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Tag: Nigerians

  • Ikuforiji rejoices with Nigerians

    Ikuforiji rejoices with Nigerians

    The immediate past Speaker of the Lagos State  House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, has enjoined all Muslims and other Nigerians to give thanks to the Almighty Allah for seeing them through this  year’s  Ramadan Fast.

    Ikuforiji said:”The Almighty  Allah deserves our thanks and praises  for seeing us through the just-ended Ramadan fast.  As believers, we must  cultivate the habit  of praising the Almighty Allah for  His mercies and protection over our lives at all times. Notwithstanding whatever challenges that we may be going through now, the praises of the Almighty Allah must never depart from our mouths. And  when we do that, He will surely continue to bless us.”

    The former Speaker stated this in his Sallah message to Muslims and Nigerians generally.

    He said: ” In addition to our praising Almighty Allah at all times, we must also make it a policy to always reach out to the less-privileged in our society so that we can touch their lives positively and give them hope. And by so doing, we as believers will keep drawing more souls to worship the Almighty Allah .”

    He admonished Muslims to remain faithful to the ideals of Ramadan fasting and not let the lessons learnt during the period to pass away.

    He said:“One other reason that we must all keep praising the Almighty Allah is the  peaceful outcome of the recently-held general elections. Despite the predictions from far and wide that our nation, Nigeria, would not survive that elections, it is gratifying that the Almighty Allah took absolute control and made sure that the elections went on smoothly without any hitch.

    ” And as we can see already, things have  started taking shape for the better again in our country. At the federal government level, our incorruptible President Muhammadu Buhari  has started positively putting things right already, while Lagos State has also started soaring higher under the able leadership of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.”

  • Nigerians condemn Damaturu blasts

    Some Nigerians have expressed shock over the bomb blasts that rocked Damaturu, the Yobe capital, on Friday, leaving many casualities in its trail.

    The respondents, in separate interviews with reporters in Abuja, described the incident as unfortunate, adding that it had ruined the celebratory mood across the land.

    One of the respondents, Mr Musa Salihu, while condemning the act, described the bombing of innocent citizens on a day millions of Muslims faithful across the world were in celebration as a dastardly act that must attract the rebuke of all peace-loving Nigerians.

    “These acts of violence against innocent citizens are an unwarranted affront on our collective safety and freedom; Nigerians must stand as one.

    “The reason I went out to vote was for the peace of Nigeria; I am not saying the President is slow at his duty but, I am saying that he should have a better idea to curb the violence.”

    In her reaction, Mrs Mario Aliyu, expressed her condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in the attacks.

    “I am surprised that we still have the problem of Boko haram in Nigeria; last sallah, I and my family were almost victims.

    “There is the need for the Federal Government to reassure all Nigerians of its determination to bring to justice all the perpetrators of today’s acts of violence,” Aliyu said.

    Mr Dada Olayiwola condemned the blast, saying that “the jihadist group that wants to create an Islamic caliphate in northern Nigeria are enemies of the country.”

    “Nigerians must understand the game they are playing and they will fail because nobody can divide us in this country.” he said

    It will be recalled that the bomb occurred in the Gwange area as the Muslim faithful prepared to go to the Eid ground for prayers.

  • Yale varsity alumni to help recruit more Nigerians

    The Yale Club of Nigeria was launched last Saturday with high hopes that it would open opportunities for more Nigerians to be enrolled into the ivy-league university on scholarship.

    Pioneer president of the association, Dr Haroun Adamu, said at the cocktail launch of the club held at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, that Nigerian students who successfully scale the stringent admissions process would benefit from the Need-Blind scholarship of the institution.

    He said the club would serve as “an intermediary between Nigerian students and the admission office of Yale University in order to facilitate their admission to Yale”.

    The Yale Club president said he looked forward to increased enrolment of Nigerian students.  He noted Nigerians had lost admission opportunities from the university because there was no alumni group.

