The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Real

  • Enchanting real world (II)

    Enchanting real world (II)

    Continued from yesterday

    The real world won’t give you its key. You have to fight and struggle to obtain it. But our fabulous four may better teach you how to have control over your life in a way that you hardly can believe the kind of infinite perfection and profitable circumstance into which their honest and expert counselswould certainly install you.

    The real world vibrates with hope and futility, and with joy and misery. With your interface with these super achievers at Adeleke University today, I trust and believe that the synergy ignited will awaken your ambitions with fresh and furious enthusiasm that would unbound your wings with eager readiness to soar into the spacious skies as companions to these fabulous four, who are receiving the first ever highest honours issued by our University.

    May the minds and souls of our graduates possess God’s serene contentment. Their lives and careers too shall attain lofty prosperity and the highest success akin to the immense greatness that God entrusted to these marvellous and dazzling iconic personalities.

    Needless to say, the gracious presence of each recipient and the Vice President gave zest and prestige to this occasion, and the university authority extend exceeding gratitude and the highest esteem to our inestimable recipients.

    Of course, the position and status of the Vice President is already at life’s loftiest destination. May your life endure robust wellness. Your visit is great inspiration to us all. Sir, thank you so much. God ever bless you and your family.

    Somehow, everything about life has ever marched and shall forever march towards truth. Be virtuous. Let integrity obliterate the darkness of your human soul. Despotism, evil and callousness have their devotees in the real world, and these forces ceaselessly feud with wisdom and the virtues of honour, humility, truth and even justice.

    Beware of reckoning! It ever lurks in our shadows, making sure that the good in mankind operates even if the bad secures more attention. As you traverse the real world, I entrust you to the wisdom espoused by the book of Ecclesiastes in the Holy Bible that eloquently cautioned thus:”I have seen all things that are under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and vexation of the spirit.”

    No matter your ambition, you cannot raise yourselves above yourselves. Take it easy, dear graduates. Let not humiliation mock you. Be not in a hurry. Neither must you worry. Why not leave everything to God so that He may make you the instrument of His grand design and use you for your own comfort and the collective joy of humanity?

    Let me make some remarks before I lay on you the powerful exhortation of John Wesley that would be our parting point. I am personally attracted to the fascinating glimpses of what is implied when one person has done the most good for his community and his nation at large. I also hasten to state that the context and impact of freedom cannot be realized unless we all get off our knees and fiercely connect to education and the intrinsic value of intellectual liberty.

    Education is the substance of freedom as well as the constellation of power that is residual to both our personal and collective liberation. We all become free by incessantly broadening our world orientation, by limitlessly visualizing premises and possibilities of action, and by allowing all motives to speak to us and to work within each of us, at all times, until the critical elements that uphold society makes us boundlessly free, and even necessarily freer, through a diffusion of knowledge that activates the underlying point of everything in our existence, in generally valid intellectual terms.

    The founder of this university has lived with great gumption and the biblical fear of God. The clue to his generosity of spirit arise from his reasoned belief that the fundamental importance and the economic viability of each of us must never be allowed to flounder nor even slightly diminish because direct access to higher education is nil or is hopelessly hard to obtain.

    It is always better for all of us to be in a general state of equal opportunity that education soundly promotes than for the rumblings of violent protests of the weak to decimate the structures of social balance and our collective joy, and in the case of a revolution, our dear lives.

    I understand that those who possess the kind of compass that God gifted to the founder are the earthly heroes installed by the angels who, without reverse or deviations, enliven the hope of mankind with all the elements that produce a happy and satisfying life.

    I shall focus on the sublime mystique of the founder and Pro Chancellor of this splendid intellectual enterprise and incredible legacy by imposing the enigma of sensible silence on his name!

    However, I shall hail to the high heavens my esteemed colleagues on the University Governing Council who played a leading and predominant part in the motions that forged the steady progress that solidly built the stability of this grand institution and its magnificent campus.

    I also must extend robust gratitude and prodigious courtesies to the sturdy management team and staff members of our university who daily combatted obstacles of gestation inherent in the start-up of a vast enterprise that is as grand as was our dreams for Adeleke University.

    The collaboration of these good men and women plus our vibrant student body was fantastic. Every component part of the Adeleke University machine worked very hard to make good decisions that were implemented and thus ensured that we made history today by graduating our pioneer students. We appreciate you all, and we heartily thank you.

