The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian news

  • ‘Women cardinal to nation-building’

    Wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu has canvassed for more involvement of women in politics, just as she urged a well-structured empowerment for them to enable them to contribute to nation-building.

    Mrs. Sanwo-Olu made this assertion at the inauguration of the Lagos State chapter of SHE COOPS Nigeria, an International non-governmental organisation (NGO) for women empowerment and participation in co-operatives.

    Represented by the wife of the member representing Oshodi/Isolo State Constituency 11 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Lady Roseline Idimogu, Sanwo-Olu’s wife said women must be empowered for the society to move forward.

    “More women should be politically active. By so doing, they can help rewrite our developmental history.

    “To the widows they need to be more focused on their businesses as I call on government to make funds available to them, so that they can be self-reliant through their petty trade.

    “Women are unique set of people, who, when armed with skills and abilities, can change the world. I will like to see every woman in Nigeria having a voice,” Sanwo-Olu’s wife said.

    On what the government can do to help women, Mrs. Sanwo-Olu called for education of the girl child and women, saying their education would reduce poverty in the country.

    She described women as pillars of the homes and society, hence the need to give attention to their empowerment.

    Also speaking, Mrs. Grace Adeola, the Country Programme Manager of SHE COOPS said the inauguration was aimed at building a better world for every woman and improve on their well-being.

    Adeola, who urged women “to come together as a co-operative”, called for massive empowerment of the womenfolk to bring real change to the world.

    According to her, when women are developed, enlightened and trained, families, society and the world will be a better place to live in.

    She said the major challenge of women empowerment remained fund for skills acquisition, but the NGO had sought fund internationally from those whose goals and ambitions were to develop women.

    Speaking, Appolonia Eke, the Lagos State Coordinator of SHE COOPS said the hidden treasures in most women had not been discovered because the society had not encouraged them to exhibit their latent abilities.

    “I dream of a Nigeria where the woman will be a leader, I dream of a Nigeria where 45 per cent of women will occupy the parliament, I dream of a Nigeria where we would have 35 per cent of professionals being women.

    “From my dealings with women of low, middle and high classes, I got to know that women are unique species and change agents.

    “If they are empowered, the whole country is empowered. There are many hindering factors debarring women access to empowerments and that gap is what SHE COOPs is out to bridge,” she said.

    Eke commended the Lagos State government’s passion and investment in women empowerment programmes over the years.

    Mrs. Grace Jokayemi, the Kano State SHE COOPS Coordinator urged women not to be liabilities but assets to the society for them to make impact, saying that the NGO was out to provide them with basic empowerments.

    The close to 2,000 women who gathered at the venue were divided into 85 groups of 20 people to showcase skills in the production of several items which include spices, liquid soap, purses, plantain chips and bags.

    Others were pando flour, plantain floor, beads, cream, bean flour, bread, custard, after shave, snacks, bleach, coconut milk hand wash, activated coconut charcoal, antiseptic soap, pop-corn, dettol, coconut oil, fruit juice, perfume and organic beauty soap, among others.

  • Be self-confident, NGO advises students

    Concerned about lack of adequate education for the girl child in Nigeria, the Truss Empowerment Foundation (TEF), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has reiterated its commitment to ensure that the girl child is imbued with the requisite knowledge that will build her self-confidence and make her contribute to the country’s socio-economic growth.

    The foundation aims at empowering women and girls and providing supports for them in the areas of education, emotion, social, economic and political issues. It also aims at creating opportunities for them while addressing core issues that hinder the development of the female gender.

    “Well, no one prays for deviation from his or her main duty to less recognised one. So, the deviation of the Truss Empowerment Foundation from its main motive which is ‘creation of empowerment for the female gender’, into children’s educational funfairs with the topic ‘re-imaging education’, is a welcome idea.

    “The actualisation of any lucrative or innovative idea of a child depends on his readiness to discover whom he or she is and what problems he or she wants to solve in the society. Every child has the innate ability to explore one gift or talent if he or she finds a mentor or pathfinder that can encourage and guide him or her to the right path besides the formal education which he or she needs to learn through schooling.

