The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

  • What kind of national dialogue?

    SIR: President Goodluck Jonathan in his Independence Day Address admitted that there is indeed the need for a National Dialogue or Conference to resolve the myriad of issues we are facing as a nation. He in fact said he is an advocate of dialogue and went on to announce an Advisory Committee to set the agenda for that purpose, but the Nigerian people are asking, and rightly so; what kind of dialogue are we going to have?

    Nigerians are sick and tired of fruitless dialogues; they are wary of dialogues that are always hijacked and thwarted by those in government and the very people who had failed them time and again, and gotten the nation to the parlous state it is in now.

    Therefore, the Nigerian people want this President and his National Dialogue Committee to ensure that this time around, things must be different; and that means that those in government and their allies across the country must not be allowed to handpick the representatives of the people to the proposed National Dialogue or Conference. It also means that it must be inclusive, and its composition, a true reflection of the almost 400 ethnic nationalities in the country.

    More critically important, is that, a free and fair referendum must be held for the component ethnic nationalities to choose their representatives to the proposed National Dialogue or Conference; that is the only way to ensure its credibility and the outcome of its deliberations, especially with respect to what we hope will be a genuine peoples’ constitution, and not the imposed fraudulent one we have now. Anything short of that will not be acceptable to the Nigerian people, and it’s dead on arrival.

    • Eneruvie Enakoko, Tunde Adetula

    & Nojeem Ekeolere Papa Siakpere

    Onikan, Lagos,

  • Singapore: Lessons for Nigeria

    The legendary Lee Kuan Yew was 90 on September 16. Regarded as the father of modern Singapore, he was the foundation Prime Minister of independent Singapore from 1965 till 1990. For the period of 25 years that he held office, he transformed Singapore from a third world country to a first world status, from developing to developed and from a consumer nation to a productive one, relying virtually on self confidence, discipline, respect and indigenous ways. Singapore is a country of three million people consisting of Chinese (75.4%), Malay (13.6%) and Indian (8.6%) respectively. It is an island flanked by Indonesia and Malaysia with a population of 200 million and 29.24 million people respectively. Singapore is a country that was not given a chance to survive; but not only has it survived, it has also become one of the countries with a leading per capita income and an investor’s destination.

    Singapore was originally part of Malaysia, and significantly a British marine outpost that depended mainly on tourism and local manufacturing. In spite of minimal land mass and development, Singapore chose to go independent of Malaysia in 1965. It was a decision taken by Lee Kuan Yew and his team fraught with a huge risk, but with faith and hard work they stuck to their decision. As Lee Kuan Yew stated in his books, some countries are born independent while some achieve independence. In the case of Singapore, independence was thrust upon it by circumstances. From the beginning till he finally stepped down in 1990, it was the hard decisions taken by Yew and his colleagues that made Singapore a financial hub and an investment destination.

    His book, From Third World to First World: The Singapore story, 1965-2000, is segmented into three broad parts; “Getting the Basic Right”, “In search of space- Regional and International”, and “Winding Up”. Yew and his team showed determination both in public and private to move their country forward. Beneficial diplomacy, trade by barter, technological transfer and robust human capital development were measures that contributed to Singapore’s success story. We could see the effect of determination of one man’s wish to build a country from scratch; the building of the armed forces, industries and reserves for the development of the people. Singapore looked inward for the development of the country. Land was reclaimed to build a gigantic airport; a former colonial naval base was converted to a dockyard (for ship repairs and building), a former colonial settlement was turned into an industrial estate generating employment for numerous Singaporeans, former military complex converted into a university, also a military airfield converted into a civilian use for small cargo planes and commercial aircraft and British tunnels and bunkers preserved and building turned into a clubhouse for leisure and recreation. It is noteworthy the institute of Technical Education Services of Singapore is today supporting Nigeria’s Industrial Training Fund (ITF) efforts towards efficient training for Nigerians.

