The Nation Newspaper

Tag: need

  • The change we need

    A great majority of Nigerians of commonplace roots live through each day without ever contemplating or criticizing their living conditions. They find themselves born into dehumanizing squalor or somewhat indecent circumstances and they accept such unpleasantness as their fate. Thus they exhibit no conscious effort to better their lot beyond what their immediate circumstances dictate.

    Almost as impulsively as the beasts of the wild, they seek the satisfaction of the needs of the moment, without much forethought and consideration that by sufficient endeavor, they just might improve their living conditions.

    However, a certain percentage, constituted by men and women of higher status among the nation’s working class, guided by personal ambition, consciously strive in thought and will to attain more privileged status that remains the exclusive preserve of more fortunate members of the society.

    Very few among the latter are inspired to secure for all, the advantages which they seek for themselves. This explains the number of self-centred, treacherous human rights activists, women’s rights activists, journalists and columnists parading our streets.

    Very few men are indeed capable of that kind of love that drives martyrs to persistently rebel against glaring social evils in the interest of less fortunate members of the society. But there exists a few however, that are truly bothered by the impoverishment of their fellow citizens occupying the lower rung of the societal ladder regardless of any risk or  discomfort it might attract to them personally.

    These few, driven by compassion tirelessly seek, first in thought and then in action, for some way of escape; some new system of society by which life may become richer, more joyful and devoid of avertable evils that mars the present. But surprisingly, such men oftentimes, fail to curry the support of the very victims of the injustices they wish to remedy.

    More unfortunate sections of the Nigerian population are hopelessly ignorant, apathetic from excess of toil and disillusionment, apprehensive through the imminent danger of instantaneous chastisement by the holders of power, and morally defective owing to the loss of self-respect resulting from their degradation.

    To excite among such classes any conscious, deliberate effort in pursuit of general improvement of the status quo proves basically a hopeless task, as antecedents of such efforts have proven.

    Thus despite our claims to modernity, higher education, sophistication and relative rise in the standard of comfort among wage-earners in the country, the Nigerian society or working class to be precise, have failed woefully to achieve better living conditions and a better society even in the throes of rising demand for more radical intervention and reconstruction of the social order.

    It is no surprise however that the Nigerian working class has persistently proved a dismal failure. And the reasons are hardly far-fetched: Nigerians have a problem with differentiating between appropriate and inappropriate political behavior.  That is why the nation’s democratic experiment like any other system of governance practicable by us was doomed from the start.

    What exactly has democracy offered? A 4-1-9 progressive plan that booms circumspectly like it had been doctored as part of a cold-war era propagandist scheme? But despite our self-righteousness and persistent cynicism with the current order, we really cannot explore a more worthy alternative than what we have now.

    The average Nigerian can’t bear to be led by a truly honest, visionary and accountable leadership. It’s the way we are programmed to live. I’d say we possess an overwhelming and oft-convincing inclination to self-destruct thus our lack of a coherent and defensible political ideology essential to the evolution of a progressive leadership and state.

    The average Nigerian is no more electable than the leadership he endures yet he loves to speak truth to power, even as he functions simultaneously to smother his own voice in the riotous gabble of his exultation of the same ruling class. No matter who is elected, the demographic and economic realities of Nigeria will persist, and there is a very limited range of politically-viable solutions for dealing with them.

    No man, be he a distinguished columnist, lawyer, soldier, or public officer in any office can command the tides of history. The few that appear to have done so–the Napoleon’s, Caesar’s, Hitler’s–were really nothing more than the most capable at making it appear that they command the tides, when in fact they were simply skimming along with them.

    Thus the need for the Nigerian working class to consciously evolve in thought and will in pursuit of a more balanced social order. Such conscious evolution can only be achieved by a re-orientation in scholarship and purification of thought and action.

    The foundations of scholarship and knowledge must be tirelessly reconstructed to guarantee more progressive responses to internal problems of social advance — problems of work and wages, of families and homes, of morals and the true value of life. This informs a greater need for study and thought and an appeal to the rich experience of past and current mistakes in the journey towards the avoidance and reduction to the barest minimum of future mistakes.

    The answer to Nigeria’s widening income and social gap – which has so far manifested in preventable crises and persistent state of insecurity – is to found an educational process geared to steer successfully, the commonplace trains of thought away from the dilettante and the fool stereotype.

    It’s about time poor, struggling members of the nation’s working class learned to scorn the maxim that holds that if their stomachs be full, it matters little about their brains; the paths to stable peace and security winds between honest toil and dignified manhood. That proverbial better society that we seek calls for the guidance of skilled thinkers, the loving, reverent comradeship between the low income earners and ambitious middle class emancipated by training and culture.

