The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Reflections

  • Reflections on Mindscope

    Am I normal? I woke up with my face swollen with fear: “for how long will I continue to face these nagging needs?” My thoughts ran wild as I lay in bed. Hmm…I took a deep breath and turned my face to the wall…this is a moment of anxiety. Who will save my poor soul from sinking into depression? Not even my husband could come to my rescue…he woke up late and had to rush into the bathroom…he did not even bother to ask me for his breakfast, my darling was shocked to see me in bed at 7 am…he crawled to my side and asked; Dear, are you okay? Are you fine? What’s the matter? I expected this and had rehearsed my script unconsciously, so I sat up and acted my lines. “Hmm…I’m fine I just feel like resting a little more…remember I had a hectic schedule yesterday…don’t worry I’ll be fine…don’t you care for your breakfast…?” I asked. He retorted with a smile “I’ll be late for work if I don’t set out now…please make sure you rest and write your article o…”

    Honestly, the statement “make sure you rest and write your article o…” ..nauseated me…in fact, everything I could think of, at that moment  including myself…irritated me..” is this how you want to start the new year?” I asked myself another question…”Haa…what do I have to show for my labor for all these years…I think I’m carrying more burdens than I can handle..” I soliloquized! The pity party tarried until a call came in at 7.55am, still in bed, I picked the call. Unconsciously, I jumped out of bed, when I heard the voice of the caller: Wow!!! It’s Lucy (not real name) my dearest friend, we’ve lost touch for over three months. I was really excited to hear her sweet voice again. She told me she resigned (as a Human Resource Manager) from her paid employment last year December and will be starting a Shawarma business shortly. “Lucy, where is this courage coming from?” I screamed! Lucy responded “Segilola, you are the instrument God has been using to build courage and stamina inside of me…it would amaze you to know that I usually listen in to your radio program, and even read your articles in the Nation Newspaper. I remember vividly the first episode of Mindscope which was aired on Eko89.7fm, Monday, January 18th, 2016 titled; Do you have a dream?  You described a dream as a future selfie…that with prayers, good-work and perseverance it would come to pass..these words have lingered on my mind and has birthed my passion for a shawarma business..trust me…I am investing my heart into this and would soon kick off.

    Lucy’s words struck me in an unusual way. First “I saw myself as a weak vessel whom God has poured himself into to achieve great works”. Wow…Friday, January 18, 2019, marks the third anniversary of Mindscope. I’m in awe!  It started as a thought to simply inspire individuals who are tired of living ordinary lives and are desirous of having extraordinary things happen to them. Subsequently, this thought attracted destiny midwives to me, these are men and women who believed in my thoughts and gave me the platforms to express them (first on radio (2016) and a year later in the Newspaper). I’m so grateful to everyone who has added to the growth of this divine work, may God bless you mightily! To the glory of God, Mindscope has successfully aired 150 episodes on Eko89.7fm, with over 130 professionals from different sectors of the economy: Neurologist, Financial experts, doctors, lawyers, fashion designers, media personalities, senior public servants, entrepreneurs, teachers…the list is endless. No doubt, Mindscope has become a tree whose branches are extending beyond the wall.

    Lucy’s call awakened my heart to gratitude…so it’s three years of intense learning, and of course, intense financial pressure, the irregularity of income flow is a thorn in the flesh however I choose to count my blessings.  I reminisce my high and low moments and I shed tears of joy!

    I recall an episode I had with a young lady who has scars all over her face and neck. She was involved in a fire accident at age 3 and had first degree burns…all efforts to ameliorate her facial structure proved abortive. She had to learn to live with the scars. Divine Providence brought us together and I encouraged her to come on air to share her story to motivate others in her shoes, more so, she is a faceless,  social media influencer who trains women on entrepreneurial skills (On purpose she decided not to post her pictures). To cut the long story short, she came on Mindscope and shared her story to motivate and empower people. At the end of the show something amazing happened, I got a call from the founder of a top-rated safety management organization; he listened in to the show and got an inspiration to employ the young lady. Today, this amazing young lady, though facially scarred, is one of the most beautiful friends I take great pride in; she is now a safety ambassador and a flourishing social media marketer whose business acumen is bringing joy and fulfillment to countless women. What a joy! On the other hand, I recall one of my really low moments, it was a Monday morning, and as usual, I had to prepare to be at the studio on time to receive my guest, an HNI, highly influential career woman in the telecommunications industry in Nigeria. After my morning schedule,  I dressed up and was about to step out of the house when I received a call from my son’s teacher…(Hmm…my children will not be allowed to write their exams if the outstanding school fees are not settled that morning). My heart stood still for about a minute…. I felt like smashing the phone on the ground however I bridled my emotions… I summoned the courage to hold myself together, sat down to call my husband several times but his line was not connecting…suddenly tears were rolling down my cheeks. Just then, I remembered time is running out…It was a drama I acted alone, I brought out my handkerchief from my bag, wiped my face, then I faced the big mirror in my room and consoled myself with these words; “Segilola, you can’t cry now, you have to go on air in a few hours…go to the studio and have a great show…then come back home and cry!” Guess what happened? After the show, I realized that the words of my guest had soaked up all the negative feelings in me and restored hope into me. I had no reason to cry anymore.

    Purpose-driven people are not normal, they are not necessarily happy people rather they are joyful because joy enlivens even the cells of your body, spirit, and soul; much more, joy, outlives happiness. Dear friend, the naked truth is that no man is above discouragement, temptation, trials, and concerns of life however victory is assured for those with an understanding heart nourished by hope. I would encourage you to face the new year with new hope. Hope in God’s mercy to see you through all your battles…hope keeps the heat away…hope keeps a man alive…it keeps a dream alive…it keeps a nation alive…it keeps a generation alive…hope is the keeper of destiny!

  • Reflections on Nigeria’s past national elections

    Nigeria has had series of elections both at its pre and post colonial existence as a country. The first countrywide election in Nigeria was the 1954 federal elections into then House of Representatives in Lagos, then capital of the country. The country was under British colonial rule and the system of government was the Westminster parliamentary system. The total number of seats in the House of Representatives was 184 and  the election was contested by three main parties, the Northern Peoples Party (NPC),  the National Council of Nigerian Citizens and Cameroons  (NCNC) and the Action Group (AG). The standing of these parties after the election showed that the NPC and its allies had 79 seats , the NCNC and its allies had 61 seats and the AG and it’s allies won 33seats. After the results were announced, the NPC from the north subsequently formed a coalition government with  the NCNC, while the Action Group became the opposition party. This election which was conducted by the colonial administrators was deemed to be fair with little acrimony although the elections were held at different days in each of the component regions of the country.  In the election, the NCNC won in the West which was the stronghold of the Action Group.

