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Tag: blessing

  • ‘The Blessing EP’ is about God, fake friends’

    ‘The Blessing EP’ is about God, fake friends’

    Nigerian artist, Osigwe Franklyn aka Franky Gabana in music circles has said that his recently released EP entitled ‘Blessings’ resonates around God and fake friends.

    Franky Gabana further said that the project is about gratitude, connection with God and cautiousness around fake friends.

    In his words, “The EP talks about being grateful/in touch with God, God time is the best. And beware of fake friends when the days are dark, friends are few.

    Read Also: Oba Akiolu a blessing to Nigeria, says Obasa as monarch marks 80th birthday

    “I look around me and see what God has been doing for me and my family, the level he has brought me today and all the things he has provided for me and the life and good health.”

    Speaking further on the adopted genres in the six track project, he said, “It is a combination of both Afrobeats and trap, in this ep I worked with professional producers and mixing engineers.”

    On challenges faced during the production process, Gabana noted that “as an independent artist there was a time I ran out of cash, no money to pay the producer I had to pause and hustle for money so I could finish up the EP.”

  • High fertility rate: Blessing or curse?

    Nigeria has one of the highest fertility rates in the world, provoking experts worry about a ‘demographic time bomb.’ In this piece, VINCENT IKUOMOLA examines the role of family planning in population control and the government’s efforts at addressing the country’s unmet needs.

    With a Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) of 5.5 per cent per woman, Nigeria has one of the highest fertility rates, making it one of the fastest-growing populations in the world.

    If global demographic statistics and trends are anything to go by, Nigeria may  overtake the two most populous countries – China and India – by 2050.

    Although this revelation ought to be a good news, because of its economic value, the looming population explosion has become matter for worry.

    Just like the discovery of crude oil in the country many years ago, which many believe has turned out to be a curse rather than a blessing, Nigeria’s ballooning population is being described in many quarters as a “demographic time bomb”. For some, it is one of the reasons the country, also notorious for various disease outbreaks, is  ranked the world capital of extreme poverty.

    To address the population growth and  its strain on resources, experts say there is a need to reduce fertility rates through family planning. Family planning methods, such as contraceptives, can protect women against pregnancies, thus reducing the number of unsafe pregnancies and abortions. Experts say that family planning  can eliminate high-risk pregnancies, which in turn, could halt maternal mortality rates by about 25 per cent.

    Yet, the experts lament that contraceptive intake remains tenuous. Due to the low prevalence of contraceptive use, the rate of unintended pregnancies is still high, and as many as 50 per cent end up in elective abortions with  25 per cent resulting in serious complications which account for 20-40 per cent of maternal deaths.

    Unfortunately, Nigeria is yet to make family planning and reproductive health a  priority. A national family planning programme addresses maternal, reproductive and child health as well as harnesses the demographic dividends.This has led to a huge volume of unmet needs in family planning as the country still depends on donor partners for contraceptives. Despite the investment over the years, intake of contraceptives in Nigeria has remained relatively slow.

    Ordinarily, a national family planning programme should be implemented across the country. However, this has not been the case as unmet needs have increased to 16 percent. While unmet needs for spacing remain at 12 percent,unmet needs for limiting are four percent.

    During the July last year’s FP2020 London summit, the Federal Government set a target of 27 per cent modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (mCPR) by 2020. To achieve this, the government planned, among other things, to expand the family planning services by Community Pharmacists (CPs) and Patent and ProprietaryMedicines Vendors (PPMVs). However, one year after, access to modern family planning services is still a problem as women still lack access to quality healthcare, including sexual and reproductive health services.

    The country, according to a survey report, has achieved only 19 per cent of modern CPR. But the  Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria-Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health at Scale (PSN-PAS) project stressed that family planning remains key if the country is to address the issue of maternal and child mortality.

    Ayuba Ibrahim, a pharmacist, said access to safe, voluntary child spacing is a right; it empowers women and helps to support optimal health decision-making. Ibrahim, who was represented by Dr. Edwin Akpor, senior programme officer, maintained that family planning is key to safe motherhood.

    “Family planning is universally acknowledged as one of the key pillars of safe motherhood. We want to reaffirm that family planning is one of the most cost-effective ways to prevent maternal, infant and child mortality as it can reduce maternal mortality by reducing the number of unintended pregnancies, the number of abortions, and the proportion of births at high risk.

    “Access to safe, voluntary child spacing information and services is a human right, which will empower women and help support optimal health decision-making for themselves and families, thereby helping to strengthen communities and lay the groundwork for a more prosperous, just and equitable future. Unfortunately, many women in Nigeria lack access to quality healthcare, including sexual and reproductive health services,” he said.

    Ibrahim was, however, hopeful that the country could achieve the 27 per cent target with concerted efforts by all. “We are optimistic. However, we need concerted efforts and innovation to achieve this goal. One of the innovations is to properly train and empower community pharmacists and patent and proprietary medicines vendors to provide expanded child spacing services,” he said.

    To safeguard the health of Nigerians, especially mothers, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Nigeria) says there is an urgent need for the Federal Government to increase domestic funding for health services and care, especially in family planning. According to the foundation, this has become necessary as donor funding is dwindling and healthy people still remain the greatest assets of any nation.

