The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

  • Oranmiyan: Beyond the hosting right

    SIR: The raging controversy over the right to host the annual Oranmiyan festival between the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo could be said to be the continuation of the age long supremacy tussle between the two topmost thrones in Yorubaland. Beyond that, it shows the place of the legendry character among the Yoruba pantheons and it is an evident that our traditional leaders are living up to task as guardians of our culture, customs, traditions and heritage. Oranmiyan was a mythological personality credited with many extraordinary actions. He was believed to be the founder of the ruling dynasties and actually reigned in Benin, Oyo and Oko now Oke-ona Egba where he died and was a king of Ile-Ife all during his lifetime.

    Ife is qualified because Oranmiyan was a prince, a king and had his tomb and obelisk in Ile-Ife. Oyo on the other hand is qualified because Oranmiyan was the founder of Oyo and its throne. What applies to Oyo is also applicable to Oko. Consequently, celebrating Oranmiyan by the Oyo and Oko thrones is celebrating the founder’s day.

    In fact, veneration of the Oranmiyan could not be limited to the two cities or thrones. This is because Oranmiyan was taken by some Yoruba towns as a god of war that must be propitiated before venturing into war in the turbulent period in the Yoruba history.

    Beyond the annual festival, of greater imperative is how we can apply Oranmiyan’s political and organizational acumen and sagacity to solve our nation-building problem. For example, some of the political theories propounded by enlightenment philosophers in Europe in the 18th century like the concept of separation of powers, and checks and balances propounded by Jean Montesquieu (1689-1775), were the basis of the Oranmiyan’s innovations in government more than eight centuries earlier. Oyo Mesi, the council of state in Oyo Empire had its idea in separation of powers and checks and balances to prevent dictatorship and tyranny.

    The claimants to Oranmiyan have a great task at hand and one expects that subsequent celebrations should be more of intellectual brainstorming than cultural display and merrymaking.

    • Adewuyi Adegbite

    Apake, Ogbomoso.

  • Terrorism a major threat to global peace

    Terrorism a major threat to global peace

    The following is President Goodluck Jonathan’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.

    On behalf of the Government and People of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I salute you as you preside over the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. I assure you of the full support and cooperation of the Nigerian delegation.

    I also wish to extend our commendation to the Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and place on record, Nigeria’s appreciation for his focused and committed leadership of the United Nations system.

    This Session is coming at a particularly trying period when our world faces a number of critical challenges which make it imperative for us to work within the Charter of the United Nations to meaningfully address them.

    It is therefore apt that the theme, Post 2015 Development Agenda: Setting the Stage, signposts our desire and determination to actively cooperate for the improvement of the overall welfare and well-being of the most vulnerable citizens of the member-states of our Organisation.

    Nigeria appreciates the consultative nature of designing the Post-2015 development agenda. Earlier in the year, we supported this global outreach through inclusive consultations and surveys of a number of Nigerians who have expressed their aspirations with respect to the world they expect beyond 2015.

    A major highlight of this process, which has increased national ownership of the agenda, is the emphasis on the eradication of poverty as the overarching principle in the formulation of the successor framework.

    Indeed, tomorrow, we will be hosting a side event on the implementation of the MDGs, in collaboration with the UN, a number of African countries, and our development partners.

    As I had cause to say to this Assembly last Session, 2015 is not a destination but only a milestone to a better, safer, healthier and more compassionate world. Let us therefore renew our commitment to the processes that will develop the post-MDGs framework.

    Mr. President, This objective is of particular resonance to us in Africa where the challenges of poverty, illiteracy, food insecurity, and climate change continue to engage the attention of the political leadership.

    The good news however, is that in the last decade, a sustained democratization process across the continent has made significant difference in governance processes, institutions and structures. Today, we have a renascent Africa that has moved away from the era of dictatorship to a new dawn where the ideals of good governance and an emphasis on human rights and justice are beginning to drive state-society relations. This is the present reality of Africa that must replace the old prejudices and assumptions about the continent.

    We are firm in our conviction that democracy is fundamental to achieving the requisite stability that will enable the realisation of a sustainable post-2015 development agenda in Africa.

