The Nation Newspaper

Tag: day

  • Delta urges moral rebirth, as it celebrates international peace day

    The Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC) ,Asaba branch has admonished all aggrieved groups in the country to sheathe their swords as the world celebrated the 2016 International Day of Peace.

    It canvassed the adoption of mediation and concilliation in the judicial process to foster peace and unity in the Nigerian State, adding that Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is flexible ,quick at dispensing social justice , less expensive ,less time wastage, friendly, and conducted in private and strictly confidential.

    The group in collaboration with Delta State Ministry of Justice penultimate week organised a one-day workshop to train legal officers in the Delta State Ministry of Justice on mediation and concilliation as the primary mechanism for resolving disputes.

    The workshop with theme, ‘The Sustainable Development Goals:Building Blocks for Peace’ calls attention to the United Nations three prong approach to ensuring world peace I.e ‘end to poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all’.

    The group said the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Mechanism can ‘greatly help in fostering peace and unity in the Nigerian State even before 2030 which is the target date for achievement of the 17 sustainable development goals by the United Nation (UN)’.

    The ICMC is the professional body of Nigerian practitioners that trains prospective candidates , and encourages organisations and institutions to adopt mediation and concilliation as the primary mechanisms for resolving disputes.

    Its President, Dr Louis Ogbeifun in an address at the occasion blamed ‘some stakeholders in the judicial process of hindering the anti-corruption fight of the present administration’, rand urged support for the anti-corruption crusade.

    He urged the federal government to take proactive measures to tackle the current recession,warning that the ‘sole catalyst for people’s revolt in almost all ages is poverty and hunger’.

    His words, ‘ Government can fight corruption with the teeth of the law.It can fight militancy ,insurgency and other wars with guns and bombs, but the war orchestrated by hunger if allowed to rear its ugly heads does not respond to any law ,arsenals and armament.’

    He said to prevent a masses revolt, government must provide necessary support to farmers, while encouraging citizens to cultivate small scale gardens and poultry farms.

    Ogbeifun said bailout funds should not be geared towards salaries but be channelled into employment generation ,reduction of poverty ,hunger and incentivising exportation to earn foreign exchange.

    On the successes  recorded by ICMC, Ogbeifun said, ‘So far, the ICMC is happy to have partnered with Delta ,Bayelsa, Ogun  and Edo States in setting up or in the process of setting up their multi Door Courthouses’.

    He harped on the imperatives of ADR in resolving disputes, adding that in ‘Delta State many lawyers have been trained to ensure effective administration of justice, and promotion of peace and harmonious coexistence among the various ethnic, religious and socio-political groups.’

    Delta Commissioner for Justice, and Attorney General  Mr Peter Mrakpor in his remarks said the fight against corruption should be attitudinal,adding that except Nigerians imbibe values and principles the war on corruption is doomed.

    His words: ‘It is an attitudinal change we need in Nigeria. Nigerians should understand  that what they need to live a qualitative life. Since we do not need a billion Naira to live a qualitative life, then someone should remind us that we do not need a billion to live a qualitative life.Food clothing and shelter are the basics in achieving this goal.We need to have a re orientation of values. You can take people to court, you can charge them or even send them to prison,despite these measures, society is still grappling with large scale larceny of our commonwealth.”

  • Lagos to host Tourism Day celebration

    Lagos to host Tourism Day celebration

    Lagos State will on September 27 host the 2016 World Tourism Day (WTD). The event will take place in Badagry. The Minister of Culture and Information , Alhaji Lai Mohammed, will lead the Federal Government’s delegation to the celebration.

    The theme for this year’s celebration is Tourism for All – Promoting universal accessibility.  World Tourism Day is celebrated on September 27 to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value.

    In a message to the world on the day, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Secretary General, Mr. Talib Rifai, said: “Tourism has experienced a revolution in the past 50 years. In 1950, there were 25 million international tourists; today there are around 1.2 billion people travelling the world. Travelling has become a huge part of many lives.

    “When travelling, we come across new people, new sights and new ideas. Often, our perception of the world changes as we see more of it. However, we must not forget that for many, travelling can be quite a difficult process.

    “15 per cent  of the world’s population is estimated to live with some form of disability. That is 1 billion people around the world who may be unable to enjoy the privilege of knowing other cultures, experience nature at its fullest and experience the thrill of embarking on a journey to explore new sights.