    Paulin Basinga, the Nigeria Country Director, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said: “For Nigeria to reach its full potential, it needs to prioritise its greatest assets, its people, by investing in their health, education and equal opportunity which ensures prosperity that is sustained from generation to generation. By investing in a strong primary health care system, by delivering diverse essential family planning services, medicine, vaccines and nutrition services, the country can efficiently and effectively take care of 90 per cent of people’s health care needs.

    “Nigeria has the resources and knowhow to get this right. More funding is needed and also data as well as strong and bold leadership to accelerate progress. The donor money is shrinking and it is urgent to increase domestic funding for health and, more specifically, for family planning,” Ms. Basinga, who was represented by Ms. Diallo, said.

    “The right investment in family planning that the conference advocates is a critical step to achieve demographic transition and reap demographic dividend. Investing in family planning is one of the smartest investments a country can make and Nigeria should not be an exception,” she said.

    Ms. Basinga explained that contraceptives, which are part of family planning measures, can help save lives as well as reduce poverty. According to her, this will translate to more days spent in school, more women who are freer to work outside their homes, earn an income and contribute to the economies because “also fewer women will die in pregnancies and more children will survive childhood”.

    Besides being an instrument for population control, the PSN-PAS project officials see family planning as a panacea for addressing maternal, infant and child mortality in the country.

    Nigeria contributes about 15 per cent of global maternal and child mortality with fertility rate of 5.5; maternal mortality ratio is 576 deaths per 100,000 delivery and 111 women and young girls dying daily from preventable pregnancy and child birth-related complications, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) .

    At an event, however, Vice President  Yemi Osinbajo said the nation failed to plan when it raked in fortunes from oil and other revenue sources.

    “In the absence of basic social safety nets, and pro-poor policymaking, tens of millions of our people were left stranded, observing the statistics of economic growth from a distance, completely untouched by it. The sad reality is that for most of our history as a country, periods of economic growth have somehow managed to leave out the majority of our population,”  Osinbajo said.

    He however assured that the government was committed to making family planning commodities available to those who need them.

    Speaking on the theme, ‘’Investment, innovation and inclusiveness’’, he said: “This is how I see the three “I’s”: Investment, innovation and inclusiveness are three very critical keys for unlocking the very beneficial contributions of family planning to Nigeria’s ambition of reaping all of its potential demographic dividend.

    “This demographic dividend is, of course, the catch-all term for the benefits and potential realisable from attaining the optimal age structure in a population. In the case of Nigeria, this optimal age structure would mean a combination of declining fertility and a simultaneous rise in the working age population.Our main challenge, evidently, is with our current fertility rates.”

    For the Vice President, high fertility rate is a problem for the country, stressing that the nation risks having more 68 million people by 2030.

    Represented by Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, the Vice President said: “If Nigeria’s prevailing annual population growth rate of 3.2 percent persists, we will have an additional 68 million people by 2030, and will be the third most populous country in the world by 2050.”

    Osinbajo argued that investing in family planning has been proven to be smart, cost-effective, and life-saving; and is, especially, critical in a country like Nigeria with a very young and rapidly-growing population. He  added that estimated 63 percent of Nigeria’s population is below 25, with a significant segment of the population being sexually active and needing education and guidance to navigate equality, choice and contraception.

    Osinbajo, a Professor of law, also argued  that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 depends on how well sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and youths were prioritised. He however promised that apart from the fact that the government’s economic policies were aimed at making life comfortable, the administration was committed to making family planning commodities available to those who need them.”Family planning and population management generally are not just life-saving interventions, but actually critical tools for economic and social development,” he said.

    For this to happen, Nigeria needs to devolve the financing of its national  family planning programme to the state level, improve availability of and access to sexual and reproductive services and commodities, and slow the rate of its population growth.

    The world’s seventh most populous country will be on the path to a healthier future for her women and families if it dispels myths and misconceptions about family planning, expanding the provision of family planning services and supplies to the last mile, and enabling an environment in which women and girls make informed choices on their sexual health.

     

     

  • My suspension a blessing in disguise – Hon. Jibrin

    Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin is the former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation. The lawmaker, who represents Bebeji/Kiru Federal Constituency in Kano State, is generally viewed in the House as a daring fighter who would stop at nothing to pursue what he believes is right. In his first interview since he returned from the 180-day suspension that was slammed on him after he accused principal officers of the House of shortchanging the nation financially, he spoke with VICTOR OLUWASEGUN on his experiences, hopes and anti-corruption stance.

     

    You are known as one of the few vocal members of the House of Representatives. What exactly drives your passion?

    First, I just want to say that I am completely different. There are a lot of vocal members in the House, but maybe my style is different from theirs. Again, I am very passionate about the country and about service. I left my business to come into politics, and what brought me into politics is to make a difference not to make money. I got into the system of the National Assembly at a very young age. I was saddled with a very huge responsibility of chairing the Finance Committee for four years and then I was appointed the chair of the Appropriation Committee. I have seen much within that period, especially the core working of the National Assembly. I understand the powers of the legislature and I am determined that those powers that the constitution gave the legislature should be used for the good of our country. That is what keeps pushing me to make a difference. And when I look back at how far one has come, it has gotten to a point in life that only a few things can put you into fear. I don’t fear anything. I always like to follow my convictions.

    You’re back before the Ethics and Privileges Committee of the House. Do you think the new charges against you are justifiable?

