The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

  • Let’s diversify to revamp our economy

    SIR: As our over-dependence on oil has become bedrock of crisis in Nigeria (insecurity, unemployment, poverty, bombing, killings, massive corruption and bad leadership among others), we must diversify our economy because Nigeria has great potentials that could enable it play an enviable role in the global world.

    Nigeria must be ready to attract investment through the implementation of structural reforms that will ensure accountable and transparent investment environment to ensure access and equity for the small and medium enterprises (SMES) to compete in local and global economies.

    Nigeria must also critically adopt adequate policy strategies within the context of its domestic potentials and external relations, to embrace the promises of globalization for sustainable democracy. The experiences of India , South-Korea , Brazil , Malaysia and Singapore are prime examples.

    Our political leaders must fear and trust in God and be politically willing, and committed. Corruption must be checked, poverty reduction programmes must be made to work. Nigerians must learn to adhere strictly to the rules of democracy to enable the international community to appreciate our efforts and extend good gestures to improve the economic well-being of all Nigerians.

    It is worrisome that we lack of fear of God, and rather embrace greed, unrighteousness, callousness and covetousness.

    For all these, the ministers of God in our midst should not keep quiet on burning issues in the country. We should contribute and help build Nigeria among the political class and Nigerians. If those negative things are not arrested, the nation cannot make any headway.

    Nigerian businessmen must embrace manufacturing of goods for local consumption and export, while government should improve on power supply.

    Nigeria has no business talking about scarcity of food, the only reason we are complaining is that we are not doing the right thing. Before the discovery of oil, agriculture had always been the crux of economic growth and development because, farmers were encouraged by the government; the reverse is the case now.

    Also, the low employment level in the country and poverty could be solved through agricultural investments by all tiers of government and other stakeholders. As a matter of fact, the only thing any government can do to make people happy is to provide food for its people. So, agricultural sector should be the engine room of our economy. The public should not be an end in itself. It is held in trust for the common good and not to terrorise or kill innocent citizens. Violence is not what we should celebrate. Violence is the argument of the person who has run out of logic and ideas. Politics should be about dialogue, issues, persuasions and not violence.

    • Prophet Oladipupo Funmilade-Joel (Baba Sekunderin)

    Gen. Overseer, The Way of Reconciliation Evangelistic Ministries (TWOREM) Int’l

    CEO, Messiah Broadcasting Network, Nigeria.

  • Fayemi, the pathfinder

    Fayemi, the pathfinder

    In the 16th of October 2010, when a tumultuous crowd of Ekiti Indigenes took to the streets to celebrate the judicial pronouncement of the Appeal Court that declared Dr. Kayode Fayemi as the duly elected governor of the state, many thought it was all a part of politicking. Some critics even went as far as saying the crowd was rented to create an illusion of popularity for the new governor.

    But for those of us resident in the state, Fayemi’s victory at the Appeal Court was a sigh of relief and a promise that better days were ahead for us. It was a clear proof that heaven had finally sated the cravings of the good people of Ekiti for a messiah.

    Before Fayemi’s administration, the environment of Ekiti State was an eyesore. Ado-Ekiti, the capital was an Aegean Stable that would rank amongst the worst capital cities in the country. Major and minor streets in the metropolis were littered as virtually every available space had become a refuse site. Drainages were blocked, walls were defaced with posters of all sorts and the roads were in derelict conditions. The stench oozing from the heaps of refuse that had become a regular sight on almost every street was a constant source of worry for everyone but the government that was contended with turning a blind eye to the problem. So bad was the situation that visitors in the state who were not familiar with the nauseating smell would cover their noses while walking and driving on the streets.

    Thankfully those days have become history that will soon fade from our memories as a people. The coming of Dr. Fayemi marked the end of that era of disorder in Ado Ekiti and other towns in the state. In just two years at the helms the governor has transformed the environment of Ekiti State for good. He has proved to be the pathfinder illuminating our paths out of the dungeons where his predecessors placed us.

    It is to Fayemi’s credit that a town that was once an eyesore and held no attractions for anyone now glows and competes favourably with Ikeja, Asaba, Uyo and other capital towns in Nigeria.

    In his quest to ensure that things do not remain the way they were before his time, the governor started the urban renewal initiative which seeks to revamp and beautify Ado-ekiti and other cities in the state.

