The Nation Newspaper

Category: Online Special

  • Wives abroad, husbands turn bachelors

    Wives abroad, husbands turn bachelors

    If  you  are observant enough, you will notice him in markets –  an ageing, cosmopolitan  gentleman  haggling with the market woman pricing pepper,  fish,  okro and vegetable oil. His age, generally  50 and above.  At other times, you see him in the high brow areas of major cities doing his shopping at the Mall. If he is no longer in paid employment, he spends much of his time at the Club house.
    There is  a club patronized by such elderly  live-alone men in old Bodija in Ibadan where they try to make the best of the situation with their lively banters.  He lives a relatively quiet life at home – no chattering or running around of children.  Except, perhaps  for the occasional female visitor – that is for those still with active libido, the absence of which many openly confess – the house environment has an unnerving serenity.
    The above scenario  typifies the changing times for the family set up, especially for fathers in middle and upper class families in Nigeria. The ageing Nigerian husband and father is facing a silent revolt  – a gang-up against him by wives and children who have chosen to remain abroad.
    The irony of it all is that it is the successful husbands and fathers  who are mostly in this bind.  Men took different routes to this common destination of loneliness in their twilight years.
    Many had travelled abroad, often to Europe, the U.S. and Canada in their youth in search of the golden fleece, got married either to fellow Nigerians or ladies in their countries of residence, acquire higher education and raised families. While some returned home immediately after their education,  others  stayed back  to also get their children educated before returning home.  Some went abroad as staff of government agencies or international organizations with their families or raised families at their duty posts and either returned after their tenure or stayed back.
    Some men returned while the wives stayed back – different strokes. We have a large number of stay-back wives in Maryland, New York, Atlanta, and all the way down south to Tampa, Florida,  among others. There is a third category of those who went abroad under the U.S. Visa lottery. Initially, going abroad were moments of happiness and pride. In some cases, all the children of many couples ended up going abroad. Many fathers of such children are no longer smiling. Yet, the rush to America and Europe continues.With Nigeria’s worsening economic problems, those who never came back stayed put while the  problems forced the children of many returnees back to Europe and America where many are citizens. Meanwhile, the returnee parents are getting older as well as those who never went abroad but had children there. The returnees and the locals are now in the same boat. In their active, younger days, many parents travelled abroad on vacations to see their children.  Now retired or approaching retirement age, many parents are either financially or physically not able to make the journeys again, while some refused to visit  to protest the children’s non reciprocation.

    Then the music changed, bringing about current woes of many men, in spite of some putting a bright face to it.  This time wives started travelling abroad, ostensibly to help take care of their grand children abroad.  That was when husbands’ problems began. You would think there was a National Conference for Diaspora-bound Grandmothers at which a roadmap was distributed.  This is because experiences of many marooned husbands are similar : initially when the first grandchild is born, the wife travels abroad and spends about  three months.  She returns home, spends about nine months to a year and when the second grandchild is born, she either spends six months to one year or stays back permanently.  When they travel for third grandchild, it is a permanent stay.

    What I have found amazing about this category of men living alone, following their wives relocation abroad, is that many are not contemplating taking a second wife. Even those in their early 50s who are still randy avoid serious relationships while those who contract temporary marriages soon abandon the venture.  I was to learn  that the decision against taking a second wife, for many,  is generally financially based, given the rising cost of education.  “How do you expect me to start training a child from kindergarten at this age”, noted a 60 year old Ibadan resident whose wife and children live in Baltimore, U.S. A.  He says he draws inspiration from more elderly people who are in their 70s and in similar situation. He, however, concedes that he feels the absence of his family most during festive seasons when the loneliness hits him.  Some not so solvent again take consolation in the dollars and pound sterling from their Diaspora children. Even then, not all are so lucky. It’s a matter of different strokes. There are those who take in house helps, often with unpleasant experiences.  An oil company retiree with a big house in upscale Lekki area of Lagos said house helps can be so unappreciative of your assistance and can walk out on you anytime.  He narrated an episode where the driver threw the car key at him in the middle of nowhere, knowing that he had difficulty in driving. A common concern among elderly husbands living alone is the health hazard, the dread of falling ill in the middle of the night with no one to assist.

    There was the story of a man in the Alagbole area of Lagos who had died three days before the door was forced open when he did not attend a Tuesday church meeting.  Many ‘single’ husbands say their wives are always persuading them to come over, that the wives  wonder why the husbands choose to stay in the hell hole called Nigeria.  Although a few claim they enjoy cooking, many of the live-alone husbands  say they don’t find it funny going to the market.  Some husbands follow their wives abroad.  According to a Festac Town, Lagos resident,” when the second invitation came for my wife to come to London, I told my son he has to send tickets for two, that I can’t stay back again”.  After six months, they returned home, but when the wife was to go for the third and extended stay, he declined following.  “I find it very boring”, he lamented.  There are some husbands who refused to allow their wives travel abroad to help baby sit  their grandchildren.  One such husband insists : Why should they take my wife away, I raised them, they too must raise their own children.

    The problem of absentee wives and lonely husbands is part an overall trend of separation in the family.  Economic factor, especially employment,  has also contributed to the dispersal of the family, even at local level  where, for example, an husband works in Lagos,  the wife in Abuja, children in Portharcourt,  with dire consequences for family cohesion.  Prof.  Adelani Ogunrinde, Vice-Chancellor, National University of Lesotho while delivering the Second Commencement Lecture of Bowen University, Iwo on 16th October 2008 highlighted, almost in lamentation, this phenomenon of the dispersed family using his family as an example : He lives in Lesotho, the wife in Abuja and the children in North America.  He died about two years later, with the family still dispersed.

    Dr. Bisi Olawunmi  is a Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication, Bowen University, Iwo and former resident, Washington, D.C. Email : olawunmibisi@yahoo.com   SMS ONLY  :  0803 364 7571

  • Mama Ye, campaign to save mothers, babies for launch Monday

    Mama Ye, campaign to save mothers, babies for launch Monday

    MamaYe, a campaign to encourage public action to help save the lives of Nigerian mothers and babies will be launched in Abuja on Monday.