    The 1959 federal elections into the federal House of Representatives was keenly contested as this was the election to usher in the country’s independence on October 1960. The leaders of the NCNC, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and the leader of the Action Group, Chief Obafemi Awolowo decided to leave their bases in the south to go to the federal level in Lagos. They both took part in this federal election with their desire to become the first prime minister of  an independent Nigeria. The Sardauna of Sokoto, the leader of the NPC did not leave his base, thus leaving the federal level to his deputy, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa. Both  the southern leaders especially Chief Awolowo campaigned vigorously in this election. Chief Awolowo toured all the four corners of the country in an helicopter and for the first time election campaigns were reluctantly allowed in the  far northern part of the country whose populace was then  under tight control of the Emirs.  At the end of the elections, the southern leaders could not achieve their ambition because the NPC which was northern-based won the highest number of seats because more than half of the seats in the House of Representatives was in the north dominated by the NPC. The final results showed that the NPC and its allies won 148 seats, NCNC and its allies 89 and the Action Group despite its vigorous campaign and well articulated manifestos could only win 75 seats with its allies. Again, the NPC and the NCNC formed a coalition government in which Balewa, the deputy to Sarduna became the prime minister of the independent Nigeria while Azikiwe became the ceremonial Governor-General. Awolowo who had the best plan of all the three had to settle for the position of Leader of Opposition.

    The 1964 federal election to the House of Representatives which was the last election held the parliamentary system in the country was held  when Nigeria was under intense political turmoil as a result of the dispute of on the released 1963 census figures. Added to this,  there were political upheavals in the Western,  Middle Belt and Niger Delta parts of the country. The parties coalesced into two main groups, United Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA) and Nigeria National Alliance (NNA). The UPGA was made up mainly of NCNC  and the NNA made of NPC , MDF, and  the newly formed NNDP in the west. The elections were held on December 30, 1964 in the northern  and western parts of the country. However, it was boycotted in the Eastern and  Midwestern  parts  of the country as a result of the call by UPGA party which controlled these parts of the country  on that day. Elections were later held on March 18, 1965 in these parts and when the dust settled, the results showed that the NPC again had the highest number of seats, by winning 164 of the total 312 seats, while the NCNC, NNDP and Action Group won 84, 36 and 21 seats respectively. The conduct of the elections showed that political party could only boycott an election at its own peril as it has no legal basis.

    Although a broad based national government was formed after the election, the political violence and instability continued in the country unabated and eventually led to the incursion of the military into the country’s governance for the first time in 1966. This unfortunate incursion with its attendant stunting of democratic growth lasted lasted for a little over 13 years. During this unforgettable period, the country suffered a debilitating civil war which shook the country to  its foundation.

    The long stay of the military in the governance of the country did not dent the enthusiasm of Nigerians for participatory democracy. Immediately the ban on politics was lifted by Obasanjo military administration, Nigerians entered the political fray with eagerness and presidential system of government patterned after the USA system was introduced. The presidential election to usher in this new political dispensation was held on August 11, 1979.  The result of this election which generated a lot  of controversy is still reverberating in our country up till today.  Under the Nigerian constitution, to be elected as the president of the country on the first ballot, the candidate need to have the highest votes and to receive 25% of votes in 2/3 of the states . At the time of this election in 1979, Nigeria had 19 states. Although Shehu Shagari of the NPN had the highest votes (5.6 million) and had at least 25% in 12 states, he could only muster 19.9% in  Kano State, the 13th  state and he was declared the winner of the election. Awolowo who came second with 4.9 votes felt that Shagari could not be declared a winner because he did not get 25 % of the votes in 13 states and subsequently challenged the declaration of Shagari as the president-elect in the court. The Supreme Court ruled in favour of Shagari who was subsequently sworn in as the first executive president.

    The presidential election which followed in 1983 ended in a fiasco. It was characterized by massive rigging by NPN, the ruling party. As a result,  the military again came back to govern the country with the then General Muhammadu Buhari as the head of the new military government in January 1984

    The military administration of General Babaginda which came aboard in 1985 decreed into existence in October 1989  two parties wholly run and financed by the state. The parties so decreed were the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republican Convention (NRC) . These two parties  contested the presidential election of June 12, 1993 and the SDP candidate, Chief M.K.O. Abiola,  Muslim with his Muslim vice-president  Baba Gana Kingibe won the election convincingly. Abiola’s  team won 58% of the votes while his opponent Alhaji  Tofa won 41% of the votes. The votes obtained by Abiola cut across ethnic, religion, and geographical boundaries. It was the freest election ever conducted in Nigeria and it was a glorious moment in Nigeria’s march to a respected democratic country. Unfortunately, this unique election was annulled  without any sane reason on June 24, 1993 by General Ibrahim Babaginda.

    The crisis generated by this unfortunate annulment of the freest election ever conducted in the land led to series of political events that culminated  in the  emergence of the sadist  Sani Abacha as the Head of State from 1993 to 1998. General Abdulsalam Abubakar who took charge after the demise of Abacha ushered in the present democratic dispensation in 1999.  In the present exercise, the country has witnessed five presidential elections in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015. The People Democratic Party (PDP) won the elections in 1999 and 2003 with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as its presidential candidate. The 2007 election was also  won by party with Umaru Yar’dua as the presidential candidate. Yar’dua  unfortunately died in his office and his place was taken by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan his vice president, who won the election as the party’s candidate in 2011. The party met its waterloo during the 2015 presidential election when its candidate Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was beaten by Buhari the candidate of the then newly formed All Progressive Party (APC).

    The result of the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria where an incumbent president was beaten by the opposition candidate  was unique not only in Nigeria but  in the whole of Africa. There was heightened tension in Nigeria during and after this election but Jonathan to his eternal credit diffused the tension by conceding victory to Buhari even before the final results were still being  collated. By this action, Jonathan had his name cast in gold not only in Nigeria but throughout the world as a true democrat, who should be emulated by  the sit-tight dictators who dominate governance in Africa now.

     

    • Professor Lucas writes from Old Bodija, Ibadan.

  • Reflections on World AIDS Day 2018

    World AIDS Day, designated on December 1, every year since 1988 is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the human immune deficiency virus (HIV) pandemic and to remember those who have died of the disease. For healthcare workers and indeed government and other stakeholders, three decades is enough a period to reflect on our journey in the fight against the debilitating disease.

    This year’s theme for World AIDS Day is: “Know your status,” which is a laudable effort towards achievement of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets. The aim of the UNAIDS targets is, by 2020, 90% of people living with HIV should know their status, 90% of identified HIV positive cases would be initiated on anti-retroviral treatment (ART), and 90% of persons on ART would have achieved viral suppression.

    The first case of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria was reported in 1986. Since then the number of people living with HIV or AIDS (PLWHA) has steadily increased with the epidemic moving into a ‘generalized’ state. The prevalence of HIV rose from 1.8% in 1991 to a peak of 5.8% in 2001, before declining to a nadir of 3.0% in 2014. Although the prevalence may be relatively low compared with other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the country’s large population means that up to 3.2 million people are estimated to be living with HIV in Nigeria.

    The HIV epidemic has further weakened and threatened to overwhelm the Nigerian health care system, increased the number of orphans and increased the cost of achieving set developmental goals by decreasing the size of the workforce, mainly adults in their most productive years of life (15-60 years). The high manpower-intensive sectors of the economy are mostly affected; including the agricultural, educational and health sectors as well as the rural economy. In summary, the impact of HIV/AIDS on Nigeria’s social fabric and on its economic development and well-being continue to be pervasive and, unless controlled, will continue to undermine the quality of life of Nigerians.