    Such human elements would no doubt be conscious of the fact that not even the sustenance of oil subsidy, higher wages and a fairer economic system could protect its members from the usual handicaps and monstrosity constituted by the incumbent and predatory ruling class.

    Hence they would be able to understand that such social enterprise and gesture towards change must be mooted and achieved by the working class itself in further substantiation of the working class’ capacities to assimilate the culture and common sense of modern civilization, and to pass it on, to some extent at least, to posterity.

     

    • Piece inspired by timeless works of WEB Dubois

  • Need for a rethink

    The land border ban on vehicle importation is too sudden and may be counterproductive

    As the Federal Government’s ban on the importation of vehicles through land borders took off on January 1, Nigeria is once again confronted with the consequences of a failure to properly think an important policy through.

    When the ban was first announced, its intentions were clear. Along with similar prohibitions on the importation of rice, it had a threefold aim: to curb smuggling, to route legitimate imports through local ports, and to shore up indigenous industry. These goals are all in line with the overarching economic policy of enhanced domestic participation, increased local production and improved tax receipts.

    The problem apparently lies in both the concept and implementation of the policy. The Buhari administration gave importers only 26 days’ notice before the policy took effect. There were no concessions, no provisos, and no exceptions. Given that this was a major alteration in existing policy, it cannot be said that enough preparatory time was given to people engaged in what was, after all, a legitimate business.

    The policy’s envisaged gains simply cannot justify the disruption it is causing. Thousands of vehicles have been trapped at Seme and other transit points. Many importers claim that they had conveyed vehicles into the neighbouring countries of Togo and Benin long before the ban was announced on December 5, last year, only to find them caught on the wrong side of the border. Re-shipping them to Nigerian ports in line with the new policy will increase costs which will inevitably be passed on to final buyers. Vehicle sales and services businesses in Nigeria have been adversely affected.

    Not enough consideration was given to the actual enforcement of the policy. The smuggling of vehicles has always been a criminal act, but that has not prevented thousands of vehicles from getting into the country illegally. Indeed, vehicle-smuggling has been so successfully done that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has often had to resort to the ludicrous stratagem of apprehending suspect vehicles within the country, hundreds of miles from national borders. There is no guarantee that the service will record greater success now that the profitability of smuggling vehicles in through land borders has arguably become even greater.

    Then there is the questionable capacity of Nigeria’s ports to handle the envisaged increase in vehicle imports in light of the new policy. The country’s ports have a notorious reputation for inefficiency and corruption which has defied a succession of reforms and costs about N1 trillion annually, according to a recent study.

    Duty-payment procedures and other processes at the ports are often opaque. Smooth operations are hindered by 14 different security and regulatory agencies with overlapping functions. Access roads are badly-maintained; the infamous Apapa-Oshodi Expressway comes to mind. Such difficulties are actually the main reason why the more efficient Togolese and Beninois ports are so heavily patronised by Nigerian importers in the first place.

    It would be wrong for the Federal Government to mistake stubbornness for principle and refuse to adjust a policy whose weaknesses are so plainly manifest. The vehicle land-importation ban must be re-examined with a view to minimising its weaknesses and enhancing its strengths.

    A suitable period of grace should be given to bona fide importers, during which vehicles currently in neighbouring countries will be allowed in upon payment of approved customs duties. Local ports must undergo a procedural and infrastructural overhaul in order to make them more efficient and better able to cope with increased patronage; the passing of the National Transport Commission Bill and the Nigerian Ports and Harbours Authority Bill are essential in this regard. Pressure could be taken off Lagos by increasing the capability of ports in other parts of the country.

    The sooner it is realised that a counterproductive policy cannot be a good policy, the better it will be for the Nigerian economy.

  • 15 things you need to know about TSA

    I have been worried. No, it is not about the weather. It is not about the fortunes of my team, Arsenal. It is about TSA. It is about what this acronym portends to so many brands in the country. I do not care about the name your call your brand.

    The present dispensation will affect your brand for good or bad. Do you want to know why? If the economy melts, it melts everything that is dependent on it, particularly the manufacturing and service areas. However, I digress.

    Before now, we have been living on good luck. Everybody just got lucky. Tompolo got lucky at NIMASA. Diezani got lucky with petrol-dollar. Aunty Ngozi got lucky coordinating the economy. Well, not any more. The drumbeat has changed. My mother had warned me not to depend on good luck but to work hard and earn my “pay.”