    The campaign is a programme by Evidence for Action funded by the UK Department for International Development.

    To mark the launch, MamaYe will feature a staged live drama event with songs; provide the opportunity to give blood to save a mother, and encourage other actions that can help save lives.

    Nigeria Country Director for Evidence for Action, Dr Tunde Segun in a press release stated that “more Nigerian mothers and babies are surviving pregnancy and childbirth than ever before, but  so much more still needs to be done –  by all Nigerians, not just ‘the Ministry’ or ‘the government’ or ‘the UN.’”

    According to Dr Segun, ensuring women have timely access to safe healthcare services, including sufficient blood supplies, could help save about 40,000 mothers and 240,000 babies a year.

    “We know change is possible. We know how to save the lives of mothers and newborns. But, first, Nigerians need to get involved and take action. Whether you are a taxi driver who can help take mothers to their local clinic; a girl training to be a midwife or a young man encouraging your sister to attend her antenatal clinic, you, too, can save a life.

    “Every day, Nigerian men and women like you can take action that could give a mother and her baby a future. Join our campaign and become a MamaYe hero or heroine.  Show us what you will do to help save mothers and babies” the Country Director stated.

    Riding the digital wave, MamaYe (www.mamaye.org.ng) will take advantage of the 107 million mobile phone subscribers in Nigeria and use social media and a website to engage the public in this important cause.

    “The MamaYe website will give the Nigerian public information, hard facts and solutions. With the help of MamaYe, Nigerians will be able to track budgets for health, and check on whether clinics are staffed with skilled health workers and equipped with drugs and other commodities” Dr Segun stated.

    “MamaYe will put information in the hands of Nigerians, enabling us all to take action and save the lives of our mothers and newborns. Many are already taking action – often without recognition or reward. At today’s launch the MamaYe campaign team will showcase their efforts.

    “Awards will be given to everyday ‘maternal and newborn health champions’.

    “These include Dr. AshiruAbubakar of Kano, a medical practitioner who pushed for an unprecedented blood donation campaign at the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital Kano in response to loss of blood contributing to maternal deaths in the State. This campaign has so far yielded over 200 donated pints of blood – one of the highest in the country.

    “As a voluntary blood donor himself, he has helped to dispel some of the misconceptions in the region towards blood donations.  ChinomsoIbe from Imo, first became interested in maternal health as a student at the Midwifery Training School where she saw mothers and babies die from preventable causes. She mobilises women to achieve better health during pregnancy and childbirth by organising free check-ups, immunizations, and medical outreaches.

    “Phoebe Peter from Kaduna is another MamaYe champion, a midwife who regularly and selflessly gives her own blood to save women who would otherwise die of haemorrhaging in childbirth” Dr Segun explained.

     

  • World Radio Day marked in Nigeria

    World Radio Day marked in Nigeria

    Joint World Radio Day Statement

    By

    The Nigeria Community Radio Coalition (NCRC)

    Media Rights Agenda (MRA)

    The Institute for Media and Society (IMS) and

    The International Press Centre (IPC)

     Introduction:

    The Nigeria Community Radio Coalition (NCRC), the Institute for Media and Society (IMS), Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and the International Press Centre (IPC), join the rest of the global community in celebrating the second anniversary of World Radio Day, today February 13, 2013.

    The day came into being on November 3, 2011, when the 36th General Conference of UNESCO approved the proclamation that February 13 of every year should be observed as World Radio Day, following a proposal at the session 187 of UNESCO’s Executive Board in September 2011.

    We continue to identify with the aspirations which motivated the proclamation of February 13 as World Radio Day, to raise awareness about the importance of radio, facilitate access to information through radio and enhance networking among broadcasters.

    Observations and Recommendations

    On the occasion of this second anniversary of the World Radio Day, the Nigeria Community Radio Coalition and its partners, IMS, MRA and IPC wishes to remind the Federal Government of Nigeria, various State governments, the National Assembly and the State Houses Assembly about their obligations to facilitate an enabling environment for unfettered radio broadcasting in Nigeria. This is necessary for our full democratic development and to enhance the people’s participation in governance.

    In particular, we wish to draw government’s attention to and highlight the following issues:

    •The continued delay in the operationalization of Community Radio

    • The lack of public involvement in the processes leading to the White Paper on the Report of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Transition from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting

    •The absence of constitutional backing for independent broadcasting in Nigeria.

    Delay in the Operationalization of Community Radio

    It is now almost three years since October 2010, when President Goodluck Jonathan announced a presidential approval for the licensing of community radio stations across the country and accordingly delegated his powers under the Constitution to issue broadcast licences in this regard to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the statutory regulator for the broadcast sector.

    It is worrisome that three years on there is still no indication of the implementation of this important directive despite the apparent importance of community radio in giving voice to the masses, including the rural and urban poor, to participate in governance and contribute to developmental efforts of governments in their communities. The continued lack of implementation of this presidential directive, evidenced by the fact that no single community radio licence has been issued since then, seriously undermines the credibility of the Office of the President and is capable of bringing it to ridicule.

    We hereby urge President Jonathan to take urgent steps to ensure that relevant government institutions and agencies give effect to his directive while the NBC should without further delay proceed with the issuance of community radio licenses.

    White Paper on the Report of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Transition from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting

    It has come to our attention that the Federal Government has issued a White Paper on the report of the 22-member Presidential Advisory Committee on Transition from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting in Nigeria. The committee was set up and inaugurated on October 13, 2008 and submitted its report in June 2009.

    It should be recalled that the late President Umaru Yar’Adua had as far back as December 2007 approved the transition from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting in Nigeria, with an effective date of June 17, 2012, in line with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) resolutions on the issue. It was to give effect to this that the Presidential Advisory Committee on Transition from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting in Nigeria was set up and inaugurated on October 13, 2008.