    “In any society, the government is responsible for the education of the children. It is through this formal process that a child can develop self-esteem which is the only element that can bring confidence in portraying the gift; talent or passion endowed inside him or her.

    So, as the government has only introduced how a career could be chosen in the schools’ curriculum without proper orientation programme, the Truss Empowerment Foundation has taken up this career discussion as one of its responsibilities by inviting some young Nigerians whose talents or special gifts have really reinforced their academic qualifications, despite the stress they went through during the struggle, to have discussion with some invited students from schools in Lagos State,” she said.

    The event which held at Black Bell Restaurant; Adeola Odeku on Victoria Island Lagos State was a gathering of children across various schools. The speakers that attended the occasion engaged the children in talks that are life changing. The event was aimed at making the children to discover whom they are and to be guided towards achieving their goals.

  • PTAD’s Executive Secretary assumes duty

    The New Executive Secretary (ES), Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Dr. Chioma Ejikeme, has assumed duty after an official handover by her predecessor, Mrs. Sharon Ikeazor, now Minister of State for Environment.

    The minister praised PTAD workers for their support and hard work, which she said, had helped to make the directorate a better agency.

    She urged the workers to continue to maintain the high standards already set and cooperate with the new ES.

    Mrs. Ikeazor listed the successes  recorded and the challenges faced by the directorate during her tenure. She urged her successor to be courageous and work for the welfare of pensioners for her tenure to be remembered for good.

    In her response,  Ejikeme praised Mrs Ikeazor and PTAD workers  for the good job they have been doing. She promised to build on the solid foundation laid and vowed to uphold the rights and welfare of the pensioners and workers.

    She appealed for commitment  from the management and workers of the Directorate.

    Mr. Babagana Kaigama, director, Corporate Services, pledged the support and commitment of the management and workers of the directorate to the new ES.

  • PenCom ex-DG seeks consumer-friendly products

    The pioneer Director-General (DG), National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mohammad Ahmed, has called on operators to come up with financial products that will meet the needs of Nigerians in the informal sector.

    Ahmed, who spoke at the National Association of Insurance and Pension Correspondents’ (NAIPCO) Fourth National Conference in Lagos, expressed concern that notwithstanding the existence of the Micro Insurance and Pension Scheme,  majority of Nigerians who are in the informal sector, a critical segment in the country do not have access to financial services.

    He, therefore, urged that operators must understand the dynamics of the informal sector, saying they must be creative, innovative and proactive to penetrate the informal sector.

    He said regulators must come up with light schemes, saying:  “You must understand the business and ensure that information is made available to the operators and consumers as well.’’

    He added: “We don’t just issue regulations, we should issue them to protect and promote the business. We are there to support the industry with regulations that can make the sector grow. If there is no business, there is nothing to regulate, thus regulations should be supportive.”

  • PDP primaries: Jonathan arrives voting venue

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan arrived the Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre, the venue of the governorship primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State.

    Jonathan, who arrived at about 11:20pm, was given thunderous ovation by the delegates.

    Read Also: Tension as PDP elects governorship candidate in Bayelsa

    He was also recognised by the Governor of Taraba State and Returning Officer, Darius Ishaku

    The former President, after exchanging pleasantries with the electoral committee, went to sit at the row allocated to Ogbia, his Local Government Area.

  • Boko Haram: Centre rubbishes Human Rights Watch report, raises three unanswered question

     

    The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has garbaged a report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) which alleged that children are arbitrarily detained in detention facilities in the North-East.

     

    In a 50-page report released on Tuesday, the controversial New York-based non-governmental organization portrayed the Nigerian military as the villain in the fight against insurgency despite obvious intensifying efforts to ensure lasting peace in the region.

     

    The poorly-documented piece has sparked outrage among Nigerians, especially those in the know about the gallant troops’ exploits in the last four years.

     

    In a press conference held in Abuja on Tuesday, CESJET through its Executive Secretary, Comrade Ikpa Isaac, joined other Nigerians in condemning what it described as “blackmail” based on “unfounded allegations”.

