The Nation Newspaper

Tag: abandoned

  • Abandoned tank wagons

    •These must be put to use immediately in the interest of all stakeholders

    Something must be wrong with us as a nation to make us abandon sorely needed  public property to rot away. We have had a situation where electricity equipment, bought with humongous public funds, were abandoned at the ports for years. Yet, the country is in dire need of these equipment to shore up power supply. Now, we are being told that tank wagons, belonging to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) are rotting away somewhere, five years after they were ordered. Yet, the country needs alternative means to move petroleum products and other items across the country, to free our roads of needless weight rail could more adequately absorb, and prolong the life span of these roads.

    This sort of attitude cannot be permitted even in countries where money is not their problem, not to talk of one which needs all the funds it can muster to tend to its massive infrastructural deficit. It was a thing of pride and joy to the NRC, when it ordered the 40 wagons, with 20 of them delivered in 2012; and the remaining 20 arriving a year later. They were imported to complement the corporation’s efforts in moving petroleum products. Indeed, oil marketers had far back as 2015 signified their intention to take advantage of the wagons in lifting their products

    Given their sheer size, it would have been a win-win situation for the marketers, the NRC and even the government that would have been relieved the burden of fixing the roads on which these products are conveyed to their various destinations, which necessarily must demand constant repairs as a result of the frequent movement of articulated vehicles on them.

    For the marketers, it would mean less expense on haulage. It would also mean less heartache on the incessant accidents involving petroleum tankers in which lives and properties are lost. With a wagon lifting 45,000 litres each, the 40 wagons could have been conveying 1.8 million litres of petrol or other related products across the country from Apapa in Lagos. This would have taken off the roads about 550 petroleum tankers, each with a conveying capacity of 33,000 litres of fuel.  Indeed, the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) in September 2015 wrote to the NRC on the envisaged benefits of the arrangement. MOMAN’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Obafemi Olawore, had in the letter hoped that the partnership would be mutually beneficial.

    Even ordinary Nigerians would have been saved a lot of headache if the wagons had been deployed. Lagosians in particular would have heaved a sigh of relief because they would have fewer fuel tankers to contend with on the roads and the nightmarish experiences of those working or living in the Apapa axis would have been significantly reduced.

    So, why would anyone allow such benefits to elude a nation that so badly needs them? It would appear that our legendary lack of proper planning and probably the urge by some people to make quick money off the government were part of the reasons for this sad development. Many excuses have been bandied. Fidet Okhiria, NRC’s managing director attributed the development to ‘Nigerian factor’. Whatever that means!

    We are not interested in excuses. What concerns us is the urgent need to put the wagons to use. Where rail lines need to be constructed to make the various tank farms accessible by rail, this should be done with the utmost sense of urgency. Where along the journey routes tracks have to be modernised, this too should be done urgently. A situation where we continue to lift fuel in trucks is analogous to someone who has access to water washing his hands with spittle. We should take full advantage of the benefits of rail haulage.

  • Abandoned children as our future woes

    Beyond the delight of tears, beyond the passionate intensity of countless orgasms, the future of our children, of our own mortality and ancestry awaits our constant vigilance and careful nurturing. No seed grows into harvest joys without the planter’s diligent labour of love. Until we come to this understanding, as parents, as family, as community, we will forever stand condemned by the anguish in the eyes and the voices of our children, forever guilty of the nurturing of prospective soul(s) into the devouring jaws of the streets.

    Many crimes committed in the society today, the under aged children are taking the lead. This is seriously alarming, and if nothing is done and urgently too, our society will never know peace until we pay the full price for the children we have abandoned, until we learn to do the right thing to these children abandoned to the streets. And beyond the children, our society must also learn to do right by the class of socially and economically disadvantaged people produced by various spheres of the society. This is not a prophecy of doom, but from the way the menace of children abandonment to the streets is escalating.

