The Nation Newspaper

Tag: abandoned

  • ‘My husband abandoned me for no reason’

    •Man: our union is bad omen

    A middle-age woman, Sophia Arapogun, has prayed an Agege Customary Court in Lagos to dissolve her 11-year-old marriage because her husband, Patrick, abandoned her for two years.

    Mrs Arapogun, who lives with her husband and his six children from his previous marriage, said he never asked her how she fed.

    “My husband buys foodstuff for his children and asks them to keep it in their room. He never asked what I needed at a particular moment and we lived together,” she said.

    The petitioner said her husband came home at a time to sprinkle something that looked like blood all over the house, adding that she worked as a clerical officer in her husband’s hospital.

    She said: “I used to package melon to sell in neighbouring markets but since my husband didn’t like the idea, he employed me in his hospital. There was a day I took N300 to take passport photograph, he shouted at me in the presence of his children and I felt humiliated. I was more shocked when he made sure I refunded the money.”

    She is seeking an accommodation from him as compensation if her petiton is granted.

    Patrick said he married her because he heard a pathetic story about her, adding: “I asked if she had any evil spirit or medical problems which didn’t make her conceive during her two previous marriages but she said no; then I married her.”

    The respondent, a doctor, said after their marriage, he discovered that three minutes after making love to her, he got a knock or slap on his head.

    “Not only did I get a knock, whenever I had the intention of sleeping with her, I had rashes on my manhood or my manhood twisted. At times, I did not get erection or my sperm seized. Since then, I became afraid of everything,” Arapogun said.

    He said his hospital crumbled after his wife began to work with him, adding that she stole money on several occasions.

    “When we lived together, there were times my wife left the bedroom and returned in the morning without any explanation. Our union is bad omen. I have suffered from swollen legs, slight stroke and it was when I realised my wife defecates in the bucket I used to bathe that I decided to leave with my children because I was not ready to die young and I don’t know what was going to happen next,” he said. The couple have no issue.

    The court’s President, Pa Adekunle Williams, ordered the petitioner to maintain peace and adjourned the matter till July 13 for further hearing.

  • He abandoned me for 10 years, says wife

    A middle-aged woman, Bola Ogunmodede, has dragged her husband Adeoye, to an Alagbado Customary Court in Lagos, for abandoning him for over 10 years.

    She said she had pleaded with him severally to return home, all to no avail.

    Mrs Ogunmodede said: “It’s been four years since he left me with our five children. I had to return his brother’s children because I couldn’t carry their responsibility anymore.”

    She also accused him of adultery, saying she has lost count of the number of women she saw him with.

    The petitioner said she brought the case to court  because their third child willingly stopped schooling.

    “Our 15- year-old son is a disgrace to me. I once beat him on assembly ground because of his unruly behaviour. When it persisted, the school authority collected his uniform and shoes before he was expelled. If there is unity in our home, this wouldn’t be happening,” she said.

    Her son, she said,  had been keeping bad friends, adding that he has sold almost all the electrical appliances in the house.

    Mrs Ogunmodede said when she could no longer bear his idleness, she took him to a barber’s shop to learn the trade, but the first day he returned, he vowed never to go back because there were too many masters there.

    “Just last week, policemen came to our house for our son, accusing him of stealing some money. He doesn’t sleep in the house anymore. He doesn’t listen to me. I want him to move to his father’s house so I can have peace of mind,” she said.

    Defending himself, Ogunmodede told the court that his wife was lying.

    “I know how we used to be and I realise it is because there is no money anymore. 12 years after, I keep wondering how and when I resigned from where I worked.”

    He said he applied as a night guard of a church just to be closer to God, adding that it was when the pressure became unbearable that he left the house.

    He also accused his wife of adultery.

    “My wife was dark skinned when I married her but now, I hardly recognise her. There is nothing wrong with our third child. In fact, he still came to my house few days ago saying he didn’t like the way he sees different men with his mother and whenever he complained, she rained curses on him which made her send him out of the house,” he said.

    He added that his wife was behind marriage troubles.

    The marriage produced five children between the ages of 6 and 18.

    The court’s president, Mr Olubode Sekoni, fixed a chamber discussion and ordered the couple to bring their third child. The case was adjourned till today.

  • ABANDONED!

    ABANDONED!

    THE African culture is that of a well-knit family bound together in love. Parents take care of their children while the children look after them in their old age. But this cultural value is under threat of being eroded by the global economic recession. Many children who have been cared for and trained so they can take care of their parents in old age have no means of livelihood. This situation has made it difficult, if not impossible, for such children to discharge that expected responsibility to their parents and elderly ones.

    According to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook, 2012, the population of Nigeria’s old people from 65 years and above is about three per cent of the country’s population. Some of these elderly people, who were once civil servants, military officers, policemen and so on are presently living out their golden years in style and grandeur. But a lot more of this three per cent are living in hardship and abject poverty with no one to take care of them.

    Eighty-year-old Innocent Ochi, an ex-police corporal, joined the force during the Nigerian civil war. According to him, he was opportune to go for numerous peace keeping missions, including the one to Congo in 1964. Today, he is homeless. Those who know him well say he has been homeless for the past 20 years. He stays perpetually in front of the Post Office in Wuse Zone 3, Abuja, which is just a stone’s throw from the Nigeria Customs Service headquarters, Wuse Police Station, Wuse General Hospital and the popular Wuse neighbourhood market. During the day, he directs traffic in front of the post office. At night, he sleeps on the concrete steps at the entrance of the post office even during poor weather conditions.

    Papa, as Ochi is popularly called in the area, is frail and bent, with hair as gray as ash. The many years of poverty and homelessness tell so much on him that he can easily be mistaken for a mad man. He also suffers from a severe case of filariasis. He survives on alms mostly given to him by good Samaritans as he directs traffic because he is not the typical beggar.

    The reporter actually witnessed him reject an offer of money from an individual, saying that he did not need any more money for that day as he had already received enough to pay for the day’s meals. He actually asked the stranger to keep the money and use it for something else. He speaks good English and can actually take time out to tell you stories the whole day.

