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Tag: Harsh

  • Comment on Obasanjo harsh, says PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday took on All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Tinubu over his comments on former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    It said the former Lagos State governor was took harsh on the former leader.

    In a statement by its spokesman Kola Ologbodiyan, the PDP said the attack was because of Obasanjo’s allegation that President Muhammadu Buhari plans to manipulate the forthcoming elections.

    The statement reads: “However, PDP states in unequivocal terms that President Obasanjo, contrary to Tinubu’s claims, did not at any time, assure our party that he holds sway throughout the Southwest and as such will deliver Osun State to the PDP.

    “It is also important to state that the people’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, did not also claim to have rigged election in the Southwest.”

    The opposition party said it will be difficult for the APC leader to deny ever being close to its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

    Atiku, who defected from the PDP, contested the 2007 presidential election on the defunct Action Congress (AC) platform. The party was sustained until it metamorphosed into the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

    The PDP went on: “Moreover, it is an established fact that Obasanjo remains a statesman and a global figure who always speak the truth to power and put the interest of our nation above all.

    It is on record that President Obasanjo and PDP genuinely fought corruption in this country. With the establishment of ICPC, EFCC, SFIU in the police as well as the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to investigate economic crimes and corruption activities as well as trial of Nigerians believed to have committed wrongdoings.”

  • Olukoya predicts harsh economy

    Olukoya predicts harsh economy

    Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries’ (MFM) General Overseer Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya yesterday predicted that this year would witness harsh economic crunch.

    The cleric, at the church’s annual crossover night service at its Prayer City, on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, also predicted that the New Year would experience “acidic judgment on those who shed innocent blood, no matter their religion,” because “no man has the right to take the life of a fellow human being”.

    Saying 2016 would be a year of destruction of blood-thirsty campaigns, he said in his 40-point prediction for the year, tagged: “Year of Dominion Favour and Divine Acceleration”, that the citizens should pray against senseless massacres.

    Olukoya added that there would be more earthquakes and tsunamis, as well as mysterious crashes and disappearances, adding that “children of God need serious prayers to tackle activities of eaters of flesh and drinkers of blood in the New Year”.

    The cleric, who predicted that it would be a year of sudden change and turnaround, added that the New Year would witness slave catchers becoming slaves and labours of past years compensated.

    “Stubborn, long-time enemies of God’s children will be in trouble, while seats and positions of God’s children, presently occupied by wrong persons, shall be recovered this year, as evil gates of Christians’ father’s houses shall be forced open,” the cleric said.

    Olukoya said the year would “witness divine exchanges, overturning and overtaking, where the snail will be catching up with the dog”.

    On the international political scene, he called for prayers for the so-called super powers, some of whose decisions, he said, angered heaven.

     

  • First time governors unlucky over harsh economy, says Yari

    First time governors unlucky over harsh economy, says Yari

    Nigerian Governors’ Forum’s (NGF) Chairman Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari has lamented that first term governors, who assumed office in their states in May are unlucky in view of the harsh economic realities the nation is facing.

    Yari, who is Zamfara State governor, spoke in Enugu at the weekend in company of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal when they visited Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

    The governors, who attended a burial ceremony in the state, said they decided to visit Ugwuanyi in the spirit of their cordial relationships during their tenures as members of the House of Representatives.

    The three former National Assembly lawmakers were elected governors during the last general elections in their states.

    The NGF Chairman noted that there was hope in efforts to revitalise the economy.

    “Each and every nation has its own problems, especially on the issue of the economy.

    “We were discussing with our brother here (Ugwuanyi). We came in as governors and we can say we are not lucky,  but in reality, we are lucky because we won our elections. We came in at a time when the economy is down, but we are managing.

    “You can see we have hope for Nigeria. When we have security settled and we have the economy gradually working to ensure that all the leakages are blocked, we can enhance the revenue generation to the betterment of our nation.

    “So far, I can say, it’s so good. We are making progress, more especially on the issue of security,” Yari said after Tambuwal preferred that he address reporters in his capacity as the chairman of the NGF.

    On their mission at the Government House, Enugu, he explained that it was because they had good working relationship with the Enugu governor during his days at the National Assembly and that they had come to see the Government House, wish him a successful tenure as well as see the good works he has started in the Coal City state.