    Absolutely not. And of course, this is what I have been fighting in the last two years since I was suspended. I was suspended for 180 days. Of course I love to say illegally suspended. The court has declared it, so one can freely say that the suspension was absolutely illegal. And I came back to the House and many people thought that having spent 231 days on suspension, I’ll be subdued. I’ve had people say, ‘Oh yes, he has learnt his lesson!’ I just smile over it. Because what I went through in the last two years did not subdue me but strengthened me. It actually showed that I had the strength I didn’t know that I had, because it is not easy to survive 231 days in suspension, with a very vindictive people or persons, few in number, who want to get you down by every means. But I got over and out of it and came back into the House.

    When I came back to the House, I discovered that there were lots of things that were being done before that are still going on. In due course, I will give the details of those issues. For now, I will leave it at that.

    Still on the Ethics and Privileges issue…

    I don’t even want to give anyone the satisfaction of responding to that. I want to draw the line. I want to watch and see what happens. But the reality is that now, only a member who does not know his rights will be suspended. Not only me, but the rest of the legislators in Nigeria. The judge in my case did not only make a specific declaration but a general one. Even in the case of Senator Omo-Agege, it is the same. The judge said: ‘You do not have the power to suspend this person or even any member, except for a particular number of days which is specified in the privileges…’

    You are the arrowhead of Parliamentary Support Group (PSG), and some people are saying you are only using it to advance your political fortunes. What is your reaction?

    If in the course of doing the right thing good things come to you, it is fine. I have seen people who work in public service with commitment. They are not corrupt. Men of integrity served this country for years and left with nothing. And somewhere along the line, if a Good Samaritan sees them when they are out of government, he can say, ‘You were a good man in government; I’m going to give you a house’ or ‘I am going to help you make money to take care of yourself.’ And he does that. It is your good work that has come back to you. So if in the course of doing what is right, following my conscience, pursuing the cause of the Parliamentary Support Group, certain good coincidentally comes my way, I will not chase it away. I will accept it.

    But the point is that I am not the arrowhead of the Parliamentary Support Group of the House and the Senate. I am just one of the arrowheads. If you will recall, the Parliamentary Support Group was existent in the Senate. We do not have it in the House for reasons best known to one or two persons who should have taken the initiative. The whole idea of the support group is to provide a support base for Mr. President in the House. Of course, there are a bit of issues in the APC caucus. So the President needs to have a special group to provide a support base for him, because he (President) has been very vulnerable in the National Assembly and has been under all kinds of attack. Right now, we are taking signatures because we want to prove to people that the President does have support. In the last few days, you will be shocked at the number of members that have appended their signatures. The idea of the Parliamentary Support Group is not to fight Dogara or Saraki, or to antagonise them. It is only to protect and provide a support base for the President in the parliament.

    You levelled serious corruption allegations against the leadership of the House. Are you surprised nothing is being done about it?

    Everything I did and said about the issue of corruption in the leadership of the House is in the public domain. I don’t think there is anything left for me to say.

    Former Minister for Finance Okonjo-Iweala alleged in her new book that lawmakers took N17 billion to pass the 2015 budget. You were the chairman of Appropriation then. What do you have to say?

    I was the chairman of Finance then, and I will just recap my response. My position about that issue is very simple and clear. I do not know anything about N17 billion bribe. I was not a part of it or the meeting. I would have loved it if the former minister of finance had named those who attended the meeting. She only gave the statutory list of those who normally attend the ad hoc committee meeting. The members do not attend all the meetings. I was not there for the meeting as well. I did not benefit from the N17 billion. I have also invited the EFCC to investigate me to find out if I was involved in such gratification if indeed it existed.

    2018 budget was increased by over N500 billion. Would you say it was another case of padding or corruption?

    In every arm of government, there is an element of bribery and corruption. In the executive, you will see them fighting corruption. You will see people being arraigned. You will see the head of an MDA being arrested or an executive director in a parastatal being accused or arraigned. The judiciary has taken a drastic measure now of internal cleansing. The judiciary is indicting judges. The judicial council is taking unprecedented steps, sacking judges and the rest.

    When you come to the legislature, what are the measures that the Senate President and the House Speaker are employing to check internal corruption? Secondly, how have they performed in terms of blocking the loopholes? Are they saying there is no corruption in the parliament? If there is, what have they done? The least that could even be done is to protect internal whistleblowers. Majority of the House members are onlookers. Most of the members are not culpable. They have devised a means to form a budget cabal with some people in the executive arm.

    Recently, you issued a statement on behalf of the PSG that they are collecting signatures to support Buhari. There are serious allegations that the Presidency paid hundreds of millions. What do you have to say?

    President Buhari does not give anybody money, so anyone who is talking about money is just looking for an excuse. Some people are just upset that a group has emerged to support the President within the National Assembly. So there is no issue of money or inducement.

    What would you say you gained during your suspension?

    If you recall what I was saying during the 2016 crisis, I said I’ve gotten to a point in my life where what matters is a good name; a legacy. I’ve always loved the idea that long after my time, when my child is walking down the street, people will point and say, ‘Your father was a good man, a patriotic Nigerian who fought for the people of this country selflessly, even at the risk of his own life.’ I want to be remembered as someone who came to serve and give, not to take. I spent three months meeting my people one on one. I gained the privilege to be a member of the National Assembly while looking in from the outside. I didn’t know how people perceived us until I experienced that. So I have a burning desire to change lives. To have a good name is worth more than anything else in this world. Once I realised that during my suspension, it coaxed me to stick to that line of thought and continue to do the right thing.

