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Tag: poor

  • ‘Welfare of the poor is collective responsibility’

    ‘Welfare of the poor is collective responsibility’

    Quite often, issues concerning the less-privileged people in the society are treated with disdain. People are concerned about what benefits them and their families. Less thought is spared for the well-being of the poor.

    Bothered by the development, some social organisations have taken it upon themselves to care for the comfort of those Franz Fanon regarded as the wretched of the earth in his book of the same title.

    The Rotary Club of Oyo Metropolis is one of these organisations that have made the welfare of the poor a priority.

    The club, which was chattered in 2005, has since been performing well in its efforts to serve humanity.

    Among the projects it has executed include donation of Mikano power generating set, sinking of borehole and donation of life resuscitator to the State Hospital, Oyo; building of kitchen shed at the School of the Handicapped, Durbar, Oyo; sinking of deep-well at the Ajegunle Market as well as donation of over N500, 000 worth of equipment to the physically-challenged students of the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo.

    Others included free hernia surgery for over 100 residents; sponsorship of a polio victim, Wasiu Yussuf’s education for seven years, provisions of wheelchairs for more than 100 other victims as well as sinking of borehole at Akeetan Bale Market.

    Recently, the club elected, Mr. Olajide Olanipekun as its President and would oversee the its affairs for one year (2016-2017).

    In his acceptance speech, Olanipekun stressed the need for individuals to be more interested in the well-being of the less-privileged people in the society.

    He said: “It is true that organisations that take care of vulnerable people are in existence but, the question is how many are they? How can these crippled, blind, deaf and dumb people approach them unaided?

    “Until the welfare of the less-privileged persons is regarded as a collective responsibility, we will still find it difficult to identify with the needy around us. Individuals should therefore adopt a hospitable nature that would enable them to see the needy as people who should be cared for and not ostracised.

    “Little acts of enterprise by these less-fortunate neighbours of ours should be encouraged by our patronage, to give them a sense of belonging. This is what the Rotary Club is all about. “Communities should also team up with some care givers by creating centres where the homeless, vulnerable and helpless can be attended to. By so doing, people will be encouraged to volunteer help for the homes financially and in other ways.”

    Olanipekun further explained that projects executed by the club were carried out through contributions from members and donations from well-meaning individuals.

    “The Rotary Club is poised to contribute more to alleviate poverty in Oyo town and its environs through projects that will put smiles on the faces of the less-privileged people in the society,” he said.

    The President reeled off some of the ongoing projects being carried out by the club to include, vocational training and empowerment for more than 100 residents, adoption of St. Patrick’s Catholic Primary School Fiditi and Community Grammar School, Ladigbolu, Oyo,  for donation of educational materials such as chairs, desks, books and renovation of the school’s classrooms.

    Others, according to him, are donation of over N1 million worth of exercise books to pupils and students of primary and secondary schools in all the four local government areas that make up Oyo metropolis; provision of toilet facilities in some areas within the metropolis and organisation of career talks in secondary schools in a bid to mentor the younger ones.

     

  • ‘Akeredolu ’ll halt poor governance’

    ‘Akeredolu ’ll halt poor governance’

    The Head of the Communication Unit of the Akeredolu Campaign Organisation, Mr. Bola Ajimoda, has berated Governor Olusegun Mimiko for running Ondo State aground in the last seven and half years and for giving a false impression about the state of affairs in the Sunshine State through the use of propaganda.

    Speaking when he paid a courtesy visit to the Vintage Press Limited, publishers of the The Nation, Ajimoda said Mimiko’s tenure has been one of wanton destruction, tragedy and colossal failure.

    He added: “Go to Ondo State today, there is no economy that people can rely on; there is no thriving industry, agriculture has collapsed, the education sector has collapsed, there is massive unemployment and virtually everything has collapsed. The government currently owes workers over eight months’ salary arrears and pensioners for over two years.

    “Our people are eagerly looking forward to a change of baton in Ondo and we are there to provide an alternative to them. So, it is not about PDP, but about dividends of democracy, which is what our party represents today in Ondo State.”

