The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria

  • Nigeria crush Tahiti 6-1

    Nigeria crush Tahiti 6-1

    2013 AFCON Champions Nigeria started their 2013 Confederations Cup campaign on a great note with an emphatic 6-1 victory over Tahiti yesterday at the Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto.

    A first half brace by Nnamdi Oduamadi in the 10th and 26th minutes after the 5th minute opener through an own goal by the Tahitian skipper put the Super Eagles in front. Jonathan Tehau however reduced the deficit nine minutes after the break to set the stadium on fire, before sloppy defending restored the three-goal lead for the AFCON champions in the 68th minute with an own goal by Tehau.

    Oduamadi grabbed his third on the night in the 76th minute to pave way for Echiejile’s 80th minute strike to complete the rout.

    After a sloppy beginning that saw Tahiti making the most meaningful start, Elderson Echiejile put Nigeria in front with a deflected shot off the Tahitian skipper Vallar to take a one goal lead.

    Tahiti came close to equalising with a long range effort just after the opening goal but were denied by a finger to the ball by Vincent Enyeama.

    Oduamadi made it two for Nigeria in the tenth minute after getting onto a ball from Ahmed Musa inside the area, and in the 15th minute Musa went close to making it three but too many touches on the ball by the pacey forward denied him the chance to go on the score sheet.

    The Eagles’ dominance in the game produced yet another result when Oduamadi set up Musa for a long chase to hit in a pass into the area. It met Oduamadi who had just the goal keeper to beat to record his second and Nigeria’s third on the night.

    The second half resumed with the Tahitians looking the determined side and were rewarded for their hardwork just nine minutes after the break when Jonathan rose above Efe Ambrose to head home his side’s first on the night.

    49th minute substitute Brown Ideye missed another great chance to restore the three-goal lead for the Nigerians after getting onto a pass from Ahmed Musa with just the goal keeper to beat.

    A lovely drive onto the area by Oduamadi created problems for Tahiti defender Tehau who turned in the striker’s goal-bound shot to put Nigeria in a comfortable 4-1 lead in the 68th minute.

    Oduamadi grabbed his hat-trick of the night to record Nigeria’s fifth after being set up by Brown Ideye in the 76th minute, before Echiejile got his name on the score sheet to record Nigeria’s sixth ten minutes from normal time.

    The Nigeria and Braga full-back went close to scoring again in the 86th minute but was denied by the bar to end the game at 6-1, putting the Eagles on top of group B with three points and a five-goal difference.

    Nigeria’s next match in the competition is against Uruguay on Thursday.

  • ‘Nigeria needs a land bank’

    ‘Nigeria needs a land bank’

    The scramble for land, especially in the urban areas of the country, is a do-or-die. To former President, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Chief Charles Olumide Adebiyi the solution to the problem lies the creation of a land bank. In this interview with SEYI ODEWALE he speaks on challenges facing real estate, insisting that local governments should be involved in providing shelter for the people.

     

    Do governments, at any level, haveany business in property development, especially, housing?

    What you called property is land based. And land in Nigeria and most other places, is under the jurisdiction and control of the government. To that extent, we can say that property, real estate, whether it is housing, commercial or industrial, because it requires land to be allocated and government is in full control of allocation and pricing of land, yes government has business in property and real estate. The extent to which government has business is what we may define. Now the cost and value of any product depend on the cost and value of inputs for making that product. If real estate is a product made out of land together with other factors of production such as capital, labour; all of them added together, the cost of real estate will depend on the cost of all of those factors together with the entrepreneurship that was brought about to combine them together.

    To that extent, government is an important and critical part of the business of property or real estate as you may wish to define it.

    Whoever goes into real estate business has the mind of making money…

    Yes, everybody who goes into business has to make profit otherwise, he will not survive.

    But a government that tries to be populist may not have the mind of making profit in real estate if it ventures into it?

    There are certain areas of the economy where profit is not the essential factor. Social housing for instance, may not necessarily require profit making. It is an economic activity that probably requires taxes to be applied to subsidising the production, distribution and allocation of that kind of product. And you know that the scope of real estate is very wide and it cuts across the entire spectrum of the society. From the rich to the poor, all of them must have access particularly, in terms of housing, to one form of housing or the other.

    In terms of the other aspects of real estate, it may not necessarily be one that is all encompassing across the social spectrum. But for housing, everyone must have one form of housing or the other. So, government is under obligation to ensure that, somehow, every citizen has access to some form of housing. It may not be full ownership, but some form of housing, shelter ought to be provided. There are different types of shelters that can be provided. Some people are provided with hostels; some with camps, depending on who they are, whether they are itinerant people, but some people are permanent in some urban places. There will be urban housing; there may be rural housing; there may be housing for those moving round. For instance in the United Kingdom (UK) and other places, people buy Caravans and take them to Caravan sites and plug their houses there for the time that they are going to spend there. There are holiday houses; there are all kinds of houses. Government cannot be separated from it, because it regulates nearly every aspect of property or real estate.

    But government often gets consumed with trying to provide houses that it ends up not doing anything at all?

    Government must also look at its own resources, look at the people targeted and rationalise how best to do it. Government cannot be providing subsidised housing for the rich. Government cannot be providing subsidised housing facilitation for the near-rich. Government has an obligation to facilitate some form of housing provision for the poor.

