja had been labelled by foreigners as environments not conducive for business transactions and this scares foreign investors away. If our image is going to be redeemed; if our security is going to be guaranteed, the shareholders need to stop politicising Boko Haram issue and bear it in mind that our nation’s security is greater than anybody’s political ambition.

    Moreover, our government should know that when things fall apart, the centre cannot hold. Proposing amnesty for Boko Haram at this point in time is like putting a square peg in a round hole. It would not work.

     

    By Olumide Aladejana,

    Lagos

     

  • Abuse of amnesty

    A peaceful society can be said to be priceless especially when there exist steady economic growth, law and order etc. People tend to migrate to such areas and in most cases become permanent residents. This was what the government of the late President Alhaji Musa Yar’Adua was trying to achieve when the idea of amnesty was first offered to the Niger-Delta militants. Nigerians have witnessed how effective the idea is.

    Before the discovery of crude oil in 1956, agriculture was the major source of generating revenue for the government. Amongst other crops, the different regions in the country were known to produce and export large quantities of its annual agricultural products. We had gigantic groundnut pyramids in the north and exportable quantities of oil palm and cocoa in the east and west respectively. The discovery of oil led to the somewhat total neglect of agriculture. Also neglected, were the communities where the oil exploitations have occurred in the past and present. For years, subsequent military government oppressed and suppressed the community elders and activists from the region in the midst of externally inflicted poverty as a result of destroying their primary means of livelihood; fishing, through water pollution. From history we know that humans tend to react (mostly violently) when pushed to the wall for too long. This led to what we now know as Niger-Delta militants and MEND.

    Unlike MEND, the Boko Haram insurgence has been bloody. Although the security agents have tried in their own way to see that this issue is brought to the barest minimum, the sect has been resilient. This is largely caused by the porous borders in the country. Nevertheless, the message the sect is trying to pass to the government cannot be considered in a time where nations are coming together to build a stronger economy. The truth is the country cannot be Islamised and Sharia law recognised. Our strength and beauty lies in our diversity, if only we can peacefully co-exist and harness this great potential. This is why socio-cultural organizations like Ndigbo Unity Forum, Arewa Consultative Forum and Odua People’s Congress etc need to continue to preach the need for peaceful coexistence.

    If the government can pay more attention to what is important, the high insecurity the nation is facing today would be efficiently nailed to the board.

     

    By Obinka Ugochukwu

    Director Planning and Research

    Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF).

     

  • Is Lagos-Ibadan Expressway cursed or jinxed?

    It was a Monday morning and I had to leave home much earlier to catch up with appointments after dropping my children in school. Alas! As I approached the beginning of Wawa long bridge, traffic was already on the bridge. Several questions ran through my mind: Break down? Accident? Fight between Fulani and indigenes? No answer.

    The next thing I saw was someone directing us to face the traffic coming from Lagos. I concluded then that a tanker had fallen and blocked our stretch of the road as we could see car turning back from the long bridge. My plans to drop my children at school early and meet my appointments had hit a rock. We drove slowly on the long bridge for more than an hour before we reached Kara exit. As we negotiated to our side of the road, a truck load of banana had fallen in the night with goods scattered all over the road due to the chasm in the middle of the road.

    The truck driver apparently ignorant of the terrain was cruising at regular speed, but suddenly ran into a ditch which over-turned the truck. I could not ascertain whether live(s) was lost. My brother in law who just got a new job had to quickly call his office to explain why he would resume late for.

    I happen to live on the outskirts of Lagos where is now popularly called 2nd Lagos because of the level of development going on along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway up to Sagamu intersection. However, the levels of decadence, rot, abandonment, neglect, call it any name on that stretch is converse to the rate of growth.

    The economic value of this road cannot be overemphasised. The only major link to the rest of Nigeria in terms of commerce. Lives are lost on the hour, either through accidents as a result of bad portions of the road, or people running into the hands of hoodlums and ritual killers when the vehicles break. The cost of good lost on that road every day runs into millions of naira or the cost of repairs for vehicles. In the last year, I have had to change my car shock absolver twice, including the upper and lower arms. One cannot time a journey from Berger to Sagamu as you don’t know what you will meet on the road. A journey of 30 minutes in the early 90s will now take one several hours.

