The Nation Newspaper

Category: Commentaries

  • Delta: What Uduaghan got right

    Delta: What Uduaghan got right

    He may not have performed to the utmost satisfaction of critics who, based on the spate of recent kidnappings in the state, had to draw hasty conclusions that Delta under Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has not only collapsed in terms of security of lives and property, but also on infrastructures.

    Although, these cynics are entitled to their own opinions, but the truth strongly lies in the fact that such arm-chair criticism cannot take one laudable achievement from Dr. Uduaghan, and this is the fact that Delta is at pace!

    From casual discussions to formal ones, I have actually made attempts to administering questionnaires on one project Dr. Uduaghan, the Governor of Delta State has got right since he became the executive governor of the state.

    Responses were not encouraging as most people spoken to, generally, have become cynical about government and nihilistic that nothing good can come from it whether in Delta State or anywhere in the country.

    Severally too, I have discarded the assessment project until I met an old woman whom I offered a ride from Ughelli to Oleh. Mama Rukome was angry that her customers didn’t pay for her commodity on time, hence she was stranded at the point I met her.

    When I probed further, Mama made me understand that she had not for any reason, in the past two years she has been plying the Oleh /Ughelli route trading in “tapioka or kpokpogari” missed the Uduaghan bus. Meaning Mama has been patronising the Uduaghan transit bus because it provides comfort, it is reliable and above all, it is affordable. Mama Rukome does not bask in this euphoria alone.

    There are other Deltans who couldn’t hide their joy for the relief the Uduaghan’s mass transit has brought. If not for the fact that the Delta mass transit was not extended to the riverine areas of the State, the Delta mass transit would have dwarfed other projects as one project Dr. Uduaghan has got right.

    Tellingly, security of lives and property has been an enormous challenge to the leadership of this country. It became monstrous soon after the civil war when arms found their ways into the hands of people who, ordinarily, were not supposed to have custody of such weapons.

    The smiles brought about by a return to democracy after what seemed to have been an endless wait for it was short-lived.

    Again, the despicable level of insecurity in the country got out of control when the nation’s economy took a dive down the precipice.

    Some sophistication was injected into robbery and other related crimes. The militant activities of Niger Delta youths and their commercial romance with Lebanese and Russians crude oil merchants gave crime a fillip in the coast of South- South Nigeria.

    The present Delta State government has demonstrated that it is learning very fast from past security pitfalls. It was an ingenious Dr. Uduaghan who realised quite on time that collaboration with the military would bring about the much deserved safety of lives and property in the state.

    Deltans living outside the state can attest to the fact that the security situation in the state has improved. To be fair to Dr. Uduaghan, I think there couldn’t have been anything Deltans had wished for more than peace and security.

    If you ask an Itsekiri man, or an Urhobo man or an Ijaw man, what he would like to have in place of peace and security, without hesitation, he will tell you peace and security cannot be traded for anything. This is no thanks to the avoidable communal crises that further worsened the level of underdevelopment in the area.

    The Uduaghan security initiative has made it possible to drive through Sapele/Warri road and Sapele/Abraka road on one hand, and the other Ughelli/Kwale/Asaba road without encountering a bloody clash.

    We should not whip up sentiments and take undue advantage of the fact that infrastructures in the state are decaying. Also we were all witnesses to the prolonged court case over who was the duly elected governor of the state. That alone was enough distraction.

    Quite regretfully though, Deltans had at a time lived in feverish fear. Warri, Sapele, Ughelli, Oleh, to mention but a few, were towns in the state that were notorious for dare-devil robbery attacks.

    Last year, August to be precise, Kwale (Utagba-Ogbe) witnessed one of the fiercest robbery attacks on a new generational bank in the whole of Ndukwa nation. Same last year, a youth corp member serving at Oleh was shot dead outside Emore Secondary School where he was attached to for the 12 months compulsory primary assignment.

    Understandably, kidnap cases were even more dreaded than robbery. Both the mighty and the not too high in Delta State were in awe of kidnappers. In some cases, their victims were murdered in cold blood before ransom was paid.

    My neighbour and the Managing Director of DeltanLine, Elder Eyone Isaiah, was picked up from his country home one drizzling night in October, 2011. He didn’t regain his freedom until an undisclosed amount of money was paid. But the good thing is that he was released and those behind the crime are presently in police custody awaiting prosecution.

    There have been so many kidnap cases that were foiled by the JTF team in the state. Before this time, it was reminiscent of a “Nightfall in Soweto”.