    HIV is a virus that attacks cells in the immune system, which is our body’s natural defence against illness. The virus makes copies of itself inside a type of white blood cell called the T-helper cell (or CD4 cell) and in the process destroys these cells. As more and more CD4 cells are destroyed, the immune system is gradually weakened such that a person becomes increasingly more vulnerable to other infections. This means that someone who has HIV, and is not taking antiretroviral treatment, will find it harder and harder to fight off infections and diseases. If HIV is left untreated, the immune system can be severely damaged within a few years such that it can no longer defend itself at all. However, the rate at which HIV progresses varies depending on age, general health and background. AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) describes a set of symptoms and illnesses that happen at the final stage of HIV infection.

    In his speech during last year’s World AIDS Day commemoration, the Director General of NACA – Dr Sani Aliyu- stated that: in the last six years, we reduced new HIV infections by 56% and annual AIDS related death by 22%. He applauded President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, for demonstrating strong political will to improve access to ART in Nigeria when, a year earlier, he launched the Fast Track Plan (FTP) to place additional 50,000 Nigerians living with HIV on ART each year. He also ensured that the 60,000 PLHIV receiving ART in Abia and Taraba States under the National Comprehensive AIDS Programme for States (NCAPS) continued to be served since the inception of his administration in 2015. In addition, the National Economic Council has committed to the implementation of an earlier resolution that committed one percent of the state’s monthly federal allocation to funding HIV programmes from 2018. Dr Aliyu emphasized that “While we commend ourselves for these achievements, we acknowledge the huge unmet need for ART; only about one third of the 36 states and FCT have surpassed 50% ART coverage. The rate of Mother to Child transmission of HIV in Nigeria is still unacceptably high. We certainly need to do more at the federal and state levels to take ownership of our HIV/AIDS response and close the gaps.”

    National efforts coupled with support from various donors and development partners have contributed to a significant scale up of prevention, care, and treatment programme aimed at combating the disease. Similarly, efforts have been made to strengthen monitoring and evaluation systems for HIV response activities as the country seeks to continue supporting evidence-based decision-making for a more efficient and effective response.

    Prevention activities include prevention of mother-to-child (PMTCT), prevention of sexual transmission, prevention of medical transmission as well as prevention services within HIV counselling and testing. Treatment and care activities in Nigeria include; provision of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) and services to eligible patients; laboratory support for diagnosis and monitoring for HIV-positive patients; adult and paediatric care and support; management of Tuberculosis and HIV co-infection (TB/HIV); and support for orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs). It also entails standardized training package for service providers, implementation of a quality pre-ART program, management of opportunistic infections and clinical mentoring.

    There have been collective efforts in the implementation of the national framework on HIV & AIDS towards achievement of the set targets and scale up integrated HIV & AIDS services with specific focus on integrating ART/PMTCT into the Maternal, Neonatal and Child services to increase access to ART for HIV infected pregnant & breastfeeding women as well as increased uptake of paediatric ART through Early Infant Diagnosis and treatment utilizing an exposed infant follow-up program as well as promoting access for children under five years to ART.

    The greatest achievement of the HIV response to date has been the unprecedented global expansion of access to ART. Although only 680 000 people were receiving ART in 2000 (most of them in high income countries), by June 2017, this number had risen to 20.9 million people (18.4 million–21.7 million), or 57% of all people living with HIV worldwide. In Nigeria alone, 1,093,233 persons were accessing treatment at the end of June. In 2016, an estimated 1.6 million deaths were averted worldwide as a result of ART.

    Development of functional laboratory systems is a key component of sustainable health care systems. Global efforts to ameliorate the burden of HIV and associated infections as well as devastating outbreaks of infectious diseases such as Ebola, have illuminated the need for further support of global laboratory systems development. Effective laboratories and functioning national laboratory systems require a competent workforce, effective leadership and management, and an underpinning of laws and regulations that ensure quality of services. Good policies, shapes processes and mechanisms for optimal laboratory system performance and international cooperation as required by the International Health Regulations.

    Over the years, investments by United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Global Fund, and other donors has significantly contributed to strengthening laboratory systems. This has been achieved through laboratory infrastructure upgrade, purchase of laboratory equipment, training of tens of thousands of laboratory professionals, and introducing laboratory information systems. The enforcement of biosafety practices has led to better waste management, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and enhanced infection control measures. In addition, upgrading the degree of laboratory quality management systems (quality control, quality assurance, lab organization etc) has resulted in the accreditation of 3 medical laboratories in Nigeria by International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

    The future course of national response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic depends on a number of factors including levels of HIV and AIDS-related knowledge among the general population; social stigmatization; risk behaviour modification; access to quality services for sexually transmitted infections (STI); provision and uptake of HIV counselling and testing; and access to care and anti-retroviral therapy (ART), including prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections.

     

    • Happy World AIDS Day!

    Babaye is Country Representative, International Training & Education Centre for Health (I-TECH) Malawi.

  • Reflections on Senate invasion

    The physical assault on the upper chamber of the National Assembly on April 18 has no comparison in Nigeria’s political history. Although there are parliamentary skirmishes in some of our legislatures in the past, the only comparable event was that of Western House of Assembly in Ibadan in 1962. It was the hey day of the internecine war between Awolowo and Akintola factions of the Action Group, the dominant political party in Western Nigeria in those early days.

    The Ibadan event led to serious political and constitutional developments, mostly negative, until these events engulfed Nigeria in the civil war of 1967 to 1970.

    There is a difference though between what happened this year and the event of 1962. While the latter could be traced to factionalism within a party, this year’s sordid happening should be seen in a larger context. It was invasion by ‘outsiders’ on Nigeria’s parliament. It could probably have been ignited by both intra and inter party squabbles, but one must be honest to admit the fact that it assumes a larger dimension than anything that has happened in our political process since the British departed our shores in 1960.

    More ominously, it happened in a parliament that has become the most criticized, perhaps the most hated national institution of our time. Don’t they deserve this odious perception? They do. It is the only institution of state that keeps the financial benefits it derives from the state under wraps. If for anything else, this veiled attempt at institutional cover up will continue to give the hallowed chamber a bad name, irrespective of its performance.

    Throughout our experience in constitutional governance, it is the only parliament where the government party and the opposition coalesce together in a marriage that negates constitutional set up of government and opposition. It is believed members are not divided on party lines at all; indeed there is a very thin layer of difference between the two major parties in the National Assembly.

    Some people have alleged that the senator from Delta was the arrow head of the attempted civilian coup. If this was true, the prospects are frightening indeed. This is so because many Nigerians believe that at one time in the future, considering the wide gap between the poor and the rich, the millions of unemployed youth, many of whom have good professional certificates, may become restless and would just enter and sack the National Assembly. That could be the beginning of the beginning-apologies to K.O. Mbadiwe.