     

    The Centre threw up three questions HRW failed to answer in it’s supposed in-depth report.

     

    CESJET wondered the rationale behind the timing of the piece when Boko Haram and its various iterations are struggling to justify all the funds received from sponsors as they are rarely in the news these days.

     

    The Centre also questioned HRW’s mission for lumping together detention units with rehabilitation programmes marks while missing to acknowledge the roles of indigenous groups to improve the conditions in the area.

     

    CESJET, however, urged compatriots and the rest of the world to join in trashing the Human Rights Watch’s report into a garbage bin as that is where it rightfully belongs.

     

    Read full statement below:

     

    We expect that you would have by now had access to and read the latest addition to the world’s collection of fictions by Human Rights Watch, which was appropriately titled “They Didn’t Know if I Was Alive or Dead”. The 50 page report is anchored on unfounded allegations that the Nigerian military is detaining underage Boko Haram fighters.

     

    Several factors are interesting about this report but we shall limit ourselves to a few of them because there is the inherent danger of unnecessarily promoting a work of fiction and elevating it into the realm of fact in the course of highlighting its shortcomings to the populace.

     

    The first thing we want to draw attention to is the timing of the report, which is coming at a time when Boko Haram and its various iterations are struggling to justify to their sponsors the merit of receiving continuous funding because they no longer make the news in any impressive or profound way. This in part explains why the terrorist group is desperate in attacking military formations so that it can continue to lay claims to exploit and consequently the allowances and remittances it is being owed by those propping it up against the Nigerians state.

     

    This strategy of shopping for incriminating anecdotal concoctions against the Nigerian military is a strategy that Amnesty International, a leading antagonist of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and key supporter of terrorists in the country, had repeatedly deployed without success. It is disappointing that Human Rights Watch is now replicating the same strategy without modification after Amnesty International that originally owned the approach of discrediting the military to give traction to terrorists has given up on it.

     

    The intention of the report is to garner sympathy for Boko Haram fighters while painting the military as an organization that incarcerate, torture and dehumanize children. The military is meant to become distracted in its war against terrorism especially since it will now be compelled to ignore the bulk of Boko Haram fighters are usually youths that just went past their teenage years. Besides slowing down the fight against terrorism, making exception for this population bracket will prove fatal for troops for those in the post-teenage age band have proven to be most ferocious and deadly. The fact that poor nutrition that resulted in stunted growth gives them the appearance of children does not imply that they behave with the innocence of children.

     

    Troops’ units that have in the past made the mistake of treating hardened terrorists as children have tales to tell.

     

    The second issue to draw attention to is the decision of Human Rights Watch to lump together detention units with rehabilitation programmes marks a new low in the extent that some foreign owned outlets will go to justify extorting donors that fund their programmes. Had the group looked beyond the dollar signs that is clouding the eyes of its decision makers it would have realized that its claim of the Nigerian military using kids as prisoners in the name of Boko Haram is another cheap blackmail that Nigerians have now become familiar with as coming from foreign agents bent on destabilizing Nigeria. Such claim is part of the technical support that has been promised as a clandestine means to embolden Boko Haram when its obvious they can no longer sustain their evil against the Nigerian state.

     

    Thirdly, the only aspects that should have been of concern to Human Rights Watch at the exact issues it shied away from. Other local or indigenous groups that have worked in the areas affected by Boko Haram have done much to improve on the conditions in the area through genuine humanitarian work. But Human Rights Watch has not done anything to address its discovery of a so call harsh interrogation of children, and that is assuming that it is genuinely interested in the wellbeing of children. For instance, it supposedly documented the lack of adequate sanitary facilities at detention centres without even running a pilot programme with one cell to demonstrate the quality of facilities it deems acceptable. The implication is that it is more interested in watching human suffering and misery than addressing them. The obsession is with writing reports, doctored reports that serve fake news, instead of taking practical steps that solve identified problems.