    But Dr. Uduaghan has stepped up to these challenges. Men of JTF are common sights on highways and street corners. Robbers and kidnapers now know that it is no longer safe in to carry out their criminal trade in Delta State.

    Whichever way it is looked at, Delta has made some considerable progress in the safety of lives and property. Come to think of it, development can only thrive in an environment that is safe. True, investors cannot invest in an environment deep in crisis. The return of oil servicing companies to Warri is a sure sign that things are getting better in our Delta.

    Ubaka a social critic, wrote from Koko in Warri-North LGA

     

  • LASSA, please check indecent advertising

    LASSA, please check indecent advertising

    There is no doubt that the administration of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola has been doing its best to make Lagos State live to its lingo as the ‘State of Excellence’. However, there are some salient untoward happenings which urgently require the attention of the State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASSA) and by extension, the State House of Assembly. It is common to find boutique managers displaying openly dummies of naked women, all in the name of doing business. This is bad for children and teenagers who are passersby on streets and roads where such boutiques are located.

    Managers of such boutiques also fail to realize that this not only give a bad image to the state but also portrays the country in bad light. This unfortunate development in the state, and possibly in other states in the country, becomes worrisome when it is common to find law enforcement agents such as the police, staff of KAI (Kick Against Indiscipline), the agency established by the Lagos State government to check acts of indiscipline in the state and who should be courageous enough to check the societal menace by cautioning the boutique managers look the other way.

    Another societal menace many are grappling with has to do with noise pollution from speakers of record sellers. A good example of an area that is notorious for this is Pen Cinema in Agege Local Government Area. The menace is so pronounced that it has become impossible to make or receive calls within 200 metres from all roads in that vicinity.

    It is rather unfortunate that rather than the noise pollution menace in the state to abate, it is on the increase and becoming more widespread despite the firm presence of LASSA that is charged with responsibility of advertising policy in the state.

    It is therefore hoped that LASSA will sensitize boutique owners and record sellers on the dire need for decency and decorum to be imbibed in the manner by which products and services are advertised in the state.

     

    Odunayo Joseph

    Iju, Lagos State.

     

  • Imminent death of Igbo Language

    Imminent death of Igbo Language

    Every Igbo knows one way or the other, it is a matter of time before the language goes extinct. The factors that would lead to these are not farfetched. On many occasions we have tried to bring the attention of those that matter to this issue through the media. One can only hope that someday the right choices will be made. Igbo has a rich cultural heritage that dates back to the 30th century. Around the 9th century, bronzes found at Igbo-Ukwu were used to make items like iron swords, bronze and copper vases and ornament. The Portuguese explorers made contact with Igbos in 1434 long before the Atlantic slave trade exports that took millions of Igbo people including other Africans to America. Although historians of Igbo culture have not agreed on their exact origin some believe that they have been located around the Niger-Benue confluence. Hence, due to population pressure, they migrated through the Niger. But generally, history tells us that many of these tribes supposedly came from different parts of Africa many centuries ago. Several history books claim that these tribes originated from Sudan, Egypt, North Africa and other territories. Nevertheless the Igbos, Hausas and Yorubas were among the early settlers in Nigeria. It is part of our history that Igbos have manifested their zest for adventure and industry in their roles as national public servants, educators, captains of industry and commerce and philanthropists.

    The colonial contact brought many changes in the traditions of Igbo people. With the arrival of a new culture, the Igbo traditional beliefs, religion, family structure and functions including social stratification were all affected. The gradual substitution of new status values for the old in the areas most exposed to the foreign rule had infectious impact. For instance, the modern Igbo with his Christian education and western orientations have the belief that the good will be rewarded in heaven while the bad will end up in hell after the judgment day whereas, the traditional Igbo believe in the ideology that the spirit goes neither to heaven nor hell but comes back on earth to join his lineage.

    Another thing is our adventurous nature. The Igbo people are increasingly mobile, they were found in all parts of the country before the civil war broke out. They are also presently found in many African countries particularly Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia and Dakar. Unfortunately, not much is done by the Igbos outside to preserve their culture and language especially to their new born. This is because they are traders and industrialists, they tend to blend with their immediate environment in all ramifications. Their dressing, language and tradition gradually fade. The most unfortunate and a major contributor is the fact that most Igbos do not visit home often, they stay many years without a single visit. Some have never been to their hometown because of a misguided belief that their hometown is bewitched and ridden with evil spirits.

