The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

Garlands for Aminu Tambuwal

Sokoto state with a heritage of history, colour and pageantry blazed another trail when drums were rolled out in an evening set aside to recognize achievements which had brought honour to the state in various fields of human endeavours.

The government had set aside a day to honour indigenes of the state whose accomplishments in their chosen carriers could not be ignored. Among those honoured with the 2012 prestigious State Merit Award include the Speaker of Nigerian House of Representatives, Rt.Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

Others were the Car Designer with the General Motors Company of United States of America, (USA) Alhaji Jelani Aliyu Haidara Dogon Daji, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, Sarkin Gobir, Gwabadawa, Alhaji Mohammadu Zayyanu and the only female honouree, Hajiya Sa’adiya Omar Bello

The auditorium of Sokoto state Polytechnic, venue of the award ceremony, was filled to the brim hours before the arrival of prominent indigenes of the state and other important dignitaries drawn from within and outside the country. As expected, His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar led other prominent indigenes of the state, which included former President Shehu Shagari to the epoch event, while Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko led government functionaries.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was represented by the Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bello Sali, while the National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamagar Tukur, was represented by his Deputy, Chief Sam Sam Jaja.

Also present at the Seat of the Caliphate for the memorable event was the former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Alfa Belgore.

For the Speaker, who was cheered into the venue by hundreds of volunteers, the aphorism that ‘charity begins at home’ holds true. A prophet is now being recognized at home.

The arrival of the man of the moment, accompanied with scores of his colleague members, led by Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha electrified the entire venue of the event. Secretary to the Government of Sokoto State, Alhaji Sahabi Isah Gada, was quick in laying the template and the motive behind the award, which was to honour indigene of the state at home and in Diaspora who offered quality service to humanity at all levels.

Linking the rich tradition of the Caliphate to the present and the future, he stated that the administration of Governor Wamakko was determined to recognize worthy individuals, whose achievements in life brought honour to the state. Like the Biblical saying that those who are diligent in their services shall stand before the Kings and not mere men, the honourees, including the Speaker stood before the King with cheers from the teeming crowd.

Tambuwal’s moment of glory came when he stepped forward to receive the Merit Award from Governor Wamakko when the hall erupted with a loud shout of Allah Is Great. The governor himself summed up the honour done to the Speaker in his remarks at the event when he remarked that Aminu Tambuwal had impressively lived up to the confident expectations of his colleagues and the people of Nigeria.

He enthused: “As an illustrious son of the Caliphate, he (Tambuwal) has taken up the challenge of national leadership foisted on him by his esteemed colleagues, who rallied round and almost unanimously elected him Hon Speaker of the Lower House over a year ago….No doubt, Alhaji Aminu Waziri has impressively lived up to the confident expectations of not only his colleagues, but indeed, fellow Nigerians with his calm and responsible leadership of the House in a manner that has strengthened our democratic dispensation and deepened our understanding of the delicate intricacies and the necessary symbolic relationship between the three arms of our democratic government.”

Without equivocation, the governor was emphatic that Sokoto state and the Caliphate are proud of the Speaker. “I must say without equivocation, that we are deeply proud of this young man and charming public officer, particularly for being a worthy ambassador of the culture and traditions that define the significance of the enduring legacies of the Seat of the Caliphate in the evolution of the nation….We are also proud that through Aminu Tambuwal, the sterling human and leadership qualities nurtured by his unique upbringing has once again proven to be not just relevant, but indeed indispensable to the much desired peace, unity progress and development of Nigeria.”

For earning the support and confidence of the diverse of Nigerians elected as Honourable members of the House of Representatives as the Speaker and Leader, Governor Wamakko concluded that Aminu Tambuwal merited the State Merit award.

President Jonathan in a message delivered by the Head of Service of the Federation commended the Sokoto State government for honouring people who had distinguished themselves in the service to humanity.

