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Tag: hope

  • Ogun 2015: Any hope for Ogun West?

    Ogun 2015: Any hope for Ogun West?

    It is a fact that since the inception of Ogun State in 1976, no citizen of Ogun West Senatorial District has ruled as governor.

    The series of efforts by elder statesmen such as Chief Jonathan Odebiyi, Dr. Tunji Otegbeye, Prof. Afolabi Olabimtan, Chief Wale Bajomo, Dele Arojo, all of blessed memories and men including SAJ Ibikunle, Gen. Tunji Olurin, Mr. Gboyega Isiaka and Hon. Abiodun Akinlade, have been futile due to internal and extraneous factors.

    Even the last ditch efforts by Isiaka and Olurin in the 2011 election was more of an imposed aspiration on the duo by external forces to settle political scores. That perhaps explained why the duo refused to step down for each other. Eventually nothing came out of the expedition and Ogun West once again was the biggest loser.

    But as the 2015 general elections draw nearer, it appears people in the zone have become wiser and determined to get it right for once. And that is the more reason why the recent return of a third term member of the National Assembly, Hon. Abiodun Akinlade, to PDP is timely and strategic.

    Akinlade’s return to PDP should not be viewed from a myopic or parochial point of a personal ambition, but more as an altruistic intention to bring to light the collective aspirations of a deprived people.

    Undoubtedly, the Almighty God by design might have chosen Akinlade to be the Joshua that would lead the people of Ogun West out of political Siberia to the promise land.

    A critical look at the major political parties in Ogun State today clearly shows that there is none that is devoid of internal crisis.

    In the APC, the incumbent governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, is facing battling to keep the party together. While he appears as a sure bet to fly the flag of the party next year, the best the Chief Olusegun Osoba faction can have is to negotiate or join another party.

    Even at that, the Osoba faction is not likely to look in the direction of Ogun West person to field against Amosun. By implication, APC is a no go area if Ogun West desires to produce the in 2015.

    The emerging force, Labour Party which is the amalgamation of old PPN founded by ex-governor, Gbenga Daniel and the original LP members are also not immune from internal crisis.

    Beyond the unresolved court cases that will likely affect the party’s chances in the 2015 polls, there are some governorship aspirants jostling to fly the ticket of the party.

    They include Sina Kawonishe from Ogun East, Sarafa Tunji Ishola, Boye Adeshina from Ogun Central and Gboyega Isiaka from Ogun West. For now, it is difficult to say where the pendulum will swing as OGD, the party leader is keeping his game plan close to his chest.

    But close allies of OGD are of the view that he might be rooting for an Egba person to confront Amosun who is also from Egba. If this turns out to be true, the Ogun West person will surely lose out in the LP calculation.

    In the PDP, despite pockets of internal wrangling, the party has lately benefitted from the influx of political bigwigs into its fold. Among those who have signified their intention to fly the ticket of the party include Hon. Kayode Amosun, Tony Ojesina, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, Hon. Sikiru Ogundele all from Ogun Central, Alh. Rafiu Ogunleye and Abiodun Akinlade.

    Realistically too, the party appears to be the most viable option that Ogun West can use to actualise its governorship dream. It was therefore a wise move for Akinlade and his group to return to PDP.

    Ogun West’s quest to govern the State come 2015 now looks real than imagined with Akinlade in PDP. With Akinlade’s solid political pedigree, he, no doubt, has all it takes to emerge as the PDP candidate.

    A grassroots politician imbued with uncanny wisdom and intelligence, Akinlade’s political trajectory as someone who has won his election into the National Assembly for a record three terms despite the heavy odds stacked against him clearly puts him head and shoulder above the other aspirants.

     

    •Olusegun writes in from Ota, Ogun State.

  • Nigeria @ 100: What hope for the youth?

    On January 14, this year, Nigeria attained 100 years of existence. One hundred years in which its people have lived together as one howbeit reluctantly and the federal government of Nigeria had rolled out the drums to celebrate such a ‘historical feat’. The union called ‘Nigeria’, which was unceremoniously solemnised by the British colony with their own agenda uppermost in their minds, has weathered the storm to be where it is today.

    However, 100 years down the line, could we possibly say that we are close to our destination? Have we fared better together in the last 100 years? What hope for the future generations? Why all the in-fighting? Are we celebrating only our togetherness at the expense of our peace?

    While these and many more questions beg for answers, the journey into another 100 years is clouded by uncertainty. On a yearly basis, Nigeria has continued to plummet in many sectors of the economy as predicted by expert agencies. For instance, the Financial Derivatives Company Limited (FDC), a Lagos-based financial advisory firm, stated that the unemployment rate is expected to increase further by about two per cent up from the current 23.9 per cent. According to the same report, external reserve is expected to deplete further to $40 million while recurrent expenditure is projected to increase to 72.71 per cent of total government spending.

    Thus, at the start of a new century of existence, the country is already battling with over a century of spill over challenges from the previous century and this is not in any way a good omen for the leaders of tomorrow and indeed the nation at large.