    But the so-called subsidised houses do not get to those intended?

    That is the problem you face in a system where the methods and organisation of things are in trouble. It is not only in terms of housing, there are many things we try to do in our country that are targeted at certain people in certain areas, but never get to them. From fertiliser distribution to all kinds of goodies, people often do not get them. This is because of those in-between, who cream up the profits that are involved there. That really is a political issue. If government has the will and the people are alert and aware of what is happening, then I think some control can happen. But the trouble is that many Nigerians are not aware of what is happening to them in the economy, even in politics. Their so-called leaders are the ones who decide for them and they are silent. All those who talk about Nigerians say this, Nigerians say that, are not representing the people. Most of the time, Nigerians are not saying anything, they are not even aware of what is going on.

    Is this deliberate on the part of the people?

    Now if you have the illiteracy level of nearly 50 per cent across the land, although different from region to region, you can expect that the level of awareness will also be low because knowledge is power. Without the knowledge of what is going on, like the Bible said in one of its chapters that: “My people perish for lack of knowledge.”

    It is important that people are aware of what is going on and know what their rights are. Once people are aware and can see what government is doing, that there is transparency and openness, then they will be able to contribute and tell government what they really want. Everybody must be able to analyse what people want before they provide those things for them. There must always be needs assessment before you do anything. But if people do not know what they want, if they do not know about themselves and do not understand what is going on, then a group of people will corner the decision making process. That is inevitable with a society like ours; that is why education is important; mass education is very important for people to understand what their rights are.

    There have been instances of where government appeared to be genuine by selling land to people to develop, perhaps on site and services scheme, and later took the land from them, citing frivolous excuses.

    I don’t seem to understand that.

    I will give you an instance. The Abesan scheme in Aboru, Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos people, we are told, bought the land on site and services scheme and the land was later taken from them…

    Abesan is a complicated case. I think it is a situation where Federal Government was first involved and the state government later came into it. Then there was a tussle, largely between the state and the Federal Government, and I don’t know how it was resolved.

    People don’t seem to trust government again, especially on land matters…

    I agree with you that there are many things we could do, but because of lack of trust we are not able to do them Not only in primary issues of land allocation and acquisition, but also on issues relating to developing property, bringing people together to undertake investment in property. It is possible in other places like real estate investment trust; securitisation and so on. It is possible to do many things and make supply available. It is very difficult in Nigeria because of lack of trust. There is lack of trust between the people and government; there is lack of trust among the people themselves in terms of what people say they will deliver; the ability, the willingness and truthfulness in delivery. That is a major problem and it is also one of the things we need to examine very closely.

    Is government providing an enabling environment for private sector participation?

    It depends on the government you are talking about. You know government has three tiers with different powers and jurisdictions. So, we have to examine what the Federal Government is doing, what it has been able to do and what it should really be doing. Sometimes in the past, I used to think that Federal Government was not placing sufficient importance on issues relating to land and urban development. I used to think that the government was so concerned with petroleum and somethings spinning money for it that it did not bother too much about land. You can track it and look at government budgets over the years and see what was on at the federal level. It may be like a federal thing, but it is not important for it to get fully involved in the area since power over land now vests with the states. Then we need to ask what the states are doing? Some states are doing absolutely wonderful, while some others are not just concerned. May be it also depends on pressure that is imposed on those states. Lagos State for instance, has no choice, but to place a lot of emphasis on issues relating to land and its development; allocation of resources relating to land.

    But there are some states that are not worried. May be they have low population and there is plenty of land. I always thought that the distribution of jurisdiction for the facilitation of land related matters is not balanced. I think that the local level should be more involved in doing some form of housing facilitation. Out of whatever allocation it has, I have always been of the view that local governments must have a kind of compulsion to provide a certain number of housing facilitating, either in terms of site and services or in terms of actual production of housing. No matter how small, at least, once a year.

    But some councils claimed to have been shortchanged by the states in their monthly federal allocations.

    That is one of the problems. I have always thought that if those responsible for allocating funds among the tiers of government know this they can restructure in such a way that the little given to them can be utilised. After all, there is a certain amount of distribution that is granted to the states or local governments from the petroleum equalisation fund. You can see the critical need, the critical nature of housing that we have, and we must not pretend that we don’t have it. And this is going to take a long time to solve. It is going to bring its own crisis later on, beyond the ones we are talking about. No matter how small, each of these local governments has to provide, at least, five units of housing a year. They should get into the habit, which will later become a culture of ensuring that they have local government council housing. Whether they sell or rent to those who need them is another issue. But it has to be done.

    Perhaps the pressure on land in Lagos is responsible for the preponderance of litigations. For instance, some people after buying their land and perfecting the papers are again asked to repurchase the land because a court judgment changed the ownership of the land in question…

    It is because of the historical nature of our land tenure system. Even before the land use Act came, we have already had complicated land tenure system, where even amongst us, there had always been rivalries and arguments. One cannot say that all the problems were brought about by the Land Use Act because if you recall, you would know that the nature of our settlements and the way, we were urbanised in the Southwest, had always been one characterised by disputes over land. In certain cases people claimed to have the original ownership and certain people would come and were granted the use of the land. They eventually became those claiming ownership of such land. And maybe nothing is said for a long time, and generations after generations, some people will come and because of the terrible state of the economy, start controversies on such land.

