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Tag: responsibility

  • ‘Stop blaming govt, take responsibility’

    ‘Stop blaming govt, take responsibility’

    The Association of Lagos State Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries (ALARHOSPS) has urged Lagosians to stop blaming government for every societal problem.

    It said they should instead take personal responsibility for upholding laws, promoting ethical values and contributing to national progress.

    The advice was given at the association’s 12th Annual Summit in Lagos, with the theme: “Citizenship and Social Responsibilities: Sustaining Excellence in Lagos State.” The two-day event drew retired top civil servants, policymakers and stakeholders to address issues of good governance, citizen participation and moral rebirth.

    Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, speaking through the Permanent Secretary in his office, Mrs. Mojisola Daba, hailed ALARHOSPS for its consistency in promoting standards, processes and credibility in the state’s public service.

    Read Also: NOA commences enlightenment campaign on govt policies, security, others

    “The constitution makes it a responsibility on the citizens to support government in the service of the people by fulfilling their civic duties. I hope the summit will produce strategies to position Lagos as a resilient centre for the development of our people and investors,” Hamzat said.

    ALARHOSPS President, Otunba Nurudeen Ojora-Adejiyan, said the annual gathering remained a platform for generating ideas that shaped state and national policy.

    He recalled that last year’s focus on food security helped stimulate nationwide debate, with Lagos responding by launching the Lagos Food Systems Infrastructure Company (LAFSINCO) to boost agricultural productivity and reduce food costs.

    He said this year’s theme was chosen to address Nigeria’s “moral and ethical decline.”

    “Our nation needs a rebirth towards the highest ethical and moral standards,” he said. “We must move beyond the blame game and take personal responsibility for the state of our society.”

    Vice President 1 of the association, Mrs. Grace Ebunola Oladimeji, said citizens had as much responsibility as government in building a functional society.

     “We are always pointing accusing fingers at the other person. We never look at ourselves as culpable,” she said. “If one person leaves this summit determined to do what is right, society will change. These simple actions, obeying traffic lights, not dumping refuse, not blocking drainage, matter.”

    She also called on law enforcement officers to lead by example.

    “Around Ikeja, Okada is still banned, yet you see law enforcement officers riding them. If they resolve to obey the same laws they enforce, it will go a long way to impact society positively,” she noted.

    Representing the Head of Service, Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Teaching Service Commission, Mrs. Adebopo Oyekan-Ismaila, said the summit provided a space for serving and retired senior civil servants to collaborate on practical recommendations for government.

    She advised government workers to be “good ambassadors” in their communities.

    “Everyone must lead and live by example so that the Lagos of our dreams will come to fruition,” she said.

    The summit will end with a communiqué outlining strategies for promoting ethical conduct, improving public trust and fostering stronger collaboration between citizens and government.

  • Change, disbelief and responsibility

    My  starting  thoughts today  hover  around the  space   of   global  diplomacy  now taken  over in recent  times  and   most   unapologetically  too  by the US President  Donald  Trump  who  thought he made history with his  Helsinki   meeting this week  with Russian President Vladmir  Putin, only  to be ripped to pieces  domestically by friends  and foes alike   as kowtowing  shamelessly  to America’s traditional  and Clod War adversary  Russia.  But was Trump  that wrong, silly  or wrong headed? That  is the crux  of our discussion to day.  Domestically  too    for  us,  we look at  the  growing aggression of the so called Fulani  herdsmen as well  and  the unending   but  bloody Boko  Haram terrorism  in the face of claims of   their  annihilation by our military and wonder  very  loudly  whether  government  has   lived up to its responsibility   in arresting   these  violent changes that have altered the   Nigerian political  and socio  cultural landscape  so massively as if they  are   mostly,  out  of  control.

    We  look  at the  purported  Trump  Helsinki mishap   as well  as the Nigerian government’s handling of  the twin  menace  of herdsmen invincibility  and Boko Haram  terrorism   with some basic principles of Change Management  and political  philosophy  at the back  of our  mind.