    Ajimoda said the people are regretting giving Mimiko a second-term mandate, adding that they are desirous of seeing the kind of government in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Edo states replicated in Ondo State.

    He said: “This election is about the future of Ondo State, about the future of the children and about the quality of life of the people and the electorates at looking for a political platform that can guarantee these. They have tried somebody and his political party for seven and half years, with no positive result.”

    The spokesman said Ondo State does not need a traditional or a conventional politician in a period of recession like the one the country is currently in; adding: “What the state needs is an administrator, a professional who will see the revival of the economy as his primary responsibility; by diversifying its productive base. This person is no one else but Rotimi Akeredolu, the APC flag bearer.

    “There is going to be an entrepreneurial revolution that would rely on the agrarian potentials of the state. The industries that were set up during the regime of the late Michael Adekunle Ajasin have collapsed. Within the first 160 days, he is going to hit the ground running, by setting machinery in motion to resuscitate the ailing industries. If we open up the maritime sector of the state, we will compete favourably with Lagos State.”

    On the internal crisis rocking the APC, he said such conflicts are inevitable when human beings team up to achieve collective goals, especially in politics. He added: “But, the beauty of our own scenario is that we have a party that has a robust internal mechanism to resolve such conflicts as they arise.

    “I have said it times without number that conflict is an essential ingredient of growth in every society. So, when they arise, we must be able to nip them in the bud. We have been talking and we are reaching out to people who have one grievance or the other. As relates to membership of the party, all of us are united behind the candidate of our party, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu. We are still talking to them and we will keep talking to them.”

  • Reaching out to the poor

    Reaching out to the poor

    Members of the Christian Medical and Dental Students Association (CMDA) at the Abia State University (ABSU) in Uturu have visited Mgboko community in Obingwa Local Government Area to give free medical care to residents. UCHECHUKWU AMANZE (300-Level Medicine and Surgery) reports.

    In line with the teaching of Jesus Christ, who enjoined the strong to show care to the weak, members of the Christian Medical and Dental Students Association (CMDA) at the Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu visited Mgboko community in Obingwa Local Government Area to organise a free medical crusade.

    The outreach, which lasted for two days, featured evangelism during which the students moved from one household to another to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Afterwards, the students invited the villagers to a crusade at Umuhuaba Isikor Primary School in the evening.

    In his sermon, Dr Godwin Uwaoma urged the villagers to return to God, admonishing them to desist from diabolical activities. He said there was no problem too big for God to solve, calling on members of the congregation to give their lives to Christ.

    When altar calls were made at the crusade, many villagers came out of the congregation to give their lives to Christ and become born again. Uwaoma said prayers for them and led the baptism rite for them.

    The following morning, students visited each household in the villagers, engaging the residents in morning devotion and also reminding them of the free medical service which was scheduled to hold that day. The outreach started a few minutes past 8pm.

    Nancy Nwagboso, a 500-Level student, sensitised the villagers on dental hygiene. She said: “Dental hygiene is the act of taking proper care of the oral cavity and its component. It involves everything one can do to promote the health of the teeth. The teeth must be washed properly with a brush and tooth paste, at least twice daily.”

    Addressing the gathering, the traditional ruler of the village, His Royal Highness Eze Friday Ubani, welcomed the students to the community. He praised them for considering the community for the outreach, describing the gesture as generous. He advised his subjects to give their maximum cooperation to make the event successful.

    The villagers received free medical check up, diabetes screening, hypertension, body mass index, malaria, retroviral syndrome (RVS), urinalysis and eye test. Also, the students distributed free drugs to the beneficiaries. No fewer than 400 indigenes of Mgboko benefited from the outreach.

    Apart from the free medical services, the students also donated materials, such as clothes, shoes, tooth brushes, tooth pastes, biscuits and soft drinks to the villagers.