    We observe however that the Federal Government has not made public the White Paper on the report although it has proceeded to set up an implementation committee. The report of the Committee itself was not subjected to public discussions by critical stakeholders. It is our firm view that this is not the best approach in dealing with a matter of such public importance in a democratic setting. In the circumstance hereby call on the government to make the White Paper public and open it up for discussions and consultations among stakeholders in line with democratic norms and practices.

    Constitutional Backing for Independent Broadcasting

    The on-going review of the 1999 constitution presents a unique opportunity for the country to strengthen the role of the broadcast sector in national development. It will be recalled that the broadcast sector was liberalized in 1992 through a decree issued by a military government. While the opening up of the sector to allow for private broadcasting was a very welcome development, the liberalization of the sector remains at best work in progress.

    The current regulatory environment for broadcasting in Nigeria continues to fall far short of international standards, particularly with regards to the lack of independence of the regulator.

    We urge the National Assembly in particular and other stakeholders in general to take advantage of the constitution review process by supporting the amendments proposed by the Media Network on the Review of the 1999 Constitution comprising the IMS, MRA, IPC, and other bodies including the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) as follows:

    • The regulatory body in charge of broadcasting should be made one of the Federal Executive Bodies recognised in Section 153 and under the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution. It should therefore be listed in those sections accordingly. This is due to the critical role the broadcast regulator plays as an essential tool in aiding the development of the country’s democracy through ensuring the effective development and regulation of the nation’s airwaves, which remains the most critical source of information for the generality of the citizenry. Making the broadcast regulator one of the Federal Executive Bodies in the Constitution would also guarantee adequate funding for its operations.

    • In order to ensure that the broadcast regulator is fully independent of government, all members of its governing body should be appointed by the National Assembly after open public hearings, and they should be accountable to the National Assembly.

    • The overbearing presence of government officials in the governing body of the broadcast regulator should be curtailed by removing representation for the State Security Service (SSS) and the Federal Ministry of Information from the membership of its governing body.

    • The process of appointing representatives of the different interests groups that constitute the governing body of the broadcast regulator should include a requirement for consultations to be held with the various stakeholders in each of the named sub-sectors of the Nigerian society when selecting their representatives for appointment to the governing body.

    • Members of the governing body and staff of the regulatory body should have security of tenure and clearly defined conditions of service.

    • Part of the functions of the regulatory body should be exclusive power or right to issue and revoke broadcast licenses, through a transparent process with clearly stated criteria that are publicly available. This function should not be exercised with reference to or under the instructions of any other authority but the decisions of the governing body in this regard should be subject to judicial review. Consequently, the proviso to Section 39(2) of the 1999 Constitution should be amended to reflect this principle of empowering the regulatory body to so act.

    Signed:

    Akin Akingbulu: Nigeria Community Radio Coalition (NCRC)

    Edetaen Ojo: Media Rights Agenda (MRA)

    Lanre Arogundade: International Press Centre (IPC)

    Lere Oyeniyi: Institute for Media and Society (IMS)

     

     

  • ‘What Nigeria should learn from South Africa’

    ‘What Nigeria should learn from South Africa’

     

     

    A Nigerian professor of mass communication, Abiodun Salawu was recently appointed Mazisi Kunene Chair at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. In this online interview with Lekan Otufodunrin, Professor Salawu speaks on his plan for his new assignment and experience teaching and living in South Africa.

     What is your reaction to your appointment as the Mazisi Kunene Chair at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa?

    I am delighted to have been appointed into the Chair. I was actually invited to the position by the university. I was in the United States attending a conference when I received the e-mail inviting into the position. I never saw the advert. The university had been advertising the position since 2010. If I had seen the advert, I wouldn’t have felt that I qualified for the job. Why? This is because one of the requirements for the job is that that the applicant should be a speaker of one or more Nguni languages. Nguni languages comprise isiZulu, isiXhosa, isiNdebele and isiSwati. I don’t speak any of these languages. In fact, at the interview which I attended for the job, I asked them why they sought me out for the job, they refused to tell me. What I could only guess was that they must have known about my work in indigenous language media in Africa. To me, the Chair appointment serves as recognition of my work in that area and I appreciate the University of KwaZulu-Natal for that.

    What do you hope to accomplish during your tenure as Chair?

     I hope to promote the works of Mazisi Kunene and creative writings in African languages in general. Special attention will be paid to oral poetry which is a genre that late Professor Kunene is known for. We will also invest our energy into research on African language media, either it is the print, broadcast or the internet. All these media will also be studied in relation to their application for development purposes. All these we hope to achieve through postgraduate students research, seminars, workshops and conferences. We hope to have a quantum of publications on the issues mentioned.

    You are supposed to focus on African oramedia and the modern media using African languages is there a future for African languages?

     There is future for African languages as long as the speakers of the languages still live. Even though we are in the age of globalisation, diversity is still imperative. Language is the single most characteristic of any people. So, as long as we do not want to lose our identity, we cannot wish away our languages. Any language can be used for anything as long as we are ready to develop it. In Ethiopia today, Amharic is the dominant language, over and above English language. It is the major language of government, business and the media.

    What is your view of how new media is used in Africa?

    There has been a huge penetration of new media in Africa and it is still rising. From the simple mobile phones to the most complex of the new media technologies, Africans are doing reasonably well. It is hoped that the use could be better with more broad bandwidth and better adoption of the innovation by more people. Many people are still not into the culture of the internet, but we do hope there will be a change for the better. I am particularly glad that quite a reasonable number of people, particularly the youth, are on the social media.

    Why did you relocate to South Africa?

    I relocated to South Africa because of the better infrastructures in the country. Today, it has the best infrastructures on the continent; certain aspects of these, some people call world class. The research environment is also an attraction. There are motivations and facilities for research.

    What is the difference between being a lecturer in South Africa and Nigeria?