    The results are obvious for all eyes to see. With the re-introduction of the monthly environmental sanitation across the state, the governor is turning Ekiti into a decent and modern State. We now see colourful flowers and trees blossoming in places that used to be refuse dump sites. Drainages are flowing freely and roads that used to be decorated with filth are now being swept on a daily basis. The stench that hung in the air before now has also been replaced with an aura fresh air.

    Any visitor familiar with the Ekiti State during the pre-Fayemi era would attest that the Governor has performed credibly well in such a short time. Ekiti now wears a new a look that is hard to deny.

    For Governor Fayemi, it is not just about giving the capital city a face-lift. It is about meeting the people’s expectations, creating a platform for them to develop themselves and leaving something tangible for posterity. For instance, when one considers the ‘Lagacy Projects’ that were initiated last month when he marked his second year in office, it becomes clears to see that the governor is driven by a passion to make life better for the people by turning the state into an urban centre. He knows that a well kept environment will not only attract investors to the state but will also put the people in the right frame of mind to think and come up with ideas that will better their lives.

    The projects which include a new Government House, Civic Centre (incorporating a library, museum and art gallery and a cinema), State Pavillion (something like the Eagle’s Square in Abuja, where parade and other activities will take place), Samsung Engineering Academy and Grand Tower Shopping Mall which will be incorporated by Shoprite will not only add aesthetic value to the state but also provide job opportunities for the people. Aside from that, it will also improve the internally generated revenue of the state.

    The infrastructural development programmes initiated by Fayemi’s administration have also contributed immensely in transforming the landscape of Ekiti State. In fulfillment of his promises to connect all parts of Ekiti State through motorable roads, the governor embarked on massive road construction projects across the state. As at today almost all the major roads in the State have either been completed or nearing completion. Even the Ado-Iworoko-Ifaki Road which proved a difficult task for previous governments is almost at the last stage of construction. Without doubt, these projects have eased the burden of life and living for millions of the residents of the state.

    The best thing about Fayemi’s environmental renaissance is that it has placed Ekiti state on the spotlight as a tourist destination. The massive investments at the famous Ikogosi spring which serves as the state’s tourism hub speaks volumes of what his administration wants to achieve. By redesigning the landscape, constructing villa chalets and an amphitheatre, the governor is looking to attract local and international tourists to our beloved state. For a state that is naturally endowed with some of the most picturesque landscape, beautiful mountains, and alluring valleys, tourism portends an economic boom for the people.

    As an observer, I often ask myself why previous administrations did not do as much as Dr. Fayemi is doing now. If any of the governor priviledged to have ruled this state had done a quarter of what he is doing, our state will definitely be more developed than it is today. With the meagre resources coming from the Federal Government as monthly allocation and a lean internally generated revenue purse, he has been able to achieve so much. I have no doubts that by the end of his tenure as governor, Ekiti would be one of the most sought after states in this country.

    • Omonigbehin writes from Ado-Ekiti.

  • Mr President has been unfair to Borno, Yobe States

    SIR: : Hundreds of hapless and helpless Nigerians resident in Borno and Yobe states have become refugees in their country home for no fault of theirs. Thomas Hobbes’ ‘life is short, nasty and brutish’ best describes what has become of Borno and Yobe states today. Both states have literarily become Africa’s latest killing fields where life has become so cheap that death ‘pays no dime’ to claim. Women, children and even men have fled their homes and businesses. The security community whose responsibility it is to protect lives and property of the citizenry have become prime targets and have lost an appreciable number of its men to the activities of a blood-thirsty and amorphous group called Boko Haram.

    The cliché, ‘no place like home’ definitely means a different thing to indigenes of Borno and Yobe states that have fled their homes for dear lives. They feel much more at home in foreign lands than contemplating a visit to their ancestral abode. Life there has become ‘everyone to himself and God for all’. Security agents seem to have given up the fight against the Boko Haram Islamist sect.

    Are Borno and Yobe states part of the Nigerian federation? There is no gainsaying that the chief executives of Borno and Yobe states have been practically overwhelmed by the rising spate of bloodbath in their domains. Both Ibrahim Gaidem of Yobe and Kashim Shettima of Borno feel more relaxed in Abuja than staying back in their respective states where peace seem to have gone on sabbatical leave. No serious investor who means business would contemplate investing a penny of his in an environment plagued by uncertainty.

    Aside the deployment of troops, the President Goodluck Jonathan’s government has failed woefully to identify with Nigerians in the affected states! The situation in both states is so bad that President Jonathan with his armed security guards is scared of visiting there to restore hope in victims. Beyond the ritual of condemning such barbaric acts each time they occur, his resolve not to have visited any of the states to see the horror on ground sends a wrong signal.