    Another crusade was held at the primary school. Nkasi Enyichi, who presided as officiating minister, harped on the need for the villagers to receive spiritual salvation, saying it was only through their belief in God that the drugs distributed to them could function effectively.

    A villager, Mr Paul Nwaduru, hailed the students for the gesture. He urged them to keep up the “good work”, while praying to God to grant the students an “endless mercy” for bringing the outreach to the village.

    Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Chisomebi Obi-Ekekwe, a 300-Level Medicine and Surgery student, said she was thrilled by the warm reception accorded them. She said the outreach was successful, because they saved many of the villagers plagued by diseases which could be avoided if proper hygiene had been maintained.

    According to the president of the association, Ikenna Dick, the outreach is an annual programme aimed at assisting with the medical needs of people in rural communities. It also provides opportunities for ABSU medical students to gain practical knowledge about community health.

  • NUT, ASUU, WAEC, others: why education standard is poor

    NUT, ASUU, WAEC, others: why education standard is poor

    Stakeholders are not happy with the state of education, 56 years after the country’s Independence. They blame the government for what they call the neglect of ‘this critical sector’. ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA, OLUWATOYIN ADELEYE and MOJISOLA CL

    After 56 years of Independence, how has education fared in Nigeria? Not well, say stakeholders in their assessment of the sector. Reason: poor funding, dearth of infrastructure and policy that can deepen the sectors growth. The government, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) argued, should be blamed for the sector’s poor performance.

    ‘Successive governments, it said, failed to put education on the front burner.

    A statement by WAEC’s Head, Public Affairs, Demianus Ojijeogu said: “In recent years, the total neglect of education by successive governments both at the federal and state levels, became so obvious that it was staring us in the face. Several warnings from those that should know where we are headed in terms of education went unheeded.

    “The infrastructure was not there. And where it was, it was in a decayed state. One of the indices for national development is education. But we went on, as a nation, for a very long time pretending that nothing was wrong. That led to the emergence of private schools. Later, our children started looking towards Ghana, South Africa and even Togo and Benin Republic for quality education. And we had one strike too many.”

    It continued:  “At a time, due to the poor performance of candidates in our examinations, there was pressure on the council to lower its standards. But having been conducting examinations for more than 60 years now, we knew the solution does not lie in awarding high grades to undeserving candidates. And that was why we wrote to all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, urging them that we can partner with them to train their teachers and also avail them with our numerous resources and materials that will help them raise students with intellectual capability.

    “Education is more than writing examinations. The conducive environment required for teaching and learning to take place should be created.  Adequate remuneration for teachers should be paramount. Laboratories and libraries should be equipped. Parents should be vitally involved in the education of their children. Paying their school fees won’t be enough. The society should also reward students that did well in WASSCE by instituting awards like they do for Project Fame and others.”

    To the Academic Staff Unions of Universities (ASUU), there is no difference in the present government’s approach to public universities with those of past administrations.

    It said the trend could not be allowed to continue because the common man’s future lies in public education.

    ASUU National President Prof Abiodun Ogunyemi recalled that at independence in 1960, the nationalists conceptualised education as a springboard for development. He said up to 40 per cent of the budget was earmarked for education, thereby paving the way for the establishment of first generation universities such as, the University of Lagos; University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University); and University of Nigeria Nssuka (UNN).

    The trend, Ogunyemi noted, continued in the Second Republic with the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, among others, championing quality education.

    Things, he said, began to change from former head of State, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo’s era. Some Nigerians, Ogunyemi said, then  saw education as their private property and began  a gradual commercialisation of the sector. Education nosedived from then on through the Buhari-Idiagbon regime, and up to former Gen Ibrahim Babangida’s eight-year rule.

    Ogunyemi said: “Today, you see the proliferation of private schools everywhere. They first began with primary and secondary schools and they are now some of the biggest investors in private universities.

    “By 1985, these people started rolling back government support for public education. By the time Obasanjo took over as civilian president in 1999, some politicians now saw public schools as their private properties.

    “ASUU has fiercely resisted this to date, but for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank that will not let go because they are the forces of neo-liberalism.

