The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Scramble

  • Scramble for the headship of NIHOTOUR heats up

    Almost two months after the tenure of the former Director General (DG) of the National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Mrs. Chika Balogun, there is a scramble for the office.  The institute is currently run by an Acting Director General, Alhaji Momoh Kabir.

    The outgone  DG, who was appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan,  for an initial tenure of four years, completed her tenure this year and it was not renewed. According to reports, the former DG is angling to return to her position for a second term but  she has a very stiff challenge before her.

    While some people are supporting her return, many believe she had not done enough to deserve a tenure renewal. So far, the presidency has not yet named a new person to head the tourism institute.

    Speaking on the criteria for the new director general of the institute, a retired director, Alhaji Mohammed Sheriff, said: “Sincerely, you know our industry has been bastardised for quite some time. For political reasons, they don’t care about people’s background, what they know and what they can do for the institute. They always assume that it is an administrative position and just anybody can go there. That has been our problem. When such people come, because of their background, they succeed in building themselves without bothering about the progress of the industry itself. If we can get a person who has a background in the industry and is exposed as well as being in the academics, understands the common  language of the sector and what needs to be done, that would be of assistance. I tried to do that when we were first drafting the bill of the institute (NIHOTOUR). If you see that NIHOTOUR bill, there is a distinction for who should chair the governing board, but there is no description for the person who should be the director general. When I did it, my former boss then, thought I didn’t want him to be the director general, he struck out that aspect. Since then, nobody has cared to bring back such requirement and that is more important than the chairman of the governing council.” Sheriff however said Mrs. Chika Balogun did not do badly and as such could be brought back.

    However, another industry practitioner who prefers anonymity said Chika’s inability to carry the private sector along, especially during the hearing of the NIHOTOUR Act which put her at loggerheads with the private sector industry practitioner was a huge minus: “Mrs. Chika Balogun did well, although the only area she had problem was that she never understood civil service etiquette. She never understood how to direct government policies.

    “She started having problem during the hearing on the enabling act setting up NIHOTOUR. She took the right step at the right time, but the decision not to carry along the tourism stakeholders and liaise with people within the industry was a minus.

    “Also, she did not consult actual key players who started the institute. Organizationally and structurally, I will give her pass mark. She had a vision on how to standardize the programmes of NIHOTOUR. She also did wonderfully well in the area of networking to improve the quality of the tuition being impacted by NIHOTOUR.

    “Also she tried to bring in professionalism by putting in the right people in the right place. She is somebody that had a vision of liaising with the private sector which brought in instant development. She had the vision of M.K. Bashir, the first director general. I believe if she is brought back, she will perform well still.”

    Some names of individuals in the tourism industry are being suggested for the headship of NIHOTOUR. Among them are: Mr. Ashamu Fadipe, former Lagos State Permanent Secretary in the former Ministry of Tourism and Inter-governmental Relations during the tenure of Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola. Fadipe is thorough bred tourism administration with degree in tourism and has published books on tourism. He currently runs the Badagry Convention Bureau.

    Another is Chief Abiodun Odusanwo. Odusanwo is currently the President of Institute of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria. Odusanwo is a well travelled, and exposed educationist. He was an educationist for many years in the United Kingdom before returning  to Nigeria.

    Many in the industry are also pushing forward the name of Alhaji Mohammed Sherriff,  a former director in NIHOTOUR before retiring. They believe with his vast experience in the institute, bringing him to head the institute would be putting a round peg in a round hole. Other industry practitioners being mentioned include Mr. Ikechi Uko, Mallan Kabir and many others.

  • Sokoto: Tambuwal, Wamakko scramble for lawmakers

    Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and his estranged godfather, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, are now locked in a battle of wits for the support of the majority of members of the state House of Assembly as both men go their different political ways.

    Tambuwal is expected to dump the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) later  this week while Wamakko has chosen to remain in the APC.