    This emergent Africa will require the continued support and partnership of the international community. An Africa that is no longer merely a destination for aid but one that is involved in constructive, multi-sectoral exchanges on the global stage. Our continent stands ready to continue to engage the rest of the world as a partner in formulating a global development agenda that will guarantee peace, security and stability.

    I wish to express my appreciation for Nigeria’s selection as co-Chair of the Expert Committee on Financing Sustainable Development.

    The importance of this Committee’s assignment cannot be overstated. For the post-2015 development agenda to be realistic, it must be backed by a robust financing framework which I hope will receive the strong backing of our Organisation’s more endowed members.

    Mr. President,

    Nigeria’s commitment to sustainable peace and security propels the country to action along with member states of our sub-regional and continental organisations, whenever stability is threatened in our continent. In recent years, Africa has had its share of conflicts notably in Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Somalia.

    It is noteworthy that African leaders, with the support of the international community, have demonstrated the capacity to work in concert and decisively in pursuit of long-term solutions in the affected States. While a lot more still needs to be done, we are convinced that progress is being made.

    The recent Presidential elections in Mali herald a new beginning that should translate into peace and prosperity for its people and provide a stronger basis for stability within the sub-region. I congratulate President Boubacar Keita. Similarly, the political transition process in Guinea Bissau holds much promise. Among African leaders, there is a greater determination and focus on the transformation of the continent. This is the required impetus for the achievement of development objectives

    that will benefit the people, and rebrand the continent even more positively.

    Although our world has not witnessed a global war since the establishment of the United Nations, there have been several conflicts with devastating consequences and impact in virtually all regions of the world. As global citizens, we have a sacred duty to free our world of wars, rivalries, ethnic conflicts, and religious divisions. Our collective effort in our drive for a better world will continue to bind us together.

    Mr. President,Nigeria continues to support the efforts of the United Nations in addressing the global initiative to combat the menace of the illicit trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons. We have redoubled efforts to address this onerous challenge within our borders and across the West African sub-region.

    In doing so, we also recognise the need for a broad-based global partnership in the on-going battle against trans-border crimes, including terrorism and acts of piracy. It is regrettable that these scourges are sustained by unfettered access by non-state actors to illicit small arms and light weapons with which they foster insecurity and instability across our continent. For us in Africa, these are the ‘weapons of mass destruction’!

    It is, therefore, in the light of our collective obligation and unceasing struggle to end this nightmare, that I congratulate Member-States on the adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) in April this year. Our hope is that upon its entry into force, the ATT would herald an era of accountable trade in conventional arms which is critical to the security of nations.

    In line with our continued commitment to this project, Nigeria has signed and ratified the Treaty. We will continue to engage other Member-States for its successful implementation.

    Mr. President, Terrorism constitutes a major threat to global peace and security, and undermines the capacity for sustained development. In Nigeria, the threat of terrorism in a few States in the North Eastern part of our country has proven to be a challenge to national stability. We will spare no effort in addressing this menace. We are therefore confronting it with every resource at our disposal with due regard for fundamental human rights and the rule of law.

    Nigeria will like to place on record its appreciation to the international community for its support in this regard. The reign of terror anywhere in the world is an assault on our collective humanity. Three days ago, the stark reality of this menace was again brought to the fore by the dastardly terrorist attack in Nairobi, Kenya. We must stand together to win this war together.

    Mr. President,Piracy, like terrorism, is another menace that has attained worrisome proportions, especially in Africa’s coastal waters. At the bilateral and multilateral levels, Nigeria has promoted cooperation to mitigate its impact and consequences on the security and economies of the affected coastal states.

    Indeed, in June this year, the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the Gulf of Guinea Commission met in Yaounde, Cameroon, and came up with practical steps to collectively confront the menace of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. This effort will, no doubt, require reinforcement and wider support and collaborative action on the part of our international partners.

    Mr. President,The situation in the Middle East remains volatile. The reported use of chemical weapons in the Syrian crisis, is unacceptable. Nigeria condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the use of chemical weapons that are prohibited by International Conventions.