    “We have noticed in the past, the dwindling numbers of our students attending Yale and Ghana that has the opportunity of setting up such an organisation is taking off the shine, sending students.  We feel that as an organization, we can interface with parents who would send their children to Yale.

    “We would conduct interviews and send recommendations on behalf of these students, so that they can be admitted. Once they make the grade, they would be on scholarship. They would not pay anything. So we are losing opportunities such as we have been gaining in the past.  Someone like me, 50 years ago, I had the opportunity to go to Yale on scholarship and I would like to see more of my type going to Yale,” he said.

    Haroun, founder, Adamu Consulting & Associates, Zaria College, and others, said that the alumni members were proud of the their alma mater because of its rich heritage and the prestigious old students, and would want more Nigerians to benefit from the kind of education the university offcers.

    He said the university has produced great leaders, among them five presidents of the United States, including George Bush Junior, congress members, and Supreme Court justices in the United States.

    In Nigeria, the university produced Prof Julius Okojie, Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), among others.

    Okojie, was represented by Prof Akaneren Essien, a visiting professor to the NUC, who said that he (Okojie) exhibits the leadership ideals of Yale.

    “Prof Julius Okojie, the executive secretary of NUC is an alumnus of Yale University.  He earned his masters in Forestry from that university in 1976. He imbibed very strong values of Yale University that has helped him to administer university education very well in this country. He served as VC, university of agriculture, Abeokuta, during which that university came first by the ranking of the NUC at that time, in 2001 and also served as the foundation VC of Bells University of Technology,” he said.

    Eddie Mandhry, Director for Africa, Yale University Office of International Affairs, witnessed the launch and said the university was proud to be associated with the club.  He said Nigeria is one of the four countries with the largest number of international students in the institution so is an important stakeholder.  The others are Ghana, South Africa and Kenya.

  • Nigerians set agenda for Service chiefs

    Nigerians set agenda for Service chiefs

    •Falana, Alli, others: loyalty must
    be to State, not individual

    Senior lawyers and security experts yesterday warned the new Service chiefs against partisanship. They said the commanders’ loyalty should be to the country and not to the President, or the ruling party.

    Lagos lawyer Femi Falana, Mallam Yusuf Ali (both senior advocates) and Dr. Chima Nnaji bared their minds on the appointments of military commanders by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    They all urged the Service chiefs to bring their experiences to bear and inject fresh ideas into the war against terror and urged them to strengthen the armed forces as a professional institution.

    Falana recounted how the former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col Dasuki Sambo (rtd), usurped the functions of the former Defence Minister, Lt. Gen. Aliyu (rtd), a development the lawyer noted, brewed disaffected in the system.

    He said: “The NSA usurped the functions of the defence minister.  The office was linked with currency trafficking, hiring of mercenaries and purchase of unserviceable military hardware.

    “Without arms and ammunitions, military officers and soldiers were forced to fight the well-armed terrorists. The encounter culminated in humiliating defeat for the nation’s armed forces.

    “Hundreds of soldiers were massacred while those who refused to commit suicide were put on trial before court martial.”

    In his remarks, Ali said: “My expectations are that they should be able to assist us to battle and extinguish, if possible, insurgency and terrorism; and position our armed forces as a professional fighting force that can be ranked as one of the very best if not in the world at least in Africa. They should ensure that they promote the ethics of subjugating the military to civilian authority.”

    According to him, the military chiefs should feel obligated to the country and not the person who appointed them.

    He said: “Our problem is that we don’t have strong institutions. Anybody who gets appointed to an office believes that he owes obligation and loyalty to the appointer, whereas it should be that anybody who is appointed into the public service in any capacity should have loyalty to Nigeria.

    “We don’t have that in this country. We haven’t gotten it right at all. This is an area that quite a lot has to be done. That is what is missing in our national life. Until public officers believe that their first loyalty is to the nation itself, then the problem of partisanship will remain.”