    Reliable party sources told The Nation that the lawmakers are now being camped in locations across the state by the political gladiators.

    The governor is said to be working round the clock to leave for the PDP with as many state legislators as possible to boost his value in his new party.

    The governor’s move is however being seriously challenged by Wamakko who is the leader of the APC in the state.

    Sources said that more than half of the state lawmakers originally promised the governor to move with him to the PDP only for some of them to change their mind after a separate meeting with Wamakko.

    The source said:”at the meeting, many of the lawmakers started reconsidering their decision to leave the APC. While some were bold enough to tell the governor and his men they wanted to stay back in the APC, other have been playing hide and seek with him.

    “The situation in the state, as we speak, is that of uncertainty. The state lost two Senators and four of the 11 House of Representatives members to the PDP last week.

    “The two Senators and the Reps who left Wamakko to cross over to the PDP were all his political allies and disciples until they took sides in the rift between Tambuwal and his predecessor.

    “Last week’s defection has weakened the base of the APC in Sokoto as the party now has only one Senator while PDP boasts of two. So, the scramble for the Assembly members is very fierce with both the governor and Senator Wamakko determined to outwit each other.”

    Top members of the APC in the state are also said to be joined in wooing the state legislators for either Wammako or Tambuwal.

    It was also gathered that  Tambuwal had planned to switch camps last week but had shelved the move  when he found out that  most of the  state lawmakers had reneged on their agreement to go with him.

    A source said: “it was not easy for the governor to get the four Reps to defect to the PDP.

    “Apart from the two Senators who have personal issues with our leader, all others who defected to the PDP on the request of the governor were lured with a lot of promises and freebies.

    “If this is truly a test of the governor’s popularity within APC, then he can see for himself that he is unpopular. Majority of our party chieftains and members are with Senator Wamakko and the leadership of the party.

    “The battle has now shifted to the House of Assembly. The two camps are struggling to win the legislators to their side.

    “For Tambuwal, it is a must-win battle as he is ready to move over to the PDP anytime from now. But he is disturbed by the hide and seek game by some of the assembly members after a meeting with the APC leadership in the state on Wednesday.

    “Senator Wamakko needs to retain the support of the majority in the assembly to prove that he is still strong politically in the state.”

    Another source said Tambuwal may announce his defection tomorrow to keep his alleged presidential ambition alive.

    The governor is said to have been told by chieftains of the PDP to join the party early enough for him to be granted a waiver along with other defectors.

  • Scramble for emblem

    With the launching of the 2016 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Emblem by President Muhammadu Buhari a few weeks ago, there has been a great rush for the symbol at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Besides urging Nigerians to buy it in support of the families and relatives of the fallen heroes and the living soldiers, Buhari had urged Ministers and other government officials to always hang the emblem on their clothes from the period of the launching to the January 15th Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

    He also warned that the emblem may be made mandatory for staff and any visitor to government establishments during the period.

    This last remark was a further nugde for visitors and officials at the seat of government to go for the emblem.

    Of special note was the rush for the emblem three days after the launching when the 63rd session of the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting was held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    State governors, their aides and some ministers who came for the meeting, who were not with the emblem had to buy at the main entrance to the President and Vice President’s offices.

    Some beautiful ladies were already positioned at the entrance to sell the emblems.

    Some of the governors and aides who bought the emblem as they were heading to the meeting that morning included Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi.

    Rather than paying the going rate of N500 per emblem as was being sold to Villa staff that morning, some of the governors paid as high as N20,000 per emblem.

    One of the governors after he was decorated by one of the beautiful ladies selling the emblem turned and gave his aide instruction to settle the bill.

    Some staff, who saw what was happening were surprised to see some of the aides to the governors counting counting N20,000 and some above N20,000 for just one emblem they just parted N500 for.

    While the governors might have been thinking that they were making donations and supporting the course of the fallen heroes and the living soldiers as directed by the President, it is another story altogether whether what they gave out really gets to where it should go or just to enrich the ladies.