He stated that the gesture was in line with the transformation agenda of the Federal Government, even as government was intensifying efforts to tackle the security challenge facing the nation. The PDP Deputy National Chairman in his remarks applauded the state government for recognizing and honouring contributions to nation building by people from the state, noting that such honour will act as catalyst for others to do more. He specifically commended the choice of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, adding that Tambuwal had done the party proud by leading the House very well.

Tambuwal while giving the vote of thanks was cheered to no end indicating that his popularity and acceptance among his folks have continued to wax stronger based on his performance as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

While thanking the people for the honour done him because of his modest contributions to nationhood and that of other recipients, the Speaker said they have been challenged to do more for the sustenance of the rich tradition and culture of the Caliphate. Tambuwal said the State Merit Award was special to him because it came from his own people. He also promised that the House of Representatives under his leadership will continue to decide on the side of the people for improvement on their standard of living.

Aminu Waziri Tambuwal was elected the Speaker of the 7th Assembly of the House of Representatives. He was first elected to represent Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency of Sokoto State in 2003 and has held leadership positions as Minority Leader, Deputy Whip before his current position as Speaker of the House. A lawyer by profession, Aminu Tambuwal was a strong force in the politics of the Nigeria Bar Association [NBA]; he belongs to the Body of Benchers including being a member of the International Bar Association [IBA], as well as member of the American Bar Association.

• Ojo, Chief Press Secretary to the Honourable Speaker wrote in from Abuja.

December 10, 2012
Sanusi Lamido’s hypocrisy

SIR: Why is Sanusi Lamido Sanusi so controversial? Why must this Central Bank Governor (CBN) be stirring up the hornet’s nest every now and then? Is it in his gene or star or both? Does he revel in it? His tenure has been marred by controversies.

If he is not quarrelling with members of the National Assembly over their pay package, he’s busy supporting fuel hike price. If he’s not donating towards an opaque cause, he’s planning to introduce 5000 Naira new notes. Now his new fancy is in advising the Federal Government to reduce the civil service work force by about fifty percent as part of measures to reflate the economy. Is he idle as suggested by Peter Isele, President of the Trade Union Congress (UTC)? Who will save this man from himself? Obviously, not even the President can probably do that.

The National Assembly may be right after all in its attempt to amend the CBN laws apparently to curb the excesses of the Governor. If Saint Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is bold and sincere enough, let him go ahead and show the whole world the pay structure of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) staff. Nigerians would be scandalized and alarmed to know the hefty nature of their salaries and other perquisites especially those at the Director cadre.

A friend of mine recently and perhaps out of excitement called to tell me about his promotion as a Director in the CBN. After the usual exchange of pleasantries, he disclosed that his new status would fetch him 130000 Naira as Newspapers/Magazines allowance and 200000 Naira as Generator allowance. These are just two categories of the many other allowances not stated here. And they are on monthly basis! He would

be given about 4million Naira vehicle loan etc. I must confess that at a point, I switched off the phone because the figures he was reeling out were incredible and mind boggling.

After a day or two, my friend called back again to know why I did what I did the last time we interacted on the phone. My response was that I would have fainted if I had allowed him to state all the full packages and entitlements. I further told him that my salary per month is not even as big as his generator allowance even though I’m a senior civil servant on salary

Grade Level 16!

The intriguing thing is that these allowances are exclusive of their actual monthly salaries. Your guess therefore is as good as mine. However, it is not certain if my friend is truthful because there is no documentary evidence to back this up; he could be pulling my legs or trying to impress. It’s now left for the CBN Governor to tell us that this is true or not true. And if it is true, then will Sanusi be justified to demand for a 50 percent cut in the workforce? Why would the sacrifice not start from the CBN under his watch before asking the helpless civil servants to be taken to Golgotha?

• Ogidiolu Ajayi,

Asokoro, Abuja.

December 10, 2012
Ex-Gov Adamu Attah is still alive

SIR: Since the demise of the strong man of Kwara politics and icon in Nigeria’s political landscape, the late Dr Olusola Saraki to the world beyond, after a glorious and well spent life on this earth, ex-governor Adamu Attah’s name became the reference point.