    Dr. Nnaji said the military chiefs must show passion for the tasks ahead and learn to deploy modern technology, urging President Buhari to always consider national interest first when exercising his prerogative to make such appointments, especially on the professional competence of those being appointed.

     

     

  • Emerhor: Buhari needs Nigerians to make change

    The Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, has urged those attacking President Muhammadu Buhari to work with the government for the “Change” Nigerians voted for.

    In a statement by his Senior Special Adviser on Media and Political Communication, Dr. Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, the APC chieftain said the President’s attackers should understand that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wrecked the nation’s socio-economic boat for 16 years.

    Emerhor noted that this was the reason the Buhari administration needed time to scrutinise the books of the Jonathan’s administration before recruiting new hands to run the system.

    The governorship candidate posited that Mr. President, who is well known globally for his “Zero Corruption” crusade, will not be in a hurry to do the needful, adding that it is expected that after 16 years of massive corruption and economic saboutage, the APC-led government will dig deep to ensure sanity and good governance.

    Oghenesivbe quoted Emerhor as saying that President Buhari being a proactive and transparent leader deserves commendation from Nigerians for ordering the immediate closure of some bank accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and in the same token ordered the sharing of taxes from the Nigerian Liquefied Gas Company (LNG) to the three tiers of government.

    He assured that the President will do anything and everything within his powers to correct the ills in all ministries, departments and agencies of government through forensic auditing, blocking of financial leakages, prosecution of corrupt government officials.

    Emerhor, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), is optimistic that the 50 per cent cut in the salaries of Mr. President and  Vice-President is a pointer to the fact that other senior public officers and political office holders will have to adjust and be ready to make similar sacrifice.

  • Re: Questions from Nigerians for PMB

    SIR: Mobolaji Sanusi’s piece on why the president is slow in appointing Chief of staff, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and delaying in the selection and presentation of his ministers to the National Assembly is well posited but untimely.

    The eagerness behind the asking of these questions can be  understood from the point of view of the unarguably high hopes of the electorates who invested their votes in. causing change in governance so that the challenges that have plague this country  can start to be fixed differently without delay.

    There is definitely a thin line between the personal virtue of the president and his performance which is not an end in itself but a means to achieving the end of honest, effective and efficient service delivery. In the circumstance in which the APC has found itself as a result of reward expectation fight-back,  which was never envisaged, it has been difficult to send the list of ministers already selected to the National Assembly which presently is divided against itself. With the appointment of people into the principal offices of the two chambers of the National Assembly, against the zoning formula sent to the assembly by the party and barring any reconciliatory concession to vacate already filled offices, there will be a need to readjust the ministerial list in consideration of the unexpected emergency. Unless the party and the president know those who will finally be retained in offices or those that will thread on the path of party discipline and yield position from their already occupied positions, there cannot be a standing list of ministers because there will be need to balance the selection of ministers already selected, so as not to over concentrate appointment in a zone while others are denied opportunity.

    As it is now, the president would seem to be combining diplomacy with conciliation to make peace the cornerstone of all action he might intend to take to prevent this from happening. This obviously is the main reason why all the appointments mentioned in the questions are being delayed. Those who have shared position in the Houses come from certain geo-political zone and need to be balanced with appointments to other zones when the party is sure that no further changes would be made in the list of those appointed. All these have made it impossible for the appointments to be made in just 30 days. The president with his endowment of honesty, courage, passion, and commitment to deliver on promise can never be confused. He knows the direction he wants to go and understands what his party mantra of change stood for in the life of the people hence he cannot afford to offer excuses for failure.

    The President is too experienced and exposed to be misdirected when talking about fixing the problems of   16 years of unproductive, fraudulent and clueless government of the PDP.

    Reasonable Nigerians know that kick-starting a good government should follow on the foundation of due process built over the rubble of the old order left behind by the PDP and need not be rushed in other not to play into the waiting hands of the same opposition that is bent on discrediting the new government on every step it takes to expose the government and present it as a non-starter and inexperienced.