    Whatever the case may be, some staff who witnessed what was going on also benefited from the governors’ largess.

    They refused to pay for the emblems they collected from the ladies.

    One of the staff, who collected one emblem and already agreed to pay N500 but waited for one of the ladies to attend to a governor who just arrived, had to reply her this way when she came back for her money: “So, after seeing all these, you expect me to pay for this emblem.”

    The staff walked away as the lady continued to count and properly pile the money from the governor into her purse.

    When another staff was approached by the second lady for the money for the emblem he collected, he brought another angle to the drama by demanding a cut from the governors’ largess.

    Although he didn’t get any cut from the lady, but just like the first staff he walked away with the emblem without paying for it.

    Despite the rush for the emblem, there was no full compliance enforcement at the entrances two weeks after the launching unlike under the last dispensation.

    Many staff and visitors could still gain entrance to the State House without the emblem.

    Total refund

    One of the common and popular practices under past administrations is that you are left off the hook the moment you refund part of the loot stolen from the national treasury or in a public office.

    Many public officers accused of stealing public funds during their tenures have been allegedly given soft landing by the investigating government agencies as soon as they play ball by secretly parting with part of the loots.

    Whether the money and assets recovered from such looters get to the government purse or ended up in the pockets of those in charge, the cases always died down.

    Often times, the case file may mysteriously disappear from the custody of the investigating agencies or the case simply forgotten with time.

    Such looters not only continue to walk freely in the society but they also continue to command great respect among the low and mighty.

    The trend has also encouraged many to see any public officer, who declined to steal while occupying such office, to be foolish.

    With such treatment on looters, there was no deterrence to discourage massive looting especially in public offices.

    The various laws put in place to check such fraudulent practices cannot achieve much on their own without the human aspect.

    While the laws appeared to be very good on paper, those saddled with the responsibility of enforcing them most times disappoint in carrying out their duties effectively.

    All these have given many thieves in high places the courage and hope that they will always escape prosecution and total refund of stolen money at the end of the day.

    But President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed that such partial refund of money stolen under past administrations will not be entertained under his government.

    Even as he claimed that some of the looters have started to secretly return part of the stolen funds to his government, he has insisted that all monies stolen must be refunded to the government coffers in full.

    Speaking at a forum with the Nigerian community in Tehran, the Islamic Republic of Iran last Tuesday, Buhari said: “On corruption; yes, they are still innocent. But, we are collecting documents and some of them have started voluntarily returning something. But we want all.

    “When we get those documents we will formally charge them to court and then we will tell Nigerians to know those who abused trust when they are entrusted with public funds. So, the day of reckoning is gradually approaching,” he warned

    This, definitely, is a welcome development as it will go a long way under the present dispensation to discourage such looting.

  • Scramble for emblem

    With the launching of the 2016 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Emblem by President Muhammadu Buhari a few weeks ago, there has been a great rush for the symbol at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Besides urging Nigerians to buy it in support of the families and relatives of the fallen heroes and the living soldiers, Buhari had urged Ministers and other government officials to always hang the emblem on their clothes from the period of the launching to the January 15th Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

    He also warned that the emblem may be made mandatory for staff and any visitor to government establishments during the period.

    This last remark was a further nugde for visitors and officials at the seat of government to go for the emblem.

    Of special note was the rush for the emblem three days after the launching when the 63rd session of the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting was held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    State governors, their aides and some ministers who came for the meeting, who were not with the emblem had to buy at the main entrance to the President and Vice President’s offices.

    Some beautiful ladies were already positioned at the entrance to sell the emblems.

    Some of the governors and aides who bought the emblem as they were heading to the meeting that morning included Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi.

    Rather than paying the going rate of N500 per emblem as was being sold to Villa staff that morning, some of the governors paid as high as N20,000 per emblem.