    Igbos accept changes so easily and adapt to them. They readily embrace the western type of education through Christian philosophy of evangelism. This is what is depicted in our home videos today. There has been no effort by the Nollywood directors and writers to educate us a little about our history, one that will make people see and understand that the region was not completely primitive. No attempt to paint a beautiful picture of the culture and tradition of the Igbos. No attempt to depict the Igbo history based on events that took place in the past.

    Another thing is to learn to give honour to whom it is due. Prof. Chinua Achebe, has taken a bold step to regain the pride we once had for our language with a new Igbo dictionary/encyclopaedia. This is very important as Igbo is the only tribe among the three major tribes in the country without a channel on DSTV. The others have Africa Magic in Hausa and Yoruba. Sadly, most of the English speaking Nollywood films are done by Igbo actors and directors. Further steps needs to be taken to ensure that the language is heard on renowned radio network service like BBC, Voice of America and others like German radio, France and Chinese radio if possible. As the Hausa language has achieved success with the Hausa BBC station.

    Until we take this issue seriously, we will be working towards the prediction that the Igbo language will go extinct by 2025.

    Ugochukwu Obinka

    Director, Planning and Research

     

  • Road map to Nigeria’s greatness and glory days

    Road map to Nigeria’s greatness and glory days

    For well over two decades, there has been a growing concern about the deplorable social and economic state of the Nigerian nation. Successive governments in Nigeria have been condemned and variously described as corrupt, inept, incompetent, negligent, reckless, inefficient and unresponsive to the yearnings and welfare of the people. Because these governments appear ill-founded and the major actors seemingly bereft of ideas, they were unable to steer the ship of the Nigerian state out of murky waters of retrogression and move it forward. A lot of Nigerians lost faith or are rapidly losing faith in their country. A host of them migrate daily to other lands and contribute meaningfully to their host countries what they should have given to Nigeria on a platter.

    Good governance cannot be taken for granted or undermined in the life of any nation. It is a major determinant of a country’s progress and most especially a determinant of a country’s success rating in the comity of nations. It therefore behoves any serious- minded government, authority and people to take it seriously. Everyone we have asked how Nigeria’s problem can be solved has promptly replied that we need focused people in leadership positions. Interestingly, Nigeria is blessed with achievers, persons who are patriotic and love Nigeria dearly. Persons who will work tirelessly for her without asking for any reward or recompense; Persons of integrity not of doubtful character, civil, conscientious and trustworthy. Unfortunately, most of them are often frustrated and obstructed from participating in government. Government College products easily and definitely fall into this category of people because of their enduring legacies of solid educational foundation, sound moral values and quality service delivery. In addition to possessing most of these virtues, they have been well-groomed through their top quality training to assume positions of responsibility in a credible society. They have been found to be reliable, dependable, altruistic, focused, hardworking, result-oriented and are most unlikely to yield to influences for evil or bad practices.

    A few questions are germane here: Is the existence of this category of people known? Are they an endangered species? Can they be easily and readily identified? Are their tribes being properly utilised? Are they themselves readily available and accessible? Are they proactive, publicise or market themselves properly and sufficiently? Are they being well- branded and packaged to attract positive response? Questions, questions, questions.

    It has also been observed that the pre-1980 Government College Ibadan Old Boys as indeed like-minded Old Students from other Government Secondary Schools of that era up and down the country have a lot to show for the education they received and they are eager to do so. Many of their qualities have remained untapped by the Nigerian society. However the authorities and the society have repeatedly and consistently exploited their good nature, dedication to work, modesty and candour without commensurable reward. Values other than edifying, deification of money, corruption, fraud and moral decadence rule the Nigerian waves. The Nigerian space is dangerously polluted in every facet and this unfortunately is in the public domain. Rumours of disruption, corruption and looting of the commonwealth, destruction of our psyche and humanness, ethnic jingoism and political jobbery and brigandage are rife and the authorities seem powerless to handle or halt their escalation.

    Beyond 1980, after the cataclysmic disruption and overturn of the status quo, Government College Ibadan entrants have been drawn from a small geographical area (called catchment area) and it has had serious and telling effect on the standard of the school. It has also progressively eroded and limited the percentage of talents available at each year of entry. The boarding system, which was the adamantine bedrock of the great school tradition, mores and high values, has been virulently attacked, stiffed strangulated and finally scrapped. The real magic that once moulded and formed the boys’ character has disappeared. In its wake, a near death affliction on the College. The aftermath, confusion rudderlessness, ill-conceived and inconsistent policies from one administration to the other.