    Starting with  the so called Trump blunder  at  Helsinki it would appear  that his detractors took  threw   caution  to the wind in appreciating   a well  known dictum of international   relations and diplomacy  that in both   endeavours,   there  are    no   permanent  friends or foes  but permanent  interests. Contemporary   history  provides  a solid  example of this.  The  Allies  of the Second  World War collaborated  to defeat Hitler  and then spilt  at  Berlin  creating  four  sectors   called  the French,  British and American  sector  -called Check Point Charley  –  and East  Berlin owned  by the Soviet Union,  an  ally  till then until  the collapse  of Hitler’s brilliant  war  machine. This was the beginning of the Cold War  that  ended  with the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989  and the  fall  of the Soviet  Union in 1991.  The  Soviet  Union dissolved into 15 sovereign Republics  and the Soviet Premier then Mikhail Goberchev got  a  Nobel Prize for  Peace  for presiding over the liquidation of the Soviet Empire, the US implacable  enemy. Barak  Obama, lusting   nowadays  for women leaders globally at Mandela’s Centenary in S  Africa, got a Nobel Prize  for  doing nothing other than setting the Arab world ablaze   with   his Cairo  Speech  at  the beginning of his presidency   and creating unwittingly  ISIS   which  bred the millions of   war refugees  mostly Muslims    fleeing  wars    and     arriving   in droves   at the gates   of the EU.  For  which  Donald Trump  holds Germany’s Chancellor  Angela Merkel  mostly  responsible for allowing 1m refugees into Europe  in  one year into  Europe.

    However   in   contrast  to what  Trump’s opponents  accuse him of, including most  ridiculously,  treason, this most vilified US president has done more for world peace than either Gorbachev  or Obama . He has  made  peace with N Korea and now he has made peace with Russia  and some of his country  men are  calling for his head . I  have called  for a Nobel Prize for the US president over the overtures to N Korea  to withdraw  from the nuclear brink of destroying the world. I repeat that  call  for him to be given  the Nobel Prize  for his Helsinki gesture in bringing in Russia   from  the cold  and   promoting the prospects of world peace.

    As  for  Donald Trump he needs to learn a basic lesson that   Change  cannot be  managed  because it   simply   follows its own path. It  is not a  Deal  which  he claims he knows too   well  .Change Management is  an  oxymoron like Trump  himself is the devil incarnate to his opponents and detractors.  Even Trump  himself  can  be destroyed by  the forces of change he has unleashed on global climate, trade and his America First  rhetoric. But  definitely  Trump  is an agent of Change, the most  effective of our time and his achievements must  be acknowledged as I do,   albeit  most grudgingly. He  has ‘brought  a  New  World  into existence to redress the balance of the old’ like  Lord  Palmerstone  once claimed in England  at  the beginning of that   nation  overseas adventures in piracy and exploration that   the   British  and Europe  later called Colonialism,  the initiator   and    historical   instigator  of the present  global  migration  crisis.

    With  regard  to Nigeria,  both  the herdsmen killings and Boko  Haram are violent changes  thrust  upon our political  system  which  are avoidable  because  they  are  not natural  disasters   like  hurricanes  and  tsunamis which  follow their chosen  deadly  paths of destruction. These two  blights on our socioeconomic environment are products of our political ineptitude, lack of knowledge of our physical   geography,   poor leadership  and corruption. We  have ignored the Sahel  and its creeping advance  that  has  made inhabitants of  our Northern part to  flee  southwards  but  have never  stopped to find ways to  scientifically  and strategically  check  the deadly  advance of the Sahel  southwards. Yet  our   political leadership,  politically  especially  has  always or  mostly  been  from  the North  since Independence.  Just  like  the   people    of  the  oil rich  Niger   Delta  have  always  voted for  the victorious  party  at the center  at   all   our    elections   but  still  have   nothing to show  for the huge oil  wealth  of Nigeria domiciled  on its territory.   In a way we have been architects of our own misfortune  historically  in the emergence  of these daylight killings threatening our collective security  and safety. But  it is still    the duty of government  to counter  by force those  who  challenge its authority   as  the sovereign  power on Nigeria’s  territorial  borders  and guarantor  of   the safety of our lives and property as   law  abiding Nigerian  citizens. Any  other  approach  than this can  only fuel  the aggression  of  those doing the killings and make victims  and potential  victims feel  insecure and angry  and no  government  no  matter  how popularly  elected  can  last  long in the good  books  of  even its electors  on that score. A word is enough for the wise. Once again long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