    As Nigeria’s president, we expect that he metes out same measure of concern to all, irrespective of tribe, religion, class or political leaning. Mr President has no genuine reason to leave these Nigerians to suffer and continue to live in fear. No responsible and responsive leader turns his face the other way when his people cry to him for help. President Jonathan fled to faraway Brazil to attend a mere summit on a day dare-devil Boko Haram members visited terror on innocent Nigerians in the ancient city of Zaria, Kaduna state.

    In the wake of recent floods in some parts of the country, we all rose up in support of the victims. But we watch on local television and read in news dailies how victims of Boko Haram insurgency have continued to cry for help only for us, including those whose responsibility it is to offer help, to maintain sealed lips and deaf ears. Aside from visiting the flood victims, Mr President had in the first place dispatched a number of his ministers to visit the affected states for an on-the spot assessment tour. As a follow-up, the president also set up a fund-raising committee headed by billionaire business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote to raise money for victims of floods. Though commendable, can’t same be done to victims of Boko Haram in other states where the faceless group had registered its presence?

    Mr President, you are the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Your number-one duty is to ensure that we are safe from internal and external aggression. Sir, they is absolutely nothing wrong if you temporarily shift your base from cosy office in Abuja and have a feel of what your fellow country men and women have been going through in Yobe and Borno states.

    Boko Haram is a national calamity. If we continue to use regional binoculars in viewing their nefarious activities, then we are indeed far from recording meaningful success in our effort to overcome the group.

    Sir, since you are afraid of visiting Borno and Yobe states for reasons you lack the courage to tell us, should we now assume that the states are no longer part of this geographical enclave called Nigeria?

    • Abdullahi Yunusa,

    Minna, Niger State.

  • FROM THE CELL PHONE

    FROM THE CELL PHONE

    For Gbenga Omotoso

     

    I will rather not comment on the Ribadu report. I disagree on your conclusions on the Wammako flogging of PHCN manager. In fact, I believe Wammako should flog more people in the company including its management. I, as a Nigerian, appreciate Wammako. From Fola Aiyegbusi.

    At Oronsaye’s age he should not allow himself to be consumed by lipservice and loyalty to government intrigues and petroleum mafias. He has started another inglorious journey like his ill-fated public service reforms that were greeted with controversy. As for Wamakko, the PHCN manager should document his evidences to prosecute him after his exit from office. From Samuel Ikechuku, Ozoro

    I am reluctant to comment on what Prof. Chinua Achebe said in his book on Chief Awolowo. He should consult the Obafemi Awolowo Universityn (OAU) library and read what the Biafran architect wrote in his book – EMEKA. Awolowo was never indicted. From Adeyitayo Ogunleye, Ondo State

    I think Dr. Saraki did his best politically. In the cause of discharging an upright professional duty during the 1983 elections, in the defunct Kwara, my late father, then a DPO at Isanlu, Kabba, a volatile area, impressed the late Oloye and he wanted to know the dedicated officer. They never met here on earth. Good night, the quintessential Oloye of the Ilorin people. May Allah grant you Aljanah Fidausi, Amen. From Dan. Idakwo

    Abubakar Saraki was still relevant even at 79. What a great man! All Nigerians should see him as a mentor and a great leader. From Hon. Emma Itodo JP. Otukpo, Benue State

    Who takes over from the late Saraki, considering the political battle to finish in the last election between Bukola and his late father. From Nuh, Oyo State

    Thanks for your write-up. Let me say this; it is not easy to fight the cabal in the oil sector because they are the ones who bankroll elections and you know what it means to fight such a cabal. Anonymous

    Re: Intrigues, rage in high places: That Ribadu’s report was rubbished by Oronsaye’s unguided action should not surprise a discerning mind. The President is the harbinger of the mess. Oronsaye and others were deliberately planted to protect the interest of treasury looters in the oil industry and PDP. One would have expected someone of Oronsaye’s calibre to behave better. The clique will never allow light into darkness. That is the presidency and its ilk for you. Pure double standard and corruption in high places! What a shame! From Pastor Odunmbaku