    Papa lives with the delusion that he is still a young man. He is always quick to explain: “I was once married you know? My wife left me because I was too poor to buy her a car. When her brothers who live abroad eventually bought her the car, she left me and took the children.

    “My son came to look for me the other time and was crying. He wanted me to return home with him but I refused. I have been here many years because I am waiting for them to pay me my pension. They said that all my certificates were burnt in Lokoja; so, they have refused to pay me.”

    Moreover, Papa hates it when people try to take his picture and really gets angry when anyone touches his only possession – a transistor radio – which he listens to religiously. Papa is not unaware of the filariasis that makes him drag his left foot along when walking. In fact, he told the reporter about the specific diagnosis, saying that he had been told by doctors at the Wuse General Hospital after a Good Samaritan took him there for treatment. But he said he had refused to return and continue with the treatment because the doctors had told him that they might end up operating on him and he feared that they might amputate his legs and he would not be able to resist them because he would be under anesthetics.

    A former Nigerian ambassador, who craved anonymity, said he had known Ochi for a very long time. He lamented that millions of elderly people in the country are living in agony without any form of support from the government or society. The former envoy said: “Thousands of these elderly persons are retired workers, civil servants, military and police personnel, who after years of active service, have been abandoned without pension. Some have spent the last 30 years struggling to get their pension without luck and now have no more strength in them to continue with the fight to get what in some societies are taken as a right.

    “I have known Papa to be directing traffic at the Wuse Zone 3 Post Office, where he has been living since 1995. In the day time, he stays under a tree in front of the Post Office and at night, he sleeps in the corridor. Now in his 80s, he is weak and carries a terrible wound on his leg. He survives on coins that are thrown at him by passers-by.

    He added: “Nigeria has to show some compassion on its elderly. We must recognise the inherent value and wisdom of the elderly people because they are the custodians of our customs and traditions. Indeed, where much of our history is not well documented, the elderly are also custodians of our history. I believe we should have a law that would promote the rights and interests of the elderly, provide them with the support necessary to sustain the quality of life and dignity commensurate with their status.”

    With unemployment and insurgency on the rise, more old people around the country daily find themselves in the same situation as Ochi’s. Very many of them are living in abject poverty because their wards are unable to take care of them and the pension that should ease their suffering is not forthcoming. Although, a lot of them may not be homeless like Ochi, many of them suffer rejection, loneliness, abuse and even rape.

    The tradition in Nigeria has always been that when a person retires and lives in an urban area or far from his home town, he is expected to start preparing to return to his village to live out his golden years. In most cases, however, it is easier said than done.

     

    Burden of superstition

    With globalisation and the fact that some people see their villages as places where evil people plot against hard working ones, most people during their prime do not visit their villages, mingle with relatives or build houses they can retire into in the villages. So, when they get old, it becomes difficult for them to relocate to their villages. In most cases where they have enough money to send their children abroad to study or reside, the children most times end up staying back in the foreign countries, leaving behind their elderly ones. Neighbours or relations who feel that they were forgotten when the affected individual had money may not be willing to lend a helping hand at such critical times. And the fact that the country rarely makes provision for old people’s homes makes things even more difficult for elderly people.

    Dr. Ifeyinwa Obegolu, founder of Amazing Grace Foundation Old People’s Home, explained that she was motivated to run a home for the elderly after an incident with an old woman, whose children were all based abroad, was drugged and abandoned by the maid employed by her children to take care of her. She recalled that the woman’s daughter in America asked her a question after the issue was resolved, and that motivated her to take action.

    Obegolu said: “She asked me, ‘Please ma, do you have an old people’s home or do you know of an old people’s home that I can take my mother to since I cannot bring her to America to live with me because my husband does not like relatives and my brother’s wives are also the same?’ I told her that I did not own such a home, neither did I know of any. But her question continued to bother me and the plight of the elderly continued to prick my conscience until God made it possible for me to make the dream become a reality.

    “The elderly in this country go through a lot of abuse. Elderly women in the villages, some of whom are as old as 90, are raped on a daily basis. They are abused or beaten by their children but no one talks about it like they should. There are no laws protecting the elderly in this country. We have written several times to the National Assembly concerning it. No welfare scheme or anything like that for the elderly.

    “In most villages, if these elderly people become a nuisance, people in the village will term them as witches and wizards and some of them are stoned to death. But they are not witches and wizards; they are helpless elderly people who have nothing to eat. That African culture that was perfect when it came to the care of the old has been eroded.

    “We have a pro bono legal team that takes up cases of the elderly who are abused. We only house those that are completely disabled and have no one to take care of them. We also accept when people bring their parents to us due to the fact that they can no longer cater for them. They bring them to us and we provide them with the nursing care that they need. Unfortunately, we do not have enough space to take a lot of them.

    “I dream of a Nigeria where the government takes care of the elderly like it is done abroad, where the government builds old people’s homes all over the place and take care of them; where they will have a proper welfare package for the elderly with proper laws protecting them; where the elderly are accorded their place.”

    Three good friends, 65-year-old Ramatu Garba, 67-year-old Maimuna Garba and 75-year-old Sai’natu Isah, were drawn together as a result of being homeless and the fact that they all engage in begging at the same spot in Kubwa Abuja. They all have children, grandchildren and even a few great-grandchildren, but they all say that their children are too poor to take care of them. In fact, according to them, they still have to send money home for their children to feed with.

    Ramatu, the most outspoken of them, explained: “In a situation where you are not strong enough to stay back at home and take care of your grandchildren, the least you can do is go out and provide for them and yourself. How can our children take care of us when they can barely take care of themselves or their families?

    “If the government wants to help us, they can. If they don’t want to house us and constantly give us stipends, they can employ us to do menial jobs like sweeping the road, and we will gladly do it. It is certainly better than sitting here all day under the sun for people who barely bother to throw N20 our way.