     

  • Police nab herbalist over murder

    Police nab herbalist over murder

    The Police Command in Enugu State has arrested two men, Onyekachi Idoko and Felix Akor, for alleged murder of three persons in Udenu Local Government Area of the state.

    The Spokesperson of the command, ASP Ebere Amaraizu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Enugu.

    Amaraizu said that the two suspects were arrested following a well-coordinated operation by the police.

    He said that the murder suspect, Idoko of Ifuroka-Amalla community in Udenu council area was nabbed by police operatives of the Udenu Division on a tip-off.

    The spokesman said that the murder suspect, who fled after committing the alleged offence, was arrested on Sept. 16 at Inyi community in Igboeze North Local Government Area of the state.

    He alleged that the suspect alongside others murdered one Onyemaechi Eze on July 5 over a yet-to-be established issue or issues and escaped.

    “The suspect is now helping the operatives in their investigations as he had given insight into how he and his gang allegedly collected N200,000 from the native doctor, Felix Akor, who hired them to murder the victim.

    “The native doctor, Akor, is also alleged to be diabolically responsible for the mysterious death of two siblings, Blessing and John.

    “Akor has been arrested by the operatives as well,’’ he said.

    The police spokesman said that both suspects had been helping police operatives in their investigations.

  • ASUU strike: Blessing or curse?

    ASUU strike: Blessing or curse?

    The national strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has once again disrupted the academic calendar.  While students and their parents groan about the impropriety of the strike, ASUU leaders defend their decision to shut the classrooms until the Federal Government honours the 2009 Agreement. 

    After a three-year break from prolonged national strikes, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) started an indefinite strike on Monday, causing concern for students and their parents.

    The lecturers are not to return to the classrooms or laboratories of public universities until the Federal Government honours the 2009 agreement with the union.

    The unfulfilled agreement the union is fighting for include the non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), the failure to complete modalities to set up the Nigerian Universities Pension Commission, withdrawal of funding from staff schools, and the non-injection of the agreed N200 million funds yearly into the university system to support infrastructural development.

    The directive had immediate effect in many public universities were classes stopped abruptly and examinations suspended.  In others, academic activities slowly grounded to a halt – with some schools cramping the examination timetable to conclude the academic session with minimal damage. However, some other institutions could not salvage the session as they were scheduled to start examinations in a few weeks.

    The strike was in full effect at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), University of Ibadan (UI), Ekiti State University (EKSU), Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Federal University Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), and Bayero University Kano (BUK), University of Calabar, among others.

    At BUK on Tuesday, students were seen leaving the campus with their suitcases. The situation was similar at EKSU and FUOYE with a good number of students travelling back home while those who did not travel were holed up in their hostels both on campus and off-campus.  At UNILAG, where examination was scheduled to commence in two weeks, many students hung around waiting for directives to vacate the hostel, while at UI, students were forced to stop examination midstream.

    When our correspondent visited the Federal University Lokoja (FUL) on Monday night, examinations were ongoing in some of the departments. While the 200-Level Economics students sat for one of their papers on Tuesday morning, others in 100 Level had theirs in one of the courses at 11.30am.

    A student in the History Department, who gave her name as Blessing, said she was billed to finish her end-of-semester examinations by Saturday, but that the papers were crammed, to make all end by Thursday.

    However, not all public universities may join the strike.  The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, which usually always complies with ASUU strikes, and the Delta State University (DELSU) are not on strike because of problems in the local chapters of the union; while the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) has a tradition of not joining ASUU strikes for over a decade.

     

    Students: strike not fair

     

    Students were unanimous in describing the strike as unfair, particularly coming at a time institutions are about conducting examinations to complete the 2016/2017 academic session.  For some others, such as FUOYE, the Benue State University and Kogi State University (KSU), where students recently resumed after various local strikes that kept them at home for long, this one is a sad blow.

    A BUK student, Silver Dada, said: “These ASUU people are not trying at all. They did not consider the hardship our parents are facing in this economic meltdown. For a course of five years, with this strike, which is indefinite, I may end up spending six years in the university. They are doing this because all their children are schooling abroad. Please, help me to tell ASUU and the Federal Government to settle their differences because we are going for another round of suffering. I cannot just imagine what is actually happening in the academic system and education system of Nigeria.  This is quite unfair.”

    Another BUK student, Joshua Enenche, who was on his way out when he spoke with The Nation, described the ASUU strike as a big disappointment and big shame to Nigeria.

    “I am going back to my parents without knowing when I am coming back because the strike is indefinite. The government must rise up and do something urgent to resolve the crisis in the shortest possible time because an idle mind is the devils playing ground,” he said.

    A UNICAL student, Jane Okwocha, said students were idling away time in school.

    “We came to school on Monday morning for lectures but no one came to teach us. There were no academic activities the entire day.  Today, Tuesday, again nothing is happening. Some of us you have seen are those who belong to study groups or have tutorials among themselves. I think it is quite unfair to the students. What this means is that there is hardly any academic session that does not gets disrupted by these strikes.”

    A student of KSU, who had already spent five months at home, said the situation at the institution would become even worse with the national strike.