Writers have been quick to refer to the power struggle between the late Oloye when he was governor between 1979 and 1983, when the late Saraki reportedly denied him second time slot as the governor of the then Kwara State due to a certain disagreement between them.

The attention of this writer has been drawn by some commentators who always refer to ex-governor Attah as late, meaning his no longer alive. No, he is still alive. He is not only healthy, he is living peacefully in Abuja with members of his family and close relations.

Attah played a great role as the governor of the then Kwara State by being the first executive governor of the state to create an enabling environment for the state.

Also, he made great effort to see to the early completion of the Ajaokuta Steel industry and Itakpe Irone Ore, which became his legacy while he was the governor of old Kwara State.

Attah will continue to be remembered for his effort to ensure that he did not betray the confidence of his people and those who made him to become the first executive governor of the state.

While still alive, he is being vindicated that, his loyalty is to the people who elected him into office and he has sole responsibility of transforming their lives, as subsequent face-off between the late Dr Saraki and all those he installed as governors led to disagreement on basis of principle and political consideration.

The late Saraki distinguished himself as champion of the talakawas after the late Aminu Kano. We won’t forget in a hurry how his benevolence saw a lot of people in old Kwara that comprises the present Kogi were given seats to perform holy pilgrimage to the holy land. We all know that before the death of the Great Oloye of Nigerian politics, both Attah and himself reconciled their political differences as good Muslims that they are noted for. All we need now is to wish Adamu long life and move on.

• Bala Nayashi,

Yashi Area, Lokoja

December 10, 2012
Stubbornness is dangerous!

SIR: The signs we see daily tell us that political and economic life of the citizens are at low ebb as majority of the polity are unhappy. By implication, the country should try to avoid an outburst that may affect the cohesion of the country.

So many mysteries abound in the world and our part of the world is not an exception. There is man’s inhumanity to man. People are being denied justice and equity at will. The gap between the rich and the poor as we used to know get wider by seconds. The rule of law is at a boiling point.

From 1959 to 1960, the nation passed through serious political problems that in contemporary times are yet to abate. Leadership question have posed serious challenge and this is affecting our development as a nation and as such, we are on the same spot crawling. Also, our economic developments are nothing to write home about.

So many comments and criticisms have been offered without leading to any where. When our leaders want to criticize themselves they do that either at religious or book launch gatherings even when these have not changed their greedy political perspective in the pursuit of selfish-interests. They still remain politically indiscipline in their attitudes and behaviours.

In the first Republic, we had three regions and three major political parties that were regionally based. The Northern People’s Congress was based in the North. The Action Group was based in the Western Region, while the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroon was based in the Eastern Region. During the 1959 Election, none of these 3 political parties had a majority votes to form a government without forming an alliance with the other. The overall majority in the House of Rep at the Race Course then were 312 seats. The NPC had 134, NCNC had 89 while the AG had 73. The AG and the NCNC had a plan to form a coalition but when this move leaked out, the NPC threatened to secede from the Federation, if the Federal Government was based upon the 2 southern parties. So in the end, the NPC and NCNC formed a coalition under the late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and the AG became the official opposition party. So many controversies and problems ensued after that.

When people say we should come together and talk at a round table conference, they are not telling us to talk about our past. Our past is gone. This is a little insight. Our past experiences, as sordid at they were, have brought us to where we were today and with serious implications.

So there is need to come together to talk about our future for the survival of the nation if we are not deceiving ourselves. Our failure to come together portends danger and serious consequences. It will not be advisable to decide our future with gun and blood again; let us remember that we had fought a bitter civil war that lasted three years and, no nation fights two civil wars and survive. Now is the time to act.

• Prince Adewumi Agunloye,

Satellite Town, Lagos.