    “Accessibility for all should be at the centre of tourism policies and business strategies not only as a human right, but also as a great market opportunity.

    “With the world’s population ageing, all of us will benefit sooner or later from universal accessibility in tourism.

    “As we celebrate World Tourism Day, let us recall that all of the world’s citizens have the right to experience the incredible diversity this planet has to offer.”

  • White Cane Day: Blind march in Lagos

    White Cane Day: Blind march in Lagos

    Losing one’s eyesight is not the end of the world. That was the message the Federal Nigeria Society for the Blind (FNSB) sought to pass across through its White Cane Day walk at the weekend.

    The programme, the 11th in the series, was supported by Dufil Prima Foods, which provided the T-Shirts and caps worn by over 100 visually-impaired students for the occasion.

    The walk – ‘Fitness Walk for Sight’ – kicked off from the National Stadium down to Costain round-about and back to the stadium.

    According to the FNSB Executive Council Chairman, Asiwaju Fola Oshibo, the event was to enlighten the public about the society’s training activities for the blind.

    He said: “This is a way of telling the public what we do.  We train people who go blind, either as adults or as adolescents. We have a training centre in Oshodi called the Vocational Training Centre, where we train people who lose their sight to make them useful to the society rather than go about the streets begging and we train them in various vocations.

    “Because, we are a non-profit organisation; we depend on members of the public for financial supports and this is a way of sensitising the public to let them see what we do and what we have been doing.”

    Oshibo urged Nigerians not to give up on people visually-impaired persons because they can still live fulfilled lives if trained.

    He said: “The fact that somebody has lost his sight does not mean that is the end of the road. After training and rehabilitation, they can do virtually what a normal person can do.  They can use the internet and the computer; we teach them to be independent; we teach them how to move around with their ‘white cane’.  Our message to the public when you see anybody with the white cane please assist that person whichever way; don’t ignore or abandon them.”

    He noted that the society has not been getting the expected support from the government and he appealed for support from the government and smembers of the public.

    Dufil Prima Foods Public Relations Manager Tope Asiwaju called on socially-responsible companies to keep supporting the society just like Dufil.

    He said: “The organisers and students are happy because of the kind of support we have been giving to them.  We know that this will also alleviate some of those sufferings; some of those basic needs that are required for the physically challenged, but most especially here today, whatever we give to them will help them improve in their studies and well being and of course they feel very happy that the society at large caters for them and that is why we continue to do this,” he said.

    Dufil Prima Foods donated a check of N250, 000 and other gift items to the students.

    Pictures: The blind students on the march.

  • It’s World Refugee Day

    IR: Today June 20, the global community commemorates the World Refugee Day. On December 4, 2000, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in its unanimous resolution decided that from 2001, June 20 of every year would be celebrated as World Refugee Day. In the resolution, the General Assembly noted that 2001 marked the golden jubilee or the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the status of Refugees.

    Each year on June 20, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and countless civic groups around the world host World Refugee Day events in order to draw public attention to the millions of refugees and people who are internally displaced worldwide.

    Statistics show that not less than 43 million people worldwide are presently displaced as a result of conflict and persecution, which is the highest number since the middle of 1990s. More than 15 million of the aforementioned figure are refugees who fled their home countries, while the rest are people who remain displaced by conflict within their own homelands and they are generally regarded as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

    Worldwide, refugees have really suffered an untold hardship in the respective camps or localities they are being hosted or they found themselves; they mostly lack the three basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. Most of them are often killed by deadly diseases, or hazards attached to the environment they reside in.

    Since refugees are mainly victims of either manmade or natural disasters, there is a compelling need to take appropriate and drastic measures that would thoroughly address all forms of disaster or conflict witnessed by mankind virtually on a daily basis.

    As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the 16th commemoration of the World Refugee Day, there’s a compelling need for the various civil society organizations as well as religious bodies to embark on a massive and rigorous awareness crusade that would educate the entire public on the dangers inherent in any form of crisis, which will go a long way to bring a holistic attitudinal change among the overall citizenry. Think about it!

     

    • Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor,

    Owerri, Imo State.