    One of the governors after he was decorated by one of the beautiful ladies selling the emblem turned and gave his aide instruction to settle the bill.

    Some staff, who saw what was happening were surprised to see some of the aides to the governors counting counting N20,000 and some above N20,000 for just one emblem they just parted N500 for.

    While the governors might have been thinking that they were making donations and supporting the course of the fallen heroes and the living soldiers as directed by the President, it is another story altogether whether what they gave out really gets to where it should go or just to enrich the ladies.

    Whatever the case may be, some staff who witnessed what was going on also benefited from the governors’ largess.

    They refused to pay for the emblems they collected from the ladies.

    One of the staff, who collected one emblem and already agreed to pay N500 but waited for one of the ladies to attend to a governor who just arrived, had to reply her this way when she came back for her money: “So, after seeing all these, you expect me to pay for this emblem.”

    The staff walked away as the lady continued to count and properly pile the money from the governor into her purse.

    When another staff was approached by the second lady for the money for the emblem he collected, he brought another angle to the drama by demanding a cut from the governors’ largess.

    Although he didn’t get any cut from the lady, but just like the first staff he walked away with the emblem without paying for it.

    Despite the rush for the emblem, there was no full compliance enforcement at the entrances two weeks after the launching unlike under the last dispensation.

    Many staff and visitors could still gain entrance to the State House without the emblem.

     

    Total refund

     

    One of the common and popular practices under past administrations is that you are left off the hook the moment you refund part of the loot stolen from the national treasury or in a public office.

    Many public officers accused of stealing public funds during their tenures have been allegedly given soft landing by the investigating government agencies as soon as they play ball by secretly parting with part of the loots.

    Whether the money and assets recovered from such looters get to the government purse or ended up in the pockets of those in charge, the cases always died down.

    Often times, the case file may mysteriously disappear from the custody of the investigating agencies or the case simply forgotten with time.

    Such looters not only continue to walk freely in the society but they also continue to command great respect among the low and mighty.

    The trend has also encouraged many to see any public officer, who declined to steal while occupying such office, to be foolish.

    With such treatment on looters, there was no deterrence to discourage massive looting especially in public offices.

    The various laws put in place to check such fraudulent practices cannot achieve much on their own without the human aspect.

    While the laws appeared to be very good on paper, those saddled with the responsibility of enforcing them most times disappoint in carrying out their duties effectively.

    All these have given many thieves in high places the courage and hope that they will always escape prosecution and total refund of stolen money at the end of the day.

    But President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed that such partial refund of money stolen under past administrations will not be entertained under his government.

    Even as he claimed that some of the looters have started to secretly return part of the stolen funds to his government, he has insisted that all monies stolen must be refunded to the government coffers in full.

    Speaking at a forum with the Nigerian community in Tehran, the Islamic Republic of Iran last Tuesday, Buhari said: “On corruption; yes, they are still innocent. But, we are collecting documents and some of them have started voluntarily returning something. But we want all.

    “When we get those documents we will formally charge them to court and then we will tell Nigerians to know those who abused trust when they are entrusted with public funds. So, the day of reckoning is gradually approaching,” he warned

    This, definitely, is a welcome development as it will go a long way under the present dispensation to discourage such looting.

  • As they scramble for juicy pie in the sty

    It is public secret that the bureaucracy of the National Assembly is rooted in a rotten past. Yet it is far more appalling that in this era of change, selfish positioning has been the priority of our so-called representatives of the people. One may not be wrong to conclude that, having received huge allowances over the past six months without any commensurate impactful work rate, they have proven to be better at representing themselves than the people who voted them in.  And you can take that to the market.

    It is sheer waste of legislative time for the characters behind the laughable drama playing out at the House of Representatives to embellish the face-off over the sharing of committee membership with pretensions of party interest and patriotism. Nigerians are too politically perceptive to buy such bunkum. They know that pecuniary interest, more than any other thing, remains the chief propeller of all the hues and cries in the last few weeks after Speaker Yakubu Dogara announced the membership of the 96 committees that would perform oversight functions. Both the protagonists and antagonists underrate the intelligence of Nigerians to see through the ambiguous patriotic sentiments being put forward to cover up what is clearly a desperate scramble for raw lucre.