    The President needs not be stampeded into taking actions at the prompting of the PDP which has been thoroughly discredited by its own failings in strong leadership and good governance.

    Granting the desired patience, it is certain that Nigerians within a short period of time will start seeing, feeling and enjoying   the positive effects of the efforts presently being made by the president to reposition the country and re-order its priorities especially  when the teething problems being encountered in the National Assembly is finally resolved.

     

    •Comrade Mashood Erubami

    Ibadan, Oyo State.

     

  • ‘Nigerians must practise peace-based religion’

    ‘Nigerians must practise peace-based religion’

    Prophet Iwu Ogbu is the national president of Christian and Muslims Peace Advocacy and Enlightenment Initiatives (CAMPAEI). He spoke with Sunday Oguntola on why adherents of both religions must collaborate for peace. Excerpts:   

    How did it occur to you to start this inter-faith organisation?

    You know I am a prophet. So, it came through a revelation from God because of the crisis between Muslims and Christians all over the world. The two religious bodies believe in one God but there is a missing link between the practices that lead to intolerance and violent reactions.

    So, I kept asking God if the two religions are real. Christianity is from the west while Islam is from Arabic countries. So, God said I should gather adherents of both faiths and ask them where they do what they do. I believe both religions have to prove themselves. Nigeria is one but these two religions keep fighting for the same God.

    To live in peace, we must understand ourselves and where the other person is coming from. So, that is why we are doing what we do.

    So, how have you been going through this?

    We have been organising discussion forums in local communities for people to understand the other persons. We believe that the more we talk, the more we generate empathy and understanding. We have been recording amazing results and it’s been very incredible what people are finding out about the other religion.

    We are the verge of organising a Christian/Muslim understanding conference

    Will the conference be looking at which of the religions is better?

    I believe behind every argument is someone’s ignorance. What we offer is just a platform to hear out others on what they believe with a view to getting understanding. I believe it is not about who is right or wrong because the truth is Islam and Christianity have come to stay. Neither can neutralize the other because there will never happen. The conference should hold sometimes in September in Abuja.

    But you are a Christian?

    Yes, an orthodox Christian.

    Do you run a church?

    No, I don’t run a church.

    You attend a church?

    Yes, I am a Sabbath worshipper. I believe in the commandment of God that we should worship Him on Sabbath day. So, you will find me in any church that worships God on Sabbath days.

    I don’t have a particular church but as long as you hold your worship on Saturdays, you will find me there.

    Won’t the conference blend more towards portraying Christianity as the best?

    There won’t be anything like that. I just told you that we don’t believe one religion is better than the other. We just want to hear others and promote interfaith understanding.

    When two people are fighting, you cannot make peace until you find out what the problem is. So, let’s meet, chat and see the way forward.

    You have Muslims in your organisation?

    Sure, the national secretary is a Muslim lawyer based in Minna. We have so many Muslims with us.

    What relationship do you have with Muslims? Are some of them your friends?

    I have many Muslim friends. I don’t discriminate based on religion or anything. I relate with people because they are human beings first. Every other consideration is secondary. I don’t have anything against Christianity and Islam.

    Won’t the conference be tension-soaked when discussions start?

    Not at all. We will not allow sentimental or emotional statements. We just want to hear out the others and listen well. We want answers on doctrinal beliefs, practices and actions. We will look at what both religions teach and promote peace.

    Yes, we have differences but we are saying God is one. When we meet, we will understand why I said this.

    But some Christians will say their God is not the same with the Islam…

    … I believe that is one of the stereotypes that promote intolerance. The Muslims don’t have a separate God; the Christians don’t have a separate God. God is one. It is what we believe about Him that differs. But sometimes our approaches to Him may be wrong and faulty. I believe God does not have a religion. He loves peace and won’t support the religious violence we have now. The conference won’t be a one-off. I believe we have to sustain it because the wall of hostilities will take years to dissolve.

