The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nnamdi Azikiwe

  • Ghana celebrates Nigerian relationship at 60th Independence Day celebration

    Ghana celebrates Nigerian relationship at 60th Independence Day celebration

    Mr. William Awinador-Kanyirige, the High Commissioner of Ghana to Nigeria, says Nigeria played a fundamental role in attaining Ghana’s independence leading to a strong relationship between the two countries.

    Awinador-Kanyirige made this known at the celebration of the 60th Independence Day anniversary of Ghana which took place on Monday at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja.

    He said “the struggle of Ghana’s independence was a struggle not just by Ghanaians but by all Africans that were in that territorial region.

    “When we talk of the heroes of Ghana’s independence, we are also talking of the Nigerians that assisted us in that struggle although we don’t hear of them often.

    “Our independence is intertwined and when you dig into history, you realise that many Nigerians helped in enforcing the freedom of Ghana.

    “Take for instance the Ghana military, which has Hausa songs used to motivate the soldiers, was gotten from the interrelationship between the two countries.

    “Colonialists created the Officer Corp Training in Accra and the Police Training School in Kumasi where the great Nnamdi Azikiwe enrolled in before his mother took him out prior to his graduation day.

    “The history of our countries has been intertwined for decades and it’s not just the relationship between the military and the government but it is mainly in the relationship between the people of Ghana and Nigeria.

    “We hope this relationship gets stronger as we grow together.”

    Mr. Peter Iyamabo, who represented the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, urged Nigerians to continue supporting Ghana in order to improve bilateral trade and economic integration.

    “Like Nigeria, Ghana is currently carrying out reforms targeted at rebuilding the psyche of the people on issues of transparency and good governance.

    “I want to appeal to all Ghanaians present here to support the Ghanaian president, Nana Akufo-Addo, in his efforts to transform Ghana.

    “Nigeria and Ghana have both enjoyed economic and international relations as our two countries have signed a number of agreements aimed at fostering economic integration.

    “Nigeria remained determined in its resolve to implement bilateral agreements in order to ensure our people receive the full benefits.

    “The relationship between Ghana and Nigeria remains very promising and full of potentials, we should collectively build on existing political and economic cooperation that has been the hallmark of our partnership,” he said.

    The Charge d’Affaires at the Rwandan high commission, Mr. Protogene Nsengumuremyi, said Rwanda had experienced a good relationship with Ghana over the years and Rwandans were happy to celebrate Ghana’s milestone.

    “This is a big celebration and we wish Ghana a prosperous development ahead and I know that their growth will be beneficial to everyone they relate with.

    “Rwanda has an excellent relationship with Ghana and we have common political views and interests and that can be seen in our bilateral relationship which has grown stronger over the years.

    “We Rwandans are happy to join Ghana in celebrating their 60th independence anniversary and hope to continue such a relationship,” Nsengumuremyi, said.

    Rita Orji, Chairman House Committee on Nigerians in the Diaspora, said: “I must confess that Ghana is one of the countries that we have the best relationship with.

    “They know how to maturely handle and deal with issues that may bring about controversies or problems.

    “Ghana is three years older than Nigeria and the fight for our sovereignty involved similar people like Kwame Nkrumah, Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe and other prominent people.

    “There are many Nigerians who migrated from Nigeria and helped develop Ghana, therefore we see Ghanaians as our brothers.

    “Nigerians have come to celebrate Ghana’s 60th independence anniversary because Ghana has been a good friend and ally to Nigeria.”