    In plain language, the legislative business of lawmaking is gradually becoming a nuisance. The time to draw the lawmakers’ attention to this descent into the alley of infamy is now. Since the inauguration of the 8th Assembly five months back, it has not carried out any serious legislative duty that would meaningfully impact on the populace’ collective quest for change, neither has it shown any sign of doing business outside the usual dog fights over perks and perquisites that hallmarked the achievements of those before it. While we may not deny the fact that the present set of legislators, especially those of the All Progressives Congress, rode on the waves of the change mantra to occupy majority seats, nothing now suggests that they are poised to walk their talk of putting the nation and its peoples first. When they look in the mirror, they hardly see the gnawing anguish of millions of Nigerians as they relish their new-found status where the self defines a false sense of community.

    From the look of things, most of the approximately 3000 aides who served them in the last dispensation and most of the new set of about the same number, already know how self-centred they are. Non-payment of the former’s severance allowances since May, 2015 does not bother them. That the latter group is yet to start receiving salaries since June, 2015 elicits no human feeling of concern. As long as nothing happens to the regular millions lodged in their accounts, why should they care about the stipends for common aides?

    It is, to say the least, shameful that those entrusted with the task of formulating laws for the good governance of the country in an era that requires radical change have spent the better part of a legislative year fighting over what would benefit self while the country’s collective interest seemingly recedes into oblivion. In the last five months, nothing tangible has come out of the two chambers aside the successful screening and confirmation of presidential nominations. Every other process can be conveniently captured under two subheads: mastery of the art of treachery and wanton tomfoolery.

    It is not just about the shocking political undercurrents that produced the leadership in both houses and even, the number of times that they have had to go on recess to calm their own frayed nerves. It is more about the billions of cash that had been shared by the false agents of change who simply cannot do things differently.

    The joke will be on the present leadership of the two chambers if they assume that it is possible to cover up their dirty dealings with elevated language and pebbles of deceit. I was personally shocked to the marrow that Speaker Dogara, in his speech last Monday, made a light joke of a matter that could eventually consume not only his office but which also has the potential of damaging the fortunes of the ruling party in the long run. How could Dogara feign ignorance of what is meant by “juicy” committee or what some of his colleagues would rather dub “strategic or critical committees?” As a confirmed beneficiary of such juicy appointment in the past in the same House of Representatives, Dogara sure knows that the fight is not just about members enjoying “ample and equal opportunity” to function. It is much more than that. As a veteran, he should know that the lure in committee membership is the viability of the juice.

    Pretence is one thing and sheer mischief is another. Unfortunately, none is useful in resolving the brewing crisis in the National Assembly especially in Dogara’s divided House. The graveyard peace that was achieved with the appointment of Femi Gbajabiamila as House Majority Leader may as well be ripped apart if common sense is thrown to the dogs. Already, two lawmakers in the opposing camps were said to have dealt each other hot slaps at the lobby of the hallowed chambers over what was alleged to be lopsidedness in the sharing of juicy committees to those that ensured Dogara’s emergence as Speaker, regardless of party affiliations. No doubt, quite a number of lawmakers would be holding clandestine meetings on how best to strike back from whichever camp they belong. With such scenario, I doubt if Dogara’s dream of leading a House that puts Nigeria first would not remain what it is: a pipe dream!