    Yew not only wrote about Singapore but also about countries contiguous to it. Thailand, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei, Philippines, East Timor and Hong Kong with a special mention of Malaysia where 90% of water for Singapore comes from; and Indonesia with which it seems to be having a running battle. His writing is illuminating for the valuable information provided on the happenings within Southeast Asia. One could see how a country like Cambodia had faced intractable conflicts for over 27 years. Also, how Vietnam tackled the US. More pronounced is his focus on the hegemony of communism in Southeast Asia which Singapore was able to overcome.

    Singapore’s relations with superpowers- USA, Russia, Britain, China and France were given prominence in the narration, with greater commitments coming from USA than others. The Singaporean economy was modeled on the American economy but with guided regulations to protect citizens. He discussed extensively the country’s relations with Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, India and Commonwealth countries. However, he delivered negative judgment on Nigeria and Ghana, countries he thought will be powers of Africa because of their resources. Yew had hoped Nigeria would rise to the commanding heights economically in the comity of nations. But the giant has remained in slumber. Ghana on the other hand, has recorded giant step through prudent economic management, infrastructural development and human capital development.

    One of the high points of Yew’s leadership was when he took a short sabbatical at Harvard University, USA in the autumn of 1968 after being in office for 8 years to recharge his batteries and faced the challenges ahead. That it is good for a leader to leave when the ovation is loudest cannot be over-emphasized. Yew knew this and did the right thing; he stepped down as Prime Minister in 1990 after being in the saddle for more than 30 years. This is an oddity in Africa. He is today a minister mentor while is son the Prime Minister. What makes Singapore work are social cohesion through the benefits of progress, equal opportunities for all and “meritocracy”, with the best man or woman for the job, especially among leaders in government. Singapore, a country of 640 square kilometers with no natural resources is today one of the Asian tigers with a resourceful economy, human capital and infrastructural development. This is a huge lesson for Nigeria. Nigeria can work given good and effective leadership, economic growth and infrastructural development.

    • Badejo is a staff of The Nation

  • Happy 53rd Independence

    SIR: As we marked our 53rd independence anniversary on Tuesday, I couldn’t help but wonder if our founding fathers would be proud of the Nigeria of today. Does the Nigeria of today fit their vision when they struggled for independence? I sincerely don’t think so. They must be gnashing their teeth in disappointment; their counterparts from other parts of the world must be having a good laugh at their expense.

    There is no gainsaying the fact that Nigeria has failed to live up to expectation. Suffice it to say that Brazil, Malaysia, Singapore and other countries with whom we once played in the same league have all moved on leaving us behind. We seem stuck in the mud or perhaps taking one step forward and two back. Some say we are jinxed.

    It is indeed very disheartening that a country whose independence was announced with so much hope and expectation, a country abundantly blessed with human and material resources has failed so abysmally to maximize its enormous potential. But we are not cursed, we are the cause.

    It is really not progressive for one to want to remain a child so as to continue to enjoy the care of parents as well as freedom from responsibilities. Every child, every country, must eventually take responsibility for itself, must become the author of its fate. Independence is not the problem, how we have so far managed our independence is.

    Over the decades we have taken paths we shouldn’t have taken, done things we shouldn’t have done. We have not allowed ourselves be led by our positive sentiments but rather have been mostly influenced by our baser instincts. We have not been our brother’s keeper; we have not placed common good before individual good; we have not loved our country enough.

    Our problems are not really so intractable. To great extent, we know the solutions; the problem is implementing them. Perhaps our greatest challenge is summoning the will to do the right things. But thankfully, it’s never too late to begin to do things differently. If we resolve today to turn over a new leaf, to begin to place society first, then by next year we should have cause to really celebrate independence. In spite of our present not-so-rosy situation, I say, happy independence, dear compatriots.

    •Nnoli Chidiebere

    Aba, Abia State.

  • Technology as missing link in job creation

    After months of denying the obvious realities of the quagmire plaguing us as a nation, I was jolted into reality at a stakeholders meeting organized by Solar Challenge Nigeria, organizers of first Nigeria Solar Car Challenge –an attempt to pull resources together towards achieving the laudable initiative of developing a solar powered car. According to the organizers, the challenge is aimed at reviving research in science and technology and to place Nigeria in a better pedestal amongst the comity of nations in research endeavours. The solar powered cars that would be used in the challenge are to be built by the participating institutions.