    Look at the Almajiri system in the society today, the National Council for the Welfare of Destitute (NCWD) puts the current population of the Almajirai at about seven million. One can imagine seven million potential journalists, judges, accountants, engineers as the list is endless being wasted away. The system as it is presently being practiced has outlived its usefulness. The system lacks good teachers and a fairly healthy environment. Yet, the society and the parents have abdicated their obligations of properly caring for and educating their children. These bowl-carrying children have now become so ubiquitous in almost all nooks and crannies of the northern states such that we would almost be made to believe that, that is where Almighty God wants them to be.

    But the society should remember that God has given us these children in trust, and given us guides on how to bring them up and will surely ask us on the Day of Judgment of what we have done in the discharge of that aspect of what He entrusted upon us. As it was rightly observed by Professor Idris Abdulqadir, there seems to be a conspiracy of silence between the parents, authorities and the society at large. For the parents, the system provides an outlet, and a drainage for the excess children at home. For the authorities, it is a relief that they do not have to budget for about seven million Almajiri children’s education and welfare. As for the elites, they care less as long as their own children are not involved. But let us remember this adage: a mad dog does not hesitate to bite anybody including the owner of the dog.

    Good enough, it is commendable as most parents create little out of their tight schedule to see that their children are given the best parental supervision and guidance. But it is not enough as more efforts need to be intensified in order to ensure that children abandonment to the streets become a thing of the past.

    To this end, media must pay priorities in their reportage to ensure that child menace is curbed. Not only, but also disseminating information and to put in place programmes that will create mental pictures in the minds of parents on how a child should be taken care of. Not leaving the government out, they must ensure that proper sanctions are put in place for the offenders whose children are found on the street. With these, it will go a long way in alleviating street children.

    • Aondover Eric Msughter

     Bayero University, Kano

    Email:Aondover7@gmail.com

  • Abandoned trainees

    •It’s high time the NPA reviewed their case 

    The report that 536 young Nigerians were employed and trained, from 2003 to 2007, by the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), after which they were allegedly left in limbo, is symptomatic of the common tardiness in many of our public institutions. According to media report, each of the 536 persons was given an admission/appointment letter, dated January 30, 2003,titled: “Offer of Admission/Appointment as a Technical Trainee in the Technical Training Centre”.

    The report also claimed that close to the completion of their training, an attempt was made to disengage them, but they were recalled to complete their training, following the intervention of the then Minister of Transport.

    The trainees claimed that since the completion of their training in 2007, they have not been deployed as contemplated by the admission/appointment letter. The letter signed on behalf of the then managing director, read:”I am pleased to inform you that as a result of your performance in the just-concluded examination/interview, you have been offered an admission as a technical trainee in the authority’s pensionable service on a commencing salary grade JSS 3 in the authority’s structure.” They also claimed that 10 of their members have since died, while two have committed suicide.

    The admission letter further provided: “You will be expected to spend a maximum of four years in the training centre. On successful completion, you will be deployed appropriately. Your first year of admission will be a period of probation and subject to termination by either side on one month notice or salary in lieu. Upon successful completion of the probation period, your admission/appointment may be confirmed.”

    While the training has been completed, the trainees have not been deployed or formally disengaged, prompting a court action at the Federal High Court, before Justice Okon Abang.

    It is also reported that Justice Abang,on May 22, 2013, in his judgment declared that the trainees cannot be disengaged except in accordance with the terms of their engagement. He held their sack as unlawful, ordering their re-engagement and payment of the arrears of their salary and other entitlements due to them. The trainees also took their case before the House of Representatives, which reportedly relied on the judgment of the court to ask that the trainees be paid arrears or reabsorbed, by a letter, dated 17 May 2016. An in-house committee of NPA reportedly recommended that the trainees be paid compensation in lieu of their entitlement, as the arrears have become humongous.