    By the way, no one is carried away by the vigour with which some of these so-called ‘honourable members’ pounce in readiness for motor-park fisticuffs on the floor of the hallowed legislative chambers. For as long as they do that for pecuniary interests, Nigerians would continue to snigger at them even if limbs were broken or lives lost in the process. It would have been more ennobling if the lawmakers had, in the past, deployed their membership of the committees to truly and responsibly carry out oversight functions and tame corruption in Ministries, Departments and Agencies as pointed out by the President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki. I also wonder if Dogara truly believed his rant that the multiplicity of committees would check “corruption, impunity and executive recklessness”. Ha! Was Dogara around when these same lawmakers were busy going round MDAs collecting huge envelopes and contracts in the name of oversight? Would he also deny knowledge of the fact that lawmakers in various committees wring the hands of heads of these MDAs to sponsor ‘capacity-building seminars’ abroad, as well as wedding and funeral ceremonies of family members, including donations for political activities? Is this not tantamount to giving legislative imprimatur to sickening corruption?

    If our legislature is ill-prepared for the arduous task of effecting the kind of change that would set the country on the path of real development, it can, at least, save itself from the harvest of public odium by packaging its slimy mess under its armpit. You don’t appropriate billions of tax payers’ money to service personal needs in five months without one single legislation to impact the society and then expect an applause. Clearly, the 8th National Assembly has put the wrong foot forward in its search for a juice in a sty.

    Would Dogara halt the decay? Would he deploy his vast experience in handling the “welfare” of members and “ability to deliver on any task given him to lead” as a two-time chairman of the House Services Committee and as acknowledged by his predecessor, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State to call his colleagues to order? Surely, he would be making a ridicule of that testimonial should this fight over anticipatory filthy lucre arising from the headship of juicy committees get out of hand. If they cannot save Nigerians from a long-existing misery and disappointment, could they please apply a bit of decency in restricting their shamelessness within a House now being projected as a place to represent and forcefully present selfish ambitions rather than the people’s interest?

    Very sadly, nothing in Nigeria’s political landscape today grossly contradicts the populist change that the Buhari administration and the Nigerian populace strive for, as much as the National Assembly. The entire nation thinks this is the time for selflessness and that we are on the cusp of history but regrettably, those folks at the National Assembly who feed on humongous quarterly allowances hardly think so. Will they change for true change to properly take off?

  • 35,467 scramble for admission

    No fewer than 35,467 candidates are seeking admission into the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin for the 2015/2016 session.

    However, a statement from the management indicated that only 4,380 candidates would be offered admission into ND and HND.

    This is in accordance with the  capacity of the institution as determined by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), which is the regulatory body for polytechnic and monotechnics in Nigeria.

     

  • Spanish, Italian clubs scramble for Raheem Lawal

    Spanish, Italian clubs scramble for Raheem Lawal

    Super Eagles’ midfielder, Raheem Lawal is not short of offers from clubs in Spain and Italy, SportingLife has been told by his agent, Segun Ogunbayo.

    Lawal was mooted to be teaming up with Tottenham in the English Premier League but the deal  has been proclaimed dead by Ogunbayo who disclosed that Lawal’s lack of sufficient games for the Super Eagles had nullified that.

    He revealed that some clubs in Spain and Italy have come with very serious offers that they are presently studying and that very soon Lawal would be able to get a club he would lace his boots for ahead of the new season.

    “Lawal is not short of offers. He has offers from Italy and Spain that we are presently studying. He was supposed to hold talks with Tottenham but it didn’t materialise because of the number of games he played for the Super Eagles. We are currently studying all proposals brought from those clubs before deciding which one will be best for him,” Ogunbayo told SportingLife.

    Lawal was in the Samson Siasia’s U-20 squad to Egypt 2009 which crashed out in the second round of that competition to Germany and he played a couple of matches for the Super Eagles under Stephen Keshi. He was however considered not good enough for the just ended Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup.

  • Kids scramble for ‘late entry,’ as Warri tennis coaching clinic begins

    Kids scramble for ‘late entry,’ as Warri tennis coaching clinic begins

    OrganiserS of the maiden Warri Tennis Coaching Clinic seem to be having a hectic time controlling the huge number of applicants, following a high demand for late registration by parents who want their kids to be part of the event. It will serve off today at the Shell Club, Ogunu, Warri, Delta State.