    “ASUU believes it is public education that will give Nigerians a sense of patriotism. So, if government is saying it has no business in public education, what they are saying is that individuals should fund themselves to acquire education anywhere.

    “So, if my parent has to steal to send me abroad, that means once I graduate, my brain will be for the highest bidder rather than saying I want to come back and use the same brain to develop my fatherland.”

    The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) makes a case for standard in the sector. Education, it said,  began a downward slope when the military came into power in 1966.

    “Our leaders have gotten education wrong right from the military coup of 1966 when attention was redirected from education to other areas,” NAPPS National Vice President Chief Yomi Otubela said, adding: “Government at all levels should be able to set a standard for education for private individuals to follow. Failure to do this has brought in mushroom schools, unqualified teachers, and proprietors who have come into education for material gain and not passion. There is no will-power by the government to clampdown on these low standard schools, because even many public schools are mushroom schools.”

    The group continued: “Teachers’ motivation is so low and teaching schools are not standardised. The Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) is not motivating teachers, so this has led to half-baked teachers and graduates who cannot defend their certificates.”

    NAPPS blamed it all on erosion of values, saying: “The crave for materialism and show of wealth by those in authority have led to a decay in our values in Africa. Parents no longer prioritise their children’s education so they keep them at home, use them to make money, or they just send them to mushroom schools where they would not get quality education.”

    To enable it assist the sector, the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Registrars of Private Universities in Nigeria (CVCRTU) is appealing for single digit or interest-free loans. It also appealed for access to  research funds and soft loans or scholarship for students.

    Speaking with The Nation the association’s Chairman, Prof Debo Adeyemo said private universities,  were major stakeholders that deserve more financial attention from the government.

    Adeyemo said no private university could claim to be making profit, as a lot of investment went into acquiring infrastructure and maintaining students.

    He said: “We need access to funding as this will allow us have the ambience of an ecosystem to commensurates with that kind of atmosphere conducive for learning and research in universities.

    “There are secondary schools that charge three times what we charge in private universities; yet nobody bates an eyelid. It is government that creates this impression that private school charges are high.

    “In my school (Redeemer University) for instance, each hostel room is shared by two students which is quite expensive to run. But government will charge N90 per person in public school making some parents to now view what we charge as quite high.

    “Now tell me, what can N90 achieve with respect to students accommodation? That is why we see students overcrowding unkempt hostels across many public institutions nationwide.

    “We also want government to open research funding opportunity for us. It is ridiculous when people say because we are private universities, we cannot enjoy government funding. Go to America, universities there, regardless of whether public or private, have unfettered access to research funding. Any research from our engagement will be profitable to both the nation and the world.

    “In all, I think government should simply remove encumbrances to  the growth of private universities. We believe in quality and we should allow quality in our ivory towers if we must compete globally.”

    The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) berated the government for what it called the poor  funding of polytechnics.

    Its President, Yussuf Dutse Usman, decried the absence of governing councils in federal polytechnics for about 18 months, saying the development has slowed down policy implementation.

    “Generally for us, the performance of government has not been in anyway impressive as there is no significant improvement in funding,” Usman said.

    “Government has not yet fulfilled the agreement it signed with us in 2006 for the overall welfare of polytechnics.  Also many of our colleagues at the state level are being owed salary arrears and this is affecting their performance. We at federal institutions are facing similar challenges as our salaries are not adequate because of what government calls a shortfall,” he added.

    “For about a year and a half now, governing council of federal institutions nationwide have not been in place. This is our greatest headache as most decisions, which could have been taken for the smooth running of administration are being delayed. We are using this opportunity to appeal to the government to reconstitute the governing councils as quickly as possible,” he said.

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), urged the government to invite the stakeholders for talks on  changing the education curriculum to meet current economic demands.

    “This (economic) recession is not only affecting our members, but all Nigerians,” said NUT National President Michael Alogba Olukoya.