    Eight institutions registered for the competition; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; Kings Polytechnic, Ubiaja (hosts); National Centre for Energy Research and Development, University of Nigeria – Nsukka; Adamawa State University, Federal University Oye, Ekiti; Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, University of Nsukka, National Centre for Energy Research – Sokoto. Interestingly, a secondary school, Word of Faith College, Benin City, in Edo State also showed interest via a concerned student named Famous who wished to be part of the initiative.

    One salient point I would like to draw from the above is that technological development is not restrictive. An average secondary school student needs a well prepared mind towards innovation, home grown technology and development as against the “cut and paste” syndrome prevalent amongst our engineers. The system has so much limited the capabilities of the youths that we look abroad for everything that can be made at home. Hardly do our secondary schools engage in practicals again. Gone are the days of Introduction to Technology (IntroTech), Agricultural Settlements (where each student plough, tend and harvest his/her piece of land), and Home Economics amongst others. We lost virtually everything to the commercialization of education!

    Our tertiary institutions are beyond redemption; laboratories are empty, workshops are full of cobwebs and obsolete equipment, engineering garages are full of abandoned projects and students’ research works in the social sciences and humanities accumulate dust in the libraries. None of our students’ projects ever get tested or given practicality once submitted, after all, ours is a certificate country. The lecturers’ burden is to give project topics, award marks and not to confirm originality or veracity of such projects. A good number of such projects are even plagiarised, but who really cares?

    The universities are under funded and lecturers’ earnings are tied to the apron of an unwilling government. The system stifles every sense of belonging and cripples every means to engage in constructive and productive research. For three months now, our universities have unceremoniously been under lock and key because the federal government is too “poor” to fund the rejuvenation of our universities from abyss of decay and quack productivity. But we can travel everywhere and even offer aid to “less” developed economies as if we are ourselves developed. Ours is a government which fails to smell its own filth.

    Every citizen except the government knows that science and technology is a basic strategic tool for development. There is no gain saying the country has to explore high technological investment as a tool for growing the Nigerian economy, except one wants to deceive oneself. Recently at the presentation of a book by former Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Turner Isoun, “Why Run Before Learning To Walk – Reflections on technology as a strategic tool for development in Nigeria”, in Abuja, Prof. Nimi Briggs, said, “Nigeria must acquire versatile technologies that will deliver multiple and diverse services that are owned and implemented by Nigerians. Key among these are space, information and communication technology, biotechnology, energy technology and climate change adaptation technologies”.

    Can versatile technologies be delivered when both the private and public sector finds it extremely difficult to invest in scientific and technological research? The drive for a competitive solar car research amongst tertiary institutions by Solar Challenge Nigeria is a case in point. Despite laxity in governmental and corporate supports, the resilience of the organizers needs to be commended. Against all odds, the organizers have stuck to their guns in championing an initiative that would trigger green approach to transportation, sustainable energy, protect the environment and enhance viable employment.

    At independence, Nigeria could be likened to a precocious child – skilled at birth. We were the pride – Africa’s Giant, but today, those who look to us, have moved ahead. While other countries were switching to efficient cars that have eliminated petroleum products, importing of refined crude products under obnoxious subsidy that benefits the few remains our lot. And when we decided to stand against such crookedness, a Subsidy Re-investment Programme (SURE-P) was foisted upon us. One would have assumed that such fund would be channelled to dig out the root of our insufficiency, invest in science and technology, obliterate unemployment and secure the present to sustain the future. But what do we have – a charade!

    At the last Presidential Media Chat, President Goodluck Jonathan made tacit comment about solar energy powering our street lights; but renewable energy can do more. What matters are leadership, research development, tax incentives and public policy at the federal and state levels. Renewable energy (Sun, wind and bio-fuel) is too readily available not to add significant impact to our near comatose economy.