     

    We would have also loved for Human Rights Watch similarly failed to be realistic by asking that children that are freed from detention should be handed over to civilian judicial authorities, forgetting that some of them were in custody as per court rulings. It really wants to help it should come up with plans to have children caught up on the wrong side of the conflict relocated to third party countries where they will be far away from the harrowing reality of relieving the difficult moments and experiences the group claimed they have had. But Human Rights Watch is in no condition to do this when its entire report is built on lies. It is largely make-believe literature founded mostly on lies.

     

    CESJET is, therefore, calling on the Nigerian authorities and the rest of the world to throw the Human Rights Watch’s report into a garbage bin because that is where it rightfully belongs. Perhaps some measure of originality might have mitigated the situation such that some lines in the document would have been salvageable but the manner it copied an old format that has failed to record any success paints those that who issued the report are as lazy and unimaginative. It would not be out of place for those that paid this NGO to do a hatchet job suddenly start demanding for refund.

     

  • Re-awakening the dream of a greater Lagos

    After a three-day retreat for Commissioners, Special Advisers and Permanent Secretaries, which was wrapped up penultimate Saturday, the new team begins to translate Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s vision to re-awaken the dream of a greater Lagos, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE

    ‘’In our pursuit of a greater Lagos, we speak not of an empty dream, but a deep commitment and profound assertion of our intention to devote ourselves to making a difference not only for ourselves but our children.’’

    With these words, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu set an ambitious tone for his aides at a three-day retreat which was rounded off penultimate Saturday.

    Sanwo-Olu’s strides since his inauguration on Wednesday, May 29, as the sixth democratically elected Governor and 15th Governor of Lagos State, have left none in doubt of his commitment to make the state greater and better than he met it.

    In his inaugural speech, he said: “I know where I am coming from. More importantly, I know where I am headed. I have been a part of this progressive journey since its inception. I know first-hand the concerted efforts that went into planning so many of the innovations we now see and enjoy.”

    Believing Lagos not only to be Nigeria’s major economy, but also Africa’s fifth largest, Sanwo-Olu unveiled “THEMES,” formulated along strategic thematic areas, namely, Traffic Management and Transportation, Health and Environment, Education and Technology, Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy, Entertainment and Tourism as well as Security and Governance.

    These six pillars, he said ‘’represents our response to the yearnings of the people. They constitute the foundation that must be restored for future generations. And should we fulfill our promise and deliver on the pillars, we are most confident that we would have succeeded in setting Lagos on a new trajectory of economic growth and development that would be unprecedented in our entire history’’.

    Sanwo-Olu promised that his administration would ensure transparency, the rule of law and fiscal discipline as well as create the right environment that guarantees security and safety of lives and property of Lagosians.

    Kitchen cabinet

    Sanwo-Olu’s early appointments of a retired Head of Service Mrs. Folashade Jaji as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) excited many Lagosians, especially gender enthusiasts who regarded the appointment of a seasoned administrator who is schooled in the culture of the civil service as a blessing to the administration.

    Other appointments that resonated with the people is the Chief of Staff (COS), Tayo Akinmade Ayinde and Deputy Chief Press Secretary (DCPS), Gboyega Akosile.

    Ayinde, born on August 24, 1964, at Alausa, Ikeja, is the governor’s strategic clearing house. He attended St Peters’ Anglican Primary School, Alausa, Ikeja, Ogudu Grammar School, Ojota, Lagos, and was admitted into Federal Polytechnic, Anambra for his Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Banking and later the Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accountancy.

    He worked briefly with TELL Magazine as Account Officer in 1993. In the same year, he joined the State Security Service (SSS) and distinguished himself as a dedicated, loyal, courageous and trustworthy officer until his voluntary retirement in 2009.

    While in the SSS, Ayinde was Head of the Accounts Department, Shangisha Office, from 1993- 1999.

    He worked with the former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Chief Security Detail.

    Ayinde holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Financial Management from Lagos State University. He also attended University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management, for a course in Strategic Thinking Approach. He later attended the University of Cambridge, Judge Business School for a course on Study in Business Model Innovation.

    He was the Director-General for Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat’s Independent Campaign Group, and later Chairman of the Inauguration Committee after the March 9, 2019 victory at the gubernatorial election.