    With the advent of PMB, the concept of good luck is dead. PMB has cleaned the slate. He came to the party not with champagne and caviar, but with carrot, stick and a short acronym, TSA. Suddenly, everybody is talking at once. Some brands have even sponsored researchers to unveil the concept of TSA.

    What is TSA? Why are the banks afraid of TSA? Who is pushing it? Is it Buhari-nomics? Unfortunately, you will not get answers to these questions here. What you will get are 15 things you need to know about the Treasury Single Account or TSA. If you are not satisfied, refer to the manufacturer.

     

    Here we go:

    • TSA will promote transparency and facilitate compliance with sections 80 and 162 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
    • With TSA, all receipts due to government or its agencies will be paid into TSA resident in Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
    • Since TSA is a unified structure of government bank accounts, it enables consolidation and optimal utilisation of government’s cash resources.
    • TSA provides a consolidated view of government’s cash position always.
    • The CBN, SEC, CAC and NPA, NCC as well as FAAN and NCAA, NIMASA, NDIC, NSC, NNPC, FIRS, NCS, MMSD, DPR and other government agencies will implement TSA.
    • When linked to TSA, the accounting system will be configured to allow the agencies access to funds based on their approved budgetary provisions.
    • The implementation of TSA brings transparency, efficiently and accountability.
    • TSA is part of the public financial management reforms under pillar three of the National Strategy for Public Service Reforms towards vision 20:2020.
    • TSA addresses impediments to effective and efficient cash management.
    • TSA ends problems of fragmented banking, which affected government’s ability to undertake efficient cash planning and management as required by the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
    • Wth TSA, government can track its expenditure in a timely manner.
    • TSA makes it possible for flexible operations, contrary to past regime where officers must get to their desks before effecting transactions.
    • SA enables online real time transactions, meaning payment can be made from any point in the world.
    • TSA instills fiscal discipline and prudence as over 1,000 dormant or idle accounts will remain shut.
    • With TSA, the average monthly overdrafts with the CBN fell from the overdrawn amount of N102 billion in December 2011 to N4.461 billion credit in September 2012 with 93 MDAs out of over 400.
  • Andus Foundation is for everyone in need

    Andus Foundation is for everyone in need

    What is your motivation/inspiration towards philanthropy?

    I have been involved in philanthropy for quite a long time now, without any form of publicity. I  formed Andus Humanitarian Foundation since 10 years ago. And now that I hold a top chieftaincy title in Ikorodu as the Asiwaju Eleluku, I met with my board members and we decided that it was  time people became aware of my gestures and contributions within and outside Ikorodu community, thus bringing about the official unveiling of the foundation today.

    Every Foundation has got a particular audience or set of people they intend to reach out to, who is Andus Humanitarian Foundation meant for?

    The foundation is not targeting any particular audience; it is open to whosoever is in need and writes to us. The reason is, if we target a particular set of people, what will become of the others in need, thus limiting the length which our arms could be stretched. This goes against the values which Andus Humanitarian Foundation stands for. For example we have people out there who are not able to enrol for WAEC/GCE; such may be cut off if we target a particular audience. Thus, I stand to declare today that Andus Humanitarian Foundation is formed on a general basis, and open to whosoever is in need. Anyone who comes now will go through a process to ensure that their needs are not of a fraudulent nature.

    In the course of helping people you must have faced some forms of challenges; how have you been able to successfully overcome such challenges?

    Yes, I have encountered so many challenges in the course of helping people. At times people will call me, craving assistance to bail them out of an urgent problem; after stretching a hand, I will later find out that it was a scam and that there was never a problem that needed urgent attention. There was this faithful day, I received a call from a person claiming his wife was just delivered of a baby through operation and he needed financial assistance to offset the medical bill. I asked for his bank details and sent him N100,000, only to discover after investigating that his wife was never pregnant.

    One of the major problems of foundations in Nigeria is poor funding, leading to premature death. How do you intend to fund your foundation?

    I earlier informed you that I have been unofficially operating the foundation for over 10 years, and in that time I have never sourced for external funding; I did it personally. God has graciously blessed me financially; so I will continue to fund the foundation individually. I have even sponsored a football competition in the past, a gesture known to people here in Wuraola, Ikorodu. My philanthropic gesture has also been extended to places, such as London and the United States of America.

    In the light of the ongoing general election,  don’t you feel people will see your foundation as a strategy to be  relevant politically?

    My foundation will never be attached to anything partaining to election. The foundation was formed to help the people in need and not for electioneering purposes; as you can see, there are no posters, bill boards or flag in my house showing any allegiance to any political party.

    Sir, you are a known figure in Ikorodu, and you have your own followers and supporters. Bearing this in mind your population and followership in Ikorodu what will be your response to electoral candidates if they come soliciting your support?