    In a report by American Solar Energy Society (ASES) in conjunction with Management Information Services, Inc (MISI), an internationally recognized economic research firm based in Washington D.C., they forecast that 37 million jobs and $4,294 billion annual revenue would be generated from renewable energy and energy efficiency by 2030 in the United States alone. The forecast provides a sector-by-sector analysis of where the opportunities are in the rapidly changing renewable energy and energy efficiency industries. It subdivided the sector areas to include solar thermal, solar photo-voltaic, bio-fuels, and fuel cells (in terms of revenue growth) and job areas in the following aspects; electricians, mechanical engineers, welders, metal workers, construction managers, accountants, analysts, environmental scientists, and chemists.

    Considering the Nigeria environment that is deficient, miserable and groping for a sustainable energy life, wider job range can be envisioned. All that is needed is a government that believes in it self and is determined to lead in the direction. There is an urgent need for government and private entities to come together to save the face of our science. We all need to become proselytizers for science and technology. Citizens must not only pay lip service but ingrain the gospel, finance the ministry and make sure it grows into making Nigeria an industrialized nation. Science and technology innovation could generate millions of jobs and proffer a solution to a myriad of national problems, we just have to look more inward and give financial support to what adds collective value against individual goals.

    I have nothing against the support for creative arts which has had unparalleled sponsorship from the telecommunication sector in recent time. Neither am I against talent hunts, for the companies involved; the end justifies the means. In a nation where T.V and Social Media have taken productive endeavours from the youths coupled with fallacious syndrome of mega millionaire music stars, one could not expect less. Our youths have long imbibed the get-rich-and-famous-syndrome.

    To the Twitter activist, development crusaders, Uhuru stands far ahead. If we need drum, let us campaign for more sustainable involvement of government and private corporations in science and technology. The amount needed to revive Science, Technology and Innovation, is small compared to what is currently expended on reality shows. We can’t criticize what we get from abroad when we don’t have alternatives, and the only way to get alternatives, is to re-awaken our intellectual capabilities. I believe in science and technology to get us started; I believe in what Solar Challenge Nigeria is doing.

    •Mojeed-Sanni writes from Lagos.

  • A parade of jokers

    SIR: Looking at most Nigerian politicians is like watching a parade of jokers.  They remind one of children running around during festivals in the village square being chased by overweight masquerades.  The exercise is for jest.  There is no far sight of a visionary hungering for a new direction.  The level of buffoonery will make it shocking to find one that can articulate his or her mandate.   Except for a few who are starting to appreciate the decency of democracy, others are gesturing like thugs in the motor park.

    The obvious desire of most Nigerian politicians is to crash the elite circle.  It is party time all the time.  It makes it understandable why some are willing to literarily spill blood to push down the wall of the exclusive club to gain membership.  Leaders who fought for Nigeria’s independence must be questioning their ambition in their graves.  Their tireless struggle to uproot the feet of the colonial masters from the Nigerian soil may appear in vain.  Their vision has been turned upside down from one form of exploitation to another.

    There is a glaring disparity between the leaders who fought for Nigeria’s independence and those who inherited the fruit of their labour.  Nationalism was at the core of the pioneers’ agenda.  Individualism drives most of the modern politicians.  Without fear of being anachronistic, the political forebears were puritanical in their struggle for the progress of the nation.  Compare their patriotism with that of some of today’s politicians who cannot seem to syphon enough of the nation’s wealth to their private accounts.

    The crop of new politicians leading the country reminds one of the spoiled children of the rich.  The flow of oil like a river and the abundance of other natural resources assure steady flow of liquidity to the nation.  The leaders are easily carried away by the surplus wealth that they lose sight and fall into the habit of squandering money as if they are monarchs.  The eyes of destitution look at them and wonder if the land of green belongs to every Nigerian.  Overcome by materialism, they stomp on the poor masses as if they are grass.  They appease them with platitudes and crummy projects without completion.

    The snail pace of advancement makes one ponder if the nation is cursed.  Nigerians have grown accustomed to politicians wobbling in glutton.  The leaders exhaust themselves with jolly, lifting the condition of the country is not their priority.  An Igbo adage says that every iron must go to the blacksmith.  The politicians and their cronies live in homes that look like maximum security prisons and move around with squads of armed officers for protection.  One may assume this infringement on personal freedom is of their making from not using their authority to appropriately distribute the nation’s immense resources.

