The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • The trouble with state police

    The trouble with state police

    SIR: Founded in London by Sir Robert Peel three centuries ago, the state police was first named Metropolitan Police. The men employed by the force were called “Peelers” or “Bobbies” after the founder. Working full time and wearing a special uniforms, with prevention of crimes as their primary function, England set the example, and other countries who virtually share similarities began to establish the formal or modern policing, though those who differ, developed it to centralised policing system.

    In its effort to establish a police force in Nigerian colony, the British had two options; either to adopt its own system or to develop the local African means of maintaining law and order. The former was adopted in the East, while the latter for the West and Northern Nigeria.

    The name pillars “peelers” was called yandoka in the North and they did everything but just!

    In Kano, a man was arrested when he visited a friend who was in a police custody, just because he belonged to opposition party. Fifty women were shot dead, when they revolted against special taxes in Aba, just to mentioned a few.

    To allow the state to have its own police means only those from the state would be recruited, and needless to add, justice would surely be denied to non indigenes, considering how ethnicity and religion bigotry have become the order of the day.

    Its undisputed fact, the some states will also use it to have an easy way of arming their supporters during elections, since politics is now a “do or die affair”.

    Moreover, in a situation where majority of states depend on monthly allocation from federal coffers, and yet not enough is available to cater for other social amenities, funding would also be a major problem.

    Despite being tagged as one of the most corrupt institutions, the constitutional review committee, should look for way forward to make the Nigeria Police corruption free, and more citizen-friendly as against relying on excessive force. Police entitlements should be paid promptly, and training should be top priority, to curb extra judicial killings, which is to be blamed on the aggravation of the crises in the northern states.

     

    • Auwal A. Dankano,

    Kano.

     

     

  • Open letter to the President

    Open letter to the President

    SIR: In the spirit of citizenship, patriotism, love and faithfulness and in the words of a renowned American President who said “think of what you can do for America and not what America can do for you”, I am writing to you from the secret place of the most High God where wisdom and revelation emanates and disseminates.

    In view of the present ethno-religious, socio-political and economic crises ravaging our great country, there is urgent need to employ and utilize strategies that will settle the spate of terror attacks, political agitations, kidnappings and corruption among other numerous ills bedeviling our nation.

    I am a patriotic and service-oriented Nigerian who absolutely believes in the oneness and unity of our country. I believe that Nigeria is a great country and can only remain great if we are undivided and united. For this to be achieved, we must have a clear and common philosophy, ideology, ethics and values transferred and ingrained into the mentality of every Nigerian.

    The crises we hear and see in Nigeria today stems mainly from ignorance, prejudice and mindsets. This calls for a conscious campaign, education, orientation and enlightenment of the Nigerian people and nothing can be more important now!

    While the security agencies are doing their work in quelling insurgences, crime and criminality, it behoves of us to swing into action by transversing the length and breadth of our great country to establish our values, spread love, propagate right living, understanding and compromise in our polity.

    If the Nigerian people are orientated to do what is right from our families to our places of work and service, Nigeria will regain his place and good reputation in the comity of Nations. No institution can do this better than the already established National Orientation Agency.

    The National Orientation Agency must lead the campaign for peace, unity and corporate existence of our nation. The agency should be pragmatic and not just attend functions to make speeches. They should be mass recruitment of citizens in the 36 states of the federation who should be trained to carry out the campaign of religious harmony, political consensus, fairness and fair-play. Let us take this campaign to our schools, churches, mosques, market places and shops. Like the popular campaign banner goes, it should be door-to-door and neighbour to neighbour. As our dear President, Gen. Yakubu Gowon said before, “to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done”. Lets do this not by violence or force but by negotiation, discourse and education.

     

    • Monfum Ebine,

    Nfom, Ogoja, CRS

     

  • Paul Kurtz: A tribute

    Paul Kurtz: A tribute

    SIR: I was deeply saddened to hear about the death of American philosopher Paul Kurtz, the father of secular humanism, on October 20. Kurtz was my friend and mentor.