    The exigency of the economic times may make hiring the trainees difficult, and that is where we call for dialogue and mutual understanding. For us, it is fairer for the new management headed by Hadiza Bala Usman, to look at the case again, and come up with a pragmatic approach to bring the dispute to a close. Without prejudice to the litigious rights of the NPA, we urge Hadiza to appreciate that it is a public concern, owned by all Nigerians. She is capable of doing it and it will lay many years of unease to an end.

     

  • Abandoned SURE-P clinic

    Abandoned SURE-P clinic

    •A wrong way to improve mother/child health 

    For over two years, a multi-million naira fully-equipped healthcare facility built with SURE-P funds is lying fallow on the outskirts of Abuja. The hospital, equipped with baby cribs, beddings, operating table, scale, wheel chairs, office furniture, stretcher, syringes, gloves, maternity equipment, drugs, 10 KVA generating set, standard borehole, accommodation for staff, etc. is now covered by dust in sleepy TuganNasara town, just three kilometres outside Abuja.

    In its current state, the primary health facility in TuganNasara represents an unpardonable undoing of SURE-P’s noble objectives that motivated construction of the clinic: “to increase use of maternal and child health services by the country’s rural populations through innovative demand and supply side interventions along the continuum of care.” Ironically, the health centre was completed 18 months before the government of Goodluck Jonathan and remains closed 18 months into the government of Muhammadu Buhari.

    This anomaly is too obvious for citizens to miss the lack of genuine concern for the immediate community of TuganNasara in the Federal Capital Territory, and for those in more rural communities across the country. Undoubtedly, citizens in communities far from the capital are bound to worry about their own fate if a community so close to Abuja can suffer so much neglect at a time that the government can hardly afford any wastage. The implications of such neglect are too serious to be dismissed as an oversight.

    One implication of the abandonment of a completed primary health centre is the deprivation of TuganNasara mothers and their children of direly needed  healthcare, an implication well captured by some of the residents of the community housing an abandoned near state-of-the-art clinic: “We have children dying here frequently from preventable diseases but cannot access quality medical care even though we have a fully equipped clinic in our midst, it is very sad …That is the most unserious and unpatriotic thing to do against your citizens, some countries will jump in celebration to achieve this level of development but here, it is all about the money getting into the hands of some people and that’s all that matters.”

    The neglect is more flagrant in a context in a country that is still rated low in maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, one in which one in every 10 children dies before his/her ffth birthday and one in 20 women still dies at childbirth. There is no better way to demonstrate the insensitivity of policymakers and implementers than the walking away of the Federal Government from a well-equipped health facility designed to reduce the social burden of the most vulnerable segment of the population.

    This newspaper seizes the unfortunate situation created for residents of TuganNasara to remind the government of the imperative of proper coordination of policymaking and implementation. SURE-P, the mother of the TuganNasara health facility, popped up overnight without proper preparation for policy coordination in 2012 after reduction of fuel subsidy charges. Examples of failure to meet targets abound in other aspects of the programme: poverty alleviation, transportation, and infrastructure. Now that we have a Federal Government that has embarked on formal social security assistance to the vulnerable segment of the society, there should be no reason to allow the tradition of disconnect between policymakers in political parties and policy implementers in the civil service to spawn the egregious blunder of abandoning direly needed facilities made possible by taxpayers.

    The short-term solution to this absurd situation is for the government to open immediately for service the TuganNasara health facility and others like it across the nation. And the long-term solution is for the Buhari government to steer its government’s institutional reform in a way that will make wasting of taxpayers’ money a thing of the past.

  • 130 power projects abandoned since 2002, says TCN

    130 power projects abandoned since 2002, says TCN

    One hundred and thirty power projects have been abandoned since 2002 due to inadequate funds, Managing Director, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) Dr. Atiku Abubakar said yesterday.

    Abubakar spoke at the Electricity Customers’ Forum, organised by the Eko Electricity in Lagos.

    He assured that this administration will execute  the projects to enable the power sector add value to lives of the citizenry.