  • I’m not harsh Just principled

    I’m not harsh Just principled

    Veteran actress, Sola Sobowale, is everything you see of her in the movies; active, frank, tough-talking, but emotional and caring. She spoke to VICTOR AKANDE at her Ikeja, Lagos home, upon her return to Nollywood, after about 12 years in London.

    Going by the movie characters you play, people see Sola Sobowale as a very harsh, quarrelsome, and sometimes pretentious as seen in Toyin Tomato. To what extent can you distance yourself from these characters?

    I am Sola Sobowale, not Toyin Tomato. Acting is my profession, this means I know how to interpret the characters given to me; meaning I am doing the job God ordained me to do. In another life, I would still be an actress. However, Sola Sobowale is a very humble person, strict, straight-forward, honest, and unpretentious.

    For me, what you see is what you get. Don’t tell me what I want to hear, just tell me as it is. If you are a liar, deceitful, and unserious-minded, or lack goals or focus, Sola Sobowale can’t be your friend, because I am a very serious minded person. I know what I want, and I get it in the right way. That is who Sola Sobowale is; I am a mother who doesn’t joke with her children: God first, my family next. Sola Sobowale is very simple actually; the simplest person in the whole world. I play a lot, but when it comes to anything improper, then you will see my other side. I don’t deal with darkness.

    Talking about being disciplined and straight forward, how has your relationship with people been like, knowing that, as they say, truth is bitter?

    My father was a principal; my mother too was a retired Head Mistress. As an offspring of that kind of family, you should know the goal is discipline and education. Egbe eye leyen woto (birds of a feather flock together).  I am very lucky that the people that I mingle with understand me. I don’t rush into anything because, enibakanjulabegbigbonaahon e majoni (you burn your tongue licking a hot soup hastily). So, I choose my friends, I choose people that I work for, and I have been lucky. I am a Christian and I put God first in everything I do. I know when you have Him, you will never go astray. Again, he says ‘ask and it shall be given, knock and the door will open…” I have told Him what I want, the right people to work with and glory be to God.

    They say children who come from families of Teachers and Pastors have the tendency to be rebellious. Were you at some point in your life rebellious?

    I am so grateful to my parents. They loved me with passion and I pray that in another life, they should still be my parents. They have passed on, but they were not dictators. Parents should make their children their friends; talk to your children. Growing up, we used to enjoy sessions with our parents. We called it Sunday-Sunday tablet. Oro Isiti (thought-provoking words).  We used to sit together with our parents who would preach love to us. They had never dictated to us. When I decided to go into acting, even though my mother wanted me to be a teacher, but we talked about it, and that was it.

    How truly emotional are you, because the ease with which you switch is amazing? This moment, you are talking tough, the next minute, you weeping profusely…

    I am a very soft person but onaofunlonaorun (seeking daily bread exhumes one’s desperation). When you see me shout in the movies, it’s my job. I’m a very simple person. What you see is what you get. When there is trouble, I run. I don’t want to be hypertensive. The thing is I am very emotional, and I don’t like dishonesty. Don’t lie to me, if you do, you have killed me. Don’t cheat me. If you cheat me, you kill me. Don’t take what I love from me because doing so means you have killed me. That is who I am.

    It’s good to know that you are back to the screen, starting with Nectar, your latest production. What took you away from Nigeria in the first place?

    To start with, I love Nigeria. Nigeria is the greatest country in the whole wide world. I don’t know why people don’t want to live in Nigeria. I must also say that I was doing pretty well in Nigeria before I went abroad, because all the marketers loved me and they didn’t hide that fact. I got a job of N1million within the spate of one month; sometimes I got jobs of N800, 000.

    So, I was really making money. I put my children in the best schools because education is the only legacy you can leave your children. However, I left for the UK over twenty years ago, and the reason is simple; Mo lo tunojo ale mi seni (I went to prepare for my future). I was paying close to a million Naira per term for three children here, but when I hear some graduates in Nigeria speak, their grammatical blunders saddens my heart. This is in addition to having a child spend seven years studying a four year course, courtesy of the regular strikes. So, I took them to study abroad and came home to continue my career.