    I saw Paul Kurtz for the first time in 1999 at the World Humanist Congress in Mumbai, India. In spite of his very busy schedule, he created time to discuss the situation of humanism in Africa with me. At the end of our talk, he encouraged me by quoting a philosopher who said: “Whatever is difficult is important.” I have always drawn strength from this maxim, particularly in the following years, as I have grappled with growing the humanist movement in the region.

    In 2001, Paul Kurtz, through his Council for Secular Humanism, sponsored the first international humanist conference in Sub-Saharan Africa, of which I was the main organizer. He later established the Center for Inquiry (CFI) in Nigeria—the first in Sub-Saharan Africa—which I directed until 2010.

    He was a great visionary and motivator. I enjoyed working with him because he gave me the opportunity to test and try my own ideas and initiatives for organizing humanism. He never imposed his own organizational ideas on me. This is one of the reasons why, under his leadership, CFI established contacts, centres and a presence in many countries, in Africa for example, where contacts were unknown and unthinkable. In Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Senegal, Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, Rwanda, Egypt, South Africa, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Swaziland, etc.,

    II hope the contemporary humanist and free thought movement could learn or draw insights from his success stories and best practices. We humanists and skeptics in Africa will miss him a lot. However, we will continue to draw strength and inspiration from Kurtz’s writings and publications, from the institutions he founded, and other legacies he left behind for humanists/skeptics, and for humanity at large.

    • Adieu, Paul Kurtz.

    Leo Igwe

    Lagos

     

  • A case for gender equality

    A case for gender equality

    SIR: Nigeria has the highest population of any African country. With a population of over 162 million, Nigeria is ranked the world’s seventh most populated country. Of this magnitude, 49 percent are female; some 80.2 million girls and women. Comparatively, 38 percent of women in Nigeria lack formal education as against 25 for men and only four percent of women have higher education against the seven percent of their male counterpart.

    Nigeria ranks 118 of 134 countries in the Gender Equality Index.

    Undoubtedly, Nigeria and the World at large has in the last decade witnessed an unprecedented expansion of women’s rights, being one of the most profound social revolutions the world has ever seen. Couple of decades back, only two countries allowed women to vote. Today, that right is virtually universal. Millions of men and women around the world now support the call for gender equality although there is much to be done especially in developing countries like Nigeria.

    In Nigeria, only 25 out of the 360 members of the Nigerian House of Representatives being women and only about four percent of local government councillors are women. This could perhaps be an explanation for Nigeria’s low investment in sections that are crucial to human development outcomes such as health and education.

    It is pertinent to note that the quality of our democracy, the strength of our economies, the health of our societies and the sustainability of peace —are all undermined when we fail to fully tap half of the world’s talent and potential. Where women have access to secondary education, good jobs, land and other assets, national growth and stability are enhanced, and we see lower maternal mortality, improved child nutrition, greater food security, and less risk of HIV and AIDS.

    Achieving gender equality and women’s rights in Nigeria and the world at large is crucial to establishing and sustaining developments as specifically addressed by three Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Gender inequality has a much greater impact than the explicit MDGs. Gender dynamics underpin all of the MDGs and to make progress, we need specific gender-sensitive policies and action across the entire project.

    In promoting women’s livelihood, the 2012 DFID Gender Report in Nigeria, recommends that “Government policy should prioritise agriculture and rural development, because 54 million of Nigeria’s 80.2 million women live and work in rural areas where they constitute 60-70% of the rural work force”. It also advocates the formulation and implementation of laws that will assist the female gender in actualising her mandate.

    The report also advise on the creation of incentives for all girls to complete primary and secondary education, whilst delivering free education to girls and better funding for the educational sector both at the state and national levels.