    Several attempts have been made in the past to resurface, patch or reconstruct the road, but none seems to come to fruition. Since the Federal Government stopped the concession granted Bi-Courtney and awarded the contract to Julius Berger and RCC, little has been done. Could it be true that these two companies were not mobilized thus their withdrawal from site after the initial effort by JB to resurface the bad portions after RCCG camp.

    I call on the FG to please as a matter of urgency fix the road without delay. The Kara end of the road might soon give way if the rains continue with the intensity experienced in recent times.

    Ogun State government should also support development efforts in Wawa, Arepo, Magboro, Mowe, among others, by providing good roads. If individuals have invested in building houses for themselves, a responsible government should be magnanimous to construct good roads for easy access and commerce to thrive in these settlements.

    Meanwhile, the governments of Lagos and Ogun States should put in place mechanism to construct the access or by-pass roads from Lagos end to Sagamu.

     

    •Kupoluyi Ayodele lives in Ogun State and works in Lagos

     

  • Reflections of Democracy Day

    SIR: One of the cardinal principles of the democratic system of government is the freedom of citizens to choose their leaders. But has Nigerians been able to freely choose their leaders? The answer to a great extent is no. Since 1999, most elections in the country could hardly be said to be free let alone fair. Elections have mostly been a do or die affair where some politicians struggle to seize power by all means in order to get their sticky hands on state resources. It has been marred by violence and fraud; losers have been declared winners and winners, losers. Questionable characters that should have nothing to do with governance and indeed were never voted by citizens have emerged as leaders. The extent to which our electioneering has sunk was demonstrated in the recently conducted Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) chairmanship election. If an election involving only 35 votes could inspire such controversy, how much more one involving millions and in which the stakes are even higher?

    Our elections should be made more transparent, effort should be made to see that people’s votes count.

    Democracy as a system of government is never an end but a means. The end should be good governance. It should be borne in mind that the poor man on the street cares little about the system of government operated in the country. His main concern is to have his basic needs met and any government that can assist him in that regard is welcome. If a democratic government does not meet the most basic needs of the people then there’s little to choose between it and a dictatorship. A man, for instance, must at least have something in his stomach before he can truly enjoy the right to freedom of speech.

    How much has the living standard of Nigerians improved since 1999? Not much. Some even contend that it has gone from bad to worse. And they don’t seem to be wrong judging from the rising cases of poverty induced crimes. The security situation is dismal. The level of unemployment especially among youths is simply staggering. It appears that the more the minute political elite wallow in unearned riches, the more the majority of citizens are driven further into the noxious embrace of poverty. This is wrong!

    When individuals who lack what it takes to govern and in any case were never voted for find themselves in government, the result is bad governance. This exactly is the greatest threat to democracy. It weakens people’s enthusiasm for it and makes some even antagonistic. Something must change.

    Nigerians must ensure that only the right persons make it to positions of authority. Those who find themselves in leadership positions must lead with justice and integrity. The primary purpose of government remains the welfare of the citizens. For civilian rule to remain attractive to people, it must meet their needs, yearnings and aspirations. Let us protect democracy; but good governance is the surest safeguard.

    • Nnoli Chidiebere

    Aba, Abia State.

  • When their excellencies danced naked

    SIR:  I write to comment on the just concluded chairmanship election of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum.That an election among those who are supposed to be senior, matured, responsible, knowledgeable elected political leaders (apology to the Presidency) could go awry calls for serious concern among democratically included citizens.

    Our governors are supposed to be good examples in the conduct of election and acceptance of election results. How can an election among just 36 voters lead to a situation we have found ourselves?

    Most of our elected leaders manipulated their ways into office but upon their declaration as winners, appealled to the losers to accept defeat in good faith. Why can’t our governors that lost in the NGF election accept defeat in good faith?

    The Jang group is alleging that the election was invalid because of a shadow election earlier conducted by a caucus of the group gave it to Governor Jang? This argument is not only untenable but also contrary to good democratic reasoning. How can the wish of a caucus override the general wish of the group? The group should rather show proof that Governor Rotimi Ameachi did not secure 19 votes.

    Our governors must show good examples at all times. Politicians must learn to be good losers. Any further attempt to factionalize the NGF as a result of the election would not only be injurious to the interest of the forum but could hinder our democratic progress and development as we navigate in the troubled water towards 2015 election.

    I wish to personally appeal to Governor Mimiko not to squander his political credentials on this matter.

     

    • Femi Ogunbanwo

    Allen Avenue, Lagos