    This goes back to my last statement. The infrastructures and facilities are there to enable you do your work without much hassles. Colleagues in the Sciences appreciate this better as they require certain equipment and facilities in their laboratories to do their work. For us in the Humanities, we appreciate more the abundant online resources that we have to do our work. Provision of basic office facilities is also appreciated.

    What do you miss about Nigeria?

     I miss the culture of our people. I miss the culture of respect for elders, of appreciation of good deeds, of communalism and of industry. I miss listening to high standard Yoruba on certain radio/television programmes and movies. I also miss our foods –amala, ewedu, yam, fried plantain etc.

     Have you experienced any form of xenophobia during your stay in South Africa?

    I won’t say I haven’t, but in a subtle way. Such things do not really bother me much because I know there is xenophobia, tribalism, racism all over the world. As long as we are different in one form or the other, there will always be discrimination. I believe there is a kind of xenophobia that is pervasive everywhere in the world – people would definitely want to protect the interest of their own against the ‘outsiders’. Even in Nigeria, an Igbo man may not have priority over a Yoruba man in a Yoruba community. The same goes for a Yoruba man in Igbo land or a Hausa man in Urhobo land and on and on. The only times it becomes a problem is when it takes the form of violence, that is when resentment against the outsiders is expressed in violence. That was what happened in South Africa in May 2008 when a number of foreigners were killed. This has remained a dent on the image of the country and that tag of xenophobia has remained till today. Apart from this, I believe we also need to avoid any kind of xenophobia that is scandalous. There is a limit to which one can go in sacrificing merit for ethnic affinity or whatever.

    How would you describe living in South Africa?

    It is a more organised living.

    What has Nigeria got to learn from South Africa?

     It is not for no reason that certain South African universities remain the top universities in Africa. Nigeria can learn organisation of higher education from South Africa. Research is a priority in South Africa and there is huge provision of funds to facilitate, motivate and incentivize it. Many of our colleagues in Nigeria do not have (regular) opportunities to attend international conferences, but this is what an average lecturer in South Africa takes for granted.

    We can also do better with little or no disruption in our academic calendars as a result of staff strikes. Since I came here, I have not heard of staff (either academic or non-academic) going on strike. May be, we can just say such is rare here. Of course, there are grievances but they hardly result into industrial actions. I guess we need to find a way of managing conflict in our public institutions. This requires sincerity. The campuses in South Africa are much more peaceful than our own campuses. The fear of student cultism is remote. Even when students go on strike, it is not usually prolonged; and the grievances may be about lack of study loans. There was a time when students at University of Fort Hare demonstrated and one of the things they were demonstrating about was lack of internet in their residences.

    Nigeria may also learn appreciation of indigenous languages from South Africans. It is still a paradox to me that peoples who were subjugated for decades under apartheid system refuse to surrender their languages. The long period of colonization affected some other aspects of their culture but really not their languages. In fact, universities here make use of African languages of their respective domains in their corporate symbols – websites, letterheads, signboards etc. This, I believe, is due to the national language policy which Nigeria can benefit from.

     

  • Fighting crime with technology

    Fighting crime with technology

    Fighting Crime with Technology

    Crime has become very sophisticated in Nigeria and fighting it with traditional means seemed not to be yielding desired results.  Hardly a day passes without a criminal activity being reported in our daily newspapers.  Either a friend, a family or even you may have had bad experiences at some point with these men of the underworld.  How long shall we continue to live in fear of our lives being cut short by these criminals?  Your guess is as good as mine.  No place is safe anymore in Nigeria; not even our own little prison yards with high fences surrounding our homes and offices.

    Fighting crime by merely just arresting anyone found at the crime scene is not enough, since in most cases, those who committed the crime may have left the scene long before the Police arrive – if they do at all.  This is not to say the police are not pulling their weights in some circumstances – considering their conditions of service and the poor equipment with which they work.  The celebrated case of Cynthia Osokogu reminds us of a breakthrough exhibited by the Nigeria Police Force.  We must say a big thank you for a job well done.  But there are scores of unsolved mysteries yet to be uncovered by the Police.

    Effective policing should be everyone’s responsibility – the communities, the public, schools, etc.  Today, technology has made it possible to fight crime with higher precision, greater results, more cost effective strategies and most importantly, in a timely manner.  Who would not be happy to hear that a car snatched in Lagos, and within ten minutes or less of being reported, every police in Lagos, Ogun and surrounding states get a message on their mobile phones informing them with details of the car, driver and other pertinent information which will result in that criminal being apprehended by the crime fighters? If you think this is just not possible, read on.

    No part of the world has been able to tackle crime without updated, accurate and timely data.

    With a population of over 150 million people, you cannot manage and control crime without a working national, criminal and biometric databases. The biometric must contain fingerprints and DNA databases.

    Deoxyribonucleic acid isolated from blood, hair, skin cells, or other genetic evidence left at the scene of crime has helped in apprehending criminals when matched with databases. The days are gone when individuals are identified by just names and photo ID without biometrics.

    One of the things we will remember about the Obasanjo administration is the introduction of the National Identification Project.  Although the implementation was flawed, at least the awareness was there.  The federal government talks about e-Government, e-Business and cash-less society without functional national, criminal and bio metric databases.  e-Government without such databases is simply not possible.  The National ID Card project should be re-visited by the Jonathan government. The advantages are numerous.

    Employers can do background check on prospective job seekers before they are hired.  Banks can open account for individuals without asking for guarantors since they can query the databases from their computers and get results in minutes.  In Canada, for example, you can open bank account in less than ten minutes without any guarantors.  Banks will be able to track debtors and approve loans easily in a country without credit bureau.  Stolen properties can be tracked easily once they are reported.  As soon as it is reported, databases are updated and messages sent out to the appropriate individuals for actions.  Missing persons can also be tracked.  Fugitives and criminals who need any of these services can easily be caught since the police can be contacted while they are opening a bank account or registering for phone services.  It will also help the prison and court systems to keep track of repeat offenders who once they are released will commit offence again.  We do not even keep track of sex offenders in our midst.  Such databases will be updated to reflect such offenders.  The databases can be linked to government terrorists watch list.  Our government will be able to have access to international agencies such as Interpol and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data in minutes.