    To solve that issue, which I see as a big one, we need a land bank. I don’t know whether we can reach that point of technical capacity of setting up one. To reach that point would have meant setting up a land bank. At some point in time, whether in the past or present, of course, something was done by the Geographic Information System (GIS).

    What we would have done was to set up a land bank in which everyone, no matter who they are, will be invited to bring what they consider to be their land ownership; its history, and geography-survey and there will be an agency that will verify these claims, articulate and decide on what to do. Sometimes it may be for solving a problem between two aggrieved parties.

    What is essential is information on land to solve whatever riddles surrounding it. I think that is why states like Lagos have been doing programmes on GIS. But we need the technology because of the overwhelming nature of data that we have to capture and the capacity of the people who would do it is not there. So, it is going to take some time and most governments are not even aware of what we are talking about.

    For land to be properly managed, you need a very viable land information system. It requires a technology that is new and not widespread. Even professionals in our field and other land related professions do not have that capacity. We are still talking about how to enlarge capacity building for land information system, which will make for good management and effective allocation and distribution. Until we are able to do that, we will be nowhere because we are acting out of ignorance.

    If these things are in place, judges’ jobs will be easier because there will be a bank for all the information on land.

    Mabogunje used to talk about land registration, which in my view would have improved the economy, because the land that is registered is given a kind of certification, there is a kind of value attached to it, even if the value does not increase, but it can be ascertained and used in securing assistance or as collateral. The percentage of land that has come under the ambit of what we are talking about is very small.

  • On indivisibility of Nigeria

    While presenting the midterm report on the performance of his government on Democracy Day, May 29, 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan averred: “Nigeria is indivisible.” Since the assertion was not supported by proof, it could be taken in good faith as mere wishful thinking, especially in the light of its outright negation of the odious reality on the ground. Centrifugal forces tearing at the heart of the country are so many that they overwhelm efforts by government to contain and control them.

    The mantra of Nigeria’s indivisibility has been recited by virtually all our military heads of state and civilian presidents since the end of the Civil War in 1970. By sheer force of reiteration, it seems to assume a semblance of truth. Yet, it is at best a grand delusion with which Nigerians can live as long as crude continues to flow in the oil pipes in the Niger Delta and the booty blinds us to the truth of our collective impotence. Let oil cease flowing tomorrow and the sliver of hope and optimism with which the mantra is hung will snap and the cold reality of disunity and ethnic hatred will stare every one of its believers in the face. But then, the crust of deception will fall off and the necessity to be properly organised as a society and be productive as sane human beings will take its place.

    For Nigeria to remain as one indivisible country, the irrefragable fact that the modern nation-state is a secular construct must be recognised and inscribed boldly in its Constitution. No instrument of state, however exiguous, must be used to advance interests of any religion, which in saner societies is severely kept at bay as a private affair between every individual and their Divinity. Whatever church or mosque currently stands on the grounds of Aso Rock should be converted into some other function. Nigeria reeks of religion, but it is one of the most corrupt countries under the heavens. Neither God nor the world is deceived!

    To insist that Nigeria is not a secular state, as former President Olusegun Obasanjo does, is to acknowledge the right of Boko Haram people to demand that an Islamic state be carved out of the country as currently constituted for them, for it is a legitimate right of a people to ask to be governed under the laws established by their faith. It is morally binding on a non-secular state to honour and grant such a holy and innocuous request. Indeed, it is a sacred duty that should not require a plebiscite.

    Democracy or theocracy? Perhaps, to remove any confusion or dilemma that might be thrown up by the poser in the minds of doubters, a national referendum on the issue is helpful, if not needful. It would definitely reduce the amount of intellectual energies and human and material resources wasted in the land. It would also clear away a great cloud of obfuscation that confounds us and hobbles the development of our polity. I have a sneaky suspicion that the virulence of culture war that grips the contemporary world is a resurgence of the great unfinished struggle between democracy and theocracy that started in Europe in the wake of the Enlightenment. Let the intellectual debate and the war rage on. Some stubborn defenders of theocracy might even end up in the Devil’s Party, in spite of their avowed hatred for its relentless quest for power and shameless asseveration of pride, for freedom is a fundamental human need. Indispensable like food, it is its own justification. Conversely, some fervent fighters for democracy – Western capitalist or Eastern socialist – might ultimately get disappointed that the alluring, old dame promises more than she can actually give, and so they will turn away in disgust from a mad pursuit of beguiling but elusive liberty and seek a better balm for their wounded souls in Paradise that is not built by hungry human hands.