    If Ribadu had learnt any lesson from the wise saying that ‘once bitten, twice shy’, he could have dodged the embarrassment he is facing following his acceptance of an assignment carefully designed by the government that seems to be more corrupt than the word to pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians. He should have learnt that, in the land, where majority of the people are incurably corrupt, fighting the monster is like signing one’s death warrant. Since they forced him out of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as the chairman, haven’t we seen the ‘successes’ his successors have recorded in the fight against corruption, especially when the elite class is involved? We know that there was a time when the name of that commission sent shivers down the spine of wealthy crooks. From Ifeanyi O. Ifeanyichukwu

    If plea bargaining had been used instead of insisting on a conventional trial for oil marketers, the money recovered would have been able to pay marketers for the importation of PMS and avoid the current scarcity, which may be a ploy to have fuel subsidy completely removed. Refusing to swear in Justice Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo because of her state of origin is a form of discrimination and the Constitution which is superior to any other law or policy protects her against rejection. The reason the Constitution appears so bad is our failure to obey it. Even if we produce the best possible Constitution, it will only be as good as our willingness to abide by it. Wamakko’s behaviour was unbecoming but if Osigwe decides on legal action he must be ready to explain the issue of the money which may not be in his best interest. Anonymous

     

    For Olatunji Dare

     

    Sir, it is quite unfortunate you are communicating to an audience which knows very little about how a standard university should be run. The pseudo-intellectual exercise that culminated into the selection of the least-qualified candidate, Prof. Ambali, is a sordid and unfortunate one. But an average Nigerian (especially students) believes change is change, even at the expense of merit. Should you need a comprehensive report on the selection, I will give you one. From Ishowo Lateef, Ilorin

    Your election post-mortem left out the demographic shift in the USnited States as the icing on the cake that gave Obama the stunning victory. From John Makurdi

    Thanks, for the master piece. I believe if Nigerians can put religious, tribal and cultural sentiments aside during election, we will get there soon. From Muhammed Gafar, Ilorin

    Dear Dare, your analysis on the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor in the University of Ilorin ìs a graphic account of how to be a Vice-Chancellor without giving consideration to merit and excellence. Apart from Prof. Afolabi Toye, at the inception of the university who was then the Vice-Chancellor, others from Prof. Ibrahin Oba till date went through selection processes which had ethnic and religious colouration. In those days, the appointment of Vice- Chancellors was not necessarily from the university where one served or was serving as everything was on merit. I remember my years at ABU when Dr. Bala Usman of the blessed memory in the History Department was to be given a professorial chair in 1977, he rejected the offer on the excuse that he had not publìshed enough in the Journal of African History and in the Journal of Historical Society of Nigeria or any reasonable research. It is a different ball game these days. The National Universities Commission (NUC) should address this important issue and make a Nigerian university rank among the first 100 in the world. From Chief Apelogun, Ilesha

    What a compelling and insightful analytical piece on the US eletion. The result may, indeed, be a wake-up call on the actual position on preferences and realities in that beautiful democracy. From Tayo Lawal, LSG Information & Strategy

    Re: Election USA: The election has come and gone but the great lesson is that it was devoid of rigging in any form – police, soldiers, security forces, electoral officers and all related agencies were not used to scuttle the wishes of the people, despite the fierce debate and robust campaigns by the candidates. More significant was the absence of thugs/thuggery of any nature. The political parties must learn to play the game according to the rules. Election must be won on action not on incumbency syndrome or use of force by the ruling party. There was no corruption in any form. Nigerians are matured enough to have credible elections devoid of syndicated results. All electoral agencies must not be at the mercy of the president. 2015 must be better organised and based on party/individual performances. God bless Nigeria. From Pastor Odunmbaku.

    Re: Election USA: a post-mortem. Despite the attributes or lack of such, the election was interesting and worth watching and learning from! If my country displays such, politically, we would be at peace and we would bother less about who wins or who loses. Antithetical, ACN is going to the Election Tribunal on Ondo election results, clearly declared. Must people win through the court all the time rather than by the people? From Lanre Oseni

    I was shocked to see that the American electoral system is organised in such a way that even if you win the popular vote, you could still lose the election if the other candidate gets the “exclusive” electoral college votes. This scenario played out when Bush beat Al Gore in the past. I do not see what is democratic about a few people’s votes being superior to those of millions of others. What happened to minority will have their say and the majority will have their way. In my opinion, this system is open to manipulation. If what they say about America’s Presidents being handpicked by a clique at meetings in the Bohemian Grove is true, then the electoral college system might just be the vessel used to ensure victory for the clique’s candidate. Anonymous

     

    For Segun Gbadegesin

     

    Dr. Olusola Saraki, no doubt, loved his people and his people did not fail to reciprocate the gesture. It was a mutual relationship from the beginnig to the end. May his gentle soul rest in peace. Anonymous