     

  • Holiday in Enugu for Jonathan’s rally

    Holiday in Enugu for Jonathan’s rally

    Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime has declared tomorrow public holiday to enable the residents attend a rally for President Goodluck Jonathan.
    The rally is organised by the Enugu State Movement for the Re-Election of President Jonathan (EMJ).
    A statement by Information Commissioner Chuks Ugwoke said the rally would hold at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu at 10am.
    It said schools, markets, banks and other financial institutions would be closed.
    The statement urged relevant authorities to take note of the directive.
    It advised the residents to honour the President with a large turning at the rally.
    Also, The EMJ has cited what it called the President’s brave and unprecedented efforts to restore a sense of belonging to the Igbo in the country as the reason behind his popularity in Enugu and other South East States.
    Chairman of the group said to have been floated by Governor Chime, Barrister Charles Egumgbe stated this while briefing journalists on the pro-Jonathan rally.

  • Fashola blames Nigeria’s woes on dearth of professionals

    Fashola blames Nigeria’s woes on dearth of professionals

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has said Nigeria is battling with sundry developmental challenges because professionals in various sectors of the economy have failed to do the right thing at the right time.
    The governor, who spoke at a summit organised by Young Professionals Forum in Lagos, also blamed the situation on ethnic and religious sentiments.
    He was represented by the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat.
    Fashola said professionals should share the blame on Nigeria’s dwindling fortunes because of their failure to build on the gains of the past.
    The governor noted that rather than place value and merit first, the nation has become engrossed in religious and ethnic sentiments as the deciding factors for taking key decisions that shape the nation’s future.
    He said: “Our past leaders, like the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, built institutions, not people. That’s why we never forgot their names. But we have allowed those institutions to die. These are the challenges.
    “The problem we created for the country is that the professionals have left gaps that are not filled.
    “Today, we have collapsed buildings, but those buildings were signed up by some engineers. So, what is the professional engineering institution doing about that? Are the erring engineers sanctioned? Everybody now says it is the government. No, I am sorry; it is every one of us.”
    Citing Singapore, Fashola noted that the country leveraged on its people to rebuild its processes.
    The governor said Nigerian professionals should rise up to the challenge to rebuild the national processes.
    He said: “Singapore does not have any natural resources. The only thing it has is the people. They import water from Malaysia; they import sand from Indonesia. But they were able to rebuild their country because it was not about emotions. We have everything but the professionals in our country need to raise their game to make sure we don’t lose this country totally.”

    Fashola said Nigeria was gradually losing its place among the comity of nations because “we look at things that are not important”.

  • Freedom has no Father Christmas

    Freedom has no Father Christmas

    SIR: When those who have access to the public till, continue to squander the treasury without let, at the expense of the joint-owners, nobody needs tell the co-owners that the wealth that is being dissipated, should be questioned, as a “right”. But would such question arise, if the so-called disadvantaged or marginalised citizens sit-on-the-fence, and expect the miracle-of- freedom from the godfathers of dictatorship? Would the godfathers of tyranny ever agree to give freedom as a present to their subjects, whom they demand perpetual serfdom, servitude, and idiotic loyalty from?

    Knowing that the only way to continue to lord it over their subjects, is to continue to put them in the cage of submissiveness, dishing out occasional appeasement, through renting them as thugs, arsonists, terrorists, insurgents, assassins, bouncers, clowns, and hirelings, body-guards, with gifts not worth the sumptuous meals prepared for their dogs or pets, on a daily basis! Happily, we accept this vomit from our self-righteous masters, who if we summon-up the courage to confront, are not better than us, nor do they entertain nobler or worthier thoughts, or are they more gifted than us.

    They do not possess the unflinching believe in sacrifice, hard work, morality, values, that embody sane, refined humanity, which we represent. Yet, we entreat them to become our Father Christmas of freedom!

    Now, who has ever heard about any part of the universe, where freedom is presented on a platter of gold, with an e-mail, bearing liberation as an address?

    If freedom has a Father Christmas, then, it must be Nigerian rulers, who are known for their talent in fooling their subjects ( I mean the people), with all sorts of con-artistry, gimmicks, coupled with spoiling them with crumbs from their tables, and dulling their minds with fear and intimidation.

