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Tag: forward

  • Moving forward in His Vineyard

    Moving forward in His Vineyard

    With their Bibles and hymn books, members of the Diocese of Lagos West (Anglican Communion) gathered at the Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral to celebrate their 15th anniversary, writes AMIDU ARIJE

    Armed with their Bibles, the clergymen, in white robs moved gingerly into the Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral for what a layman would take for a show. But it was not.

    A routine church service? No! It was the 15th anniversary of the Diocese of Lagos West (Anglican Communion). The clergymen came in their hundreds, with their wives and laymen from all the churches in the diocese. On the diocesan field were many vehicles, including church buses. The Diocesan Bishop, Rt. Rev James Olusola Odedeji, wore the mitre and his full robe with the crosier on his left hand.  He radiated joy all day. The activities marking the 15th anniversary of the diocese began with a crusade titled three-day End of the Year Annual Triumphant Convention Crusade” The theme was “Going Forward.”

    The processional hymn was taken as the Bishop and other clergymen gained entrance into the church.

    The choirs ensured there was no dull moment for the commencement of the ceremony till the end of it.   The reading of the Old Testament from Malachi 2:1-16 was taken by Pheola Caulcrick while Rev Kunle Oluwadimite took the Gospel Luke 17:20-37. All followed with applauds.

    At intervals, the diocesan choir dished out songs to increase the conviviality of the day. This further showed that it was not the usual Sunday service.  Everyone was relaxed and in ceremonial mood all through.

    The Hymn Church Hymnal 623 that which was led by the choirs set the tone. It was really exciting.

    A sermon was delivered by the Archbishop of Kaduna Province and Bishop of Kebbi Diocese, Most Rev Edmund Akanya.

    Rev Akanya urged Christians to remain faithful to the Lord.

    He reminded the congregation of how God saved the children of Israel form their enemies and urged them to remain focused and hopeful of God’s wonders in their lives.  Akanya quoted Joel 2:23-27 to back up his points.

    After delivering the sermon, the congregation shouted the praises of God and clapped to appreciate the witty sermon of the clergy man.

    The Nicene Creed and intercession followed with offertory Hymns from Ch 679, 559 and 566.

    Rev Odedeji who anchored the communion session took off his green regalia and the mitre as he consecrated the bread. He thereafter asked all members for the Holy Communion. It was orderly done as the ushers ensured that the clergymen were first to receive the communion followed by other members of the Diocese. They all moved down the altar to be served the bread and the wine. There was solemn music while this lasted.

    A post Communion prayer was made conducted by the Bishop. The prayer ‘As our Saviour taught us, so we pray’ was said by all.

    Then followed thanksgiving service based conducted on zonal basis; all of the zones that make up the Diocese presented their offerings at the altar amidst pomp. After all the zones had presented their offerings, Bishop Odedeji and his were not left out of the thanksgiving and the entire Church rose to give honour to their leader. It was like a dancing competition while the thanksgiving service lasted.

    After this, the Bishop announced the appointment of new officers to take care of some departments in the diocese. Among the appointees were Diocesan Chaplain for the Women Organisations, Ven Sunday Ogini, Ven Emeka Nwosu in charge of visit to hospitals and prisons.

    In his vote of thanks, Rev Odedeji thanked God and members of the church for their unflinching supports towards the success of the event.

    Having taken the closing prayer and Episcopal blessing, the Diocesan anthem was taken as the curtain of the programme was drawn with the Bishop leading the recession of clergymen out of the church.

    Why did the diocese consider it necessary to roll out the drums in celebration? Rev Odedeji said for 15 years the Diocese, had been from strength to strength. He said the Diocese had grown numerically.

    “It has been wholesome, God has used my predecessor to double the strength of the diocese; numerically, we have expanded. We started with about 100 churches, today we have more than 300 even after two new Dioceses had been created from this  and we are still very strong and formidable,” he said.

    The point had earlier been made by the Preacher, Rev. Akanya,who observed that he accepted to come to participate in the celebration because of the unique place of the Diocese in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). He pointed out that the Diocese has since overtaken much older ones and is a pride of all Anglicans in Nigeria.