    Finally, I had loved to send you forth with an explicit message of service to humanity from the teachings of John Wesley. Mr Wesley was a Methodist theologian, philosopher, academic and real good man who was also a great humanist. Wesley believed that all persons standing atop the soil of the earth would triumph magnificently if we all seek and employ purposeful understanding to ignite the infinite joy that resides not in our individual persons but in life itself.

    Spiritually, it is beyond doubt, that we have less reasons to concern ourselves with our lives because if we at once had cared for life itself, everyone shall happily share in the abundant munificence of God who lent to life mercy, joy, boundless grace and inimitable balance. God does no wrong. And He means well for each person.

    Most times, our timid minds and weak faith see nothing worthy in this world except ease, enjoyment and rowdy amusement that we miscall happiness. But John Wesley weaved a remarkably convincing prose that spoke to the higher ideals of service and altruism. I now must escort our graduates to lofty ascent in the real world through the incredibly elevating words of John Wesley that rumbled thus: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, as long as you can.”

    Dear graduates, be strong.Be self-assured.Man may have no ending. But he is a paddle broken and warped. By each of us doing good always, we would have mended the fractured paddle.

    Be thus rooted in the righteous path. For he that once missed the way, the further he pushes forward or sideways, the further he goes astray.

    In the end, education is the superlative force that highlights the dark contours of real life, and it is what makes man persist like art that is too precise in every part of its mystical consciousness.

    May our Lord Jesus Christ firmly hold your hands, and forever steady your gait.

    All of us have got your back, dear graduates. I wish you everlasting Godspeed! And I resoundingly salute your gratified parents.

    I thank you all for listening and wish you well always.

    • Adewale Adeeyo an Officer of the Order of Niger (OON) and member, Governing Council, Adeleke University, Ede, delivered this Commencement Speech at the Maiden Convocation and award of Honorary Doctorate Degrees at the University Campus, Ede, on September 6, 2015.

  • Nigerians need real change

    SIR: The PDP government has failed Nigeria in the past decade and half. Nigerians do not need tinkering on the margins. We need real change in orientation from decadence to real growth with equity, employment and inclusion.

    Interconnections must be established among economic, social and environmental dimensions of development. Nigeria needs to invest in agriculture and agro-processing enterprises. Rampant corruption, sectarianism, cronyism and gross mismanagement of public funds must face a frontal attack, not arresting one individual for public consumption but all who have stolen the nation’s wealth must face the full wrath of the law. Dismissing or suspending a few police officers does not mean restoration of human rights and fundamental freedoms, there must be total reform in the Nigerian Police. We voted for change and change we must see after May 29.

    PDP government has failed. Controlling inflation, important as it is, is not enough. Measuring progress in economic growth and per capita income terms is necessary but not sufficient condition for improving living standards of all. Launching a new vision without providing a roadmap about its implementation, monitoring and evaluation isn’t helpful. For that reason 2020 vision died on the very day it was launched in part because the then president hadn’t seen the final version, it was a rushed plan. The drafters of the vision never provided the methodology and indeed it was planned to fail.

    Overemphasis on export in agricultural produce including foodstuffs has damaged the environment through de-vegetation and chemical pollution, overfishing and deforestation and reduction of food supplies in the domestic market contributing to severe under-nutrition. Poorly fed women produce underweight children with permanent physical and mental disabilities, children develop smaller brain size than normal and constrain their ability to learn and underfed adults don’t have the energy to perform optimally.

    Exchange rate adjustment in favor of exports has made the price of imports very expensive for consumers and investors. Keeping inflation so low has reduced money in circulation and drove interest rates so high that few investors are able to borrow and invest. Consequently economic growth has declined considerably following exhaustion of excess capacity. Nigeria’s economy needs to grow at an average rate of 10 percent to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2020.

    Nigeria is well endowed in human, natural and financial resources. The problem is poor leadership. What General Muhammadu Buhari needs is a government of all stakeholders to sort out the mess that has accumulated since 1999. Those who have helped cripple the economy of the nation must not be allowed to serve again, no matter the party they belong. Nigerians can’t afford another failed four years under Buhari.

    Gen. Buhari must avoid the mistake of rushing to choose his cabinet ministers without knowing who they are. We should not have criminals in government again. Nigerians are hopeful that our children unborn will see why we voted out the PDP government and be grateful for the future opportunity that will be provided to them by the Buhari regime.

     

    • Comrade Ahmed Omeiza Lukman,

    Kiev Ukraine.