    My point exactly on the constant and personalised attacks on Gen. Muhammadu Buhari by Doyin Okupe. Okupe forgets the President’s mandate derives from Nigerians and his insults on opposition leaders could make Nigerians swing their votes in the next election. Nobody becomes great attacking others. Dr. Doyin Okupe has no business in a decent administration like Jonathan’s. S.T.Zimughan, CEO, Dr.Goodluck Jonathan Forum for Global Peace. Anonymous

    Re: The Lam effect. We will greatly miss the late Lam Adesina. I hope people will be committed and kind-hearted to earn the kind of encomiums being poured on the late Lam when they depart to the great beyond. May Lam’s soul rest in peace, ameen. From Lanre Oseni

    I have been very uncomfortable with the views of most journalists on some sensitive national and constitutional issues like the death penalty as it concerns killing and corruption. Please, we have a Constitution and it should be sacrosant and we all know that corruption is the worst enemy of the Nigerian society. Please, let us stop pretending about this and being emotional about crime and its consequences. And when one is a victim, he/she cries to the high heavens. So, I support Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the ACF on their stands. From Ken Nwanguma, Imo State

     

  • NRC and passengers safety

    NRC and passengers safety

    SIR: It is no longer news that the Nigerian Railway Corporation has been making claims on the improvement of its services especially on its Iddo/Ijoko passengers’ movements on daily basis. In as much as it is true that the number of trips on this route have increased tremendously in the last few months, what the Corporation fails to tell the world is the unpleasant condition in which the passengers are made to bear on such journeys.

    It is regrettable that a corporation that is a parastatal of government and saddled with the duty of transporting people has continued to contribute to the discomfort of its passengers. These are in view of the fact that most of the coaches have no light, fans are not available in most cases, and where available at all, not functioning. The few (may be one in a coach) that works are mostly switched off at will.

    It is a regular occurrence to see people fainting and collapsing as a result of the extreme heat that passengers are daily exposed to. It is absurd to mention here that most of the Stations where passengers wait to buy tickets/board are dirty, unsecured and are without any comfort from weather elements such as rain and sun. You hardly find seats to sit on while waiting for the trains.

    As usual in our environment, some “yes sir” NRC officials might call this letter a sponsored one to tarnish the image of the corporation, but I made bold to say that any willing member of the society can come on board any day on such trips commencing from 6.20am, 7.00am from Ijoko, and then, 5.40pm trip from Apapa and 6.30pm and 7.15pm trips from Iddo especially to witness my points here. Nigerians are being loaded like animals in cages without adequate ventilation, and NRC is not bothered as they continue to sell their tickets to make money daily. They are delighted in using the Police to harass any dissenting voice wanting to challenge their cruelty and insensitivities.

    As a matter of top priority, NRC must ensure that all electrical fittings in the coaches are put in shape with functional bulbs/fluorescents and fans. It must ensure that the fans are put on whenever passengers are on board. To eliminate the incidents of people fainting due to suffocation arising from rowdiness, additional coaches should be added to each trip to reduce the numbers of standing passengers.

    As it were at the moment, the reality on Iddo-Ijoko Passengers Train rides is that of a hell. The Managing Director of NRC,Engr. Adeseye Sijuwade must see to it that sanity, security and comfort of passengers are ensured and sustained now without further delay and laxity.

    • Tunde Jacobs

    10, Oseni Street,

    Delman Bus-stop, Ijoko-Lemode

     

  • Fani-Kayode’s incredible illogic

    Fani-Kayode’s incredible illogic

    Yesterday, nearly all newspapers gave generous treatment to Chief Femi Fani-Kayode’s snide remarks on President Goodluck Jonathan’s dismissal of the Odi invasion. The president had during his recent media chat made wry comments on former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s methods of fighting terrorism. Obasanjo, who pictures himself a strong leader, had in Warri on the occasion of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor’s 40th anniversary of pastoral work sanctimoniously declared that Jonathan was ineffective in fighting Boko Haram. The former president pointedly gloated over the orders he gave in 1999 for the invasion of Odi, Bayelsa State. Said he: “My fear is that when you have a sore and you don’t attend to it early enough, it festers and becomes very bad. Don’t leave a problem that can be bad unattended…I attended to a problem that I saw; I sent soldiers. They were killed, 19 of them (were) decapitated. If I had allowed that to continue, I would not have the authority to send security anywhere again. I attended to it. If you say you do not want a strong leader, who can have all the characteristics of a leader, including the fear of God, then, you have a weak leader and the rest of the problem is yours.”