    The National Assembly could be a natural target since most Nigerians believe that they are taking more than their fair share of the national cake. In fact there is a general belief that more about five percent of national income is consumed by the National Assembly with population of less than five thousand. Sure, the other branches of government – the executive and judiciary are not inhabited by saints. As everybody who cares knows what the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the president, the minister etc takes from the national till are no secret whereas the earnings of members of the National Assembly are shrouded in secrecy,  making people believe that presiding officers of the two chambers earn as much as N35 million per month. And also that senators and members of House of Representatives take N15 million to N20 million per month. In a country where poverty is literally crawling of its four legs, the inequality is certainly unacceptable.

    In some cases, the National Assembly is its own worst enemy. The general belief is that members dare not express different view points from those of the presiding officers or the assembly’s leadership as a whole. In a supposedly liberal democracy, it is wrong for a member to be expelled because he holds contrary views to popular palace positions.

    Indeed Nigeria needs restructuring but not the physical, geographical or financial compartments which some people envisage but the restructuring of the mind and orientation will perform the magic which we envisage for the betterment of our country.

    This 8th assembly should have a rethink. They should be apprehensive about what Nigerians think about them. Besides the annual ritual of senators and members of the House of Representative reaching out to their constituents with singlets, motorcycles and palm wine on annual basis, and beyond what they call constituency projects, they are one day going to dissolve into the larger society where they may not find life comfortable with their unearned billions.

    Although Nigerians are reputed to forget and ignore events so easily, actions bordering on the notorious looting of the national treasury is certainly one that they cannot easily forget.

    Expectedly, this strange event has continued to attract comments across Nigeria. In particular pundits have a field day drawing conclusions. One that is particularly cynical is that the invasion of the Senate is as result of the continuation of events that happened in Kwara State some 20 to 30 years ago. This was when they alleged the Saraki dynasty was imposing its will on the hapless Kwarans. This is a reference to the assumed power of Bukola Saraki over his distinguished colleagues. This power of money and sinecure positions, are what is propelling the assembly resulting into the negative image. It is indeed a black spot in our constitutional history.

    But two issues stand out clear. One: Is it an offence or constitutional breach for a senator to have different views and express these views openly against the leadership position? Two: How did the present Senate leadership emerge in the first place? Is it not by cunning, by conspiracy or by some subterfuge? Until these two issues are resolve, the 8th Assembly particularly the Senate will continue to attract deserved odium from Nigerians.

    • Fasuan MON; JP writes from Ado-Ekiti.

  • Nigeria’s private universities: Reflections on a sabbatical – II

    American University of Nigeria (AUN) is Yola’s largest employer.  The university has affiliated grass-roots community institutions: a hotel, a health clinic, elementary and high schools and kindergarten, a printing press, and business centres.  For Africa’s first development university, it was gratifying to observe that the university puts its resources where its mouth is.  Nigeria’s unemployment rate, which hovers around 19 percent, requires that innovative steps be undertaken to assist in ameliorating national concerns on the economy.  To what degree can AUN help the community in ways that are not ordinarily feasible?  In some circumstances, human labour is used even when robots could have done a task faster, perhaps better.  Echoing a deep commitment to corporate social responsibility, then, AUN employs local residents, engages them in labour-intensive tasks, and enables them to earn much more than a living wage.

    AUN students are as dedicated to academics proper as they are as resourceful—and innovative—in community engagement.  During my stint there, I taught a course titled “Globalization, Development and the Media,” which acknowledged AUN students’ grass-roots engagement.  They developed and implemented “Feed and Read,” a programme that seeks to encourage literacy among host-community youths, while ensuring that they also have adequate and balanced nutrition.  Other forms of community engagements are also taking root.  Similarly, one of my students was singlehandedly connected to a “divorced” 18-year-old woman who had five children, was bereft of employable skills, and depended on the largesse of family and friends to make ends meet. The AUN student counselled her, assisted her financially, and encouraged her to be hopeful—and optimistic—once again.

    AUN aspires to be a world-class university—a goal that can be accomplished in no time if its strengths are harnessed strategically in four key areas.  First, exceed expectations and standards of Nigeria’s National Universities Commission in teaching, community engagement and research.

    Second, encourage and support faculty to engage in more research projects that have a national or international relevance and published in outlets that have a high h-index, and meet criteria for the i-10 index, Google Scholar h-index, and those of the Social Sciences Citations Index—and its equivalents in STEM fields.  The common parlance of a Nigerian faculty member’s having publications in “international journals” simply does not pass muster in the global context.  There are scores of “international journals” whose editorial-review processes are either weak or non-existent.

    A standard practice in United States’ world-class universities is the use of “The Legitimator” as a yardstick of scholarly excellence.  It means assisting and supporting junior faculty members to have at least one publication in a top-tier, discipline-wide, peer-reviewed journal by the time they are reviewed for tenure and promotion.  In my own discipline, “The Legitimator” includes Public Relations Review, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly (formerly Journalism Quarterly), and the Journal of Communication.  In sociology, it includes the American Journal of Sociology, American Sociological Review, and Social Forces.  In political science, American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, and the Journal of Politics.  In business and management, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Management Science, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Business and Economic Statistics, and the Journal of Risk and Insurance.

    Third, establish a teaching and learning centre that exposes instructors to the effective use of cutting-edge instructional technologies in the classroom and to emerging instructional styles, such as the “flipped” classroom and “knowledge scaffolding,” which provides students levels of support, comments and criticisms to guide them into a deeper territory of acquiring knowledge and skills.

    Finally, because communication underpins all endeavours and professions—politics, corporate and non-profit management, clinical health, community engagement, academia, and public agitation—it is important that public speaking be a university-wide requirement.  Some U.S. universities—e.g., Pennsylvania State, Purdue, and West Chester—require all students to take at least one public-speaking course, regardless of their undergraduate majors, to fulfil graduation requirements.

    It is important to note here that all is not honky-dory in U.S. higher education; therefore, it is imperative that U.S.-style educational institutions in Africa and elsewhere tread cautiously on what practices need to be adopted, adapted, deep-sixed.  For example, grade inflation is a scourge on most U.S. campuses—a concern perhaps not oblivious to AUN’s School of Arts and Sciences dean who, in a memo to all faculty in his school in fall 2017, broached the spectre of undeserved course grades in some AUN courses.

    Some of the major challenges of U.S. higher education are detailed in two books: Nathan D. Grawe’s Demographics and the demand for higher education (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2018); and Bryan Caplan’s The case against education: Why the [U.S.] education system is a waste of time and money (Princeton University Press, 2018).

    Grawe, a former associate dean at Carleton College, identifies three such challenges: (a) headwinds that, beginning in 2026, will result in a rapid decline in the native-born, prospective-applicant pool and that will reshape the demographics of U.S. universities, which will increasingly depend on full-pay students in response to shrinking enrolment numbers; (b) change in interstate migration, with the South and West of the United States indicating an increase in student demand for four-year college, the Northeast, a significant decline; and (c) decline in research funding at the national level.  In contradistinction, tailwinds in Nigeria are fuelling enrolment trends, necessitating growth in the number of accredited universities, but without a commensurate growth in institutional funding.