    Segun Adekoya

    Department of English

    Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife

  • TUC president wants political wing of labour movement in Nigeria

    TUC president wants political wing of labour movement in Nigeria

    PRESIDENT of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Peter Esele, yesterday canvassed for the establishment of a political wing of labour movement in Nigeria. He added that it would remove misconception about the labour movement in the country. Comrade Esele spoke in Ilorin, the Kwara, state capital, at a workshop organised by Daily Independent newspapers, in collaboration with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) and Trade Union Congress (TUC). He said: “There is the need for the labour movement in Nigeria to have a political wing. That is why there is a lot of misconception. In the UK for instance, the TUC in the UK is a strong member of the Labour Party in the UK. In the US, the Labour Federation America is involved in the Democratic Party. “We cannot play political role and labour simultaneously. But we can look out for any party whose policies and programmes will best protect the interest and welfare of the Nigerian workers and support it.” The TUC president, whose tenure expires this month, added that “most of the strikes in Nigeria were because the authorities did not do what they were supposed to do. “It was when I became TUC President that I started knowing that we do not keep agreement. I worked in the private sector, we are used to keeping agreements. We can negotiate for seven months. But once it is signed, nobody can go back from it. “But when I became TUC President, I realized that you can sit with government or even the highest authority, and you sign an agreement. But the following week, nothing seems to be happening. And you start asking when we were negotiating; did we cover your eyes? When things like that happen, you have a breakdown. So the option we have is to go on strike since the government is not listening.” He added that, “My challenge had to do with people want us to be trade union in the morning, in the afternoon they want us to be opposition party, and in the evening, they want us to be activists and civil rights campaigners. “There is the need to find the balance to make people to understand that we are first and foremost a trade union. My responsibility as TUC President is to defend and protect the interest of the workers who are paying dues and who primarily are those who elected me. They are those that I owe that primary responsibility to. “The secondary responsibility is to the larger family. But most times, the larger society wants them to be primary. We always look at it that if the workers are happy, the larger society is also happy, because on the average, an average Nigerian worker takes care of seven others. “I have become more knowledgeable about my country and myself. I have had the honour and privilege of leading a wonderful team, which one is proud of.”

  • Nigeria, Ghana parley on film business

    A three-day meeting between the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) of Nigeria and the Ghana Cinematograph Exhibition Board of Control (GCEBC) on film regulation alliance ended yesterday, with both countries signing a communique that is expected to guide their bilateral relationship in future business dispensation.

    After a preliminary meeting with the Ghanaian Deputy Minister of Information, Hon. Murtala Mohammed on Wednesday where the mission of the Nigerian delegate was defined, there appeared to be a common understanding on the need to strengthen the enabling laws, as a way of preventing dumping of films by one country on the other.

    The meeting arose from incidences of pornographic movies, voodoo contents and other perceived illicit themes considered detrimental to the image of the country of production. With the objectives clearly spelt out, the door was opened for the Censors Board’s Acting Director General, Madam Patricia Bala, Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs, Yunusa Abdullahi Tanko, Zonal Director, South West, Edward and senior actor, Segun Arinze, to meet with the filmmakers and marketers on the second day.

    The Press Hall of the Ministry of Information, located at Adabraka, Accra was full to capacity. The huge media presence gave credence to the import of the event that had the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), AIT, Voice of Nigeria (VON) and a life broadcast by the Ghana Television (GTV) among other local media.

    The event provided a platform for the stakeholders and other publics to air their views on the films being produced by both countries, adding up to the agenda for the agencies to deal with. And in view of the different government policies, the strengths and limitations of both regulatory agencies were considered and agreed should be complimentary as partners in progress.

    Some of the officers from the Ghanaian authorities included Mr. Ben Imoro, Assistant Director, Ministry of Information and Mr. Ken Addy, member of Ghana Cinematograph Exhibition Board of Control .

    The gathering averred that film is a powerful medium of communication and behavioral change, and that practitioners must look beyond commercial gains alone by helping also to transmit some of the African cultures that may appeal to the outside world.

    Participants decry the proliferation of contents on voodoo and sex, agreeing that issues of morality is a universal problem and both countries appeared embarrassed by the development. They are worried that, through some film messages, wrong signals and perceptions are impacted on the public. They reasoned that a situation whereby every old woman is portrayed as a witch, and every rich man is thought to have engaged in some money ritual is not only telling the young ones that they may not make riches through hard-work, but also makes everyone suspicious of the other person. Thus, filmmakers were charged on the need to to try and strike a balance in the areas of perception when producing their movies.

    Madam Bala expressed worries on how some films get to the market without going through the proper channels. the said in Nigeria, it is expected for anyone intending to distribute movies to get a license which the Board provides.

    “If a Ghanaian wants to be a distributor, they are allowed to float a company, get a license and distribute.” She said although marketers who mostly fund movie productions, may require that they inject indecent scenes in their films as a catch for the market, it is important for them not to compromise professionalism and civic responsibility. She condemn the use of indecent languages, drawing inferences from the old culture of story telling whereby parents chose their words right, and yet communicate their messages effectively. “What signals are we sending to the future generation by using vulgar languages. We should look at what is positive and emulate it and not what is negative. When you are doing your movies to send to Nigeria, be conscious of such Indecencies. You may also need to moderate the use of some of the shots,” the NFVCB boss stated.

    Mallam Tanko, emphasized the need also strike a balance Between creativity, finnancial lure and sense of responsibility. He argued that it is needless to shy away from voodoo which is a part of the reality of our existence as Africans, but that it must be presented in a creative and responsible manner. Using the Hollywood Harry Porter series as an example, Tanko said no subject is bad on its own, but much is expected from the mode of presentation.

    “Every subject is good, even juju, it is the treatment that matters. Harry Porter is juju, well packaged. Whatever is African must be seen as African. There are hunted homes in Europe, and we are afraid of expressing ourselves. Let’s not condemn our films, let’s just look at better ways of telling them. If however we are tired of juju, the market will determine how it fizzles out. It’s a passing phase.” He noted.