    An overview of the achievement of the country in the last century leaves much to be desired. Apart from the togetherness of a largely heterogeneous people, there is hardly any other strong indication that the marriage of the Southern and Northern protectorate in 1914 championed by Sir Lord Lugard is blissful.

    At 100 years, Nigeria is one of the world’s poorest countries, with the majority of the population living on less than $1 per day, despite the fact that Nigeria is one of the world’s biggest exporters of crude oil.

    At 100, even though we are the 9th largest producer of crude oil in the world, yet we pay heavily for its purchase and even experience scarcity of the products. At 100 years, petrol and fuel are said to be subsidised yet it is barely affordable for the average Nigerian that lives on approximately 1 dollar a day while a few opportunist at the corridors of powers are feeding fat from such subsidies. At 100 years, Nigerian youths are roaming the streets as a result of a growing unemployment. Youth restiveness is geometrically on the increase. The result of this is evident in all the crises besetting the country at the moment.

    Perhaps, the major challenge of this new century is the direction in which the leaders of tomorrow are headed. Majority of the social vices besetting the country today are perpetrated by youths. Youths who have been overly neglected by successive governments in terms of their well-being. Youths, who have been misled by the ruling class and used as veritable instruments in the achievement of selfish objectives and abandoned after the achievement of those selfish goals.

    At 100, Nigerian youths of this new century cannot be compared to youths before amalgamation and attainment of independence. Nigerian youths immediately after amalgamation were concerned with championing the cause of independence. The likes of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tafawa Balewa, Agunyi Ironsi etc devoted their lives to the creation of the Nigerian state. After the attainment of independence, they became agents of change and ensured that they put the country in the right direction of greatness.

    However, the story has changed. Successive youths after the attainment of independence have refused to lay solid foundations for youths after them as it was laid for them and this resulted in poor developmental activities and the likes in the country. This also led to the struggle for survival by successive youths and the desire to acquire wealth and become rich irrespective of the methods employed in acquiring such wealth. The result is the complete neglect of a hitherto progressive state.

    At 100, almost one in every four Nigerian youth that is willing, able and capable to work is unemployed yet it is expected that these crop of youths will spearhead a new Nigeria where justice, fairness and equity stands supreme.

    If, at 100 years, a father still cannot walk on its two feet and is still crawling, then it behooves on the children to fend for them and refuse to crawl at their old age like their father. It is high time that the youths of this present dispensation came together and put together a workable blue print that would tackle this mirage called unemployment that is currently ravaging our beloved country. Corruption in high places would not allow governmental plans concerning its citizenry to work hence people of like minds are needed to come together and work as a team to proffer solutions to the problems facing the youths and the society in general.

    We must rise to the challenge of freeing this generation and century from the ills of the society. We must borrow a leaf from those who struggled for the independence of Nigeria and fought to make Nigeria the best among its equals. Their dream must not die. We cannot sell the future of generations yet unborn for peanuts like the current crop of leaders have done for we have active consciences that pricks us and motivates us to do exploit. The time to save our country is now for a stitch in time, saves nine.

  • Hope from IPMAN

    Hope from IPMAN

    •Private concerns, rather than the Federal Government, seem to take the initiative on refineries

    Will we soon be seeing a ray of light and hope at the end of the dark tunnel of Nigeria’s grossly inefficient oil and gas sector characterised by import dependency and massive corruption? If the proposed plan by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to build two ultra-modern refineries in Bayelsa and Kogi states comes to fruition, this may well be so and there is the strong possibility of our getting out of the woods in this beleaguered sector that has become a burden on the economy.

    According to Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo, IPMAN’s National President, the proposed project is a venture with foreign investors who will inject $3 billion into the economy to achieve the objective. Of course, the benefits of increased domestic refining capacity through functional local refineries are obvious. These include availability of petroleum products to IPMAN members, reduced scarcity of petroleum products, enhanced job creation, reduction in capital flight and the attendant growth in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    This is graphically portrayed by Elder Okoronkwo when he said that “Where Nigerians are spending $60 million in exporting crude oil and bringing in refined products, the proposed refinery will reduce the cost and stress of exporting crude to bring in the refined products”.

    It is regrettable that despite the billions of Naira spent on the Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of the country’s three existing refineries, they continue to operate abysmally below installed capacity. The consequence is that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) receives 445,000 barrels of crude oil per day but refines only a fraction locally. Thus, the NNPC engages in a swap deal which involves its selling unrefined crude and importing refined petroleum products. This has provided an avenue for massive corruption to the detriment of the economy through the purported fuel subsidy attendant on importation of petroleum products.

    A probe by the House of Representatives into purported fuel subsidy payments between 2010 and 2012 revealed that the country had been defrauded to the tune of $6 billion. Fifteen fuel importers were discovered to have collected more than $300 million within the period without importing any fuel. Others dubiously collected double payments on several occasions. Similarly, about N700 million is allegedly being spent daily on illegal kerosene subsidies while kerosene is generally sold at N150 per litre across the country.