    “We don’t like begging, to be honest. If we could, we would be doing something better to take care of ourselves or sit back and allow our children take care of us. Unfortunately, they can’t do so. They can barely provide food for their own families. We can’t just wait until we die of hunger. We are begging the government in the name of God to help us. If they cannot provide us with little menial jobs that we can do, they should at least provide us with food.”

    Maimuna, on her own part, said: “Well, we thank God for people’s little assistance. But the truth is that we get very little money from begging. Most times, we go hungry for days when nobody bothers to give us money. But we have continued to survive and thank God for His mercies, because sitting at home and waiting for the children is worse.

    “Some people we hear collect money on our behalf but it never gets to us. They simply use us to make money by claiming to the government or wealthy individuals that they represent us. It is not fair. If they were assisting us and we were getting enough to eat, why would we come out to sit under this sun?”

    Old Sai’natu, on her part, had to really be convinced that she was not being interviewed in order to turn around and be arrested. She said they had to always be on the lookout to avoid being arrested for begging because they would not be able to afford the fine.

    She said: “We sometimes get arrested by the authorities for begging and for being homeless. We were once arrested and many of us were forced into lorries. They forcibly drove us to a bush in Gwagwalada, where the people that arrested us stole all our money and abandoned us to our fate. When we complained, they threatened to lock us up and demand that we provide N10,000, N15,000 or N30,000 to bail ourselves out. We asked them whether they thought that we had such money and were still killing ourselves under the sun and dust with all the humiliations of begging.”

    On November 17, 2011, the senator representing Enugu East Senatorial District, Senator Gilbert Nnaji, sponsored a bill for ‘An Act to provide care and protection of the rights of Nigerian elderly persons and for matters connected therewith.’ The bill was cited as the Elderly Persons Care Bill 2011. Section 2 of the bill stated: “Every elderly person has the right to maintenance by the government in accordance with and to the extent of the means of the government, and the elderly person has the right in appropriate circumstance to enforce this right in the appropriate court of law.”

    The Bill scaled first reading on November 17, 2011. But since then, nothing has been heard of the bill, which has the prospect of alleviating the suffering of millions of elderly persons in Nigeria.

    A highly placed staff at the Social Welfare Department of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, who pleaded not to be named, explained that the Federal Government formulates policies and takes coordinating and supervisory roles in the care of the elderly, while the states are the implementers, who give direct services and also supervise the implementation of such programmes at the grassroots.

    She said: “We have old people’s homes, which are being run in states like Lagos, Delta, Edo and so on. Traditionally, the care of the family is left to the extended family. But in the face of the dwindling care by this traditional structure, what we do, for instance, is that in states where there are homes, people can take their old people to the homes for care on request, while the states which do not have such homes encourage the family to take care of them.

    “There is emphasis on community-based care for old people as against institutionalisation. We even found that there is the traditional stigma on old people who are institutionalised. They are seen as outcasts or witches who do not have children to take care of them, which is why they were referred to old people’s homes. So, some people don’t even want to go there.

    “What we do in such cases is to create awareness for their care and we organise skill acquisition programmes for the able-bodied ones, so that they can use the skills to augment their incomes. Some states, for instance, have half way homes, where they keep these old people until they can locate their families because some of them may have loving homes but stray from them. “Fortunately, in this country, some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) run old people’s homes. So, in states where the government does not own such homes, they might refer them to the homes run by the NGOs, who take care of them.”

    The Social Welfare Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on the other hand, said that they do not presently have any provision set aside for the elderly in the Federal Capital. Its Public Relations Officer, Francis Ibua, said: “Presently, we do not have any provision for the elderly in the FCT. But it does not mean that we are not in the process of working on something in the near future. We have two orphanages that we run presently for children and we also have provision for the destitute in the FCT.”

  • World of the abandoned

    World of the abandoned

    Hannah Ojo paid a visit to the Mother of Divine Grace Orphanage and encountered a heart-breaking experience.

    IN Delta State, the city of Asaba bustles with the razzmatazz and glitz expected of the seat of power of an oil rich state. Not too far from this opulence sits the Mother of Divine Grace Orphanage, a home founded in the year 2009 to help orphaned and abandoned children.   The home which is manned by the Catholic Diocese of Issele-Uku was approved by the state government in 2011 and it has housed over 60 kids from inception till date.

    When this reporter called at the orphanage, Rev. Mother Agnes Effiom, the matron of the home shared some peculiar heart breaking stories  of how some of the children got to the home. Pointing to one of them, a girl with fair skin in a grey dress she said; “This one was picked up. She was abandoned somewhere with saliva dripping from her mouth.  We brought her up and showed her love. If I don’t tell you that she is handicapped, you would hardly notice.  If you see her dropping saliva you will know that she is not feeling too well. When we met the doctor who comes here to assist, he said she must have been pulled too hard during the process of delivery or maybe the child was too big and the mother didn’t want to go through Caesarian Section and that could have affected his brain”.

    It is not surprising that some of the children who found their way to the orphanage were abandoned. Tracing the journey of some of them, Rev Mother Effiom also mentioned another case in point. “This one (pointing to another kid) was found at a dustbin with his head dropped in a sack.  There was another found in an uncompleted building but he has been adopted. He was equally abandoned”.

    Pointing to some of the children who are already approaching their teens, she said while some were picked up as abandoned children, others came into the house due to their orphaned status. These are the ones who have lost both parents and the relatives are not ready to help.  “We have one whose dead parents are rich and the relatives are not ready to help. What they are after is the wealth. We had to step in so that the child’s destiny will not be wasted since our mission is to give hope to the hopeless.  We can also help a child if we discover that the child is being used as a slave”.

    What could make a mother abandon her child to chance in the debris of a dustbin or an uncompleted building after enduring the pains and throbbing of pregnancy for nine months? Could it be callousness, cowardice or timidity? Yet, the fact holds that abandoning a child to chance is a sin against humanity that cannot be exonerated even under the guise of poverty.  But while there are life wasters, there are also life savers. These are the angels of mercy who understood in the words of frontline Nigerian Journalist, Sam Omatseye that one does not build a society out of material opulence but out of higher matters of love and care.