    This fight for gender equality can only be successful with citizens making concerted efforts towards successful women’s leadership; strengthening women’s economic empowerment; ending violence against women; promoting women’s participation in peace and security processes; and ensuring that public planning and budgeting responds to the needs and rights of women. Together-we can make it happen!

     

    • Tayo Elegbede Jet

    Lagos.

     

  • Achebe and the facts of the civil war

    Achebe and the facts of the civil war

    SIR: Every Yoruba man or woman living has reason to be angry at anything that is capable of portraying late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in bad light, no matter how factual. Awo as he was popularly called was a hero to the Yoruba race. His matchless achievements in various fields of human endeavours especially in the field of education ensured that the children of the poor got educated in the West. Awo was a Yoruba before being a Nigerian and he made no pretence about it while alive. As a war time federal commissioner of finance in the regime of General Yakubu Gowon, he presided over the war budgets. He was seen as a powerful voice in that administration. Gowon used him to get the support of the Yoruba on his side during that war. Therefore the reactions of so many Oduduwa sons and daughters over the historical analysis stated by Prof. Achebe in his recent book ‘’There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra’’ is expected.

    What Achebe wrote in his book is not new as so many Nigerians especially Ndigbo have known this before now. Why it is raising much dust now could be because it is written by a literary giant of Achebe’s calibre. Many Ndigbo believed and still do, that Awolowo hated them and are quick to make references to what Achebe wrote and other issues.

    Take for example, in 1979 Chief Awolowo as presidential candidate of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) came to Aba in one of his electioneering campaigns and told his audience that if he became president, he will ban the importation of stockfish and second hand clothes. Hardly had he finished the statement when stones began to fly from various corners of Etche Road Primary School field venue of the campaign. Ndigbo saw Awo’s statement as another economic blockade coming if he wins that election.

    For a race that was just recovering from the devastating effects of civil war, and considering the fact that many Ndigbo have embraced buying and selling these stuffs as a means of sustenance, Awo’s statement was viewed with all seriousness. I recall late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo’s reaction that “it is callous for anybody to think of banning items that are apropos to Ndigbo”.

    Recall also that the indigenization decree of 1973 was primarily targeted at Ndigbo to ensure that they did not rise again. Or how else can one explain the giving of twenty pounds to any account holder of Igbo extraction after the war no matter how much he or she has in account before the war broke out? With that paltry sum, Ndigbo could not participate in the indigenization programme and a large chunk of the companies were bought by a section of the country.

    The time has come for the true account of the civil war. Nigerians need to know who did what and it is idiotic for anybody to ask that an apology be tendered when such facts come to the open. What Achebe has done is a tip of the iceberg. Others should emulate him so that those who do evil will know that a day will come when everything will be brought to the public domain.

     

    • Ijoma M. Okey.

    Bompai Kano.

     

  • Rising incidence of rape

    Rising incidence of rape

    SIR: Uncontrolled rape incidences all over Nigeria have become a daily occurrence and a fundamental issue affecting women and girl child development in the country. Today, of all women’s fears, that of being raped is the darkest. Though a global phenomenon, appalling side to our experience of its menace here have to do with impunity of the perpetrators, lackluster response of justice administrators and absence of institutional supportive system to help the victims.

    The big question, of course, is why do men rape? Most experts believe the primary cause of rape is an aggressive desire to dominate the victim rather than an attempt to achieve sexual fulfillment. They consider rape an act of violence rather than principally a sexual encounter. This is the opinion of experts. But one is of the opinion that beside the desire to dominate, rape, can also be situated in the state of minds of perpetrators.

    The brazenly manner rape is often committed indicated that perpetrators still have a stone-age view of women as chattels who are to be used without independent thoughts. It also portrays some as pure lunatics. Or what do we think of such reported cases of one Mr. Temitope Alo who raped eight kids, whose ages range from eight to 15 years, at Koloba area of Ayobo in Lagos? The pedophile lured the children to his apartment where he defiled and threatened to kill them if they reported the matter. Nothing is more horrible than the terror, the suffering, and the revulsion of the poor girls, ignorant of facts of life, who find themselves raped by a brute.