    Today, many challenges knaw and strike repeatedly at the conscience of the college, its old boys and the education sector, namely: how to redeem the battered image of the school; rapidly halt and reverse falling standards in education and scholarship; overcome the glorification of mediocre leadership and enshrine meritocracy in all spheres of our endeavour. The race is starting with the Ideas Group.

    As these challenges multiply and grow, our thinking and attitude must radically change to confront them. We have to react positively and meaningfully. Even in this hostile Nigerian environment which hardly recognises merits and rewards industry, hardwork and productivity, some GCI Old Boys have managed to excel and distinguish themselves attaining the pinnacle of their career wherever they have found themselves by dint of self determination and effort against daunting odds. Getting to the top would certainly have cost less if they operated from a well organized group equipped to support, encourage, succor, advise and mentor them. Such a group whatever name it carries is long overdue – a group that would constantly give a solid backing, pressure and IDEAS for nation building. Churches speak out, so do the mosques as indeed professional bodies, Labour Unions, Student Unions, Lecturers, Market Women, Artisans. The list is endless. They all speak out vociferously on matters that impinge on their welfare, lives, livelihood and national affairs. Should products of Government College and other responsible institutions remain docile for God knows how long? The time is now for them to wake up and speak out and chart a course for our nation. Speaking out requires a re-orientation dynamics and re-jiggling of a modus operandi in order to attain clearer objectives.

    Public relations and regular commentaries will form the thrust. It is expected that this will gain recognition within the Nigerian society – its political and economic space. Its scope will cover and forge ahead with re-engineering, reconnection, networking and breaking the jinx of individualism and parochialism.

    We have the new information order and the unhalting progress in the IT world to thank for rapid communication and networking. We hope to relaunch a bid for societal relevance.

    To achieve this, the IDEAS GROUP will interact with like minds and other progressive bodies in the country at different levels. Additionally, men and women of integrity and high moral values will be wooed and encouraged for a good working relationship – to think along the same lines and achieve the same goals for the good of all our citizenry. The ultimate aim is to channel these activities to dovetail into creating an enduring legacy for all.

    We strongly believe that our country Nigeria can and should be salvaged. Capable men and women abound – men of integrity, honesty and sincerity. When a level playing ground is created, this indomitable breed of Nigerians will emerge to extricate Nigeria from its quagmire and move it forward leveraging on purposeful leadership and informed and discerning followership

     

    Oni, a Medical practitioner wrote from Ibadan

     

  • So, Labaran Maku talks nineteen to the dozen

    So, Labaran Maku talks nineteen to the dozen

    Senate President David Mark was charitable early in the week when he described Information minister, Mr Labaran Maku, as a mere careless talker. Judging from the high voltage of his anger, he could very well have described the minister in more uncharitable terms. After all, this was not the first time the Senate would lose its temper in the face of ministerial bluffing, as Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi can affirm. Maku had last week described the resolution passed by an angry Senate against the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) plan to print N5000 banknote as advisory and not binding. Convinced they were not in the upper legislative chamber to market jokes, the Senate invited the minister to explain himself. A contrite Maku, who had no wish to grandstand like el-Rufai, told the Senate, as any repentant careless talker would always do, that he held the upper chamber in high esteem.

    It is a pity Mark offered us no assistance in documenting some of the careless talk Maku had engaged in prior to the Senate hoopla. But there is no doubt both the Senate and the public must have formed the unfavourable impression the minister actually talks nineteen to the dozen. Mark’s putdown resonated with the public, and it was accepted with relish. It will be recalled that the minister was voluble in the days fuel subsidy protest lasted, when he showed how fondly he loved to hear himself speak, sometimes declamatorily on any subject, including economics and law. Though he was still measured in comparison with Dr Doyin Okupe, the now famous presidential attack dog (or lion, as the physician fantasises), but certainly not less melodramatic, he has managed to impress everyone how overflowing he can be when he puts his mind and energies to talking.

    Though Mark was unsparing, having described Maku as talking before thinking properly, he and the Senate were nonetheless eager to accept the minister’s apology. They however warned that ministers who talked carelessly henceforth would be recommended for sack. Had they been as angry now as they could have been when Sanusi, the CBN governor, suggested in a lecture on the economy that unreasonably too much was expended on the National Assembly, he would have been the first candidate for the legislature-induced sack. It is well known that when it comes to verbal waterfalls, few people can hold a candle to Sanusi.