    For someone with the intention of being a leader, I cannot be involved in partisan politics. If any electoral candidate comes, I will attend to him/her with equal attention.

    It is very clear that you run a busy schedule. How do you share your time with your family, business, foundation and hobbies?

    Well, when one plans and organises himself properly things will definitely work out well. I have put in place a working organisational structure, which has helped me delegate duties to capable hands (my personal advisers), thus handling my businesses and foundation. My wife even oversees one of my businesses. I am a man who cherishes his family, I spend ample time with them. Whenever we are on vacation, we spend time together in the United States of America. As for my hobby, I am a football lover and an ardent supporter of Chelsea Football Club (CFC) of England. I have been to Stamford Bridge, the home of CFC; presently I am the chairman, Chelsea supporters Club, Lagos Island chapter.

    Is your foundation meant for only people in Ikorodu?

    No, my foundation is open to everyone in need, worldwide. It is open to people within and outside Ikorodu. There is no distance or place limitations whatsoever, as far as the person’s need is genuine.

  • The change we need

    SIR: I have been following the electioneering campaigns of all the major political parties with keen interest and expectedly, they have been feeding us with promises to win our votes. In as much as no single party /candidate will come out to tell us what we do not want to hear at this critical period, there is need for Nigerians to peruse all these sugar coated talks and decipher the realistic ones from mere rhetoric. From whichever angle we look or interpret these numerous promises vis-à-vis the situation on ground in the country, one thing is very certain and, that is the need for change.

    I will want to draw the attention of Nigerians to the basic changes that we are expecting from the administration that will come on board from May 29.

    Foremost, we want a government that can guarantee the security of lives and properties of the people. We need a government that will make the environment conducive for citizens and residents to be able to move freely at all times without fear of intimidations or attacks, a government that will make the country attractive to foreign investors and tourists. We want a government that will protect the lives of our children in boarding schools as well as those on the streets.

    Secondly, we want a government that will revive the collapsed manufacturing industries. We want a government that will encourage the growth of the agricultural and other sectors of the economy to be self sustaining, a government that can make the naira to be very strong and competitive again.

    Thirdly, we want a government that will be prudent in using our resources to better the lots of Nigerians. We want a government that will make our roads to be motorable again and not the death traps we have presently. We want a government that will make our refineries to work, a government that will make our electricity to be stable.

    Fourthly, we want a government that will make education and health care services relatively cheap and affordable for all Nigerians. We want a government that will bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, a government that will make our teachers/lecturers get their rewards on earth and also cater for the welfare of our pensioners.

    Fifthly, we want a government that will tackle unemployment and give the youths hope for the future. A government that will make Nigerians proud everywhere they found themselves (that is a government that will make the Westerners/foreigners treat our people with respect and dignity).

    Sixthly, we want a government that can fight corruption and eradicate the menace from our system; where public office holders would be made accountable. We want a government that will put measures in place to ensure free and fair elections at all times, where every vote will count.

    We want a government that will put measures in place to discourage other countries from turning country to dumping ground of all worthless and inferior commodities. We want a government that will bring back discipline and order to the ways we do things in the country.

     

    •Raymond Oise-Oghaede,

    Lagos

  • Our farmers need your help

    Our farmers need your help

    I AM using this opportunity to appeal to Governor Bala Ngilari of Adamawa State to bail the farmers in my local government area out of their problems.

    These problems are many, and it is my belief that the governor is the only person that can put a stop to them.

    I am from the Demsa Local Government Area of the state. The farmers here cannot carry out their duties efficiently because of problems of finance, land, water, accommodation and equipment.

    The governor should also provide hospitals, potable water, electricity, markets and other good facilities for the people of the local government area.

    I am sure our governor will find solutions to all these problems urgently.

     

    Bala Abubakar  Sadeeq,

    Demsa,

    Adamawa State.

  • Re-The Senator Afemaai need 

    I read with disgust, the report of the campaign carried out in Etsako central local government area of Edo state by Professor Julius Ihonvbere in The Nation, October 14, page 57. The professor claimed that he is the most qualified of all the aspirants vying for Edo North Senatorial seat, to represent them at the National Assembly under the platform of All Progressive Congress, APC.