    Most Nigerians would not have forgotten an incident that occurred last year when a woman, repeatedly asked her attackers to kill her as they take turns to rape her at a university dormitory at Abia state University in Abia State. Cases of security men especially police men‘re-raping’ rape victims have not lost in our memory either. Most often Police Officers ask rape victims irrational and discouraging questions.

    The voice against rape is criminally silent, the law against rape is ineffective, the institutions to render support is sick and culpable of the act and our leaders are helpless. We tend to reduce the problem to issue of indecent dressing as if the kids that”beasts” violated also attract them with indecent dress. Though one is against indecent dressing, but it could not be a justification for raping. Come to think of; is indecent dressing a ‘rapable’ offence?

    Dramatic changes have to take place in public attitudes toward rape if we are ready to stem the tide. Steps toward this direction are the public enlightenment and education campaign as well as institutional support being offered by Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and Ministry of Justice through Office of Public Defenders (OPD) in Lagos State. Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), recently trained health workers drawn from primary and secondary health facilities in the state on Women’s Rights, Gender Based Violence (GBV) and the management of GBV survivors.

    Documentation by health facilities can be useful as evidence to get a no contest order in criminal proceedings against perpetrators.

    Speedy dispensation of justice is also vital to the drastic reduction in cases of rape. It is important to commend the activities of some Non-Government Organisations, NGOs, in addressing gender violence such as rape. Project Alert, Constitutional Right Project (CRP) BAOBAB for women’s Human Rights and other similar groups are doing much in creating awareness and practically getting involved in ensuring justice for women where their rights are violated.

     

    • Rasak Musbau

    Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

  • The ticking unemployment bomb

    SIR: The high rate of youth unemployment in Nigeria gives serious cause for concern as thousands of graduates leave tertiary institutions with no prospects of getting jobs, year-in-year out.

    The matter is compounded daily as higher institutions churn out fresh graduates to add to the already saturated labour market. Daily, we see our streets littered with young hawkers and teenage female street traders, who are constantly faced with the threat of kidnapping and sexual molestation by depraved adults.

    Many university undergraduates engage in drug trafficking, armed robbery, high class prostitution, political thuggery, okada riding and advance fee fraud, just to survive. The rising tide of unemployment and the resultant fear of a bleak future as the large are capable of undermining the country’s fledgling democracy.

    The Statistician-General of the Federation/CEO of the NBS, Dr. Yemi Kale said the total number of unemployed Nigerians rose from more than 12 million in 2010 to more than 14 million in 2011, with the figure increasing by 1.8 million between December 2010 and June 2011 alone. Kale said that unemployment was highest among youths aged between 15 and 24, and 25 and 44, adding that the problem was more pronounced in the rural areas.

    The unemployment figure for 2012 is given as 39.28 million, which is 23.9 per cent of the estimated 164.38 population of the country. Certainly, the most dangerous of the effects of growing unemployment in the nation is the likelihood of a serious break-out of social unrest and lawlessness by such idle hands.

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently warned on the possibility of an “Arab spring” experience in Nigeria if the rate of unemployment is not checked. While I do not pray for such gory experience in the country, one is nevertheless troubled by what we get to read in the media of how our political class indulged in the squandering of public funds.

    The rise in unemployment and misery has been fueled by increased tension caused by the high level of insecurity that had made investors avoid Nigeria like a plague. Just a few days ago, a suicide bomber killed and wounded several people at the St. Rita’s Catholic Church, Ungwan Yero, Malali, Kaduna, sending the wrong signal to the international community that Nigeria is a no-go area. Entrepreneurial development, with focus on the retraining of small investors – such as engaging in the working-for-yourself programmes – are goodstrategies to solving or reducing unemployment.