    Government is not working in Nigeria for all.  The rich use their money to influence politicians to cushion them.  The poor resign to a life of frustration from lack of social amenities to insecurity.  Most of the world envies American system of government not because it is perfect.  Their constitution is grounded in the pursuit of happiness for all.  The classic definition of civilization requires that a nation should endeavor to make the betterment of its people paramount.  Can one say that is happening in Nigeria?

     

    • Pius Okaneme

    Umuoji, Anambra State.

  • Nigeria’s 53 years of nation-hood

    SIR: The occasion of our 53rd Independence Anniversary does not call for celebration given the low level of our economic and technological advancement and the various challenges that are bedeviling the country. In spite of our abundant human and material resources, Nigeria is still stuck in the mud of under development. Countries that were at par with Nigeria when it became independent in 1960 have overtaken Nigeria. Malaysia got her first palm seedlings from our country, but, now, Malaysia has become economically prosperous. India, which is the destination of Nigeria’s health tourists, has evolved its own technology. Back home in Nigeria, we have a mono-economy that is solely dependent on oil revenue. And, we import simple things like tooth picks and matches. Nigeria has continued to remain the country with the potentialities to become a great country.

    So, what is wrong with Nigeria? Nothing is wrong with Nigeria. Rather, God has abundantly blessed our country. Natural disasters or acts of God like earthquake, tsunami and cyclone that devastate other countries do not occur in Nigeria. Our weather condition is equable and favorable; and, our land arable and fertile. These are incentives for the practice of mechanized agriculture, which will boost our economy. And, we have a large population, too. Knowledgeable and skilled Nigerians in the Diaspora are contributing to the development of their host countries. Our leaders can lure them home to contribute their quota to national development. Scattered beneath the soil of the states that make up Nigeria are such natural resources as tin ore, bauxite, coal, gas, limestone and crude oil. But, why has Nigeria not joined the league of the developed nations?

    The problem of Nigeria is the failure of leadership.

    To be fair, President Jonathan inherited most of the problems militating against our country. But, a dispassionate evaluation of his administration shows that he is an under-performing president. He couldn’t diversify our economy to create job opportunities for millions of unemployed Nigerians; consequently, millions of university graduates roam our streets daily searching for non-existent jobs. Corruption, which is the canker worm asphyxiating Nigeria, has not been tackled. Most roads across the country are in deplorable conditions. As our hospitals are mere consulting clinics, well-heeled Nigerians seek medical attention outside the shores of Nigeria. And, education, which is the bedrock of national development, is suffering utter neglect. University students have been at home for two months because their lecturers had downed tools to protest the government negligence of university education in the country. To make matters worse, Nigerian union of Teachers (NUT) has threatened to embark on industrial action if the Federal Government- ASUU impasse is not amicably resolved within two weeks.

    The PDP’s leadership of Nigeria has brought woes and hardship on us rather than blessings and improved standards of living. Their acrimonious disagreement has highlighted some facts and fault-lines in our body politic: Nigeria is a disunited country that is divided along ethnic and religious lines; and, the recruitment or election of Nigerians into political leadership positions in the country is characterized by corruption and ethnic and religious considerations. The battle for the topmost political post in Nigeria has always polarized the country along ethnic and religious lines. Are we aware that unity is a force for national development? A country that is characterized and paralyzed by political instability cannot become a super power country.

    We need a leader who can wield all the diverse ethnic groups in Nigeria together, achieve national cohesion, diversify the economy, and eradicate corruption from our body- politic.

     

    • Chiedu Uche Okoye.

    Uruowulu, Obosi, Anambra State.

     

  • Jonathan, hearken to Cardinal Okogie

    A few days ago Hardball hoisted a similar title as above: “Jonathan, hearken to Nwabueze,” it blazoned. Professor Benjamin Nwabueze, an octogenarian, a statesman, eminent legal scholar and prolific author is among the very few Nigerians to suggest to President Goodluck Jonathan to jettison his quest for a second term in office. Nwabueze had led The Patriots, a club of highly influential Nigerians to the Presidential Villa, Abuja. After a closed-door meeting with the president, Nwabueze while addressing correspondents, made it known that his personal advice to the president was that he should forget about contesting for another term in 2015. The wizened elder had stated very clearly why he was of such conviction.