    The source said: “We are in a quandary here, and just when we were hoping that some miracle will unknot the issues, it has gotten worse. We are in double jeopardy. Our ASUU has problem with the state government, and, now this!”

    Peter Abah, a 400-Level English student at the Benue State University (BSU) also recently resumed school after a strike.  He expressed concern about the incessant strikes and called on the Federal Government to tackle the matter once and for all in the interest of young people.

    Nigerian Youth and Students Organisation (NYSO) National President, Comrade, Tonye Tom-George, at a briefing on Tuesday said the strike was untimely.

    “It is unfortunate that at this crucial time that our universities just started recuperating from the damages done by the same strike in the previous years, that the same ASUU is embarking on another indefinite strike.”

    Niger Delta Students Union Government, National President, Edom Smart, appealed to ASUU to consider the  recession affecting students and their parents/guardians, urging the Federal Government to expedite action in the implementation of the ASUU agreement.

    However, another group, the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), backed the strike.  Its LASU Coordinator, Akorede Dhikrullah, urged students to look beyond the effect of the strike, saying it would benefit them, if well implemented.

    A statement by the group accused public servants of spending money that would have been used to meet the lecturers’ demands.

    “For us in the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), we find it unacceptable that while the government finds money to buy exotic cars for lawmakers, finance the outrageously expensive treatment of President Buhari in London and guarantees insanely luxurious lifestyle for political office holders, it is unable to find money to fund public education and meet the needs of academic staff,” it reads in part.

     

    Parents: strike an expensive venture

     

    A parent with three students at BSU, Mr Terna Ugande, said the strike was costing him too much money.

    “I am at loss over the current strike because I have three children in the university. It has cost me enormous money.  My hope was that this year they would graduate,” he said.

    A mother, Mrs Angela  Obodo, who has three daughters at the University of Port Harcourt, said she almost collapsed when her children called to inform  her that they  might be returning home  because of another strike.

    Obodo said: “This is sad news for me. I cannot afford to have them at home.  What is the problem? If they owe the lecturers, the government should settle them because at the end, it is our children that will suffer. They are about to write their exam; they should allow them to finish this semester first before anything.”

    Another parent, Mr Paul Adebamito, whose daughter schools at EKSU, said he was saddened that the strike commence at a week students were supposed to start their examination urging ASUU and government to reach an agreement to prevent a lengthy face-off.

    He said: “What pains me most was that the lecturers went on strike a week the students were supposed to start their examination. With this situation, many of the students will be doing a lot of negative things.”

    Mr Archibong Andinam, a parent with a child at UNICAL, urged the government and lecturers to resolve the impasse to limit the negative effect on students.

    “These issues have lingered for too long and it is never a pleasant experience when our children have to come back home and just stay like that. The negative impact is so much. The constant disruption of their academics is not the best for their entire teaching-learning process. There is a calendar that should be adhered to for effective teaching and learning, but with the constant disruptions, I really wonder how effective the whole process would really be.”

     

    ASUU: recession no excuse

     

    While both parents and students have urged ASUU to consider the poor economy and not insist on getting all its demands, members of the union do not agree.

    ASUU Chairman at EKSU, Prof Olufayo Olu-Olu, said there was nothing wrong about the timing of the strike as the university teachers had endured a long wait to have the agreement implemented.

    Olu-Olu revealed that part of the agreement was the setting up of a pension scheme to which ASUU as a body had contributed over N1 billion.  However, members who were retiring could not access the funds because the Nigerian Universities Pension Commission had not being licensed.

    He said: “You (government) have an agreement with a body since 2009 for God’s sake; it is a long time because this is 2017 and that makes it eight good years.

    “We kept on reminding them and within these eight years, there have been changing governments and you are hearing how they have been embezzling money and spending huge amounts of money on elections every four years.

    “Those in the Executive arm, those in the Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly members, are earning huge sums of money, despite the recession in our country and the same government has refused to implement our agreement.”

    The immediate past chairman of Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU), Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike chapter, Comrade Uzochukwu Onyebinama, said contrary to insinuations by many that persistent industrial actions by the lecturers was having negative effect on the education system, he said it had brought huge benefits the system.

    Onyebinama, who spoke to our reporter at the institution on Tuesday, blamed the government for being insensitive to the plight of students and lecturers.

    “Well, the strikes are not the reasons for the fallen educational standards. The reason is really lack of facilities. You are here in my office and as you can see, I don’t even have light. I cannot even engage in any meaningful activity today. The essence of this strike is to redress these inadequacies to enable us perform.

    To end persistent strikes, he said the government should be alive to its responsibilities.

    “This strike is to get the outstanding agreement of 2009 implemented. If they have done that, we won’t be talking about the strike.

    “They should address the issue of salary shortfall. It began in 2015 actually, but since this January, we have not received our salaries in full. It is eight months as we speak. Our earned allowance from 2014 till date hasn’t been paid. When we were on a week strike last year, the leadership of the National Assembly intervened and made an offer to clear the arrears after they concluded the forensic audit of the money already released, we said that we don’t want the money to be paid in piece mill, that we will wait for the next 6months to allow them finish what they were doing, that ended in June and government hasn’t written to tell us if they have concluded with the audit.”

    ASUU Chairman of UI, Dr Deji Omole, said it was sad that after the last major strike in 2013, which lasted six months, the Federal Government only realeased N200 billion to improve facilities in public universities once instead of annually. He said the government is owing federal universities N880 billion intervention fund and N128 billion fearned academic allowances.