    Caplan, a professor of economics at George Mason University, bemoans (a) the intellectual apathy of a majority of U.S. students he described as “philistines”—those who cannot be inspired, even by the best teachers; (b) the gap between skills students learn on campuses and those workers use; and (c) the penchant among students for “easy A’s.” As Caplan notes, “students frequently flee to easier majors” to earn “Easy As.”  It would be in the best interest of Nigeria’s private universities to rein in any tendency toward diluting academic standards just to ensure a high “customer satisfaction.”  Caplan calls for vocational and on-the-job trainings, casting doubt on the U.S. higher-education model. He writes, “. . . educators teach what they know—and most have…little first-hand knowledge of the modern workplace…” (p. 10).

    A strength of the U.S. model is the exposure of students to “the modern workplace” through cooperative programmes by which they spend significant time—usually during the summer—to burnish their on-the-job credentials and to iterate their bona fide interest in their academic majors.  The drive is not necessarily to accelerate the pace toward graduation; it is to work toward combining academics and workplace know-how in preparation for the mammoth challenges of the professional world.  AUN is not oblivious to such a need and, to its credit, encourages a systematic synergy between the classroom and the industry.

    My semester-long presence on the campus of Africa’s first development university tells me that, to the degree Nigeria’s private universities serve a continent that, among other things, has 41 of the 50 nations with the world’s highest fertility rates, the opportunities to etch an imprint on Africa’s educational landscape are robust. A failure to seize such opportunities in making a transformative contribution to developing a skilled and an educated workforce is not an option.

    –            Concluded.

     

     

    • Pratt is a professor in the Klein College of Media and Communication and vice president of the Temple University Faculty Senate. He taught communication courses and conducted research during fall semester, 2017, on the main campus of the American University of Nigeria, Yola.
  • NLC: Reflections on 40 years of struggle

    NLC: Reflections on 40 years of struggle

    Institution-building is today globally acknowledged as the hallmark of nation-building. But often the focus is on the state institutions. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is a non-state institution that has come of age in defence of the interests of its working and retired members in line with the objectives of its constitution. Barack Obama, the 44th President of United States of America, admonished Africans during his historic visit to Ghana in 2009 to build “strong institutions” in place of strong men. If Obama was conversant with the history of labour movement in Africa including that of the NLC, he would have known that African workers despite the enormous challenges of organizing have been building strong organizations with strong working women and women.

    It is remarkable NLC celebrates at 40 with a number of activities and manifestations that include thanksgivings and public lectures. Unarguably, NLC remains the biggest labour centre in Nigeria and indeed in Africa with over seven million organized from 52 affiliate industrial unions. As the biggest independent trade free union movement in Africa, it is rivalled by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in terms of independence and self-assertion. The two biggest labour centres in Africa maintain robust bilateral engagement on organizing, collective bargaining and international solidarity campaigns. The NLC acts national and global. It is an activist affiliate of the Accra-based organization of Africa Trade Union (OATUU) and Geneva -based global union, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), representing over 200 million workers in 156 countries and national territories with other 311 affiliate unions worldwide. It is also active member of International Labour Organization (ILO). Organizational birthdays are occasions to celebrate the past achievements and set the agenda for the future. What then are the achievements of NLC four decades after?  Anniversary celebrations obviously raise the question of institutional memory. The NLC at 40 is the “third NLC” in history. Capitalists, employers and owners of means of production do concentrate power and form transnational organizations to maximize profits. Conversely workers and their unions saw the need to form inclusive national and international organizations aimed at maximizing labour’s welfare and curtail exploitation by capital. Under British colonialism, the first generation of unionists not only formed trade/house unions but also tirelessly worked to form central national labour organizations that could confront colonial capital with its exploitation and oppressions. The iconic visionary labour leaders and drivers of this historic organizing effort included Labour Leader Number One Michael Imoudu, H.P. Adebola, Wahab Goodluck, S.U. Bassey, J.O. James, N.F. Pepple, A.I. Okwese, E.A.O Odeyemi, J.U. Akpan, R.A. Ramos, Okon Esshiett and Vincent Igwe Jack. The first Nigeria Labour Congress first was formed in 1950. The inaugural conference of the second NLC was on December 18, 1975 at the Banquet Hall of the Lagos City Council hall,  on the ashes of the then existing four labour centres, namely United Labour Congress (ULC), Nigeria Trade Union Congress (NTUC), Nigeria Workers’ Council (NWC) and Labour Unity Front (LUF). The second NLC was inspired by the great oration delivered by the late Okon Esshiett, who was then Director of Trade Union Institute (TUI), at the burial of the late Chief J.A. Oduleye at Apena Cemetery in Lagos in 1975. The speech is also known as the Apena Declaration in labour cycle. The efforts at new NLC were successful until the then Federal Commissioner for Labour in the administration of General Murtala Mohammed, Major General Henry Adefope, announced the new Federal military Government’s Labour Policy of “limited Government Intervention and Guided Democracy in Trade Union matters”. This led to the wholesale restructuring of the then existing hundreds of house unions into national industrial union.

    In 1978, despite military intervention, NLC re-emerged as a product of the independent efforts of comrades to forge a common front in advancing workers’ interests. This year is, therefore, also a year of celebration of all the unions in both private and public sectors affiliated to the restructured NLC in 1978. With documented struggles spanning four decades, the NLC has truly “come of age” as a pan -African (and indeed global) strong institution. The presidents of NLC to date are comrades Hassan Sunmonu (1979-1984), Ali Chiroma (1984-1988), Paschal Bafyau (1988-1994), Adams Oshiomhole (1999-2007), and Omar Abdul Waheed (2007-2015) and Ayuba Wabba. Undoubtedly, every serious labour leader brings to bear his determination, knowledge and courage to improve members’ working and living conditions. With negotiated four national minimum wages since 1981, NLC has commendably provided minimum pay standard for workers. However with the neo-liberal policies of Naira devaluation and deregulation, it is clear that Nigerian workers then on N125 (about $200 in 1981!) in real terms were better than workers on N18, 000 (less than $50) in 2018! The NLC in the years to come must contend with macro-economic instability in Nigeria’s foot loose crony capitalism. It is Economicide, (an economic equivalent of political genocide!) to systematically deny workers adequate pay. NLC at 40 must quickly conclude its negotiations on the new minimum wage. There should be an anniversary new minimum wage! NLC should demand for ease of living and working as much as organized businesses demand for ease of doing business. With 11 delegates’ conferences of NLC in 40 years, notwithstanding the challenges that trailed the last one in 2015, it is self-evident that the NLC exhibits democratic traditions and experiences.

    If we add regular organs’ meetings such as that Central Working Committees, National Executive Councils’ meetings in the past 40 years, NLC passes democratic test in quantitative terms. In the years to come, NLC can only qualitatively improve on its democratic heritage. Comrades must avoid the pitfalls of exclusion which often undermine unity and cohesion. Anniversary period is also a good time of organizational self- criticisms and reflections. In the years to come, all unionists must be united and stop divisive leadership tussles. If unionists operate separately, precarious work will defeat them collectively through non-payments of salaries of some civil servants, devaluation of the Naira, retrenchment and wholesome unfair labour practices by many employers in the private sector. The anniversary offers a platform for a critical and constructive engagement among comrades for a better, repositioned NLC. Forward Ever! Backward Never!