December 10, 2012
Akinyemi on Sanusi

In an open letter circulated to the media at the weekend, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, a former Foreign Affairs minister, has defended the public policy advocacy role the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has assumed with gusto. He did not always agree with the banking chief, said Akinyemi, himself an erudite policymaker, if also a controversial one, but it was necessary for someone who could command attention to fill the vacuum created by the exit of great Nigerians like Chike Obi, Tai Solarin, Ayo Awojobi, Aminu Kano, Gani Fawehinmi, Bala Usman, Obafemi Awolowo. Akinyemi’s position is indeed intriguing. Whether we will discover the true reasons he supports Sanusi remains to be seen. Hardball can hazard a guess that Akinyemi defends Sanusi because the indisputably controversial top banker is a kindred spirit to the former Foreign Affairs minister.

This column recalls that though Akinyemi as minister was not a public policy advocate in the Sanusi mould, having as an intellectual appreciated the incompatibility of his position in the Ibrahim Babangida years with that unusually public role, he was nonetheless very controversial. Yet, even his controversiality at the time was not because he was recklessly garrulous or because he was an overexcited policy wonk, but because his ideas, such as the Concert of Medium Powers, were misunderstood, being somewhat far ahead of his time. Akinyemi will recall that his Medium Powers idea actually got off the ground, and did not cause the administration either headache or heartache. Yet Babangida still felt queasy about the controversies that dogged Akinyemi’s lively and fecund tenure, and shuffled him out of the cabinet. At the time, some of his supporters felt that IBB moved against Akinyemi because the former military president was uncomfortable with his intellectualism and visibility.

It is true Akinyemi hedged his support for Sanusi by warning that he did not always agree with the top banker’s views. But it is still surprising that as a seasoned public policy expert himself, Akinyemi is still willing to condone what are sometimes divisive and indefensible policy interventions simply because certain economists he consulted assured him Sanusi’s interventions had not had adverse effect on economic policies. But can anyone deny that some of Sanusi’s interventions have had aggravating effects on the polity generally, as the banker seems to have acted or spoken on some occasions parochially and insensitively to the point that a few regional interests have accused the banker of ethnic favouritism? Must the country wait until things go wrong with the economy much more than the general governmental incompetence has provoked before asking Sanusi to shelve his ambitious public policy advocacy pastime?

There is no conceivable way to justify the spirit behind Sanusi’s interventions, notwithstanding the rightness of some of those interventions. Public policy advocacy is incompatible with the functions of a CBN governor, here and anywhere. Sanusi must be encouraged to choose between the two roles. Nor is Akinyemi right when he observed in his letter that, “As far as I am concerned, and others may hold different views on this matter, you (Sanusi) are the only one right now holding a position that empowers his views with such gravitas that they command attention. That they often lead to controversy is beside the point.” The fact is that it is indeed truly worrisome that Sanusi’s views often lead to controversy. This fact is certainly not beside the point. Akinyemi also unhelpfully imbues Sanusi’s sometime extreme and undiscriminating views with more importance than they deserve when he suggested that the top banker was the only one with the gravitas to make his views command attention.

After all, Sanusi’s views on Boko Haram were atrociously divisive, and his comments on “the size of the bureaucracy, the pernicious 1999 Constitution, the need or non-need for more states, the redundancy of Local Governments, to mention a few” were doubtless superfluous.