    And this type of freedom that forecloses positive thinking, and produces little minds that lynch great minds, and small men that kill giants, play devastating roles against the receivers of occasional presents, from the small men and little minds that govern them. But if the great minds and giants would someday recognise the fact that they have destroyed themselves, future, and posterity, by genuflecting on the altar of intellectual and moral midgets, at the helm of affairs in their country, and conclusively, seek among themselves for the liberators in their generation, and obstinately and massively queue behind them, freedom will be fought for, and won from small men and little minds, who have been their oppressors for ages.

    The example of South Africa is a living testament, of how the people identified, recognised their liberators, encapsulated in Nelson Mandela, and determinedly and massively queued behind them; today, they are respected globally, as mankind continues to eulogise the Madiba. There were Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, Aminu Kano, here yesterday, who were true Nigerian liberators, in every stretch of the imagination. But little minds and giant killers did not let them carry out total reformation, transformation, reinvention, reorientation of Nigeria! Yet, the Nigerian people whose plight have continued to nose-dive, fortunes mired in the greed and power-chasing madness of today’s Nigeria’s godfathers, god-sons and god-daughters, have refused to take their destinies in their hands!

     

    •Chinedu Ohaegbulam,

    Port Harcourt.

     

  • Govt begins evacuation of Nigerians from war-torn CAR

    Govt begins evacuation of Nigerians from war-torn CAR

    Evacuee gives birth to twins

    The federal government has brought back about 360 Nigerians home from war torn Central African Republic.

    They are the first batch of Nigerians to be evacuated from that country since the outbreak of the civil strife there.

    The returnees arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja yesterday.

    Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigerian Army and the Foreign Affairs Ministry are handling the evacuation process which will continue for the next five days.

    The United Nations says, nearly one million people have already been displaced from their homes in the clashes between Christian militias and the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel group that overthrew President Francois Bozize in March.

    Over 2000 Nigerians are said to be taking refugee at the Nigerian Embassy in Bangui from where they are taken to the airport for airlifting back home.

    One of the returnees, Mr. Ali Gani, an indigene of Borno State, said that he lost his wife in the crisis.

    “I am in grief,” he said.

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Martin Uhomoibhi, said that evacuation is continuing.

    Meanwhile, a woman, who was among the first batch of evacuees, gave birth to a set of twins on arrival in Nigeria at the weekend.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the woman went into labour while on board a chatered Arik Airline, which landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja at 8.30 p.m.

    Mr. Munzo Ezekiel, the Public Relations Officer in the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) told NAN that the woman was delivered of her twin baby boys by the agency’s medical team at 11 p.m.

    He said that the woman and the twins were in good condition at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport medical centre.

    Meanwhile, Ambassador Martin Uhomoibhi, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who received the evacuees at the airport, said 2000 Nigerians would be evacuated in the course of the exercise.

    Uhomoibhi said that the evacuation became necessary to protect the lives of Nigerians living in Central African Republic following political crisis that has engulfed the country.

    He said that the Federal Government gave the evacuation order in reaction to the political crisis in that country.

    NEMA’s Deputy Director, Planning, Research and Forecasting, Alhaji Alhassan Nuhu, told newsmen at the airport that the evacuees would be accommodated in the Hajj Camp at the airport.

    He said that NEMA was working with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in the various states to ensure the safe return of the evacuees to their states of origin.

    He said that the SEMAs and Local Emergency Management Committees were expected to ensure the transportation and subsequent integration of the evacuees into their communities.

    Some of the evacuees who spoke to NAN solicited government’s support to enable them start life afresh in Nigeria.

    Mr. Ali Gana, an evacuee, and an indigene of Bama in Borno who said he lost his wife in the crisis, said he returned home with his two children.

    “My wife left the place where we were taking refuge to look for her sister and never returned,” he said.

    Gana, who said he was traumatised, and was seen holding on to his crying three year-old daughter, added that he witnessed human beings being butchered in Bangui before escaping to the Nigerian Embassy.

    He lauded the Federal Government for coming to their rescue and expressed the hope that they would not be abandoned in the future.