    I want to say the claim by Ihonvbere is wrong; the era of paper qualification as a yardstick for elective position is gone in Nigeria. I want to commend the current senator representing Edo North Senatorial district for his commitment and loyalty to the APC. When others won election on the platform of the then ACN and later defected to the PDP, Senator Domingo Obende remained firm and stood by Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

    With Obende’s performance as senator, and as one loved by the people, I want to disagree with the professor particularly on his claim to be more qualified to represent the zone.    What we need is an individual who can bring the dividend of democracy to the people. Professor Ihonbvere was the presidential aide on project monitoring to former President Olusegun Obasanjo; yet he was unable to influence any project from the federal government to Edo North Senatorial Zone.

    What credentials has he to showcase his professorship? He should stop the campaign of calumny against other aspirants. The current Senator has performed creditably in the 64 wards that make up Edo North with physical projects and distribution of items.

    He has moved motions at the National Assembly that has positive impact on the lives of the people. One of such is the gay law.

    I make bold to say that Senator Domingo Obende deserves a second term in office.

     

    • Afolabi Daodu,

    Akoko-Edo LG, Edo State

     

  • ‘Jonathan does not need Wike, Amaechi to win’

    ‘Jonathan does not need Wike, Amaechi to win’

    Fafaa Dan-Princewill is a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Rivers State. In this interview with MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE, he speaks on the politics of zoning, the chances of the party at the polls and other national issues.

    Why do you want to become the governor of Rivers State?

    I’ve been aspiring to govern the state for some time now. Way back, during the Babangida Administration, I contested under the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC). My reasons for contesting are still the same; not much has changed. I want good governance; we need stability in the state and the kind of leadership that will contribute its quota to national development. We have gone through the amnesty programme; there is now an urgent need for stable and mature government. I believe I have the quality, but I am still going through some consultations. I have not formally announced that I am running, but I am sure it is an open secret.

    Could you shed light on the controversy triggered by zoning?

    There is really nothing controversial about the sharing of power arrangement in Rivers State. Anyone who is familiar with the Rivers State terrain understands the dichotomy between the riverine and upland areas. We met it, we did not create it. In every political arrangement, where you want even development and want to share the privileges and advantages of political power, there must be a balance. The Rivers people arrived at what I will call a simple formula. The state is classified into two parts; the riverine and the upland areas. The arguments are becoming clearer at every election. There will always be some people who will be in the mainstream and others who will be aggrieved. But, by and large, our people have displayed some level of maturity and understanding when it comes to the dynamics of power sharing. I will give an example. In 1999, the only reason why I did not contest for the governorship was because I am from the riverine area. It was not zoned to us. The riverine people had wanted to take a shot at the contest, but since it was not zoned to their area, they could not. Though the reality conflicted with their interest, they had to accept the situation in good faith. They decided that they will take the chairmanship of the party and allowed an upland person to become governor. That was what happened. In line with this arrangement, Chief Marshal Harry became the chairman of the party and Chief Peter Odili became the governor. They were both from the same Senatorial District. So, clearly in Rivers State, zoning is not by Senatorial District; it is rotated between the upland and riverine areas. That is why you could have the chairman of the party and the governor from the same area. It has always been so and I think that is fair. No one from the riverine area contested the primaries. Ben Giderim, an Ogoni, is from the upland area. Chief Sargeant Awuse, an Ekwerre, is also from the upland. The same goes for Odili who became the governor. No riverine person contested against them.

    If the PDP ticket is given to someone from the upland area, what will be the implication for the election?

    Well, I would not predict what the electorates will do. I’ve listened to a lot of arguments, which I think translates to blackmail. I will advise all aspirants, whether upland or riverine, not to blackmail the President or the leadership of our party. If aspirants from the riverine insist on taking a shot to govern the state, I think all the Rivers people will support the idea as a just and fair thing to do. If we go against zoning, it is possible that there will be a backlash. But, as a leader of the PDP, I will not want a backlash. I want the President to win, the party wants the President to win, and even those who are blackmailing the party want the President to win.

    Nyesom Wike is one of the most formidable aspirants. Can you beat him at the primaries?

    This is not a boxing contest, where you boast that you will defeat your opponent within specific rounds. But, you are correct, Hon. Wike, Minister of State, Education, is a formidable politician. He is a PDP stalwart in the state. No one can say that he is not strong in the state. I read with amusement when he said he even mentioned them by their name – that he will defeat some people in their wards. I thought it was funny. I noticed that he avoided mentioning some names. I think it is fair that as much as he seems so formidable, he has only contested election in one local government out of the 23 local governments. I have contested state wide. There are other people in the party that are contesting now who have also contested state wide. As somebody who has been in politics in Rivers State for decades, long before he joined politics, I think it would be unfair for us to be saying who will command more support or than the other. We will all join hands and work together. I think that is the way to go.

    Since Governor Rotimi Amaechi left the PDP, it has been polarised. What are the chances of the party at the election?