    A media executive in his own right, Akosile, an erstwhile Deputy Chief Press Secretary (DCPS), was later confirmed on Wednesday as the substantive Chief Press Secretary (CPS).

    Akosile holds a Bachelor of Art degree in Performing Art of the University of Ilorin between 1991 and 1996 and bagged a Master in Business Administration (MBA) of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) between 2008 and 2010.

    Between 2010 and 2011, he was at Super Screen Television, where he directly supervised the daily news bulletins, supervised, coordinated and organised the members of the news staff and the news room, planned and produced the daily editorial schedules, among others.

    Unveiling of cabinet

    After much horse-trading among the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and power blocs, Sanwo-Olu transmitted the list of 38 aides, made up of Commissioners and Special Advisers to the Lagos State House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa for ratification.

    On August 19, the state lawmakers confirmed 35 of the 38 nominees.

    The fate of the three who the Assembly refused to confirm: Obafemi George, Prince Olarewanju Sanusi and Adekemi Bembe were still hanging in the balance at press time, as the Assembly did not give any reason for the rebuff, but advised the governor to re-nominate them if he so desired.

    Despite the setback, Sanwo-Olu, last Tuesday, at an elaborate event, inaugurated the new State Executive Council, comprising old, new and youthful members, with a terse challenge to members to be diligent in their duties.

    He said: “We must accelerate the trajectory of growth and development of Lagos State as we can’t afford to disappoint Lagosians.”

    The list of commissioners and portfolios as announced by the Governor are: Water Resources and Environment, Tunji Bello, Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, Finance, Mr. Rabiu Olowo Onaolapo; Education, Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo, Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako, Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Mrs. Bolaji Dada, Energy and Natural Resources, Mr. Lere Odusote, Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, Agriculture, Gbolahan Lawal, Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyo Onigbanjo (SAN), Science and Technology, Hakeem Fahm, Establishment, Training and Pension, Mrs. Ajibola Ponnle, Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Aramide Adeyoye, Youth and Social Development, Segun Dawodu, Home Affairs, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, Local Government and Community Affairs, Mrs. Yetunde Arobieke, Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Lola Akande, Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Olufunke Adebolu, Economic Planning and Budget, Sam Egube, Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Dr. Wale Ahmed.

    Sanwo-Olu, at the event said: “Today, you are inducted into an administration unique in its diversity–both of heritage and of creed – made up of technical and politically skilled men and women who understand the challenges of our state, grasp the grand vision of this new administration, and are sensitive to the yearnings of our people, the citizens of Lagos State whom we must ultimately serve to realise its vision for a greater Lagos.”

    He reminded the members of the Executive of his inaugural address on May 29, when he declared that “our ultimate goal would be to ensure that Lagos State remains one of the top destinations on the African Continent to live, work and invest in.”

    As they prepared for the challenges ahead, he urged them to imbibe the culture of transparency, accountability, fairness and value for money.

    “I therefore, implore you to earnestly commit yourselves to the agenda and vision of this administration,” he said.

    He also urged them to show commitment, diligence and exemplary leadership as the necessary virtues needed to achieve the greatness  desired for the state and to deliver the prosperity the people deserved.

    Undoubtedly, there are giants in the new Executive Council who are seen as highly experienced and likely to influence government’s policies and agenda in realisation of its goals. These include Bello, immediate past SSG in the state. He worked previously with First Bank of Nigeria, Concord Press Nigeria Limited, St. Petersburg Times, Florida USA, and has various publications to his credit ranging from business to politics. Bello is also a lawyer, whose wife is a Professor of Medicine

    Also in the team is Gbenga Omotoso, an award-winning journalist and former Editor (Daily) of The Nation Newspaper who has nearly 35 years’ experience in the media industry.

    The media guru, who graduated from the University of Benin, was adjudged winner of the DAME Informed Commentary in 2010, Nigerian Media Merit Award Editor, 2013, 2015 and 2017.

    Ahmed, a medical doctor- turned politician, became prominent when he was elected as lawmaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, where he served as Chairman, House Committee on Health and sponsored the motion for free treatment of accident victims within 24 hours which the Tinubu’s administration adopted.