    But Mr. Samuel Odoi Mensah, President of Ghana Actors’ Guild is worried that voodoo films appear to be easily accepted as against films with hard liquor. He said due to the dearth of cinemas, CDs and DVDs go straight to the market and kids can just pick them up and watch. He noted that the churches have taken over the cinemas, such that censorship becomes almost impossible. He suggested that films that carry indecent contents should be banned outrightly instead of asking the producers to to expunge some scenes. He said until the board starts to bite, the people will keep doing the wrong thing.

    As expected of a town hall meeting, opinions vary from one person to another, and so some filmmakers insist that they are inspired to produce romantic movies because sex subjects sells and as producers, they desire to recoup their investment. They believe that censorship is killing creativity, and that rather than ban films, It is the duty of censorship board to advise producers to do sex films in a way that sends positive messages.

    Actor Segun Arinze appeared concerned about local children’s content. “We have lost values for our children.” He said, recalling the old television days as a child. He told the gathering that there is a conscious in South Africa in recent times whereby children are taught in the local languages.

    The issues also dwelled on the post modern world, and a contributor thought that the gathering may just be pretending to be solving the problem by hiding certain contents from children. He said it would be more dangerous if the kids get to see the contents elsewhere.

    Another participant is of the opinion that Africa is losing its identity through imported telenovelas.

    Adding his thought on the issue, Edion expressed that the municipal laws of every country must be respected. He advised that any Nigerian film that is found in Ghana without due censorship must be taken off, while the promoters are arrested. He said that the roles of the Censors Board in Nigeria is complimented by the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission which is responsible for the regulation of television contents, in terms of the percentage of local contents, the belt hour for foreign films among other mandates.

  • DHL employees rescue Nigerian student stranded in China

    MAGNANIMOUS employees of foremost courier firm, DHL Express Ltd, proved a few weeks ago that their job is not all about dispatching mails and cargo. They offered a lifeline to a distraught Nigerian student, Oluseun Faleye, in far away Peoples Republic of China.

    Oluseun, a final year student of Electronics and Telecommunications at the Shenyang Aerospace University (SAU), China, was staying in the Asian country on borrowed times following his inability to defray school fees until the gesture saved his drowning educational dream.

    The story of the embattled student was first published in The Nation on Sunday, April 7 in the Deputy Chairman, Editorial Board, Mr. Tunji Adegboyega’s column, wherein he urged members of the public to lend a helping hand to save Oluseun’s drowning educational dream. He was due to graduate in July but could not defray the tuition fees for lack of fund.

    Adegboyega, had captured Oluseun’s plight under the headline “The Faleye metaphor” thus: “…when Oluseun Samuel Faleye received his letter of admission into Shenyang Aerospace University (SAU) in China in September, 2011, to study electronics and telecommunications engineering, in furtherance of his course at the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, his joy and that of his parents knew no bounds. Faleye had in 2011 concluded his diploma programme at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, which on March 30 of the same year signed a memorandum of understanding with SAU for the purpose of admitting the college’s products for a two-year degree programme.

    “His father, Chief S.A. Faleye, had in a letter of consent to the consular-general in the Chinese Embassy in Lagos, undertaken to take full responsibility for the payment of his school fees and any other financial involvement, before things started going awry. Any parent would not have thought twice before consenting to such a project. Prior to the signing of the MOU with the Chinese university, products of the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology used to secure employment with the airlines or other aviation agencies with their diploma certificates. Faleye had hoped to get a job after the Zaria training.

    “However, a new policy which made it mandatory for those of them from the Zaria college seeking employment in the aviation agencies to have first degree came into being at about the time Faleye was leaving the college. This apparently informed the college’s decision to sign the MOU with the Chinese university so that the diploma holders would be able to go there for their first degree programme.

    “Faleye and his colleagues were thus in a quagmire, as none of those agencies employed the Zaria college’s diploma holder after that policy took off; at least initially. It was after he had stayed at home for about a year doing nothing that his parents decided to fulfill all righteousness: if what would get him employment was obtaining the first degree in the Chinese university with which the college had signed an MOU, so be it. So, they pulled resources together to ensure that their investment on their son in the aviation college would not be in vain.

    “Unfortunately for him, it was after he had left for China that some of the aviation agencies changed their mind and recruited some of his colleagues. Unfortunately too, for him, things did not go as planned as they sometimes don’t. The projection of raising the about N4 million needed for the school fees soon got derailed… his father, in his 70s, had to sell some of his property to ensure he completes his studies. His programme, which commenced in 2011, is supposed to end in July. But Faleye, the last child of his parents, is in a quagmire: he is not sure of concluding the programme due to the financial challenges he is currently facing. About N1 million is standing between him and the conclusion of his programme. If help does not come, all the investments in China since 2011 when he secured admission into the college would go down the drain.

    “When he realised the precarious situation in which he is, he managed to secure a teaching job in China. But that country is a no-nonsense country, they quickly stopped him because, as they said, the job is for their citizens. As things stand, Faleye is willing and ready to enter into agreement with any individual, corporate organisation or institution that is ready to offer assistance, on how the money would be repaid. “

    Soon, after the piece was published, some Nigerians, including one Prof. Adeleke Ojo of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, offered Oluseun the sum of N100, 000 while Adetumbi Omoniyi and one Asimi also gave him N2000 and N1000 respectively. However, the total sum was a far cry from the amount needed to bail Oluseun out of his fix. This prompted Adegboyega to once again run the story on April 17. The story caught the eyes of the DHL benevolent employees who investigated the veracity of his story and found it to be true. Hence, the employees of the courier firm pooled a whopping N1.5 million together and forwarded same to Oluseun’s school so he could complete his degree programme.

