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Tag: setback

  • Bells’ best beats setback to achieve feat

    Bells’ best beats setback to achieve feat

    •Varsity marks 10th anniversary with style

    When Oluwadamilola Soyinka was called to the podium to receive a prize for the fourth time during the seventh convocation of the Bells University of Technology (BELLSTECH), Ota, Ogun State last Saturday, the audience gave her a standing ovation.

    She won the Pro-Chancellor’s prize for best graduating female student with outstanding leadership qualities; best graduating student in the College of natural and applied sciences prize; departmental prize for best graduating student; and overall best graduating student of the university and got a total of N150,000.

    However, achieving the feat did not come easy for the 21-year old who graduated with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.88 in Biochemistry.

    She told The Nation that her father’s death last year was a setback that affected the sterling performance she had been maintaining since her first year.

    “It was just God that helped me, because when I lost my father, I was so distraught that my grades dropped.  But I picked up again by the second semester. I have been working towards achieving this grade since I was in 100-Level. I made a lot of sacrifices and with the help of God, I achieved my aim, which is to graduate with a prize,” she told The Nation.

    •Damilola and her Mum.
    •Damilola and her Mum.

    However, Damilola’s mother, Mrs Olufunke Soyinka, said her daughter had not always shown her brilliant trait.

    She said: “There are some children that exhibit such traits of excellence from the beginning, but Damilola was not one of such children. In fact, at some point in her primary school, I wanted her to repeat a class, but her headmistress insisted on seeing traits of excellence in her. Then I changed her school and suddenly, she picked up. She became so bright that she became the head girl of the school and she has not stopped since then.”

    Now armed with a Biochemistry degree, Damilola is determined to follow her dream to become a medical doctor.  She told this reporter that she plans to study medicine abroad.  She said she would not give up despite being denied visa the first time she applied.

    She advised undergraduates to believe in God and themselves, as well as exhibit values of focus, determination and hard work to achieve great feats in life.

    In his speech, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Isaac Adeyemi, who was presiding over his last convocation year of his second and final tenure as VC of the university, charged the graduands to “strive for greatness, exhibit talents, ingenuity and stability, contribute their quota to the nation’s development as well as maintain academic and professional integrity in life.”

    Like he did during a press briefing prior to the convocation, the VC appealed to the Federal Government to allow private universities access the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to enhance infrastructural development and training.

    “Government should consider support for private universities in the areas of research, staff training and infrastructural development, especially for the library; grant access to loans at single digit interest rate, among others, to alleviate the load on us. Often times, we train our teachers to the best capacity and they leave us to join the government universities. We do not mind, but government should help us,” he said.

    In his remarks, representative of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Peter Azikiwe, said the Commission and the Federal Government agreed with the Vice Chancellor’s request for the inclusion of private universities as beneficiaries of TETFund grants.  He charged the graduands to excel in entrepreneurship practice to beat the challenges of unemployment.

    BELLSTECH graduated a total of 358 students – among them 21 had First Class; 136 Second Class Upper; 131 Second Class Lower; and 50 third class as well as its first set of postgraduate students (20) at the event.

    The convocation also featured the installation of Alhaji Ahmed Joda as the new chancellor of the university.

    The convocation was the climax of a weeklong programme of activities to celebrate the institution’s 10th anniversary.

    Activities kicked off on Tuesday with a special symposium and technology exhibition fair themed: ‘Technology: panacea for national development,’ in which scholars and experts proffered solutions to energy, infrastructure, food security and technology acquisition-related problems plaguing the country.

    Speaking at the event were Acting chairman, the presidential task force on Power, Clement Adeyinka Oke, Former minister of Power, Barth Nnaji’s special adviser, Don Adinuba among others, who advised the federal government not to politicise any aspect of the economy or interfere unduly, rather strive to do the right thing by employing professionals with practical knowledge and academic qualifications to administer the various sectors of the economy.

    Parents were not left out of the celebration, as members of the Bells University Parents Forum (BUPF) organised a seminar themed: “Encouraging positive students attitude towards academic excellence: The role of parents” on Wednesday.