  • Gabros charts way forward

    Gabros charts way forward

    Former vice chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)  Gabriel Chukwuma has claimed that he has the antidote to the unending crisis rocking Nigerian football, his aide and coordinator of Gabros International FC of Nnewi, Olisa Onuchukwu has posited.

    Onuchukwu, a retired footballer and agent, told SportingLife that things shouldn’t have degenerated to this level if the various stakeholders had listened to Chukwuma 10 years ago.

    He stated that the recent fire incident at the NFF secretariat threw Chukwuma off balance and he felt deeply pained by problems that have bedevilled Nigerian football in recent times.

    The coordinator added that the billionaire business mogul was ready  to proffer a lasting solution to the crisis rocking Nigerian football if consulted.

    According to Onuchukwu, Chukwuma foresaw the crisis 10 years ago when he resigned his membership of the NFF.

    Onuchukwu said Chukwuma is a gifted strategist as evidenced by his advisory impact regarding the obscurity to global ascension of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) where he is the vice chairman of the conglomerate as well as the continued sponsorship of Gabros FC for over 20 years.

    “Chukwuma is a knowledgeable football guru and one of the genuine stakeholders of Nigerian football. Therefore, I’m calling on the  Minister of Sports to take a bold step now and save the game from total annihilation by sending a powered delegation of other stakeholders to consult Chukwuma to proffer the lasting solution to the endless crisis,” Onuchukwu said.

  • Moving forward

    Moving forward

    Have the Super Eagles arrived? What is happening here? Could this be the Eagles that fumbled in their group matches? What are they trying to prove? Yes, the real Super Eagles have arrived. These were some of the questions on the lips of fans who watched the Eagles’ sparkling outcome against the Elephant of Cote D’Ivoire on Sunday at the Royal Rustenburg Stadium.

    Before the Elephant’s game, the Eagles flooded the media with seamless promises that teased the fans to rally behind them. They promised to roast Burkina Faso but tottered to a 1-1 draw.

    They begged the fans and raised hopes for a better show against the defending champions Chipolopolo, yet it wasn’t any better. The pundits looked forward to the Ethiopian tie with expectation and the Eagles didn’t disappoint with another never-wrenching victory.

    The three games raised doubts about the Eagles’ chances against star-studded Elephants. What many didn’t recognise in the Eagles’ group matches was that the Burkinabes, Zambians to a little extent and the Ethiopians, were younger than our boys.

    The Eagles tired out in 60mins and struggled through the last 30 minutes. Little wonder the late goals that raised doubts about the coaches’ technical savvy.

    The Zambians and the Ethiopians hassled the Eagles to submission with their pace and raw talent. They had players who were unknown to the Eagles, unlike in the Elephants’ side.

    The Elephants were star-studded but many of their stars are ageing. Their slow pace approach brought out the best from a hitherto tottering Eagles.

    We need to drastically reduce the average age of the Eagles, if we wish to stun the world in Brazil 2014, like we did in our debut outing at the 1994 World Cup held in the United States.

    Sunday Mbah’s sterling displays against the Ethiopians and the Ivoriens is a pointer to the limitless talents at the grassroots, only if our coaches can involve the domestic league clubs’ handlers in their scouting exercises.

    What we see in the Eagles is their coaches’ quest to invite home –grown lads, players who have been recycled by many fumbling Nigerian clubs in CAF’s two inter-club competitions and media creations, whose spin doctors work for shylock agents who masquerade as scouts for European clubs.

    Modern day football is played by young boys with plenty of energy and zest, not adults, who can’t run at top speed all through 120 minutes.

    Younger boys are fitter, more daring, inventive and who can stand the test of time. They can be groomed to cope with any situation unlike the adults, who are burdened by the fixations of their past. They are the ones who talk about the need for the Eagles to have experienced players, as if they didn’t make the team as youngsters in the past. The important question to ask the coaches who field these experienced stars, is how do they expect these younger boys to blossom when they are being made to rot on the bench, despite the team’s average performances against Zambia and Ethiopia

    As we prepare for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, emphasis should be on strengthening the squad with talented young players, no matter where they reside, such as Syndey Sam, Nedum Onuoha Bright Dike, etc.