  • Non passing of budget is dereliction of responsibility

    In the last three years of the Buhari Government the National Assembly has routinely delayed the  passing into law of the budget submitted to it by the president . It sometimes  delays the approval and or modification till the middle of the year . Yet this is the most important duty of any responsible parliament any where in the world . A national budget is the road map to a nation’s economic direction for the year . It sets out the expectation of economic performance and the revenue and expenditure of government. From it the central bank derives  it’s policy of whether to raise interest rate or not . Foreign investors study it to explore what sectors would be most profitable for investment. Banks study it to determine the rate of lending and what area of the economy to lend to .  Individuals also study  the budget so as to plan their lives  on what to buy and at what prices, what to expect in terms of interests on savings and debts and for pensioners what to expect in the year and finally individuals want to know if taxes would go up or come down .In short no serious parliament will trifle with the appropriations process .

    In Great Britain the presentation of the budget is done  with pomp and pageantry in Autumn (Fall) usually in September or October . After the formality accompanying the budget presentation the chancellor of the exchequer  would later on  give the detailed  breakdown and its policy implications and also the philosophy behind it . When the Conservative(Tory) Party is in power in Britain , budget is driven by attempt at  ensuring fiscal responsibility, reducing the role of the state , reducing fiscal deficit, reducing and cutting down the welfare state and reduction of capital tax to encourage investment . and increase in Defence spending  and reduction of the national debt .When Labour is in power expansionist ideas about raising the minimum wage abolition or reduction of university fees , increase  in budgets for health and social welfare as well as increase for International assistance to poor countries and reduction in Defence expenditure  and general increase of taxes paid by the wealthy and corporations…  It is expected that by Christmas parliament would have approved  it so that people would know  what to expect in the new year .

    The budget presentation in the USA is less formal and it too is usually in Fall say from October to the end of September the following year . The great debate is usually about whether to increase or lower the national debt . This debate is usually ideology driven with the Republicans wanting to lower the national debt , while at the same time increasing Defence spending while cutting taxes and vastly reducing welfare packages and entitlement programs while the Democrats usually go in the opposite philosophical direction . Sometimes when the approval takes time , approval from Senate is sought to tide over the period of waiting and because of political wrangling government work has been known to be shut down for the reason of lack of money to pay its workers . This cannot happen in Britain or in any parliamentary democracy because there is really no absolute separation of powers as in the USA and other presidential system patterned after it . In Britain the executive is part of parliament and this is why some of us have been advocating a return to the parliamentary system we had before and after independence.

    In Nigeria both at the regions and at the federal level the budget Day was a day of formality , pomp and pageantry. Those old enough will remember budget presentation by chief  Festus Samuel Okotie -Eboh who held the post of minister of finance from 1958 to  January 1966  when he was assassinated during the first coup d’etat in Nigeria. He usually came into parliament accompanied by two servants carrying his long itshekiri wrapper after him . In the western region the ceremony was equally colorful . This writer should know because his 34 year old brother was minister of finance in 1956 in the western region the most prosperous and difficult to catch up with region in the country in terms of development.. The point I am making is that it is a pity that we no longer take the work of government with the seriousness it deserves . Rather members of parliament are roaming around inspecting buildings under construction and inviting contractors to see them in secret as part of their so called oversight duties. They find time to visit errant members with police cases apparently in solidarity with  their colleagues and with the thought that if  and when they too get into trouble their colleagues will shut down parliament as they have been doing in the last three years with little or no provocation. This is not right . These people are being paid huge salaries, allowances and constituency budgets totaling one million per day in a country where the minimum wage is 18,000 Naira which many of the impoverished and impecunious states cannot pay . The result of no budget is that government legally falls back on the contrivance of running on the previous budget to pay salaries , pensions and other emoluments without legal grounds to embark on any developmental projects .

