The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

  • How to make the roads safer

    SIR: We must appreciate the great and supportive roles of the FRSC in making our roads safer. Without the efforts of the FRSC and Road Traffic Wardens (including states agencies), road users would have had continuous bad stories to tell. I have personally witnessed a situation on Ibadan-Oyo Road where the FRSC officials blocked a public commuter bus for wrong driving. I also personally stopped by to have a fruitful discussion with some FRSC officials whose leader politely came out of his car to have discussions with me. This shows that there are officials who respect other Nigerians. However, I need to point out some factors militating against safety and sanity on our roads. We do need effective motor vehicle inspection agencies as established in developed countries. Most cars on the roads produce poisonous emissions and yet are allowed to ply our roads. Some give up thick smokes that make it impossible for cars coming behind to see properly. Some rickety cars with poor states are also on our roads. Some drivers drive recklessly and with cars in poor states. Some are simply too much in a hurry to get to their destinations. Most importantly, are the heavy duty vehicles such as the trailers on our roads. Trailer drivers are most reckless and constitute serious problems to road safety.

    We need to properly maintain our roads control lights. Sometimes, I have witnessed two situations in Ilorin, Kwara State where state’s road maintenance officials directed drivers to keep driving on even when the control light is on RED. This could have possibly been due to the long time it takes for drivers on one side to get moving. It would, therefore, be most appropriate to edit the timing of the control lights rather than asking drivers to drive against traffic light control. This could get drivers confused. It also have a way of making drivers to be unsure of when to obey traffic lights, thereby reducing obedience and compliance levels of some drivers.

    We also need to employ more road maintenance officers to keep sanity on our roads. Sometimes, the work becomes too tedious for the officers and wrong directives are given. Clearly, with the high unemployment rate in the country, we do need more officials to maintain sanity on our roads. Furthermore, the deplorable conditions of our roads must be changed for the better.

    As a matter of urgency we must increase the emolument packages of the officials. I have previously read about the poor remunerations and job incentives of Road Traffic Wardens when compared to police officers. This is rather sad. Because as far as police officers are concerned, they are simply poorly paid. How much more traffic wardens!

    Lest we forget, the living conditions of officers undergoing training programmes at the Police College, Ikeja reflects the sufferings of our security agents. I agree totally that there are corrupt elements in our security agencies. However, endemic corruption in Nigeria is systemic and cuts across all agencies (public and private). We must all fight against corruption in our dear nation by ensuring that the corrupt is punished according to the laws of the land without any fear or favour. More importantly, we must reward our security agents here on earth (before the hereafter) for laying down their lives to keep our nation safe.

    • Adelaja Abdulazeez Akinlolu

    University of Ilorin

     

  • We need African, not Bretton Woods Economics

    SIR: From whence come wars, injustices deprivations and poverty? Is it not from the supplanting of the African communal existence and its positive ideals and the enthronement of capitalist economic principles with its unjust principles? I wish to advocate the synthesis of African economic principles with integrative humanist principles.

    However, we still need to integrate the capitalist principles of industry hardwork, resourcefulness and creativity. On the negative side we must fight the temptation of allowing free floating surplus value which can be cornered by corrupt government officials.

    The principle insists on pulling resources together to ensure that man attains comfortable earthly existence as a springboard for blissful existence in eternity. A deprived, hurting, frustrated citizen cannot worship God aright.

    Solomon was expressing this principle when he prayed thus: “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me lest I be full, and deny thee…

    Lest I be poor and steal and take the name of my God in vain.”

    In African communal system, surplus value is shared. The system does not permit exploitation because each person was to be his brother’s keeper. The hardness of heart where one was a millionaire and his brother was poverty stricken was never accommodated. People had milk of human kindness which made them to share their surplus value with their less fortunate kith and kin.