  • May Day lamentations

    •If it’s time for workers’ welfare, it is also time for productivity

    Ordinarily, the annual Workers’ Day rallies commemorated across the globe on May 1 have most often been an occasion in Nigeria for the celebration of labour, with government identifying with and participating in the event across the country. May Day usually afforded an opportunity for chief executives of governments, both at the federal and state levels, to listen to the demands and grievances of workers while also explaining existing or articulating new labour policies.

    It is perhaps not surprising that this year’s May Day commemoration took a different turn across the country as neither President Muhammadu Buhari nor most of the 36 state governors bothered to attend the rallies personally. This is certainly not unconnected with the current severe downturn in the country’s economic fortunes, with workers being owed several months arrears of salaries. Many of the political leaders might, therefore, be unwilling to contend with the likely unsavoury reactions of workers to their present pitiable plight, thus their absence at the various venues of the event.

    In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, for instance, President Buhari was represented at the rally by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige. National officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) regretted that the President missed such a unique opportunity to listen directly to, and interact with the workers. This was partly because Dr Ngige was obviously not in a position to speak on workers’ demand for a new minimum wage of N56,000.00. He therefore kept mum on the issue.

    For most of the states, it was lamentation galore by frustrated and angry workers who made demands and issued threats on the non-payment of their wages as well as the unbearable cost of living. One of the few governors who graced the occasion, Mr Umaru Tanko AlMakura of Nasarawa State did so in a rather dramatic fashion as he appeared wearing all-black attire symbolising a mourning. His reason was reportedly to decry the attitude of workers to his government, which he perceived as unfriendly to a government not deserving of opposition from the unions.

    Adamawa State Chairman of the NLC, Dauda Maina, for instance, revealed that almost half of the state’s workforce has not been paid their salaries for over four months. In Plateau State, representatives of organised labour demanded immediate payment of the five months salaries owed civil servants of tertiary institutions as well as the four-month salary arrears of primary school teachers.

    The Ndigbo Unity Forum Owerri, Imo State, issued Governor Rochas Okorocha a 60-day ultimatum to pay workers their outstanding salaries and allowances. And in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the labour leadership commended Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s impressive infrastructural development but insisted this must be complemented by human capital welfare to address the poverty of the workforce.

    With the exception of Edo State, where Governor Adams Oshiomhole personally announced an increase in the minimum wage of civil servants from N18,000 to N25,000 ‘with immediate effect’, it was a litany of workers’ woes almost everywhere else. But then, can the economy of Edo State be isolated from that of the nation? Is Oshiomhole’s new minimum wage offer to the state’s workers sustainable and is it the way forward?

    All said, we believe that there is no alternative to elected political leaders frankly discussing labour welfare and productivity with the workers. Keeping a distance from labour cannot be an appropriate response. If political leaders demonstrate a willingness to curtail their perceived opulent and ostentatious lifestyles, it is unlikely that organised labour will be unreasonable in its demands.

  • One rainy day

    Last Tuesday was messy for many staff and visitors at the Villa. Some cabinet ministers were also affected as the clouds released their contents for over one and a half hours.

    The only bad thing about the rain was its timing. It started around 4pm when some staff and visitors had to close for the day and needed to leave the Villa. Most of the staff and visitors, who had to leave, were trapped.

    Due to the heavy downpour, they could not get to their cars, which were parked far away in various car parks known as “Maitama’, ‘Asokoro’, ‘AYA’, Nyanya, and ‘Mararaba’, depending on their remoteness from the entrance.

    Two ministers who experienced the harsh weather were Kemi Adeosun (Finance) and Geoffrey Onyeama (Foreign Affairs).

    Their ordeal started when they wanted to leave the Villa at the end of the closed-door meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the visiting Cameroonian President, Paul Biya and his delegation on Tuesday evening.

    The ministers were momentarily prevented from getting straight to their black SUVs  packed by the entrance to the President’s and Vice President’s offices.

    Their aides came to their rescue as they rushed forward to cover them with umbrellas and usher them to the waiting vehicles.

    Even with the umbrellas, none of them got inside their vehicles without some splashes and wetness from the skies. Their files fared no better.

    Some other top government officials and visitors who had their drivers waiting for them in their cars at the parks also did not wait too long by the entrance.

    They only placed telephone calls to their drivers instructing them to bring their cars to the entrance and they quickly rushed to it and hopped in as soon as the cars came to a stop.

