The Nation Newspaper

Tag: laments

  • Forum laments rise in insecurity

    Ohanaeze Ndigbo in the Southwest has lamented the increasing rate of insecurity in the country.

    A statement yesterday by the spokesman, Prince Erondu Uche, reads: “The rising cases of insecurity has gotten to the peak where our political leaders should stop playing party politics and blame game and work together to end this menace.

    “The loss of lives of innocent Nigerian is heart breaking. No country can record any meaningful progress without peace. The rate at which Nigerians die daily at home accounts for the hostility and killings of Nigerians abroad.

    “The fire brigade approach to solving security problems should be truncated. It is wrong to be repeating an action and expect a different result. The right approach is to look into the root cause of the problem, develop a pattern interrupt and find a lasting solution to it.

    This can only be achieved when those at the helm of affairs shun nepotism and appoint people who are capable of bringing Nigeria out of this problem.

    “In order to win the war against insurgency and other security challenges in Nigeria, we should employ the services of distinguished scholars, especially in the field of Political Science, Peace and Conflict Studies, Sociology, Psychology and Religion. The experiences of these professionals would solve this problem as experienced in developed countries. To win this war, both short and long term plans are required.

    “It is high time our leaders begin to exploit the abundant human resources available in Nigeria. The war against insecurity could be won when we use the right approach.”

  • Activist laments rising number of women in prisons

    Rights activist, Sylvester Uhaa, has expressed concern over the increase in the number of women prisoners in the country.

    Uhaa, the Executive Director of a prisoners’ rights advocacy group, Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE-Nigeria), noted that women’s incarceration around the world is growing at an alarming and disproportionate rate.

    In a statement, Uhaa noted that, between 2000 and 2007, the total female prison population globally increased by 53 percent, while that of men increased by only 19 per cent.

    He added: “The situation is the same in Nigeria, where female prison population is growing fast.

    “Available statistics show that the female prison population in 2000 was 709, 722 in 2005, 897 in 2010, 1,156 in 2014, and 1,564 in 2018, which represents 2.1 percent of the prison population.

    “Punitive drug laws, over dependence on incarceration, lack of use of alternatives to imprisonment, the increasing lack of economic, social and political opportunities for women are some of the driving factors behind the rising figures.

    “Our survey on women prisoners and babies residing in prison in eight states of the Federation – FCT, Benue, Nasarawa, Lagos, Plateau, Kaduna, Niger, Enugu and Rivers, show that many women are incarcerated for minor, non-violent offences such as street begging and financial crimes.

    “Many of those convicted or charged with violent offences said they committed them in self-defence or for financial reasons.

    “Most of these women have little or no education, live in poverty, and are mothers, and some are in prison with their children.

    “They usually enter into the drug trade or commit these offences out of economic necessity or because of bad influence, while some are coerced by intimate or abusive partners or family members.

    “Mass incarceration and overly punitive drug laws and policies, over dependence on imprisonment for women destroy women’s lives and that of their children and families, and thwart their economic opportunities to live meaningful lives and contribute to society.

    “It is imperative that the our criminal justice system use alternatives forms of imprisonment for women who are charged with non-violent offences, and address the social, economic, cultural, traditional practices as well as the prevalent culture of oppression, subjugation, discrimination, abuse and violence  that push many women into crime,” he said.

  • NYSC DG laments poor state of Ebonyi orientation camp

    Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Brig.-Gen. Suleiman Kazaure has described the condition of the permanent orientation camp in Afikpo, Ebonyi state as deplorable.

    The DG stated this after inspecting facilities at the camp during a visit to the 2018 Batch “A’’ corps members.

    While noting that the camp was old and in need of total overhaul, the DG urged the state government to help in renovating the camp.

    “We are appealing to the state government to look into the state of facilities in the camp as it is the responsibility of state governments to maintain NYSC orientation camps in their states”.

    “Corps members would not be posted to areas such as communities in Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa States because of the security situation in those places.”

    The NYSC State Director, Mrs. Regina Iluebbey, thanked Kazaure for the visit, noting that it was not all corps members that have the privilege of meeting the NYSC DG during their service years.

  • Bagudu’s wife laments lack of cancer equipment

    A Wife of the Kebbi State Governor, Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, has lamented the unavailability of cancer-treatment equipments in Nigeria.

    Mrs. Bagudu, who is the founder of Medicaid Cancer Foundation, lamented that of the required 300 Linear Accelerator (LINAC), the country only has four.

    She spoke in a statement as part of activities to mark the World Cancer Day on Monday.

    She said: “Historically, doctors used radiation-filled glass tubes implants to destroy cancer cells since 1898. But this was imprecise and the collateral damage was much. The modern LINAC is a laser-guided missile, producing millions of volts of energy travelling in a straight line at nearly the speed of light, to strike directly at the tumour site. It is so precise; damage to nearby bones, organs, muscles and nerves is often negligible.