December 10, 2012
The rhythm of governance in Osun

When the 19th century British novelist and critic, Aldous Leonard Huxley, wrote that “experience is not what happens to a man, it is what a man does with what happens to him”. One man who fits into his philosophy is no doubt the incumbent governor of the state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, whom, to all intent and purposes, is a study in administration. “Rauf” as he is fondly called by his admirers represents so many things to so many people. For some, he is the arrogant, boastful and brassy fellow, who happened on the governorship seat of the state of Osun by mere providence. They see him as a schemer; who initially presented a humble façade to hoodwink the hapless people of the state of Osun before baring his fangs. To them, even if the governor change the status of the backwater state to ‘Paris’, it just won’t score in their performance sheet. To others, Rauf is God sent. A quintessential leader, who is perpetually angry at the state of development of the state; a man set to change the Osun epic, to lift the people from the doldrums of poverty and underdevelopment, to one of poverty reduction, wealth creation and accelerated infrastructural development. They see him as the biblical Moses, who came to liberate his people and take them to the promise Land, the land full of milk and honey. Now, let’s look at the people in the two schools of thought. For the so- called anti Rauf people, who are basically found among the beneficiaries of the old order, that is, those that are benefitting from the profligacy of the PDP era, and, of course, his political opponents and their followers, who naturally should be expected to cuddle the sour grapes, Rauf can not be a performer. For the opposition, their mindset should be appreciated. They would give any thing to change the status quo. The only snag is that they work outside the established tenets of opposition as practiced in advance democracies. They would rather throw tantrum, turn the truth on his head, just to criticize in order to regain political relevance.

To discerning minds of the state of Osun politics, there is reason to wonder on which moral tripod the state of Osun chapter of the PDP stands to criticize a widely acknowledged performing administration like that of Aregbesola. How can it justify its attempt to con unsuspecting masses of the state of Osun to buy into this harangue bid ? Does it not take absolute morality to expose absolute immorality? It is very sad that this dinosaur of a party is applying every possible tactics to come back to public embrace through calculated media war and abracadabra. PDP’s selfish politics in the state of Osun is appalling. From what could be observed so far of the party, since its disastrous outing in the last election, what is left of it is its public relations desk which has been tirelessly using the media to sell the party’s “hard to sell image”. But political observers are not deceived because it is obvious that its main stakeholders are responsible for the political mishap it has suffered in recent elections in the state.

The party is today donating its voice to the public even when the voice has crass tones and cracked rhythms and rhymes. As a matter of fact, the party, including its affairs, was heading into oblivion, no thanks to Aregbesola led A.C.N administration’s unparallel sterling performance that has never been witness in the history of the state. With the way and manner Osun PDP is operating in the state, its activities are causing most people to feel that everything is turning against it and that the party cannot stand firm. And to that extent, the party has become an object of ridicule and scorn. It is unfortunate that Osun PDP is suffering from a political glaucoma. The foregoing explains why it cannot see the positive transformation going on in the state of Osun in the last two years and consequently, boasting that it will “recapture” Osun and the other South-West states in the next election. It is dangerous when members of any organization are greedy; the members would automatically become expert in this aberration called choice.

The stock-in trade of the PDP is to acquire power and use it maximally, often without purpose, nothing is considered too sacred or profane. The end justifies the means. And for those who feel Ogbeni is the best thing to happen to the state of Osun, they readily points to his numerous development projects in all sectors and the numerous seeds of goodwill Ogbeni has planted for the people of Osun state. It is on record that he inherited a moribund state, bereft of good motorable roads, functioning rural and urban infrastructure, a suffocating debt of N18.3b and a forlorn citizenry, when he assumed office on November 27, 2010. After almost eight years of dashed hopes and unfulfilled promises, Governor Aregbesola has, within a period of two years, been able to stabilize the polity and consolidate democratic governance by instituting meaningful social and economic progress through Employment of 20,000 job seekers through Osun Youth Employment Scheme (OYES), revolution both in the Education (O’School) and Agric sector (O’REAP), People-centred health care delivery, workers welfare and re-focused civil service, environmental sanitation and beautification, erosion and flood control, Urban renewal, massive road rehabilitation, reconstruction, construction and drainage works going on in virtually every senatorial district makes the entire state one huge construction site. Furthermore, he has instituted a new regime of human resource development, administrative reforms, due process and accountability, proper social integration, public law and order to realize a people oriented government.