  • Nigerians need real change

    SIR: The PDP government has failed Nigeria in the past decade and half. Nigerians do not need tinkering on the margins. We need real change in orientation from decadence to real growth with equity, employment and inclusion.

    Interconnections must be established among economic, social and environmental dimensions of development. Nigeria needs to invest in agriculture and agro-processing enterprises. Rampant corruption, sectarianism, cronyism and gross mismanagement of public funds must face a frontal attack, not arresting one individual for public consumption but all who have stolen the nation’s wealth must face the full wrath of the law. Dismissing or suspending a few police officers does not mean restoration of human rights and fundamental freedoms, there must be total reform in the Nigerian Police. We voted for change and change we must see after May 29.

    PDP government has failed. Controlling inflation, important as it is, is not enough. Measuring progress in economic growth and per capita income terms is necessary but not sufficient condition for improving living standards of all. Launching a new vision without providing a roadmap about its implementation, monitoring and evaluation isn’t helpful. For that reason 2020 vision died on the very day it was launched in part because the then president hadn’t seen the final version, it was a rushed plan. The drafters of the vision never provided the methodology and indeed it was planned to fail.

    Overemphasis on export in agricultural produce including foodstuffs has damaged the environment through de-vegetation and chemical pollution, overfishing and deforestation and reduction of food supplies in the domestic market contributing to severe under-nutrition. Poorly fed women produce underweight children with permanent physical and mental disabilities, children develop smaller brain size than normal and constrain their ability to learn and underfed adults don’t have the energy to perform optimally.

    Exchange rate adjustment in favor of exports has made the price of imports very expensive for consumers and investors. Keeping inflation so low has reduced money in circulation and drove interest rates so high that few investors are able to borrow and invest. Consequently economic growth has declined considerably following exhaustion of excess capacity. Nigeria’s economy needs to grow at an average rate of 10 percent to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2020.

    Nigeria is well endowed in human, natural and financial resources. The problem is poor leadership. What General Muhammadu Buhari needs is a government of all stakeholders to sort out the mess that has accumulated since 1999. Those who have helped cripple the economy of the nation must not be allowed to serve again, no matter the party they belong. Nigerians can’t afford another failed four years under Buhari.

    Gen. Buhari must avoid the mistake of rushing to choose his cabinet ministers without knowing who they are. We should not have criminals in government again. Nigerians are hopeful that our children unborn will see why we voted out the PDP government and be grateful for the future opportunity that will be provided to them by the Buhari regime.

     

    • Comrade Ahmed Omeiza Lukman,

    Kiev Ukraine.

  • APC: we want to produce real Nigerian president

    APC: we want to produce real Nigerian president

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it is poised to produce a Nigerian President who will be acceptable to all citizens as an upright person with commitment to the ideal of a united nation, irrespective of their tribes or religions.

    APC National Secretary Alhaji Mai Mala Buni addressed reporters at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

    He said APC, being the best thing to happen to Nigeria, was not interested in producing a Northern or Southern President but a true Nigerian President.

    Buni noted that the level of poverty and degradation in the country had no boundary in the South or North, Christian or Muslim.

    The party chieftain said what the nation needed was a President who could fight insecurity and restore peace and progress in all communities.

    He said: “It is not about producing a Northern or Southern President. We want to produce a Nigerian President; we want to produce a President who will work for the country, sacrifice himself for the country and be selfless in discharging his responsibilities to the country. We want a President who will be acceptable to every Nigerian as an upright person; who can fight corruption and bring development to the country.

    “That is what we want. It’s not about the South or the North. Let me tell you that the level of poverty and degradation and impoverishment in this country has no boundary of South or North, Christian or Muslim.

    “We are all suffering; nobody is left out. Everybody is desirous of change. That is why the APC is poised to produce the best President for this country. We want to have somebody who will fight corruption because it is the major dent on this country, which is underdeveloping the country.

    “We want somebody who can fight the insecurity and restore peace, harmony and tranquillity in all communities. This is our hope. I don’t think we will now restrict this to either the South or North. These are political boundaries.

    “APC is poised to give the best President who will be read to address the problems militating against the development of Nigeria. This is our common problem; it is our common challenge. So, it is not about where the person comes from.”

  • The real honourees

    •Four outstanding Nigerians whose values should educate our political elite

    In spite of its glaring imperfections, this year’s National Honours bestowed on 305 Nigerians on Monday has a few redeeming features. Four of the beneficiaries particularly deserve mention. They are Mr Michael Akinkunmi, the man who designed the National Flag; a taxi driver, Imeh Usuah; Mr Isaac Michael Onuh, a presidential steward, and a traffic warden, Corporal Solomon Dauda.