    Regrettably, the government has made no move to either issue a white paper on or implement the recommendations of the Dr Kalu Idika Kalu National Refineries Special Task Force Committee, which was set up following the 2012 fuel subsidy removal crisis. The committee had proposed an offshore refining scheme as an interim measure to bridge the gap between the current production level of NNPC and the balance refined abroad. It also recommended changes in the current ownership structure and business model of the existing refineries in order to turn them around, with the aim of privatising them within 18 months and ultimately achieving full deregulation of the oil and gas sector after necessary palliatives had been put in place.

    For some inexplicable reason, the three Green field refineries planned by the NNPC Greenfield Projects Division Group since 2005 remain unrealised while no progress has been made as regards the 18 licences issued by government for private refineries since 2002. That is why it is in the national interest that the initiatives by IPMAN and the $9 billion refinery and petrochemical complex being planned by the Dangote Group should be given every encouragement to succeed. It is also of utmost importance that the long and unjustifiably delayed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) be urgently passed into law to sanitise the oil and gas sector and encourage the much needed private investment to maximise its potentials.

  • Jobs hopes for Imo youths

    Jobs hopes for Imo youths

    Over 400 youths from Imo State gathered at the Links Hotel, Owerri, on May 17 for a workshop on entrepreneurship. The workshop was part of the activities lined up for the formal inauguration of the Chuka Odom Foundation, a non-governmental organisation established by Chief Chuka Julius Odom, former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory. ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE reports.

    The presence of several prominent personalities from Imo State, among them the erudite scholar and social communicator, Professor Anya O. Anya, who led two other scholars, Professor Placid Njoku, former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State and now President, the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science as well as Mr. Ugochukwu Omeogu, Principal Partner of Lagos-based Joseph Consulting and Marketing Limited, added colour to an event meant to give Imo youths a new sense of direction.

    Coming against the backdrop of the clamour for the teeming unemployed Nigerian youths to drop their search for white collar jobs, and be job creators, the workshop presented the participants with a guideline for developing the right attitude towards self employment.

    The workshop had a single mandate- to bridge the “skills gap,” which experts say, is principally responsible for the mass unemployment in the country and it succeeded in priming the youths to fill this gap. The former Minister, Chief Odom, who was one of the facilitators, gave a simple definition of “skills gap” to mean “the difference between skills required for a job or venture versus skills possessed by a prospective worker.” He said one of the major causes of the massive unemployment is that majority do not possess the skills needed for the jobs that are available.

    Participants located the initial problem to be some youths considering the available jobs as “menial” and far below their academic attainments. The workshop agreed that whereas young university undergraduates in the Southeast find it difficult to learn skills for trades like auto mechanics and electrical, building and construction technology, electronic and electrical installations, barbing and hair salons, farming etc, these vocations remain quite popular in the area and skills on them in great demand.

    One of the resource persons, Professor Njoku, put the matter in proper perspective when he posed some rhetorical questions before the youths: “What did you read in school? What are doing now? What would you like to do? What skills other than formal college certificate training do you have?” Professor Njoku pointed out that this mismatch of “possessed skills” and “required skills” has led to what he described as “wasting energy” among young people as a result of which there now exist pervasive social vices, human capital loss and economic losses.

    Njoku then brought in the experiences of other countries on this matter and what they did to tackle the problem. In countries like Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, India and China, he told the audience,

    the problem was tackled in three major ways: retuning the capacity of unemployed youths and under-employed adults; changing of school curricula from single academic model to dual academic model (academic and vocational models); guided enrolment in favour of the Dual Model. In Germany and Brazil, for example, the guided Dual Model was as follows: 30 per cent academic; 70 percent vocational and in Brazil 32 percent academic, 68 percent vocational.

    Njoku pointed out that the result of the dual model was that while the Academic Mode led to 4 – 8 per cent unemployment, the vocational model led to as low as 0 – 1 per cent unemployment.

    He said it may take governments in Nigeria some time to effect the necessary changes in the school curricula for these models to be in place.

    In the meantime, the problem will continue to mount. This is where organisations like the Chuka Odom Foundation come in. According to the former Minister of State, the foundation intends to approach its programme for fighting mass unemployment through two major prongs, namely, graduate up-skilling and technical and vocational apprenticeship. Here, the organisation, according to Chief Odom, “shall adopt world class competency modelling” among which are the following steps: competency mapping, skills gap analysis, skills development and competency monitoring.

    The ultimate objective of the intervention, Odom says, will be to prepare the youths for entrepreneurship and wealth creation. “We believe that entrepreneurship in itself can drive employment through innovation and creation of ventures that provide avenues for further

    employment and birth of new industries…”, Odom told the participants.