    Apparently incensed, but doing his best to hide it, Jonathan had retorted during the said media chat: “After that invasion, myself (as deputy governor) and the governor entered Odi…and saw some dead people. Most of the people that died in Odi were mostly old men, women and children; none of the militants was killed. If bombarding Odi was to solve the problem, then it was never solved. If the attack on Odi had solved the problem of militancy in the Niger Delta, then the Yar’ Adua government would not have come up with the amnesty programme. So, that should tell you that the attack on Odi never solved the militancy problem and we had more challenges after that attack on Odi.” Jonathan was referring to a recent part of our history, a part most of us were witnesses to. How could anyone fault this verifiable account?

    But Fani-Kayode is not anyone. He knows how to get water from a rock; and in spite of his well- known irreverence and what his detractors describe as his facile tendency to apostasy, he knows how to procure the miracle of turning the bitter waters of Marah to sweet, and effecting changes in colours without being a chemist. Responding to Jonathan’s rebuttal of Obasanjo’s unkind characterisation of the president, he had tendentiously declared: “After the Federal Government’s strong military response in Zaki Biam, the killing of security personnel with impunity stopped. The objectives of the military operations in both Odi and Zaki Biam were to stop such killings, to eliminate and deal a fatal blow to those that perpetuated them and to discourage those that may seek to carry out such barbarous butchery and mindless violence in the future…By doing what he did at Odi and Zaki Biam President Obasanjo saved the lives of many and put a stop to the killings and terrorism that had taken root in the Niger Delta area previous to that time…He brought justice to the perpetrators quickly and promptly and he did whatever he had to do to protect the lives and property of the Nigerian people.”

    Did Fani-Kayode respond to Jonathan’s observation that no militant was killed in 1999 at Odi, and that the old general’s sense of decisiveness and justice were grossly perverted? No. He simply sidetracked it by waffling about security goals achievable through indiscriminate, state-sponsored killings. Both Obasanjo and Fani-Kayode in fact gave the impression that collateral damage in security operations was acceptable. Worse, they even suggest that scorched-earth approach is an effective deterrent to criminality. Fani-Kayode talks of barbarism in his rejoinder without really knowing what it means or who to apply it to: is it to those who ambushed opposing soldiers and policemen and murdered them; or to a government that destroys two communities of women and children and the innocent in order to punish fleeing militants? One, it seems, should be tried in a local court; and the second doubtless should be tried for crimes against humanity.

     

     

     

     

  • Gov. Amosun: Sango-Ojodu road is waiting

    Gov. Amosun: Sango-Ojodu road is waiting

    SIR: The plan of Ogun state government to reconstruct the road from Sango under Bridge through Ijoko to Ojodu is no longer news. On this plan, the people along this long stretch of road who are daily suffering the pitiable conditions of the road are more than anxious to see the project start in earnest.

    May I use this opportunity to call on Governor Ibikunle Amosun (Eyi o wu a wi, toluwa ti se) to ensure that nothing stops the full commencement of the road as soon as possible, because what we heard initially was that the project will start in November, now the month of November is already fading away without any sight or sound of action on the road.

    The people along the route have wasted and still wasting productive man-hours, financial resources on vehicles maintenance, high cost of transportation being charged by drivers that ply the road as they have to break even in their business among others. The daily suffering and inconveniences of the road cannot be quantified.

    Former Governor Segun Osoba will forever be remembered for opening up the road during his time, and thus brought development and people to the area, former Governor Gbenga Daniel will also be remembered for neglecting the road for the eight years he spent, and thus diminished the steady development of the area, so Governor Amosun should endeavour to have his name on record as the one that uplifted the road to a high standard for the benefit of all and mankind. Definitely, history has different chapters for all actors of life on which posterity will judge every individual and government.

    Sango-Ojodu road is waiting, so, Gov. Amosun, roll out the Tractors now.

    • Awelewa Babafemi

    Ogo-Oluwa Street,

    Oposuru/Railway axis, Ijoko.