    He added: “We need to sit down (with government), discuss economic diversification and also change our curriculum to meet the enormity of the economic demands in our country.”

    EMENT-OMOBOWALE report:

  • ASUU laments poor funding of Kebbi varsity

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed concern over what it described as ‘unacceptable’ way the Kebbi State Government was handling its Science and Technology University, Aliero ( KSUSTA).

    Sokoto Zonal Coordinator of the union, Dr. Lawal Alkali Argungu, complained at a briefing in Sokoto, that apart from poor funding, the state had failed to constitute a governing council for the university.

    “This is indicative of how the state government has relegated the issue of education in the state to the background.  With the monthly overhead of N5 million only, since inception to date, the university can be considered abandoned by the government.

    “The state government has left the university without a Governing Council for over one year.

    “ASUU is appealing to the Kebbi State Government not to force the campus to industrial restiveness unnecessarily, because the issue of Governing Council is a serious business in any university system,” he said.

    Argungu also said the union had an “understanding” with Governor Atiku Bagudu, to the effect that, the Council was going to be constituted.

    “And, thereafter, the council will procedurally address the rest of the contentious issues as presented by ASUU/KSUSTA.  As a union, we believe any university without a Governing Council is just like a ship without a captain. KSUSTA has been a peaceful campus since inception. It has never had any course to embark on indefinite strike action,” he said.

    Argungu appealed to eminent Kebbi indigenes and others to prevail on the government to redress the ugly trend.

    “The state government should attend to its responsibilities on the University without further delay in the interest of peace and industrial harmony,” he said.

     

  • Insurers ‘need to redeem poor image’

    Insurers ‘need to redeem poor image’

    Insurance operators need to redeem the industry’s poor image to enable them maximise the untapped potential in the economy, Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has said.

    The governor, represented by his Deputy, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga, made this known while declaring open the  Insurance Professionals’ Forum organised by the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

    He stated that the theme of this year’s forum: The insurance industry, national economic shift & new business realities, could not have been more apt, as there were more than ever before in the history of the nation, the need for diversification of the economy.

    He said insurance firms should make maximum use of the investment opportunities available to them to strengthen their liquidity position to enable them meet the claims of policyholders, companies whenever the need arises.

    He stressed that such effort would help restore public confidence in the ability of the industry to deliver and redeem its obligations to clients.

    He observed that many Nigerians were yet to embrace the culture of patronising insurance firms, hence, the need for the Institute to engage in public education and enlightenments programmes that would enlist the interest of the people in the business.

    He called on the operators to extend some of their programmes to the rural areas, to enable them tap the potentials at the grassroots.

    He said: “There is the need too for insurance companies to redesign their products and services in such a way that would meet the need in the ever changing behavioural pattern of our people. In doing so, concerted efforts should be made to ensure that the economic environment and social behaviour of our people are integrated into the policy formulation and marketing strategy objective of the insurance companies.

    “Another area which the insurance industry is yet to fully explore is the life policy and pension insurance scheme. This can really make long term funds available for profitable investment in the insurance sector. It seemed to me that lack of insurance life portfolio has made our insurance companies to be caught in the web of low investments and needless competitions with other actors in the money market”.

    Speaking on diversification, the Governor said it had dawned on everybody of the need to diversify the economy to the non-oil sector and as major players, insurance professionals must come up with robust ideas and policies that could help cushion the fall in revenue in the economic process.

    “Undoubtedly, as the call for the diversification of the economy is on the increase, and investors are being wooed to invest in agriculture, mining, export promotion, among others, this gathering through robust deliberations, must come up with possible template that would not only assure investors of the safety of their investment, but that would ensure them of insurance driven environment which will bring high yields on their investments.

    “Without doubt, the prevailing social economic situation in our economy requires that the Institute should attempt a critical reappraisal of some of the contemporary issues in the professional practice of insurance business in order to promote the industry,” he said.

    Commissioner for Insurance, Mohammed Kari, urged insurance professionals to act professionally, adding that failure to observe this tenet in the past caused the industry so much injury.