    We applaud the current diplomatic efforts to avert further escalation of the crisis. We urge all parties involved to end the violence and seek a negotiated solution, including the instrumentality of the United Nations.

    The threat which nuclear weapons pose to the survival of the human race is to be understood not just in the context of aspirational nations but also the nations already in possession of such weapons. Nuclear weapons are as unsafe in the hands of small powers as they are in the hands of the major powers. It is our collective responsibility to urge the international community to respond to the clarion call for a peaceful universe in an age of uncertainty.

    We can attain this objective if we adopt measures and policies that will promote nuclear disarmament, protect and renew our environment, and push towards an international system that is based on trust, mutual respect and shared goals.

    Mr. President,I believe that I express the concern of many about the slow pace of effort and apparent lack of progress in the reform of the United Nations, especially the Security Council. We believe strongly, that the call for democratisation worldwide should not be for States only, but also, for International Organisations such as the UN. That is why we call for the democratization of the Security Council.

    This is desirable for the enthronement of justice, equity, and fairness; and also for the promotion of a sense of inclusiveness and balance in our world.

    Our support for the United Nations Security Council in its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security has been total and unwavering. We have, in previous membership of the Council, demonstrated both the political will and capacity to engage in key Council responsibilities. Nigeria has therefore decided to seek election for the 2014-2015 Non-Permanent Seat of the UNSC.

    I am pleased to state that Nigeria has received the endorsement of the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union. We urge this august Assembly to endorse Nigeria’s candidature.

    Mr. President, Our world continues to be confronted by pressing problems and threats. No statement that will be made during this Session can exhaust the extent of these problems. The world looks to us, as leaders, to provide hope in the midst of crisis, to provide guidance through difficult socio-political divisions, and to ensure that we live in a better world.

    We have obligations to the present generation, but we have a greater obligation to generations yet unborn who should one day inherit a world of sufficiency irrespective of the circumstances of their birth or where they reside on the globe. We must work to make that world a reality in recognition of our common heritage.

    We must strive to eradicate poverty, hunger, disease and human misery; we must eliminate the scourge of nuclear, chemical, biological, as well as small arms and light weapons. We must dedicate ourselves to working together to address global, regional and national challenges and deliver a more peaceful, equitable and prosperous world for all. It is our duty. We must not fail.

    I thank you.

     

    •Dr Jonathan is the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

  • ‘How are you, today?’

    As a form of greeting, the question was intriguing. Whenever Frank Olusola Macaulay asked, “How are you, today?” he laid an unmistakable stress on the word, “today.” That was his way of highlighting the reality of a new day, different from past days, filled with fresh possibilities. The greeting carried a spiritual import, saying to the recipient that the new day brought new grace, new hope, new strength, and new ideas, which could spark a new song and new joy. This unshakable conviction about the constant flux, conveyed through his emphasis on “today”, is a lesson for me.

    This was the man who, in the 1970’s, took my younger brother, Olaolu, and I to see the old Lagos Prison in Broad Street, just before it was demolished, and asked us to write essays on our experience, promising to reward the better writer. We were in secondary school, and it was an eye-opener for us.

    He earnestly believed that he would attain age 85, and always maintained that his faith was Bible-supported. “Ask, and you shall receive”, was his mantra whenever anyone questioned his projection of certainty about how long he would live. He celebrated every birthday by reminding his family and others of how many years he supposedly had left. But he died at age 83 on August 22, which was 24 days before his 84th birthday on September 16th.

    Macaulay was born in Lagos in 1929. His grandfather, Frank Gurney Venn Macaulay, who raised him, was the younger brother of Herbert Macaulay, the famous Nigerian nationalist. He straddled the country’s colonial and post-colonial eras and was, therefore, at a vantage to make comparisons. In this context, he often expressed his admiration of the English and wished that post-Independence Nigeria would not only sustain the positive developmental standards of the colonialists, but also improve on them.