    Today, same advice comes from another revered and well-regarded quarter in the person of Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie. The 77-year-old clergyman held sway for 30 years as the crusading Catholic Archbishop of Nigeria. Ten years ago, he was ordained a Cardinal from which position he retired recently. In his usual blunt manner, Okogie in a recent interview said pointedly to President Jonathan to forget about running for a second term.

    “If I were Jonathan, I will not try it (running for a second term in 2015) because the writing on the wall does not favour it… Jonathan will be there for almost six years (by 2015), there was a time he was vice, and now president for four years, what is he looking for again?” He compared President Jonathan to former President Olusegun Obasanjo who still roils from his obnoxious attempt to run for a third term in office. “What was Obasanjo looking for in third term (?)” The fiery clergyman also noted the issue of an alleged agreement by the president with some of his colleagues to the effect that he would serve for just one term and suggested that the president should honour his word if he ever gave it.

    Hardball hereby acknowledges that the president is entitled to a second term in office and that it is his prerogative whether to run or not. It is also to be noted that he has a difficult as well as delicate decision to make. Apart from Nelson Mandela who famously chose to serve just one term, not many heads of state have free-willingly elected to hand power over when they are statutorily entitled to it.

    Having said that, President Jonathan must always remember that it is never the number of years a leader perches on the thrown that makes him a great man of history; the Mandela example is there for all to learn from. It is accomplishments, character, legacy and honour that one brings to the office that endure. If his running would imperil his party; if another term for him has the slightest potential of leading to the death of Nigerians and the destruction of the country, surely he needs to subject his quest to the deepest of reflections.

    There is also that little matter of honour: if President Jonathan truly gave his word that he would do only one term in office, just as Cardinal Okogie has pointed out, he would do well to keep his word. Though honour may seem intangible and easy to trample upon, it remains our veritable garb, without which, we are naked. And even if it is as much as soiled, we are tainted. Would Jonathan want to be a president who is naked and bereft of esteem in the eyes of the world?

    Finally, Jonathan may need to hearken to the old Cardinal and shun the teeming sycophants around him who would urge him on for their selfish motives. He must listen and reflect if only for the fact that he never dreamt he would be president of Nigeria and now that providence has ensconced him onto that exalted position, he must remember that there is life after Aso Rock.

  • Glo, get this thing off my back!

    SIR: In a bid to get more money from their customers there is nothing telecom companies do not dream of. They send you unsolicited sms, and if you do not scroll down to your feet you may not see the trap deliberately tucked under. They can go to any length to get people to keep sending sms to rake up profit.

    Now, I have been a customer of Glo since its birth in Nigeria and at no time have I considered “porting” like Saka. But glo’s attitude to its customers tests many a customer’s patience. And it is hard to say how long that patience can last.

    I have been receiving a particular unsolicited message and missed calls from different “glo numbers,” the last one being from 5471880410. I asked around and I was told it is a particular chat room called Frenzo. After I learnt of this, I called Glo customer care. At first, the officer either pretended not to know what I was talking about or was genuinely ignorant. I had to help him by saying I think the missed calls and messages come from Frenzo. I said I could not remember subscribing to such a thing and that even if I did inadvertently I wanted out. He asked when I got the missed call last, I told him it was a few minutes ago. He said he would need to check my call log to really understand what I was talking about. After a few minutes, he came back to tell me he was sorry but that due to technical problems he could not check to see my call log. I can’t remember making any complaint to glo without them giving that cop-out. Yet, I said I’d still give glo the benefit of the doubt.

    The following day I did the same thing, calling customer care. Another fellow I heard his voice still repeated the same refrain: there was a technical problem and so he could not see my call logs. I felt driven round the bend. As I said, what I am talking about usually comes as missed calls or sms, with lecherous words, and unrelenting – indeed, a pact with the devil!