    The TCN chief said the Omotosho/Egbin 330/11 KVA line , one of the projects, will be given priority in the 2017 budget.

    “We have the capacity to generate 7, 500 megawatts but we are faced with issues of gas.

    Abubakar said: ”The country’s power generation hovers between 3,000 and 3,300 megawatts due to challenge of inadequate gas supply.”

    Abubakar regretted that this caused generation to shrink to about 3000 megawatts.

    According to him, the government will turn the challenges to opportunities, to spur growth of the sector.

    House of Representatives Committee on Power Chairman Mr. Daniel Asuquo said the lower chamber would cooperate with the Federal Government to ensure the sector’s growth.

    Asuquo hailed owners of Eko Electricity Distribution on initiatives to improve quantity, quality and reliability of supply despite shortfall in allocation from the national grid.

    He said the initiative to source supplementary power through embedded generation options would guarantee greater supply.

    Asuquo said it would also reduce the Disco’s Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collections Loss, ATC&C;  and urged the company to improve its metering system.

    He added that Eko Electricity mopped up excess power from existing captive generation within its licence area and entered into agreements with Independent Power Providers, to  enhance quality service delivery.

    The lawmaker said the embedded generation options will also improve revenue collection efficiency, distribution and performance.

    Head, Consumer Affairs, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Mr. Hardley Blue-Jack, assured customers that NERC would improve the sector through regulations.

    Managing Director, Eko Electricity Plc, Mr. Oladele Amoda, said there had been no investment in the sector in 30 years before sale of assets of successor companies of defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to the private sector.

    He said 70 per cent of the assets were dilapidated when they were sold in 2013, adding that investors spurred growth in the sector despite liquidity challenge.

    Amoda said his company would satisfy customers by providing value added services.

    He said the company in the last three years metered substantial number of customers, and ordered 500 transformers to ensure steady supply to customers during Yuletide.

  • Betrayed by her best friend, impregnated and abandoned!

    Dear Aunty Temi,

    My name is Busayo and I am 24 years old. My dad died when I was 14. And we were practically left alone with our mother who was less than 40 years old at that time. My paternal family was very cruel to us as they sold the only house my father built where we lived, and sent us packing without caring how we would feed or go to school. My mother was crushed to pieces as she was an orphan and shared a close bond with my father and though I was very young, I dare say, their love was legendary. Such that in my early teens I always told both of them that I was going to marry the best man in the world someday just like my daddy! For the first two years after his demise, my mother who had become a nervous wreck found it really hard to make ends meet or fend for us as secretly she just wished she’d go and join my dad where he was. However, God was kind to us and took care of our needs through my mum’s friend who took us in and graciously shared everything she had with us until my mum set up a small business which grew to our satisfaction. Asides my elder brother, I had a sister in my mum’s friend’s daughter who is the same age with me. We went to the same secondary school, found ourselves in the same class, proceeded to the same university and encouraged ourselves to coast on in life. Funke and I found comfort in each other and shared great dreams. Eventually, pain no longer existed in our lives but my mum could never stop missing my dad.

    I was never a way-ward girl and neither did I believe in having a boyfriend as a teenager. Asides making up my mind for the best man in the world to come and marry me, my mum would drum in my ears every morning that the best thing I could do for her was to come out with fantastic grades and become one of the best lawyers in town someday. She also imparted great morals into me and I never saw her dating any man till this moment. Whenever she was encouraged to re-marry, she stubbornly refused and in fact could fight you for bringing it up as she just couldn’t stop loving my dad. However, Funke had started dating since we were in secondary school but you could never tell. She was so discreet and was much wiser than I. I knew a good number of her escapades as she shared them with me. She was happy-go-lucky and could fall in love this morning and wake up tomorrow morning and fall out of love.