     

  • Shell’s operations getting more injurious in Delta

    Shell’s operations getting more injurious in Delta

    SIR: Shell has been operating in Nigeria for more than 50 years now, and the Nigerian people have nothing to show for their operations. Crude Oil is being produced, refined and sold at the expense of the Nigerian people. Shell, being a very large Multinational Oil and Gas Company has infiltrated the very corrupt Nigerian Government officials and held them hostage. For instance, the Petroleum Industry Bill has not been passed because Shell and other oil companies are opposing the Tax Regime, whereas, they pay more taxes in other places like UK and Holland where they operate. Shell allegedly a means of engaging, bribing and infiltrating government officials and regulatorsso that favourable policies are passed. These they do through alleged award of contracts to influential community members. Most of Shell’s Surveillance Contracts are allegedly given to the kings or leaders of the host communities to silence them.

    In UK, Oman, Russia and such other countries, there are strict Corporate Governance Guidelines and Codes which Shell adhere strictly to. But in Nigeria, it is the direct opposite. In Nigeria, they do whatever they want and get away with it because they have willing accomplices in the corrupt government officials and regulators who are on their payroll. Shell is flaring millions of cubic feet of gas into the Nigerian atmosphere daily (SCF/d) irrespective of all the cries and noticeable effects about Global Warming and Ozone Layer Depletion.

    These things are currently being experienced in Nigeria that we didn’t used to experience: Acid rain, sea-level rise (as is being experienced where villages have been sacked), ecosystem imbalance, extreme weather like hurricanes, and extinction of plants and animals.

    However, Shell is not bothered and still smiling to the bank. Instead of having Gas Gathering Facilities to gather, compress and use the gas for useful purposes, Shell is more comfortable flaring it, thereby, wilfully sabotaging the Nigerian economy of the millions of dollars accruable from the sale of gas to Nigerian users, African users and to the rest of the world. Terrible things will happen in the future if Shell does not stop gas flaring immediately.

    Responsible companies consider the environment and social wellbeing, in addition to profit. But Shell considers only profit and doesn’t care about the environment (evidenced by the continuous gas flaring, crude oil spillages, improper remediation activities, etc) or People (malicious sack of employees in the name of Divestment, sack of uncooperating Union workers, etc).

    We are appealing to international bodies to call Shell to order before they destroy our country and leave for elsewhere. We have borne it enough. Crude oil is more of a curse to we the Niger Deltans than blessing. They have polluted our environment, destroyed our ecosystem, rendered our youths, farmers and fishermen jobless and sacked the few they managed to employ.

     

    • Delta Rights Group,

    Delta State.

     

  • Nigerian leaders must change from their ways

    Nigerian leaders must change from their ways

    SIR: The state of the Nigerian nation is worrisome and we must appreciate the fact that Nigeria and Nigerians need prayers. Nobody understands the present situation. And the leaders we have around should be sincere for the sake of corporate existence of Nigeria . But they are hiding a lot of things from the public.

    The brazen unfaithfulness in the nation breeds corruption and fraudulent practices that are eating deep into the resources of the nation and affecting the economy very seriously, thus leading to inadequacy of infrastructure which the economy needs for grow.

    Our electricity is not functioning as expected and the authorities are collecting money. People are paying money for the water that is not supplied. Instead of the government to provide electricity, water and other basic amenities, they are short-changing the public by importing generators for the public; even in Benin Republic they are not using generator.

    Leaders are using the money for the convenience of the people, not for their own personal gain.

    Our roads are not motorable. They are death traps as the money that is supposed to be used to fix our roads are being shared to buy trailers and heavy trucks that are spoiling the roads and causing fatal accidents, claiming the lives of the citizenry without any care.

    On the petrol subsidy money, government is not subsidizing anything. They are using the money accruing from increase in petrol price to build refineries outside the nation and petrol stations for us in Nigeria , where fuel is being sold to us at exorbitant rates.

    They are increasing tuition fees in higher institutions, beyond poor man’s reach without creating jobs. Nigerians are already frustrated, hence the spate of kidnapping, blood shedding, armed-robbery and sundry forms of killings here and there. Our leaders should know that if the children of the poor are hungry, the children of the rich will not sleep.

    Let our leaders be warned that unfaithfulness and corruption will continue to frustrate people and the more frustrated the people are, the more problems should be expected in this nation.

    The word of God says “righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people,” Proverbs 14: 34 . Our leaders in every sphere of governance should read the handwriting on the wall and repent, or they should be expecting more problems for the nation because in Proverbs 15: 27, it is written: “He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, but, he who hates bribe will live.”

    Also, 2 Chronicles 7: 14-15 records: “If my people who are called by my name could humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then, I will hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land… Now my eyes will be opened and my ear attentive to prayers…”

    Therefore, let our leaders repent from their wickedness, selfish ways, so that God can hear our prayers. When a country is well governed, there will be peace, prosperity and progress throughout the nation. A word is enough for the wise.