    It’s important to talk because we have found out that some forces are behind the religious tensions in the world. They profit from it and we have to help Nigerians realise that someone could be triggering off the violent reactions we see sometimes some thousands of kilometers away for personal purposes.

    Are you saying some World Powers could be behind the religious tension in Nigeria?

    The truth is what we are seeing is a clash of foreign cultures. The Christians want to impose western values because they believe it is biblical. That is where the religion comes from, so they tend to want to see what obtains in the west here. That is what makes them feel Christianity is alive here.

    In the same vein, the Muslims want Arabic culture everywhere. To them, the more Arabic Nigerians look, the more Islam is spreading. That is the root cause of the religious tensions you see here.

    But is Nigeria going to ever get to a point where there won’t be religious tension again?

    I believe that time with come with better information and enlightenment and interaction. When people know the truth, they will act differently. What we are seeing playing out is a reflection of global tussle for supremacy between Christianity and Islam. That is the truth. You find hate preachers thinking they are working for God, not knowing the devil is using them to fulfill his agenda.

    We don’t like facing the truth and that is we are where we are. You cannot fight for God. You practise your religion in a way such that you don’t hurt or disturb the other person. That is what true religion means to me. The true reflection of religion is when you treat others well.

    What is your reaction to the chaos in the National Assembly?  

     What happened at the National Assembly was ungodly. God does not want such occurrences. It was more saddening that the senate president emerged after a deal with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members.

    The PDP ruled us for 16 years and we can all see the results. I urge the President to step in and take over otherwise Nigerians will hold him responsible if this current administration fails.

    How can we tackle the insecurity challenge in the nation?

    You see Boko Haram is borne out of the fact that Nigerians are ungodly. We have the highest number of churches and mosques yet we are morally bankrupt.

    You see Boko Haram is not a political, religious or ethnic problem. The battle against Boko Haram is of the Lord.

  • Nigerians deserve quality healthcare

    Are Nigerians getting value for their money in healthcare? No, says the Chairman, Brighthope Specialist Hospital Limited (BSH), Prof Rotimi Jaiyesinmi.

    According to him, Nigerians deserve quality healthcare but the university teaching hospitals and General Hospitals are not providing that.

    Jaiyesinmi, who spoke at the inauguration of BSH in Ikeja, Lagos, said the patient deserves the best treatment because without them there cannot be a hospital. The setup is centred on them, he added.

    He said the private sector should be at the forefront of healthcare because the government cannot do it alone, hence the need for public-private partnership (PPP).

    The availability of quality care, he said, would stop the people from seeking treatment overseas, adding: “Our mantra at BSH is to provide quality service to the patient.

    Commander, Nigeria Military Medical Corps, Major General Shina Ogunbiyi said the hospital is a one-stop-shop healthcare facility as it was built based on the current World Health Organisation’s concept of curative and preventive services in the same place.

    He said the  presence of hi-tech equipment and personnel will ensure that patients get the high quality treatment and as such curb health tourism.

    “I am fascinated with the paperless system. Everything is electronically organised. The e-record will ensure that accurate information on the patients is received when needed,” Ogunbiyi said.

  • 110m Nigerians live in extreme poverty, says Osinbajo

    One Hundred and ten million Nigerians live in extreme poverty, which accounts for the high illiteracy figures and shocking infant and maternal mortality rates. It is also the reason over a million Nigerians die yearly of preventable causes,Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has said.

    Delivering a lecture titled: Beyond Compliance: Imbibing a Culture of Business Integrity, at the Third Annual Christopher Kolade Lecture on Business Integrity in Lagos, Osinbajo said when a large swathe of the population is excluded, with no stake in society because of poverty, the society is endangered.