    Njoku agrees. “Skills training, entrepreneur development and management training for capacity re-tuning gives young people an alternative life sustaining career,” he told the audience. Njoku, who

    supervised the Federal Governments’ “Out-of-School Boy Child Project,” in the Southeast and Southsouth a few years ago, then put it more succinctly before the youths who listened with rapt attention: “…It’s important for each of us to map out a personal survival strategy. The most viable and respectful survival strategy is to embrace entrepreneurship,” Njoku told the youths.

    Management whizkid and motivational speaker, Ugochukwu Omeogu, himself a youth, gladdened the hearts of the participants a great deal with his presentation which, while harping on the imperatives of retuning, gave practical examples with his personal experiences.

    He gave the rather hilarious story of his having to learn American phonetics, when he newly arrived in the U.S, in order to enhance his skill for job searching. In a rather touchy account, Ugochukwu who walks on crutches, told his fellow youths that with a degree from a Nigerian University, nobody gave him any chance of getting a job in the U.S, when there were hundreds of American-trained graduates competing with him. But by the time he brushed up his skills which included improving his diction, he bagged a job with one of the biggest banking groups in the U.S, J.P Morgan. He now told his fellow youths. “There is nothing impossible for you once you are determined”.

    But, all that would not have sank into the minds of the youth if the main resource person and chairman of the occasion, Prof. Anya O. Anya had not first embarked on a brief orientation talk for the youth. The thrust of Anya’s talk was for the Imo youths to first situate the cultural context in which they seek to improve their lot.

    Anya told the youths that they are first and foremost Igbo who are known for enterprise and indeed entrepreneurship.

    He went down the memory lane to tell the youths that their parents were among the best in the country and that they should not allow the present economic and social conditions to detract them from living up to the ideals (of independence and enterprise) for which the Igbo are known.

    It was not a one-sided affair, however. The young men and women, apart from paying great attention to the speakers, participated actively especially during the question and answer session. Perhaps to the surprise of their teachers, the youths exhibited a good grasp of the issues at hand. Though some also showed the usual traces of impatience that are known among young people, the general comportment was that of a crop of young men and women who are ready to be shown the way for bettering their lives. They were both eager and anxious. Naturally, some made reservations over government’s attitude to the issue of unemployment and general social decadence.

    To this, Chief Odom advices that, “…this is no time to apportion blames or point accusing fingers. We have been doing that for a long time and nothing has changed…” It is easy to view Odom’s advice as one coming from an establishment man. But he has shown a difference. His initiative with the Chuka Odom Foundation, which focuses on eradicating unemployment among the youths in Imo state, may well be blazing a trail.

  • Hope as youths renounce violence in Plateau

    Hope as youths renounce violence in Plateau

    In what is termed a major breakthrough in Plateau State, youths are quitting violence and helping the state government as peace ambassadors, reports AMINU YUSUFU IDEGU from Jos

    After a long spell of crisis, youths, often seen as tools in the hands of mischief makers, are proving very crucial in sustaining peace in Plateau State. Some have found healthy means of livelihood. Some are helping to keep an eye on the neighbourhood to keep hoodlums at bay.  A good number have laid down their weapons are working with the government to track down illegal arms in the state.

    In all the research made on how to achieve lasting peace in the state, youths were always seen as the solution. How to thian down the army of the jobless among them is always an issue. One way to resolve that is preventing them from being tools in the hands of trouble makers.

    For this reason, government and non-governmental organisations have outlined several measures aimed at building the capacity of youths in the state. Over 1000 of them have got the state government’s tricycles, and about 5000 have been absorbed in the state’s internal security operations such as neighborhood watch.

    Recently, an NGO, Institute of Governance and Social Research (IGSR) in collaboration with Nigerian Stability and Reconciliation Program (NSRP) of the Department For International Development (DFID) organised a capacity building for 600 youths of the state. At the end of the seven-day training held at the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, Shere Hills Jos, the 600 youths denounced violence and vowed to be peace ambassadors in the state.

    The youths also said they are set to return any available arms in their possession to security agencies and will further assist security agencies in mopping up illegal weapons in  the state.

    The 600 youths drawn from Plateau Northern senatorial zone comprising of six local governments Jos North, Jos South, Jos East, Riyom and Barkin Ladi local government areas were camped at the Mountain School for seven days where they were trained.

    The training organised by the Institute of Governance and Social Research  (IGSR) with support from Department for International Development (DFID) was part of the ongoing peace building projects in Plateau aimed at restoring permanent peace in the state.

    The youths made their vow in a chorus, “We are the youths of our communities; we have been fighting and killing one another, but today we have resolved to stop the violence, forgive one another and become responsible citizens of our dear state.”

    Organiser and president, Institute of Governance and Social Research, Professor Isawa Elaigwu said, “The training which was titled, “Plateau Peace: Arresting the circle of violence,” is an aspect of peace building programme of IGSR.  So on behalf of IGSR, I welcome you to Peace Ambassadors Club. From now onward, you have been trained to resist every temptation to go violent.”