    The coaches should be courageous enough to tell those not in their 2014 World Cup plans their decision to avoid any backlash in the media like we saw in the needless Osaze/Keshi twitter brouhaha.

    The coaches must learn how to take criticism in the chin. They can’t love the country more than others. People have the right to air their views. What the coaches should learn is to take the comments they believe will help them and discard the rest.

    Until the game against Cote d’Ivoire, the Eagles were an embarrassment to watch. Their style of play changed against the Ivoriens, perhaps because of the fear factor of not losing scandalously to them.

    It could also be that the personal challenges between John Mike and Salmon Kalou, on one hand, and the awesome goals’ record of Didier Drogba, whilst playing for Chelsea last season, may have galvanised the Eagles to produce the scintillating shows they displayed against the Ivoriens and the Malians

    The Eagles and their coaches need to call their relations in Nigeria in order to appreciate how their recent display have united the people and made us proud as a nation.

    The power of soccer is awesome, such that Nigerians now fast for the Eagles to lift the trophy at dusk against the Burkinabes.

    The adage that success has many fathers is legendary. Little wonder the blue-chip companies are falling over themselves to be part of the new dawn that the Eagles’ 2013 Africa Cup of Nations portends. The companies are promising cash and other incentives, which they hitherto claimed were scarce and blamed their poor finances on the country’s dwindling economy. Who could blame eggheads of these blue-chip firms? After all, nobody wants to identify with losers.

    However, these corporate firms and philanthropists should stop their untoward ambush marketing style. They must be prepared to identify with our sportsmen and women at all times.

    Sport is big business. It is a capital intensive project and those marketing it need to be encouraged. The mileage of supporting sports and its participants is awesome. It is immeasurable, given its international platform.

    It is a totally different experience watching other nationals stand up in the 80,000-120,000 capacity stadium to respect our nation as our national anthem is sung.

    Government alone cannot fund sports. In fact, government shouldn’t, as we witness in other countries where government provides the infrastructure and enabling environment for its citizenry to recreate and compete against the best in the world, whenever the need arises.

    Sports can be used to reinvent other spheres of our lives in the country which appear to be comatose.

    Mention must be made of Pamodzi Sports Marketing (PSM) for their initiative to attract sponsors to identify with the Super Eagles. Pamodzi convinced Globalcom, Coca-Cola, Guinness Nigeria, etc., to support our football.

    Indeed, government should do more to encourage the blue-chip companies to support sports by giving them tax rebates and other incentives, given our unpredictable economy. I digress.

    As the Eagles file onto the pitch on Sunday, they must give their best against the Burkinabes. They have raised Nigerians’ hopes. They cannot afford to crash them now. And they can’t afford to disappoint, not even themselves now. They have run a good race and there is no stopping midway, not until they have braced the tape. They must strive to lift the trophy. That is the tape they must brace and return home to the warm embrace of Nigerians. Go! Super Eagles go!!

    Nigerians deserve to be called African champions. It has been quite a while- 19 years ago inTunisia. Good luck Super Eagles.

  • Moving Oke-Ogun forward

    Moving Oke-Ogun forward

    As the good people of Oke-Ogun assemble this week-end in the historic town of Tede, I am sure that they understand very well the task of development that stares them in the face and they are determined to move forward with an agenda that privileges the strength of the collective efforts of all.

    There is no denying the truth of the good old axiom that there is enormous strength in unity. Unfortunately, as is the case with the larger Yoruba nation, the all important requirement of unity has been an elusive goal of Oke-Ogun community. All is not lost, though. For it is also very true, as the history of nations makes it clear to us, progress or development has never been achieved on the basis of a hundred percent participation of members. Indeed, a minority of selflessly dedicated citizens and leaders have led the development efforts in the majority of historical cases.