So from schools to roads to hospitals to markets, employment generation, investment in ICT, name it, Ogbeni has succeeded in bringing forth an even developmental engineering throughout the three senatorial districts of the state. He has simply set a very high standard in governance. He has created a new benchmark. This is now the standard to beat. In other words, henceforth, whoever wishes to occupy the office of Governor of the state of Osun must be able to surpass this or at least match it. What that means to the people of the state of Osun, most importantly, is that henceforth it would be difficult for any charlatan without the capacity to deliver to present himself for governorship or any elective office for that matter. Ogbeni has through sheer brilliant performance turned the state of virtuous people into a one-party state. If he was an army general, the appreciative people of the state of Osun will follow him to the war front even blindfolded. He is a perfect illustration that the best form of political propaganda is to do the right thing.

• Aminu is the National Coordinator, Oodua Youth for Good Governance

December 10, 2012
Appeal to Catholic Bishops’ Conference

Please pardon my discourtesy in writing this open letter to you, I seek your immediate reconsideration of the membership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria in the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

I know as a fact that one of the paramount aims of the CAN is to aggregate Christian ideals and ideas. This was the primary aim, when it was founded in 1976 by the Catholic Church together with mainline Protestant groups. The Pentecostal Christians were later admitted into the organisation.

And I also know that the leadership of an organisation is fashioned in such a manner that when its leader speaks, it conveys the impression of the organisation’s position on critical issues.

Of late, I am now apprehensive of the leadership mode of CAN to the extent that it now personifies itself as the spiritual leader of the Christians in Nigeria, inclusive of course, the Catholic Christians. This is appalling and nauseating.

Your Grace, as a Catholic faithful and a Knight of the Church, I have always known the Catholic positions on world and national issues through The Holy See, The Pope, the Cardinals, The Bishops and of course, our Parish Priests. Whence has CAN become the mouth organ of Catholic Christians in Nigeria? Did the CBCN endorse Catholic Christians in Nigeria to listen to the CAN leadership? I don’t think so. The remarks and comments of the association, to my mind, on critical and fragile religious issues are injurious and fatal to Christians, particularly, Catholics. It shouldn’t be. It cannot be.

May I, with all sense of humility, appeal to the leadership of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, to please, as a matter of utmost urgency, put forward for reconsideration, its membership of CAN. Indeed, the Catholic Church must vacate its membership of CAN immediately. The Catholic Church must not subsume her ordained status by God through St. Peter.

The Catholic Church in Nigeria has an organ such as the CBCN to make its positions on national issues known. This, it has always done and these information are disseminated to all parishioners during The Homily. An example of such was the recent Communiqué issued at the end of the Second Plenary Meeting of the CBCN in September. The Catholic Christians in Nigeria can listen and hear the voice of CBCN when it speaks. The Catholic Christians in Nigeria can hear the flute or whistle of the leadership of CBCN when it blows it.

There is no doubt that Pastor Oritsejafor is a respected founder and leader of his congregation in Warri but he must not extend his influence beyond the flocks he shepherds in his vineyard.

By Sonny SK Enegbuma,

Warri, Delta State

December 9, 2012
Insult called Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway

They have started work on the so called Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway. The Federal Government said work has started on the road to aid travellers during the yuletide season. But there are more than meets the eye than the much touted repair of the major expressways that the people of the South-East and South-South – the regions that are the economic focal-point of Nigeria – have.

The ongoing charade called Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway repair should be rejected by the people of the South-East and South-South zones. This feeling is borne out of the fact that the authorities concerned are playing politics with the repair of the road. If what they mean, when they said that they are going to repair the road is to patch any conspicuous spot with cement and low quality materials, then the South-East and South-South peoples are being insulted.

The Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway does not need any ‘repair’ but total re-construction. The entire road is bad. There is no need cutting eye-catching damaged spots and then patch. What they are doing now on this road, can any of them swear by Amadioha that they can do same in Abuja? You go to the North there are very smooth roads there. How come they are patching the only major expressways in the South-East and South-South zones?

When President Goodluck Jonathan said the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway was going to be rebuilt, one had thought that he meant to build a 21st Century expressway, owing to the position of South-East and South-South zones in the country, but from what one can see the authorities are doing on that expressway, anyone saying that the federal government is deceitful is not gainsaying.