     

    • Pastor Raphael Olalekan-Adesina,

    General Overseer, His ComingEvangelical Church

    Int’l Inc, Nigeria.

     

  • China and the emergence of Xi Jinping

    China and the emergence of Xi Jinping

    Whatever anyone may say, China’s single-party political structure has served the country well in quite a remarkable way. It has ensured stability, unity, and since 1978, enviable and measurable progress. The bitter memory of the turbulent years when the iconic leader, Mao Zedong, unleashed the disastrous Great Leap Forward (1958-1961), has faded. That experiment led to the death of an estimated 45 million people and the impoverishment and malnourishment of more than 200 million others. China only began to make steady recovery when Deng Xiaoping, who held the position of paramount leader between 1978 and 1992, enunciated and implemented a different developmental paradigm. Mr Deng, it will be recalled, was himself a victim of the Cultural Revolution that began in 1966 and lasted until Mao’s death in 1976.

    In the past three decades, the Chinese economy has grown at more than 10 percent, and that growth rate was sustained through the exemplary leaderships of Hu Yaobang, Zhao Ziyang, Jiang Semin, and Hu Jintao. China’s story since Mr Deng has been one of decades of stability and phenomenal growth. That stupendous growth has seen China emerge as the second-largest economy in the world, a feat that has made it an industrial society, of course with all the accompanying contradictions and challenges, some domestic, and others international.

    While China’s economic indicators continue to dazzle, what thrills observers more is the ease with which the country has managed its leadership succession for so long. Thus, after a very successful 10-year presidency of Hu Jintao, China is once again poised for a fresh 10 years of the 59-year-old Xi Jinping. He is expected to navigate the treacherous social, economic, political and international undercurrents the country’s rising influence and power will throw up. Having assumed the highest Communist Party of China (CPC) position of General Secretary of the Central Committee after last week’s convocation of the 18th National Congress, Mr Xi, who was vice president to Mr Hu, will in March 2013 when he formally assumes office inherit a slowing economy that is growing at about eight percent instead of the more than 11 percent they had been used to for more than a decade. Britain’s by comparison is projected to grow at one percent next year.

    According to the Daily Mail of London, China, since Mr Deng, “Consumes nearly half the world’s concrete every year, and the country now bristles with skyscrapers and high-speed railways. China’s defence spending has quadrupled in 10 years, it has cyber-warfare capabilities, anti-satellite missiles and is developing the Shenlong passenger spaceplane, capable of travelling at supersonic speeds on the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere. Incomes in the past decade have tripled and the number of Chinese with basic health care and pensions has reached 95per cent. The country boasts a million millionaires and several billionaires, while the middle class has expanded to 500 million people. In that decade, a segment of Chinese society equivalent to the entire population of America has bought a smartphone. It is only a matter of time before the country overtakes America as the world’s pre-eminent superpower.”

    But beyond its enviable economic and strategic profiles, China is doubtless a well-governed society. Its leaders have ruled with far more discipline and patriotism than Nigeria has ever enjoyed. Its foreign policy may lack what some describe as a moral core, but the country has nonetheless projected power and, to some extent, even ideology, quite admirably. By ensuring relatively smooth leadership succession since 1978, minus the hiccups in the 1980s that led to the ouster of Hu Yaobang, his eventual death, and the Tiananmen Square protests, China has assured stability that only monarchies seem capable of and many democracies dream of. The country has grown so rapidly in every measurable area that the West now sees it as the major rival in the near future, much more than Russia.

    Though it has not really tried to export its politico-economic ideology of ‘socialist market economy’, many African countries, especially Nigeria, could borrow a leaf from Mr Deng’s brilliance and originality by formulating unique hybrid of altruistic economic and political ideologies. China may not fit into our general understanding of popular or participatory democracy, however, the fact is that that country evidently works and has proved to be much more transforming than Nigerian leaders’ sloganeering. The Chinese model offers huge lessons for Nigerian leaders who may wish to study the history of China since Mao. For sure, they will appreciate anew the rigour that goes into conceptualising developmental paradigms that really work. In particular, by studying the symbiotic leadership of Deng Xiaoping and Hu Yaobang, Nigerian leaders may begin to recognise why critics berate their half-hearted attempts at making structural changes that do not go beyond tinkering with the tenure system and wastefully balkanising the country.