    Explaining the motive behind the gesture during a chat with our correspondent, the Chairperson of the Employees’ Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, Mrs. Funmi Glover, said: ”Over 15 years ago, we started a fund called United Nations International Children Education Fund(UNICEF) with one per cent of all employees monthly salary to assist in the execution of some projects undertaken by the international organisation. The projects were not forthcoming and that was the reason why we changed the name to Employees CRS Project in 2012 and Oluseun is the first individual beneficiary of the scheme.”

    Expatiating further, Mrs. Glover, who doubles as the Human Resources Manager of the company, said: “It was one of our members called Festus Oluwatuyi, who actually read the article in The Nation and brought it to our attention. We presented his case in our meetings and carried out a lot of fact-checking including his background, the story and other necessary checks. We painstakingly debated his situation in order to determine whether he actually deserved our help because we are also accountable to all the employees, who are contributors to the fund.

    “We got in touch with his former school in Nigeria, which confirmed that he is one of their former students and that it had a relationship with the Chinese university. We also spoke with Oluseun on skype and phone before we finally agreed to assist him

    “The total amount forwarded to him was about N1.2 million, including his return ticket to Nigeria when he finishes his studies. While we cannot guarantee him employment in our company, we shall use our goodwill to solicit employment for him in the aviation sector.”

    Responding, Oluseun’s father, Chief Samson Faleye, thanked DHL employees for their kind gesture, adding that but for their timely intervention; his son would have been deported.

    “I cannot thank DHL Express employees enough for offering my son a lifeline to complete his studies in China. I had taught that I would be able to raise enough money to see him through school but my hopes were dashed and I could not raise enough money to carry out the responsibility despite selling a two-acre plot of land in Ogun State for the purpose of paying his school fees when his admission came through.

     

  • Nigeria and the rise of impunity

    SIR: Recently, I received a report from Legal Defence and Assistance Project, LEDAP, an organisation committed to monitoring and documenting unlawful killings in Nigeria. The report says that between 2010 and 2011, six people were unlawfully killed every day and most of them were under 35 years of age. This is horrifying!

     In 2010 alone, a total of 371 incidents resulting in 1,536 deaths were recorded with a breakdown of 379 extra-judicial executions and 1,157 summary killings.  The report says that 106 cases were investigated and that only four prosecuted to conclusion, a situation that shows an impunity level of 96 per cent. 2011 is even worse but let us leave it for another day.

     As a people, I think we should be seriously worried about this damning verdict from LEDAP’s investigation. Extra-judicial executions and summary killings of this scale should trouble us because it says a lot about us and the value we place on life.

    The truth is that Impunity in Nigeria 2010 and 2011 is a depressing chapter in the life of our nation. Last year, four undergraduate students of University of Port Harcourt were murdered under circumstances that smacks of first grade impunity. What is happening today with human rights issues in Nigeria is therefore terrifying and condemnable. No nation can afford to watch while her people are decimated in such a large number and I think there is need for a collective action.

    Regrettably, these extra-judicial executions and summary killings are resonating outside our shores and the signs are disturbing. This is what 2012 Annual State of the World Human Rights Report of Amnesty International says about Nigeria: “Police operations (in Nigeria) remained characterised by human rights violations. Hundreds of people were unlawfully killed, often before or during arrests on the street. Others were tortured to death in police detention……Many people disappeared from police custody. Few police officers were held accountable, leaving relatives of those killed or disappeared without justice. Police increasingly wore plain clothes or uniforms without identification, making it much harder for people to complain about individual officers”.   For too long, the debate on the value of the life of an average Nigerian has raged without any definitive verdict. Often, we return to this long issue anytime there is a global event that draws our attention to how citizens of other countries are treated by their law enforcement agencies.  It is appalling at this age and time that our nation still records avoidable and needless deaths. But the truth is that many of our country men and women are unaware of this monumental impunity which is an ill-wind.

    On May 16, the federal government flagged off “Stop Impunity Nigeria Campaign”, but many people are of the opinion that government is the biggest threat to the war against impunity.  For instance, there are all kinds of abuses evident around government circles and its agencies, the most recent being the abuse of constitutional role by the police as exemplified by developments in Rivers State.

    As a people, we can save our country from this drift and reverse this ugly trend. LEDAP’s report has already set the agenda. And it has also tasked the federal government, police authorities, the National Assembly, state governments, the National Human Rights Commission, the National Committee Against Torture, civil society organisations and the international community on what needs to be done. This is our chance and I think it is proper to take it.

    •  Dakuku Peterside

     Member, House of Representatives

    National Assembly, Abuja

  • Jonathan mourns Fatai Rolling Dollar

    President Goodluck Jonathan has  joined other Nigerians and music lovers worldwide  to mourn the accomplished and multi-talented musician, Pa Fatai Olayiwola Olagunju, popularly known as   Fatai Rolling Dollar, who passed away on Wednesday.