    Spokesperson of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian universities, Prof Michael Faborode, faulted the government’s handling of its negotiation with the union.

    He said the issues ASUU has raised were cogent and should not be treated lightly.

    “The ASUU strike is a result of mishandling and non-demonstration of sincerity by the government. There should have been no strike with forthright engagement with the education sector, but we have been playing to the gallery.

    “While serious apprehension persists about the state of our education from primary to tertiary level, the NEEDS Assessment conducted in 2012 did not tell a lie about how bad things were. Yet, government after government played around with the future and destiny of the country, while more and more government officials and the rich send their children abroad, including to West African countries, with the implied capital flight.

    “It makes no sense, as in the health sector too, that we allow our own facilities and institutions to decay, while we scamper overseas draining the already dwindling resources to sustain other economies, and our own continue to rot.

    “We are too eager to complain about quality of education and that no Nigerian university is highly-rated globally. The way forward is a visible pragmatic commitment to taking the issue of knowledge-driven economy that accords proper priority and focus on quality and functional education very seriously. It is very obvious that the nation is handling education with levity and disturbing insincerity and we have to face the reality. Pretending or hoping that we can continue to patch-patch without serious soul-searching and redefinition of purpose will be wishful thinking,” he said.

     

  • ‘Why recession is a blessing’

    ‘Why recession is a blessing’

    The times are hard. Yet, Mrs Modupe Ogunlesi, Managing Director, Adam and Eve, a top-flight luxury gift shop in Ikeja, Lagos, is unperturbed. Why? Her clients are loyal. She speaks on why recession is a blessing, how Adam and Eve started 20 years ago, her love for art and her outfit’s maiden art exhibition, titled: The content, opening on June 18. The exhibition is part of activities marking the 20th anniversary of Adam and Eve, Assistant Editor (Art) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports. 

    Despite the recession, Managing Director, Adam and Eve Shop, Mrs Modupe Ogunlesi, is not losing any sleep. Whereas many are groaning under low sales, she is confident that Adam and Eve, a reputable luxury gift shop in Ikeja, Lagos, is well-positioned in the market as provider of quality goods. This, she said, is the unique selling point of her outfit, which turns 20 this year.

    A chartered accountant, Mrs. Ogunlesi described recession as a blessing in disguise. She said the good thing about recession is that when there is a lot of money in circulation, people rarely look at quality before they buy. Not so during recession, she said, when few people have money and they don’t buy for the sake of buying.

    “They look for quality and are more conscious of what to buy, and that is where we are well positioned. We prefer customers who come here and buy items to replace quality ones that they can give out to friends or relations than customers who buy new items to replace ones that have gone bad because of poor quality. Customers should not be under pressure to change what they own. For example, we have cutlery that have 50 years’ guaranty. So, at this time of recession, people are more conscious of the quality of what they buy and that is where we are well-positioned,” she said.

    There is a growing patronage of unconventional spaces for art exhibitions in Lagos. Like Temple Muse on Victoria Island and Wheat Baker in Ikoyi, Lagos, Adam and Eve, which started operation 20 years ago, has joined the list of providers of such spaces for art exhibition.

    On June 18, a group art exhibition, The content will open at the luxury shop featuring selected artworks by renowned artists, such as Bruce Onobrakpeya, Kolade Oshinowo, Raqib Bashorun, Lekan Onabanjo, Duke Asidere, Tola Wewe, Alex Nwokolo, Zinno Orara and Fidelis Odogwu.

    Curated by Lekan Onabanjo, the exhibition, according to Mrs Ogunlesi, is organised to attract both collectors and art enthusiasts from the Island and Mainland to savour some masterpieces by renowned and known artists.

    The exhibition will feature paintings and sculptures. Orara’s works for the exhibition are The visionary, Fruitful and Dependable, while Oshinowo’s works are Maria and Owambe.

    “Lagos is stressful, no doubt about that. But, when you get to your house, you should be surrounded by things that make you feel happy no matter how the day has been. And when you settle down in your space, it must give you the feeling of satisfaction. That is the concept of the exhibition which is to marry functional art with fine art.

    “Each of the participating artists will be assigned to each department of the mall; kitchen, bedroom, bathroom etc to show his works. This makes it more interesting, especially within the ambience of Adam and Eve, which will bring a new meaning to the works. The title of the exhibition, The content is reflective of the content of your home, office and so on. This is the first art exhibition we are organising but we hope to hold it twice a year. And the exhibition is for one week to experience the heart of beauty that makes Adam and Eve’s the Garden of Eden, a peaceful atmosphere,” she added.

    She said the artworks are to complement what Adam and Eve sells, which are mainly functional art to its numerous customers from across the country. “Yet, the beauty and the designs are awesome. Some are one-off pieces. So, it is high time we put Nigerian art pieces on our walls and if you like beauty, then the art works should be on your walls,” she noted.

    On whether a week is enough for art enthusiasts to view the collection, she said: “We chose one week because it is our first foray into art exhibition. But, we made it to accommodate two Sundays when traffic is light for people to visit the show. The curator Lekan Onabanjo selected the artists. On the choice of artists, it is informed by the decision to show known and established artists with huge followers. And remember that those on the Island don’t like coming to Mainland, but they can be drawn by the calibre of artists. So, when they experience something good, there is the likelihood they will honour next invitation for lesser known artists.