    A year before a general election  in Nigeria , parliament is either deliberately or unintentionally sabotaging the Buhari Government. What I find curious is that the APC has a majority in both Houses of Parliament viz the National Assembly and the Senate. The reason for this anomaly is that we are not running a government based on political party system . If we were , some of those who are acting as cogs in the running of government would have been expelled by the party and from parliament because once you withdraw the whip from them they would have nothing to stand on . How did we get to a situation where a majority party cannot pass its budget . It is the fault of the president who “belongs to nobody but to everybody “  The result is what we are witnessing where the tail is wagging the dog and a senate run by  its president who is always on tour and its deputy who belongs to the opposition party whose duty it is to bring down the government. If the situation were not pitiable and a serious contradiction of party government to the detriment of smooth operation of government and predictable development I would have said the APC is making a unique contribution to the politics of government.

    What is to be done? Pressure should be mounted on the legislature to do its work. There is a need to look into the remuneration of members of parliament to reduce the humongous allowances they are earning  so that they can come down from their Olympian height to the level of struggling humanity . There is a need to look at the party structure before the next election . There ought to be an irreducible minimum behavior a member of parliament will not be allowed to cross before such a party man is shown the way out . The premier of western Nigeria chief SLA Akintola a political giant compared with these Lilliputians running around was expelled from the Action Group for anti party activities . So also was ozumba Mbadiwe the man of “timber and caliber” expelled from the NCNC for the same reasons  . We must try and reinvent proper political parties rather than what we have at the present which are mere coalitions and agglomerations of interest groups sometimes working at cross purposes and against each other .we must transit from this to a proper party system . The president should use the enormous powers in his hand to mound his party together and weed out parasites eating at the core of the party . The president must come out  and declare that he now belongs not to everybody but to his party whose mandate it is to run a functional government determined to do his best for the country according to the mandate solemnly given to him by the Nigerian people . After leaving office he would have the pleasure and luxury of belonging to everybody but right now he belongs to the APC who brought him to power.

  • ‘Safety on roads, everybody’s responsibility’

    ‘Safety on roads, everybody’s responsibility’

    The Corps Commander of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Olaseni Ogunyemi, has urged road transport stakeholders in the country to cooperate with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other traffic management agencies to end insanity on the roads, saying “ road safety is a shared responsibility”.

    He spoke in Abuja during a celebration marking the 30th anniversary of the FRSC.

    He said the traffic agency was in support of the FRSC on the speed limiter to prevent overspeeding by motorists.

    He called on the general public, governments and private organisations not to see traffic agencies as enemies, adding that “they should be seen as partners working for the safety of all Nigerians.”

    He said the TRACE recorded 20 per cent reduction in accidents between 2016 and 2017.

    He said there would be a remarkable reduction in accidents through the rigorous public enlightenment and training of drivers, among  other efforts.

    He said: “In Ogun State, we discourage night driving and selling of alcohol in motor parks in order to prevent accidents.

    “Besides, we do register and properly monitor activities of members of the NURTW, RTEAN, ACOMORON, AMORON and others who have one business or the other on the state roads.”

  • Social welfare, responsibility and  politics

    I  went  to a Christmas  Party  for  Annuitants  of  Leadway this week  and  I was amazed  and impressed  by the way this Nigerian  Insurance  company  has leveraged the concept of corporate social responsibility to  project  its    image as that of a socially responsible corporate  citizen  of the   Nigeran  corporate   environment.This is in sharp  contrast   to the devil  may  care attitude  of the bank  where  I retired and  where  for seven  months my pension was  not paid because I did  not show up for  verification   on which I  had  no  information or communication  whatsoever.   I  got  the  Leadway  invitation  as an  Annuitant  and the concept was explained  lucidly  at the event  by the organisers  whose motive was to ensure  that Annuitants live well  and long to  enjoy their  annuity in good health.  Again  I doff my heart  to  Leadway  as a caring corporate  organization and that should  override  any criticism   I  may make about its   event, the practice of corporate  social responsibility in  Nigeria  or even  the history of the welfare state, all  of which   I  am  focusing on today and all  flowing from the thoughtful XmasParty for  Annuitants  of  Leadway  at which  all  Annuitants went home gratefully with six yards  of quality   Ankara  prints.