    Over the years, there have been pressure on me from guys who wanted to date me but I just wanted to make my mum happy and I patiently waited for my dream man. I waited till age 22, before I considered dating anyone. I met and fell in love with Sunkanmi, a dashing young man loved by everyone. And my mum and everyone around me usually said “a pe j’eun ko ni je ‘baje”, meaning whoever eats late does not eat rot. I was so happy with him and walked with a spring in my steps as he was all over me like no man’s business, gave me quality attention and every other thing one could crave for in a man. By the sixth month of our relationship, we had concluded we would get married and I had gotten very familiar with his mum.

    I missed my period and at first I didn’t take it seriously because I thought it was a hormonal imbalance or the like that I’d experienced a number of times. Eventually, I discovered I was six weeks pregnant. Of course, I was very happy because done with school and my youth service, the next agenda in my list is marriage alongside having the job of my dreams. On my way home from the laboratory, I called Sunkanmi who was at work and gave him the good news.

    The line wasn’t too clear and he said he was in a meeting and would call me back. I practically skipped home excitedly to meet a bosom friend who had called me that she had to see me urgently. On getting home, I got the rudest shock of my life as she came to inform me that Funke was pregnant for Sunkanmi and she strongly believed he’s set to marry her. I passed out instantly. That same day, we confirmed her story. Two weeks after, I’ve not heard from Sunkanmi; he doesn’t pick my calls. I’m so disconsolate and grief-stricken, I want to terminate this pregnancy, however, my mum won’t allow me. What should I do aunty Temi? Please help me!

    To be continued.

  • Abandoned!

    A multi-billion Naira initiative to diversify Nigeria’s maritime and logistic capacities through dry-docking lay waste

    They are probably overgrown by bush now with their sign boards hardly visible. Massive expanse of land cleared about 10 years ago and prepared as sites for dry docks and inland container depots have been abandoned, a testimony to poor governance and a lack of will to lead change.

    In 2006, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) had embarked on a most audacious and laudable programme to grow away from the major ports of Lagos into the hinterland by expanding and diversifying maritime and logistical capabilities.

    The NSC initiated the Inland Container Depots projects by creating six dry port sites across the country. It was structured on a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis. The ports were awarded to six concessionaires: Duncan Maritime Services Limited, (Jos); Eastgate Inland Container Terminal Limited, (Aba); Dala Inland Dry Port, (Kano); Migfo Nigeria Limited, (Maiduguri); Catamaran Logistics Limited, (Ibadan); and Equatorial Marine Oil and Gas (Limited),Funtua.

    The dry dock initiative is spectacular for many reasons: it would decongest the ports at Apapa, thus easing the gridlock that has plagued that axis of Lagos State for years. Secondly, the economy of these far-flung regions where the docks were assigned would enjoy a fresh lease of life; creating jobs and expanding logistical capabilities. Numerous businesses in those areas which hitherto had to travel to Lagos to carry out their maritime transactions would be relieved of so much costs and stress. In fact, the whole idea was to bring shipping services to the doorsteps of inland shippers.

    It was indeed a win-win idea for the economy and would have been one of the major planks of the much-talked about diversification of today.

    But as is the case with most initiatives of government in the last few years, only one of the docks ever took off. The exception which is the one in Funtua, Kaduna, only swung into action last year, apparently the result of a prescient government in place now.

    According to NSC’s Executive Secretary Hassan Bello, “a lot of cargoes are being consigned to Kaduna and it is really a good beginning. In terms of infrastructure, Kaduna has a lot of facilities like clearing and handling equipment. Kaduna State government has been very supportive in roads, security, lights, and even built offices for agencies that are going to be operating from the dry port.”

    Why did such an otherwise great idea fail so woefully? Bello hinted that the concessionaires complained about their financiers and technical partners reneging on agreements. In some cases, like Plateau State, security challenges were touted.

    It is also mooted that many of the governors would not buy into the idea and they had critical roles to play in terms of providing security, access roads and liaising with the Federal Government for initialling federal port agencies.