    Individuals carrying firearms must register them with the Police which would be stored in the Firearm databases and criminalize illegal firearms not registered.  You can track a crime by the bullet and firearm used since there is record on the database.  Your car license number can say so much about you since it could be linked to the National and biometric databases.  Road safety corps can query their databases and get so much information at accident scene and can even access your medical history in case of emergencies and take appropriate actions to save lives.

    Immigration can now tie your passport number to your national ID Number and search relevant databases before a passport is issued.  Twenty years or so from now, no foreigner would be able to obtain our passports illegally. Right now anyone can claim to be born in Nigeria since we do not have records to verify such claims.  The databases will give us better insights to the overall population, demography and unemployment needed for national planning rather than just rely on forecasts.  It is no more fashionable to carry files from office to office rather you can now “carry files” electronically without leaving your desk.

    For all these to happen, we must incorporate Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) in designing these computer systems to be able to “talk” with one another.  SOA enables business agility and decoupling of systems.  The implication is that the systems (applications, databases -National, Biometric – Fingerprints and DNA, Firearms) will be able to “talk”  with private companies (banks, telecommunications), government agencies (NYSC, WAEC, JAMB, INEC, Pension, Universities -private and public), Immigration, Customs, Population Bureau,  Statistics, Car Registration, Road Safety, Hospitals (private and government), States and local governments, Military, etc, and international agencies (FBI and Interpol).   The data-sharing agreement must be worked out among various organizations.

    The good news is SOA enables you to keep your existing technologies with little tweaking without breaking the banks.  Companies will continue to use their existing technologies while exposing some of their services to other companies as done in the advanced world.  Private agencies such as banks, telecommunications and governments in USA,UK and Canada share information via SOA.  That is why your bank account sees New York and Chicago stock exchanges.  That is why when you book your flight online, you can as well book hotel, rent a car and make payments online.  So many individual companies are involved in this single activity.  Even our telecommunication industry can benefit a lot since they do not need to build masts side by side.  This will reduce cost of doing business as well as drive down the cost of making calls by consumers.

    There have been cases in North America where criminals were caught based on DNA swab from discarded orange juice bottle dumped in the trash bin, shoes and car tyre marks found in crime scene.  In all cases, they were linked to a functional criminal database.  When you enter USA,UK or Canada, the immigration officer queries so many databases about your visa and who you say you are.  In coming years, your biometrics will be collected when you apply for visas and matched with another biometrics collected when you about to enter these countries.  USA has already implemented this.

    Two major concerns in adopting SOA are privacy issues and abuse of the system.  This is where all parties involved will have to work out what could be shared and what is private.  No system is completely foolproof.  The legal teams will also have to create a legal framework to ensure that those who abuse the systems are punished.  Data is money and anyone found using it inappropriately should   be punished.  Most systems today keep logs of person who accessed the information with necessary time stamps.  For the public to be able to report any criminal activities, 911 emergency number has to be put in place as it is done in all developed countries.  You may not appear in some of these databases except when arrested for any crime.  Data will be deleted maybe after five or ten years if you are not found guilty.

    The privatization going on in the power sector is a very good initiative in addressing the epileptic power supply needed to power these systems if well implemented.  Government must pass a law making it compulsory to register every birth with a view of issuing national ID number and recorded in the national database.  The forms should be made available at the local government offices and village heads.  Over time we will have a working national database while still perfecting those yet to be issued an ID number.  Deaths should also be registered and struck out of database over time.

    The Inspector General, M.D. Abubakar, is doing a wonderful job in cleaning up the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and restoring public confidence but a lot more still needs be done.   No doubt, NPF is poorly trained, poorly remunerated and ill-equipped.  Police work in North America is very a dignified profession.  Miscreants are not recruited into their Police force.  They are accorded more respect than the law makers because they can easily send you to jail for breaking the laws.    Our Police need to be trained more on how to scientifically handle crime scene using forensic science.  With automated systems, they can be notified of any criminal activities in areas of their jurisdiction by sending SMS messages to their phones within minutes any serious case is reported.  Police on patrol should be able to access their databases on mobile computers within few minutes and get more details about the individual being questioned.

     Using technology to fight crime will not be effective without looking at the remote causes of crime.  With high unemployment in the land, government needs to begin to think of paying unemployment benefits to those who lost their jobs and out of school and cannot find a job. Our political class needs to begin to think about the people she claims to represent if we all must sleep with our two eyes closed. The kidnapping menace is already out of control and there seems no solution in sight.

    We need total re-orientation of our value system. Very few now asks for the sources of sudden wealth these days.  All we hear is he or she has “made it” and most times without any justifiable means of livelihood.  We cannot continue as a nation to praise those who loot our economy and pretend it is their share of the so-called national cake.  In some countries such as China looting of public treasury attracts death penalty.  There was a time you could travel to any village in Nigeria and the villagers will welcome you.  Not anymore.  You are not safe in your village.  The cost of living is very high in Nigeria.  The government should introduce some cushioning measures to stimulate the economy. The government should encourage manufacturing to create jobs, not just services, give tax credit to foreign investors since our political system is maturing now and no foreign investor wants put his or her money in a country in turmoil.

    No doubt there is high cost of governance in Nigeria.  There are too many committees, and sometimes, their functions overlap.  Our law makers are richer than their counterparts in America,Canada or UK yet Nigeria’s annual budget is not up to that of the State of New York.  No one should be above the law.  The example of the former Governor of Delta State jailed in London, James Ibori, is an eye opener to Nigerians. There are still so many Iboris in government and they should be brought to justice.