    Lawal, is the immediate past Commissioner for Housing and a former Commissioner of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Lagos State. A seasoned security and development practitioner and socio-entrepreneur, he has deep understanding for political economy of development, especially in low and medium-income economies.

    Fatai had served as Operation and Sales Manager at different companies and he got his first public office experience in 2003 when he was appointed as Special Assistant to the former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, now National Leader of the All Progressives Congress; a position he held until the expiration of the administration.

    A graduate of Political Science from the prestigious University of Ibadan, Arobieke’s foray into politics made her to serve in different offices as the first executive secretary of Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area, LCDA in 2003.

    Her outstanding performance as lawmaker led to her appointment as Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, WAPA, under the immediate past governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.

    Benson-Awoyinka, a lawyer-turned politician, is currently the Assistant Legal Adviser, All Progressives Congress (APC) Lagos State.

    Fahm is a specialist in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and a former Commissioner for Science and Technology. He is also a Network Infrastructure expert.

    Segun Dawodu is the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development. He is a former Commissioner of Sports.

    Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, a Pharmacist and politician is the immediate past Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment.

    New entrants that will add value to what is emerging as the Sanwo-Olu brand are: Salako, who has garnered over 20 years of experience in town planning, is the Managing Partner at Adesanya Salako and Associates, a town planning firm in Lagos.

    Salako, who was born in October 1968, is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) and President, Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria, ATOPCON.

    Rabiu Olowo, who celebrated his 34th birthday in June, is a Certified Fraud Examiner, experienced Chief Audit Executive, Adjunct Professor and Authorised Trainer of The ACFE in West Africa, an anti-fraud organisation and premier provider of anti-fraud training and education.

    Before being appointed as Commissioner by the governor, Olowo, who had gained admission into Charisma University, British West Indies, TCI for his PhD in Forensic Accounting and Auditing, had served as an accountant in GlaxoSmithKline Nigeria Plc and others.

    Folashade is an educationist with more than 20 years’ experience in the sector. She is a Principal Consultant/CEO at Leading Learning Limited, a company she founded in 2014.

    Tasks Ahead

    Sanwo-Olu stressed, “Let me emphasise that this is not just our goal, it is what the people expect from us and we cannot afford to disappoint them.”

    Among the daunting tasks ahead are unlocking the perennial Lagos traffic, deplorable road network, such as Lagos-Badagry Expressway and Oshodi-Apapa gridlock, waste disposal and management, rocketing cost of health care, dwindling educational standard, wealth creation through employment opportunities, particularly for the teeming youths, rising cases of cultism, crimes and general insecurity that pervades the length and breadth of the state.

  • Don’t expect rubber-stamp National Assembly

    Yemi Adaramodu, former Chairman of Ekiti Southwest Local Government, one-time Chief of Staff to Governor Kayode Fayemi and Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Youth Development, spoke with Lucas Ajanaku in Lagos on the imperative of cordial relations between the executive and legislative arms of government.

    Kidnapping, cyber crimes, etc are as a result of youths unemployment. In your capacity as the House Committee chairman on Youth Development, what would you do to reduce these vices?

    When we talk of the youths,we know that the youths constitute 60 per cent of the population of Nigeria and that large population can never be ignored or can’t be treated with levity. First of all, we want to charge our parents that it is not only to give your children formal education. You should give your children informal education. What are the home training that our children are receiving nowadays? How many parents do have the time for their children nowadays? Then what about the community peer groups? Are they there anymore? So today, it’s just for us to rush a three months old baby to school, he or she starts school from three months. We want them to graduate even when they are still sucking. We produce kids as graduates who don’t even have exposure about life training which contributes to a total person, then value will be built. Then once there is value in the society, definitely we can now know which one we should do in order to gain prominence or become successful the society instead of cutting corners.