    He was born to a devout Christian family with a rich history of missionary work; his great grandfather was Rev. Thomas Babington Macaulay, founder and first principal of the CMS Grammar School, Lagos, the oldest secondary school in Nigeria, started in 1859; and his great grandmother, Abigail Macaulay, was the daughter of Rt. Rev. Samuel Ajayi Crowther, the acclaimed first African Bishop of the Church of England, and the first to translate the Bible into Yoruba.

    This family background inspired Macaulay throughout his lifetime. He was proud of his roots and heritage without being pompous. His sense of family was exemplary, and he was passionate about the Crowther/Macaulay Descendants’ Union and its motto, “In Unity we stand, divided we fall.” He served enthusiastically as Secretary of the group for many years, and technically retained the position until his exit. He was always aware of the location of family members and their contact details, and was generally relied upon to play a linking role whenever there was a need for family gathering.

    After his education in Lagos, he had a stint at Taylor Woodrow Company, before joining Shell in 1958. Two years later, in 1960, he married Eleanor Bodunrin Macaulay (nee Williams), his lifelong other half. It was at Shell that he bloomed, and he retired at a Senior Supervisory level after 30 years at the company. He was honoured with a long-service award during his career at Shell. As a Shell pensioner, he was a keen unofficial ambassador and projected a positive image of the company.

    Macaulay placed a premium on education, and made sacrifices to ensure that his five children got a good education. He provided a stimulating home environment for informal learning, and made it easy for his household and, even outsiders, to keep abreast of the news by consistently ensuring a supply of newspapers and magazines. He also kept a useful library.

    He was quality-conscious without being showy, and exuded contentment. This aspect of his personality was informed by a deep spirituality beyond the formal structures of organised religion. He regarded every man and woman as a brother or sister with whom he shared a common humanity, and was a loyal friend to those he bonded with. “Life is interesting, and we are here to learn,” he often said. He had admirable sartorial polish, and was generally regarded as a gentleman.

    He loved church music and, at different stages, he was a band member and played the Euphonium at the Salvation Army Lagos Central Corps; and choir member at the First Baptist Church, Lagos. His tenor voice was a delight to listen to when he sang, and in his latter years he participated in the activities of a Sierra Leonean singing band in Lagos.

    There was an adventurous side to him, and he was interested in sports, especially boxing, swimming and soccer. Natural medicine fascinated him, and he was constantly trying out various nature-based preparations. He was equally fascinated by the lives that Nature has, and kept pets such as dogs, cats, rabbits and birds; he also liked to tend plants, and took pleasure in gardening.

    His parting shot, from his notes, would be this quotation: “How do you beautify the Earth? You do this by the Good Thought, which comes from you, by the assistance you give your brother-man to rise materially and spiritually, and by the assistance you give other life than man to be more beautiful than you met it – IN SHORT, SERVICE TO MANKIND IN LOVE.”

    Baba Femi, I came through you; and I will always appreciate how you raised me. I owe you a debt of gratitude for your love, care and guidance. Peace to you, on the other side. Daddy, how are you, today?

    • Macaulay is on the editorial board of The Nation

  • Corruption: A President against the people

    SIR: President Goodluck Jonathan’s recent attempt to shift the blame of the cesspool of corruption that has characterised his administration and the public sector on ordinary Nigerians is a pure demonstration of his administration’s lack of will, focus and sincerity to tackle this menace. It also exposed the Peoples Democratic Party’s hypocritical approach towards the fight against official graft in the country.

    This ludicrous accusation by the country’s number one citizen came while making a presentation at the 54th annual conference of the Nigerian Economic Society. He told participants at the forum that Nigerians “reward corrupt practices” through their actions and conducts. According to him “I want a society where all of us will frown upon people who came up with what they are not supposed to have…”

    It is unbelievable that the president said this, given his administration’s record of dining and wining with persons of questionable character. It reminds one of the Holy Writ’s admonitions to remove the speck in one’s eyes before venturing o remove the log in another’s. We need to remind the president that he does not have the moral justification to so paint us black whereas his administration reeks with avarice.