    He told the youths, “Please, ensure you resist being used by politicians or any other Nigerians, If you are still keeping arms in your house, please surrender them to the police, having renounced violence, IGSR will collect the arms and hand over to the police. By renouncing violence, it is a resolve not to die young.

    “As youths, you are the future of Plateau State. Senators, governors, presidents can come out of one of you here tomorrow, that is why we refer to you as leaders of tomorrow. I want to assure you that the programme to enhance your capacity will not end with this training, we will further make effort to provide you opportunity in the military and para-military. We are designing a programme to get you employed to make you contribute meaningfully in the peace building project.”

    Prof Elaigwu said, “The youths were lectured on topics that has to do with Leadership, purpose of peace building, importance of dialogue, team work, self-awareness, obstacles, challenges etc

    Programme Manager, Nigerian Stability and Reconciliation Program (NSRP), co-sponsor of the programme, Prof Ukoha Ukiwo said, “DFID has a programme to help in peace building in Nigeria, to minimise conflict escalation. Our expectation on these youths is to go back into the society and be agents of change; they are expected to positively influence their peers with the knowledge they acquired from the training. We hoped that plateau will regain its status as home of peace and tourism.

    Prof Ukiwo said, “Further efforts shall be made to ensure the youths are offered job opportunities as a way of empowering them”

    The special task force (STF) on Jos crisis, code named ‘operation safe haven’ who has been at the center of Jos crisis since it’s creation in 2010 confirmed that, “The youths of the state is the problem and solution of the state. The Commander of sector 3, Col. Charles Okoh who represented the STF Commander in the program said, “The youths of the state holds the peace in their hands, if they chose to make the state ungovernable, they have the power to do that. And if they chose to denounced violence for peace to reign, they have the power to do that. So government should not take the role of the society for granted, all efforts should be done to channeled the energies of the youths towards peace building and community development.

    STF commander cautioned the youths, “Don’t allow politicians, religious leaders, community leaders or whoever to mislead you into going violence. If imam or Pastor or Reverend send you to go and burn somebody house or kill someone in the name of religion, go back and read your bible or Quran before you belief him. Don’t be a fool in the hand of conflict merchants. Stop drug abuse, excesses alcohol and imbibe spirit of forgiveness”

    In his closing remarks, Prof Elaigwu said, “Your graduation from this training is a sent forth to preach peaceful co-existence in plateau state, a sent forth to spread love and unity and a sent forth to be peace ambassadors. You sent off as society transformers, go and transformed the society. You are sent forth to be the watchdogs of the society.”

  • Of hope and new beginnings

    Of hope and new beginnings

    Today is the last Friday of ending year – 2013. By this time next week, the world will be just three days into a brand new year – Welcome 2014. The culture of newness, especially at the turn of a full circle Gregorian calendar months, brings a sense of fresh hope and new beginnings that are quiet tickling to human creature. After all, there is a saying: “A Sunrise is God’s way of saying, ‘Let’s start again.’”

    In life, the best thing about year endings is the anticipation that just ahead is an opportunity to start afresh. Yet, the astounding irony is that there is always a beginning in everyday that passes. Put succinctly, the beginning is always today. There is a mystery about yesterday that has defied human comprehension and that is the fact that once gone, no one can go back and make a brand new start: But anyone can start from the moment and make a brand new ending. More confounding too is why man is always afraid of starting things afresh. He frets at failure and pays harshly for this by remaining torpid because of the fear of taking risk – and of venturing into the realm of unknown where man thinks something better might not exist.

    Nigerians must shed off the toga of fear and show resolute commitment to challenges that could make a difference in their lives in the knocking year – 2014. Individually and collectively, how prepared are we for the task of new beginnings in domestic, political, economic and corporate endeavours. Have we all learnt anything from the mistakes made in the vanishing year; that the coming year is very crucial to the nation’s future? It is the year that will give direction to where the country is tilting in all ramifications. Are Nigerians ready to continue their acquiescence to undignifying devaluation of Nigeria’s currency? At the moment, N174 is shamefully equivalent to a dollar – the universal currency. The industrial base of the country has been nearly eroded owing to unfavourable economic climate.

    The nation is gnashing its teeth over the harsh anticipatory consequences of the touted automotive policy of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. Is the policy well-thought-out? Shouldn’t the policy, if at all it would take off, be allowed to run with on-going liberal car importation policy before it gets to the regime of prohibitive car importation tariff to discourage influx of used vehicles into the country? What is going to be the effect of such ill-thought-out automotive policy on public transportation when all we have are imported vehicles? What about its untoward consequences on movement of agricultural produce from largely rural areas across the country?

    The March, 2014 dateline for new regime of high tariff implementation on foreign used cars importation would create serious backlash that may be difficult for the government to handle. The fact that next year is largely a political one, coupled with the ongoing wrangling in the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will create more problems for the Jonathan-led administration. The monopoly that will be created with the policy, if implemented as scheduled, even before a single car rolls out of the envisaged assembly plants, will create serious public umbrage that will further reduce the waning popularity of the presidency before the January, 2015 general elections. Also, in the face of our badly devalued national currency against the all-powerful dollar, how does the government, through its proposed vehicle assembly plants, intend to provide affordable cars for Nigerians?