    Again, I think it is very unfortunate that Governor Amaechi left the party and it was a serious mistake. Rivers State is a PDP state. The reasons for which he defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) are not shared by the populace in Rivers State. Again, I was very unhappy when I read that Hon. Wike said he was fasting that Amaechi should make the mistake of defecting. And his fasting succeeded. But, funny enough, immediately after Amaechi defected, Wike took the initiative of re-building the party. I think it is unfortunate that Amaechi defected. Nevertheless, that will not affect the fortunes of the PDP in Rivers State. Firstly, the biggest political asset is President Jonathan. It is not Wike, Amaechi or every other person. Any experienced politician knows that Rivers State is the political base of President Jonathan. He grew up there, taught there and lived there. The people know that he is a Rivers man. He also married to a Rivers State indigene; a formidable lady herself and politically very strong. Whatever you might say about the First lady, she has a powerful political presence in the state. So, don’t think it is Amaechi, Wike or any one of us that will make the President win or fail in the state. He is a good asset in the state and that is his base. When he was sworn in as President, and he went home, it was Port Harcourt that he went. He did not even go to Bayelsa State. Anyone who is basing the Rivers State electoral calculus on Amaechi, Wike or others is making a fundamental mistake. The President will do extremely well in Rivers State.

    How can we avert violence in Rivers during elections?

    That is a reason for concern. I think we can all join hands in appealing to all the contestants, all the aspirants to avoid any act, either by commission or omission that will lead to violence. I think that is already being done. Most Rivers people have agreed that we should put violence behind us. The President has said it over and over that a single life should not be lost because of his ambition. I think that message is clear in Rivers State. I hope that there will be no violence. Even Governor Amaechi, a Rivers man and our brother, is equally concerned.

    The governor claims that the President has not done anything for Rivers in the last seven years…

    I am not in the shoes of the governor. I don’t know exactly what the issues are. He said that the President has done nothing, but frankly I don’t think that is a fair assessment. Amaechi’s position is not shared by the electorate. The mere fact that we have a President who is a Rivers man is rewarding. He is a Port Harcourt boy; this on its own adds value to the state. There are many direct and intangible benefits that come from this. There are many projects; there are many developmental projects. Rivers State is the home to the oil sector. Any development of Nigeria without Rivers State will make no sense. Fairly, I think that is an exaggeration. Governor Amaechi obviously is angry and not in good terms with the President. He would say whatever he wants to say.

    What is your advice for the political class?

    What Nigeria needs is for everyone, including the politicians, to join hands to make our country greater. Our country is at war, whether we like it or not. We are a nation at war right now. The crisis that Boko Haram has plunged the country into is something that calls for concern. My advice for every politician, especially in Rivers State, is to look beyond the election. We must understand that this country is for all of us. If things turn out well, it will be for the benefit of all of us. People holding position of authorities should act in a responsible manner

  • Washing machines: All you need to know

    Washing machines: All you need to know

    Since the first story we published on this page on Washing machine titled ‘Washing machine, a must-have for every home’, we have surprisingly received many telephone text messages, emails, and phone calls from our readers asking different questions regarding washing machines.

    We were really a bit taken aback by the many reactions that the story generated. It shows that many Nigerian homes are more disposed towards washing machines. They have come to the realisation that washing machine is no longer the exclusive reserve of the rich as many had erroneously believed.

    More so, unlike in the past, when house helps were the norm of the day, procuring them is not easy and the attendant stories to some of them is far from encouraging.

    For those our readers, who have kept waiting for answers, accept our unreserved apology. Though issues requiring immediate attention kept creeping up, we, however, wanted to make sure we do not lead you astray with the wrong response, so we took more time researching and interviewing professionals in the industry for the right answers.

    The most commonly asked question is, ‘What brand of washing machine should I buy?’ In this write up, we are not going to advertise any brand but sincerely tell you what we have found out from the concerned professionals and market research.

    At the time of going to press, we found out that there are over ten brands of washing machines in the market; for example, Hot Point, Beko, Samsung, Whirlpool, Ignis, Qlink, LG, Tashio, Thermocool, A-Z, etcetera. While Hot Point, Whirlpool, Ignis are known and tried names they have no service centres here and they are not assembled here. They are quite popular in the UK, US. Buy a product that you can easily source the parts if need be; a product that if you have a challenge using it, you will be able to easily walk into their office and demand for your rights.

    There are brands in Nigeria that have service centres, go for such brands. Instead of using road side repairers, you have the opportunity of being attended to by the company’s engineers.