    But I always kept tabs on the kids. Therefore, I don’t do mobile phones. I do landline. And that is simply because motherhood goes beyond having children. A mother must do a job that gives her time to teach family values. By doing landline, I know when my children wake up in the morning, when they go to school, and when they close at school. I call them on their landline, and they must pick it. As time went on, I realised that was not enough. So, one day, I took off to England to be with them, and watch them closely. I told myself that stardom must wait. Now the three of them have graduated. Mission accomplished, I can now get back to work and that is why I am here.

    What was your experience like, coming back to shoot Nectar?

    My children wrote Nectar when I was abroad. Within that period, I came to Nigeria to shoot Ohun Oko Somida. I also did Family on Fire by Tade Ogidan. The movies I do come out of experience.  Many Nigerians who travel abroad destroy our culture and heritage. Some don’t even speak their language with their children. Some are too busy to know if the girl or boy that left home for school actually attended classes.

    Do you check your children’s notebooks? Do you know their counselors, teachers? Do you talk to the teachers about your children? That way again, I said to myself, let’s bring family values back. And that is why right now, I am working on an NGO on family values. This should turn people’s lives around to understand what parenting is. We want our children to stop doing drugs; we want our children to stop prostitution. In Nectar, you will find some of those values in it. When you govern your home well, you will govern your office well, and then you can govern your local government to an international level. Some people are very rich, but when you see their children you will cry for them. So, this is why I am back on screen, telling people how they can do things in the right way.

    In essence, you are establishing an NGO…

    Yes!

    Do you have a name for it already?

    Not yet

    Are you trying to bring your children into the film profession?

    Before I left Nigeria, Taiye; one of my twins was acting in Everyday People. She was still in Primary School at that time. She quit on her own, saying to me; ‘mummy I am not doing again’. But when they were in the UK, and at their leisure, they took to script writing. That was how Nectar came about.

    What has changed in the Nigeria movie industry since you returned?

    A lot. We need to focus more on transformational movies. People believe solely in what they can eat now. Don’t they have piracy in America too? Even on the streets of London, there are pirates. So why is Nigeria different? Why can’t the government build a film village for filmmakers to use? That’s why I give kudos to Nigerian producers because these things are done individually. So let’s touch important places in people’s lives. I want to touch fathers, mothers, and children by the grace of God and government too. I will get there.

    How available are you for other jobs apart from your own productions, and your NGO?

    If I receive a good offer I will do it. If I get a meaningful job that people will learn from, I will do it. I am available because that’s my job, and my joy. But I will not do a meaningless job.

    Do your children place any restrictions on your acting?

    Yes! Before I do any script, they will tell me “Mummy can I have the script?” And they will read. Another thing is that my colleagues know what to give me. There was a script in which I was asked to play a Sugar Mummy and I asked how they want me to play the role, because I have my own way. But then they told me the little boy will be cuddling me. I rejected the script. So, yes, I do have restrictions.

    You acted in Asewo to re Mecca…

    (Cuts in) Yes. Very well. It was a pacesetting movie, but did you see us taking off our clothes? Even in the swimming pool scene, I had my swimsuit with a robe. I love Asewo to re Mecca. I would do it over and over again.

    I like the aspect of parenting, and the fact that you put your family first. But in all of these, you did not mention their dad…

    (Cuts in) Come let me show you something. (Moves towards the sitting area) I have heard people say Sola Sobowale does not have a husband. (Shows family photographs of herself, her husband, a tall, dark, trim, bearded man with her children) People even said I wrote Ohun Oko Somida based on my experience but it’s not true.

  • Buhari: It’s harsh to judge me by the past

    Buhari: It’s harsh to judge me by the past

    Former Head of State and presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) General Muhammadu Buhari fielded questions from the CNN International Correspondent, Christiane Amanpour, on his vision, insecurity in the Northeast, polls shift and other issues. Excerpts:

    What is your reaction to the delay in the elections by six weeks, and President Goodluck Jonathan’s promise that the military will make inroad in the area of security of the Northeast in six weeks?