    The Bretton woods economics which enjoined craftiness in exploiting the less fortunate in order to increase the fortunes of the rich must be discountenanced and discontinued from our system. What should be done is to equitably distribute the resources of our nation among our people so that there will be nothing left for the enemies of the commonwealth to loot. This can be done through a dedicated savings account for the nation – saving for the rainy day paying living wage to our workers at all levels (it is ridiculous to say that we cannot pay minimum wage of N20,000 and yet our office holders are heard stealing billions from the common till). This is possible because the money was not shared to the people. The unemployed and the aged, should receive a stipend for their upkeep as social security, then,  there is need to do all we can to revitalize the agricultural sector to provide jobs for our teeming graduates and reserve army of  labour – this will make for food sufficiency.

    The wealthy among us should establish factories, industries, hospitality outfits and other employment providing investments. It should be counted a mortal sin for politicians and top business men to either stash away money abroad or invest abroad when they have not sufficiently invested within the country.

    I believe that when we do this, we are bound to minimize poverty among us and reduce socio-political tension in our society. The truth is that an economics wholly driven by the Bretton Woods capitalist principles cannot engineer economic growth and genuine economic progress for our country.

    • Prof. G. O. Ozumba

    University of Calabar

  • Pay ex-Delta Steel staff balance of severance pay

    Pay ex-Delta Steel staff balance of severance pay

    SIR: As part of the federal government’s economic reforms, Delta Steel Company Ltd, Ovwian Aladja was privatized to Global Infrastructure Nigeria Limited during the first quarter of 2005.

    In order to ensure unhindered takeover of the company, all employees at the time were disengaged by a letter dated June 30, 2005. Prior to the date, the then Minister of Power and Steel, Senator Liyel Imoke had declared that “No Staff will be owed any entitlement – gratuity and severance after June 30, 2005”. The Minister further promised that before the handover date “all staff will be trained”. In addition to the Minister’s declaration, the Director General Bureau for Public Enterprise promised that each disengaged staff will be entitled to their monthly salary pending the final settlement of their severance pay. The promises were not kept.

    At the time staff were disengaged, the government approved a severance pay (lump sum payment in lieu of staff monthly pension payment) of N9.86 billion to various categories of staff.

    In all approximately 4781 former employees were involved.

    Only about 45% of the approved severance sum of N9.86 billion has been paid as follows: N2.86 billion out of N9.86 billion or about 30% of severance pay in July, 2007; about 15% of the N9.86 billion severances pay in January 2009.

    The remaining 55% of the N9.86 billion (about N5 billion) is still outstanding.

    When it became obvious, early in 2008 that government was indifferent to the plight of DSC ex-staff, the then DSC management of the privatized DSC constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Engr. Dr Okibe .M. Udeh to liaise with the Bureau Of Public Enterprise (BPE), Federal Ministry of Power and Steel and other relevant government agencies towards ensuring that the outstanding severance payment of about N5billion was paid.

    As part of its efforts and efforts of other stakeholders, the National Assembly conducted Public Hearing on the privatization in the steel sector and among the resolutions passed was that DSC ex-staff outstanding entitlements be paid.

    Government’s refusal to fulfil her responsibilities to her citizens by paying benefits to those who have spent a greater part of their lives at Delta Steel has resulted in avoidable deaths as a result of hardship arising from delay in the payment of the severance pay-off.

    It is over eight years since the privatization of Delta Steel and regrettably issues of staff entitlements have not been satisfactory resolved. This is just another example of the injustices that goes on in our society everyday with innocent citizens being mistreated by people in authority who wish them dead.

    It is the height of failure of leadership that in eight years our leaders cannot pay about N5 billion owed sacked law abiding citizens. Please help us tell the President to pay us.

     

    • Engr. Dr Okibe .M. Udeh,

    Otukpo, Benue State.

     

  • Mu’azu as PENCOM chairman, wrong

    Mu’azu as PENCOM chairman, wrong

    SIR: If the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan is truly committed to fighting corruption which is an endemic disease that has eaten up every facet of Nigerian society, crippled our economy, impoverised our citizens and deprived our nation of sustainable development, then the recent appointment of former Bauchi State governor Ahmed Adamu Mu’azu as chairman of Nigeria Pension Commission (PENCOM) is a most puzzling appointment indeed.