    But one particular ‘big man’ was not so lucky. He could not reach his driver on the telephone for almost 30 minutes due to the weather.

    He had no choice but to wait for the rain to subside and the network restored before he could get his driver to bring his car to the entrance.

    Many staff and visitors, who did not have the privilege of a waiting driver, had to wait for the rain to stop.

    Some of them who have umbrellas covered themselves from the entrance to their cars.

    Those who had no umbrella, no one to lift them to their vehicles and could not wait for the rain to stop were mercilessly drenched before they reach the car parks.

    Some contracted maintenance staff in the Villa were not left out of the ugly experience as they had to defy the rain.

    Since the rain coincided with their closing time, they had to walk under the rain without cover in order not to miss their staff buses.

    Even some Villa staff, who were still working in their offices and not ready to leave the Villa during the heavy down pour were also affected by the rainy day.

    The air conditioning system. that had provided comfort to them few hours earlier in the hot afternoon suddenly became a source of discomfort.

    Their offices became extra ordinarily cold due to the central air conditioning system.

    Some of them had to quickly resort to their sweaters while others drank hot tea or coffee to warm their body.

    The irony of the situation was that most of them have no control over the central air conditioning system as only the maintenance staff have access and know where the control unit is located.

    Some of the major roads in the Villa were also badly affected by the heavy down pour as movement in and out were slowed down with the roads water logged from the period of the rain till close to half an hour after the rain ended.

    One major reason why most Villa staff and visitors to the State House were caught off guard by the rain last Tuesday was because it was one of the first heavy rain during the weekdays in the Villa.

    But they, no doubt, will henceforth be psychological and physically prepared for the coming rains.

    Tuesday’s raining day in the Villa cannot however be seen as bad omen, as it is God’s given and will go a long way to ensure food security of the nation.

     

    Gearing up for rainy exercises

     

    It may be very difficult for Villa staff who use the State House gym to easily agree that the heavy downpour last Tuesday was a blessing.

    The gym was flooded due to the leaking roof, which made some of the staff not to be able to use some of the equipment.

    The problem is not a new one as it has been there since the tenure of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Towards finding a solution, the issue was brought up in the ‘From the Villa’ of 3rd November 2015 titled ‘Exercising in the rain’ when some of the gym users expressed their displeasure about the problem.

    The repairs under the current dispensation might have been delayed by the grey areas in the 2016 Budget.

    Now that the 2016 Budget have been assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari last Friday, State House staff may not need to worry for long before the problem is rectified.

    But if the item happens to be one of those removed from the Budget by the National Assembly, then Villa staff have to gear up for rainy exercises in the gym till there might be hope for remedy if the item succeeds to make any supplementary budget later this year.

    It is hoped that it will not be too late as water and wetness is not good for the expensive equipment in the gym.

    Because of the importance of a healthy and fit State House workforce, anticipatory approval may also not be ruled out in tackling the issue.

     

  • Lagosians turn out for International Jazz Day

    Lagosians turn out for International Jazz Day

    Turn by turn, the musicians took to the two stages, filling the night with the sounds of horns, guitars, keyboards, drums and their voices. That was how both the Steve Rhodes and Fela Kuti stages at Freedom Park boomed and lit up Saturday night with over 20 artists and hundreds of fans for the second day of the Lagos International Jazz Festival which held from April 29 to May 1. To the artistes and fans, it was groovy way to spend International Jazz Day which is celebrated globally on April 30 every year. April is Jazz Appreciation Month.

    The celebration also took place at the Intercontinental Hotel and Eko Hotel and Suites, with a fusion of jazz and fashion in a show called ‘Runway Jazz’, while Lagos State governor Akinwumi Ambode hosted businessmen, politicians, celebrities and other VIPs to an evening of music.

    At the Lagos House, the Jazz session, tagged ‘Evening of Jazz’ had musicians such as Kunle Ajayi, Darey Art Alade, two-time Grammy Award winner Lekan Babalola, Yinka Davies and Jermaine Jackson, a member of the Jackson 5 entertaining an elite guest list which included Oba Rilwan Akiolu, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, former governor of Ogun state Aremo Olusegun Osoba and his wife, Derin as well as other dignitaries.

    The concert, among others, ensured it was indeed a night to appreciate jazz.