    Saddled with the burden of care, one can only imagine the responsibility on the shoulder of care givers who have dedicated themselves to restoring shattered lives. Although some organizations and individuals have formed the worthy habit of donating food and toiletries to orphanages, a closer look at the welfare of some of the homes show that there is more to the sustenance of the children than the primary needs such as food, shelter and clothing. Health care, educational support and mobility are other vital needs that will ensure that these children are trained to become useful individuals in the society when they grow older.

    Though the Mother of Divine Grace Orphanage receives funding from the Catholic Church and also gets donations from other well-meaning Nigerians, the matron did not hide the fact that the home can still do with more supports especially in the area of education, health and mobility.  “School will soon resume and we will start thinking of school fees. The medical facilities are not there so we have to take them to the hospital. Also, we are looking for a bigger accommodation because this place is a rented apartment. We have a land which we are working on.

    Mobility is another major challenge. The small bus we have is not enough to take the children because they don’t all go to the same school. Some are in regular schools while others attend the school for handicapped children at Okpanam, in Asaba”, she submitted.

    In recent times, there have been cases when dubious individuals open orphanages and motherless babies home in a bid to enrich themselves. This is why it is important that individuals who want to make donations should go to an orphanage that is government approved so that they won’t fall into the hand of swindlers.

    In Delta State, it is not uncommon to encounter individuals begging for alms on behalf of many orphanage homes but a revelation from the Ministry Women Affairs revealed that there are only 27 registered orphanages in Delta State and they are not expected to pester members of the public for alms.

    Sir Stanley Rapu, the State Director for Child Development, Delta State Ministry of Women Affairs is of the opinion that orphanages play vital roles in child development. According to him; “Child development is also at the base of human development because the children you have today are the adults of tomorrow.  In terms of juvenile delinquency; most of the crimes are committed by children who were not properly brought up by parents and society. When a lot of them are not in homes that government cannot control, they can go wild”.

    Asked on how government controls orphanages in the state in order to ensure that they do not jeopardise the future of children in their care, Sir Rapu said that the essence of getting orphanages registered is to ensure that they are controlled by government. “The law says that all children are under the custody of the state. When these children are not monitored by the ministry in all those illegal homes where they are kept, they can be given out illegally to people who will misuse them”.

    “The state commissioner for women affairs is the chief custodian of children in the state, especially those in need of care and attention.  If these children are not controlled by the state, they are vulnerable to traffickers, abusers and people that will misuse and expose them to vicious way of life.  But when they are controlled by the state, we monitor the kind of upbringing they receive in the homes. Above all, we help them locate qualified parents that can take care of them”, he submitted.

    The English Philosopher and Statesman, Francis Bacon seems to capture it better by writing in his essay titled Of Goodness and Goodness of Nature that in “charity there is no excess”. Adoption is an enviable act of love as people can help an abandoned child develop and grow to be an accepted member of the society.  Sir Rapu also affirmed that adoption in Delta State is a legal process since it is only the ministry of Women Affairs and the law court that can place a child on adoption. “It cannot be adoption if it is not legal, it becomes child sale”, he submitted.

    It will not be a preposterous assumption to state that the reason why Nigeria has plenty heartless people who facilitate societal ills and vices such as terrorism and crime is because we live in a heartless society where most people are preoccupied with their interest.  Let’s bring in some love, some angels of mercy!

  • ‘Law to stop abandoned projects coming’

    ‘Law to stop abandoned projects coming’

    Mr. Ntufam Fidel Ugbo, a lawyer, is the Executive Secretary National Planning Commission (NPC) and Secretary to the National Economic Council (NEC).  A former Director with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),  Mr. Ugbo was Secretary to the State Government, Commissioner for Finance, Planning and Budget in Cross River State before he was appointed to the NPC. He is a governorship aspirant in Cross River State. He speaks with  JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU on law and economic development.

    Can you give us  an insight into your background, where you were born and how you started as a young man?

    Well, every human being, no matter what he or she is in life and  how highly placed, must have started from somewhere. And anywhere you start from, you can call it your scratching point. So, I started from the scratch. I was not born in the city. I’m a rural boy, I grew up in a rural community, went to  primary school in a rural community, except that I was exceptionally brilliant  in my academics.

    What do you mean by this ?

    Well, I said that because I made a distinction in my primary school examinations, that is  First School Leaving Certificate.  I went to  secondary school  in the then East Central State. I then went to the University of Calabar, first degree in economics, second degree, finance and eventually, I went to read law, went to  Nigerian Law School. I was eventually called to the Nigerian Bar in 2005.

    What have you been doing all these years?

    In all these years, I have worked in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). I was one time the commissioner for finance, planning and budget and eventually ended up as the Secretary to the Government of Cross Rivers State and now, Executive Secretary, National Planning Commission and Secretary, National Economic Council.

    As the Secretary to the National Planning Commission, what  is the work of the commission?

    The commission is special. It is the only commission in Nigeria that has its duties spanning the three tiers of government,  the Federal, states and local governments. We oversee every planning activity across the tiers of government and whatever we do as the planning commission also cascades to all these tiers of government.

    We are also a window to the world in attracting grants from donor agencies, from bilateral partners into Nigeria. We are also a coordinating commission. We coordinate all development assistance that comes into Nigeria for any ministry, department or an agency of government. While the Ministry of Finance is in charge of credit facilities, anything such as loan facility, credit facility, it is the Ministry of Finance. Any grants, in aids to Nigeria either in cash or in kind, comes through the National Planning Commission.

    Law has been defined as an instrument of social engineering. What aspects of our laws do you think should be amended to fast track economic development in the country?

    Law and economics go hand in hand, law and development go hand in hand. If you create an enabling environment what it means is that your legal systems are perfect. You can encourage investors to come and invest because the legal environment is conducive for them to operate and when that happens, it brings development, so you see the nexus between law and economic development. When you embark on projects and programmes of governments, governments come and go, but the   programmes and projects you established  would continue to remain. How do we  ensure that the law helps us to ensure that progress and development are sustained?  What we in the National Planning Commission noticed is that when governments come into power, the first thing they do is  to abandon what the previous administration did. And to us, that is a loss to the Nigerian populace.