    “The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that for Nigeria’s population of 170 million, we have only 300 of this machine. Only in 2009 did Nigeria acquire just four, only to find that they were mostly refurbished and most have since fallen into disrepair.

    “Another issue affecting cancer care in Nigeria is corporate slavery by industrialised nations. Equipment manufacturers have a tight syndicated control over the end users, particularly in Africa and the developing world. I have firsthand experience of this.

    “When we started the Medicaid Radio-diagnostic Centre in 2005, we acquired solely GE equipment, including the first privately-owned CT scan in Abuja. At the time, GE had only two engineers to service and maintain all their equipment in the country. In no time, both Derin and Solomon were on my frequent caller list. I’m glad GE subsequently invested in more engineers to service the exponential increase in the number of equipment they were bringing into the country.

    “But it is nowhere near sufficient. We eventually acquired a hitachi MRI, and face the same issues with poor numbers of service engineers and lengthy down times.

    “A faulty small part costing a reasonably affordable $2,000 can easily involve a three-month wait on modern machines. Such parts, along with their installation software, are unavailable at Shoprite. They have to be ordered, not by just anyone, but by appointed representative agents. To overcome such life endangering waits, UDUTH identifies parts that frequently malfunction and procure many to store. Thus, it frees itself from the ‘corporate slavery’ chains of western manufacturing firms to an extent.

    “My colleagues will agree with me that somehow, of all the nine Oncology service centres in the country, the one that functions most of the time is that of the Usman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto. As the Medicaid Cancer Foundation engaged partners with a view to set up a treatment centre, we decided to visit the Sokoto unit to find out how they got the right formula.

  • Ex-commissioner laments lack of attention in young persons

    Ex-commissioner laments lack of attention in young persons

    A former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, has decried the lack of attention in youths.

    Mrs. Semenitari, the executive director, Archdeacon Brown Education Centre (ABEC), spoke at an event to make this year’s World Book Day and International Women’s Day celebration in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital yesterday.

    She said: “More and more, we are losing the attention pad of the young generation; it is difficult for them to sustain conversation. Take a look on discussions on the social media, you will discover that they are not able to engage in, sustain a robust argument/discussions, they easily lose track and vide off the discussion topic.

    “They are easily given to abbreviations, even when the word they are writing is of few letters. These are the things that shorten their attention. They are not patient to engage meaningfully in conversations; these are the issues that shorten their attention pad.”

    She went on: “Already, books, newspapers and magazines are facing extinction and social media has worsened the situation.”

    On women, she said: “Women are asking for an equitable world, a world where they get  the chance to compete favourably and sustainably  alongside the male, instead of the present day one step forward, seven steps backward.”

    A poet, who was a guest in the event, Titi Horsefall, stressed on the need to educate women to build a virile society.

    “Science has proven that intellect, knowledge, survival instinct of a child is extracted from woman’s gene. So, if a woman sits back and does not take charge, did not develop herself, it is possible that her children will not have those genes developed in them after birth,” she said.

  • Lagos community laments perennial traffic jam, begs Ambode for exit roads

    Lagos community laments perennial traffic jam, begs Ambode for exit roads

    Residents of Soliyi community in Kosofe Local Government Area, Lagos State have appealed to the state government for two new exit roads in the area.

    In a letter to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode dated February 28, 2017, the community said the call became necessary because a 30,000-seater auditorium being built by the Deeper Life Bible Church in the community that boasts a population of more than half a million people was causing serious traffic congestion.

    The said letter was signed by eight leaders of the community, including the Baale Soliyi 1, Chief T.A. Adegbenro; the Baale Soliyi 2, High Chief S.O. Olamiju; the Chairman Soliyi 1 Community Developemnt Association (CDA), Otunba T.O. Odunlami; the Chairman Soliyi 2 CDA, Mr. E.A. Adesanya; a patron of Soliyi 1 CDA, Elder Joe Agboighale; the Chairman Elders Council of Soliyi 2 CDA, Prince Akin Adedoyin; the General Secretary, Soliyi 1 CDA, Mr. M.A. Adefabi and the General Secretary Soliyi 2 CDA, Mrs Margaret F. Ajayi.

    The letter says the 30,000-seater auditorium also contains a parking lot meant to accommodate 700 luxury buses as well as 2,500 cars whereas only one road, namely Ayodele Okeowo Street, currently leads in and out of the community.

    The consequence, according to the community leaders, is that “there is always traffic congestion within the community during morning and evening periods.

    “Presently, it takes an average of 30 minutes to go out and 45 minutes to come into the community in the morning and evening periods.”

    They fear that the situation would get worse by the time the church completes  the auditorium located at the apex of Ayodele Okeowo Street.