    In seeking for brands, again, consider the brands that offer special features. Each washing machine manufacturer has its own special features designed to improve wash quality and save money. For example, Samsung’s Ecobubble technology dissolves detergent using water and air to create bubbles that penetrate and clean clothes more efficiently.

    Go for brands that have the ‘Indicators and Ease of use’ clearly displayed on the machine. As washing machines get more complicated, it’s important to have a model that is easy to understand. It can also be handy to have a washing machine with a clear display that shows its current setting and how long is left on the current wash cycle.

    Mr. Foluso Adebayo from Ibadan, Mr. Femi Olusola, Osun State and Mrs. Irene Okafor from Enugu State, you called asking for the type of washing machine to buy.

    The type to buy depends on many factors which include money available to you, size of the family, availability of water, size of the space for the installation, among others.

    Washing machine comes in different prices. Some cost as high as one million naira and some as low as N15,000. The amount of money you want to spend on it depends on you. Now there are different sizes of the machines also and different types. An average family will need a machine with about 5-7kg drum size.

    However, a larger drum can make a lot of sense as not only can you wash more clothes in one go, but you can wash larger items such as duvets. A larger drum will be more efficient per kg of washing, requiring less water and power to wash the same amount of clothes as a machine with smaller drum.

    Washing machine uses much water, so if you are not connected to a water borehole, well, or steady source of water, do not buy the machine that the plumber will have to fix the drainage and water inlet hose directly to the water pipe. You are better off buying the manual machine where you have to be pouring in water manually.

    Any time, any day, it is better to buy a washing machine that washes, rinses and spins. After the spinning, if the weather is warm enough it takes less than an hour for the washing to dry on the line dryer. Those in Africa and other countries with warm climate do not necessarily need a washing machine with dryer as nature has provided us with enough sun and wind for drying.

    Space in the house also determines the type of washing machine to purchase. As it is not really an industrial machine you are going for, you can always create space to accommodate the machine. But still consider where you intend to install the machine before you make a choice.

    Barrister Chuks Nwangwu, Ikeja, Mr. Humphry Owpele, Bayelsa State and Mrs. Emi Ekelemu, Port Harcourt; you want to know whether to go for a top loader or front loading washing machine.

    Front loading washing machine has greater advantages than the top loading ones. Generally, the front loaders are more expensive but the higher initial cost can be recovered in just a few years through water, drying time and soap usage savings.

    When you are using a front loading machine, you save a lot of wear and tear on your laundry because the machine agitates less. The top loader agitates more, which is bad for your clothes.

    But the good news is that you can use virtually any type of laundry detergent in the top loader. Besides, top loader is the ideal machine for people with knee problem. You will need to kneel or bend to put your laundry in the front loader and kneel again to bring the wet clothes out.

    Other questions generally asked are: What quantity of laundry should I put in my washing machine? How can I get rid of residual soap suds at the end of a cycle and why do some clothing dealers suggest washing clothes inside out?.

    For the top loader, a general rule is to lay clothes loosely inside the washer until they reach the top of the agitator. For a front loader, fill it until it is full, with minimal compression of the clothes.

    When you notice soap sud residual at the end of your wash, it indicates you are using too much detergent for the clothes you are washing. Try reducing the amount of detergent.

    For the third question, you should understand that in the washer, the clothes often turn inside out during the agitation cycle. Turning clothes inside out limits abrasion on the good side of the fabric, reducing pilling and extending the life of some fabrics such as corduroy. Also, embroidery, decals, etcetera are preserved.

    The benefits of a washing machine cannot be over emphasised. Any money invested in buying one, is money invested wisely. When you buy a new one, you can use it for years without ever repairing it. It does not call for regular servicing except maybe once in a year or even once in two years.

  • When doctors need physicians

    Truth, however underdressed, will always be more magnetic than untruth, however overdressed. This truism will be put to the test in the governorship elections in Ekiti State on June 21 and Osun State on August 9. By logical extension, next year’s critical general elections will also provide an opportunity to observe whether the maxim can stand the test of time in the context of political contest across the country.

    Specifically on Ekiti, last week’s press release on the chances of the candidates in the approaching poll, issued by ANAP Foundation, was food for thought particularly because its appeal to objectivity seemed to contradict objective reality. It is worth mentioning that the body described itself as a “Non-Profit Organisation that is committed to promoting Good Governance”, with the elaboration that its formal statement on the June 2014 Ekiti election is part of its “Election Series which started in 2011.”  According to the communication, “ANAP Foundation has also been collaborating with NOI Polls Limited to help publicise and institutionalise a polling culture which helps political leaders to be aware and more conscious of the yearnings of the electorate.”