Rage and anger must characterise anyone with good intention for the South-East and South-South zones on sighting what the authorities have much amplified as work that they are doing on this expressway. It is frustrating as it is also insulting, when one sees the slapdash work that they have started to do.

The federal government can’t give the people who had contributed immensely to the economy of the country something that would always generate issues of good-for-nothing. Not even the citation for the creation of an additional state in the South-East in particular has the federal government yielded to. Is the FG doing this because the people of the two regions had always maintained undaunted resolution for the peace of all in the country?

It behoves stakeholders from these two zones to call the attention of members of the National Assembly from South-East and South-South zones to lend their insights to President Jonathan that what was said is not what is seen on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.

The president can’t say that he has responded to the call of the South-East and South-South to reconstruct the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, when what can be seen is mediocrity at display. This proves that the president is not showing the same magnanimity the people of the two zones had shown him during the presidential election, by giving him their votes about 95%. If the passion he would express to the people is to cast slur on them and call it road repair, then the two zones are in trouble till the expiration of his tenure.

In earnest, Jonathan’s theoretical-passion for the South-East and South-South zones is not giving them a sense of belonging. All his promises during the period of his electioneering campaigns have not been met. Rather, he has toasted the people with promises, but failed. The affirmation of this is the abuse that the FG is exhibiting on the Enugu-PH expressway. If this is like this, what will be the fate of other federal projects in the two regions?

It is unfortunate that the federal government always thinks that anything it proposes for the people of the South-East and South-South zones is good for them, whether they like it or not. Igbo businessmen and women have always lost billions of naira on this expressway; if their wares in the trucks did not fall and the goods damaged, they would be seized in the gullies, leading to criminals preying on them. Those in charge of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) should be questioned about the twaddle they knowingly or unknowingly feel that is going on, on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway. Is this garbage what they promised to do when some of their members appeared before the executive session of the Assembly on September 24 to elucidate what the federal establishments are going to do on the all the crucial Enugu-PH Expressway?

Regrettably, the agitation of many people from the South-East and South-South for a facelift on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway has met the brick wall. The work that whoever is doing on that road is not enduring. Perhaps, they are doing this now to shut-up the people from speaking out. They have drawn the peoples’ attention to say that that after all they have come to rescue them, when what can be seen is an organised confusion. The Nigerian factor!

By Odimegwu Onwumere,

Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

December 9, 2012
Westerhof should leave Nigerian football alone

SIR: The recent corruption allegation levelled against our football by the former Super Eagles coach, Clemence Westerhof in the media is laughable.

One cannot but agree in totality with the allegation raised by Mr. Westerhof, in view of the fact that it is not only our football that is affected but the whole body politic of the Nigerian state. The nation is being ravaged by the cankerworm which has held us down. But the truth of the matter is that Mr. Westerhof lacks the moral integrity to accuse anybody of corruption in view of his incontrovertible corrupt nature while he was the technical adviser of theSuper Eagles.

Those who live in glass houses don’t throw stones. I am puzzled by this allegation coming from Mr. Westerhof.

No one should take the forgiving nature of the average Nigerian for granted by insulting our sensibilities when in actual fact, the state that we all are today was laid by the actions or inactions of those who were saddled with the constitutional responsibilities to lead us right.

That Mr. Clemence Westerhof is crying wolf now is akin to the same hypocritical cries of former President Olusegun Obasanjo now on national issues because we will continue to ask what they did to tame this monster when they were in office or is it that it is just rearing its ugly head now which we all know is not the case?

I make bold to state that the high level of corruption that has come to stay till today in our national teams through the coaches started with Mr. Westerhof management of the senior national team during the military era.