    What are you doing about this?

    We came up with a law which we call Projects Continuity Bill, which is before the National Assembly, believing that the National Assembly will look at it and pass it into law so that no administration, whether it  is the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) or is the All Progressives Congress (APC),  will come to power and abandon what the immediate past  administration did. This is beneficial to Nigerians and not to any particular person or any political party. So we expect that such a law would  be put in place as it will help us in our development efforts. It will help Nigerians to realise the benefits of their taxes. That is how law can assist in ensuring that there is  development. That is how law will ensure that people, who are supposed to bring in money, invest and bring development come in when the environment is right and the  legal systems properly put in place. That is the relationship between law and development and we believe that we are doing a great job in addressing that.

    One of the problems  in Nigeria   is lack  of continuity in government policies. What is your commission doing to stop this?

    We are trying to see that there is continuity in government  development policies. Remember that we started with the vision 2020. About 5000 Nigerians participated in tracking the Nigerian vision. Why did we get all Nigerians from all walks of life to participate in that?  It is because  we didn’t want  it to look as if it is Federal Government document. No,  it should be a Nigerian document.  So, every Nigerian was given  the opportunity to make a contribution to that plan. And when that came up, the states in the same vein, followed suit by developing their own vision which was derived from the national vision.

    To ensure that we coordinate and ensure the working together of the three tiers of government, we have the National Economic Council, which is chaired by the Vice President with all the 36 Governors in attendance and you know that the constitution places the responsibility of the governance of the third tier of government, which is the local governments in the states.

    So, if the governors are in attendance, they are representing their states. So, this meeting holds every month  where we discuss matters that affect the Federal Government, the states and the local governments in one sitting and everything we need to do as a nation.  This is very important and we coordinate this meeting from the National Planning Commission, which is an aspect we think we are doing well.

    Which  values do you think have been added  to the governance of this country?

    Well, for the first time in the history of Nigeria, a sitting President did a mid-term review of his achievements. That is  Mr President’s Transformation Agenda  mid-term report. He published a report  where he challenged Nigerians, saying,  this is what he has achieved in the two years of his presidency and if anybody doubts what was contained in the report, he is free to  debunk it by showing that what was written was not correct. Up till this moment, nobody has come out to say that what  the President  presented was not true. That report was was facilitated by the National Planning Commission, they  came up with that report.

    We have set up a national monitoring and evaluation system for the country, which is working very robustly. We have established a Geographic Information System (GIS) monitoring laboratory in the National Planning Commission because we know that we are in an age of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) which we must apply in running all our processes. We have done all that, which is the pride of the commission, and it happened during my tenure as the secretary to the commission. So,  I am indeed, proud that we are doing  what  we ought to do and we partner  other organs of government that are available to us like the Joint Planning Board

    What is the work of this Joint Planning Board?

    The Joint Planning Board is a body where all the states planning commissioners meet quarterly to discuss issues that affect the three tiers of government and what can be done. We make resolutions,  go  ahead to enforce them and at the same time monitor what is going on. The National Monitoring and Evaluation that we have put in place, is also encouraging the states to adopt the same system because it will help us to know what we are achieving and where we are failing. This is because once we know where we are achieving well and where we are failing, we can correct the failures and improve on the positively.  So, to that extent, we are making wonderful  contributions and we are coordinating what  happens across the three tiers of governments.

    What do you monitor and evaluate?

    We monitor budgets and programmes implemented by the three tiers,  Federal Government  fiscal projects. We develop a monitoring evaluation report every  year to tell what ministries and departments are achieving every year and whatever do not achieve, we report also.

    Why do you do this ?

    We do this because we want to give them an opportunity to see what they are doing, because as the saying goes, you do not see yourself, you can only see yourself with a mirror. And we being the mirror through which the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) see themselves, we give them that report, so as to see clearly what they are doing right and what they are not doing  wrong. We a  also monitor programmes and not only projects.

    It is widely speculated that you intend to be Cross River State governor next year, what is your reaction to this?

    Service to me has been part of my life because when I was talking to you about the areas I have offered services here and there, you will see that it has always been a life of service to the people, service the nation and all that. And if at this point in time I consider that I have all it takes to  step up my service to my state, I think I’m right.

    What makes you think you are the man for the job?

    Yes, in 2006 I aspired to be the Governor of my state. I am a team player and at the end of the day we agreed and came together. We worked together to actualise the dream for one of us, who happens to be the current Governor.

    Now 2015 is around the corner , the guidelines are indeed, out and my people still believe that I have what it takes to give them that leadership and I have been urged to renew the aspiration I started in 2006. I cannot let my people down, I will take up the challenge and I will show interest.

    There was an advertisement in the newspapers where you were quoted to have said that  you rejected the Lagos accord of three musketeers, what is your reaction to this?

    I was shocked to the marrows when I read the advertisements in the newspapers. I was shocked because I did not understand why human beings could go to the extent of concocting, fabricating and publishing such lies in the newspapers just to undermine other candidates and achieve political gains.

    That advertisement did not come from me nor did it emanate from my campaign office. How can I go ahead to say that a government, which I am fully part of, is a slave driver? It then means that I am a slave driver.  Above all, we have done our best for our people and the country in general. Mischief makers used the photographs of our Governor and that of our former governor to do that. They made it sound as if it came from my campaign train. It is really unfortunate and this kind of politics must be discouraged by all. The press should always cross check who is sending advertisements to them.

    They should always confirm the authenticity and verify the source, so as not to embarrass innocent citizens, defame them or infringe on their fundamental rights.

    As an embodiment of economics, law and finance, how do you intend to touch the lives of ordinary people of Cross River if elected as Governor in next year?