    The clinic, a grassroots tennis talent development programme, will hold in Warri from April 7 to 19. It is for children between the ages of 6-16 years. It was learnt yesterday that some parents, who could not beat the deadline of free registration, have resorted to the ‘black market’, offering money to buy late registration forms to enable their kids participate.

    Leading a team of tennis experts from Lagos to Warri is veteran tennis coach, Robinson Roy Odoko. Coach Peter Osagie will assist him. While Odoko, a former national tennis player will serve as Director of the clinic, Osagie will serve as Head Coach. Five other coaches drawn from Asaba, Benin City and Port Harcourt are already on ground in Warri for the exercise.

    Chief Executive Officer of Iso-Black Concepts Ltd, Igho Okor, said yesterday that the need to teach young tennis players, especially in primary and secondary schools, the various techniques and strategy to adopt for winning matches, is the reason for the exercise.

    “Most tennis tournaments and coaching clinics are organised in Lagos and as such, people in other urban centers have no opportunity to witness and benefit from these tennis initiatives and this has been working against talent hunt and tennis development in some parts of the country,” Okor said.

    He further explained that the programme is aimed at introducing the rudiments of tennis to the kids, saying that talents and potential champions in Warri and its environs would benefit greatly from the project.

    “They are eagerly waiting to be discovered and nurtured to prominence. The Iso-Black Warri Tennis is structured and targeted at discovering such hidden talents in Warri and its environs. It will develop the game from grassroots level by teaching the young stars the basics of the game and appropriate strategy to adopt for winning matches,” he added.

    The organisers have targeted 500 kids for the clinic, but the number increased to 800 yesterday following interest shown by parents who want their kids to benefit from the exercise. Okor said that equipment for the clinic such as playing racket; tennis balls and kits had arrived from London.

    “Apart from enthusiasm shown by the kids, various corporate organisations, including SYKES Energiprojekts Ltd, NNPC, Standard Alliance Life Assurance Ltd, Carex, Shell Club, Ogunnu and Promasidor are sponsors for the event. It will run between 9.00 am and 2.00pm daily,” Okor added.

    He hinted that at the end of the clinic in Warri, children who perform well would be taken to Lagos for further training and later taken to their partner Tennis Academy in South Africa.

  • The scramble for the naira

    SIR: First, there was the scramble for Africa by European colonial masters.  Thereafter, neocolonialism bred the scrambling for naira by fine dressing Nigerian politicians.  They put out the best smiles before the public and make the most heartfelt promises to their audience.  In their minds, they are blinded by greed as they unconscionably share the wealth of the nation.  Like prostitutes working hard to satisfy their transient customers, they run from one political party to another to position themselves for the next scheme.

    If one may rhetorically ask, could it be that the nation got the definition of leadership wrong from independence?  The founding fathers were not without their weaknesses, especially those stemming from the poisonous seeds of rancour and avarice sowed by the colonial masters, though they single-mindedly pursued their political ideologies till the end. Contrastingly, oil boom politicians have no flair for discipline or sacrifice for the people.  They will fall face down on a slush of the national cake fighting madly for a staggering share.  The surplus natural resources of the nation have produced an exclusive bazaar strictly for the rich and mighty.  And they are overdosing in the frivolities with stupor.

    The buffoonery is rapidly turning the nation into a one big party family.  Everyone is hopping in on the groovy train.  Cheerleaders consider it committing a political suicide to constitute a meaningful opposition party.  The jolly politicians throw crumbs from their sumptuous table to the gullible citizenry to make them feel like they are welcome to the party.  With impunity, they loot the treasury and leave the nation impotent.