     

    • Aremu mni, is a member of the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the NLC.

  • Senate: Reflections on 2017

    Like an old car parked in the garage, nobody cares about propaganda politics anymore. Its tyres are now flat. Its methods are now known and its inaccuracies are now easily decipherable with the quickest click of your smartphone. This is why throughout 2017, the Senate, under the leadership of Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, carefully worked to meet the demands of Nigeria’s ‘New Governance Order’ — an order that is now defined by delivery and actual performance over orchestrated publicity, and effectiveness over obvious hype.

    When people ask: “What should we expect from the 8th Senate in 2018?” The answer is simple: “Look back at the Senate’s performance in the past; it will give you an idea of its future.”

    Looking back at 2017, we all remember that the year started off with the budget. Talks about #OpenNASS accompanied the conversation about the 2017 appropriations bill — and commentators across the social-media-sphere all had a thing or two to say about the alleged secrecy behind the National Assembly’s annual spending.

    Some predicted that 2017 would be ‘no different’, while others laughed at the idea of the legislators agreeing to open up their books for the first time since 1999. This status quo narrative permeated through Facebook and Twitter, all the way to ‘those-annoying-broadcast-messages-that-your-parents-send-you-on-Whatsapp’ — and the consensus in the court of public opinion was clear: #OpenNASS would never happen!

    While the naysayers preached ‘Never!’, and the self-proclaimed political pundits speculated and hypothesized, the Senate President had promised #OpenNASS, and he would deliver. Though it was difficult at first, however, through constant consultation with his colleagues in both the Senate and the House, and the political will of the entire National Assembly leadership, on Thursday, May 11, 2017 — in a move that shocked observers — the National Assembly released the breakdown of its annual budget to the world. This budget is now on the National Assembly website. You can check it out yourself.

    Fast forward to two weeks later — if Drake was Nigerian, his ‘Back to Back’ chorus would have been the Senate’s soundtrack. Following the release of its budget details, in quick succession, the Senate passed the historic Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (#PIGB). This piece of legislation that had tripped up the 6th and 7th assemblies scaled the 8th Senate within 24 months.

    Right now, many people still do not know that the PIGB passed by the Senate in 2017 is aimed at unbundling the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for better performance, creating a sustainable framework for the effective governance of Nigeria’s petroleum industry, and putting an end to the issues that cause fuel scarcity across the country.

    The Senate did not stop there. It went on an anti-corruption sprint. It passed the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Between Nigeria and Other Foreign Countries Bill. In July, it passed the Whistleblower Protection Bill to protect people that inform the authorities about corruption. And, it also passed the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit Bill (NFIU) Bill at the end of July — in order to get Nigeria re-admitted back into the EGMONT Group after its suspension. This move was aimed at giving our nation the previous access that it once had to the network, resources and expertise of 154 other financial intelligence units around the world in our fight against corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing.

    Similarly, the Senate responded to Nigeria’s 2016 economic recession by fast-tracking the passage of the Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Bill and the Credit Bureau Services Bill in 2017. Both bills, which were signed into law by the then-Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, in May 2017, were aimed at providing Nigerians across the country with easier access to credit.

    The impact of both ‘Access to Credit’ Bills passed by the Senate, and the National Assembly as a whole, were brought to the fore when in September 2017, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria announced that due to the Senate’s access to credit legislation, 20,684 movable assets valued at N392 billion had already been registered on the National Collateral Register (NCR). Similarly, in October 2017, the World Bank rated Nigeria among the top 10 most improved economies in its 2016/2017 Doing Business Report. All of this was due to the fact that the Senate had focused on creating more opportunities for MSMEs in Nigeria through well-crafted legislation.

    Of course, we cannot forget the Senate’s 2017 comprehensive amendment to the electoral act of 2010, which ensures the full biometric accreditation of voters with Smart Card Readers; the instant transmission of accreditation data and results from polling units to the collation centres; and giving INEC unfettered powers to conduct elections by electronic voting.

    We also cannot forget the Review of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This exercise, brought about the approval of notable pieces of legislation like the #NotTooYoungToRun Bill, which reduces the qualifying age for election into the House of Representatives from 30 years to 25 years; the age qualification for contesting for a state House of Assembly office from 30 years to 25 years; and the age qualification for contesting the office of President from 40 years to 35 years.

    The #NotTooYoungToRun Bill and the other constitutional amendments passed by both Houses of the National Assembly, are currently making their way through the state Houses of Assembly, and are likely to become the focus of a lot of political discourse this year.

    To close out 2017, the Senate received a few final and significant notches on its legislative belt, when President Muhammadu Buhari signed six Bills into law on December 30, 2017. Notable amongst them were the amendments to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Act, which now mandates the gas producing and processing companies to contribute to the development of the Niger Delta region. Additionally, with the signing into law of the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshots Act by President Buhari, all Nigerians with gunshot wound will now be able to receive immediate medical treatment — instead of having to file police reports. This Bill that started in the House, but was fast-tracked by the Senate through concurrence in the latter half of 2017 will definitely save many lives.

    As we look back at the year that has just passed, to give a snapshot of where it currently stands, the Eighth Senate has already passed 140 Bills in 30 months. This is more than the Fifth Senate that passed 129 Bills in four years, the Sixth Senate that passed only 72 Bills in four years, and the Seventh Senate that passed 128 Bills in the same timeframe. This Senate has also cleared over 120 public petitions in two years and seven months.

    In this regard, when people ask this year: “What should we expect from the 8th Senate?” You can tell them: more people-centred legislation that will impact various aspects of our national existence; more thorough oversight on government spending to ensure transparency and accountability in the utilization of our national resources; and more focus on getting Nigeria’s economy back on track by creating more opportunities for everyone.

    • Onemola is Head, New Media, Office of the Senate President.

  • Reflections on restructuring debate

    Of recent, re-structuring has become the catchword in Nigeria’s landscape with key political leaders and socio-political groups pushing forward certain ideas and views. ‘What exactly is the idea of re-structuring?’ and ‘Is a restructured Nigeria feasible?’ The answer is simply yes, provided it favours a peaceful, safe, prosperous, virile, united, and indivisible Nigeria that offers every man, woman and child a brighter and better future where each and everyone has a chance to build and share in this great nation’s potential.

    Overtime, the clamour has been made for the re-structuring of our federal system in response to the cries of marginalisation by various segments of our country as well as the understanding that our federation, as presently constituted, impedes optimal development and the realization of our peoples’ aspirations.

    In all these years, the various leaders have considered and embarked on various re-structuring templates of political, administrative, fiscal and economic, educational, monetary, socio-administrative, socio-economic, politico-administrative, geo-economic, geo-fiscal re-structuring and re-structuring of security apparatus.

    And by whatever name it is christened, re-structuring is not a magic bullet that would resolve all of Nigeria’s challenges or those of any section, region or zone of the country. This assertion does not detract from the fact that our country is in need of re-definition and conversation to address all the imbalances inherent in the present Nigerian nation.