    “If we are going through this harrowing experience now that the church is under construction, what will be our fate when the church is opened for worship in April 2017?” they queried.

    According to the letter, residents of the community are not convicnced that the flyover bridge being constructed by the church from Diya Street to link Ayodele Okeowo Street can solve the perennial traffic jam in the area.

    The only solution, according to the community leaders, is the construction of a link road between Sab Ojewale Street, Soliyi and Mende Maryland, and  a bridge to link Aderemi Akeju Street with Yetunde Brown Street at Ifako, Gbagada.

    They recalled that following previous representations to the governor on the issue, a team of government officials visited the area last January for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation but nothing has been done since then.

    “The team was led by a director in the ministry. They were taken round. They took pictures of the proposed outlets and the construction work at the church, but nothing was heard thereafter.

    “Also, you recently directed the General Manager of Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) to look into this matter,” the community leaders recalled in their letter to the governor, adding that tension was rising among the youth in the area over the situation.

    “Even adults and elders in the community are equally aggrieved. We are now witnessing increasing relocation of tenants from the community for fear of a predictable catastrophic traffic chaos in the Community,” the community leaders added.

  • DPO laments bad road

    The Meiran Divisional Police Officer, Anthony Okonkwo, a Superintendent of Police (SP)  has said bad road networks and unavailability of serviceable vehicles are inhibiting his men from effectively discharging their duties in the area.

    Okonkwo spoke while receiving the Area M commander J.O Eribo, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).

    He said: ‘’We have been performing our duties diligently with courage in line with the lay down rules and regulation, but what has been our major problems in the course of discharging our duties are bad roads and vehicles to carryout patrol to combat crime and also to enhance our response to distress calls. We are having three patrol vehicles of which two are serviceable while one is grounded’’.

    Okonkwo called for creationa of a police post in Olata Captain Community, Meiran, saying that the distance of the community to Meiran division office is worrisome.

    He noted doing this will help reduce the incessant criminality in the community to the barest minimum.

     

  • Community laments bad road

    Residents of Akesan community in Alimosho Local Government Area have cried out to Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode on the deplorable condition of the Agric-Dosu-Ekunrin road which connects the community with the LASU–Iba highway.

    When The Nation visited the community a few days ago, a cross section of distraught residents and community leaders lamented their plight while drawing the attention of our correspondent to the parlous state of the road.

    The anguished residents pleaded with the Lagos State authorities to fix the deplorable road in order to make life meaningful for them.

    Speaking with The Nation, a community leader, Elder Samuel Ijezie said life has become nightmarish for the residents as a result of the bad road.

    He said: “It is almost a hopeless situation because travelling on this road has been hellish for residents, especially those who work in the city. Whenever it rains, motorists would park their cars and trek home or to Igando bus stop along LASU-Iba highway. And because of the terrible condition of the road, people would have to trek for about 45 minutes on the 2.6 kilometre road. Also, our vehicles are usually damaged while it has practically become impossible to access neighbouring communities like Ipaja, Ayobo, Ajasa, Command and Itele near Ota in Ogun State.”

    Expatiating further, Elder Ijezie, who is also the chairman of Toluwani Community Development Association (CDA), said that the situation has taken its toll on business activities in the community. “Commercial activities in this community have dwindled because of the deplorable road as people now detest coming here to buy things from traders or patronise artisans. Even landlords are no longer finding things easy because people are not coming to rent house here anymore.”

    It was gathered that the dilapidated condition of the road has also affected security of lives and property in the community. Said Ijezie: “In most cases when there is emergency security situation, police cannot access the scene because of the pathetic road. Also, fire service response to fire outbreaks has been zero because their vehicles are usually either trapped or damaged by craters and pot holes that litter the road.

    “Recently, a house was being robbed and when I called a senior police officer at the Igando Police Station, he quickly dispatched his men to foil the robbery operation but they couldn’t get to the scene on time, hence, the occupants of the affected house were successfully robbed.”

    Ijezie added that the immediate past governor of the state, Mr Babatunde Fashola visited the community for on-the-spot assessment and promised to fix the road to no avail. “Former governor, Babatunde Fashola came here to inspect this road and his car was trapped on the road and (he) had to be ferried out on the back of some of his aides. He then made a promise to fix the road but nothing was done till he left office about five months ago.

    “We have also complained through several letters to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and he sent some officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to assess the situation of the road. The officials came here in August. Their counterparts from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development have also inspected the road without any fruitful intervention yet.”

    Another community leader, Mr Bashiru Ayinde said: “We are really facing serious problems as a result of the dilapidated condition of Agric-Dosu-Ekunrin road. Most transporters, especially commercial tricycle operators and commercial motorcycle riders popularly called Okada have been discouraged from plying the road and (have) relocated to adjoining communities.