    According to NAN most of the evacuees in the first batch were women, children and the sick.

    A NEMA official who accompanied the evacuees told NAN that most of the women were citizens of Bangui married to Nigerians.

  • Of high , discrepancies in varsities’ fees

    SIR: The federal government owned tertiary institutions, despite their irregularities and shortcomings remain the hope of many Nigerians in acquiring tertiary education. This is as a result of their low fee charges. These institutions are comparatively cheaper than their state and private counterparts, in terms of fees charged.

    The Federal Government has always subsidized these fees to the benefit of the average masses, which many of our today’s leaders and public officials benefited from. However, this practice of low fee charges is ebbing away, giving room to such practices one can hardly imagine.

    How can one understand or explain the situation where the federal universities have wide differences amongst them in the fees charged? How can one understand or explain the case where the rates of these differences are as high as 50%, 100% and above? In the 2012/2013 session, a fresh student was required to pay N45, 000 in Obafemi Awolowo University; N70, 000 in University of Lagos; N91, 000 in University of Benin; N70, 000 in University of Port Harcourt; N86,000 in Nnamdi Azikiwe University during registration.

    The mind boggling questions are: what are the causes for the non-harmonized charges in these institutions? What are really the bases for the great margin of differences in fees amongst federal schools?

    It is not only the disparities in fees charged that have to be called to question, but also the high amount; caused by the incessant increments by some of these schools. Many of the federal universities have become places where fees are hiked indiscriminately without considering the plight of the students some of who barely survive on campus.

    In the University of Port Harcourt, school fees have been on regular increase. In 2010/2011 session, the fee in the faculty of Management Sciences was N53, 300 for fresh students. In 2012/2013 session, it was increased to N69, 850. In the 2013/2014 session yet to commence, the system was totally changed with another increment. The school usually has all fees (except the accommodation fee) captured in the school fees payment receipt, including the acceptance fee. Now, in this new session, the acceptance fee of N30, 000 has to be paid, first, before access to the online registration. It was really alarming to discover that the acceptance fee was not captured in the school fees nalysis; which, now, amount to N77,000. Going by the information on the webpage of the institution, it is clear that anyone given admission by the school this 2013/2014 session would have to pay whooping amount of N107, 000, aside accommodation fee (N19,500). Isn’t this outrageous?It is

    high time the federal government, through its relevant agencies, looked into these excesses. Government, through its agencies, must be all out in monitoring the management processes of our institutions to rid them of corruption at all levels. Also a platform that would enable students make necessary complaints of the unjust practices by school authorities without fear should be provided by the government as this will promote accountability.

    It will amount to defeating the objectives of revamping our tertiary education if many people are denied access to them through unscrupulously high and increasing fees.

    • Simon Tochi

    University of PortHarcourt

    Rivers State

  • Tinapa excites with Africa International Film Festival

    Tinapa excites with Africa International Film Festival

    The Arik Air wing at the local airport in Lagos, witnessed a sparse gathering of curious passengers and airport workers, who appeared thrilled by the influx of local and foreign movie stars on ground to catch a chartered flight to Calabar, host of the ongoing Africa International Film Festival (FRIFF).

    The buzz at the Calabar airport swelled with more participants arriving enroute the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport for the journey to the popular Tinapa Business Resort, where the 224 rooms at the Lakeside Hotel were overrun by guests, with a heavy spill to other hotels in the city centre.

    Between Tinapa and The Marina, another resort centre in town, which houses the popular Filmhouse, the busy traffic of film enthusiasts portrays what many described as a visible success of a festival, which started three years ago.

    Wife of the governor of Cross River Mrs. Obioma Imoke, who welcomed the delegates after a dazzling red carpet show kick-starting the week-long event on Sunday night, could not curtail her excitement: “I’m excited to be here and we are most honoured to host this event,” said Mrs Imoke, who apologised for her husband’s absence.