    Mrs Ogunlesi disclosed that at Adam and Eve, there is no reason to push a particular brand, instead she prefers clients to trust the taste of Adam and Eve. “Generally, at Adam and Eve, we try not to push a brand name. We prefer that you trust the taste of Adam and Eve. I check the quality of what comes into Adam and Eve. I don’t buy online because I deal with manufacturers, visit the factories and I ascertain the backup as per guarantee if there is a problem. All the products at Adam and Eve must not only be beautiful but must also be functional,” she said, noting that Adam and Eve is working towards having a permanent gallery in future.

     

    20 years of Adam and Eve

    “Adam and Eve started by chance 20 years ago when my daughter wanted to get married. She came up with a wedding list of items but was unable to get what she liked. It was a sitting room size of shop when it started. It transformed from a shop of kitchen wares to include bathroom, toilet and complete home. Five years down the line, my daughter and her husband got tired of the sedentary work and wanted it shut down. We worked out the value of the shop and I bought it off her.

    “Today, the business has grown from a wedding gift shop to a reputable shop that encompasses luxury but functional items for kitchen, dining, bedroom and bathroom, leather works, children gifts, among others.”

     

  • Recession, blessing in disguise

    SIR: Nigerians would begin to smile when things put in place by the present administration comes into fruition. Nigeria is in a sorry state with many losing hope in the country due to the recession. Though the most populous black nation, we have not lived up to expectation and have not achieved the dreams of the founding fathers.

    Even as the economy is in recession, we should all be committed to reviving and restoring the country; we should remain undaunted despite challenges we are going through. I believe we have not lost all the opportunities to be a great nation and a pace setter for the black race.

    We are yet to attain some level of development. We might not yet be there but we are not stagnant and would get there definitely. Ours won’t be different and Nigeria won’t be an exception.

    It is very unfortunate and sad that nations like Singapore and Indonesia gained independence the same period with us but is doing better and have gone far ahead of us. We mustn’t continue like this. The revolution must start from the top. Our leaders must be selfless. We need visionary leaders and a dynamic political leadership. The present leaders should put in their best, put in more effort and should make judicious use of their offices to build this country, because the society you neglect today would take its revenge on the children tomorrow. They should strive for the good of Nigerians and this great country.

    I pray that this recession would be a blessing in disguise for us all. Just as a popular Nigerian artiste sang “just like raindrops falling from the sky, just like tear drops falling from my eyes, it is like a blessing, a blessing in disguise, that we fail to realize now I have to pay the price”. Everything about this recession would be a blessing in disguise.

    Nigerians should have faith, hold on and be strong; everything would be alright.

     

    • Elizabeth Ugbah,

    Lagos.

  • ‘Insurgency is a blessing in disguise’

    ‘Insurgency is a blessing in disguise’

    Dr. Shettima Kulima is the Executive Chairman, Borno State Universal Basic Education Board.  In this interview with DUKU JOEL in Maiduguri, the BSUBEB chief said the Boko Haram crisis had opened a new vista in the drive for transformation of education in the state.  

    WHAT has changed since the Boko Haram attacks on schools in Borno State?

    Sincerely speaking, Boko Haram madness has come to be like a blessing in disguise for the people of Borno State. We are not looking at the scale of destructions, devastation, carnage, maiming, the mayhems and all other concomitant problems; rather, we are looking at the positive side. While some people are using this as an escape route not to work, in the case of Borno, we are using the crisis to promote our own development.

    Can you explain what you are doing to achieve that?

    Here, I want to laud the determination, enthusiasm and political will of Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State. When he assumed the mantle of leadership in 2011, there were three years non-accessed matching grant funds from UBEC and he quickly upset that by paying the three- yearcounterpart funds. As at now, Borno is the best performing state in SUBEB rating for 2015 and 2016 consecutively. This is to say that we have up to date counterpart funds paid to access the matching grants from UBEC. Looking at what Borno is collecting from the Federation Account and the challenges it faces at the moment, such as feeding IDPs, reconstructions of the destroyed communities, and paying this counterpart funds of N2 to N3 billion at a time like this deserves a kudos.

    Could you speak on the government’s schools for the orphans?

    The government has selected 50 girls from the IDPs camps and sent them to the Zaria Academy to study at the Junior Secondary School. We have signed an MoU with the school and they will proceed to the Senior Secondary School after three years of the Junior Secondary School. So, they are going to stay in Zaria for six years and the government will sponsor their education up to the university.The number of orphans in Borno is alarming. Statistics say over 400,000 children were orphaned by the Boko Haram crisis. The governor has, therefore, established a school for orphans. The school still under construction is made up of a 40 classroom complex capable of accommodating 3000 pupils.

    How is the government addressing the challenges at the basic level?

    One remarkable achievement of the administration after the Boko Haram crisis is the massive construction of primary schools. These constructions are not only going on, there is also the modernisation of the existing facilities. To my delight, the governor has designed a cradle as the classroom of Borno State in the next year to come and the classroom was even applauded by a Norwegian Ambassador who visited Borno sometimes ago. We have PoP in our classes and the space is expanded to carry no fewer than 50 pupils at a time.

    I understand that Borno State is building what they called mega schools. Can you tell us what it’s all about?

