The Nation Newspaper

Tag: disappointment

  • Poll Shift: INEC a disappointment – Volunteers

    The sudden shift of the much anticipated presidential and national assembly polls earlier scheduled for this Saturday has been described as a huge disappointment on the side of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    In a statement issued yesterday, South West Coordinator of the APC Vote Monitors Volunteers (AVMV), Kazeem Jokanola said the one week postponement would ridicule Nigeria and its democratic process.

    “Why would an institution that has four good years to prepare for an exercise as crucial as this fall victim to these poor logistics? This is going to be a huge problem for a lot of Nigerians who had prepared and made serious sacrifice to cast their votes in the elections that should have held today. Where do they begin from?” he queried.

    Jokanola noted that although the group was worried about earlier signs suggesting the process could be postponed seeing some lapses in INEC’s logistics, yet there was optimism arising from assurances from the electoral body of its readiness to conduct the elections as scheduled.

  • APC, a disappointment

    SIR: Yes, politicians will say whatever it takes to get elected. Every one of them swears that they will be less corrupt, and less corruptible, than the lot in power. Eventually, when they get elected and sit on their various seats, they forget some of their promises; they even deny some- as President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC have repeatedly done.

    Saying that I am disappointed in this government is just me trying to water down my level of disappointment. It was perhaps the only government in the history of the country ushered in on the ground of integrity and incorruptibility, after the downpour of the rain of corruption and thunderstorms of impunity that befell the nation under the previous administration.

    Nigerians, tired of the previous administration, led by Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, took that annoyance to the polls on March 28, 2015, with high hope and aspirations and voted out an incumbent president, with the hope to have a more reliable and prosperous country. This perhaps is one of the biggest political developments in the history of the country. Unfortunately, their hope soon became battered and shattered.

    Things started looking bad and ugly few weeks after the inauguration of the president. Firstly, it took over six months for a perceived prepared party and candidate to have his cabinet running.  Then, the blame game and excuses started; then they made a total mess of their first budget. Then they find it difficult to manage the economy- the usual excuse about the dwindled crude oil price was lame and lazy.  Afterwards, the anti-corruption stand of the administration soon became mere political and toothless.

    Suddenly, the party that promised three million jobs per year could not even keep three thousand jobs per year- those who were even previously employed started losing their jobs. The same party that promised restructuring unexpectedly started asking for the meaning of restructuring. The same party that screwed the previous government on fuel scarcity could not maintain a stable cost and readily available supply of fuel. Next, the same party that promised fire and fury on corruption started dining with corruption and swimming its allegations. #BabachirGate, #MainaGate and the rest.

    The same party that frowned so terribly against incompetence now has incompetence and excellence placed at the same level in justification for appointing dead men into the board of government agencies. The same party that called out the previous government for its poor handling of the Boko Haram insurgency is now handling the herdsmen brutality with levity.

    The perceived aggression and annoyance currently being displayed by a large cross-section of the populace is a function of the cumulative disappointments experienced under the leadership of the APC and the president.

    Therefore, as 2019 approaches and politicians start behaving like politicians, this is a wake-up call to all Nigerians to look beyond just the political parties, but be prepared to vote nothing but competence and character, before we are scammed again. Remember, once bitten, twice shy.

    • Ogundana Michael Rotimi,

    Lagos.

  • Excitement, disappointment as Oyo teachers end strike

    Excitement, disappointment as Oyo teachers end strike

    All over the country, students and pupils are currently enjoying the third term holiday after the promotion exams have been concluded. It is also the season when students in their final year have their valedictory party as part of graduation celebration.

    However, in Oyo state, the feud between the state government and the labour union has altered the academic Calendar.  For seven weeks , the entire public schools in the state were forced to shut down. Consequently, students in public schools could not prepare nor sit for the promotion  examinations.

    While announcing the peaceful resolution of the crisis between government and labour, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Joseph Adeniyi Olowofela, said government had, in view of the seven weeks strike, decided to review the academic calendar for public schools in the state to enable schools complete the third term academic session.

    Professor Olowofela, who lamented the cost of the review of the school Calender on the students, noted that it is in the interest of the student, some of whom took part  in a protest against the alleged privatisation of schools by government.

    He sympathized with the students  and said the seven weeks for which schools were shut would be regained as academic activities would be on between now and Friday, 9th September, this year. Rather than the  usual four weeks or there-about of vacation,the students in the state will have to spend just one week holiday in order to cover lost ground.

    For teachers , who also form part of the state sizeable workforce, the period will also call for sacrifice since they will also have to spend more time  teaching the students during the period which they too ought to have used to rest. According to the Oyo State President, All Nigeria conference of Principals of Public schools, Pastor Ranti Obafunsho, the idea by the state government is thoughtful.