    When the president took that infamous decision to grant the ex-corruption convict and his kinsman, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and other thieves, presidential pardon, despite the barrage of criticisms and public condemnation that trailed it, did it not occur to him that he was tactically endorsing this cancerous menace in the corridors of power? Was it not this same president who recently hosted the ex-convict Olabode George in Aso Rock for God-knows-what mission, that now turns back to accuse Nigerians of encouraging corruption by our conduct?

    If, perhaps the president has forgotten so soon that some of his cabinet members are seriously facing integrity question over their alleged involvement in corrupt practices in their various ministries and yet he has refused to bat an eyelid and still keeps them around him, we will remind him. Recall that it took the collective threat of the Senate before the former chairman of Pension Reform Task Force Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, accused of being involved in the N195 billion pension scam, was reluctantly relieved of his job by the same Presidency accusing Nigerians of supporting corruption by their actions and conducts.

    One also wonders if it was ordinary Nigerians that squandered the nation’s $67billion of foreign reserves and Excess Crude Account, as recently alleged by ex-Education Minister, Obiageli Ezekwesili, an allegation the presidency is yet to debunk.

    To further expose the president’s weakness and his regime’s non preparedness towards the fight against this hydra-headed monster, he also reportedly said at the event that he would not disclose the names of the individuals and private sectors that have been found wanting in this regard on the lame excuse that “ I will not want to be attacked”. This clearly shows that our president sees some individuals as more powerful than this country. Little wonder the anti-corruption outfits under his regime have been literally rendered toothless and ineffective.

    The president should leave the ordinary Nigerians who have become victims of his inept leadership alone. He should first deal with this malady among his officials before pointing accusing fingers to the Nigerian populace.

     

    • Barrister Okoro Gabriel,

    Lagos

  • Police checkpoints back on Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway

    SIR: Barely two years after the Inspector General of Police, Abubakar Mohammed broke the jinx of police obstinacy of extorting money from motorists by dismantling all illegal police checkpoints along the country’s highways and pronouncing strict punitive measures on any police officer who backslides, the practice has since returned to Aba/Port Harcourt expressway.

    From Imo River Bridge in Rivers State to Alaoji in Abia State, over 10 police checkpoints are mounted there. This development would ordinarily not have been abnormal if they are there to oversee the security of life and property of the people, but they compel motorists, especially the commercial ones to dole out cash at every checkpoint.

    Over the years, the Nigerian Army has never been involved in this extortion syndrome, but this time around, the army officers working with these police officers have joined the bandwagon. Whereas the police officers collect the toll by themselves, the soldiers engage the services of civilians to collect on their behalf.

    This return of the practice at this time that the nation is battling hard to forge ahead with advanced climes should not be swept under the carpet by the federal government. There is therefore the urgent need to nip it on the bud before it spreads over to other parts of the country.

    I call on the Inspector General of Police, to detail his men to patrol the Aba/Port Harcourt expressway with a view to arresting these policemen and their military counterparts and mete out adequate disciplinary measures to them to serve as deterrent to any intending defaulters.

    • Nkemakolam Gabriel

    Port Harcourt

     

  • How mental illness could lead to suicide

    The most common cause of death for people aged 15 – 24 is suicide, which is the 13th leading cause of death worldwide, according to World Health Organization (WHO).

    The United Nations body submits that people who die by suicide is expected to reach 1.5 million per year by 2020.

    The aggregate number of people who die by suicide suffer from mental illness.

    Recent estimates suggest that the disease burden caused by mental illnesses will account for 25 per cent of the total disease burden in the world in the next two decades, making it the most important category of ill-health (more important than cancer or heart diseases).

    Regarding this prospect, mental illness is the major problem that is challenging the health sector worldwide which should be a major concern.

    Mental illness is medical conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning. It’s also the ineffectiveness, mal-functioning of the cerebellum or inadequate vitality of the brain to operate. Mental illness is not the result of personal weakness, poor upbringing or lack of character.

    Serious mental illnesses include Major Depression, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Panic Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTCD), Borderline Personality Disorder Impulse Control, and Addiction Disorders.

    Schizophrenia is one of the psychotic mental disorders and is characterized by symptoms of thought, behavior, and social problems which psychotic disorder is a good example.