    The guest speaker, Head of Department of Guidance and Counselling, University of Ibadan, Prof Jonathan Osiki, stressed the importance of parental involvement in a child’s education.

    “At home, good parenting usually has a significant positive effect on children’s achievement and adjustment even after all other factors shaping attainment have been taken out of the equation,” he said.

    • Graduates of the College of Engineering during their induction.
    • Graduates of the College of Engineering during their induction.

    Engineering students among this year’s graduands were inducted by the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) last Thursday following a lecture titled: ‘Seminal findings on sustainable power supply reliability in Nigeria’.  The lecture was delivered by Frank Okafor, a professor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

    A Convocation Lecture titled: “Technology Education in Nigeria: Bridging the 21st Century Gap” delivered by Emeritus Professor Adebayo Sanni, of chemical engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, said that technological development can be achieved through an innovative engineering curriculum.

    Sanni said: “We don’t just learn to speak the language of the new age; rather we understand the language to be able to speak it profoundly. We need to understand the needs of economic development and technology so as to define the skills, competence and value of the graduates, then use this to define the curricula.”

     

  • Setback for PDP, APC in Bayelsa

    Setback for PDP, APC in Bayelsa

    The death of Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and Col. Sam Inokoba (rtd), who were expected to lead the campaigns of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State appear to have dealt a heavy blow to the strategy of the two parties as they prepare for the December 5 governorship election. Correspondent MIKE ODIEGWU examines the implication of these developments for the parties. 

    The December 5 governorship election in Bayelsa State is critical to the future of the Southsouth state. There are defections from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The crisis that erupted, following the emergence of former Governor Timipre Sylva as the APC’s standard bearer, has further highlighted what many observers see as an epic battle between the two major parties. Sylva’s emergence has polarised the party. Its Chairman, Chief Tiwe Oruminighe, for instance, is insisting that, having helped Sylva to secure the flag of the party, he must be made his (Sylva’s) running mate.

    But, one factor that is likely to affect the election is the sudden death of former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and Col. Sam Inokoba (rtd). Both of them occupied strategic positions in the campaigns of the PDP and the APC. Unfortunately, they died before the election.

    Alamieyeseigha is a great loss to Dickson and the PDP. Though the former governor was an asset to the entire Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta region, especially considering the way he fought for resource control and other national interests of his people, he was particularly most needed by Dickson and his party at the time he passed on.

    There was no doubt that the PDP and Dickson were prepared to build their campaigns to retain Bayelsa around the personality of Alamieyeseigha. The reason was not far-fetched. Despite his travails, the former governor popularly called the governor-general of the Niger Delta, remained the most popular politician in the state.

    Alams, as he was also called, dwarfed incumbent political office holders at any public event he attended. He was always welcomed by his people with standing thunderous ovation. In the midst of former President Goodluck Jonathan and governor Dickson, people prefered to identify with and to hail Alams. He was not just popular, he had cult following reminiscent of President Muhammadu Buhari in the northern part of the country. His charismatic qualities and oratorical skills compelled people to pay attention to him each time he spoke in the public. He was no doubt a forceful and persuasive speaker.

    Dickson and PDP had intentions of harnessing the late Ijaw icon’s sterling leadership qualities and popularity to sell their camapign message to the people. In fact, Alams was supposed to lead the campaign. There was a general belief that people would have sympathy for any candidate supported by Alams.

    For Dickson, it was particularly a big blow, because Alams restored his hope in PDP, when the leaders of the party defected to the APC in droves. The decision of the former governor to remain in the PDP and to throw his weight behind the second term bid of Dickson encouraged the governor to pursue his ambition. Despite being the chairman of the PDP reconciliation committee, Alams was said to have publicly advocated continuity and advised other members with governorship ambitions to wait till 2020.

    Futhermore, Alams facilitated the reconciliation between Dickson and Jonathan’s family. He was said to have convinced Jonathan and Patience, his wife, to support Dickson after putting up a strong argument that allowing the APC to win Bayelsa would amount to disgracing Jonathan at home.