    There is no point going over the antecedents of the former governor of Bauchi State.

    But the truth of the matter is that when Malam Isa Yuguda took over as governor of Bauchi State on May 29, 2007, the new government instituted a Judicial Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice Bitrus Sanga to bring to light what happened under the stewardship of Mu’azu between 1999 to 2007. The commission gave ample opportunity to the former governor as required by law to defend himself and his government but instead opted to go on self exile and remained in Dubai for over three years.

    And what did the commission come up with? The commission found out that the former governor misappropriated the sum of over N20.8 billion within eight years as the chief executive of the state. For this, it indicted and banned the former governor from holding public office for a period of 10 years.

    Now the pertinent question is why President Jonathan would choose to have this individual in his government.

    If I may refresh our collective memory, in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital at the flag-off of his campaign tour, President Jonathan promised Nigerians that “if elected, his administration will not sweep any crime under carpet no matter how big or small”.

    He said further that “there will be no scared cows”. For a President who made such declaration publicly to have in his team a man accused of defrauding his state shows that he was merely mouthing anti-corruption war just to please gullible Nigerians. It is ridiculous that despite the avalanche of well-placed and notable sons and daughters of Bauchi State, it is Adamu Mu’azu that the President found worthy to head the pension agency. The implication of the appointment of Mu’azu is that the President is saying that the work done by the Judicial commission of inquiry and its pronouncement on the former governor is of no consequence.

     

    •John Akevi

    Bauchi

  • MTN, stop this madness

    MTN, stop this madness

    SIR: It  has  become  imperative  to protest  in the  strongest  term, the  dastardly  act  of robbing telephone   subscribers  of  their  hard  earned money.  I  will  focus  on  MTN because  the  network  is  worse off  in  this  cheating  game.

    MTN like  other  networks  offer various  services  including information.  But,  what  really pains  me  is  the penchant by MTN  to enrol  subscribers  for  services for  which  they  did  not subscribe  to  in  the  first  place and then  charging  them  for  such.

    The  worst  part  of  it  is  that  it is  very  difficult,  if  not impossible,  to  opt  out  of  such service. Anytime  one  sends  a text  to  a  code  made  available by  the  network,  it  will  not  go through.

    Meanwhile,  one’s  account  is deducted  every  month.

    MTN  has  been  sending  ”Job Connect”  alert  to  my  line (08165660953)  through  38051 or  MTN N.  At  no  time  did  I subscribe  to  this  service  and my  attempt  to  stop  it  has been unsuccessful.  This  service  cost N100  per  month.  On  Dec  23, 2013, N100 was  deducted  from  my  account and  next  deduction  is  slated  for  Jan  20.

    I  am  very  angry  at  this.  This   has  happened  many  times.

    I  request  MTN to  refund  my  money  illegally deducted  from  my  account  and stop  sending  alert  to  me. Should  my  account  further  be deducted,  I  will  not  hesitate  to port  to  another  network.

    I  am  also  using  this opportunity  to  appeal  to  NCC and  National  Assembly  to  call MTN  to  order.  Subscribers  are made  poorer  daily  with  this kind  of  impunity  and daylight robbery.

    • Abimbola Blessing,

    Ikare-Akoko

  • Enugu’s mystery lake and loomimg epidemic

    SIR: I urge the government of Enugu State to act immediately and prevent the looming epidemic in Nanchi and the surrounding communities in the state. According to an eight-minute video circulating on the internet, miracle seekers are trooping in their hundreds to this village to bath, swim in the so-called mystery lake. The video reveals disgusting images of people diving, swimming, bathing and fetching dirty, stinking water from this lake in an apparent quest for miracles. Personally I wonder if this is a ‘miracle quest’ to live or to die.