     If the systems suggested in the write-up are properly built and implemented, technology will go a long way in dealing with cold murders and unresolved mysteries as well as drive down crime in our society.  Without timely and accurate data, fighting crime will remain a herculean task.

     

    Victor Odili-Idiagbor is a Middleware IT consultant based inOttawa, Canada, wrote in via victor_odili@yahoo.com

  • We are exploring all options to stop Boko Haram- Jonathan

    We are exploring all options to stop Boko Haram- Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday spoke with Al Jazeera’s Stephen Cole at the World Economic Forum in Davos on the danger posed by the terrorists’ activities in Mali and Nigeria.

     

    Nigeria has sent a battalion of Army to Mali, how does the war in Northern Mali impact on Nigeria?

    Terror anywhere on earth is a terror to everybody. Because of the excesses of this terrorists group in Northern Mali is a threat to West Africa, a threat to Central Africa and North Africa. They cannot limit themselves to Northern Mali.

    Terrorists are criminals they don’t respect territorial boundaries. They don’t need a visa to enter any country. They do that at their will. So if we all don’t collectively solve the problems in Mali, none of the countries in West Africa, in Central Africa and of course North Africa is safe.

    Do you worry about the conflict in Mali becoming internationalised?

    Yes of course, some of the local terrorists in Nigeria called Boko Haram are trained in Northern Mali. There is a solid link between what is happening in Northern Mali and what is happening in Northern Nigeria. People have written a lot about how to manage terror. Nigeria is not the first country that is experiencing terror.  Managing terror takes different dimensions and we are taking all the dimensions and options that are known to man.

    So what do you do about Boko Haram. Do you fight Boko Haram or negotiate with them?

    It is not just to fight or negotiate with them. Those are just two options. I have told you that if you read about terrorism all over the world there are various options and we are using all the options.

    What are the options?

    The use of the security. We are using intelligence surveillance. In terms of reaching out to them, the government has not really reached out to them because they are operating as faceless organization and I have been repeating it all over the place that the government cannot operate with a faceless organization. You must have an identity for us to negotiate with you.

    But there are individuals, some religious organizations, civil society groups and journalists like you. Journalists operate like security underground. They have some means and when they come to us to tell us… we say we want to know them, we want to see them and want to know if they have some problems we want to solve that problems. So through that means people are reaching out to them, but not the government directly.

    We are also looking at the issues because when you have a terrorist group there may be some few people, tiny minority people, sometimes only one or two person come up with this ideas, but if you have a number of boys who probably are not well educated or not occupied they could be easily be brainwashed and recruit them into the group.

    Is education one of your priorities?

    Yes that is why we came up with the basic educational program we call Almajeri educational programme to cater for those young boys whose parents may not be able to cater for and are only given religious education. So we say no in addition they should in addition to learning about your religion you must develop skills.

    Are you trying to diversify your economy from oil?

    Yes oil brought money to Nigeria, oil also brought problem to Nigeria. There are two areas we think oil brought problem to Nigeria. The first is that with the advent of oil Nigeria abandoned agriculture which has been our primary source of income.

     

     

  • Anyaoku on marble

    Anyaoku on marble

    Chief Emeka Anyaoku was a former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.

    He was elected the third Secretary –General of the Commonwealth at the body’s Heads of Government Meeting held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1989.

    He was re-elected for a second five-year term in Limassol, Cyprus, in 1993.

    Chief Anyaoku was born on January 18, 1933 in Obosi, in the old Anambra State.

    He obtained an honours degree in Classics at the University College, Ibadan, formerly a college of the University of London.

    He turns 80 on Friday.

     

    On Ken Saro-Wiwa’s execution

    “On the eve of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit, when information reached me that Ken Saro-Wiwa and his colleagues had been sentenced to death, I telephoned Abacha myself, to plead with him not to do anything. I got Nelson Mandela to also telephone Abacha and pleaded with him not to do anything. But, unfortunately, Abacha proceeded to execute Saro-Wiwa and co; and that precipitated a rupture of relations between Nigeria and the Commonwealth and most of the Commonwealth leaders.”

     

    On the late Chief M.K.O Abiola

    “I must make this very clear; he (Abubakar) did not need any persuasion because he himself had reached the decision that Abiola should be released.”

     

    Sovereign National Conference

    “The present structure of 36 states is too expensive to run, as it also impedes development,”

    “There is no doubt that Nigeria was making more progress in national development in the early years of its independence when it practised a true federalism of four regions with more extensive powers devolved from the centre to the regions. Those were the days of the significant export of groundnuts, hides and skins and the tin ore from the North, Cocoa from the west, rubber from the mid-west. There were also the days of such achievements of free universal primary education and introduction of television in Chief Awolowo’s western region.”

    “We need to convene a national conference of appropriately chosen representatives of the six geopolitical zones to dialogue on how to face these serious challenges. I believe that if we are to recapture the zeal with the then regional premiers and their electorates, we should aim at getting national conference.”

     

    On democracy

    “Nigeria’s standing in the world has improved tremendously since the return of democracy to this country in 1999. Before then, Nigeria standing in the world was very poor. Since 1999 we have progressive increase in Nigeria standing in the world and at this moment I believe that Nigeria is doing very well externally.”

     

    On Bola Ahmed Tinubu

    “Asiwaju Tinubu is an effective advocate of federalism and a dedicated activist for the return of democracy and the restitution of Chief MKO Abiola’s presidential election victory in Nigeria. As governor of Lagos State, he undertook some key development projects which, under our existing Constitution, were federal responsibility

    “It was clear to me then that Asiwaju was one of the few people who can speak truth to power. There is, therefore, little wonder that he has become a towering leader of opposition to the federal governing party.”

     

    Need for Nigerians to chart new course for the nation

    “I want to urge our politicians, and here I must also add our media too, to spare the nation the distraction of engaging now in public debate on the 2015 elections. We must not allow preoccupation with the 2015 elections to confirm the view that our politicians are only interested in self-aggrandisement, with the result that our national politics is bereft of active ideas on how to uplift the country and improve the quality of life of our citizens. The main focus of our public debates at this time should be how to tackle the massively destructive challenges currently facing the nation.”