    “Those who work in the city find it difficult to return home in the evening because they would have to trek to their residence. We have tried our best to give the road a face-lift through communal effort; we contributed N500,000 which we spent to grade the road not too long ago but our communal effort is not enough to rebuild the road. We are therefore appealing to Lagos State government to help us repair the road, so that it can be accessible for residents; we are really begging government for urgent assistance in fixing it.”

    A trader, who simply identified himself as Nnamdi, bemoaned the lull in his business, which he said was occasioned by the bad road. He said: “The condition of the road is really unpleasant and it is seriously affecting traders here. Before, I used to get a lot of patronage for my electrical accessories business, but customers are no longer coming to my shop to buy my wares. Many of them told me that they cannot stand the sight of being trapped in the muddy water and craters on the road.”

    One of the community’s commercial motorcycle operators popularly known as Okada rider, Alamu Oyebade, said he was contemplating leaving Akesan for a neighbouring community. “It has not been easy working in this community. The road is in terrible shape and motorcycles usually have accidents on the tempestuous terrain of the road. I have spent close to N15,000 to fix my motorcycle in the last three weeks, yet, I am still repaying a loan I took to purchase the motorcycle. I am already thinking of relocating to Igando, which is no far from here.”

  • CBN laments poor enrolment for BVN

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has raised the alarm that less than half of active bank accounts in the Nigerian banking system have been enrolled in the Bank Verification Number (BVN) exercise.

    A statement from the CBN last night in Abuja expressed concerns that bank customers are not taking advantage of “the extension to complete their BVN registration and also ensure that their various bank accounts have been linked to the BVN.”

    The CBN statement noted that “the emerging statistical trend of the BVN registration exercise showed for about 52 million active bank accounts in various banks,  total  enrolment stood at about 20million, out of which about 14million accounts have been  found linked to the BVN as at September, 2015.”

    Another interesting trend the CBN said “also showed that after the initial rush between the end of June and July 2015,  there has been a steady decline in new BVN enrolment figures for August and September, 2015. The emerging scenario therefore, strongly suggests that many bank account holders have continued to show apathy instead of taking advantage of the extension period.”

    Given this development, the CBN was worried that “there is the apprehension that  the commotion and melee experienced at various banking halls in the month of June 2015 would be repeated if customers do not use the remaining one month to ensure that they complete their BVN registration, and also get their various accounts linked to the BVN.”

    Inspite of this apprehension, the CBN made it clear that there would not be further extension after October 31, 2015 deadline.

    This means that customers without the BVN-linked accounts may risk being restricted from normal operations of their accounts or free access to their bank account balances.

    The CBN said: “BVN is now a mandatory requirement for opening new bank accounts. As a result, those affected by the restrictions are customers with bank accounts which were opened prior to the commencement of the BVN scheme.”

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in collaboration with the Bankers’Committee, introduced the Bank Verification Number (BVN) on February 14, 2014.

    This initiative of the Bankers’ Committee is aimed at ensuring unique identity for all bank customers and other users of financial services in the country by the use of the customers’ biometrics as means of identification.

  • NFF laments Dream Team, Super Falcons failures

    NFF laments Dream Team, Super Falcons failures

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed disappointment at the failures of the Dream Team VI and the Super Falcons to win their respective semi-final matches at the ongoing All Africa Games (AAG) in Congo Brazzaville.

    The Dream Team VI, having started with so much promise by beating Ghana 2-0 in their first game, were expected to go all the way, and the 1-1 draw against Senegal in the final group game didn’t seem to diminish such expectations.

    But faced with the Young Stallions of Burkina Faso in the semi-final in what was expected to be a tough but winnable game for the Nigerians, the juice turned sour as they were beaten 3-1 by the Burkinabes on Tuesday.

    For the Super Falcons, it was also a perfect start to the competition, as they thrashed hosts Congo 5-1 in their opening fixture, and won 3-0 against Tanzania in the second game. They ,however, lost 1-2 to  Ivory Coast in the final group game, before losing by the same scoreline to Cameroon – a development which means the best both teams can get now is the Bronze medal.

    Reacting to both teams’ disappointment,  General Secretary of the NFF, Mohammed Sanusi, who admitted he was not happy with the outcome of the games.

    “Just like every Nigerian, I am not happy with the results of the teams,” Sanusi told a local radio station in Lagos.

    “We had a lot of confidence in the teams that they were good enough because we gave them good preparations and they went there and they were playing well but it hasn’t turned out well.

    “For the Falcons, they conceded very cheap goals during set pieces and allowed careless goals.

    “They tried to come back but the goals refused to come,” Sanusi lamented.

    The Dream Team will now play Congo in the losers’ final, while the Falcons play Ivory Coast.