    More importantly too, the haste with which the automotive policy is to be implemented when there is no existing vehicle assembling plant coupled with the problems of power and enabling environment shows that this administration lacks the capacity for rigorous systemic policy formulation. The nation’s hope for new beginning in this regard can still be rekindled with deep thinking and better-marshalled systemic approach that has semblance of sincerity and focus, and not one that is targeted at benefiting certain business interests rather than that of the entire country as is the case under this ill-conceived automotive policy.

    For genuine hope of a new beginning to evolve in the coming New Year, Nigerians must feel (and be) secured within Nigeria. At the moment, the threats of Boko Haram bombings, kidnappers’ antics and armed robbers’ siege on the nation have become disincentives to citizens and even foreign investors staying or planning to move into the nation.  This column’s heart bleeds over the numerous avoidable problems ravaging the country. It is pertinent at this juncture to ask: When will the bloodshed end for healing to begin? Nigeria, like other countries from the different continents, will in six days time, be in a New Year that is expected to usher in a new beginning. Hopefully, things should change for the better!

    Is the new dawn or the amazing moment of rebirth around the corner for Nigeria? Nigeria should stop the habit of perennially turning over a new leaf, and yet spoiling them. The country’s leadership should this year be prepared to make so many positive beginnings. Whatever obstacles existed in the past can become gateways to new beginnings in 2014. This column is not advocating for a brand new start but is soliciting that henceforth, there should be a new beginning that will be the harbinger of a promising new ending. The coming together of political opposition is a new beginning, but it does not end there. The opposition must realise that keeping together is progress and eventually working together in the coming general election will bring forth the long-expected success. Nigerians must be prepared to take up the challenge next year for Winston Churchill once said that the limit of frustration being witnessed by Nigerians does not mean the end or the beginning of the end but ‘…perhaps, the end of an old beginning.’  Welcome Year 2014 that is expected to spring forth heart-warming tidings that have remained alien to Nigerians, if rooted in unalloyed sincerity by the leadership.

  • Osun 2014: What hope for PDP?

    Osun 2014: What hope for PDP?

    Osun Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is embroiled in internal strife. In this piece, Olumide Lawal writes on the implications of the division for the party at the next general election.

    Events unfolding right now within the Osun Peoples Demo cratic Party (PDP) family is unsettling. The party chieftains in Osun State are not making the expected waves to give them reckoning in the race towards the 2014 governorship election in the state, where Ogbeni Rauf Aregbeshola is thundering on without batting an eyelid.

    Opinions in some informed quarters, are that Osun PDP, as it is presently, is a house divided against itself and could not be said to be prepared challenge the ruling Action Congress Nigeria (ACN) for the peoples mandate. Besides, the ACN in the state is now ready to force ‘APC ELERIN’ down their throats, to heal them of their fatigue and wake them up from deep slumber.

    Some of those who are supposed to hold the fate and fortunes of the PDP tenaciously in Osun, are busy setting personal scores, bothering over one business interest or the order. Others are just not ready to dip hands into their deep pockets and provide the financial succor, the party badly needed right now to match Aregbesola, everything for everything. Do they have other agenda up their sleeves? Why has everything gone torsy-turvy?

    It is saying the obvious, that Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is transforming and transfixing the state as it has never been done before. Fact are sacred. The governor is marching on progressively to the applause of the citizenry, inclusive of some PDP bigwigs, who have silently acknowledged his performance at one forum or the other. Aregbesola, however, despite his modest achievements, should not allow political sycophants and hypocrites to indulge him in over-singing his praise.

    Back to the Osun State PDP stalwarts. To the best of my knowledge and reading of the situation at hand, some of them are ready to “jump the ship” of their party and seek solace elsewhere. These big wigs are of the opinion, that they don’t think PDP may win the governorship election in 2014. Is this not a defeatist attitude? Why not get to the river, before deciding how to cross it. They should not be chicken-hearted or lily-livered.

    Another dangerous signal is the alleged roforofo in-fighting between a PDP governorship aspirant and another top chieftain of the party. The issue is over the business interest. Must they wash their ‘dirty’ linens in the public, at the expense of the success of their party in future elections as recently enacted? The two PDP juggernaunts, are alleged to have vowed to undo themselves and their chances of victory at any election they partake in. Is somebody in WADATA Plaza listening? We want the political war-lords to please sheath their swords, so as not to allow the fifth colummists infiltrate their ranks. Or else we wait to see who blinks first among the two gladiators.

    It is pertinent to state, that all Nigerian politicians without exemption are no longer interested in discussing issues and policies. According to a former Senator from Osun and I quote him: all that the politicians concern themselves with , is how to effortlessly make billions out of the political system and rush to invest same in developed economies of the world, with DUBAI as the new destination of choice and affluence.” I believe him.