    He enjoined all teachers in the state public schools to adhere strictly to the new schedule and ensure that students and pupils’ academics do not suffer any further set back.

    At the peak of the crisis that led to the disruption of the academic calendar in the state, the state government had spelt out terms for settlement, but these were not acceptable to the aggrieved labour. Many interest groups, including market women and traders associations, intervened and pleaded with the feuding parties to no avail.

    Then, following the student mayhelm of June 6, the government  demanded a written apology from the students and their teachers

    as a condition for settlement, while on the other hand, labour demanded for payment of six months salaries arrears owed the workers by the state government as a way out.

    Subsequently, the parties met last Tuesday to set aside their differences and allow industrial harmony in the state. The highlight of the agreement reached between the state government and labour leaders culminating in the suspension of the over seven-week-old strike by workers include the payment of January and February 2016 salary arrears and pensions within the next two weeks in a staggered arrangement.

    As the elated workers settle down to work, many were seen rejoicing and excited by the news of the planned payment of January and February salaries and pensions. Their excitement is understandable, given that they have endured non payment of salary since the beginning of the year.

    But for the many teachers and students who will have to forfeit almost all the long vacation to recoup the time wasted by the long strike action, while their counterparts in the private schools enjoy the summer break, the feeling is far from anything near excitement.

     

  • A confab of disappointment

    A confab of disappointment

    Nigerians should stand up and dissociate from the just concluded National Conference as it failed to resolve core issues bothering on the nation’s unity.

    The recommendations of the conference, which President Goodluck Jonathan said he will do all within his power to implement, will amplify gross inequality, marginalization and injustice. There will be deeper displeasure; crisis and conflict shall continue. The conference resolutions will not change anything from current pains; not even did it agree to increase the minimum wage of the working poor.  Yet politicians will continue to misappropriate and embezzle billions.

    The conference, which delegates were mostly nominated by government so raised curiosity about hidden agenda to protect status quo, cognizance of the fact that Nigeria was illegally imposed on free pre-colonial independent ethnic nations, refused on the instruction of Jonathan, to discuss whether the different ethnic nations forced to be Nigerians against their wish can and are willing to stay together as one, and on what terms.

    We hold strong the belief that all humans, ethnic nations and indigenous peoples have inalienable right to freedom and thus self-determination which grants the power to design and control their destiny. This fundamental right makes the forcing of people to live together without prior and informed consent unlawful as operational in Nigeria.

    Although the conference created the wrong impression that it recommended true federalism, it is based on false premise. There can’t be true federalism where three ethnic groups: Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo maintain that they’re the major groups while the rest are minorities and so used the conference as means to protecting about 21 out of current 36 states they have and maneuvered the recommendation for the creation of more.

    More than 90 percent of current states depend solely on oil money from Niger delta which has six states and has about 30 ethnic groups. These states are mostly composed of multi-ethnic groups against the about 21 states which are members of the tripartite ethnic groups above.  There can’t be true federalism where the conference recommends 18 additional states that are mostly non-viable and some added to the 21 states for these three groups and spread the rest around remaining 15 states.  These new states will, as usual, wait every month instead of thinking and creating more, to share oil money confiscated from mostly Niger Deltans, from so-called federation account.

    No country which seeks better future for its people can succeed by promoting laziness, dependency and not imagination, innovation and competition, while mounting unlawful and unacceptable pressure on the region the money the country depends on comes from. In proper federations, if you must eat the cake as a state and people, you must contribute to its baking by way of internal revenue generation to meet local needs and taxes to the centre for more to be available.

    We join hands with those who have advocated a return to the regional system of government, because of its positive promises, and the fact that people can refer to the era in Nigeria as when government worked well before the military struck in 1966. It’s no longer secret that the conference didn’t achieve any positive measure that will impact and alleviate the suffering of the masses of the common people who are working hard but finds it difficult to get by.  If implemented, it will boost corruption and protect stolen wealth by politicians, their families and business associates.

    There is therefore  need for all the oppressed of Nigeria to standup now, dissociate from the failed conference and demand a Sovereign National Conference which Nigerians have advocated and demanded but repeatedly overruled by the military and the political class which cherishes the cheating, and unjust status quo ante. Alternatively, the oppressed peoples or ethnic nations may fashion out ways to seek external self-determination or independence, where their call for a genuine conference that will take all of the above issues into account and resolve them based on equal representation and consent, honesty, equality and justice for all is ignored.

    • Ben Ikari,

    African Cultural and Fundamental Rights Council, AFCRC, USA