    If Glo did its customer data capture properly it should not have any problems getting my number.

    I take Glo to be a responsive telecommunication company. I am using this medium to tell it to get Frenzo, or what ever it is off my back!

     

    • Dr Cosmas Odoemena

    Lagos

     

  • Nigeria at 53: Nothing to celebrate

    SIR: It’s always a thing of joy to have one’s desire realized, especially if one had worked hard to realise such desire. While the joy of Nigerians may have known no bounds at our attainment of independence on October 1, 1960, the question is: to what extent can we really say that we have achieved the visions that propelled that desire and quest 53 years on?

    Nigeria has had a chequered political history from military interregnums to democratic distortions with the result that Nigeria has not fared well politically.

    Up till now, Nigerians cannot beat their chest about a stable political milieu where institutions and structures of government are performing optimally and satisfactorily. More than a decade of uninterrupted democratic dispensation, there is virtually nothing to prove that we are on the verge of being politically vibrant.

    Socially, Nigeria is eclipsed in ethnic and tribal bigotry, favouritism, nepotism, and religious intolerance. Our educational system is everything but functional. Coincidentally, our country is celebrating this year’s independence anniversary in the midst of a dysfunctional university system –grounded for three months now as a result of strike by university teachers.

    What about our health system? I hear a typical Nigerian scream: “no go area”! And that is exactly what it is! If not, our ruling and affluent class would not be travelling en mass to other countries for medical attention.

    No matter how one views it, all has not been well with our economy ever since we transited from being agro-based and productive nation (in the pre-independence, independence and early post independence period) to an oil-based consumer nation (starting from the 1970s period of oil boom to date). If not, how can one account for the all-time high levels of abject poverty, unemployment and astronomic costs of living prevalent in the land?

    How can anyone deem our 53rd Independence Anniversary commemoration worthwhile amidst the shades of corruption, insecurity, anarchy, leadership ineffectiveness and inefficiency, the widening gulf between the rich and the poor, socio-economic cum political somersaults, and what have you that is preponderant in the country?

    Today, available indicators have shown that the foundations upon which Nigeria is built is everything but firm. There is no doubt about the urgent need to re-visit and re-assess these foundations to ascertain their viability or otherwise.

    Rather than engage in habitual flamboyant and frivolous way of commemorating the anniversary, we should take time-out to reflect on the state of affairs in the country and come up with the best ways to tackle the myriad of socio-economic, political and leadership challenges confronting us.

    Our leaders at all levels and indeed, Nigerians in general, have got to wake up to stem the tide of corruption, nepotism, individualism, immorality, avarice, wickedness, and lack of patriotism that have been hampering our development. We need to work hard to realise the Nigeria of our dreams where peace, love, unity, tranquillity and progress truly pervades.

     

    • Daniel Ndukwe Ekea

    Umuahia, Abia State

     

  • Ogijo needs government attention

    SIR: To say that Ogijo, a fast growing community in Sagamu Local Government of Ogun State is a neglected community is an understatement. The town which is situated along the once motorable Ikorodu-Sagamu Expressway plays host to numerous multinational companies, which have unfortunately compounded the ruins of the community over the years.

    Despite the comparative advantage which the community seems to possess, residents of Ogijo and its environs have continually endured the absence of active governance, grave industrial pollution, lack of basic social amenities amongst others challenges. From the emission of hazardous gases, to the improper disposal of industrial waste, the obstruction of the highway with trailers and lorries, these companies pose a huge treat on the healthy existence and successful lifestyle of residents in Ogijo and its environs.

    Ogijo, as a boundary town between Lagos and Ogun states, but under the jurisdiction of the Ogun State government, it seems that the Sagamu-based local government and Abeokuta is rather too far to remember the existence of this community, although it generates loads of taxes for the state and local governments.

    We hereby appeal to the government of Ogun State to in particularly establish the presence of government in Ogijo by checking and controlling the industrial and environmental menace of multinationals in this community, providing basic social amenities, creating enabling structures for small and medium scale enterprises.

     

    • Tola Emmanuel

    Lagos