    There is the need for a mechanism to develop the skills of unemployed graduates while placing successful ones on internship in some companies with the possibility of being retained permanently since skills acquisition and leadership development are critical for nation building, wealth creation and distribution.

    Serious attention must be paid to agriculture and agric-business by all tiers of governments as a tool for employment generation through financial institutions, large scale farmers, small and medium scale farmers, researchers, retailers, distributors and serious investors.

    The nation has, over the years, been mobilizing and sharing revenue from only one source – oil. The time has come for governments to devise ingenious ways of expanding their revenue base by venturing into tourism, industrialization and manufacturing.

    Government should subsidize credits to sectors that are likely to be able to generate employment while tax incentives could be deployed to attract investment in labour-intensive areas.

    The creation of urban employment opportunities should be a priority as one of the goals of the nation’s general economic policy, reflecting the impacts of industrial policy investment.

    There is the need to urgently provide solutions to the mismatch between education outcomes and skills demand, to ensure that the country’s educational system provides the necessary skills required by the labour market.

    The supply of labour for development is dependent on increasing the skills of the youth to improve their employability and productivity. Most of the curricula of institutions of higher learning are out of tune with modern day realities.

     

    • Adewale Kupoluyi

    Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta

  • Ndigbo have to be wise in 2015

    Ndigbo have to be wise in 2015

    It is pertinent that people should embrace the selfless campaign of Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, the immediate past governor of Abia State, for Igbo presidency in 2015. Anything that is against the Igbo presidency in 2015 should be seen and measured as a punishment against Ndigbo. This was how a People’s Democratic Party’s stalwart said in 2002 that all the (PDP) governors would be returned in the 2003 elections. Except Governors Chinwoke Mbadinaju and Rabiu Kwakwanso who were not returned, Tony Anenih’s prophecy almost came true.

    This is why Ndigbo must take this statement from a Julian Jaynes seriously. Jaynes said that behaviour now must be changed from within the new consciousness rather than from Mosaic laws carving behaviour from without. Sin and desire are now within conscious desire and conscious contrition, rather than in the external behaviours of the decalogue and the penances of temple sacrifice and community punishment. The divine kingdom to be regained is psychological, not physical. It is metaphorical, not literal. It is “within”, not in extenso.

    Anenih further said that the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) would soon collapse and join the PDP; those not at ease with the way the PDP congresses were conducted could egress from the party. There were qualms from the South East reports on the congresses of the PDP and it nearly collapsed or broke the spirits of the South East governors to join other parties. And in other states of the federation the story was not different. Factionalisation was at its expediency!

    In Imo State, then Governor Achike Udenwa was in antagonism with the Hope Uzodimma group of returnees which openly declared for the PDP with the national officers of the party in attendance, and Udenwa lost control of the party. In Enugu State then, Governor Chimaraoke Nnamani was afraid that politicians like Senator Jim Nwobodo, Chief Emeka Eze and Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo were, according to reports, capable of holding the political landscape in the state to their advantage. Nnamani who was applauded to be a man of wisdom wouldn’t have had peace if not that Senator Nwobodo emerged the presidential candidate of the United Nigeria Peoples Party (UNPP). Governor Nnamani, by the help of PDP brokers in Abuja, was the Controller-General of PDP in his state.

    Why did Imo-State have no peace? Udenwa’s political adviser, George Egu, alleged that the Imo-State’s congress was marred by ‘hi-tech thuggery and fraud’. Senator Ifeanyi Araraume was fingered as importing over 99 thugs into the state to cage the executives.

    It was not a sugarcoated experience for Dr. Chris Ngige, then governor of Anambra State. Dr. Ngige was suspended from the party, but he went to Enugu Court of Appeal praying the court to reinstate him as a PDP stalwart. The PDP failed to recognise him even when the verdict of the court was in line with Dr. Ngige’s prayer.