    The  organisers  of the Leadway Annuitants party had  the welfare of  Annuitants very  much  in mind but in a way  they overplayed  their part and portrayed  the Annuitants in bad light which  was not their intention.  Imagine  the Gynaecologist  brought in to talk on health  and good living asking ladies to  be touching  their breasts looking for signs of cancer in the midst of men who tried  to look  straight  in obvious embarrassment. The event was not an ante natal or post natal  clinic and that was superfluous  and uncalled for. Annuitants  have earned their annuity through  hard work over the years and should not be treated as disabled  people  or humans who do not know their left from their  right.

    Anyway  that  threw  my mind back  to the origin  of the welfare state from  where  the concept  of contributory  pension  sprang  from,  especially  in Britain in the thirties  or the years  preceding the Second  World War. Indeed  it was the  1942 Beveridge Report   titled ‘Social  Insurance  and  Allied  Services ‘written  by  Lord William  Beveridge  that recommended   that    the  British  government should  look  after its citizens  from ‘cradle to grave  ‘and protect them  from the’ Great Dangers of –  Want, Ignorance, Disease, Idleness, and  Squalor’. The  Report insisted that each  citizen  must pay  a flat tax  as contribution  and that  was the genesis of the welfare state,  the   famous NHS  in the UK    and  of  course  the caring for  Annuitants which  Leadway  did  so well    this  week.

    The  politics  in the origin of  the Beveridge  Report  also  caught my fancy  and imagination. The composition of the Committee  was bipartisan  and its  report came out during  theWW2 years.  Indeed  Winston  Churchill, Britain’s most  successful War  PM lost  the 1945  elections  because  he felt  the Beveridge Report should not be implemented immediately after the war because of other expenditure arising from the war. But  the   Labour Party led by Clement Attlee  thought differently  and campaigned on its immediate implementation and won the 1945  elections and Attlee  became PM. But again in 1951  when  Attlee  got overconfident and called    a snap  election  he lost  and Winston Churchill  returned  to power  till 1954. The  lesson  here  is that welfare issues  have always played a  major part in British  politics  and this was obvious in the snap election on Brexit that Theresa  May  called recently.   She    lost her  party   majority  because  the British electorate was  concerned  about its welfare in the face of massive immigration and the fear of erosion of welfare benefits generally in Britain.

    It  is my belief  that governments must  look  after  the welfare of their  citizens  not  only as pensioners, annuitants and shareholders but equally  as young people  looking for a career or  the golden  fleece.  And    governments  especially  in the three tiers  of governance  and government  in Nigeria must  create jobs  for  Nigerian youths  so that they don’t flee our  shores  and become slaves in Libya or some wicked foreign  land where  they  are sold several  times  over and tortured by wicked  people who exploit  their  innocent  and legitimate  pursuit of a better life and future  for themselves.  Obviously  these  youths  migrate out of desperation, risking  their lives  on the High  seas  to  reach  Europe.  Angela Merkel,  the German  Chancellor  risked  her political life to accommodate migrants   fleeing   wars   in the Middle  East especially  young ones with families but she is  about losing her leadership   both  of Germany and EU  on  account of this. Nigerian  youths  are not fleeing wars but are fleeing poverty, starvation, joblessness  and are  now  running headlong into slavery  in  Libya.

    Its high time our  governments stopped  this mass  slavery  and the disgrace  of the flower of  Nigerian  youths and the way  forward  is to provide  jobs, jobs  and more jobs to forestall this disgraceful  modern slavery  in our midst.