    But how would the eminent Senate describe one of their own in the lower chamber, the veritable Niagara, Hon Patrick Obahiagbon? Hear him pontificate on the fuel subsidy protest early in the year, according to a popular quote: “I have read with a catalytic disgust, government’s asinine and puerile ratiocinations attempting to justiceate the proposed removal of subsidies from petroleum products. It has asseverated that its intention is guided by the need to checkmate the odoriferous excesses of a Machiavellian and Mephistophelean cabal, and I have said to myself, what a shame! What a self-indicting admittance of the failure of governance! What an hocus-pocus! What an anathemalous disdain for its citizenry!” Perhaps the honourable legislator was misquoted. Or perhaps he was just being deliberately entertaining, and is otherwise a reserved person who is sometimes inflated by a passion for explosive talk.

    Though Maku has responded to Mark’s gentle rebuke by quickly apologising, it is not clear whether he understands that the Senate expects him to put a tougher leash on his natural tendency to “shoot before aiming.” But he shouldn’t feel too bad; he is in good company with most of humanity whose natural tendency is to be talkative both to nourish their egotism and to underscore their argumentativeness.

  • Bayelsa at 16: A paradigm shift in governance

    Bayelsa at 16: A paradigm shift in governance

    Some Monday October 1, the country will be marking its 52nd independence anniversary. Bayelsa State will equally be rolling out the drums to mark the 16th anniversary of its creation on October 1, 1996.

    Naturally, the state should command and evince the respect and admiration of all, owing to the discovery of oil in commercial quantity in Oloibiri in 1956. The discovery launched Nigeria into global reckoning as a major oil-producing nation. It is sad to note that 56 years after the discovery of oil and now 16 years since the creation of the state, not much has happened to alter the largely rural status of a state that is today nicknamed the Glory of all Lands.

    Oloibiri, the small, creek community where oil was first found in Nigeria, has today become some sort of metaphor. Several authors have written about Oloibiri. One author likened the abandoned creek community to a once beautiful village bride, who suffered countless rape by the same man who professed undying love for her and with several unfulfilled promises of marriage. Now she lies desolate and there is nothing left in her that is desirable for any man to treasure.

    Yet, another anonymous author once wrote in a piece titled ‘Mission Oloibiri: “The goose that lays the golden eggs nourish the same persons who famish her so as to exploit her more effectively”.

    Many other narratives of the political economy of Bayelsa State by such discerning intellectuals like Claude Ake and local natives alike noted the prevailing unsavory ecological circumstances which had actually contributed largely to its under-development.

    Some people have alluded to the emergence of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as President was God’s own way of compensating the deprived people out of whose land oil was first discovered. Good as it sounds, the line of reasoning smacks of conventional wisdom.

    President Jonathan, no doubt, is first and foremost, a Bayelsan, one in whom we take enormous pride. Indeed, President Jonathan has exhibited a rare trait of a leader who truly symbolizes our collective resolve and aspiration as a people earnestly desirous of turning a new page in our country’s history.

    I have heard people make comments like “It will be disastrous if President Jonathan fails to turn around the fortunes of his people after the expiration of his term in office.”

    President Jonathan as the President of the whole country has a responsibility to govern all parts of the country, not just Bayelsa or Niger Delta. Besides, how does having a son of the soil as President, as many would like us to believe, amount to an appropriate compensation sufficient enough to atone for the long years of cruel, unjust deprivation and unfair exploitation and depletion of our natural resources? How does it adequately compensate for the terrible devastation of the natural environment and eco-system in the last 50 or more years since the discovery of oil?

    What is important now is for us to press on in our collective pursuit to build a better country, where everyone will have a true sense of belonging and be made to feel the impact of government. The ethnic card and politics associated with it must stop as basis for national renewal. And this is why the emerging face of Governor Henry Seriake Dickson as a bridge builder in a multicultural nation like ours is most commendable. We are seeing a new era of politics of substance, politics of meaning and conviction.

    For good reasons, Bayelsans who hitherto were cynical about politics and politicians due to their penchant for failed promises have had cause to beat a retreat. They are now seeing fundamental things happening in government unlike in the past. Consistently for the past six months, the Dickson-led administration has lived up to the commitment to announce and publish all revenues accruing to the state. This singular move, which was designed to entrench a regime of transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business, has indeed done a lot to rebuild the lacerated ligament of confidence of the people in governance. It has further endeared the state to investors as evident in the influx of investments in key sectors of the economy such as in the agricultural sector where a Memorandum of Understanding was recently signed with a Dutch firm seeking to set up a cassava processing plant in Bayelsa for the purpose of export.