    In the matter of the plight of the communities, including the ten local governments that make up Oke-Ogun, it is an understatement to suggest that there is much work to be done. With poverty on the increase and spreading, everything else follows on the road to decline. Health is an easy prey to the scourge of poverty, and we are seeing an alarming rise in the morbidity and mortality rate among young folks. If it took a statewide free health clinic for many of our people to discover the near-death nature of their bodily conditions, it is not a surprise that we have recorded such a large number of untimely and unexpected deaths in recent years.

    The statistics are far from heart-warming. The response, however, cannot be a mournful resignation to despair. What is needed is a renewed determination to move forward with thought leaders stepping up to the task of generating innovative ideas that challenge preconceived opinions and lethargic thinking.

    Since what ails Oke-Ogun is integral to what ails the nation at large, it stands to reason to stand back a little and reflect on these common ailments. Of course, it is not an original idea to suggest that politics tops the list since the political system is the all-embracing and all-devouring leviathan of our time. If we play the game right, politics should leverage our aspirations and achievements in other areas. For one thing, by ensuring the security of life and limb, we should enjoy the peace of mind to pursue our individual dreams. By providing the public goods that no individual can provide for himself or herself (e.g. good roads) economic activities are boosted for all. If government, whether local, regional, or national, is unable to deliver on these matters, then citizens are in jeopardy of unfulfilled aspirations.

    In the case of Oke-Ogun, there is a double jeopardy. Without the advantage of early recognition and attention during the prosperous times of our national economic advancement, our various communities lived with derelict roads and poor infrastructure for a long time. And second, when the national economy tanked, these same communities bore the brunt of the collapse.

    A glaring if embarrassing illustration of the pathetic condition referenced in the last paragraph is the Ikere Gorge Dam project. Initiated by the Obasanjo military administration prior to its handing over in 1979, the project was inaugurated in 1982 by the Shagari administration. The multi-billion naira 700 million cubic water dam project was designed to provide electric power, irrigate farmlands, and provide portable water for the entire Oke-Ogun communities and beyond. Former President Shagari did not complete the project before he was ousted and the military administrations that followed did not care much about it. The civil administration of President Obasanjo apparently had too much on its agenda to take notice of such an “obscure” project. The consequence is that the dam site is now a safe haven for reptiles. But it is worse. For there is a genuine threat of a tsunami-like flooding of Oke-Ogun should a breach of the levee occur.

    I have not brought this matter up to apportion blame. Rather, the question on my mind is a simple one. If the national government is too far from our corner of the nation to the extent that it has no qualm abandoning a project that is meant to improve the lives of the people, what is the story about our local governments? For Ikere Gorge dam, there is plenty of blame to go round. Where should the blame go for the supply of basic material needs in our local elementary schools, local dispensaries, and for the construction and maintenance of our local roads?

    Local governments have responsibilities assigned to them by the constitution. This is one of the most encouraging aspects of the constitution—that the welfare of the local people is placed in the hands of local leaders. And it is the tragedy of our clime that the sacred expectation of the constitution has not been fully realised in this matter. I do not want to be misunderstood. A good number of local politicians are above board. But there are many that understand their mission in ways that suggest that the people are expendable. There are rumours about the practice of sharing local government allocations by local government chairmen and councilors. How much of this is true and what are community leaders doing about it?

    For thought leaders, traditional rulers, business men and women from Oke-Ogun, there is a need for community forums where the plight of the people and the responsibility of local government are addressed with the sacred authority of the community brought to bear on the decisions taken. Local governments are peopled by local community members. The power that they exercise is from the community. A servant is not greater than the master or mistress. As servant leaders, they are answerable to the community. Should the community, in a non-partisan forum, express its disapproval of the actions or inactions of particular local leaders, such disapproval cannot but be taken seriously.