    Apart from the modernisation of the classroom, there is one particular feat that we have achieved in the education sector.  We have conceived this idea of Mega Schools. A Mega School is a magnificent edifice with a block of eight classrooms story building x three in a particular location making 34 classrooms at a time with an administrative block and 10 offices.

    Besides, there are two VIP toilets, which are highly modernised with each one having 16 compartments. To provide wash facilities, a solar borehole was sunk in the school to provide enough water for the pupils. Research has shown that one of the causes of female dropouts in schools is as a result of lack of wash and sanitation facilities. There is one kitchen outdoor which we use for the free feeding programme in line with the Federal Government free feeding policy in schools. We have also introduced a meal per day to boost enrolment and retention of the pupils. The schools will have also solar power to provide 24 hours light in the schools.

  • ‘Decline in oil revenue a blessing in disguise’

    ‘Decline in oil revenue a blessing in disguise’

    The decline in oil revenue could be a blessing in disguise, Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSChE) national president, Prof Emenike Wami, has said.
    The expert said Nigeria would benefit, in the long run, when the non-oil sectors and other sources of revenue were better harnessed.
    Wami spoke at the society’s 24th Fellows’ Conference, with the theme: The Benefits Derivable From the Impact of Dwindling Oil Revenue on Contemporary Nigerian Economy.
    The scientist noted that if Nigeria seized the opportunity and took corrective actions towards exiting recession, it would be better from the experience.
    He said: “That our country is in recession as a result of sharp decline in oil revenue, which is our major source of income, is no longer news. However, for every problem, there is a solution. For every disappointment, there is a blessing.
    “It is said that great opportunities for success are always disguised as insurmountable problems. However, given a positive mind and the right attitude, it is possible to surmount our present problems and achieve great success.
    “What is happening to our oil revenue now has benefits, if we are willing to seize the opportunity and take corrections required.”
    Chairman of Interswitch Limited, Mr Adedotun Sulaiman, chaired the event.
    Guest speakers were Chief Executive of RTC Advisory Services Limite,d Mr Opeyemi Agbaje and Managing Director of Aiteco Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, Mr Babatunde Akinpelu.

  • Low oil prices, blessing in disguise

    SIR: We have been so unfortunate to be governed by rulers instead of leaders; who knew only how to balkanise the country into unsustainable states and local governments that endlessly wait like helpless chicks of birds in the nest for monthly allocation of proceeds from the oil wealth. While other oil producing countries were massively  investing their oil wealth in developmental projects like converting the deserts into haven for industrial growth and development, petroleum refineries, building state of the art hospitals, schools, tourist havens, power generation, good transportation systems, heaven on earth palatial estates and pro-poor social programmes, our rulers were busy competing to see who will steal more than the other and stashing their humongous booty into local and foreign banks. Each succeeding regime struggled to make sure that they outdid their predecessors in the kleptomanic spree! This free for all scrambling for our common wealth when oil prices were in high heavens, had continued unchecked till the present democratic administration of President Muhammadu Buhari who has vowed to fight corruption even with his last drop of blood now that oil price is at its lowest ebb.

    One wonders where Nigeria would have been if the level of industrialization championed by private business men in the late seventies and eighties were sustained. There was hardly any part of the east especially Aba, Onitsha, Nnewi and many others that do not have manufacturing industries. Textile industries dotted the nooks and crannies of Kano, Kaduna, Aba, Onitsha, Lagos etc. Automobile industries existed in the east, west, north and south. These industries would have fully matured into giant exporting entities by today if the intoxicating oil money did not bemuse and befuddle our opportunistic rulers into thinking that there is no tomorrow. There were even some other government established industries such as Ajaokuta steel complex, Jos steel rolling mill, Aladja and Katsina steel rolling mills that were supposed to galvanize our industrial growth and development.

    Nigeria’s population size is one of the greatest assets any serious nation can wish for. Even with World Trade Organization’s free trade liberalization mantra, we could still protect our own developing market by patronizing made in Nigeria goods and services more so now that the exchange rate has gone into the high heavens. When the industries start working, jobs and more jobs will be created. Our industries will start running shifts to clear the already saturated market of the unemployed legion. The irritating band of okada riders and keke-Napep drivers will naturally disappear when our factories and farms starts running again.

    Regrettably, lack of political will and efficient economic policies mired by the stupendous oil wealth bemused the country into channelling her energy into wealth appropriation instead of creation. Provision of enabling environment for business growth and survival such as finance, good roads, water supply, electricity and security by the government was a responsibility they left for these industries. How then could they compete favourably with their foreign counterparts?

    My dream is that the current low oil prices will force Nigerians to change for the better by being more patriotic. That the federal, state and local governments will diversify their revenue streams, become less corrupt and work for the interest of the masses instead of devilish personal aggrandizement. Further devaluationof our currency now, will be pouring salt into a battered injury. It is usually export oriented economies that gain when they devalue their currencies. It would have been a somewhat different kettle of fish if we were exporting refined petroleum products. This government may not contain the salary increment pressure that will surely come from labour if naira is further devalued. Since oil revenue is now coming in trickles, let us help ourselves by minimizing capital flights through importing or expending only on necessities that does not have local alternatives even as the fight against treasury looters is sustained with gusto without minding whose ox is gored.

     

    • Kingsley Ike Okeke-Agulu, Ph.D.

    Jos.