    At times when you are growing up in life, you go through certain processes that may look like you don’t know what God is doing, but He is deliberately preparing you for certain responsibilities. You may never know that. But somehow, somewhere along the line, you will begin to realise that God was indeed, preparing you for a great task.  I started my life as an economist. I was engaged in the Central Bank of Nigeria as an economist where I worked for 24 years. Out of the 24 years, 20 years were with the CBN and four years were the years I spent as Commissioner for Finance, Planning and Budget in Cross River State. That was between 1995 and 1999.

    When I returned to the Bank, I read law and took a Masters’ degree in Finance, which exposed me to all forms of financing options and all that. As if that was to say look, you are going to face a state that is financially challenged, you should have those views to decide on how you are going to innovatively create some financing that will help to propel development in the state.

    So, I believe that these backgrounds I had, with the fact that I worked at the CBN  and in the International Economic Relations Department of the Bank, I am now working in National Planning Commission where I have to coordinate and direct  development assistance to Nigeria, interface with development partners and interface with bilateral partners from different  parts of the world  that send one form of development assistance or the other to the nation. That in itself has  also placed  me in a  better position to bring this experience to bear on the people of Cross River State to be able to share the benefits.

    How do you think your law background would help in governing the state?

    Politics is all about law and order. My law background will be able to give me an insight into what should be the proper legal frameworks, the proper laws that we should put in place to propel our economic development in order to create the enabling environment for governance. How does it enhance the understanding between the executive and legislative arms of government? If you have somebody who has a fair idea of the law, you will be able to manage the relationship among the Legislative, the Executive and the Judiciary. So, these have placed me in a position where I will be able to address some of these issues for the benefit of the people of Cross River State.

     

     

     

  • Govt flies abandoned girl to Abuja

    Govt flies abandoned girl to Abuja

    It has been confirmed that the Federal Government has moved the Chibok girl, Susan Ishaya, abandoned by Boko Haram, to Abuja for further treatment.

    She was moved from the Police Hospital in Yola on Saturday to an undisclosed location in Abuja where she is receiving treatment.

    Susan’s identity is yet to be confirmed or her parents identified, since the parents, who travelled to Yola to meet her with the Vice Principal of the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok were unable to see her because she was flown out without their knowledge.

    The Director of Publicity, Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA), Dr. Manasseh Allen, spoke yesterday in Abuja at the gathering of the #BringBackOurGirls advocacy members.

    He said it would be important to Susan’s recovery if she was reunited with her parents.

    His words: “She was moved by security agencies to Abuja from Yola yesterday. Her location has not been disclosed to us, they are working on her medical condition first before they can acquire any information from her.

    “They have found out that she is still incoherent,  she keeps repeating herself and at times she keeps repeating statements, which means we cannot depend on her words for now, but our leaders are in touch with the authorities and government. As I speak to you now, there are people on standby waiting on the military authorities so that they can have access to Susan and ensure proper medical attention is given to her before we can go on with whatever can come after.

    “No parent has made any contact with her. As I’m speaking to you, no one can say she is from Chibok because no one is yet to meet her.

    “My concern is that in every rehabilitation, family is essential, even in the healing process. So it is essential that Susan is reunited with her family as soon as possible so that the process of her psychological healing will be complete.”

  • Nembe City banished, fined after abandoned tie

    Nembe City banished, fined after abandoned tie

    The Nigeria league yesterday ruled that Nembe City will play their next three home matches in Benin.

    These decisions and others including a financial fine on Nembe City were reached in the aftermath of the inconclusive Match Day 26 fixture between Nembe City and Lobi Stars at the Krisdera Stadium, Omoku, Rivers State.

    The LMC found that the match was discontinued as a result of fans invading the pitch in protest of extra time penalty awarded by the centre referee against Nembe City.

    It noted that it was the action of the fans and not the protest of Nembe City players, who though initially protested the penalty award, that caused the pitch invasion and inhibited the continuation of play

    It further observed that play could not have resumed even if Nembe City players returned within five to twenty five minutes as stipulated by the rules when the fans refused to vacate the pitch and accordingly fined the club N500, 000 for the unruly conduct of its players, officials and fans.

    The LMC therefore ordered that the botched match will be concluded at a neutral venue on a date preceding the 2014 Federation Cup final.

    The match will be re-started from the time it was halted and with the same result that prevailed at the time of the disruption.

    The LMC said these immediate actions are without prejudice to the Organizing and Disciplinary Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

     

  • Plateau’s abandoned mining ponds

    Plateau’s abandoned mining ponds

    Prior to the discovery of oil in commercial quantity at Oloibiri in present-day Bayelsa State in the 1950s, the country’s economy was sustained by agriculture and solid mineral resources, such as coal, ore, tin and columbite, among others. Most of the solid mineral deposits were in commercial quantity and were explored by the colonial masters.

    Plateau State, for instance, is among the states where tin and columbite were discovered in large quantities and were being mined before the discovery of oil.

    Sadly, the colonial masters used the proceeds from their mining to develop cities in their country while the areas where the resources were explored were left undeveloped.

    Plateau State is one of those areas that were left desolate while Manchester and Liverpool in the United Kingdom were developed with the proceeds from tin and columbite mined on the Plateau.

    The impacts of mining on the Plateau are still felt as investigation has shown that there are more than 3,000 mining ponds in the state. The ponds are mostly in Jos South, Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Jos East, Riyom, Bokos and Mangu local government areas. They account for over 65 per cent of the landscape of Plateau North and Plateau Central Senatorial zones and have devastated at least 12 of the 17 local government areas of the state.

    The minerals constituted the main foreign exchange earner for the Federal Government.

    However, with the discovery of oil in commercial quantity, the government concentrated on crude oil exploration in total negligence of solid minerals. However, the Federal Government which issued mining licences to foreign firms only collected royalties from them but failed to implement the land reclamation agreement.

    It is estimated that during the period of exploration, six million tons of earth were dug yearly to get tin, columbite and others. Some residents of the areas told our correspondent that they are scared of the ponds, especially women and children. Many domestic animals have fallen into them on several occasions.