     

    Insecurity

    “The insecurity in the land is a drag on our foreign policy no doubt, because our standing abroad depends on our domestic conditions. So to the extent that we have insecurity at home it is a draw back to our foreign policy. But I believe that government is determined to address insecurity and my hope their efforts will succeed.”

     

    Reduction of recurrent expenditure

    “It is my view that the country’s chances of re-living its development opportunities will be greatly enhanced if it does a major restructuring of its political architecture. Without doing so, one can’t reduce the recurrent expenditure.

    “When you look around, especially among developing countries, you will discover that their recurrent expenditure is far less than their capital. In Nigeria, what we have been spending on recurrent leaves us with too little for capital development which we need.”

    “The existing structure of 36 states and federal capital territory with all the paraphernalia and institutions of administration, as long as we continue with that, we are not likely to achieve the level of reduction of cost of administration that will enable us to develop as we ought to.”

    “I do not believe that the present structure we have will not address the destructive competition for the control of power at the centre, while we sustain the largely non-viable states. We have become accustomed to the notion and practice of sharing the national cake from the centre.”

     

    On true federalism

    “It is this destructive control of power at the centre that exacerbates the primordial instinct in our people and also fans religious and ethnic differences with the result that rather than being a source of strength, our pluralism has become a harbinger for discrimination and disunity.”

    “There can’t be no doubt in my view that Nigeria was making a steadier progress in development, when it was a federation of three regions and subsequently four federating units, called regions at the time”.

    “This progress was reversed by the military intervention in our politics beginning from January 1966 because it was the military intervention that has done the erosion on true federalism to what we now described as unitary federalism.

    “I believe that we must return to true federalism if we are to achieve stability and the level of development that we aspire to. We can achieve all these with the current effort to review the 1999 Constitution.”

     

    On environmental degradation

    “I was approached to be president – I accepted readily, because I have been concerned about environmental issues for a long time. The ecology in my home region in Nigeria has changed very much. It has been degraded, so I have always been keen to do something. The oil companies have been flaring gas. They have been polluting the areas where they operate. But they are now co-operating with the government to try and do something about it”.

    “Increasingly, I think that there is common understanding of what sustainable development means. But each experience is different, because Europe has almost completely destroyed its biodiversity. We still have ours in Africa, however, so our interests lie in conserving that. Of course, the main challenge we face in Africa is development – the priority for African governments is the quality of life of their peoples. And that is also their top priority when it comes to ecological considerations.”

    “I am strongly recommending that those countries in Europe and the United States that have not always maintained an ecologist process of development should help us to develop without destroying our ecology; they certainly have the technology to do so. The progress they make should allow them to transfer the technology to us.”

     

    On amendment of 1999 Constitution

     

    “Without far-reaching changes to the 1999 constitution and present governance structure, our quest for peace, stability and development will remain elusive. And to effect such changes, we need a national consensus which can only come from a dialogue among representatives mandated for that purpose by the citizens of this country’.

    “I must hasten to say that my support is for a national conference without the epitaph sovereign. This is because we already have in place an elected structure of governance that includes the presidency in which the citizens have to for the time being vest the sovereignty that truly belongs to them.

    “I am a bit worried about our country. People are not focusing on the performance of the government they elected in 1999. That should be the focus of the people and media attention, so that they can be judged on the basis of their performance.”

     

  • Christmas: Fear of bombing in Churches

    Christmas: Fear of bombing in Churches

    REUTERS – Kneeling over a dusty grave on the outskirts of Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, 16-year old Hope Ehiawaguan says a prayer, lays down flowers and tearfully tells her brother she loves him.

    He was one of 44 killed on Christmas Day last year when a member of Islamist sect Boko Haram rammed a car packed with explosives into the gates of St Theresa’s Church in Madalla, a satellite town 25 miles from the center of Abuja.

    Boko Haram has killed hundreds in its campaign to impose sharia law in northern Nigeria and is the biggest threat to stability in the country.

    Two other churches were bombed that day and on Christmas Eve 2010 over 40 people were killed in similar attacks.

    This Christmas, the police and military are expecting more trouble in the north. They’ve ordered security to be tightened, people’s movement restricted and churches to be guarded.

    But such is the commitment to religion in a country with Africa’s largest Christian population that millions of people will pack out thousands of churches in the coming days. It is impossible to protect everyone, security experts say.

    “I feel safe,” Ehiawaguan says with uncertainty, when asked if she will come to church on December 25 this year.

    “Not because of security here … because we have a greater security in heaven,” she says, wiping away her tears.

    The blast in Madalla killed several people on the street and pulled down the church roof, condemning many of those trapped inside the burning building, including a seven-month old boy.

    A plaque listing the names of the members of the church who were killed has been placed above their graves. The twisted metal of the cars destroyed in the blast is still there.

    “I only pray to God to give them a heart,” Ehiawaguan says, when asked about her brother’s killers.

    Security experts believe Boko Haram is targeting worshippers to spark a religious conflict in a country of 160 million people split roughly equally between Christians and Muslims.

    The sect has also targeted Mosques in the past and assassinated Imams who have questioned its insurgency.

    In the group’s stronghold in the northeast, where most of its attacks occur, Muslims are equally at threat as Christians.

    The fear for many is that more Christmas Day attacks could spark the sort of tit-for-tat sectarian violence between the mostly Muslim north and largely Christian south, which has claimed thousands of lives in the past decade.

    “We have always insisted that Christians should not retaliate,” said Sam Kraakevik Kujiyat, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Kaduna State, one of the areas worst hit by inter-religious violence in recent years.

    “But there is fear … we know not everyone who says he is a Christian acts like one.”

    Churches were emptier than usual on Sunday in Kano and Kaduna, local residents said.