    That is why the demise of the former governor, fondly called the Olotu, hit the governor’s camp like a thunderbolt. It is an incalculable loss that may affect the fortunes of Dickson and the PDP in the election.

    Dickson described his death as a personal loss. In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso Markson, Dickson said the government and people of Bayelsa would miss Alams.

    He pointed out that Alamieyeseigha was a strong pillar of support to the government. He stressed that his demise was a monumental loss to the entire Ijaw nation. He also commiserated with his wife, Margret, his immediate family, the Alamieyeseighas, the entire people of the state, noting that the Ijaw nation has lost a rare gem.

    The acting Paramount Ruler of Amasomma, the community of the late Alams, Chief Sharp Sogo, also expressed shock over the death of a man he said was like a god to the people.

    He said Alamieyeseigha had his last outing in the community when he came home with his political associates and community leaders to restrategise for the December 5 governorship election. He said the late former governor was a rallying point for the PDP, which relied on him to win elections.

    Against this background, the PDP seems to have started politicising the death of Alams. The party has tried to blame the APC for his death. The PDP wants the people to see the APC as the killer of their beloved leader and show Alams posthumous love by not voting for the party in the election.

    An aide to Dickson on Social Media, Mr. John Idumange, was the first to use the death of Alams as a campaign weapon. Shortly after the news of his death was confirmed, Idumange’s Facebook page was awash with messages inciting the people against the APC. He asked the people to use their tears to vote against the APC.

    Pan-Ijaw groups believed to be advancing the interest the PDP later reinforced Idumange’s sentiments. The groups said the APC should be held responsible for Alams’ death. They said the recent extradition notice issued by Britain on the former governor worsened his health condition and eventually led to his death.

    One of the groups, in the statement signed by Prof. Julius Eteli, said Alamayiesiegha’s death was curious, especially as he regularly received medical treatment abroad. Eteli added that the former governor had just returned from one of such trips in Dubai.

    He said: “From available reports, the Bayelsa State Government has always been of assistance to him, taking care of his medical bills and upkeep.

    “The question is: how can a man who had just returned from Dubai having been attended to by experts die so suddenly? Clearly, it must have been the report of his extradition to the U.K that must have triggered his health condition for the worse and the sudden death.”

    Eteli insisted that the APC government at the centre should be held responsible for the death of Alamayiesiegha, adding that the government instigated the British authorities to issue the extradition notice.

    Another pan-Ijaw group based in Ireland, Izon Diaspora Association (IDA), in its statement, also blamed the the APC for the death of Alamayiesiegha.

    The leader of the group, Mr. George Magbisa said: “Now that he has been taken out, we Ijaws must fight against this injustice. Now is the time to unite, come together and fight against this calculated and very deadly plot by the APC government to deplete our ranks.”

    But, the APC was simply amused by the efforts of the PDP to score cheap political points, with the demise of Alams. The APC accused the PDP of hypocrisy, recalling that a party which now claims to love Alams spearheaded his travails. The APC, however, warned the PDP against seeking political mileage with the death of Alams.

    The party said the PDP’s folly has been exposed against the backdrop of the fact that its chairman, Chief Serena Dokubo-Spiff, was the chairman of the panel that investigated and indicted Alams over the allegations that led to his impeachment and conviction on corruption charges in 2005.

    The APC also recalled that those who danced at the exit of Alams and carried a mock casket against him are the same persons confessing love for him in the PDP. The party said the people are not naive and can recognise that what the PDP is doing is nothing but propaganda.

    The APC further blamed the sudden death of Alamieyeseigha on the negligence and incompetence on the part of leaders of the PDP. In a statement signed by its state Publicity Secretary, Mr. Fortune Panebi, it said the PDP’s claims were laughable.

    He said Alamieyeseigha would not have died, if the PDP-led government had gone beyond noise-making and selfish politicking to provide health facilities. He said, despite the claims of the PDP-led government that it had spent billions of naira upgrading hospitals, none of the medical facilities could attend to the late former governor.

    Panebi said instead of handling Alamieyeseigha’s health with the seriousness it deserved, the PDP government allegedly gave the former governor a condition to publicly endorse its candidate before paying his medical bills. He said it was sad that unknown persons whom Alamieyeseigha brought to political limelight could abandon him in his moment of need.