    “The time has indeed come for us to speak professionally and act like the true insurance professionals we claim to be in the course of performing or conducting our business. Our failure to observe this tenet in the past has caused the industry so much reputational injury. I am glad to say the current efforts of the underwriters to change the perception of the public about insurance are timely and laudable. All other sectors should join in with their widow’s might to ensure the success of the project,” he said.

    CIIN President, Lady Isioma Chukwu, urged insurance professionals to key into the vision of the government’s economic diversification activities and position the industry appropriately.

  • Discos not to blame for poor power supply

    Recently in Kenya, there was a blackout for four  hours and its  people wondered what   happened.

    Later, the power generating firm KenGen in a statement, blamed  a monkey, which tripped on an equipment in an hydro power  plant for the problem.

    The generation company (GenCo) said though the monkey survived, Kenya lost 183megawatts (Mw)  during the blackout. It apologised to consumers, promising to secure its facilities from  such hazards in future.

    I  can’t help admiring the way  the  firm handled the matter efficiently. Of  course most Nigerians will argue that the power supply in Kenya is not compared with  that of Nigeria because it is erratic here and blackouts are more.

    I agree with them.  This is because  the Kenyan  power firm has been allowed to do its public relations without  any pressure and without  any  ‘monkey’ tricks  or  interference from any  quarters  on the source  of  power  failure.

    In  Nigeria, however,  the way  blackouts  are  explained is different. The  culprits are  the distribution companies (Discos) that deliver electricity to our homes and companies.

    This has been reinforced by the   hostile  attitude of the trade unions in the power sector in that they mobilised consumers against the discos. Take the case of when tariffs were approved for the discos by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commissionwere announced early  this year.

    The unions instigated even  the Senate  to stop  the tariffs hike and  NERC went  to  court  to accuse the Senate of usurping  its  legitimate  function as the regulator  of electricity. The unions  did  not  stop there; they asked workers to go on strike on the new  electricity  tariffs as if it is  the same thing with the fuel price increase to N145 on which  they called out workers on strike recently.

    This  is  despite  that discos don’t  generate or transmit electricity,  but  only  deliver  to  consumers  when it is   is available.

    Stakeholders in the electricity  industry include the Nigerian  Electricity Bulk  Trading  Company, gencos, discos  and transmission  companies. How come then that the union  leaders are always  pointing fingers at  the  discos when  there is a power  failure?  As  the  Kenyan  example  has  shown, it was  a genco  that explained  what  happened, not a disco.

    In  Nigeria, it  is true that pipeline vandalism  has  reduced  the generation and transmission of electricity  not  to  talk of distribution, which is the responsibility  of the discos.  But,  then,  can  the  discos  distribute  what  they  don’t  have?

    True, the gencos cannot generate power  when they don’t  have the  basic  ingredients to  do so and even  when  sources  of  such  generation  have  been rendered  unproductive  or inactive  by  vandals.  In  Kenya,  the  genco  was  lucky  that it was a  monkey that  cut  power  for hours  only.

    It  is  an army  of vandals  that  are stalling electricity production daily    and  they have  even  metamorphosed into  a virile terrorist group  called  the Avengers  of the Niger  Delta  who  are daring   and taxing  the  federal    might.

    That really is the core  of the matter  and  that  is what the unions should  focus on as the cause of irregular electricity supply.

    Therefore,  the  discos,  which  are  at  the receiving end  of the poor electricity supply chain,  should  not  be blamed  by  the  unions.

     

    • Aliu, an analyst, writes from Kano

  • How to avoid poor parenting

    Dear Harriet, As a young parent, I will like you to kindly give counsel on the causes of inattentive parenting.

    Mrs Mercy D.  Abuja

    Your question is a serious cause for concern because inattentive parenting is a major factor for the challenges in our society today.

    The common argument is that we have to work, so that we can provide for our family. That’s true, but in the process, your role as a parent or guardian must not be neglected. For example, people who are raised in an environment of indifference with lack of proper attention, love, and care from parents or guardians in their childhood are often face with challenges.