    On   the world  stage  I  want  to look at two issues  from Australia  and Alabama  US and  tie them with the concept of social welfare, responsibility  which  we have pursued  so  far. In  Australia a report  has just been  published  which showed  that religious  leaders have sexually  violated young boys in their  care  for ages. The  Catholic  Church, the Anglican Church  and Jehovah  Witness  are  all  involved. This  sort  of revelation  must  have made Australians to recognize  gay marriage  as law in that  nation recently. The  religious  institutions in Australia have betrayed their trust as reposed  in them  as  educational  institutions  and have ruined the lives of innocent youths  in their custody  and that is anti social,  irresponsible  and  quite pathetic.  The report  went on to advise Catholic Authorities  to reconsider the concept of celibacy  for priests.  That  is like closing the stable  doors after the horses  have bolted. But  then  the religious  institutions  must  reform  or change  their  calling and stop  using salvation  to blackmail  their  followers  when  in real life they do the opposite  of what they  preach.

    However  in Alabama  where  the politician  supported  by US President Donald  Trump  lost the senatorial  seat   to a Democratic  candidate, the  dark observations of the loser are  what I want to share.  The  loser  Roy  Moore  has not conceded  defeat even  though  Donald  Trump  has congratulated the winner. The  loser  who  came to the polling booth on horseback  with his wife warned  reporters not to  frighten their horses  with their flashlight  as the horses  may be violent.  That surely  showed  the gruff  cowboy  attitude  of the former Alabama Supreme Court  judge.  But  his warnings  to Americans are universal  and apply  to  all  of us especially Africans. Moore  said  Americans  are  in a struggle to preserve their  republic, civilization and religion . He  lamented  that  abortion, sodomy and  materialism    have  taken  over the pursuit of life, liberty  and the pursuit of happiness  that the founders   of  America laid  as the nation’s  cornerstone   values. Yet  this candidate  lost mainly  because  of unproven  charges  of sexual  harassment  over thirty  years  ago. So  in Australia  priests  abuse  boys  in their custody  and get  away  with  murder  as it were given that there  was no punishment other  than opprobrium.   Whereas  in  Alabama  a bible  thumping cowboy judge lost  because  of  sexual  harassment    thirty    years    ago  dug out a month  before election  date.  Who  is socially responsible between  the  Australian  priests  and the  Alabama  judge  and where  indeed  does  the welfare   of  Australians or  Alabamans lie in all  these   chicanery?   For  now  let us   conclude  that  God  knows best. Once  again  long live the Federal  Republic of Nigeria.

  • FirstBank marks Corporate Responsibility Week

    FirstBank marks Corporate Responsibility Week

    First Bank of Nigeria Limited(FirstBank) will, beginning from September 25, celebrate its Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CR&S) initiatives. The celebration will end on September 29.

    The FirstBank CR&S Week themed “Promoting Kindness; Putting You First” will witness the consolidation of the bank’s interventions in social responsibility across communities in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria, and FirstBank subsidiaries in the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa.

    The programme is a reflection of the bank’s  brand promise to always put its customers first while it reinforces its role in driving sustainable development in the communities where it operates.

    The CR&S week is specially designed to reignite acts of kindness in our society, and the events are tailored towards re-orientating the society along the right values; encouraging the citizenry to intentionally create positive impact in their immediate environment.

    One of the major highlights of the week has been dubbed the Staff Promoting Acts of Random Kindness (SPARK) initiative.

    The week-long activities will see FirstBank’s employees give their time and resources to promote random acts of kindness within their communities, driving welfare through giving and visits to orphanage/less privileged homes and IDPs. The bank would also hold career counseling sessions with secondary school students across the regions which would have staff coordinate impactful sessions that will inculcate financial literacy and inclusion in young students.

    FirstBank’s CR&S Week is the first of its kind in the Financial Service industry in Nigeria and it would spotlight the Bank’s corporate citizenship interventions to drive positive impact across various communities all in one week.

    According to the bank’s Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications, Folake Ani-Mumuney, the CRS week was mooted to stimulate a better society with random acts of kindness. “As an institution, we want to encourage the values of random kindness and we implore Nigerians and indeed everyone to go the extra mile to promote and celebrate kindness this week. Kindness does not have to be monetary but would always leave us with a better society we can all be proud of”, she enthused.