    He said the PDP government in the state was good at dragging its feet whenever issues of assisting poor Bayelsans were involved. Panebi said the manner Alamieyeseigha’s health was handled exposed the many lies of the PDP. He added that if the party could treat an important personality in that manner, anybody could be a victim.

    He recalled that the Diete-Koki Hospital in Yenagoa was a world-class health facility when former Governor Timipre Sylva was in power. But, the Publicity Secretary lamented that the hospital has been abandoned by the government.

    The APC also lost its major campaign asset, with the sudden death of Col. Inokoba (retd). Inokoba, who hails from Odi, in Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area, was a grassroot politician and a symbol of the alleged injustices in the PDP. The former chairman made history when he abandoned a party he led for over three years and led over 1000 aggrieved members to defect to the APC.

    However, about 19 days after he moved to the APC, he passed on in controversial circumstances. He died as a governorship aspirant of the APC before Sylva emerged as the flag bearer. Like Alams, he was said to have died of cardiac arrest. Just like the PDP, the APC was also trying to build its campaign around Inokoba.

    Apart from being a respected elder, Inokoba was armed with the secrets of the PDP government. People would have believed whatever he said against the PDP; having chaired the party before leaving for the APC. Inokoba’s presence in any campaign rally of the APC would have been the killer punch the party needed to have an edge over the PDP.

    But death, as a leveller, has balanced the political battlefield in Bayelsa ahead of the election. As Alamieyeseigha could not live to deploy his goodwil in returning Dickson to the Creek Haven, Inokoba died without having the opportunity to help the APC in its campaign to unseat the PDP in the state.

  • Osun Summit suffers setback as convener ‘withdraws’

    There were indications last night that the summit slated for today by a group of opposition politicians in Osun State has run into a hitch.

    One of the organisers, Dr. Muyiwa Oladimeji, reportedly dissociated himself from the programme.

    Oladimeji, who addressed a news conference on June 17, heralding the summit, may have been discouraged by the condemnations the proposed summit drew and the failure of the conveners to divorce it from politics, sources said in Osogbo, the state capital.

    The Osun chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had called on security agencies in the state to look beyond the summit as the real motive,stating that the entire programme could creating confusion.

    A source close to the organiser was quoted as saying that Oladimeji, who is a former governroship aspirant in the state, had referred those who sought enquiries from him on the summit as yesterday to direct their inquiries to co- conveners, Messrs Yinka Odumakin and Niyi Owolade saying that “he no longer speaks on the controversial summit.”

    The proposed summit attracted wide condemnations when it was associated with the defeated governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2014 election Otunba Iyiola Omisore.

    Contacted on the matter last night, an Osogbo-based human rights campiagner, Mr. Amitolu Shitu, said those who call themselves Osun stakeholders are just a bunch of renegades who are just bent on creating crisis in Osun.

    He said: “These are just allies of Iyiola Omisore camouflaging as summit organisers. We know Odumakin and his recent past. We know Niyi Owolade aligns with Omisore’ s position that this state must not know peace for one day. So, what summit do they think they want to put up that Osun people won’t say it is intended to just keep the embers of their political battles burning?”

    Attempts to speak with Oladimeji were unsuccessful as calls placed to his phone were not going through.

    It was learnt that the Police Command in the state invited some arrowheads of the summit for interrogation.

  • Buhari: Ekweremadu as Saraki’s deputy unacceptable

    Buhari: Ekweremadu as Saraki’s deputy unacceptable

    •APC governors, state chairmen want Saraki, Dogara to accept party’s list on principal officers
    •Ogbeh may head disciplinary committee

    For President Muhammadu Buhari, the emergence of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member as deputy Senate President in the current dispensation is nothing short of a setback for his administration.

    He is irked that some members of his own party, All Progressives Congress (APC), conceded the position to Ike Ekweremadu when the PDP never gave that much all through its 16 years in power between 1999 and last May.

    But he is optimistic that the APC will overcome the setback.