    Rev. Musa Chollom, who lives in Barkin Ladi, said: “Plateau State boasts large deposits of tin and columbite. The colonial government exploited the mineral resources to develop their own countries in Europe. I understand that it was tin from Jos that was used to develop the cities of Manchester and Liverpool. These European countries remain some of the well developed today. But Plateau State that owns the solid minerals remains the poorest state in Nigeria at the moment.”

    Contributing, 78-year-old Abok Gyang, a teacher in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government Area, described the mining operation in the area by the colonial masters as day light robbery.

    He said: “The story of mining exploration in Plateau State is that of a day light robbery by the colonial masters in collaboration with the then Nigerian government. The gains of the exploration went to the colonial masters and the Federal Government. There was nothing for Plateau State.

    “Rather than counting the gains, it is only counting the numbers of abandoned mining ponds. The explorers left without reclaiming even one of the over 3, 000 mining ponds.”

    Recounting his experiences, Michael Pam Bot, a resident of Kwang, Rayfield, Jos, said: “We wake up every morning to behold the frightening ponds. Apart from that, some of our children have fallen into them. Children just grow up to see the ponds; they never knew how deep the ponds are. Most of them are more than 100 meters deep. A number of children has drowned in the ponds as a result of careless play around them. Those in government that benefitted from the ponds are enjoying themselves but members of the host communities now live with the nightmare around us.”

    Efforts by the affected communities to draw the attention of the government to their plight were futile as they were treated with lack of interest or brutal repression, especially during military regimes.

    It was provided in Section 20 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that the nation should “protect and improve the environment and safeguard the water, air and land, forest and wildlife of Nigeria.”

    Plateau State Commissioner for Environment Mr. Sylvanus Dongtoe told our correspondent that “the Federal Government’s response to our ecological disaster so far has been the little ecological fund released to the state to manage its environment. That fund is hardly enough to reclaim even one mining pond. The Federal Government needs to assist us in this regard because the state government lacks the resources to reclaim all the ponds.”

    Continuing, he said: “The state government is not leaving everything for the Federal Government in its efforts to reclaim the devastated land. The government has tried enough to see how it can make use of some of the ponds.

    “For instance, it has developed some of the ponds as sources of water for the citizens. We have converted one pond into earth dam in Angwa Doki, Bukuru. Another one was converted to earth dam in Du Village. The earth dams will enhance water supply and distribution to the residents.

    “Some of them have been converted into fish ponds. Others are being used to run irrigation projects. One of the major mining ponds in Rayfield is now a major tourist’s attraction. It was converted to a beautiful lake known as Rayfield Resort.

    “The worst situation we are trying to cope with is the effects of the mining exploration on the health of citizens. The explorers not only left the land devastated, they also left heavy deposits of mining wastes behind. It is called mine tailings.

    “Medical experts had informed government that people who lived near mining sites are exposed to radio-active substances which could cause cancer.

    Investigation revealed that people build houses close to the ponds, despite the hazard associated with them. This is because there is hardly enough land left for construction of residential houses and for farming.

    Illiya Jerome of the National Centre for Remote Sensing, Jos had said: “Decades of mining exploration resulted in the removal of considerable amount of soil and generated radioactive waste known as tailings. Since no reclamation of the ponds was done by the mining companies, the radioactive materials dispersed in the process have contaminated the soil in its vicinity.

    “Residents of the areas are exposed to direct regular access to these sites. In addition, tailing debris was used as building materials, contaminated soil are used by locals for agriculture mainly in crop production and sand contaminated with mine tailings is used in roasting groundnuts for human consumption.

    “The mining wastes which were indiscriminately disposed all over the communities are the second major causes of cancer of the lungs apart from cigarettes. The radioactive substances have been found to cause cancer in mankind and animals.”

    Apart from the harmful effects of the mining wastes to mankind, the residents are also at the risk of a radioactive gas called Randon.

    Experts maintain that “Randon is a radioactive gas that emanates from uranium-bearing soil and porous rocks. Randon migrates out of soil and rocks into the surrounding air, resulting in the accumulation in poorly ventilated or closed areas. It has detrimental health effect because it is likely to cause cancer in both cigarettes smokers and non-cigarettes smokers, even as it is the primary cause of cancer in human.

    “Randon is a substance located beneath the earth and mining plays a crucial role in the exposure of randon to the surface of the earth.

    “There are high level radiation exposures from the mine tailings of Jos area, especially those who live close to indiscriminately dumped tailing will be exposed to higher dose of the harmful substances.”

    The circumstances in which the state finds itself is such that due to limited land to serve the agricultural needs of the people, majority of its poor population have no option than to embark on small-scale manual mining of the mineral, even long after the major mining companies had left. The health hazard of such manual practice is monumental. Experts had expressed fears that the lead poison in Zamfara State which led to the death of about 400 children in 2010 may occur in Plateau State if care is not taken.

  • She abandoned me as a baby; now it’s payback time! (2)

    APART from Maria, I also sought Big Mama’s counsel on the issue of my mother. She was all for it, encouraging me earnestly to look for her.

    “I know that at nearly 23, you might think you are grown up, a big girl. But the truth is, you still need adult guidance in your life now so you don’t derail,” said Big Mama when I paid her a visit at my old home. “We brought you up on sound moral values and you have been a good girl all this while. But who knows what can happen in the outside world with all the bad influences out there? This is where an older person particularly a parent comes in. I and your other ‘mothers’ here will always be here for you if you need anything. But our love and guidance can’t take the place of your own flesh, that of your birth mother. So, my dear, go and look for her! I’m certain she will be glad to see you and will want to make it up to you in anyway for all these years of separation,” she added.

    She pushed a piece of paper across the table to me. Written on it was a name and address.

    “They are the best goldsmiths in town at least back in the day when they were still very active in the business. These days, most people buy imported jewelry especially gold from all over the world so I’m not sure if they are still open. But visit the address and ask around. I’m sure you will get some hints on that bracelet as I believe it was made in the country because of its design and vintage look,” Big Mama stated.