    The  four stand out because they represent the usually unsung in a country that has made award of the country’s honours an exclusive preserve of the privileged, and all shades of characters, including murder suspects, political jobbers, awaiting-conviction robbers, etc. While Onuh and Dauda bagged Member of Order of the Niger, Usuah received the award of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).

    Mr. Akinkunmi designed the country’s green-white-green flag in 1959 but successive governments had refused to honour him.  It is gratifying that at 77, Mr Akinkunmi is still lucky to have personally received his reward; many others who contributed immensely to the country’s development in diverse ways have died unsung while many others were rewarded post-humously. Pa Akinkunmi’s award of Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), and appointment as a special assistant to the president on lifetime salary are commendable.

    The appointment may only be symbolic because at his age, Pa Akinkunmi cannot function efficiently in that capacity (even if he had been in the civil service, he would have retired a long time ago), but it is still something to cheer for a man who must have lost hope that any good could ever come his way from any Nigerian government. At least the question of what he would eat and where to lay his head has been settled with the president’s proclamation. Of course, many other things are to be added unto him in his official capacity.

    Also worthy of commendation is Usuah, who displayed uncommon honesty in a country where values have taken flight and honesty is no longer the best policy. Usuah returned N18 million forgotten by a passenger in his vehicle in 2007. Many people in his shoes would have regarded the money as manna from heaven and appropriated it. That a taxi driver would take the kind of pains that Usuah took in locating the owner of the money dismisses any causation or even correlation between status and stealing; it shows that people often steal due to inordinate greed.  Usuah has also proved that all is not lost for the country in its search for honest men and women. It is significant too that time was not a factor between Usuah’s deed and his reward; the most important thing is that the reward came after all.

    In the case of Onuh, President Jonathan succinctly justified his award thus: “A very dedicated steward who has served every head of state loyally since President Shehu Shagari …” As the president observed, Onuh must be a great man indeed, because the nine presidents he had served included military dictators and their wives. To have remained on his job for more than three decades in the nation’s seat of power sufficiently commends Onuh for his award.

    If ever a man loved his work, Corporal Dauda is it. “For many of you in Abuja or who visit our nation’s capital, you must have seen a hard-working traffic warden who does his job with great dexterity, glee and happiness …” President Jonathan spoke glowingly of this traffic warden whose sense of duty differs from that associated with many policemen in Nigeria.

    It is gratifying that in addition to the national honours bestowed on them, Usuah, Onuh and Dauda are also to get a one-bedroom flat each in Abuja. The president did well by bringing out these Nigerians for national honours. He has sent the appropriate signal that the honours are not only for the elite but indeed for all categories of Nigerians. It is also a way of encouraging many Nigerians down there to aspire to greater heights in whatever areas of life they find themselves.

    However, as human beings have a lot to learn from soldier ants; Nigeria’s ruling elite also have a lot to learn from these worthy Nigerians. If only they can take a cue from these men and lead the country along that path, Nigeria would obviously be a better place for all.

  • Manu Garba: Iheanacho is the real deal

    Manu Garba: Iheanacho is the real deal

    • Yaya Toure tips Nigerian youngster for success

    Nigeria national Under-20 coach Manu Garba says Manchester City youngster Kelechi Iheanacho has the quality to play for any team in the world.

    Garba, who was in charge of Iheanacho when Nigeria won the FIFA Under-17 World Cup last year, knows the youngster very well and what he is capable of doing.

    The forward been impressive for City during their pre-season tour of the United States, scoring goals and being generally very impressive for the Blues.

    In a chat with the Manchester Evening news site, Garba says he is not surprised to see the 17-year-old thriving.

    “I am not surprised at all by what Iheanacho has shown because, if given the chance, he can play for any team in the world,” he said.

    “He already has the technique to flourish at the highest level and the only thing the more established players at City could have over him is experience.

    “At his age, his finishing around the box puts him in a class of his own. He usually scores five goals during our training sessions.

    “Once you give him the space and allow him to control the ball around the goal area, he can convert three of the five chances he gets. He is that good.

    “His recent performance for his club will give him even more confidence to step up his game,” he added.

    Nigerian youngster, Kelechi Iheanacho has been tipped to record massive success in future by Manchester City and Ivory Coast midfielder, Yaya Toure.

    Iheanacho has impressed with Manchester City in the club’s tour to the US with manager, Manuel Pellegrini extravagant in his adulation for the 17-year old’s talents.