    My reaction is that of disappointment because the presentation made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was that they were ready to conduct the election on the dates they fixed a year ago, and for them to be forced virtually by the military, which said that they cannot guarantee the safety of INEC staff, which made the commission to concede to the demand of additional six weeks. But, since six weeks is within the time stipulated by the constitution, we had to advise our supporters to remain calm, resolute and obey the law.

    You are a former military General, and you ruled the country briefly. Why is it that the Nigerian military today cannot take on Boko Haram and has failed to combat that terrorist organisation?

    The issue was made much clear when the National Assembly attempted to conduct a hearing after soldiers granted interviews to foreign media about being sent to the fronts without proper weapons. The National Assembly attempted to conduct a hearing by  inviting all the Service Chiefs to come and explain why weapons were not procured and sent to the soldiers under competent leadership. But, the hearing was scuttled. This shows misapplication or misappropriation of resources provided by the government. It also explains why the Nigerian military has been unable to defeat Boko Haram.

    You recently got a huge endorsement from a former ally of President Jonathan; former President Olusegun Obasanjo. How do you react to that and what will that do to your campaign?

    It will certainly bring more supporters to us and more confidence again to us and those who were sitting on the fence before now because General Obasanjo is highly respected and as far as the Nigerian nation is concern, there is no serious issue that can be discussed without people seeking for his opinion and listening to it.

    The headlines around the world are that the Nigerian presidential election is a contest between a failed president and former dictator, and you are the former dictator. Some people say that you expelled 700,000 migrants years back, thinking that it would create jobs; that you banned political meetings and free speech; that you detained thousands of people; set up secret tribunals; executed people for crimes that were not capital offences. Have you changed or are these what the Nigerian people should look forward to if you win the election?

    All those things you mentioned with a degree of accuracy were what actually happened, but they were under a military administration. When the military under my leadership came on board, we suspended those aspects of the constitution that we felt would make it difficult for us to operate under the circumstance we found ourselves. But, I think I would be judged harshly as an individual by what happened during that military administration, or to extend what happened under a military administration to a democratic system.

    Now that you say that you are a democrat, what do you think you can do to combat Boko Haram and the galloping corruption in your country?

    We know how Boko Haram started. Certainly, the Nigerian military has built a reputation for effectiveness, but it is a great embarrassment to the country that the military has not been able to secure Nigeria’s territory, losing 14 out of 774 local governments. I believe that it will not be difficult for an APC government to deal with Boko Haram because we know that the Nigerian military is competent. What we will do is to make sure the funds voted for equipment and training are properly utilized.

    On corruption, there are complains by many people in your country over massive corruption. Can you face up against that? Are you committed to rooting out corruption?

    We have to because there are serious citizens of our country who said that “unless Nigeria kills corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria.” And this was best illustrated by the hearings conducted by the National Assembly on the pension fund, power sector and petroleum industry, on which the country depends on for about 90 per cent of its external revenue. The National Assembly conducted the hearings here in Abuja and the six geo-political zones of the country. They sent their recommendation to the executive,  but it has been there collecting dust in the last 18 months.

  • ‘Microfinance banks operating under harsh environment’

    ‘Microfinance banks operating under harsh environment’

    •Monitoring normal, say CBN, NDIC

    Microfinance Banks have accused the Central Bank (CBN) and Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) of putting in place harsh conditions for their operation.

    The banks urged the regulatory bodies to be more feasible and stop treating them like commercial banks.

    Chairman, National Association of Microfinance Banks (NAMB), Kwara State branch Chief Joseph Adeyemi spoke on behalf of the banks in Ilorin, the state capital, at an end of the year party.

    Adeyemi urged government at all levels to see microfinance banks as agents assisting in solving some social problems that should primarily be government’s business.

    He said: “The government at all levels ought to assist these grassroots’ banks instead of passing more burdens on them from time to time. The general economic downward indices have affected profitability of most banks this year. But I think our greatest problem in the microfinance banking in the state is arbitrary and multiple taxation.

    “The CBN and NDIC are supposed to be our friends, but sometimes, their reports after routine examinations could be frustrating. Sometimes, the language of some of such reports could be highly provocative and discouraging. The business community ought to cooperate at a friendship level without any form of intimidation. Some of the requests and demands by these bodies cannot be met in view of our capital base.”