    Governor Liyel Imoke, she noted, had led the victorious Golden Eaglets to a national reception in Abuja.

    “You haven’t been to Nigeria if you haven’t been to Calabar,” an elated Mrs Imoke told her guests during the cocktail reception that preceded the screening of the festival’s opening movie; Of a Good Report.

    “Here is the place to be really”, she stated with emphasis, beaming with smiles. “Please get something to eat because we are known for our cuisine and I want to assure you we are going to have a blast. Cross River is the home of Tinapa, Obudu, and the 32-day long festival, which climaxes with our famous Carnival Calabar. Please have fun.”

    With such unusual brief remark by a government functionary, and bankroller of a huge budget event, such as AFRIFF 2013, the mood was set for the real business of filmmaking devoid of the usual show-off activities by government-sponsored events.

    If there was any best way to start a film festival, the choice of an opening film is a factor. AFRIFF appeared to have chosen right by screening the controversial Of a Good Report, which was banned initially in its country of origin, for what the censorship board described as its marks of child pornography. Thus, the debate started among filmmakers at the event on where to draw the line between classification and an outright ban of a work of art.

    The movie, which has been to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), among others sharply divided opinion because of its theme, graphic nature and sexually explicit scenes. Of a Good Report revolves round a teacher, who has an immoral relationship with his 16-year-old female student, puts her in the family way and procures an illegal abortion for her to cover his tracks.

    The event, which also focuses on panel discussions, workshops and master classes, has over 40 actors, directors and producers from other countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Rome, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Cameroun.

    The foreign artistes are joined by a flurry of Nollywood stars in adding verve to the event, which has Rita Dominic and Lynn Withfield as ambassadors. Others are Desmond Elliot, Kunle Afolayan, Omoni Oboli, Chinedu Ikedieze (Aki), Uche Jombo, Chioma Chukwuka-Akpotha, Bharia Mcwizu, Kemi Lala-Akindoju and  OC Ukeje.

    There are also Nigerian actors and producers based in the Diaspora at the event. They include Jude Idada, Gbenga Akinnagbe and the model and actor, Ngoli Ngor Onyeka Okafor.

    AFRIFF, as its counterparts in Pan African Film Festival (FESPACO), Ouagadougou and Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), South Africa, records a remarkable celebration of the African cinema as a number of outstanding movies are being screened at Filmhouse Cinemas. There is an abundance of feature films, documentaries, short films and student short films in the festival, perhaps the largest collection so far, in a Nigerian domicilled film festival.

    Some of the films in competition at the festival include I number number, Hoodrush, Daughters of the Niger Delta, Clouds over Conakry, B for Boy, Hillside Crowd, Drama Consult, Thousand Suns and The Man Who Wanted to Move a Mountain. There is also A Mile from Home, The Virgin, the Copts and Me, Africa Shafted, The Flower Girl, Durban Poison and Creation in Exile.

    If there is a remarkable recreation that filmmakers have shared in recent times, the daily AFRIFF after-event party will be a moment to remember. The AFRIFF Village Hangout at dusk offers free drinks and finger foods amid trendy music from an in-house Disc Jockey. The level of grooving by the artistes can simply be described as wow!

    The festival will round off this Sunday; with a glamorous award ceremony where prizes will be given in 11 categories. The closing event is expected to be attended by Governor Imoke, among other government officials of Cross River.

  • FG hands over Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium to Enugu govt

    FG hands over Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium to Enugu govt

    The Federal Government has formally handed back the management of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium to the Enugu State Government.

    At the handover ceremony held yesterday at the Government House, Enugu, the representative of the Federal Government and Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye, said that the event followed the approval by President Goodluck Jonathan, of an application to that effect made by the Enugu State Government.

    He noted that the state had over the years collaborated with the Federal Government in maintaining and rehabilitating the Stadium saying it had made huge financial investments in the provision of vital facilities for the successful hosting of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2009.