    Despite bolstered security in cities across the north, dual suicide bombers attacked the offices of mobile phone operators India’s Airtel and South Africa’s MTN in Kano on Saturday.

    The bombers died but no civilians were killed.

    No one took responsibility for the attacks but Boko Haram has targeted phone firms before because they say the companies help the security forces catch their members.

    At least 2,800 people have died in fighting in the largely Muslim north since Boko Haram launched an uprising against the government in 2009, watchdog Human Rights Watch said.

    Boko Haram has showed since its insurgency intensified more than two years ago that it can find weaknesses in defenses.

    “One faction of Boko Haram has made several attempts to provoke violence between Christians and Muslims,” said Peter Sharwood Smith, Nigeria head of security firm Drum Cussac.

    “Unfortunately, I think it is very possible we may see attacks of this type (Church bombings) again.”

    Boko Haram is not the only threat in northern Nigeria.

    Islamist Group called Ansaru, known to have ties with Boko Haram, has risen in prominence in recent weeks. It claimed an attack on a major police barracks in Abuja last month, where it said hundreds of prisoners were released.

    The group said on Saturday that it was behind the kidnapping of a French national last week and it has been labeled a “terrorist group” by Britain.

     

  • What you should know about Dangote

    What you should know about Dangote

    Aliko Dangote was on Wednesday named Africa’s richest man by Forbes Magazine. Here are some facts you should know about him.

    Aliko Dangote was born in Kano on April 10, 1957 into a wealthy Hausa-Muslim family.

    His mother, Mariya Sanusi Dantata was the granddaughter of legendary Hausa businessman Alhassan Dantata.

    His father, Mohammed Dangote was Dantata’s business associate.

    Dangote started business in primary school when he bought cartoons of sweets and sold to make money

    He attended the Al Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt where he studied business,

    His uncle Sanusi Abdulkadir Dantata who gave him a business loan of =N=500,000 (Naira) when he was just 21 years old to start his business.

    The Dangote Group, originally a small trading firm founded in 1977, is now a multi-trillion naira conglomerate with operations in Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo.

    Dangote’s businesses include food processing, cement manufacturing, and freight.

    The Dangote Group dominates the sugar market in Nigeria: it is the major sugar supplier to the country’s soft drink companies, breweries, and confectioners.

    Dangote Group has moved from being a trading company to Nigeria’s largest industrial group including: Dangote Sugar Refinery,, Dangote Cement, and Dangote Flour amongst others

    Dangote Group also has major investments in real estate, banking, transport, textiles and oil and gas. It employs over 11,000 people and is the largest industrial conglomerate in West Africa.

    Dangote is branching into telecommunications and has started building 14,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables to supply the whole of Nigeria.

    Dangote was awarded Nigeria’s second highest honour, Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) by President Goodluck Jonathan

  • Men’s Guide: Lingerie shopping for your lady

    Men’s Guide: Lingerie shopping for your lady

    Buying lingerie for your significant other can be one of the most romantic things you can do. It’s an intimate gift which, if you get it right, shows you really care, really do understand her and have put the effort in to really think about a gift they will like.

    It’s also one of the most stressful and dangerous gifts you can buy so don’t rush in to it!

    Before you even think about buying make sure you avoid the following pitfalls and take heed of the helpful lingerie buying advice for guys provided here.

    Guys, the most important things to remember when buying lingerie as a present are these:

    It’s NOT for You!

    Remember who you are buying lingerie for and tailor your future choice to this. If you buy something in a style she doesn’t usually wear then the chances are, you’ve got it wrong. If you buy it in a color or design she doesn’t usually wear then again, you’ve probably got it wrong. Buy something YOU like and the chances are…yup, you guessed it, you’ve got it wrong!

    The Golden Rule – You are buying lingerie for her…and NOT for yourself!

    Yes, those models look great in the skimpy, slutty lingerie and no doubt you’d love to see her in the same, but think of the message you are sending. Do you want your gift to say “You’re special and I love you” or “Love? I just wanna … you!”.

    Go for something silky or lacey and you are more likely to be on the right track.

    Do Your Research

    The second biggest mistake is going into a lingerie store blind. DO NOT try to guess her size, favorite style or for that matter, try to guess anything at all. You’ll fail and fail miserably. Unfortunately, women don’t work in S, M, L, and XL sizes like men; ours is more complicated. When you walk into a lingerie store prepare to be hit by a dizzying array of numbers and letters associated with an even more confusing selection of strange and fascinating products which to the untrained eye, all look the same, but to us, are very, very different.

    Basically, do your research first before you hit the mall or go shopping. Wait until she goes out and then raid her underwear drawer. Try to find things with the label in it and write down the numbers there. If they don’t have sizes inside, borrow one of her bra and panty sets and take it to a store and ask one of the sales staff…they’ve seen it all before, don’t worry. Actually they will be most impressed that you took the time and risked the potential male embarrassment to take the trouble to do so. Make sure that the lingerie you take is on the new side or you risk buying something in the size she was rather than the size she is now…the very WORST thing you can do is buy something in the size she was before she went up a dress size or two!

    While you are rummaging around amongst her undies, make a note of the colors and styles she likes. Is there a particular color she is particularly fond of? Does she like patterns or plain styles? Does she go for comfort or sex appeal? These are important things to note if you are going to buy something she will like rather than something which gets shoved to the bottom of the drawer.

    Items To Avoid

    Avoid anything marked as “Control”, “Reducing”, etc. These are to suck in bellies and hide excess weight…unless you really want to send the message “suck it in fatty” you’d probably be best avoiding these!

    Gel filled, water filled and cleavage enhancing bras…again, unless this is what she prefers be careful what you might be viewed as hinting at with these.

    Kinky stuff in general doesn’t generally work as an “I love you” kind of gift. If you are daring enough to buy it at all, then save it for the times in between birthdays, Christmas and Valentines Day. Anything else is probably safe. So guys, you can now go lingerie shopping with confidence.