    According to a local reporter, some Fulani herdsmen heard an explosion on the evening of November 11. And on getting to the point where the explosion occurred they saw some water gushing out of the ground. The herdsman said it was some ‘miracle water’. They gave some of the water to a blind colleague who reportedly got healed. Since this incident, the Nanchi mystery lake as it is now called has turned to a pilgrimage centre. Hundreds of people visit the dirty polluted lake to bath and swim with the hope of experiencing some miracles. Family members take their sick relatives there for healing. Some testified knowing some people who were healed after bathing in the lake.

    From all indications, people who come to swim in this’mystery lake’ will end up going home with diseases, not cures. Nanchi and the neighbouring communities should brace up for an out break of cholera and other infections in the months ahead unless the government brings this hazardous situation under control.

    Many people are coming from outside Enugu state, so the entire South-east is at risk too. The sight of gullible Nigerians zealously swimming in this polluted mystery lake, not minding the filthy nature of the water, is a clear indication of the decadent state of the mind in Nigeria. Many people are ready to compromise basic health principles in their quest for miracles. And this is a strong sign of how brainwashed many Nigeria are and have become.

    Poverty, ignorance and superstition have turned many ordinary Nigerians into miracle seekers. Lack of adequate health facilities has worsened the situation. The fact that Enugu state authorities have so far turned a blind eye on this shameful episode and refused to intervene is a clear demonstration of the quality of governance and health administration in the country. Both federal and state governments should take urgent measures and restrain people from going to swim and bath in Nanchi mystery lake. They should encourage Nigerians to embrace and seek out evidence based cures. The government should educate and get Nigerians to understand that there is no evidence that Nanchi lake has healing powers, and that anyone who goes to the lake, swims, baths or drinks the ‘mystery’ water will end up contracting diseases, not miracle cures.

    • Leo Igwe

    Bayreuth, Germany

  • Can Nigeria still meet the MDGs targets?

    Can Nigeria still meet the MDGs targets?

    SIR: In September 2000, about 189 heads of states and governments gathered to reaffirm their faith in the United Nations and to adopt the UN Millennium Declaration. The eight key Goals and 21 Targets that were set and agreed to be attained on or before 2015 are: eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, achievement of universal primary education, promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women, reduction in child mortality rates, improvement in maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS pandemic, malaria other diseases, environmental sustainability as well as developing a global partnership for development.

    Almost 14 years after, Nigeria’s attainment of the set goals have been rated differently from good to bad and to worse, depending on who saying what. One thing that is glaring however is that life has not been a bed of roses under the harsh economic climate prevailing in the nation.

    At a Water Summit held recently, President Goodluck Jonathan stated that Nigeria needs over N350 billion annually to meet its water and sanitation targets. Vice President, Mohammed Sambo,was also quoted as saying at a Stakeholders’ Meeting in Abuja that “Although Nigeria has made significant strides in reducing maternal mortality from figures that were above 1000/100,000 live births in 1990 to 545/100,000 live births in 2008, attainment of the health MDGs still remain a challenge in Nigeria, as the current annual reduction in under-five mortality of 4% is far below the 13% annual reduction needed to bend the curve to attain Goal 4 by 2015”.

    For the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Nigeria is among the 38 countries that have already met the internationally-set hunger eradication targets ahead of 2015!

    The status of MDGs in Nigeria indicates that the country is unlikely to meet most of the targets because the incidence of poverty is reported to have increased from 54.4 percent in 2004 to 65.1 percent in 2010 while about 10 million children of school going age are out of school.

    Even though successive governments have worked assiduously in ensuring that compulsory Universal Basic Primary Education becomes the right of every Nigerian child, achievements so far recorded in the sector leave much to be desired. The National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education has stated that 35 per cent of Nigeria’s estimated 160 million population, about 56 million is considered to be illiterate. Other contending educational issues include inadequate funding, examination malpractice, poor performances recorded in public examinations and industrial unrest.

    With about a year to 2015, African countries should rather begin to think beyond the magic year. The post 2015 development agenda should recognize the changed context of the world, the changing geography of poverty and the need not only to improve the content but also put in place an accountability framework.

    • Adewale Kupoluyi

    Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta

  • Re- “Taraba is broke”

    SIR: Journalists all over the world are regarded as agents of positive changes in the society. For a report to be considered as worthy of publication, it must not only be accurate, but it must be balanced as well. I came across a report filed by The Nation’s correspondent in Jalingo, Fanen Ihyongo with the above headline quoting the Chairman of Sardauna LGC Dr David Jedua as saying that “for the first time the state is so broke that even the treasury of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs is empty”. He also quoted the immediate past Secretary to the Taraba State Government Emmanuel Njiwah as saying “Take SURE-P funds for instance; the money has all gone”.

    First and foremost, the quoted former SSG served under the Acting Governor for almost a year until when he was unceremoniously sacked as a result of his alleged involvement in the looting of flood disaster intervention fund released to the state by the federal government. Since bankruptcy is a gradual process, he had never raised any alarm then; why now?

    Secondly, he failed to prove his accusation by not presenting any concrete evidence of bankruptcy against the state government. The state government has been performing its obligations, for instance, salaries are being paid regularly as and at when due, all ongoing projects are being funded. One may wish to ask Dr. David Jedua if Bali-Gembu Road project which is under his immediate constituency has been put on hold due to lack of fund? The Acting Governor just paid over three billion debt incurred by Gov. Suntai among others. This is a pure blackmail from people who are bent on sabotaging the effort of the current administration.

    What baffled me most was that the reporter failed to hear from the state government’s side of the story, which is one of the basic ethics of journalism. Let’s try to be objective in our reportorial duties so that we can boost the credibility of our profession.

     

    • Muhammad s. Adamu Auta

    Jalingo, Taraba State

  • Refineries’ yo-yo

    Conflicting news about the country’s challenged oil refineries demonstrate not only pathetic confusion in the presidency but also hopeless visionlessness. Against the backdrop of a looming strike by the country’s two main oil workers’ unions, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG), over the federal government’s reported plan to privatise its four refineries, the presidency’s denial gives cause for reflection about the structures of power and how they often operate at cross-purposes.

    It is noteworthy that PENGASSAN, the 15,000-member white-collar union, according to its president, Babatunde Ogun, is scheduled for talks with officials of the Petroleum and Labour Ministries on January 7; and the group has indicated the possibility of a strike, if government does not drop the alleged intention to sell the refineries. The 30,000-member blue-collar NUPENG may also consider an industrial action, if the government does not back down, said its secretary-general, Elijah Okougbo.

    In a joint statement on December 18 last year, the unions declared that the alleged proposed sale of the refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna, is “against the overall national interest and in the interest of a few,” arguing that it “will transfer government monopoly to cartels that will dictate the market.”

    Understandably, the oil workers had grounds for concern, following a presidential audit of the plants last year that recommended their sale based on alleged inadequate state funding and “sub-optimal performance.” To add to their discomfiture, this position was apparently reinforced by Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in an interview with Bloomberg TV Africa in London where she said, “We would like to see major infrastructure entities, such as refineries, moving out of government hands into the private sector.” Indeed, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has also indicated that it is preparing the guidelines for the privatisation of the refineries.

    With such alarming signals from official quarters, it would appear that the oil workers were not just crying wolf. But, strangely, the opposite is exactly what the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, would want the public to believe. According to him, “Government is not going to sell any refineries. There is no such plan and there is no presidential approval for such. Nobody, not even the minister of petroleum, has the powers to sell any government property.”

    This statement clearly contradicts the minister and the BPE, raising the question whether Abati was actually speaking for the government. Why is government seemingly speaking from both sides of the mouth? Obviously, the functions of government should not include perplexing the people, but the President Goodluck Jonathan administration probably thinks otherwise.

    It is instructive that the presidential audit identified inadequate state funding and “sub-optimal performance” as the bane of the refineries; and it is logical to assume that the one influences the other. Isn’t it puzzling that the government is not providing sufficient funding for a sector that is the country’s major revenue earner? It is sheer senselessness, especially when juxtaposed with the mind-boggling financial corruption that has come to define government business in the country.

  • Mimiko’s marvellous mockery of democracy

    What happened at the Ondo State House of Assembly in the name of budget presentation by Governor Olusegun Mimiko, without doubt, demonstrated not only the hallucinatory quality of the political helmsman but also his provocative contempt for law and order, which he was, ironically, elected to uphold, even if in highly controversial circumstances. It was one of those rare but enlightening instances when reality appears less believable than fiction.

    It surely takes a magical imagination to comprehend the fact that Mimiko presented the N162 billion 2014 budget in the presence of only nine of a 26-member legislative unit, which means that there was no quorum for the important ceremony. Excuse the hyperbole, but it could be likened to appearing before an empty House. Minority Leader Akpoebi Lubi, one of those who stayed away, said the governor needed two-third majority of the House before he could legally present a budget. The alarming fact that Mimiko overlooked this fundamental inadequacy, and went ahead to perform what was obviously a charade perhaps illustrates his empty desperation for the grandeur of power. For a man who relied on the strength of numbers to attain office, it is a shameful exposure of his weakness that he now seeks strength in zero. It is possible to interpret his defiance of decency as satisfying a personal need to feel in control in the face of overwhelming dimunition of his authority.

    What better signal of his loss of respect than the fact that 16 members of the ruling Labour Party (LP) in the legislative house rudely shunned the budget presentation. It is noteworthy that the Assembly is made up of 25 Labour Party members and one Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member, meaning that Mimiko was openly disgraced largely by his own party members in the dramatic and spectacular event. Twelve lawmakers reportedly kept a distance from the main chamber of Assembly Complex but remained on the premises while Mimiko engaged in his self-serving self-ridicule.

    It is instructive that the Speaker, Samuel Adesina , was reportedly ill and unavailable, while Deputy Speaker, Dare Eniola, presided over the fakery and Majority Leader, Ifedayo Akinsoyinu, was present. Significantly absent were other principal officers, including the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Fidelis Akinwolemiwa (Ondo East); his deputy, Akindele Adeniyi (Akure South); Chairman, House Committee on Information, Oyebo Aladetan ( Ilaje1) and Minority Leader, Akpoebi Lubi.

    Tellingly, their grounds for non-participation was reportedly the governor’s “non-consultation with the Assembly on the budget presentation and poor implementation of the 2013 budget.” One of the protesting lawmakers reportedly said that Mimko “recorded 30 per cent performance” in connection with last year’s budget.

    For a governor who controversially won a second term election in October 2012, Mimiko’s desertion by his fellow party members, particularly in the legislature, indeed speaks volumes about his acceptance. If his own colleagues could so emphatically dissociate themselves from him, it is logical to re-examine his supposed electoral victory, which was strongly but unsuccessfully contested by his political rivals who made charges of poll rigging against him. This remarkable episode, beyond the failed legal challenge by his rivals, perhaps demonstrated Mimiko’s pathetic alienation not only from his political base but also from the electorate who the lawmakers represent.

    Unquestionably, the 59-year-old physician would need to heal himself politically as well as socially, if not emotionally too, in the light of this exposure of his political ill-health. It is ironic that the proposed budget, with the label, “Caring Heart Phase Five,” was not presented with any sense of care for the law and the sensitivity of the people. Otherwise, a more law-abiding public office holder with a greater people-consciousness would have restrained himself from going ahead with the ceremony when it was obvious that the session would be inquorate. Unfortunately, that is apparently not the stuff of which Mimiko is made. He showed the qualities of a leader who doesn’t care a damn about both the law and the people!