    Hon. Elegbeleye added that “This act convinced the Federal Government that the Enugu State Government was capable of maintaining the Stadium in line with approved international standards”.

    Noting that Sports was a unifying factor and a tool for international diplomacy and creation of wealth, he enjoined other states in the country to emulate the Enugu State example in the development and maintenance of sports infrastructure. He further commended the reactivation of the School Sports by the State Government saying that it will greatly enhance the discovery of talents for the benefit of the country.

    Chime expressed delight at the return of the Stadium to the State assuring that it will be better managed under the state ministry of Sports and Youth Development.

    He said that his request for the return of the Stadium was prompted by the decision of the Federal Government to sell some of the facilities there adding that this had prompted anxiety in the State that the whole Stadium could be sold to outsiders.

    The governor commended President Jonathan for his prompt response to his request and assured that the Stadium will not only be well managed but will also be open to an accessible to all and sundry.

    “All we are interested in is just to promote sports. Take our assurances on this to the Federal Government and be rest assured that the standard will go up rather than go down”, Governor Chime said.

  • Stowaway’s action stirs fresh security debate

    Stowaway’s action stirs fresh security debate

    How did he get into the wheel of the Lagos-bound Arik Air plane undetected at the Benin Airport in Edo State last Saturday? Some say thay saw him going under the plane, yet nothing was done to fish him out until the plane took off and landed in Lagos. Did he do it alone or was he aided? KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR reports.

    SOMETHING must have wrong. What went wrong remains the question. If nothing had not gone wrong, tenager Daniel Ihekina, would not have accessed the wheel well of an Arik Air plane to stow away.

    Since that incident, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Arik Air have been bickering over what went wrong. None wants to accept blame.

    While FAAN is blaming the airline for the lapse, Arik is pointing fingers at the authority. It challenged the authority to explain how the teenager beat security checks at the Benin Airport in Edo State to hide in the wheel well of a plane.

    Arik said: ”We are worried by the incessant security lapses at our airports. We are appealing to the management of FAAN to immediately address the problem.”

    FAAN Managing Director George Uriesi said the authority has taken steps to ensure that all airports are secured through the phased airport perimeter fencing that started a few years.

    He said the government’s assessment tests have been carried out to block leakages, adding that FAAN is training its personnel on how to secure the airports.

    FAAN’s General Manager, Corporate Communication (FAAN), Mr Yakubu Dati, said perimeter fencing remains one of the cardinal areas in the airport infrastructure project, saying since 2011, the authority has worked out a schedule for the fencing.

    He cited airports where the operational and non-operational areas have been completed, to include Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, Margeret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar, and the Port Harcourt International Airport.

    Dati said the authority had acquired some operational vehicles for its security personnel to carry out surveillance on the airside, to prevent interference.

    The personnel were being trained, adding there is huge investment in technology.

    A security expert Babatunde Olu said FAAN should de-emphasise physical security and focus on intelligence gathering and use of technology.

    “The security protocols implemented at any airports are not only those things you can see with your eyes, or hear; a lot evolve from a well-articulated and approved national security programme, which is a resultant document based on a painstakingly documented security risk assessment and safety management system.”

    He said the training of security staff and other security operatives was also required.

    Last year, security agencies devised ways of securing the airports. The personnel from FAAN, security unit, Nigeria Police, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, State Security Service, National Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Air Force promised to redouble their efforts at improving security.

    Deputy Commissioner of Police, Airport Command, Mr Haliru Gwandu, said the synergy among the agencies must be strengthened to keep potential unauthorised persons at bay from the airport.

    Gwandu called for more logistics for the Police to do their job, especially in perimeter patrol, arrest of miscreants and other unlawful interferences on the land and airside.

    He appealed to the authorities to put the right pegs in the right holes to avoid compromise among security agencies, adding that security is everyone’s duty.

    Other participants called for the deployment of the latest security technologies to assist airport security agencies achieve success in protecting the airports and its teeming passengers.