    The bell of democracy peals beyond the shores of shallow politics.  The institution of good governance is a tenet that dwells in the psyche of rational citizens.  Conscientious Nigerians watch with concern to see where this ‘moving boat’ will sail to.  Slightly hopeful that political prostitution is beginning to be abhorred like a vile act that it is.  One will suppose, owing to the benefit of time and circumstance, that the feet of philanderers are getting clogged in the mud of their antecedent.  Nigerians are no longer fooled by muddied politicians defecting from one party to another; they see the exploitation.  The cheats plot for a chance of a winning ticket and lack ideological conviction.

    Though, on the reverse, one can take the view that the nation’s political institution has not graduated to the level of polished ideological underpinning.  As such, politicians may be allowed the pandering of political expediency.  This seems plausible since fine politicians have emerged by defecting to a dominant party to achieve their mandate.  That being said, a wise person knows the ground that is swept while the moon is shining.

    This piece is not an overture for denigration of Nigerian political system per se but a commentary on the inevitability of the power of democracy.  Those who engage in politics solely to exploit will find out that their career will die hastily like the life of an armed robber.  Politicians must see it best to use Nigeria’s wealth to develop its land for a bountiful harvest for all to share.  It is not too much for Nigerians to ask for.  Nature blessed the country with abundance.

    • Pius Okaneme,

    Umuoji, Anambra State.

  • Scramble for grassroots power in Gombe

    Scramble for grassroots power in Gombe

    Local government elections will hold in Gombe State on Saturday. Vincent Ohonbamu examines the strengths and weaknesses of the parties.

     

    The people of Gombe State will troop out on Saturday to elect new councillors and chairmen of local governments. The preparation for the polls has been marred with controversy. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has not rained an eyebrow over the arangements made by the state electoral agency. But the opposition parties have criticised the the electoral commission and headed for the court to stop the exercise.

    The chairman of the Gombe State Independent Electoral Commission (GOSIEC, Mr. Caleb Maina, has assured the parties of a level playing ground. He pledged with their leaders to support the agency in the interest of democracy.

    Five years ago, the opposition parties have criticised the commission for partiality. They alleged that the agency deliberately excluded their candidates from the exercise.

    The tenure of the local government chairmen had expired two years ago. Since then, the state government has set up caretaker committees for the councils. But the opposition parties cried foul, saying that it is unconstitutional. They complained that the governor was deliberately avoiding local government elections.

    The excuse has always been the security challenges confronting the nation, especially the Northeast zone. But the opposition parties disagreed, pointing out that Gombe has been relatively peaceful.

    Following the release of the time-table, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) held primaries and submitted the lists of their candidates to the commission.

    However, the parties later met a brick wall. The commission imposed N500, 000, N250, 000 and N150, 000 on the chairmanship , deputy chairmanship and councilorship candiates as form fees.

    The chairman of the CPC, Audu Baba Kwami, said only the PDP can afford the prohibitive fees. He said the opposition parties would boycott the polls, if the commission insists on the fees.

    “We are ready and have screened our candidates and we will send the list to GOSIEC, but we will not pay that money. If, because of this, we will be disqualified from contesting, then, we will go to court. That is our stand,” he warned.

    The House of Representativea member from Kwami/Gombe/Funakaye Constituency, Mr. Khamisu Mailantarki, also criticised the electoral agency, saying that elective posiions are not for sale. He called on Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo to intervene in the situation. But the governor said that he would not dictate to the commission.

    However, GOSIEC’s spokesman, Abare Daba, said the decision to impose the fees was in order, adding that it has the blessing of the House of Assembly.

    He denied the allegation that GOSIEC is an income-generating agency, explaining that the imposition of electoral levy is not new in the country.

    But can the election still hold, in view of the litigation triggered by the preparation for the exercise?

    Baba, who is a lawyer, argued that the law passed by the House of Assembly on the nomination fee must conform with the provision the 1990 Constitution. “The law of the state must be subjected to the laws of the country”, he said.

    Baba said that, if the court declares the fees illegal, then, the entire process would be deemed to be illegal.