    Secondly, the government for me is doing well to create jobs and empower the youths. The N-power is a good example of this laudable initiative of the Federal Government whereby graduates become entrepreneurs and also become job creators. It is very good because it has taken millions of youths off the streets. Then the curriculum that is being taught in school should be the one to prepare the total mind of the child. When the total mind of the child is trained, it is then appreciated and the way the society is seen would be different from what is happening now. Today, unfortunately  what is happening is that everybody wants to have money and wants to get rich quickly. Societal values are no more inculcated either in the curriculum or in the formal training of our children.  That’s why all these cutting corners; all these idea  of wanting to make it at all cost by either kidnapping, robbery or any other notorious means are with us.

    There is this impression that the Ninth National Assembly will be a rubber stamp because of the rancour-free emergence of its leadership. Do you agree with this?

    Are they saying Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, who is the Speaker of the House of Representatives, is not qualified? He has been in the National Assembly for the past 17 years. Are we saying he is not qualified to preside over  the House? What kind of rubber stamping are they talking about? Someone like Speaker Gbajabiamila who has been  Minority leader,  Majority Leader in the House. He had gone through the robes and has learned through the robes and has he the requisite experience and knowledge to lead the House.  Are we saying someone like that is going to be a rubber stamp? That is not logical. Then, the House of Representatives  elected him in a transparent election. You should know that he was popularly elected and even opposition parties voted for him. Are we then to say that the opposition parties that voted for him are rubber stamps of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)?. The lawmakers saw his leadership qualities  and his virtues, that was why they voted for him massively to be the Speaker.

    Even in the leadership of the committee members that have just been constitited, we have PDP member as the chairman and vice chairman, APGA members, APN members. It’s an all inclusive committee. Just like the motto of his campaign that said:  ‘United Fronts’ which is truly a united fronts. We can’t say there are no more party members because bills and motions will be raised by members and senators and definitely not by the leaders. So there’s no rubber stamp.  The legislature has its own role which cannot be compromised and  has been exclusively stated in the constitution.  So there can’t be rubber stamping. When we talk about budget scruitiny and passage, the ministry prepares and defends it. The ministry cannot build a bridge where there’s no need for one.

    In the 8th National Assembly, there was executive and legislative bickering that held the nation to ransom…

    The reason why it was like that was because everybody came through a political party which was their platform.  Once we have a parent that sends us somewhere, we must listen to them. The emergence of the 8th Assembly did not conform with that kind of parent-child  relationship. The party that sponsored you and called you together and  asked   how you wanted to pick your leadership did  the right thing. Do you think because of that, the leadership would not have the conscience to move forward and say they want to partner?

    There must be partnership in every arm of government. There’s no water tight separation of powers among the three arms of government. The executive can not go alone, neither can the legislature. If they decide to go alone, then, who would make the laws to be executed? So there’s no rubber standing there.

    The Presidency is planning to revert to January-December budget cycle. Do you see that possibility? 

    Yes. It is quite possible because that was what Nigeria had practiced before and it was very okay. Although it had since changed. Even among Nigeria, it’s very confusing to say the new year starts in June. When you say the year’s budget, to everybody, the year starts in January and ends in December. So 2019 budget is 2019 budget and not 2019/2020 budget. So it’s supposed to be a year’s budget and it’s better like that.

    Is the National Assembly is ready to work with the Presidency to make this happen?

    We are prepared and committed to making it happen. It’s the duty of the executive arm of government to prepare the annual budget. The National Assembly’s function to scrutinise the proposed appropriation bill and give approval. So the executive arm of government too has a huge responsibility to make it happen.

  • ShowDemCamp, Noble Igwe, others unveil Tiger’s new 33cl sleek can

    Popular personalities ShowDemCamp (SDC), Noble Igwe, Teddy A  and Waye joined consumers and fans to launch Tiger, all-new 33cl sleek can at an exclusive event in Lagos at the weekend.

    Just a few days before the event, SDC and other celebrities shared pictures and videos of themselves trying out a variety of new things, alluding to the new product size of the edgy brand as the conversations culminated with updates from the unveil party.

    The party was filled with excited fans, delicious grilled delicacies, body arts, the strikingly bold, and refreshingly smooth Tiger beer and good music which had fans dancing and grooving all through.