    The former parliamentarian went further to offer words of advice for his co-travelers in Osun PDP and again I quote him; “ right now, anybody worth his name should tarry a while, as far as seeking elective offices in Osun State is concerned . What is the point, if we cannot win governorship seat at Abere to stick out our necks for other elective offices”. I beg to disagree with the former lawmaker this time around.

    There are, including himself, individuals in Osun PDP, who are long distance runners, that could win election on their own merit and sterling pedigree and deliver dividends of democracy to their constituents as they did in the past, much against what obtains presently among those presently at State and national assemblies on ACN ticket. PDP has credible people with towering image. We should not throw away the baby with the bath water. When the going is tough, the tough gets going. The “umbrella” should be strengthened.

    Where are the Osun PDP “SHEHUS” and Lions of Judah of yesteryears to salvage the situation at hand. Those who became bulls in the chinaware shop and dest6royed everything on their way while in the saddle.

    Yes, Osun is making modest progress under Gov. Aregbesola’s aggressive visionary leadership and passionate commitment. But must we ‘borrow blind” as it is being alleged, before we can fix infrastructure in Osun State and in the process, mortgage, the future of our unborn children? This is an area, where the PDP should come up with a viable & workable blueprint, instead of the unnecessary squabbles they are currently engaged in.

    The voting public should fashion out avenues to sieve the grains from the chaffs among our politicians in Osun. The state political affairs is too volatile to be left in the hands of one political party as far as elections into local government, state and national assembly’s are concerned. We cannot afford a one-party status in Osun, so as to make for viable democratic practices and accountability among public office holders.

    As presently constituted, there are no opposition members in the state and national assemblies and even among L.G Chairmen, who can look the governor straight in the face and ask questions. Timidity and winners-take-all profile has taken over an articulate State like Osun. Nobody in Osun PDP, should think he or she can rely on any force or influence, outside the will and wish of the electorate to rule Osun. Anybody with this thought should perish it.

  • Thompson’s return gives El-Kanemi hope

    Thompson’s return gives El-Kanemi hope

    The return of Thompson Ezekiel to Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) club, El-Kanemi Warriors has lifted the spirit of the club gaffer, Zachary Baraje.

    The Warriors struggled to score in their first 270 minutes of top flight football against Nasarawa United, Wikki Tourists and Enyimba this season.

    Baraje’s men had to wait till about 329 minutes of league football before Haruna Babalo got their first goal of the season. The El-Kanemi head coach has now identified the big forward as the solution to his team’s goalscoring problems this term.

    “After seven games I have recognised where our problem lies. It is early in the season to press the panic button just yet. We have a wonderful group of players but up front we have been deficient in terms of scoring goals.

    “When the transfer window opens (by Week 9) we will bring in new players. Already some of them are with us. One is Thompson Ezekiel who I’ve watched in two training sessions now and I’m convinced he is what we want. I wasn’t with the team when he played in the (Nigeria) National League but I’m impressed with his performance,” said Baraje, who joined the Warriors from Dolphins this term.

    Ezekiel agreed to join Enugu Rangers at the start of this season after his performance at the 2012 Federation Cup attracted interests from top clubs including Cameroon side, CotonSport.

  • Hope to the hopeless

    The novel ISABELLA’S TESTIMONY begins on an interesting note, in a hospital ward with a scene of a woman in pains, and about to give birth. We are let into the back and forth of conversation between the attending nurse and Isabella’s husband, Michael. The conversation is written in such an easy prose which makes it quite believable. The reader can relate to what is happening because this unfortunately is the typical attitude of some medical personnel in our environment. Medical staff, especially nurses, in this part of our world never seem to be sympathetic to women in labour pains as it is believed to be common to all mothers and should be borne by the person going through it with nobility: without any form of shouting whatsoever. This may be based on some cultural belief, that if a woman shouts and screams out during labour pains, it is a bad omen and may portend evil for the future births

    This hostile scene between nurses and patients or their relatives, plays out everyday making it seem as if some medical staff are unfeeling and unkind.

    The writer’s use of simple prose and descriptive style really helps the reader share in Isabella and Michael’s near-birth experience, as if they are the actual persons passing through the trauma. We are also intimated on the behavioural tendencies of pregnant women as regards food cravings, this is legendary the world over and cannot be explained scientifically or medically.

    The book is very informative and educative in the sense that the medical and predicament of the couple opens up an aspect of medical challenges that beset marriages thereby causing them to be so shaken even to their very roots. It test even those who have come to put their faith in God. Isabella and Michael‘s emotional state and wellbeing is indeed tried to the limits. The reader thus becomes so drawn to their plight, which in a way is the result of the complexity of personal, individual, beliefs and convictions. Isabella chose to stop taking her birth control prescription without due consultation with her husband or her doctor because she saw no reason to continue to do so. This brings about a major conflict that brings about hurtful words, negative emotions, and even though they try to get past their hurt, it festers and almost caused the marriage to fall apart irretrievably.