    However, Psychotic disorders involve distorted awareness and thinking. Two of the most common symptoms of psychotic disorders are hallucinations — the experiencing of images or sounds that are not real, such as hearing voices — and delusions, which are false beliefs that the ill person accepts as true, despite evidence to the contrary.

    Schizophrenia is considered to be the result of a complex group of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors.

    Medications that have been found to be mostly effective in treating the positive symptoms of schizophrenia are first- and second-generation antipsychotics.

    Health-care practitioners diagnose schizophrenia by gathering comprehensive medical, family, mental-health, and social/cultural information. In addition to providing treatment that is appropriate to the diagnosis, professionals attempt to determine the presence of mental illnesses that may co-occur.

    People with schizophrenia are at increased risk of having a number of other mental-health conditions, committing suicide, and otherwise dying earlier than people without this disorder.

    Bipolar Disorder can easily be characterized and revolves around mood that range from the low level of depression and mania at a goal. However Bipolar is a distortion, long-term situation that rebel your thinking faculty.

    People with   Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) feel remorse which heighten their emotions and make them do extremely what they ought not to have done and they acted abnormally. With OCD, upsetting or scary thoughts or images, pop into a person’s mind and are very hard to turn off. People with OCD feel strong urges to do certain things repeatedly and more so, in order to banish the scary thoughts, one can try to ward off the bad thing they dread, or to make extra sure that things are safe or clean or right.

    Most People that fall victim of impulse control disorders are unable to resist urges, or impulses, to perform acts that could be harmful to themselves or others. Pyromania (starting fires), kleptomania (stealing), and compulsive gambling are examples of impulse control disorders. Alcohol and drugs are common objects of addictions. Often, people with these disorders become so involved with the objects of their addiction that they begin to ignore responsibilities and relationships.

    Mental illness can affect people of any age, race, religion, or income.

    Psychosocial treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and peer support groups and other community services can be component of treatment plan that assist with recovery.

    Heroin, Cocaine, amphetamines, alcoholic drinks and the likes are the cause of addictive disease. This particular disease gives different result like developing their tolerance with the objective of heightening their emotion to do things extra ordinarily.

    Moreover, Cocaine addiction may also involve disruption of the endogenous opioid system in addition to the well-known primary effect of cocaine in blocking reuptake of dopamine by the synaptic dopamine transporter protein

    It should be noted that mental disorders including depression are real, treatable health conditions.

    Yet a significant number of those with mental illnesses who die by suicide do not contact health or social services near the time of their death. In many instances there are insufficient services available to assist those in need at times of crisis.

    Although the attempt to fight stigma has been quite limited by undertaken public educational programs in reducing the stigma associated with mental illness and suicide.

    Just as physical health is important, so is good mental health. Mental illness and psychological disorders have good treatment options with medications, psychotherapy, and other treatments.

  • The myth of post-racialism

    SIR: In the mid1990s, my brother-in-law (at the time) and I had a Saturday ritual of watching boxing matches. We enjoyed the adrenal slugfest in all its perpetuity. Watching the fiery exchanges between combatants was just refreshing.

    I remember one of those Saturday evenings when we came home late to catch what was left of one of those fights. We watched and cheered loudly as two fighters did battle, going toe-to-toe. I remember how badly we both wanted the black fighter to pummel the white fighter to an embarrassing loss. Although the white chap lost the fight but I remember thinking later that night – why was I cheering for the black fighter over the white one – even when I did not know their names.

    The lesson I learned that day was that as human beings, our world view is not devoid of race, ethnicity and historical experiences. There is a “default” codification in our DNA that gravitates to racial proclivities – to deny it will be outright dishonest.

    Do we really think that almost 100 percent (actually 95 per cent) of African Americans who voted for Barack Obama in the last presidential elections did it because they loved his policies so much? When you heard Newt Gingrich repeating the disdainful mantra of “food stamp president” (in reference to Obama), did you think it was all politics?

    This brings me to the just concluded – Zimmerman v Martin case in the US. It would be an extreme case of ignorance to suggest that race was not a major factor in this case – from all sides.