    Complete with performances from SDC, among others.

    Speaking on why the brand chose to introduce a new product size, the Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Emmanuel Oriakhi, said: “Tiger Beer identifies with the bold Nigerian, whose passion brings him a sense of purpose. With the launch of this new sleek can, we want to provide our consumers with a new range of choices. The new Sleek Cans will also provide some form of convenience for our mobile and energetic consumers.

    “It has been an exciting period for Tiger and we’re glad our consumers are having as much fun as we are even as we roll out all of our big plans. ‘’’Since Tiger’s launch, we have sort out ways to bring the brand closer to its consumers. This new can presents us with another opportunity, allowing us to reintroduce Tiger to young, edgy, progressive and passionate Nigerians. We intend to continue on this path and we believe this is only the beginning of what will be a long relationship between the premium beer brand and millennial Nigerians.”

  • Education: The trigger and the catch

    SIR: The glory of yesteryears education system in Nigeria has vanished like the vapours of a dewy morning. No vehicle can run indefinitely without a refuel, just as no tree can hope to remain sturdy without water and sunshine. The events of recent years have no doubt inscribed this truth deeply into the breasts of our near comatose education system. It is apparent that we are still practicing a backward oriented education system in Nigeria in this digital age. The current system has continued to fail the internationally recommended tests. A clinical assessment of the Nigerian education system calls for emergency and a 360 degrees mental disruption. The challenges that plague the education sector in our country are legion but a few highlights will be made.

    The over-westernised culture in the modern education curriculum is a welcome development but has retarding effect on our indigenous ones. The mad quest for British curriculum has deleted the necessary ingredients in the Nigerian scheme thereby rendering some core Nigerian subjects impotent in the classroom. Nigerian history has been totally obliterated from the educational curriculum. The real truth about Nigeria political pilgrimage has been stolen, the spiral effect is a generation of students who are ignorant of the political ecosystem called Nigeria. These students go into leadership offices totally oblivious of the political system since they are not well informed via tutelage.

    There is also the issue of infrastructural decay in our schools, chiefly public schools. A patriotic visit to most public schools in the country will leave you breathless. From cities to rural areas, the story is the same. It is very unfortunate that some students are learning seated on the floor without chairs. Some school structures are life threatening as they expose students to danger. Poor road network to schools, maladministration, bad governance and negligence have taken the Nigerian children into depression. Many of our public officials are interested in stealing money, take their children abroad and imprison the children of the poor in poorly managed schools manned by hungry teachers.

    Furthermore, the near absence of an education economy in Nigeria is sickening. The education economy will handle issues of non-payment of teachers, payment of peanuts to teachers and act as a catalyst that will encourage brilliant students who distinguished themselves in their different areas of academic endeavours. It is unfair that students who are academically outstanding are not recognised in Nigeria but reality TV show participants are celebrated, enriched and almost worshipped. The Nigerian system discourages academic investment in the education sector and encourages mass movement into the showbiz world.

    Finally, wrong policies by the government and companies lead to discrimination against individuals with Nigerian certificates as opposed to foreign ones. Individuals with foreign certificates are better positioned to pick most employment openings in Nigeria than those with indigenous certificates .This anomaly has triggered a high number of visa applications for tertiary institutions abroad in order to bridge the certificate gap leaving our home universities deserted.

    The government should as a matter of urgency declare state of emergency in the education sector so as to right the wrongs of the past years and emblazon our educational flag in the sands of time. The National Assembly should legislate the total restructuring of the education system to make our schools attractive and to discourage excessive travelling abroad for schooling. All public officials should be mandated to take their kids to public schools in Nigeria as that will fast-track government’s intervention to any of her plight. There should be a head count, enrolment and scholarships to all out of school children to encourage them to be better persons in the society. Government should equip states with standard library to instil reading culture and encourage students who are doing research. Educational grants should be constitutionalised to encourage indigent students. In Nigeria education sector, the government is the trigger while the schools are the catch.

    • Ikechukwu Agada,

    <bishopagada@yahoo.com>