    Tourism is also looking up as a strategic means of development with the basic infrastructure and policy framework being put in place.

    The last 16 years have been quite challenging as a state but our people are beginning to understand and appreciate that under the Dickson-led administration, politics is no longer business but a mission. Indeed, through his actions and pronouncements in office, Governor Dickson has re-enacted Dante Alighieri’s lux fiat – ‘show the light, to bring to the fore that he that finds himself at the head must lead the way for others to follow’.

    Bayelsans are truly persuaded that the restoration agenda is well on track. The ban on commercial motorcycle has given way to brand new Restoration taxi-cabs and buses now visibly plying the streets of Yenagoa and its environs. There is also the massive restoration of decrepit infrastructure, reformation of the institutions of good governance, strict enforcement of law in line with the avowed commitment to ensure zero tolerance for crime and criminality. The Dickson-led administration has no doubt made the necessary investment in security in order to create and sustain a secure society governed by the rule of law.

    Even more evident is Governor Dickson’s resolve to deliver on education given his principled stand on the development of the human capital. Little wonder, his declaration of state of emergency for the sector immediately resulted in the pronouncement of the policy on free and compulsory education for children in primary and secondary schools with emphasis on computer literacy, science and technology. This policy has since taken effect, so also is the rebuilding of educational infrastructure.

    Bayelsa State is fast becoming the epicentre of educational excellence. Never in the history of Nigeria with exception to the regime of the Western regional government under the able leadership of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, has any state governent taken such keen interest in the education of its citizens like Governor Dickson has done. For the first time in the history of the state, tution-free education is backed up by provision of free school uniforms, writing materials, exercise books, school sandals, including the supply of state-of the-art school furniture to enhance the quality of learning for every Bayelsan child. Quality education has become a necessity, taking cognizance of the challenges of the modern knowledge economy.

    To further underscore his attachment and passion to education, Governor Dickson’s giant strides in this sector are evident in the award of scholarships. First, was the award of N1billion post- graduate scholarships to 300 persons to study in the best universities in Nigeria and abroad. Then, there is also the award of schorships to 250 secondary school indigent pulpils under the Bayelsa State Restoration Secondary Schools Scholarship Scheme, started by Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha and President Goodluck Jonathan as governors of the state. The scheme is being sustained by Governor Dickson in its effort to build on the solid foundation already laid by the duo. What is interesting to note here is that, of the 250 beneficiaries of the scholarship scheme, 50 of the slots were allocated to students of Ijaw speaking parts of Edo, Delta, Akwa-Ibom and Ondo States.

    As Bayelsa gets set to mark its 16th anniversary, one thing that can be taken for granted under this present administration is the fact that there is a new ‘sherriff’ in town whose word is his bond. Governor has really redefined governance as a tool for development, accentuating stout leadership and integrity. It is widely shared that the paradigm shift in governance offers the prospect of faster economic progress than ever witnessed. In the evolving scenario, we can see a bold identity of creative leadership and enterprise with the sole objective of casting off poverty in Bayelsa State. No doubt, making this vision an enduring one would require collective effort, cooperation and some sacrifice on the part of the good people of Bayelsa State, serving a higher, more worthy goal than individual or group interest. On the part of the leadership, we have seen a lot of courage in this regard, raising hope of greater possibilities. So at 16, it is plausible to contend that Bayelsa State is still relatively young and the journey of statehood arguably tough and mixed, but there is great hope that the future is very bright. This is the good news.

    • Markson-Iworiso, Chief Press Secretary to Bayelsa Governor, sent this piece from Yenagoa.

  • Ajimobi’s ‘New Deal’ and Oyo PDP

    Ajimobi’s ‘New Deal’ and Oyo PDP

    SIR: The use of diversionary tactics to dissipate the energy of the governing class has become an acceptable tool of the opposition in modern democracy. It is equally a truism that effective leadership is determined by the extent to which the leader can resist the antics of the opposition. The first prize if such a leader allows himself to be swayed is that he would lose focus of his programs and projects to the people.

    It is a paradox that the PDP in Oyo state has never seen anything good in any of the transformation agenda of Ajimobi administration. It is one thing to acknowledge the quality of a project even if it means offering an input on how it can still be better. While the Oyo State government has been consistent with facts and figures about the number of roads it has awarded across the state, the PDP has not faulted the figures as well as their locations. Instead, the party continues to claim that most of the roads and bridges had actually been in the pipeline since Akala days.