    Back home, I started making arrangements to search for my mother. After much pleading, Mr Johnson, our manager at the office gave me a few weeks off from work, with the threat that if I did not resume on time, I would not be paid that month.

    As I set out on the search, I felt some excitement and anxiety as well. Everyone I had spoken to on the matter had assured me my mother would welcome me with open arms when I finally meet her. So, it was with that mindset that I went in search of her, believing that for the first time in my life, I would feel and have a mother’s love and care. I would no longer be all alone in the world, with no one to support and care about me. I would be somebody with roots, a background like any normal human being.

     

    The old goldsmith

    “This wasn’t made here,” stated the old man firmly, shaking his head covered with the whitest hair, I had ever seen. I was at the address Big Mama had given me at the orphanage. Though still functioning, they no longer made much jewelry but more of locks and other security gadgets.

    The old man, whom I had been directed to on my arrival said he had retired some years back and his son was now in charge of the business. “I had to stop work because of my hands. They had begun to shake so much, it was dangerous to keep working- you see, we deal with fire a lot and you can’t work with fire with shaky, unstable hands,” he said. Then glancing again at the bracelet in my hand, he said: “This is not our work. And I should know. I started working with my father at age seven. That was over seventy years ago. I can recognise most of our pieces done during that period. This is not ours. But it looks like the craftsmanship of the Simon Brothers,” he stated.

    I had to explain to him the reason for identifying the craftsmen behind the bracelet before he agreed to give me the contact of the Simon Brothers. “The world has changed so much from what it was during our time. You can’t trust anyone now. I’m not sure if old Simon is still active as he’s my senior in age. Have not seen him for years, at least since I retired nearly ten years ago. But his children should still be around. Good luck, child, with your search. I hope you find your mother,” he said, getting unsteadily to his feet as I made to take my leave.

    I thanked him profusely and left. The address the old goldsmith gave me was at the other end of the city and since it was getting late, I decided to wait till the following day before going there.

    The old goldsmith was right; his friend, Old Simon had retired years before and returned to his village in Edo state. I got the information from one of his children who was managing the family business.

    “And why do you want to see my father?” he queried. I could see he was not as friendly as the old goldsmith and I wondered if he would be able to help me in my quest. I brought out the bracelet and showed it to him. I also told him about my quest, of my desire to reconnect with my birth mother whom I believe was the owner of the bracelet. He was silent for a while as he studied the piece of jewelry. From a drawer, he brought out a magnifying glass which he used to examine it closely.

    His next words made my heart beat fast.

    “It’s ours, alright. I can see my father’s seal on it.” he stated.

    “If that’s the case, you should have the contact of the owner since she must have been your customer,” I said eagerly.

    He shook his head.

    “We don’t divulge personal details of our customers. Besides, this bracelet was made long ago, in the 1960s. I doubt if we still have such information in our records,” the man said.

    I pleaded with him, stating that the search meant everything to me and he had to help me. Seeing how desperate I was, he conceded a little.

    “Well, the only thing I can do for you is link you up with my father. Tell him your story and if he agrees, then we will get the address of the owner for you. But you have to come back tomorrow as he hasn’t been well. He was just discharged from the hospital yesterday and he’s resting. We can talk to him on phone tomorrow.”

    It was late the following day that I was able to speak with Pa Simon. When I mentioned the name Clarkson, he exclaimed:

    “That must be Jay Clarkson, the judge! I know him very well! He used to patronize us a lot in those days! I made a lot of jewelry for him which were mostly for his wife and mother. So, what do you want to know about him?”

    I told him about my mother whom I was looking for and about the bracelet with her name engraved on it- C. Clarkson.

    “That should be Clarkson’s wife, Christy. I remember he had a bracelet made for her to mark their wedding anniversary. I designed and made it for him and he told me later how much she loved it. So, you are actually saying the woman who left you at the orphanage is a Clarkson, Jay’s daughter? That must be Carol, their only daughter and last child…” he said.

     

    To be continued

    Send comments/suggestions to 08023201831(sms only), psaduwa@yahoo.com or psaduwa007@gmail.com

    We have changed the names of Nora, her mother and other individuals in the story to protect their identities

  • Athens’ Olympic Games venues lie abandoned and left to decay

    Athens’ Olympic Games venues lie abandoned and left to decay

    The Athens Olympics were meant to be a celebration of the Games’ history, as the spiritual home of Olympic sport hosted the world in the XXVIII Olympiad.

    The Greeks poured around €9billion (£7.13billion) into building new stadiums and infrastructure, and despite disputes and delays in the run-up to the event, put on a successful games.

    However, a decade on, the stands lie empty, completely unused and allowed to fall into disrepair, as the global economic crisis meant the country’s government were unable to invest in the upkeep of the Olympic venues.

    Team GB won nine Gold medals during the competition, among which the most memorable were middle-distance runner Kelly Holmes’ 800m and 1500m double.

    In the velodrome Sir Bradley Wiggins and Sir Chris Hoy each won their first Olympic golds as Great Britain recorded their best medal haul in the modern era.

    The mens 4x100m relay team of Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish, Jason Gardener and Mark Lewis-Francis won gold on the track as the British quartet saw off an American team which included newly crowed individual Olympic champion Justin Gaitlin.

    It was also the games that launched boxer Amir Khan into the limelight, his silver medal in the lightweight division leading to a professional career, while

    Elsewhere in Athens a 19-year-old Michael Phelps won the first six of his record 22 gold medals in the pool, setting two World Records in the process.

    The games were not without their controversy – most notably when home favourites Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou pulled out of the championships after missing a doping test.

    But despite the shame of their celebrated athletes, the astronomical cost, and the building difficulties which threatened the games even before they started, the Athens Olympics were seen as a success both in Greece and internationally.

    However, Greece was hit hard by the global financial crisis and, with no real post-games plan, the state-of-the-art venues were abandoned. Ten years on, they are the sad legacy of the event that was supposed to welcome the Olympic Games home.