    We also want to wager that the NSC may not have carried out thorough due diligence in appointing the concessionaires. Many of them obviously lacked the technical competence as well as the financial muscle to embark on such a large scale project. Further, and as Bello admitted, the NSC may not be quite ready for this scale of project as it had no policy framework at that time. It also did not follow up closely enough, which explains the 10-year lag from the time of the initial agreement.

    There is no doubt that the dry dock project is a very strategic one that will galvanise the country’s economy. This is particularly so in this time of economic downturn. We urge the NSC to quickly dust up all the agreements and review them. Those that are hopeless cases should be cancelled immediately and re-awarded forthwith.

    This time, we expect the process to be thorough, transparent time-bound and competitive. A few more may also be created where necessary. But most important, only those who have capacity to deliver them in record time must get them this time.

  • Police love for abandoned children

    Police love for abandoned children

    Abia State Commissioner of Police Joshak Habila’s gifts lift the spirits of administrators and inmates of an abandoned children’s home in Aba, Abia State, reports SUNNY NWANKWO

    History was made on Monday in Aba, Abia State’s commercial heart. The state Commissioner of Police Joshak Habila visited a facility in the city where the Reverend Dr. Joy Igweze has been looking after abandoned children for 10 years. He came with a huge of daily needs and lots of love.

    Since it was founded, the Peace Sisters Outreach Ministry International has been running on government’s handouts and public charity. No commissioner of police in the state had ever visited the facility. Habila’s is therefore monumental, more so when it was accompanied with just what the home needed: love and supplies.

    Inmates of the home were mostly picked up from the streets where they were abandoned by their parents, especially mothers. Some of those mothers were themselves pushed out of their matrimonial homes with their children. The streets therefore naturally became their first and sometimes only shelter, until Dr Igweze showed up.

    Mrs Igweze caters for about 110 inmates whose age ranges from one to over 20 years.

    There is something also quite remarkable about the facility. It has not been linked to any baby factory or child rituals or such other gory tales rampant in the country especially in the Southeast. Its record has been clean.

    It was also an emotional event for the inmates. Unable to hide their joy, they sang melodiously to welcome and entertain their guests even as they requested for mattresses and other needs. They also prayed for the Commissioner of Police and his team, the state and the country at large.

    Items donated by the CP included 10 cartons of noodles, a carton of tomato puree, three bags of rice, one carton of seasoning, cartons of beverages, jerry cans of groundnut oil, one carton of toilet tissue, salt, bread, milk and soap, among others.

    The state police chief commended the founder of the home and staff for their concern in giving shelter to the homeless and  hope to the hopeless.

    He said his visit relieved him of the burden he had been bearing for a long period of time.

    Habila stated that his coming to the home was to urge the wealthy to use what God gave them to better the lives of others especially the downtrodden within their vicinity.

    He used the opportunity to appeal to good-spirited Abians and others to come to the aid of the inmates of Peace Sisters International Ministry.

    He also warned those operating illegal maternity and motherless babies homes in the state to look for legitimate jobs or face the consequence.

    He also stressed that the police were on the alert to not only track down operators of such homes, but to also bring them justice.

    He also called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, the press and civil society groups in the country to help spread the message against people abandoning their child/children on the street, stating that if the community policing which the Inspector General of the Police, IGP Solomon Arase preaches will be imbibed by all, crime and criminality will be limited, if not eradicated in the society.

    In her response, the proprietress of the abandoned children home, Dr. Rev. Mrs. Joy Igweze thanked the State Police Chief for finding time to come and visit her home and to also identify with the children in the home.

    Calling for a stiffer penalty to those who gave birth and abandon their child or children on the street, Igweze lamented high level of abandoned and street children in the society by their parents and called for love among people in the society.

    She said, “People who drop their child or children on the street and abandon them will definitely get their punishment, unless they repent and turn a new leaf.”

    She added that they were happy to receive Habila at the home as the first Commissioner of Police in the state to visit them.