    Every local community has a community organisation. These organisations have functioned effectively in raising awareness and promoting development. That was until the politics of party affiliation severed the ties that bind extended families of a community. Interestingly, this is one dilemma that only Oke-Ogun people have resolved against their larger interests. In other communities, blood brothers and sisters not only belong to rival political parties; they also hold political offices as senators, ministers or commissioners. Oke-Ogun indigenes have the distinction of elevating party loyalty over and above family loyalty. And when families are split on account of party loyalty, family affairs invariably suffer irreparable damage. In such cases, we are justified to judge such loyalty as blind and unhelpful. There must be a reconciliation of differences such that politics serves the needs of the community and the people. This is how to move Oke-Ogun forward. I extend to all delegates very best wishes for a successful convention

  • Uduaghan – moving Deltans forward

    Uduaghan – moving Deltans forward

    There is no point reiterating that transportation is an important aspect of everyday human life. However, good, comfortable and affordable transportation has eluded many Nigerians. But, it seems with the coming of the Delta City Bus initiative, things are beginning to change in Delta State. And it is for the better.

    On a recent visit to the Sapele, one of Delta’s major towns, on official duties, I could not help but notice a transformation, as blue and white painted Toyota buses sped across the different roads in the state. Upon enquiry, I was told by my cousin who also lives in Sapele that those buses are actually called ‘Uduaghan’ buses, named after the Delta State governor Emmanuel Uduaghan. My cousin also told me that rides on those buses are affordable and also comfortable. I would later learn that the buses plied all the major routes to different destinations in the state. I was impressed and that was all the push I needed to ride on one of them.

    Immediately after my business dealings in Sapele, and with sufficient time on my schedule, I decided to visit friends and relatives in other parts of the state. Hitherto, I would have boarded cabs with drivers who thrived in over-loading, over-speeding, and also overcharging. Eventually, I ended up travelling to Warri, Abraka, Ughelli and Oleh during my one-week stay in the state. All on the ‘Uduaghan’ buses.

    What I found out is that at the designated parks for the buses, everything is done orderly. Passengers queue to get tickets, the staff are polite and the passenger lounges I visited were not only neat, the chairs were adequate and the arrangement cool. The only shock I experienced was an occasion when I had to wait for about 45 minutes to board the bus. But, the alternative – joining the rickety buses or cabs which, in anyway were overpriced fares and thrived in sandwiching passengers, was something I didn’t look forward to. I dreaded having cramps after a journey, hence, ever since I had started earning a reasonable salary, each time I visited Delta, to combat the stress, I always paid double the fare so as to have a good legroom. But, I found out that with the ‘Uduaghan’ buses, this isn’t the case. I didn’t have to pay any extra for the sake of my legs.

    It seems that within its short existence, the Uduaghan intervention in intra-city transport service within the state has generated huge patronage. Commuters within the state now troop to these parks in droves. The down-side I saw to the whole arrangement was that I had to wait for about 45 minutes once to board a vehicle from Warri to Oleh. However, just back from a tight and dangerously over speeding journey between Abraka and Warri, I was not sad or much in any haste waiting for the bus to fill up.

    Waiting for ‘Uduaghan’ bus, I had time to ruminate on how it is the little things that make a huge difference. Before the advent of the Delta City Bus in its present state, moving around the different parts of the state could have best been described as a tortuous experience. One was literally at the mercy of selfish drivers and also motor-park touts. They could inflate prices at a second’s notice. The drivers drove recklessly and they had little qualms about cramming passengers like sardines in tins. It was just about profit and more profits for them. Not much thought was spared for the comfort and safety of their passengers.

    With the Delta City Bus offering the right price, comfort, as well as safety for its passengers, I guess it is little wonder the huge patronage the buses have been getting. While the Uduaghan administration is yet to perform all the necessary magic to transform Delta, I could not help but commend the good work he is doing in the area of transportation. Especially, as regards intra-city routes in the state. The whole episode reminded me just how the introduction of BRT buses in Lagos changed the way Lagosians used public transport.

    No doubt, the coming of the bus transport service has also created employment. Drivers, clerks, ticketing officers, cleaners, and provider of other ancillary services now have jobs. And, given that the bus service, which is not new, has decided to go into a public private partnership with a major and renowned transporter in the state, this is very commendable. This inclusion with the private sector, I am sure is one major factor responsible for the good service being provided by the Delta City Bus service.

    As it is, while governor Uduaghan deserves kudos for a job well done, the truth is that more work can still be done to really make the bus service more sterling.

     

    • Egbedi writes from Lagos