    In other words, the publicised result of the poll purportedly conducted in connection with the Ekiti election is possibly intended to encourage a front-runner mentality in the gubernatorial challenger and ex-governor of the state, Ayo Fayose, 53, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)   who held the reins of power from May 2003 to October 2006 when his four-year term was abbreviated by impeachment. ANAP claimed that 31 percent of the electorate endorsed Fayose, while 29 percent backed the incumbent governor and second-term aspirant Kayode Fayemi, 49, of the All Progressives Congress (APC).  Three percent reportedly supported Opeyemi Bamidele, 50, of the Labour Party (LP); and Kola Ajayi of Accord Party (AP) had zero. With a trivial difference of two percent supposedly separating the leading candidates, the pollster portrayed the election as a “close race.”

    Significantly, the report said that 37 percent were “yet to decide.”   With just over one month to go, it is reasonable to reckon that those allegedly undecided about who to vote for are likely to decide the outcome of the election, if the survey is of unquestionable veracity. But is it? To start with, the methodology adopted by the polling group is unclear, just as the margin of error is uncertain. What is more, there are clear curiosities in the announcement; especially the fact that the female support for Fayemi was put at 24 percent against 34 percent for Fayose, which is strikingly implausible, given the state administration’s widely acclaimed feminine-gender sensitivity due largely to the activism of the governor’s wife, Bisi.

    To take the matter further, it is illogical that Fayose who conceded that he had a negative and unattractive track record in office without concrete evidence of reformation would gain acceptance so effortlessly. This is the character who said in a recent interview, ostensibly focused on the electorate, “I am assuring them that the Fayose they were afraid of is a better Fayose. He is more mature and more responsive. If you say I’m a bad man, I say I’ve changed. I am appealing to them that I am a changed man.”  ANAP’s portrayal suspiciously suggests that the electorate has had a change of heart, and Fayose is now in the good books of Ekiti voting population simply on the weak strength of his mere claim that he has improved, which cannot reasonably match Fayemi’s demonstrably persuasive governmental performance.

    These points will suffice to illustrate the immense possibility that the ANAP survey is an enlightening instance of hallucinatory realism; it is most likely the effect of a dream-state or fantasy rather than external reality. To put it more simply, it may well be wishful thinking, with the connotation of an agenda-setting venture without actual relevance to real life except perhaps as a lesson in politically motivated falsification. The exercise brings to mind the title of Darrell Huff’s 1954 book, How to Lie with Statistics, although this is not exactly the same thing as lying with cooked-up or doctored statistics.

    However, there is an unmistakable and potentially perilous dimension to the phoney -sounding poll result; namely, that it could well be a foretaste of a predetermined electoral outcome, meaning that it might serve as a way of preparing the minds of the people for an eventuality. The fact that the report was signed by Atedo Peterside, the president and founder of ANAP Foundation, whose association with President Goodluck Jonathan is beyond conjecture makes it understandably thought-provoking. It may not be without merit to imagine that a friend of Jonathan would be a partisan of PDP and an antagonist of APC. Furthermore, apparently informed assumption about the ownership of NOI Polls reinforces the possibility of the influence of agents of the PDP-constituted central administration on the survey.

    It is instructive that, by way of response, the John Kayode Fayemi (JKF) Campaign Organisation declared, through Dimeji Daniels, “We hereby urge Ekiti people to be vigilant. We wish to state categorically that NOI Polls is nothing but an acronym for Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Polls, the real owner of the company who is Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy.” The spokesman added, “Our people would recall that the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the national level has indeed challenged Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to publicly deny her ownership of the company. Expectedly, she has kept mum on the matter. We again reiterate that challenge.”  According to him, “NOI Polls is nothing but a front organisation organising voodoo polls to achieve pre-determined ends for the PDP. Indeed, since these folk are the pollsters of the Jonathan administration, Nigerians can now understand why we are in this present mess as this same company organises monthly polls for the Presidency under the close supervision of its owner, Dr.Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.” No doubt, clarification by the accused would be in order.

    It is an eye-opener that the release of ANAP’s statistics coincided with news of APC’s magnetisation of two former PDP members of considerable political stature, particularly a former governor of the state, Segun Oni, whose U-turn is remarkable.  His term was shortened by Fayemi’s victory in 2010 after a three-and-a half-year legal challenge. The other person is a lawmaker in the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Mrs. Bunmi Oriniowo. Oni put the defining desideratum in a capsule, saying, “We must ask ourselves who is in a better position to give Ekiti a better future, the kind of future that we want.”  Certainly, it will be a mission impossible for spin doctors to redefine this clarity for the people.