    One of the inmates who spoke on behalf others, Master Samuel corroborated the position of their proprietress and solicited for more assistance from the federal, state and local government authorities including public spirited individuals and corporate organizations.

    Samuel said that the Police chief’s visit will ever remain historic to the home and the lives of the inmates.

    On the commissioner of Police entourage were the DPOs of Osisioma and Eziama Police Divisions; Usman and Austin, the PPRO of the state command, Ezekiel Onyeke Udeviotu, State chairman and Osisioma Police Division chairman of Police Community Relation Committee, Ambassador Emma Nwosu and Chief Amanna A. Nwaogu who also used the opportunity provided for by the visit to make some donations to the home.

  • Why we abandoned foreign studies half-way, by Rivers students   

    Rivers State students, who were on scholarships abroad, but returned home on the order of the government to continue their studies in the country have decried the development.

    They wondered why it was during their time the government discontinued foreign sponsorships when their mates concluded their studies abroad.

    Former Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s administration began programmes encouraging Rivers youths to study outside abroad.

    Some of them have completed their studies and returned home; others stayed abroad for their Masters and Doctorate or work.

    But those offered admission to study abroad a year or two before Amaechi left office have been enmeshed in the state’s boiling politics.

    Governor Nyesom Wike said his administration had no money to pay for students on scholarships abroad.

    Instead, the governor said the students should return to Nigeria to continue their studies in local universities.

    Our investigation showed that many students have returned, following the government’s directive.

    In an interview in Port Harcourt, the state capital, Governor Wike said despite his decision to discontinue the fees of students abroad, his government cleared fees of those in final year.

    The governor said his government could not allow the students to suffer but would offer them opportunity to study in Nigeria.

    Our reporter spoke with some returnee students, who said the government’s discontinued payment of their fees forced them to abandon their studies and return home.

    According to them, they returned because their visas would not be renewed without payment of their school fees.

    The distraught students noted that the government’s failure to settle their allowances caused them hardship.

    One of the students, Fortune Anokuru, of Computer System Engineering at Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom, said he was preparing for second year when news came that Rivers students on scholarships abroad should return home.

    He said students, who have not returned home, were doing menial jobs to survive.

    Fortune said: “We came back because we were unable to pay our fees, and the country made it compulsory that it would not renew student’s visa unless we paid our fees. The government has decided to discontinue paying our fees abroad.

  • Baby found abandoned in noodles carton

    Baby found abandoned in noodles carton

    A baby abandoned inside a noodles carton was yesterday found in Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos.

    The child in blue overall and white scarf was found by members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) led by Suleiman Badmus at about 5:50am. She had mosquito bites on the exposed areas of her body.

    Badmus’ sister Anu Olabisi said the baby was found close to her shop. She was among those who went to Festac Police Station over the incident.

    Olabisi said: “The baby was found close to where I sell herbs at Amuwo-Odofin. One of the OPC members heard the baby’s cries and called my brother Badmus.

    “The baby was inside a carton. When I saw her, I was shocked. I started crying. I am a woman. I felt whoever abandoned her must be crazy!

    “Mosquitoes had bitten her face. Why would any woman abandon her baby after she had carried the pregnancy for nine months?”

    When the baby was taken to the police station, Sergeant Pamela Nwabinwe strapped her on her back and went shopping.

    She was said to have returned with new clothes, water flask and food for the infant.

    Onlookers were shocked by her kindness, but not her colleagues, who stated that Nwabinwe usually went out of her way to cater for abandoned babies brought to the station.

    “That’s how Pamela behaves with every baby rescued and brought to the station. She goes all out to mother the baby. Pamela spends her money a lot on abandoned kids. She likes kids a lot. She’s a real mother,” they said.

    Nwabinwe described her action as nothing, saying: “No one can buy human life. An innocent child like this should not suffer for no cause.”

    The residents hailed her and urged other police officers to emulate her.