    A great message is passed across at this point. No part of a whole/partnership which in this case, a marriage, should embark on their personal agenda which excludes the other or goes against the belief of the other person. All decisions no matter the religious convictions, superstitions, disagreement, suspicions, must be brought out to the open and discussed properly so as to reach a compromise or otherwise.

    We are further enlightened on the possible strain that the challenges miscarriages, stillbirths, even the danger of the loss of the mother’s life, during or after childbirth. We also better appreciate a man’s way of reasoning which is logical as opposed to a woman’s emotional considerations. The conflict between Isabella and Michael helps to come to the realisation that previous disagreements were never properly thrashed out. They both harbor some measure of resentment of the other’s earlier stance and decisions. The loss of the baby seems to confirm Michael’s worst fears on whether Isabella should have been so hasty to ignore Dr Steve’s expert advice to wait longer before getting pregnant again. On her own part, Isabella wrongly believes that her husband would heap the blame of the loss on her because he never supported her decision in the first place. She therefore tortured herself until she fell into a state of depression brought about by deep resentment that Michael could have been right after all. This unfortunate turn of events is used by the author to lead us the readers into two other stories within the main story. More information on their past lives allows us into the negative possibilities that can play out if proper help medical, counseling is not applied.

    The need for counseling when a person is hurting is brought to the fore, the necessity of seeking and receiving divine help from God through people around you is also introduced.

    Dr Steve and Matron Stella’s willingness to go the extra mile to help Michael and Isabella overcome their problems affirms the principle that offering help to those around you will bring about solutions to ones own problems. Though Dr Steve and Stella had worked together in the same environment they never considered the fact that they might be suitable for one another. They set apart their own peculiar circumstances to attend to their patients. Their mature Christian background and painful experiences in their past seemed to have prepared them for the blessing ahead. They were divinely matched together by divine guidance.

    Without any doubt, the use simple language employed in the writing of this book helps to deeply convey circumstances and situation adequately. Even the use of some vernacular, truly portrays the characters that used it as they should have. We are also briefly introduced to a little of social criticism of governments and those with political power and the consequence of governance.

    The reader is taken on many journeys in the lives young persons in the average university campus, and all the intricacies that play out. From that of youthful exuberance, challenges that young persons face with or without parental guidance, the lure of fame, peer pressure and evil influences, mentoring, Christian conviction/conversion, temptations, wrong associations and such likes. We also see the grave consequences the above experiences may have on a person’s destiny.

    The book is very insightful and a solution in itself. We become aware of the futility of a life lived without Christ, the danger this portends, the vanity of focusing on ephemeral things such wanting to be accepted by everyone around you, pursuit of political power, fame without caring to consider if any strings are attached or not

    The redemptive power of salvation through Christ Jesus is the emphasis after we see the dangers and futility of doing otherwise. Isabella’s past experience enables us to better understand the fact that no life too far gone or embattled such that it cannot be redeemed. The love of God through Jesus is real and never discriminates.The overall message of the book is one of hope to all who feel hopeless, forgotten and misjudged.

     

  • No hope for an African Pope?

    No hope for an African Pope?

    SIR: I do not know whether religion is a reflection of Man’s dream to become god. But I do know that Rev. Georg Ratzinger (elder brother of Pope Benedict) is playing god in the affairs of who becomes the new Pope.

    According to him, “In Europe we have many very able people and the Africans are still not so well known and maybe do not have the experience yet”.

    Certainly Rev. Georg Ratzinger belongs to the class of men who seek to further the excessive segregation in the church. To submit that Africans are still not so well known is not only mendacious but a reflection of incurable ignorance and unforgivable spiritual criminality. Since the Bible contain stories of Africans and Africa, then who is Rev. Georg Ratzinger to say that we are still not so well known? Sincerely the Bible makes him a pathological liar. I suggest that the man should refer to his Bible for details.

    In his reasoning, African’s do not have the experience to lead the Catholic Church. I ask what; experience does Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana and Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria need again after serving the church for donkey years? Is it that our African Cardinals cannot officiate mass with theological impeccability, pray the rosary with spiritual efficacy, give communion and perform other public functions with uncommon dexterity? The man would have won my admiration if he had said that the pope is an exclusive reserve for the whites.

    However, I urge the catholic faithful of African extraction to remain strong in faith despite the attempt to make the issue of who becomes the next Pope a matter of white versus black. But let’s not forget to thank our God because God is neither white nor black. Those who know Rev. George Ratzinger should not forget to let him know that in America, his types stood against African-Americans on the basis of colour. But today, history has shown that they can’t be defeated any time. If he does not understand, he should go ask President Barack Obama.

    I call on lovers of God and humanity to resist those who seek to build the church on the pillars of black and white dichotomy. Racism has no place in the church.

    Godfrey Ehi O.

    Benin City