    For the Runway Jazz which held on Friday April 29 and Saturday April 30 at both the Intercontinental Hotel and Eko Hotel and Suites, American Grammy award-winner Kirk Whalum, Omawumi, Yinka Davies, Tosin Alao, Sweet Sound, Chee and other musicians joined fashion designers in a fusion of jazz and fashion. Big wigs such as Femi Otedola, Aliko Dangote and Donald Duke were in attendance.

    At Freedom Park for the Lagos International Jazz Festival, a brainchild of Inspiro Productions, musicians such as Tayo Conga, Tarri Guitarri, Survival Band, Tee Mac, Desmon D African Man, Peter and the Jazz Factory graced the two stages. Orliam, Femi Slide, Dotun Bankole, Jaya, Jasperrazzi Adebowale and Wole Sentimenta were also among other artistes that performed. While some artistes like Tarri who has a banging debut album and the Survival Band performed original songs, others did both covers of, especially legends such as Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Tunji Oyelana. Spoken Word artistes like Kemistree and Samurai also spiced up the night with their rhymes.

    In line with Ambode’s campaign to boost entertainment and consequently revenue, the three events which featured many artistes had the support of the Lagos State government.

    The Lagos state Commissioner for Information and Strategic Duties, Steve Ayorinde, said this is in line with governor Ambode’s campaign of emporwerment throught the arts and entertainment.

    “Governor Akinwunmi Ambode,” he said, “in fulfillment of his campaign promise to use tourism, hospitality, entertainment, and sports for excellence to market Lagos as a destination and create jobs, has decided to commemorate the IJD 2016.”

  • AVRS celebrates World Intellectual Property Day

    AVRS celebrates World Intellectual Property Day

    •Mobilises against digital piracy

    As the world marks World Intellectual Property Day on April 26, Chairman of Audio Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS), Mr Bond Emeruwa, has said that despite the boom the Nigerian creative industry has witnessed, many creatives are yet to adequately benefit from it, mainly because of piracy.

    He said this in a statement to mark this year’s event which has as its theme, ‘Digital Creativity: Culture Reimagined.’

    “Given that we live in a digital age where digital revolution has been the game changer in all sectors, it may be assumed that stakeholders in the creative industries are only enjoying the blessings of digital creativity,” Emeruwa said.

    “But a closer look at the nexus between intellectual property rights and digital creativity would show that the challenges faced by creators in the digital landscape are quite intricate and enormous, with direct impact on the future of the creative content economy.

    “Central among such challenges is the menace of digital piracy – the unauthorized reproduction and commercial exploitation of copyrighted materials available in electronic form. Available digital piracy statistics within and outside Nigeria would show how deeply this debilitating cancer has eaten into our creative economy and denied us unimaginable revenue which, in most cases have truncated the creative efforts of practitioners leaving them jobless after investing heavily in their respective creative processes.”

    Emeruwa then said, “AVRS would like to use the commemoration of the 2016 World Intellectual Property Day to mobilise public support towards the eradication of digital piracy, not only as it affects the film industry, but the entire creative sector.”

    World Intellectual Property Day was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2000 to “raise awareness of how patents, copyright, trademarks and designs impact on daily life” and “to celebrate creativity, and the contribution made by creators and innovators to the development of societies across the globe.”

    AVRS is Nigeria’s sole collective management organisation for cinematograph films

    The AVRS boss also commended efforts of the Nigerian Copyright Commission towards actualising the implementation of the Copyright Levy (on Materials) order 2012 but beckoned on the Federal Government to hasten its implementation

    “The time has come, however, when we, the stakeholders must take it upon ourselves to embark on a sustained campaign to ensure the implementation of the Order, which would go a long way to reduce the cancer of digital piracy,” he said.

  • Lagos sets July 14 as tree planting day

    The Lagos State Government has set aside July 14 as its yearly Tree Planting Day.

    Environment Commissioner Dr Samuel Adejare, who spoke at the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARKS) seminar for the informal sector, said it is part of a wider programme of the government to rehabilitate the environment and address global warming.

    With the theme Impact of Tree Planting on Human Existence, it was held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, earlier in the week.

    He highlighted the important role the informal sector plays in championing tree planting in the state and urged them to support the government on it.