    I hear many in the African American community state that this was all about the pursuit of justice for Trayvon. Again, I dare say that to stake that claim would be dishonest. It is not all about justice. Race is a big part of this case and other cases before and many after this.

    I have heard many suggest the possibility of post-racialism, where we view things completely outside the purview of black or white. That, in my humble opinion, is mythical, virtually impossible. It is reality to see life in terms of colour, race, culture, experiences, and even religion. It is only when we become “ugly” about it that we stoop to sub-human standards.

    It is okay to have a default expression or interpretation based on racial lens. To deny it or to act in a toga or groundswell of hate is putrid, debilitating and dishonest.

    • Obuko Uwanogho,

    Houston, Texas, USA

     

  • Bode George vs. the boy pastor

    Chief Bode George is the classic Nigeria ‘big man’ of the 21st century. He epitomizes today’s leader, especially of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) mould: they are remarkable for their deep vacuity and starkly unreflective ways. Suffering through a florid two-page interview Bode George granted The Punch last Saturday was most stomach-churning but it served a nobler purpose of showcasing the ingrained kakistocrat in him and explains why with leaders like him at the helm, Nigeria will forever be sitting at the brink of the precipice peering down her doom.

    It wasn’t Chief George’s puerile, narcissistic politics that rankled Hardball into noticing and reading the interview but his profanity and his poor understanding of the Christian mores. Any Christian worth the name would have been stopped short by the headline of the interview in question which reads: “I was extremely angry when that pastor said I should go and sin no more.” For those who may be unaware, Bode George, an ex-naval officer and Military Administrator of Ondo State, is a staunch PDP chieftain from Lagos State. He was former Deputy National Chairman of PDP, South. He was convicted and jailed for two years for fraudulent activities when he was chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

    Though he and his co-convicts have continued to insist on their innocence and have actually returned to court, but he today, remains a returnee from jail, determined so by a court of competent authority. Bode George upon his release, went from the prison cell to the church for thanksgiving; a jamboree more like. In his homily during the Service, the priest had admonished that Bode George should “go and sin no more.” How did you feel when the pastor said, “go and sin no more”, he was asked?

    Here is Bode George’s answer: “That young boy said it, he had leanings with the opposition. He was in form four when I was governor of Ondo State. I was livid but I said I was in church. This young man would not derail my thanksgiving to God Almighty;… I went the following morning to challenge the provost; they said no, that is not what he meant.’ I said ‘you don’t know this boy; he is an apologist to Bola Tinubu and co.’

    Not done in his righteous indignation towards a reverend gentleman, he said that he decided to go straight to church because of God’s grace towards him through the period, “so when this young man was talking garbage there, you know you can’t respond there. I went to the provost, this was an anomaly, a misnomer, absolute rubbish, I didn’t come here for this boy, of course nemesis caught up with him too. They’ve taken him out to a smaller church, that’s where he deserves…”

    You would wish Chief Bode George did not speak in this manner; wouldn’t you? For an elder, a former governor and a leader in the ruling party, how could he be so irreverent and foul of mouth, especially towards an ordained man of God? Hardball is hard put to have to give our dear chief some tutorials in the manners of Christendom: no true Christian ever refers to an ordained priest as “this boy” or “this young man” for that matter. A priest is a priest or our father in the Lord. Even if that young man was Bode George’s son, he ceased to be a boy the day he was ordained.

    And to say that a priest is “talking garbage” or “absolute rubbish,” that really is the limit and Hardball’s sincere advice to Chief George is to seek out that priest in that smaller church (no such thing) where “nemesis has taken him to, kneel before him and ask for forgiveness. Or does he prefer to “go and keep on sinning?” As for the totality of the interview, let’s just say that it is as hollow as the PDP which explains why he is a leader there.

     

  • Oyo Police should call Ladoja to order

    SIR: I have observed with keen interest the recent political development in the Pacesetter State of Oyo and I am not happy with the larger-than-life posturing of a former governor of the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja.