  • ‘Crime fighting should be everybody’s responsibility’

    THE United Nigeria Chaplaincy (UNC) has called on every citizen of Nigeria to be involved in fighting corruption and other crimes to enable the police combat armed robbery, kidnapping, ethnic agitation, and other felonious crimes.

    The Commandant of the Lagos State Command of the UNC, Chaplain Shedrack Okwuagwu, said this in a lecture entitled ‘Say No To Crime’ at the Command Headquarters in Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos.

    He said: “The UNC is a religious, paramilitary organization, comprising Muslim and Christian clerics, duly registered with Corporate Affairs Commission.

    “The UNC operations include peace sensitization at the grassroots level and secondary schools, dialogue with restive groups, rescue operations, among others”.

    The commandant further said: “The UNC is the best solution to crimes in Nigeria because members of the UNC are God-fearing people because they are made up of pastors, imams and other people who fear God”.

    On how to solve the problem of kidnapping in Ikorodu and Lekki areas,  he said the government should buy better speed boats for the marine police and other law-enforcement agents assigned to the areas.

    He advised the creek residents to co-operate with the law-enforcement agents posted to the area, especially in giving them timely information on the nefarious activities of the hoodlums.

    Chaplain Okwuagwu called on the government to empower the UNC by providing it with communication gadgets and vehicles to help its members fight crimes.

  • Responsibility of the consumer

    Responsibility of the consumer

    There are things manufacturers and retailers can do for you as a consumer. The manufacturer has the responsibility of indicating production and expiry dates, amongst others. The retailer, for instance, brings it closer to you but it is the sole responsibility of the consumer to purchase products that are still within its shelf life.

    Mrs. Toyin Adewale stopped at Purple& Scarlet, a popular supermarket in Ikeja, Lagos, to buy her hair shampoo.

    Her favourite is Head and Shoulder dandruff hair shampoo from the stable of Procter & Gamble Plc. She dashed into the shop, hastily exchanged greetings with the beautiful owner as she walked in through the door. Adewale told the shop owner she did not park her car well and requested for the hair shampoo.

    The attendant quickly took it off the shelf, bagged it and handed it to her. Without checking the container and packaging, she just dropped the bag on her car seat and quickly zoomed off, thankful to God that she had bought the shampoo and was able to evade her car being impounded by LASTMA officials for the wrong parking.

    The next evening, she went to the hair saloon. The hair stylist tried washing her hair with the shampoo but noticed it was not really foaming well and Adewale also realised that the menthol and clean feeling that usually accompany the use of the shampoo was not there. Is this actually the original shampoo? wondered Adewale. Grabbing the container, she noted it was the same brand only that it had expired.

    She was so furious and regretted not checking the expiry date before making the purchase. Unfortunately, the container of the shampoo is supposed to last her at least six months. Besides, the shampoo does not come cheap as it costs about four times the price of the ordinary shampoo.

    Mr. Obinna  Chujiuka does his shopping mostly on the road as he comes from work late in the evenings. On this occasion, he was in a heavy traffic, so he rolled down his car window to buy cereals for his three children.

    Happy with his purchases, 750g packs of three cereals, especially as the prices were slightly cheaper than usual, he envisaged the faces of his kids when they see the Rice Krispies, Fruit and Fibre and Corn Flakes. Flinging the carrier bags to the back seat of his car, he hummed a song, anticipating the happy shrieking when he comes home.

    Sure enough, getting home, he got a warm embrace from his wife and bear hugs from the excited children. Seeing the packs of cereals, they said they were not eating the food their mum made for dinner but were having the cereal for dinner.

    Their mum poured the Rice Krispies in a bowl of milk but noticed it has lost its freshness as the popping sound that usually emanate as the cereal touches liquid was not there. She tasted it but spat it out when she noticed it tasted flat and off.

    Sensing her husband must have bought the inferior brand, she checked the packaging, confirming it was the top and most popular brand. Now checking further, she noticed that the original manufactured and expiry dates had been rubbed off and in their place were new dates written in black marker pens.