Before him, there were foreign technical advisers who were incorruptible and decent like Father Tiko, Manfred Hoener, etc. Mr. Clemence Westerhof presided over the managership of the Nigerian Senior national team in a corrupt manner never witnessed in the annals of our football history and at a period when corruption was institutionalized as a state policy. The manner of the administration of our football just like in other facets of our life was an aberration. When Mr. Westerhof was in the saddle, he had direct access to then military Vice President, late Admiral Augustus Aikhomu instead of his employers, the football federation for management and disbursement of funds of which he was accountable to no one but himself. The height of the abnormality perpetuated by Westerhof was that he became the chief accounting officer of the National team at the expense of his job as chief coach.

Westerhof also allegedly lured Nigerian players into slave contracts with foreign clubs which allegedly earned him a coaching ban from Europe by the European football governing body as a result of the Tijani Babangida saga in Holland then.

Characters like Mr. Clemence Westerhof can only function in a system that lacks discipline, transparency, orderliness, prudence and accountability like Nigeria, which explains his lightening exit from coaching jobs in South Africa, Egypt and Zimbabwe, hence he returned to take up the Soccer Academy job in Kwara state having realized that he’s a pariah in the

coaching job outside our clime.

Since the exit of Mr. Westerhof as the manager of the Super Eagles in 1994, local coaches who have come after him in managing the team, have followed in his corrupt footsteps of conflict of interest by operating business interest as unlicensed football agents and using the National football teams to parade and market their “players” at the expense of the wish and aspirations of Nigerians for quality and fit players to adorn the national jersey which is responsible for the continued woeful display by the senior national till date.

We don’t need a Westerhof to raise the alarm of corruption in our football because we all know how he watered it. If Mr. Westerhof is looking for relevance now, my candid advice is that he seeks it elsewhere because his era is past.

• Nelson Ekujumi

Adesina Street ,

Ikeja, Lagos .

December 7, 2012
Let’s be careful about enforcing dress code

SIR: The alleged slaughtering of twenty (20) young ladies in Maiduguri by some Islamic fundamentalists is reportedly caused by the fact that the ladies were known for wearing mini-skirts and trousers, which, according to the fundamentalists, is against the Shariah Law. Our society must realise that the crime originated from their own obsession with how Nigerian women dress.

How a person dresses depends on a number of factors, which include not only self-expression, but also affordability. Jeans trousers are usually durable, and fairly used ones are sold cheaply. And so, a lady may wear them for economic reasons. Where is the place of thrift and right to self-expression in the hunt by some people for ladies who dress “improperly”?

There were some African traditional funerary rituals in which women danced round nakedly, and there was hardly any occasion in which women covered up all their bodies as some Muslim women do. So, the concerned should stop attributing indecent actions to African culture that suffers no nudity psychosis. Senegal and Ghana are rated among the best run African countries. Go there and see freedom of self-expression in how women dress.

Unfortunately, even some Nigerian universities indulge in the bizarre pastime. They police and arrest female students and “slaughter” them on the altar of”Dress Code”. On account of “Dress Code”, which is defined ambiguously, since a uniform cannot be imposed, some students miss their examinations, because they had to go back home to dress “properly”. In one university, recently, two female students were sent back home to go and dress “properly”. When they came back was when I saw them. I saw they were in very decent trousers and shirts, but the accuser was still unsatisfied and was taking them to a higher authority. Being helpless, I invoked God to come to their rescue.

Nigerian rulers commit economic injustice and compound poor people’s plight with “Dress Code” and banning of commercial motorcycling. They deny their workers full entitlements only to be pursuing ladies over how they dress. They should learn to discipline their eyes if they don’t want to look at women lustfully. Lustful look is a sexual impetus, and it is part of being human, and being fully alive.

We should not breed Boko Haram in Yorubaland, so that women are not slaughtered like in Maiduguri and Kano, on the basis of how they dress! Women and human rights activists should protest en masse the so-called Dress Code. Nigeria is back in the Dark Age of witch-hunt!

• Oyeniran Pius Abioje, Ph.D,

University of Ilorin.

December 7, 2012