    Toure, the reigning African Footballer of the Year, has moved to salute the prowess of the former Nigeria under-17 star.

    “Kelechi is an exciting player. I love the way he plays and I feel that he will have a good career at the club and go on to become one of the players of the future,” he told the club’s official website, mcfc.com.

    Iheanacho has been impressive for City in pre-season and scored in his senior debut against Kansas City on July 23.

    His performance against the MLS side was so impressive that Pellegrini described him as the “future” of the club. He showed his display against Kansas City was no fluke when he netted his second goal in as many games against AC Milan on July 27.

    Following his heroics in pre-season Toure has now joined Pellegrini to express admiration for the talent of the youngster.

    It is still unclear if Iheanacho will be integrated into the full City squad for the 2014/15 season.

  • Joel Obi relishes Real, Man Utd tests

    Joel Obi relishes Real, Man Utd tests

    Nigeria international Joel Obi has said pre-season matches against Real Madrid, Roma and Manchester United will test his Italian club Inter Milan ahead of the new season. Inter, who have won the Italian league championship 18 times, finished fifth last season.

    “I would say that once we’ve come this far in our preparations the friendly games can be of great help, also to see how we are in our physical condition in comparison to these great teams. Therefore it will be great tests for us,” said the Nigeria midfielder, who is back at the San Siro after a loan spell at Parma.

    “We will go there without being worried to give our all. We will play our game, then we will see how it goes.”

    The left-footed midfielder has not hidden his desire to play for Inter this season after completing another loan spell way from the San Siro.

  • Real Madrid contact Onazi

    Real Madrid contact Onazi

    Spanish giants Real Madrid have written to console Nigeria midfielder Ogenyi Onazi over his injury.

    Onazi, 21, suffered a fractured ankle when he was stamped on by France midfielder Blaise Matuidi and would have taken no further part in the tournament even if Nigeria had advanced.

    In a show of solidarity, Madrid have written to console the player.

    “We have learned about your serious injury during the game you played against France. On behalf of our president Florentino Perez and those who work for Real Madrid, we’d like to wish you a smooth and speedy recovery,” wrote Emilio Butragueno, on behalf of Madrid.

    “As a former professional footballer, I know you are going through a difficult time but I’m utterly convinced that eventually, you’ll be back to full fitness to help your team achieve its goals next season.”

    Onazi has since returned to light training and is expected to join the rest of the Lazio squad for pre-season.

  • Manu: Iheanacho good enough for Real Madrid

    Manu: Iheanacho good enough for Real Madrid

    Nigeria Flying Eagles coach Manu Garba has told AfricanFootball.com he is not surprised by Kelechi Iheanacho’s man-of-the match showing for Manchester City in Thursday morning’s pre-season tie because the player is good enough to play for a bigger club like Real Madrid.

    Nigeria Under 20 forward Iheanacho crowned a five-star display for Manchester City with a superb goal in a 4-1 pre-season win over Sporting Kansas City.

    The Golden Ball winner at the 2013 FIFA Under 17 World Cup in the UAE placed his first-time shot inside the near post with a left-footed strike from 20 yards out with an assist from Navas for the fourth and final goal of the match in the 88th minute.

    Kansas City goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum denied Iheanacho twice in the first half and the Nigeria starlet was on till 90+2 minutes, when he paved way for Jason Denayer.

    “I’m not surprised at all by what Iheanacho has shown because if given the chance, he can play for any team in the world, even Real Madrid,” said Nigeria U-20 coach Manu.

    “He already has the technique to flourish at the highest level and the only thing the more established players at City could have over him is experience.”

    Manu said Iheanacho’s biggest asset is his composure and clinical finishing around the box.

    “At his age, his finishing around the box puts him in a class of his own. He scores five goals in a training. Once you give him the space and allow him to control the ball around the goal area, he could convert three of the five chances he gets. He is that good.”

    The Flying Eagles coach told AfricanFootball.com he believes his performance against Kansas City will improve his self-belief.

    “His performance (vs Kansas City) will give him even more confidence to step up his game,” he said.

    Next month, the Flying Eagles will host Lesotho in a final African Youth Championship qualifier and coach Manu said he expects Iheanacho to rejoin the team at least two weeks to the August 16 clash.

    “We have asked City we need the player back with us at least two weeks before our qualifier, but if that is not possible, we could still have him a week before the game as long as he is playing regularly for his club,” said the coach.