    If for over four years the PDP could not get itself together to actualize these “pipeline” projects, it may need another decade to implement them.

    When the PDP discovered that it had lost the battle on the issue of quality of work on the road projects, it resorted to cheap propaganda touting inconveniences caused to the public in the course of road construction. The plain truth is that the people cannot eat their cake and have it at the same time. But even at that, the government has not been found wanting in creating alternative routes with adequate notice to the public before commencement of construction work.

    One innovation which Governor Ajimobi has brought into governance in recent time is the quality of personnel he had brought on board. This is the first time in history of Oyo state that recycling of personnel in the service of the state would be jettisoned. In the past it had been the case of club of ex-this, ex-that holding sensitive positions in the state even when their physique and psyche could not meet the challenges of such offices.

    For the first time we see the executive council of the state made up of people within productive prime age burstling with energy and mental alertness to deliver dividends of democracy to the people. It is to the credit of the governor however that in limiting his cabinet to prime age bracket substantially, he did not neglect the aged either. He put them in less challenging positions in the parastatals and other agencies where they can take their stride.

    One other area where the governor has performed miracle in the state is in relative peace that has permeated the state. When one reflects on what used to be life in Oyo state two to three years ago, one begins to wonder whether the road transport workers of that time was different from the present set of NURTW.

    The institution of traditional rulership has witnessed relative peace and stability unlike in the past when government caused commotion and confusion within the rank of traditional rulers through phony elevations aimed at distorting history for selfish some purposes.

    • Agboola Sanni Ibadan

  • On the perennial fuel scarcity

    On the perennial fuel scarcity

    SIR: It is saddening and a paradox that a nation richly endowed with abundant human as well as natural resources, such as crude oil could be in dire need of what is supposed to be a blessing. Our problems are generally hinged on bad leadership, corruption, poor maintenance culture, lack of patriotism and institutional failure.

    While many of the consuming nations, which buy crude oil from Nigeria are comfortable with their fuel situation, our dear country is engulfed in incessant fuel crises, which continues to take a toll on virtually all facets of its national life because of its strategic importance. The latest is the ongoing scarcity in major cities across the country. Many filling stations currently sell a litre of petrol for N115, while others sell for N150 or more, as against the official price of N97.

    Initial reports of the scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) described as ‘an ordinary hitch’ in the supply chain to some Northern states has now spread to other parts of the country. Reports say the scarcity may linger for many more weeks!

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has blamed the shortage on the continued closure of a vandalised NNPC System 2B pipeline at Arepo, Ogun State. Repair works at the vandalised pipeline were stopped after suspected vandals allegedly killed three NNPC engineers at the site. The scarcity has also been attributed to the reluctance by members of the Jetty and Petroleum Tank Farm Owners of Nigeria (JEPTFON). There are reports that most of them owe banks for fuel imported on behalf of the NNPC but which the corporation is yet to settle. There are equal claims that fuel importers have been unable to import because their subsidy payments had been stopped.

    The Ministry of Finance on its part, has stated that it paid N259 billion outstanding subsidies for 2011 and another N78.8 billion for this year despite the marketers’ outcry of an alleged outstanding payment of up to N200 billion.

    Going by the past experiences, the nagging episode the perennial fuel crises may not abate until concerted efforts are made by relevant stakeholders to address the problems. First, the activities of vandals should be stopped. It is unfortunate that our oil pipelines are insecure in this part of the world. Government and relevant security agencies must ensure that our oil pipelines are secure at all times to prevent recurrence of the ugly incident of the killing of oil workers on routine maintenance duties as witnessed at the Arepo village and elsewhere.

    Inadequate refineries, mal-functioning or under functioning of existing refineries is another factor in the incessant fuel crises. At the moment, none of the country‘s refineries is working efficiently, making the country to depend on 100 per cent fuel importation. Efforts should be stepped up to ensure that new refineries are in place so that there can be enough fuel for domestic consumption and if possible, importation. Refining of the country’s crude would lead to higher opportunities in a deregulated market; stimulate medium scale service industries, better industrial capacity utilization and creation of greater job opportunities for our teeming restive, unemployed youths.

    • Adewale Kupoluyi

    Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta

  • Sharp practices in varsities

    Sharp practices in varsities

    SIR: Most lecturers in our tertiary institutions are now in a serious business. The business , as you may think is not making sure that students are educationally equipped in all ramifications but are bent on enriching themselves at the detriment of the students.