    It is the sole responsibility of the consumer to check the condition of the product he or she is paying for. No wonder, one of the campaigns of the regulatory body, the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) says, “Look well, well before you buy”. You must be aware and at alert when shopping in order not to be a prey.

    “The manufacturer, producers and importers of products owe the consumer the obligation of informing them of the expiry date status of products they manufacture, produce or import. By so doing, they stand the chances of boosting consumer confidence in their products,’’ explained Mr. Abiodun Obimuyiwa, Director, Corporate Affairs, Consumer Production Council (CPC) of Nigeria.

    On almost all products, edible and non edible, there are various dates printed on the packages and containers holding the product, and in some cases, printed leaflets attached to the products or even on the shelves where the products are displayed indicating the shelf life, manufactured dates and other relevant information for the general public.

    Different terms are used by the product manufacturers who are responsible for providing consumers with such information. They have the responsibility of informing consumers the shelf life of products, as part of their responsibility to substantiate product quality.

    Most terms printed on product or their packaging are : ‘Use by’ date, ‘Best Before’ date, ‘Expiration’ date, ‘Born on/Aged’ date, ‘Pack’ date, ‘Guaranteed Fresh’ date,  ‘Best by’ date, ‘Sell by’ date, ‘ Eat by’ date, ‘ Best if used by’ date, ‘Open’ date.

    ‘Sell by/Display Until’ date: The manufacturer is simply informing the store and the consumer that it is the last date stores are supposed to display the product for sale. Sell by date indicates the end of its shelf life at the store. Although the food product may be used and enjoyed past this date, it is advisable not to buy it. However, for food products that have passed their ‘sell by’ date and ‘display’ date but has not reached their ‘use by’ date nor ‘best before’ date, they will still be edible assuming they had been stored correctly.

    ‘Best before/ best by’ date are only advisory and refer to the quality of the product in contrast with the ‘use by’ dates which indicate that the product may no longer be safe to consume after the specified date. Food kept after the ‘best before’ date will not necessarily be harmful but may begin to lose its optimum flavour and texture.

    Eggs are a special case since they may contain salmonella which multiplies over time. They should therefore be eaten before the ‘best by’ date.

    ‘Use by’ date; Generally, foods that have the’ use by’ date written on the packaging must not be eaten after the specified date. This is because such foods usually go bad quickly and may be injurious to health if spoiled. It is also important to follow storage instructions carefully for these products.

    Open dating is the use of a date or code stamped on the package of a food product to help determine how long to display the product for sale. This benefits the consumer by ensuring that the product is of an acceptable quality when sold. An open date does not supersede a ‘use by’ date which should still be followed.

  • ‘Welfare of the poor is collective responsibility’

    ‘Welfare of the poor is collective responsibility’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

  • ‘Road safety is collective responsibility’

    The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has admonished stakeholders to make roads safe, as “ember” months approach.

    Its Ijebu-Ode Unit Commander, Mr Austin Ekele, an assistant commander, spoke at the inauguration of the Local Action Committee on Road Safety (LACORS) at Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State.

    Ekele said FRSC’s effort to ensure safer roads would only yield result, if other sister agencies, the military, paramilitary, police, vehicle inspection officers, Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) and road transport unions ensure sanity on the road.

    The unit commander said road safety was a shared responsibility.

    He noted that if the sister agencies and other stakeholders were involved in safety campaigns and enforcement, the country would be able to actualise the United Nations (UN) decade of action on reduction of road traffic crashes.

    Ekele urged vehicle owners to install speed limiters before October 1, the proposed enforcement deadline.

    Defaulters, the unit commander said, would be punished.

    He appealed to drivers to obey the speed limit.

    Ekele condemned motorcyclists for their nonchalance on the use of helmets.

    The FRSC commander noted that most of them were adamant about crash helmets and plied highways without them.

    He said motorcycles or tricycles should not compete with articulated vehicles for right of way.

    “They should restrict their services to the towns,” Ekele added.