    Jonathan, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati expressed grief over the death of the illustrious entertainer, master singer, guitarist and exponent of the native thumb piano who continued to perform and exhibit his unqualified love for the music profession at an age when most of his contemporaries had long retired.

    It states: “The President believes that the late Fatai Rolling Dollar who enthralled his teeming followers throughout his career of over 64 years will, even in death, remain an enduring influence on African music and that the vacuum his death has created in the Nigerian entertainment industry will be hard to fill.”

    “He extends heartfelt condolences to the late musician’s family and prays that God Almighty grant his soul eternal rest.” The statement added

  • Nigeria yet to recover from June 12, says Oyegun

    Nigeria yet to recover from June 12, says Oyegun

    Third Republic Governor of Edo State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief John Odigi-Oyegun believes that Nigeria is yet to recover from the missed opportunities offered by June 12. He spoke with AUGUSTINE AWVODE.

     

    As one of the major actors during the June 12 saga, what do you consider as its significance to the country?

    I think it is a political watershed for this nation in its struggle for true democracy. As a matter of fact, without June 12, we will not be where we are today. And if it had been revalidated, and the winner of that election, the late Chief M K O Abiola allowed to take over the rein of power, we would have been better than where we are today in terms of democratic practice. It sounds like a contradiction but it is not.

    June 12 was the freest, fairest election at the presidential level just as ours was the freest and fairest at the gubernatorial level in terms of transparency. But, June 12 did not happen. If it had happened, we would have been much better in our efforts at entrenching democracy. But because it did not happen, and because the winner was not sworn-in, the democratic ethos that had started, which was a detribalized, non-religious politics that produced Abiola changed dramatically to the Ajasco kind of politics that we have today. Nigeria has not recovered from June 12. But the only benefit is that it made us realise, I mean those of us who truly believe in democracy and found ourselves in National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), that unless we get rid of the military from Nigeria politics, we will never truly be on the road to entrenching democracy in this nation. So, while we lost the battle to revalidate Abiola’s mandate, we won the battle to get rid of the military from Nigerian politics. However, we did not get rid of the evil that followed their martial reign and we are yet, as we speak, to get rid of that evil left behind by their martial reign in Nigerian politics. But fortunately, the forces for change are today, stronger that ever.

    Curiously, the forces of change did not step forward to claim the treasure at the exit of the military. Why?

    Forces for change in post Abacha regime were very weak. So, those who took over power were those who had organized One-Million-Man-March then; those who made money from trying to hunt pro-democracy people in NADECO down. They were those who emerged to rule over us. Little wonder we are where we are today. But I must say that we are fortunate again. The progressive forces are now strong enough to begin the processes of meaningfully coming together to salvage the nation and get us back to the path of democracy, true progress and attaining our manifest destiny as the world’s largest, most resources endowed black nation on earth.

    The champions of June 12 are yet to be properly recognised by successive administrations in post the military era. How do you feel about this?

    Personally, I feel much fulfilled because even though we did not attain immediate victory, but what we stood for has continued to be in the front burner of national discourse. I am a student of History, and I know that it is very rare that those who start a revolution get compensated by it. Usually, before the revolution matures, they get consumed by it. Fortunately for us, we have not been consumed by it, we are still alive and here even though we have been heart broken by what have been happening in the last 14 years. But thank God, the light is beginning to shine, and we can see the end of the tunnel. If that is the only fulfillment and compensation that we get, that is good enough. What we stood for did not die or has become irrelevant; rather it is daily assuming the real truth in our polity.

    June 12, like you pointed out, remains a watershed in terms of free and fair election….

    (Cut in) In the course of the history of this nation; not just in terms of free and fair election. We were on a golden path, but after June 12, most unfortunately, it was diverted into a dark alley, and this is where we are still in anyway. It is a watershed in many ways in that it marked the beginning of the exit of the military from Nigerian politics even though it is important from the point of view of a free and fair election. What is important about June 12, is the fact that it brought about change in the Nigerian polity.

    If we use it as a yardstick for free and fair election, do you see Nigeria getting it right very soon?

    Ah, no. Not very soon, but may be some day. There can’t be any election like that. Apart from being free and fair, ordinary Nigerians were able to over come religious sentiment because we had a Moslem-Moslem ticket. Ordinary Nigerians were able to over come ethnic and tribal sentiments because Abiola won in Kano where the opposition candidate came from. In fact, when you think of what happened then, a lot of people will come to tears because it was a golden period in Nigerian history. But the powers that be then just took it and threw it away for no just cause. If Nigeria had followed that path, we would have been a different country today; totally different. Today, tribalism is at the fore-front; today, religious sentiment is at the forefront, so much so that we have even started killing ourselves in the name of religion. Today corruption is consuming all of us, today insecurity is almost threatening to destroy the nation. So it was a watershed of many dimensions. I hope that historians will one day be able to record and report the significance of June 12 and what it has do to this country. I also pray that sometime in the future, we will get as mature again, as the Nigerians who participated in the June 12 election.

    There is the argument that the symbol of June 12, the late MKO Abiola has not been properly honoured. What is your opinion?