    I am therefore constrained to draw our attention to the fact that the needs of our dear country is beyond re-structuring because we are yet to realize the urgency and depth thereto, rather, exigencies of our time make this roundtable imperative a sine-qua-non.

    In addition to the debate on re-structuring, on how resources are allocated, power shared or devolved, there is need for Nigerians to renew their commitment to moral renewal, spiritual reawakening and reorientation. Reframing the mindset and attitude of the citizens are a major catalyst in our objective to propel our country to greater height. Therefore my fear is that the greatest threat to the call for re-structuring is our fixated mindset and lack of mutual respect for one another.

    The present times therefore call for patriotism, tolerance, strength in our diversity, fair play, self-sacrifice, hard work, selfless service and commitment to public well-being. It is in the interest of our nation that we build bridges of accommodation, understanding and brotherhood. It is possible to re-define the re-structuring paradigm in such a way that it can accommodate some fundamental or foundational requirements that are key enablers for the needed or desired socio-economic growth and survival of our country.

    Some integral issues staring us in the face include (a) Citizens who are fractured, disengaged and poorly mobilized for the needed sacrifice required to trace the pathway to sustainable economic growth and nation building; (b) and an unwilling populace reluctant to trust no one, neither proponents nor opponents of the call for re-structuring.

    This is dangerous because until we see more Igbos moving into Gwoza and Sambisa to build shops and plazas just as we expect to Dantatas and Deribes establish in Enugu, Abakaliki and Ohafia, we cannot expect any meaningful change. Taking this into cognisance, the need for a holistic approach to re-structuring becomes imperative.

    With a growing population that will become the third largest in the world by the year 2050 and agriculture contributing less than 10% of our earnings, as land constricts and coupled with poor technological infrastructure to advance frontiers of crop/food production, health and manufacturing, Nigeria is at the brink and we must make or mar; we must restructure to enable us begin the reconstruction of a completely deconstructed nation.  

    The political class and leadership must demonstrate exemplary conduct in terms of probity, integrity, transparency, consistency and altruistic commitment in order to mobilize Nigerians to face our common challenges of poverty, ignorance, infrastructural decay and under development.

    Stellar leadership at various levels in our country is also a critical requirement, if we must galvanize our people, provide templates and framework that is capable of supporting a redistribution of opportunities and resources, not necessarily by collecting from one zone and throwing to another, but by empowering the ordinary citizens on terms that he/she can comprehend and grasp for meaningful participation in the Nigerian socio-economic enterprise. The decisive step in our long pathway of re-structuring is probably to create a sense of inclusion, participation in our economic and democratic process.

    Most public institutions for national cohesion, integration and good governance have been subsumed and succumbed under the weight of nepotism, inefficiency, intolerance, infringement and arbitrariness. Apart from the military, others such as NYSC are gradually receding into catharsis of abrasion, divergence, dysfunction and irrelevance. The time to build is now and we the leaders of the moment must restructure our mentality and thinking. A leader should be able to accurately assess the circumstances and then do what the situation calls for. We as leaders must be constant in doing that which is right, our style and purpose must reflect the yearnings of our people, not what the leaders feel like doing.

    What did China do, that has changed the burden of leading 1.3billion people to blessing of having 1.3billion people produce food and solutions for the world? There is a key balance and nexus between technological advancement/knowledge, population and opportunities. We must strike that balance immediately, otherwise we run a risk of annihilation through self inflicted tensions.

    Finally, I want to seize this opportunity to reiterate my unflinching commitment to national unity, territorial integrity and oneness of Nigeria where justice, equity and fair play reigns in a country that works for ALL; though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand.

     

    • Ikpeazu is Abia State governor.

  • Reflections on Akwa Ibom LG election

    Conducting   successful local government election in Nigeria can no longer be taken for granted. Even though election of local government officials is a constitutional requirement, this has been breached over and over again in this country.  Section 7(1) of the 1999 constitution clearly states that: “The system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this constitution guaranteed; and accordingly, the government of every state shall, subject to section 8 of this constitution, ensure their existence under law which provides for the establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions of such councils.” But as simple and straightforward as this provision is, many state governments all over the country would rather set up caretaker committees to oversee the affairs of local governments than allow the provision of the constitution to prevail.

    This anomaly has so much gained wide acceptability that even the citizenry, who are expected to be beneficiaries of well-run and structured local government system, are seldom worried about local governments elections not holding as at when due. That is the level of apathy of Nigerians towards local governments. While it is easy to conclude that this is happening because of lack of political awareness, the reaction of the electorate to other political matters will make such conclusions simplistic. For instance, is it possible for Nigerians to accept caretaker committees to oversee the affairs of the state government or the federal government when the terms of either the governor or the president elapses without any form of public outcry? But this is what obtains all over the country in the case of local government elections. When the tenure of local government chairmen ends, there are usually different excuses why election of new officers could not be possible. Nigerians are used to the usual songs of lack of money; need to update existing voter’s register and many other excuses that are cited for lack of election into local governments. Unfortunately, these are excuses no one dare give to elongate the tenure of any governor or president. Agreed that Nigerians are docile and because of this, take many rubbish from their leaders, but be that as it may, it is doubtful if they would allow caretaker committees to administer their states or the entire country under any guise in a supposedly democratic dispensation.

    This forms the background to the importance attached to the just concluded local government election in Akwa Ibom State. For many years, the people of the state like many others in Nigeria have been ruled at the local government level by caretaker committees. No wonder their joy knew no bounds as they trooped out to cast their votes in the last council election. The massive turnout of the electorate suggests that the people are politically enlightened and would like to take their destiny into their hands if allowed to do so. Last Saturday offered the people of Akwa Ibom the privilege of electing their own local government chairmen and councilors – something that   has become rare these days. Twelve political parties were said to have participated in the election into 31 local governments and 329 wards in the state. The Peoples Democratic Party won in all the local governments in the state. Of course, the main opposition party has kicked against the result of the poll but independent observers that monitored the election said the election was generally peaceful. For instance, the Inter Party Advisory Council in a statement after the election said the elections were peaceful, free and   met credible standards of democratic tenets.  While congratulating winners, it implored them to see their victory as victory for the people of the state. It equally commended the governor, Udom Emmanuel,  for his commitment  to participatory democracy at the grass roots, which  it said, has placed Akwa Ibom among the few states in Nigeria that have successfully conducted  local government election.

    Indeed, the governor, many believe, truly deserves some commendation,   for being able to pull this through, especially in less than three years into his tenure.  The governor too was equally elated that the election was hitch free as reflected in his speech after casting his vote. He had said the election was exceptionally peaceful. “The massive turn out of voters in the exercise has confirmed the desire of the people to put in place a democratically elected government at the grass root and we are optimistic that election being a contest of numbers would see the best candidates emerge victorious.”

    Perhaps in response to complaints of few hitches here and there, he had said it was very rare to have a hitch free election anywhere in the world. For him, conducting local government elections without experiencing a spill of blood could only be a divine blessing. Truly, that may not be an exaggeration.  Elections in Nigeria especially at that local level can be bloody. Politicians bring in all their arsenals to dislodge the opposition. In one of the states where local government election was conducted recently, the daughter of one of the aspirants was kidnapped to force the father to pull out of contesting in the election.