    Organised by the Convention on Business Integrity (CBi), a company limited by Guarantee, Prof. Osinbajo used the opportunity to highlight the present administration’s policies on anti-corruption and specifically business integrity. He said the Muhammadu Buhari administration was committed to the fight against corruption.

    According to the Vice President, poverty and corruption are two major related ills confronting the nation. “Poverty and corruption are two major related ills confronting  our society. My question is, how do we respond to the ethical dilemma of poverty amidst mindboggling wealth?

    “Corruption on the other hand is perhaps the single most potent cause of poverty. The systematic stealing of the commonwealth by a few individuals – in public and private sectors,” he said.

    Osinbajo while noting that it was not possible for anyone without integrity to still have integrity in his business, said, “Integrity must reflect in behaviour, it is an accepted standard.” He added that integrity should be an acceptable standard and aspiration of every business leader.

    While reiterating that the present administration’s vision and mission was to give meaning to the life of every Nigerian, he noted that the administration’s decision to fight corruption was in the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians.

    Osinbajopointed out that corrupt practices, weak public and private institutions, as well as public policies, were the greatest threat to the stability of the economy. “The most important thing is to do things right. It is important that what we do comply with the rule of law.

    “There is need to ensure that people’s rights are not trampled on. And there is need to ensure that people face the consequences for wrongful actions. That balance is necessary. The administration will ensure that loopholes compliance are plugged and those responsible for creating loopholes will face the consequence,” he said.

    Earlier in his opening remarks, Dr Christopher Kolade noted that Nigeria was a difficult place to practise integrity because corruption was perceived as the norm. “We use corruption in our conversations than we talk about integrity. Integrity should feature more in our conversations. Integrity is meant to be natural to human beings,” he said.

    The third in the edition, the annual Christopher Kolade lecture series is emerging as a forum for businesses to engage with experts and with each other on business integrity issues. The event addressed the existing and potential regulatory impetus for sound business practices, and urged businesses to improve their competitiveness by going beyond the letter of corporate governance codes and anti-corruption laws to imbibe the spirit of ethical business practice.

    The event was attended by top government dignitaries from the private and public sector as well as managing directors of private and public companies, members of the diplomatic corp and other notable stakeholders.

  • ‘Nigerians must be part of change’

    ‘Nigerians must be part of change’

    The Chief Imam of Lagos State House of Assembly, Dr AbdulHakeem Abdul Lateef has urged Nigerians to rise up and embrace change because President Muhammadu Buhari alone cannot change things.

    He made the call at the eighth edition of Ramadan lecture organised by the Chief Whip of the assembly, Hon Rotimi Abiru at Somolu.

    Dr AbdulLateef, in the lecture titled: The wind of change: Islamic perspective, regretted that despite Nigerians vote for change “some people who won election on the platform of change have decided to make that change impossible, because of their selfish and personal interest, by fraternizing with those who are against change and were rejected at the poll by the people”.

    He said: “If we are looking for true change, more responsible people should go into politics and government, because unless we do that, bad and irresponsible people will get in there, make bad policies and laws, and spoil things for everybody and the whole country.”

    He urged Muslims to be more active in politics.

    “You cannot sit down and allow bad leaders to destroy the country; you must get involved in politics actively,” he said.

    He condemned the 7th National Assembly describing it as “the most corrupt legislature the nation ever witnessed, saying “they refused to accord Lagos a special status and they sat down and passed 46 bills into law in just 10 minutes without looking at the bills or scrutinising them which has never happened in any legislature anywhere”.

    The former Lagos lawmaker said the country does not need constitutional amendment rather the people should rise and insist on the implementation of Chapter 2 of the 1999 constitution which guarantees welfare of citizens, employment, unemployment benefits, free education, old age benefit among others.

    Likewise, he said, Nigerians should also insist on the removal of Chapter 6 of the same constitution which says Chapter 2 is not justifiable.

    Abiru said the importance and impact of change in the greatness or development of any nation or society cannot be over emphasised.