    Adejare said: “It is worthy to note satisfactorily, the significant roles the informal sector played in championing the tree planting course. The members of the Taxi Drivers Association of Nigeria; CDAs (Community Development Authorities); CDCs (Community Development Councils); NGOs (non-governmental organisations); market men and women have really impressed me with the adorning of their parks across the state. They have played significant roles to ensure the success of Tree Planting initiatives across the state.”

    He noted that their support for the state’s tree planting programmes was yielding results, as “other states are now coming to find out how they can replicate this innovation in their respective states with the support of their informal sector”.

    Stressing the need for tree planting, the commissioner said: “Trees contribute to the environment by providing oxygen, improving air quality, climate amelioration, conserving water, preserving soil and supporting wildlife… the main reason we need trees is because they are beautiful gift as nature is and act as natural filters. No two trees are ever alike… Even individual trees vary in appearance throughout the course of the year as the season changes. Most of us react to the presence of trees with a pleasant, relaxed and comfortable feeling. In fact, many plant trees as a living memorial of life changing events.

    “It is for this and several other reasons to enhance human existence that the Lagos State government has set aside a day, specifically July 14th of every year, for the commemoration of tree planting day.”

    Adejare appealed to stakeholders to partner government in its quest to realise its dream of enhancing human existence through a green environment.

    Welcoming participants to the seminar, LASPARKS General Manager Mrs. Abimbola Jijoho-Ogun stressed the place of trees in a thriving environment.

    She listed the benefits of trees to human existence to include prevention of urban heat and climate regulation; pollution control from industrial activities; chemical substances; exhaust fumes. Noise pollution in overcrowded cities are reduced by the number of trees planted as the trees serve as sound breakers; and increase property value, as greenery, which make for aesthetically pleasing areas, attract investors.

    One of the guest lecturers at the seminar, Dr. Saka Jimoh of the Department of Forest Resources Management, University of Ibadan, explained why trees should not be harmed in a short poem.

    He said if trees could speak, they would say: “Ye, who would pass and raise your hand against me, hearken ere you harm me; I am the heat of your heart on the cold winter nights; the friendly shade screening you from the summer sun; and my fruits are refreshing draughts; quenching your thirst as you journey on; I am the beam that holds your house; the board of your table, the bed on which you lie; and the timber that builds your boats; I am the handle of your hoe and the door of your homestead; the wood of your cradle and the shell of your coffin; I am the gift of God and the friend of Man; Ye who pass by, listen to my prayer; Harm Me Not!”

  • Today is World Poetry Day

    SIR: Today Monday, March 21, the world over commemorates the 2016 World Poetry Day. The decision to proclaim March 21 as an annual World Poetry Day was adopted during the 30th session of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) conference held in Paris, France in 1999.

    One of the main objectives of the Day is to support linguistic diversity through poetic expressions, and to offer endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their respective communities. In celebrating World Poetry Day, UNESCO recognizes the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind.

    From the middle of twentieth (20th) century, poetry has sometimes been more generally regarded as a fundamental creative act that employs language. Because of its nature of emphasizing linguistic form rather than using language purely for its content, poetry is notoriously difficult to translate from one language into another. A possible example of this is the Hebrew Psalms, where the beauty is found more in the balance of ideas than in specific vocabulary.

    Howbeit, poetry has indeed created an enormous positive impact on literature, and has contributed immensely in the promotion of languages, cultures and education in general. No doubt, poetry has succeeded in awakening man’s quest for learning or discovery as well as his interest to educate, entertain or inform his immediate society through the use of any language within his reach.

    As the global community marks the World Poetry Day, I enjoin every individual across the globe, especially Nigerians, to endeavour to promote the unique role of poetry in literature by understanding the fact that poetry reaffirms our common humanity by revealing to us that individuals, anywhere in the world, share the same questions and feelings. Thus, we ought to comprehend that poetry is the mainstay of oral tradition; and over centuries, can communicate or convey the innermost values of diverse cultures. Above all, we should always note that poetry is the only genre of literature that saves time, space as well as energy, and can be written or expressed in any language as it pleases the writer.

    I urge every concerned sector and stakeholder such as the parents, guardians, counsellors, teachers and various citadels of learning, to vigorously contribute their respective quotas towards ensuring that the unique art of poetry will no longer be considered as an outdated form of literature, but one which enables any society to regain and assert its real identity.

     

    • Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

    Owerri, Imo State.