    Parenting is joyous, but difficult. It is hard enough to juggle the many demands of life. Some people find giving appropriate attention and care to one more children on top of the already considerable responsibilities of marriage and career as a nearly impossible job while others succeed easily. However, here are a few factors that can lead to inattentive parenting.

    Family breakdown: Divorced and single parenting, for instance, create stress on parents. The anger and pain a parent experiences from divorce, or loss of a loved one may overshadow his /her attitude towards members of the family. For example, after a divorce, many a times, one parent is left alone to accomplish the full responsibility of parenting, in addition there may be extra financial burden, beginning a new career for self-improvement, getting into a new relationship. These might serve as a distraction and may lead to less or no attention on the children and other members of the house.

    Single parenting, on the other hand, is an overwhelming task. It is very difficult for single parent to find the proper balance for his needs and that of his family, most especially if the reason for being single is as a result of loss of a loved one. However, some parents are admirably attentive to their children’s needs bearing in mind that they are all they have got.

    Too often teenagers’ emotional needs for attention, affection and support are neglected.

    Poverty: This is the most common cause of neglect because a parent does not have the resources to provide all the necessary needs of the family can result to neglect. Many causes related to poverty increase the likelihood of neglect or inattention, are single parent, multiple siblings and so on.

    Furthermore, locomotive lifestyle in today’s fast pace world, both parents sometimes feel pressured to work. They leave home very early only to get home when the children are in bed. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with both parents working, but they should try as much as possible to balance the home front. This cuts across every class, upper, middle and low class. To avoid neglecting our children as we go out there working for the good of our family, without knowing, parents should remember to be involved by playing a major role

    Multiple siblings can also be a cause for neglect; it is not difficult to see how multiple siblings in a family can make it harder to invest interest and attention in each child. Take for example, as the youngest among other siblings in a family, Bisi never got individual attention from her parents. They were both busy working and trying to keep up with bills a larger family can so easily incur. Bisi’s parents were never available or interested in attending any of her school activites. Infact, they did everything they could to discourage her from pursuing extracurricular interest, citing the additional financial burden such involvement would cause. Bisi felt loved, but neglected in this situation.

    Parent preoccupation with the social ladder: Parents tend to neglect their children if they are preoccupied with anything, especially social advancement. For instance, Emeka’s mum and dad were involved in several activities, and both were constantly vying for advancement. Emeka was left in the care of an aunt, his mum’s older sister; his parents did not know that their son and his caretaker were drinking together every afternoon.

    Mental illness can contribute to inattentive parenting. Manic depression, postpartum depression and clinic depression are some of the disorders that might lead to parental inattention. When a parent suffers from one of these disorders and is not being treated appropriately, the disease will sorely inhibit his or her ability to give attention to a child.

    Selfishness: Today’s society urges men and women to “have it all” and to “have it your way,” earn three figure incomes, send your children to private school, vacation abroad and meanwhile have a happy family. Parents who buy into this attitude of” have it all” mentality will typically neglect their children’s emotional needs, choosing (consciously or un consciously) to place their needs ahead of their children’s needs.

    Lack of parenting skills: Children don’t come with a parenting manual. Most first-time parents admit that nothing could have prepared them for the demands of parenthood. Some struggle, work, and finally succeed at developing skills that not only provide for their children’s physical needs, but for their emotional needs as well.

    Unfortunately, many parents believe that parenting means only providing financially for a family.

    However, a young person whose parents seem unconcerned or inattentive is likely to experience hurt, frustration, anger, sometimes resulting in bitterness, or rage, as well as feelings of insecurity and loneliness. Reactions such as these may prompt many and various effects like low self- esteem, poor academic achievement, poor peer selection, sexual activity, rebellious behaviour, drugs and alcohol problems.

    Solution: Communicate with your children and learn to spend quality times with them.

    Offer them hope, show them that you have confident in them.

    Be involved in their academics, go through their work, and ask questions about the happenings in school.