    I think a lot of streets and institutions, though not of much note have been name after Abiola. One fitting case was that of UNILAG but it was revoked because its approach was wrong and it generated controversy. May be the University of Abuja can be named after him, that will be a capping glory. But my deep reservation and deep anger which I still nurse is the case of Kudirat Abiola, the late wife of the winner. She was just shut out, as it were, from all discussions about June 12. But frankly, if I am given a choice today as to who should be immortalized, it would be Kudirat. The reasons are very clear. She stood for something noble; she stood for the best in womanhood; she stood for the best in loyalty, and took the mantle of her husband and was ready to die for it and she died for it. I don’t particularly understand why women organizations have not picked up her case. I plead with our women; if there is a case to be made for her it should be very strong. She was very loyal to her husband, loved this country and she deserved to be immortalized.

    Today, like you have said, the progressives are picking up the pieces and we now have the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the making. But it has been suggested by Dr Doyin Okupe that before 2014 runs out, APC will fizzle out. How would you react to this opinion?

    Whatever he has said is his own business, and don’t forget that he is paid to talk and sometimes he talks totally out of focus and tandem. What he has said is his own opinion. In any case, anybody who is in a house that is on fire, the way the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is right now, should concentrate on putting out the fire in his house. APC is a beautiful work of construction that is still going on. We don’t need anybody’s opinion or judgment in the APC, the party is forging ahead. In another one month, may be, Nigerians will be exposed to a launching of the birth of a party the like of which they have never seen before; a party that will totally address, all the pains that they have been having all this many years. So let all skeptics just sit down and watch.

    What makes the APC tick?

    If I tell you, you may not believe it. It is the pains of Nigerians. That is what makes the APC tick. I mean the pains, the anguish, the sorrow, agony and disappointments of the Nigerian populace. For a long time it has been politics as usual. But for anybody who has a conscience and who believes in the welfare of the people, as the number one goal and cardinal duty of government, that person is they kind of person the APC is for, and that is what makes the APC tick. We are coming together in response to the pains of Nigerians and we are going to offer ourselves to them as the ones who are going to address those pains and agony that have been imposed on them all these years. And we are going to do so beginning from may be another month.

    And in any case the picture is already clear, from the performance of the APC states, beginning from Lagos, through the entire Southwest, Edo State, when the Comrade Governor is performing a lit bit of miracle. And from here, it is already permeating to other states. You can see that people of good will in the PDP, who admire, recognize what is going on and are honest about what is happening in the APC, are those seemingly in trouble today. But not to worry, the house that we are building will be solid enough to contain all the people.

    If you were to look into the future, do you see the progressives forming the next government?

    Well, I am not God, but talking from the perspective of a human being, my answer is a resounding yes. I hate using the name of God in vain unlike many of our politicians are wont to do, but I cannot but say that there is the hand of God in a lot of things that are happening today in this nation. I see the hand of God in all.

    And what have you to say about the crisis that has engulfed the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF)?

    I have alluded to it tangentially by saying that I see the hand of God in some of these developments. It was not just the Governors Forum, although the NGF and even the Northern States Governors Forum, there seems to be major crisis, un-resolvable confusion, irreconcilable differences and the party is in a precipice. But by the time the dust settles, the result will be very clear.

    What is the future of Nigeria politically?

    Whichever party is going to rule this country, we have difficult days ahead. I fully expect the APC to brace up for it because there has been so much damage has been done that it will take time to fix and repair. But what we can give the Nigerian people from day one, from the very day of the launching of the party, is that valuable thing called hope. It is a valuable thing which they have lost. We have to restore it to them, without hope there is no need to live. You must have hope, look forward to something and be convinced that come tomorrow this is how things will be. You must be convinced that the governor you voted for is addressing your problems and that tomorrow will be better. That is what we can give them from day one. We would work energetically to address issues like security, the infrastructure that have totally decayed, issues like power that is basic. We keep saying we are growing at seven percent economically; tell me, how do you grow the economy without power? But we are going to address all that, primarily, security is going to be our number one, power will be number two, education of course, then agriculture. These things we will address energetically from day one because it is only through them that we can now influence and ameliorate the terrible unemployment situation that is posing a big challenge to our youths. I will not say more than that, but let me just end by saying to Nigerians, get ready.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • June 12: ‘Obasanjo wasted opportunity to redeem Nigeria’

    June 12: ‘Obasanjo wasted opportunity to redeem Nigeria’

    A notable public affairs commentator, Chief Deji Fasuan, has said former President Olusegun Obasanjo failed during his tenure to take a lifetime advantage to set the country on the path of progress and development.

    Speaking yesterday at his home in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, about which, between ‘May 29’ and ‘June 12’ should be recognised as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, Chief Fasuan said: “It would be more beneficial to shift focus to more fundamental and beneficial issues.”

    The octogenarian, who retired as permanent secretary in the old Ondo State, noted that despite what might have happened during the Gen. Ibrahim Babangida administration, as the Head of State, Chief Obasanjo could still have used his time to make lasting amends.

    He said although Babangida made mistakes during his tenure, providence positioned Obasanjo to do the needful, but he failed to do so.

    Chief Fasuan said: “I have a more fundamental view of the tragicomedy in Nigerian history. My view is that irrespective of what happened during Babangida’s administration, and especially during the June 12 election, this country still had the opportunity to rectify the errors, especially during the Obasanjo administration.

    “Admitted, Babangida did all the acrobatics and plunged this nation into an avoidable tragedy, our own man, Obasanjo, had the opportunity of a lifetime to rectify things. He failed to do this for personal and ego reasons.”