    Under normal circumstances, a university graduate is believed to have passed through rigorous academic tests under the tutelage of lecturers who had sleepless nights with a view to making sure the students become envy of the neighbourhood and pride of the nation.

    But alas, what is going on now in our tertiary institutions amongst the lecturers is impoverishing the students by extorting money from them by one means or the other. They now force the students to buy handouts and any student that refuse would fail that particular subject. Another system in vogue is writing of textbooks which they sell only to the students and any student that fail to buy would not receive the blessing of the lecturer. In other words, no matter how intelligent or factual the student is he is going to fail that paper.

    But the worst of them all is sorting of papers syndrome. Here, students pay to pass any paper they take in the examination and the amount involved is outrageous, This attitude will never augur well for us if we are serious about raising the standard of education to enviable heights.

    So, my appeal is to Vice chancellors and heads of departments to investigate to confirm this allegation with a view to bringing those involved to book.

    • Nkemakolam Gabriel

    Port Harcourt

  • Dana Air: Aviation minister acted right

    Dana Air: Aviation minister acted right

    SIR: I can understand the national outcry when the minister of aviation lifted the suspension imposed on Dana Air. I can also relate to the families who lost their loved ones in the fatal accident on June 3.

    The loss of lives in a major airliner accident is naturally overwhelming and emotionally draining.

    But banning an airline that has been involved in an accident does not solve the problem of a repeated accident. The only solution is to find the probable cause(s) of the accident and proffer a solution to future occurrence. If Dana Air is banned from operating in our national airspace, it does not mean we have finally prevented future aircraft accidents. What it means is that another airline has been sent into bankruptcy, and more Nigerians have been sent into the dungeon of unemployment.

    What Nigeria needs most at this point is to demand from our government the cause(s) of that fatal accident with a view to preventing future mishaps. From knowing the reason for the crash, we can deduce and prevent future similar cases. This is what is important, not an indefinite suspension of Dana Air.

    Over the years, air safety has improved tremendously: airplanes are more reliable, more dependable, with improved safety measures .The only setback in flight safety or air transportation is human errors.

    Human factors account for more than 80% of all aircraft accidents in the modern world. The core issue of air safety is how to overcome or minimize the fallibility of man when operating a machine.

    For expert aircraft accident investigators, air crash is not the problem, but the factors responsible for the crash. An accident does not just happen; there is a series of events that lead to a crash.

    Unless the pieces of the puzzle are collated, analyzed and synthesized, it becomes difficult to deduce the probable cause of an accident.

    This is where the Aircraft Accident investigation Bureau (AIB), an independent agency of the federal government, comes into the equation. The agency, which reports directly to the president, according to Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Act 2006, is the sole authority in air crash investigation in the country. The nation should wait patiently for AIB to come out with its report on the cause(s) of the accident before raising undue alarm of a foul play.

    As bad as the Dana Air accident was, there have been worse fatal accidents in the recent history of aviation, involving today’s celebrated legacy airlines. What led to the improved safety records of major airlines like British Airways (BA), KLM-Air France, and American is repetitive, professional investigation into accidents and incidents involving their aircraft, and the adoption of safety recommendations.

    Below are two fatal aircraft accidents involving BA, and the reports of the investigations into the cause of the accidents:

    September 10, 1976: British Airways Trident 3B; Flight 476; near Zagreb, Yugoslavia: The aircraft had a midair collision with an Inex Adria aircraft, DC9-32. All nine crew members and 54 passengers on the Trident were killed. All five crew members and 108 passengers on the DC9 were also killed. The probable cause of this event was failure of the Yugoslavian ATC system to provide adequate separation.

    August 22, 1985: British Airtours 737-200; Flight 28M; Manchester Airport, England: The crew rejected the takeoff due to an uncontained engine failure. The failure led to a punctured fuel tank and a fire that spread to the cabin. The accident killed 53 of 131 passengers and two of six crew members. British Airways was not banned or suspended by the British government. Today, BA is one of the most celebrated legacy airlines, and probably the most loved airline by Nigerians.

    It may sound funny to some people in this country, but the major challenge facing aviation industry in Nigeria today is not regulation / safety oversight, but critical human factor elements.

    The more Nigerians, after every accident, distort professional investigation into the cause(s) of a crash, the more we dilute the zeal to pursue the facts for future lesson.

    • Capt. Daniel Omale

    Lagos