    But the Head, Development Finance Office, CBN Ilorin, Shiaka Omokhagbo Dirisu, said the CBN was not being harsh on the banks.

    His words: “Monitoring is part of our work to ensure the growth and stability of the financial sector. You just bear with the CBN. I want to also let you know that the CBN has great value for the MFB sector. If you look at the administrative team of the N220 billion, the International Association of MFB is there. If we do not recognise you, we will not make you a co-administrator of that fund.

    “We have every time realised that you are at the grassroots and that without you, our interventions would not move. Financial inclusion is coming; I want to tell us to prepare ourselves.”

    Also, the NDIC Management Assistant, Ilorin Zonal Office, Kamorudeen Alli, who represented the Zonal Controller at the event, Ferdinard Matthew Jego, said: “Monitoring is part of the job of NDIC and CBN. It is intended to ensure financial uprightness and stability. It is not meant to cripple the activities of the MFBs, but rather to enhance its growth.”

     

  • Harsh lesson

    Harsh lesson

    An atrocious UTME result further exposes the state of Nigerian education

    EVEN by the dubious standards of contemporary Nigerian education, the recently-announced results of the 2014 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) were abysmal. Out of 1,015,504 candidates who sat for the Paper and Pencil Test (PPT) and the Dual-Based Test (DBT) on April 12, only 47 of them scored 250 and above. This figure represents 0.0046 per cent of the total.

    Appalling as they are, the results constitute only the tip of the iceberg. Only 109, 836 candidates obtained scores of 200 and above, representing 10.82 per cent of the total. Nearly 90 per cent of those who sat for the examinations were unable to attain scores equivalent to 50 per cent of total obtainable scores.

    The implications of the 2014 UTME results are sobering in their enormity. The UTME is a so-called “gateway” examination. This means that it is taken by candidates from all socio-economic backgrounds, educational attainment and ethnic groups. It is therefore a reliable yardstick of general educational performance.

    The implication of these results is that, in spite of all the educational reforms in several states of the federation, despite the increase in the number of expensive private schools, and notwithstanding the intrinsic intelligence and determination of many Nigerian youths, very little has changed for the better.

    This terrible performance suggests that governments, non-governmental agencies and the educational institutions themselves may need to take a very hard look at their current strategies. Could it be that current pedagogical practices are too closely attuned to passing examinations, and are consequently not wide-ranging enough? Has the cancer of examination malpractice so engulfed the country’s educational system that it has comprehensively crippled candidates’ ability to perform well without it? Is there a disconnect between resource input and expected outcomes?

    A change of attitude at the leadership level is crucial to reversing this unhappy trend. In more serious countries, a performance like this would be considered nothing less than a disaster, and in addressing it, correspondingly serious measures would be taken. Unfortunately, Nigeria is a country where failure is rarely identified for what it is, to say nothing of sanctioning those who are culpable. States like Ekiti and Edo, which have courageously tried to address fundamental issues like that of teacher competence, find themselves thwarted at every turn.

    If the situation is to change, there will have to be a comprehensive reform of the nation’s educational system. Systems of financing education, especially at the primary and secondary school levels, must be clearly identified and ring-fenced. An accessible reporting system should be developed to enable all schools to be monitored closely. Measurable teacher and student performance yardsticks must be established to enable educational institutions to be objectively assessed. Promotions and increments of teachers should be tied to improvements in the reading and numerical ability of students, as well as their performance in public examinations. Where corruption, incompetence or delinquency is detected, sanctions must be prompt and severe.

    General social attitudes must change as well. As long as Nigeria continues to be a nation where wealth rather than intellectual achievement is prized, for so long will education continue to be seen as a necessary evil rather than a social good. A distracting diet of football, reality shows, music and other forms of low-brow entertainment has so suffused the consciousness of the youth that scholarship means little or nothing to them. Parents, politicians and community leaders must do more to uphold the virtues of scholarship and ensure that education regains its pride of place.

    For a nation which claims to have rejected the anti-educational outrages perpetrated by Boko Haram, it would be ironic if it is unable to live up to its precepts.