    Support in their school activity.

    Reward and praise them when they perform well

    Encourage them when they don’t do well academically.

    Show equal love to your children.

    Lead them into relationship with God, who is always there for them.

    Direct them to positive peer groups. Explain to them the kind of friends they should keep at their level.

    Encourage children to help siblings or friends who may also be feeling neglected or unloved.

    Keep reassuring them that they are loved at all times no matter the situation.

    Harriet Ogbobine is a counsellor and motivational speaker. Send your questions and suggestions to me on bineharriet@gmail.com or text message only 08054682598. You can follow her on twitter @bineharrietj  blog; Liwh.com.ng

  • Support the poor, says Ooni at Rotary induction

    Support the poor, says Ooni at Rotary induction

    He stood tall and calm. He also seemed undaunted by the huge task ahead as he mounted the rostrum of the Shell Hall at MUSON Centre, Onikan Lagos to be decorated with the age-long emblem as the District Governor for the next Rotary Year of District 9110, which oversees Lagos and Ogun states.

    It was Patrick Ikheloa’s day. It is the wish of every Rotarian to get the number one seat in Rotary. To him, it was a realised dream as the fair-complexioned man from Edo State was all smiles during the installation.

    But the event was not just a Rotary affair; it was a gathering of men and women of reputation who are passionate about philanthropy. Among them was the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

    There was fun in the hall adorned with yellow and blue decorations. What made the occasion significant was that even club members were treated to a red carpet reception before making for their tables.

    In a report, the outgoing District Governor, Otunba Bola Onabadejo, outlined his achievements during the past year, even as he solicited support for his successor. He urged Rotary members and the public to extend the same hand of fellowship to Ikheloa.

    Expectedly, Oba Ogunwusi entered with a retinue of courtiers who played trumpets, flutes and drums. His shinny cap stood out among them all.

    He spoke on the need to love one another, urging all to extend the same hand of fellowship to the downtrodden and other less-privileged persons.

    The monarch was inducted as a special ambassador.

    A raffle draw was held, where Economy and Business Class tickets to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, courtesy of Etihad were won.

  • Ondo communities decry poor state of roads

    Community leaders in the four local government areas of Akoko land, especially Ikare- Akoko, headquarters of Akoko North East Local Government Area of Ondo State have urged the Federal and the state governments to rehabilitate the deplorable roads in their communities.
    The community leaders conducted reporters round some of the roads which they said had been hindering economic activities and affected smooth movement of goods and prevented commuters in Akoko land from travelling at will.
    They pleaded that the roads be fixed immediately to enable the residents of the communities to enjoy the dividends of democracy.
    Speaking through the Owa Ale of Ikare land, Oba Samuel Kolapo Adegbite Adedoyin, the aggrieved residents listed the Owo-Ikare highway which is a Federal Government road.
    The monarch said: “The Owo-Ikare road is now a death trap for travellers. The importance of the road cannot be over-emphasised considering the fact that it links the nation’s federal capital, the northern and eastern parts of the country.
    “Also, the Owo-Ikare Road is also economically important to Ikare and Akoko people, in the sense that they evacuate their agricultural produce to the cities through the road.”
    The monarch appealed to the Federal Government to prioritise the Owo-Ikare Federal road to boost the economy of the area and prevent incessant accidents on the road.
    He also urged the Ondo State government to fulfil some of its electoral promises for Ikare and the entire Akoko land.
    Also speaking, Olotu Omolola, Alhaji Momoh Aliyu Ogunyen and Chief Ahmed Ohunjugbagbe, appealed to Governor Olusegun Mimiko to assist in rehabilitating the deplorable Awara Road which is very important to the Ikare community as the road links many Ikare farmlands.
    The community leaders jointly drew the state government’s attention to its promise to make Ikare-Akoko township road a dual carriage way such as that of Akure.
    They also solicited for the reticulation of Awara Dam to enhance distribution of potable water to Ikare and the four local government areas of Akoko land.