    Abia State was not exempted. There were reports that PDP in the state constituted its executives twice in six days. Dr. Rex Otuka emerged chairman in the executive list before the state congress, Alfredo Awa as deputy chairman, while Chief Dave Nwosu as secretary, yet three congresses were witnessed in the state.

    There were speculations of ripples that this would cause the state when those loyal to Governor Orji Uzor Kalu faction alleged that ‘fake party members’ were registered in the houses of Abuja-based politicians.

    Then President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Tony Anenih and other PDP bigwigs in Abia State hated Dr. Kalu for what journalists called ‘lack of loyalty’. Yet Dr. Kalu’s poster indicating his interest to contest for the prime seat of the president in 2007 was everywhere.

    In Ebonyi State, observers noticed that a parallel faction of PDP was drawn, when the state’s governor, Dr. Sam Egwu, was battling to regain his membership card that was given to the man who’s the Culture and Tourism minister, Frank Ogbuewu. Ogbuewu’s group in the state was chronicled to have been operating under the name, Obasanjo Solidarity Forum (OSF), with Bony Ofoke as its chairman.

    Having said that, the squabbles above illustrate how Ndi-Igbo’s agitation to produce the Nigeria president could not be achieved in 2007.

    Odimegwu Onwumere

  • An appeal to Lagos local council bosses

    An appeal to Lagos local council bosses

    The glamour and popularity of ‘Acess 57’, a TV programme on LTV8 that is designed to showcase and enlighten the public on grassroots achievements of the chairmen of the 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas in Lagos, will be lost if they continue to remain passive to the untold suffering and hardship to which Lagosians are presently facing, following the recent ban on Okada from plying most of the major roads and all highways in Lagos State by Governor Babatunde Fashola. In fairness to the governor, his administration since inception has approached the issue of road construction and rehabilitation with seriousness and today most of the roads notorious for go-slow have either been totally reconstructed or rehabilitated, and a journey of more than 2 hours on such roads is now take less than 10 minutes in most cases during week days and on weekend. A good example is Iju Road in Ifako-Ijaiye that stretches from Iju Waterworks down to Pen Cinema.

    There is no doubt that at the state level, the effort of the state governor at providing succour for Lagos through the provision of BRT buses that are not only affordable but has succeeded in reducing tension on Lagos roads and highways as many Lagosians, irrespective of their status in the society now prefer to patronise the services of the comfortable and convenient BRT buses .

    Without mincing words and in the face of reality, bus drivers in the state are presently making life difficult and unbearable for commuters through arbitrary increase in transport fares on nearly all routes in the state. For example, on the ever busy and strategic Iju Road, it is common to find drivers charge as high as N100 for a journey that hitherto attracted N50 (an increase of 100 per cent). Another example is a less-than 2 kilometers journey on Bank Anthony Way from Ikeja to Maryland which now attracts N100, as against N50 (also a 100 per cent increase) that was hitherto charged commuters . To worsen matters on this route, commuters are forced to pay the exhorbitant and outrageous fare irrespective of bus-stop.

    One of the ways by which Lagosians can be made to enjoy the dividends of democracy in the real sense of the words is by lessening the hardship presently being faced by helpless commuters in the hands of callous and inhuman bus drivers is for all the Local Government and the Local Council Areas chairmen in the state to complement the efforts of the state governor by providing buses on the major routes in the state.

    Odunayo Joseph

    12, Salawu Street, Off Galilee Avenue, Lagos

  • Ban smoking in private cars

    SIR: I wish to lend my voice to the burning issue of smoking in public places especially by drivers while on the wheel. We all know the dangers caused by smoking. It is known to be linked with accidents, especially fatal ones, due to carelessness from loss of concentration.

    My views is that the banning of smoking by drivers – especially in private cars – will help in some ways to reduce the death rate and health problems associated with it and hence increase the life span of Nigerians.

    I therefore support the banning of smoking in private cars.

    • Ejemba V.C.

    Amukoko, Lagos