    Local governments are part and parcel of democratic organs in Nigeria’s constitution and we must as a nation work towards preserving the rule of law at all times. This is what makes for development in every civilised part of the world.  It is important to harp on the need for our leaders to strictly adhere to constitutional provisions on local government election. And that is why governors like Udom Emmanuel should be applauded for taking the bull by the horn and doing what is right in spite of daunting financial challenges bedevilling the state.

    In many civilized parts of the world, local governments, called by different names, foster developments and bring governance closer to the people. Here, we don’t even know the functions of local governments. Some have alleged that local governments don’t do more than share federal allocations every month and that they are pocketed by the states because the executives want to have free access to the money from the federation account. We need to change this mindset and return our local governments to the original reasons for creating them. Counties are responsible for many road construction projects in countries like the United States of America. If the local governments function as they ought to, the pressure on the state and the federal government will drastically reduce.  Why should it be the business of any state to construct inner roads when we have functional local governments? That is an anomaly.

     

    • Aniekan writes from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

  • Reflections on suicide

    I did not steal, I did not kill anybody. I only wanted to take my life. This policeman (pointing at the Commissioner of Police) said I have committed a crime. Which crime? How is my attempt to kill myself anybody’s business? Is it not my life? Let me end it all.”

    In apt language that easily passes for first-grade movie scripting, Citizen Titilayo Taiwo Momoh, 58, whom the police in Lagos State charged before a magistrate court with attempted suicide, pursuant to Section 235 C.17, Vol. 3 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015, challenged the authority of the police to intervene in her private decision to end her life.

    The mammoth monetary misfortune that befell Citizen Momoh, leading right up to her final decision to take her own life, are quite unfortunate and complex, never once wished for, and certainly cannot be dismissed recklessly as light misfortune.

    The singular peculiarity of Miss Momoh’s matter is that it has become a national cause celebre, overnight, engendering and sustaining debate as the centerpiece of discourse in both orthodox and new media, on the propriety of legislating against self-annihilation.

    Well, the answer to that question, in my candid view, is philosophical in its very essence, but I am at once minded to begin this intervention from a legal point of view. First, I believe that life is God’s basic expression of love to man; a portion of His divine nature bestowed on man. Hence, a Giver and keeper relationship is to be expected between God and His creation. It should follow, therefore, that to deliberately destroy God’s life-gift is to desecrate the very essence of godhood that distinguishes man from baser nature.

    Then, moving on from that, follows the appropriation of this divine gift of God into a right for all men as auspiciously stipulates Article Three of the U.N.’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights effective December the 10, 1948, whereupon the philosophy of righthood will suggest that responsibility to protect that right, in the event of a breach, has been conceded to the state, within a social contract, so that not even an abuse by its primary custodian will recuse state oversight from redressing what is only logically a misdemeanour. Every society must have set principles for protecting rights from abuse. So, if the right to life is a justiceable right, then whoever attempts to take it away is guilty of wrongdoing including the owner of that life.

    By way of a quick analogy, the certified owner of a house who seeks to renew its architecture and painting cannot, by wilful action, set about the destruction of the existing structure by incendiary means, without drawing remonstration from his neighbours and -where applicable- necessary protestations by state authorities.

    With that in mind, it bears adding that any society that acquiesces in the liberty of any or all of its citizens to self-annihilate only so far as admits its deficit in what should naturally be its primary responsibility: the corporate survival and well-being of everyone. For, interestingly, felon de sa, the one who self-annihilates, often does so on the claim that there was no possibility of seeking a future within his surroundings. The family or immediate circle of such a person is then inescapably sentenced to perpetual self-recrimination/self- defence because the misdoing of one of its own has done something distasteful to the moral footing upon which the family once owned its voice in the world.

    Not even the fallacy of permanent rest associated with suicide’s aftermath can be justifiably advanced as good reason for this misjudgement. Not in African Traditional Religion where so-called spirits of the dead are frequently summoned for active involvement in the affairs of the mundane. Not in Christianity and Islam where the sacrilege guarantees a sure spot in hellfire’s lake of torment. Not in the faithless who have yet to advance completionist positions about what becomes of being in the cessation of present existence.

    We must realise, without exception, that, deep down within, something doesn’t quite celebrate suicide. We must give that a voice, the same way we give a voice to our dislike for murder, rape, burglary, armed robbery etc. since society can only speak through its laws as its best and easiest mechanism for eschewing anarchy.

    The purpose of such a law, as mentioned earlier, has essentially to be one that preserves the propriety of the state to prevent, by legitimate intervention, the misaction of one of its own. Upon apprehension, therefore, should such a citizen be due, immediately, for return to his/her immediate surroundings? Should not that citizen be brought back to his/her right mind that such action was more than a mere private issue because it had the capacity to do irreparable damage to the spirit of social fellowship and brotherhood? While it takes an entire village to raise a child, we may now add, it takes no less a village to make an adult. So, death of one is death to all. These are the values that our laws against suicide must target for deliberate protection.

    Assuming that one who so decided to take the person’s life and failed in the attempt is held to be in contempt of the customs of his locale, by what standard should he/she be treated? Mob intervention? Or what? I would recommend a law which, while prohibiting suicide also protects, automatically, such persons from non-state action with clearly spelt out, case-based, rehabilitation strategies.

    An inexhaustible range of well-known factors can give rise to the extremes of contemplations and I do not intend here to list them, but in no wise or guise can suicide be justified. It attempts to deprive us of the exemplary diligence that could be required in the exploration of ALL possible avenues for resolving distress, devoid of selfishness, ego and conceit. What I mean by that? I hope this suffices: U.S. soldier, Augustine “Og” Mandino, suffered so severe depression that, even after he had purchased a gun to take his life, he could not pull the trigger because all will for action had deserted him! He managed to pick up the remaining pieces of his life and went on to become one of the greatest self-help authors in history.

    I dare say that whoever brings himself to the point of taking his own life does retain sufficient courage, creativity and energy to not only carry on with life but to also succeed. Planning suicide must be a very complex adventure, I would imagine. I assume that after flirting with the thought for a while, the mind then goes on to decide on the best means possible (inhalation, pills, poison, injection, drowning, hanging, shooting in the head or heart, self-immolation, etc.) and then the best place possible and then the best time possible, and so on. Not to mention that the sighting of any unwelcome beast (in a bush, for instance) may well lead to an immediate escape from death!

    Everything happening in Nigeria today simply points to the fact that the nation is long overdue for a fresh, broad-based national mobilization policy. The national conscience, is distressed, desperately crying for bearing; in which case a thoroughgoing moral reawakening must come to the rescue.

    That an evil as ignominious as suicide is catching on even on our campuses cannot be waved off as mere casualism. The testimonies of fellow citizens who have been to the cliff of distress but shunned the dive into the waters of self-destruction, and are now home and dry, must today, more than ever before, adorn our headlines and social media. That may just signal our arrival at the threshold of a spirited campaign for a sweeping moral reawakening. The journey is more than a thousand miles.

     

    • Cyril is Senior Researcher, TVCNEWS, Lagos.