    The former governor has been going round the state campaigning for his 2015 governorship, under the platform of his Accord Party. Anywhere he goes, he makes frantic efforts at discrediting all the developmental strides of the incumbent governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

    His character and conduct have shown him as an agent of destabilization and destruction, rather than a statesman which he ought to be. He has allowed his inordinate ambition to becloud his sense of reasoning, thus carrying himself as someone who is above the law.

    I therefore, want to call on the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Ndabawa, to call Senator Ladoja to order. Everybody knows that the electioneering campaign for the 2015 election has not started, according to the Electoral Act. Why then is Ladoja creating unnecessary tension in Oyo State through his campaign?

    The people of Oyo State will not fold their arms and watch Ladoja visit the state with violence, thuggery and brigandage again as witnessed during his reign as governor. We are not ready and prepared to substitute anything for the peace and tranquillity that we are currently enjoying in the state since the commencement of the Senator Abiola Ajimobi administration.

    There is no doubt that safety, peace and security have served as the bases for the unprecedented transformation currently taking place in Oyo State. We, therefore, do not need Ladoja and his ilk to rock the boat. He should be reined in before he sets our dear state on fire again.

     

    • Nureni Akanmu,

    Idi-Ose, Ibadan, Oyo State.

     

  • On the minimum wage debate

    SIR: Recently, the Senate voted unanimously to excise minimum wage from the exclusive legislative list in the 1999 Constitution currently undergoing amendment. The idea is to allow states to determine the wages to be paid their workers. Some observers have described the move as anti-people, discriminatory and tantamount to depriving workers of fair and just remuneration.

    Already, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association have all flayed the decision of the Senate.

    Since its passage into law in 2011, the N18,000 National Minimum Wage Act (as amended), has been a source of controversy that has pitted public workers against state governments culminating into several industrial unrest and strife. The position of the governors is that they should be allowed to dictate what they can pay their workers based on perceived disparity in the federation allocation. Apart from state governors, antagonists of the national minimum wage are of the opinion that as the cost of living varies in many parts of the country, there should not be any basis for uniform pay for workers.

    Going by the situation on ground and what operates in other progressive climes, what should really be useful is for each level of government to work out how much it is willing and capable of paying its workers based on revenue reality and priorities.

    This could largely be responsible for why the senators have been accused of yielding to pressure from the governors in kicking against the centralised minimum wage regime as well as the much debated local government autonomy.

    Ordinarily, wages are supposed to be dynamic and not static. They should normally adjust to realities of the day based on price indices and inflationary levels while the power of negotiation by unions and responsiveness of bipartite and tripartite machineries are meant to stimulate wage adjustments including reviews and adjustments to take care of such vagaries.

    Sadly, both bipartite and tripartite structures are almost non-existent due to politicisation, mutual suspicion and inability of government and labour to work harmoniously together with the attendant breakdown of collective bargaining and grievanc- handling mechanisms.

    For this reason and for the fact that government have often reneged in honouring agreements it has voluntarily signed, the NLC is seriously worried that this wage amendment “will unnecessarily expose Nigerian workers, especially, those in the low-income bracket, with grave implications for security, productivity and national well-being, as most state governments if given the latitude, will pay wages as low as N1,000 per month in spite of the relatively enormous resources available to them”.

    Perhaps, with the exception of Rivers, Lagos and and Akwa-Ibom states, whose internally generated revenue runs into billions of naira, it is saddening to note that the internally generated revenue of most states in Nigeria is meagre and is hardly enough to meet their recurrent and capital expenditures. Infact, most states are dependent solely on the federal government’s statutory allocation.

    Therefore, it portends danger in a federal system for all the states to be forced to implement the same minimum wage and unless the present fiscal arrangement is revisited, it will be difficult for many states to pay workers an acceptable minimum wage which would enhance their status and living conditions.

    It is regrettable that many public pronouncements, programmes and policies – though well intended – often fail due to the man-made challenges of sheer politics, insincerity, corruption, poor design and implementation. That is why the idea of decentralising of minimum wage in Nigeria is difficult to embrace.

     

    • Adewale Kupoluyi

    Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta