The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

  • PDP’s Greek gift

    PDP’s Greek gift

    SIR: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Edo State has cashed in on a law enforcement situation which relates to a widow in the new Benin axis of the city to haul underserved diatribes on Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

    For months running, Edo State government had, through all known media gone out to inform citizens, particularly petty traders not to display their wares on the roads and the walk ways. It wasn’t even a case of ignorance of the law. Even in civilised climes,  ignorance of the law is not an excuse to breach the law.The matter was even made worse when even War Against Indiscipline and Neighbourhood Watch officials engaged to enforce government order on the ban on display of wares on the road and walkways abdicated their responsibility, necessitating in the Governor having to take the bull by the horns. If developed societies were left to run on the fringes of charity, pity and compromise, no country of the world would have been developed.

    Displaying wares on the roads, apart from exposing such items to unhygienic conditions, exposes the traders to greater danger as a fast-moving vehicle could ram into them and lead to more unpleasant situations. Edo PDP and those who toe their line of argument should not shy away from this truth. It is therefore of the essence to make Edo people understand why the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is making a mountain out of a mole hill.

    Politicising the governor’s encounter with the widow by offering her N250,000, therefore is incomprehensible and condemnable. It smacks of holding on to any available straw to escape drowning. To say the least, they  are wicked, garrulous, weird, and satanic to have included such an encounter of the widow in their political calculations.

    If Edo PDP was as caring and loving as they want unsuspecting members of the public to begin to believe, they should start with restitution. All they looted from Edo people in over 10 locust years they governed the state should be returned to citizens. That is when Edo people would begin to take them seriously. But if they cannot, Edo citizens should see their politics with the widow as a flash in the pan.

    Look at what is happening at the federal level today-the Oduagate, massive corruption in the oil and gas sector, unending ASUU strike as a result of broken promises. That is why Edo people should not be carried away with PDP’s Greek Gift to the widow. It is a gift with all potentials to purge the receiver.

     

    • Dan Owegie

    Benin City

  • ASUU should resist FG’s threat

    ASUU should resist FG’s threat

    SIR: It is heart-rending that President Jonathan’s regime has thrown all caution to the winds in its unabated offensive against the mass of working people in the latest round of attacks on democratic rights. The most bizarre is the ultimatum issued to the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), to resume on or before December 9.It would be recalled that ASUU has embarked on indefinite strike to press home the demands for the full implementation of the 2009 Agreement reached with the Federal Government on improved funding of the universities to enhance better learning and working conditions in the universities.

    The Jonathan regime has equally demonstrated its deep disregard for democratic rights by deploying the officers of the Nigerian Police in an aberrant militarization of the campuses. To this has been added the cash-and-carry mobilization of rotten renegades in the students’ movement to undermine the struggle of the university lecturers.

    It would be necessary to attempt to remedy the grave ignorance of the Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, who possibly need to be reminded of the fundamentals of labour laws in Nigeria. It is trite law that the legal right of ASUU as a trade union to strike on the conditions of service of its members has statutory flavour. Therefore a mass sack threat amount to a legal nullity. The Federal Government is in breach of the principle of collective bargaining.

    While the members of ASUU need to be commended, they must remain steadfast as their struggle is genuine and pro-labour/students. However, the struggle has exceeded ASUU alone as the Jonathan regime has had the day with its rough-shod on democratic rights which have seen a wave of repression of peaceful assemblies and exercise of freedom of association.

    What is urgently needed is a concerted mass mobilization strategy involving all genuine pro-labour organizations in the workers’ and students’ movement as well as the trade unions to embark on a series of street protests and demonstrations to resist the planned mass retrenchment of university lecturers, militarization of university campuses and attacks on democratic rights.

    • Ayo’ Ademiluyi

    Agege, Lagos

  • Like Nelson Mandela

    Like Nelson Mandela

    If I am ever asked, “Dele Aina, do you have any regrets in life?” I would answer, “YES! Chiefly, because I never met Nelson Mandela.”

    Africa, indeed, the world has lost the greatest black man that ever lived. I was tempted to call him, ‘the second greatest black man that ever lived, following closely behind my dad’. But then I thought, when daddy reads this, he’d call me and say, “Didn’t I teach you to be truthful and objective always?”

    So, let’s give it to Mandela. Greatest dad? That’s my dad! But, the greatest black man? That’s Nelson Mandela! He shall remain, for ages to come, the most celebrated, the most respected, the most honoured black man, ever!

    I have studied the life of Mandela extensively. He was not born with a silver spoon. He had it rough & tough all through his lifetime. In spite of all his challenges, he loved and sacrificed. He loved his enemies, and sacrificed for his people. All African leaders should take a leadership course centered on the life of Nelson Mandela.

    Indeed, anybody in any form of leadership should take out time to adequately study, adopt and apply the lifestyle and leadership qualities of Mandela.

    Mandela never owned a house in Dubai, UK, or USA. He never owned a private jet, never was extravagant or ostentatious as many African leaders (secular and spiritual) are today.

    Mandela admitted to have voraciously read the Bible while in incarceration. While I can’t say assuredly if he ever confessed JESUS CHRIST as his Lord and savior, I make bold to state that I saw more JESUS in him than I’ve seen in most spiritual leaders globally.

    Mandela was focused, forgiving, forthright, and fearless. He fought a cause he believed for 27 years in prison, refusing to accept personal freedom if his people were still being oppressed.

    He came out of prison to become the first black president of South Africa, and exited after his first term. As president, he pursued truth, forgiveness and reconciliation; not vengeance, looting, and grandstanding.

    In all his health challenges, he was never flow outside of South Africa for treatments abroad. What was good enough for his people was good enough for him. Mandela was a LEADER! Let the looters, bleeders, and blunders pretending to be leaders all over Africa, and worldwide, learn from this great man.

    His was a Long Walk to Freedom, not a short cut to stardom, success and stupendous wealth, being bandied about in many places nowadays. LORD, have mercy!

    Nelson Mandela was my mentor, my leader, my good example. He was everything a good leader should be. He was all I hope and plan to be. I love this man. I love everything he epitomized.

    Every man, high and low, should aspire and strive to be like Mandela.

    From today, when you meet anybody in leadership (spiritual and secular), ask them, “Are you like Mandela?” Whether they answer yes or no, add quickly, “Please, be like MANDELA!” Let the children of presidents, governors, senators, honourables / dishonourables, LGA chairmen, and clergy, ask their fathers regularly, “Daddy, are you like Mandela? Please, be like MANDELA!”

    Apart from his double divorces, Mandela was almost a perfect man. But then, who has never made mistakes in life? I believe Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is in heaven with GOD.

    If you disagree with me, go there now and find out! There are two men the world will never forget: JESUS THE CHRIST, and Nelson Mandela.

    In case you’re not interested, I’m gunning for the third!
    Be like MANDELA!

    Aina is founder of  Just Jesus Foundation, writes from Lagos.

     

  • * Thumbs up for our GEJ

    Remembering especially his dismal performance in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour and other unflattering outings, many Nigerians must have fretted when the BBC announced that President Goodluck Jonathan was going to favour its global audience with his reflections on Nelson Mandela’s legacy.

    They need not have worried.

    It was a lexical triumph for Dr Jonathan. He delivered himself with semantic and syntactic aplomb, even taking a dig at those leaders who, instead of voluntarily relinquishing office like Mandela, sit tight and plunge their countries into chaos – no need for him to name them, said Dr Jonathan; you know them — and those leaders who leave office but continually lurk in the corridors of power.

    Is this perchance an indication that he intends to “play Mandela” by seeking neither a second term nor an elongation of his current term?

    In whatever case, I hope he is not scheduled to be in the same room anytime soon with Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe. I can assure him that Mugabe, one of the most gifted polemicists in Africa and indeed anywhere, will respond in kind at the earliest opportunity, and most likely with compound interest.

    When it came to naming an example of those who, according to Jonathan, vacated office but carry on as if they are still in power, I was stuck. Can you help?

     

  • FMoW in mother of all variations

    Since we are talking about a road, Hardball posits that what has happened is an equivalence of a horrific carnage. Unless of course you are one of the big men in the Federal Ministry of Works (FMoW), the news of that contract variation is bound to make you dizzy. The sheer impunity of the figures is sure to twist your innards to the extreme. You grow instantly impotent as rage takes over your sinews. In your extreme agony, you would probably curse the day you were conceived under the green and white flag, which seems to flutter with so much infamy these days.

    Contract variation, it must be noted, has become something of a norm in Nigeria since the 80s and most ministries at all levels of government may have adopted this phenomenon as the proper course of doing business. In deed, Hardball would stand to be corrected that any contract that did not ‘enjoy’ a variation especially in the FMoW in the last two decades would be an exception. It would be strangely extra-normal in Nigeria today if any contract is carried out from start to finish and on schedule without any variation of the contract sum. But this case in point of the variation of the Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja Road contract must be the mother of them all. Hardball takes the liberty to term it a ‘terror’ attack of sort on the psyche of the nation.

    The FMoW has bent over double trying to explain this monstrous action since the Senate Adhoc Committee ‘uncovered’ it but no explanation would fly. An initial contract sum of N42.55 billion in 2006 was in 2011 ballooned up to N116 billion and they expect us not to cry our eyes out? They say an inter-ministerial committee approved it; they say the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) issued certificate of ‘No Objection’ – whatever that means. The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved and sanctioned the variation. But of what use are all these aforementioned vetting processes? Did they not approve the first contract which turned out a disaster?

    The FWoW ought to hide its head in the muck for seeming to be proud to have initiated and awarded a contract that five years down the line, had to be varied by about 300 per cent. What this means is that no planning whatsoever was carried out. Officials of the FWoW are indignantly suggesting that critics are ignorant of the enlarged scope of work built into the reviewed project but they play down the fact that more that 62 per cent (or N26.63 billion) of the initial contract sum was disbursed. And what value did we get from this? Only 38 per cent. If we add the initial disbursal of N26.63 billion to the current N116 billion we have a total sum of N142. 63 billion to be spent on this singular road project.

    No explanation will justify this manner of project review, especially if we consider the antecedence of our public service; a service steeped in corrupt practices and a recent unremitting brand of impunity. Another point to be made is that we could count it as ‘all is well that ends well’ if the FWoW manages to deliver this road next year as proposed. We will also live with this grim assault on our psyche if the road, upon completion, stands the rest of time. But Hardball will wager again that this road will not be completed in 2014 and may well be reviewed and re-awarded someday in our usual tradition, especially if it remains unfinished in the life of this administration.

    Hardball wishes the FMoW would do Nigerians a little favour by helping us with a list of reviewed contracts; a list of uncompleted/abandoned contracts; a list of reviewed yet unfinished projects in just one ministry.

    It is sad that our public service has become one huge, kleptocratic, revenue-crunching machine. But a man who steals his patrimony is only clever by half isn’t he?

  • Zuma, whither South Africa?

    Zuma, whither South Africa?

    Sir: When Nelson Mandela died on December 5, at the age of 95, diverse encomiums were poured on him. Comment/lamentation by the first Black President of USA, Barak Obama: “he left legacy of freedom and peace; a profoundly good person; sacrificed his own freedom for the freedom of others; reconciled himself with those who jailed him”- for 27 years. My question to the current President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma is: What happens to Mandela’s legacies, with particular reference to reconciliation, equity, and freedom in South Africa?

    I found it distasteful when Zuma said of Pa Mandela’s demise: “South Africa lost its greatest son”. At 95, whose son was Mandela for God’s sake? And then, “Our people have lost a father” – must he exclude himself because he is President? He calls him “The first President of a free South Africa.” Yes, but much more than that. As someone said, Mandela was and he is still the father of a democratic South Africa. Yes, if only because he was the acknowledged leader of all those who were imprisoned for South Africa’s sake. Pa Mandela shares the honour with those with whom he was imprisoned, and with P.W. de Klerk, who was used by God to facilitate end of apartheid.

    David Cameron of England described Pa Mandela as “the hero of our time”; is he not? As a dignified nonagenarian, Mandela was a living African ancestor.

    The only reservation I have on Obama’s comment, and he is much more pardonable than Zuma, is what he added that Mandela “no longer belongs to us but to the ages.” Ancestrally speaking, that is not correct. All the encomiums that people are pouring on the faithful departed indicate that he joins African ancestors, and together with God, they will continue to watch and judge what we do with their legacies, with particular reference to being our brothers’ keepers or otherwise. The ancestors are spiritual beings; like Martin Luther King, Jr., Mandela is alive.

    The last White President of South Africa, who handed-over to Mandela in 1994 as President, Frederik Willem de Klerk, said something challenging to President Zuma in my understanding. He described Mandela as a “unifier”. With what adjective will people describe Zuma as South Africa’s President? I was impressed by another commentator who said on BBC International that Mandela could have made himself a life President, but handed-over after five years, saying it was time to retire. People are apprehensive what becomes of South Africa after the magnanimous Mandela. He must have been playing a stabilization role!

    Pa Mandela was a “unifier”; a stabilizer. Nigerian rulers, what are you? Indiscipline is making you shun rotational presidency. You are destabilizers!

    • Pius Oyeniran Abioje, Ph. D,

    University of Ilorin.

  • Okotie destroying Christian unity

    Okotie destroying Christian unity

    SIR: I read my must-read, Hardball of Thursday December 5, and found Rev Okotie’s outbursts on Catholics interesting.  The hardball reported that during his – I would not like to call it preaching of last Sunday, he said Catholics will go to hell, that the Catholic Church is a counterfeit church set up by satan, that Catholics bow to idols and crucify Jesus every Sunday  when they eat bread claiming they are eating Jesus’ body.

    It is amazing that the so-called pastor, who even read law has no sense of history and he has to be educated. Catholicism is the primary christian religious denomination founded by Jesus himself. Before his death he instituted the celebration of what is called the ‘Eucharist’.

    Chris should read the last supper account and appreciate the Eucharist that perpetuates Christ’s mysterious presence with us when it is celebrated. He can read the Lucan version of the last supper account found in Luke 22:7-20.

    The Catholic Church at a certain time, been a human as well as a divine institution, erred along the line and that has brought about Protestantism. Fortunately, many of the orthodox christian denominations are doing all they can to foster christian unity. But it seems some cultist groups that have been using the word ‘church’ wrongly in reference to their church, to conceal their intention of destroying Christendom, are bent on posing a hurdle to this unity. The utterances of the so called man of God, Chris, may be a pointer to this direction.

    In many countries around the globe, the issue of denomination does not surface among religious people. As God is love, Christians of all denominations try to foster that spirit of love to address the problems of the world.

    It is said that when people are throwing stones at a particular orange tree in an orange orchard, it is sweet. The sweetness of Catholicism makes counterfeit Christians to throw stones at it. However, even at the time that Catholics were persecuted and killed, Catholicism continued to grow and it is still growing from strength to strength. He may rather be digging a grave for his gathering mistakenly called church.

     

    • Rev. Fr. Kuha INDYER, CSSp

    Sankera, Benue State.

  • Weep for Africa, not Mandela

    Weep for Africa, not Mandela

    SIR: Last week’s death of one of Africa’s greatest legend, the man who led the struggle against and eventual elimination of South African white domination in government, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, is painful and, indeed a great loss to the family, the people of South Africa, Africa and all men of truth, who stand on the side of justice.

    As it is customary among Africa leaders, they have once again cashed in on the passing of Madiba to make very well crafted statements identifying themselves with the painful exit. No doubt, Madiba was leader’s leader, an icon, a teacher, but how many African leaders learnt anything from the man’s school of thought. Madiba was a selfless leader, who preferring to die for his people if need be, slept in prison for 27 years. He did not amass wealth but laid good example by choosing to do one term when he was favoured to do two terms or could even attempt to stay put.

    African leaders should rather make amends of their leadership and governance style. When the nations in Africa have Mandelas in authority, certainly, Africa will become a great, proud, developed and united continent. It is because we do not have people like Madiba that Africa is host to poverty, illiteracy, disease, underdevelopment, corruption and mismanagement.

    In the abundance of natural wealth, African leaders have failed and continue to fail in advancing their countries and its peoples. They should stop this hypocrisy and have a rethink, a change of heart, emulate that which made Mandela tick. A man died and the world stood still? Because of his good deeds, selfless service, considering his people and country far and above his self desires, building a country for all irrespective of colour, tongue.

    The death of this great African son reminds one of a former late Captain Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso, who lived for his people until he was assassinated by his comrade. African leaders must begin to build Africa, for there is no other great respect that is due Mandela than to build Africa, to transform it to a first world. We can build Africa by developing our health facilities to discourage the practice of flying officials abroad for medical attention; our educational sector to produce well tested graduates and our economy by looking inwards because we have the human and natural resources here. African leaders should please save us the eulogy and go to work.

     

    • Uzodinma Nwaogbe

    Lagos, Nigeria.

  • VAS as e-pick-pocketing

    It is a disease that has no therapy. We are doomed it seems and the thing we cherish the most has become our albatross. Hardball had written about the nuisance of unsolicited text messages last September but instead of abating, the practice has spread like an epidemic that has defied all solutions. It is a by-product of greed and collusion between major network operators and the so-called Value Added Services (VAS) providers. Hardball would want to wager that what happens here; this feeding frenzy on the citizenry does not happen anywhere else on planet earth. It is simply a manifestation of an environment where rules and laws are obeyed in the breach. Regulatory apparatus has become servile; consumer protection organ is weak and incapacitated leaving operators to enjoy a free rein.

    If unsolicited text messages and calls were few in September, today they invade our phones in jet streams. While hitherto, about a dozen different text messages streamed in daily, today, about half a dozen same messages would invade your phone at the same time. And the messages range from the outlandish to the outright fraudulent; they come from both unknown, unsigned portals and also from the major networks which leave subscribers often wondering why an MTN, Glo, Etisalat or Airtel would willfully intrude into one’s world in the bid to force an additional naira out of the customer. Sometimes they appear no better than desperate e-pickpockets.

    Consider some examples: “Big Games in association with Toyota is (sic) giving away a Corolla this week in the big Toyota Corolla giveaway. Text BIG to 5045 to qualify (N100/SMS).” This one streamed in relentlessly as if the world was coming to an end.

    Here is another one: “13 year old Marvelous won a Galaxy Tab 3, Note 3, generator and brand new Kia Rio from Dettol. Text Dettol to 5030 now! N10/SMS.” This too streamed in torrents.

    And this from MTN: “Does your number end with 4151? Please send ok to 7070! Your number has been rewarded with access to MTN’s N2,000,000 draw today! Subscribe for N100/SMS.

    This barrage of unsolicited and often fraudulent messages to the subscriber is simply not acceptable. It has become a major cause for concern for not a few Nigerians and both the networks and the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC must do a lot more than denials and making excuses. Reacting to an open petition to the president recently by an aggrieved consumer group on this matter, the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), the umbrella body of operators and providers of telecoms and ancillary services in Nigeria simply sang the same old song that still leaves us rooted on the same spot.

    ALTON noted “that to the credit of NCC, very clear regulatory prescriptions have been developed and are being adhered to by operators regarding the nature, frequency and timing of text messages, as well as other “cold” communications with customers.” It stated further that “most of the offending messages do not in fact originate from operators. Stakeholders should note that unsolicited SMS often originate from sources outside the respective networks.” We are also informed that most of the weird contents consumers are bombarded with originate outside the shores of Nigeria taking undue advantage of the fact that operators are technically unable to, and in fact cannot legitimately discriminate against SMS passing through their respective networks. Still educating us, ALTON said that all networks are duty bound to deliver messages addressed to subscriber and can only reduce the scourge of rubbish texts if they installed state-of-the-art spam filters. Lastly, VAS operators are held to high level of service excellence by the networks to ensure that they do not abuse their connections, etc.

    Well said but two last quick points. We the hapless consumers know that the networks are making a whale of money from this situation thus the onus is on them to stop it.

  • Oduahgate and democratisation of graft

    SIR: Those who took it upon themselves to defend President Goodluck Jonathan and Ms Stella Oduah, and still doing so should have by now realised that they have been waisting productive energy on morally wretched lots. If Ms Stella Oduah didn’t resign, it is because we, the electorate have condoled, indulge and endured her gratuitous insult and primitive impunity. It is must be incumbent on our social conscience that to tolerate her continues stay at that post is an open invitation for corruption that have been militating against the nation to swallow it intact.

    The Prime Minister of Latvia, without protests or media onslaught, resigned his position after taking responsibility for the November 21 collapse of a Maxima supermarket in Riga, which killed 54 people, and Maxima’s head of operations for Latvia was fired. “May those who feel real responsibility resign,” he said. “I can look people in the eye.” President Jonathan and his angelic minister are less likely to emulate the nobler leaders of the Baltic region of Northern Europe.

    Here in Nigeria, we are talking about a proven graft empress, one brimming with presidential confidence and cheap varieties of ethnic and political blackmail. Aside the financial sleaze, the number of air crashes and human carnage that have occurred under her watch is enough for any serious minded Presidency to show her the way out. She has becomes a literal advocate of the Invisible, Supreme Arbiter by lulling gullible Nigerians to submission and acceptance, that it’s an act of God, what is a human lapse; gross incompetence, criminal neglect and indiscretion.

    The trajectory of aviation industry is such that it is dead to the axiom that says “each death diminishes us Now, a presidential blatant surrogates, of corrupt power that extinguishes the lives of innocents citizens, while procuring bullet-proof armoured cars at criminally induced price to shield herself didn’t think anything of such. This is a phenomenon that has become rampant with President Jonathan in an unprecedented scale since he took office.

    Their intensive defence is expected since it’s a country of anti-hero where little or no attention is pained to nobility of mind and spirit; a life or attitude marked by action or purposeful leadership. As a result, mediocrity and all that is negative is largely pursued as the best for the country. It’s also a country of predatory politicking where the elite who are irrevocably committed to corruption and corruptive engagement continued to rent praise-singers in order to either divert attention from their graft or present falsehood as the ultimate truth.

    The scam has opened another chapter of Mr Jonathan’s Administration which is as remotely known by Nigerians as the presidency itself. It is called intellectual fraud. Reminded that the National Assembly rejected armoured cars in the budget that she was defending, the Minister intoned, “NCAA will answer that.” NCAA will answer that? No graft is ever so undisguised in the open cesspit of corruption for which the nation is currently famed!

    Now this is where conscious citizenship comes to the fore. Nigerians need to remind the jaded political reprobates at the Presidency who have enacted corruptive governance that they cannot do so with the peace of mind, knowing fully well that impunity is an insatiable monster that can hardly be reined back once completely let loose on society.

    Now, we are urged to surrender to feministic blackmail and intimidation, and the beneficiary of that nation-maiming is the monster still parading herself as minister of aviation to date.

    President Jonathan has defeated his purpose in governance and made himself and the nation laughing stocks. He has failed the three global test of leadership quality: competence, integrity and acceptability. Even outright dictatorships make pretences of acknowledging and acceding to the wishes of their citizenry, either entirely or piecemeal, subtly or brutally, furtively or frontally, just to make the point of governmentality. It will be to our own destruction if criminals of this cast are permanently enthroned as guarantors of present or future leadership of the nation.

     

    • Erasmus Ikhide

    Lagos.