    President Buhari made his feelings known at a meeting with a delegation of the   Unity Forum at the Aso Rock Villa on Friday night.

    The forum is the group of senators backing Dr. Ahmed Lawan, the APC anointed candidate for the Senate Presidency.

    Buhari, at the meeting, reportedly pleaded for the understanding of APC Senators as the party explores reconciliation options.

    However, the majority of the APC governors and state chairmen of the party are insisting that Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Reps Speaker Yakubu Dogara comply with the party’s directive on the choice of principal officers of the National Assembly.

    The APC governors and state chairmen are encouraging the leadership of the party to enforce discipline to prevent it from collapsing.

    Some party leaders, it was gathered, have proposed a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Audu Ogbeh, as chairman of the APC Disciplinary Committee to look into allegations of anti-party activities against some members.

    President Buhari at the Friday meeting was said to have said there was no reason for the party to be divided over who heads the National Assembly.

    “The President gave us audience and admitted that the development in the Senate was a setback but he expressed confidence that APC will overcome it,” a source at the meeting said.

    “He said there was no basis for the split among APC Senators which led to the concession of the Office of Deputy President of the Senate to the PDP. He said PDP did not give the opposition such an opportunity in its 16 years in power.

    “Buhari told Lawan and others not to take the law into their hands as the leaders of the party explore reconciliation options. He said peace and the survival of the nation’s democracy should be paramount more than any other thing.”

    Asked to assess the President’s mood at the session, the source added: “He was not happy about the development in the Senate but he was hopeful that the situation is redeemable if some leaders can sacrifice their ambitions for the survival of APC and his administration.”

    Another source said: “The session was cordial and reassuring. The President interacted with us individually and even had time to crack jokes with us before we receded into the business of the day.

    “As for the Lawan group, it was Senator Barnabas Gemade who spoke on behalf of the 51 aggrieved Senators.

    “Gemade said the Unity Forum is after justice since its members have demonstrated their faith in APC leadership and having been loyal to the party to a fault.

    “Gemade restated the six demands of the group and the need to prevail on Saraki and Dogara to abide by the directive of the party on the nominees for principal offices in the Senate and House of Representatives.”

    The source quoted Gemade as saying: “When the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo called a meeting to address the looming challenge, it was only our group that responded; we were the only group which participated in the party’s straw poll and even on June 9, we deferred to the party’s invitation to a meeting at the International Conference Centre.

    “Before anybody knew it, the Like Minds went for the inauguration of the Senate and elected Saraki.

    “We have proved our unflinching loyalty to the party. This is the time for the party to assert itself and enforce discipline or else members will continue to take the leadership of the party for granted.”

    Ahead of the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the APC on Tuesday, there were indications last night that the governors elected on the platform of the party and state chairmen are pushing for Dr. Saraki and Hon. Dogara to comply with the party’s directive on the choice of principal officers of the National Assembly.

    They said they will no longer tolerate the defiance of the party by the two leaders.

    A member of the NWC said: “We are expecting a stormy session on Tuesday. Saraki and Dogara will have to choose between loyalty to the party or self-serving agenda.

    “The only condition for moving forward is for these leaders to accept the list sent to them by the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

    Those  recommended by the APC for Senate positions are Sen. Ahmed  Lawan(Majority Leader)—North-East; Prof. Sola Adeyeye( Chief Whip)—South-West; Sen. George Akume( Deputy Majority Leader)—North-Central; and Sen. Abu Ibrahim(Deputy Chief Whip)—North-West.

    The party’s list for the 8th House of Representatives  is as follows:  Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila( House Leader)——South-West; Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa( Deputy House Leader)—North-West; Hon. M. T. Monguno( Chief Whip)—North-East; and Hon. Pally Iriase( Deputy Chief Whip)—South-South.

    It was gathered that if Saraki and Dogara refused to respect the party’s list, APC may resort to sanctions.

    It was learnt that some forces in the party are pushing for the appointment of a former National Chairman of PDP, Chief Audu Ogbeh as the head of the party’s Disciplinary Committee.

    A top member of the party said: “There is no doubt that Ogbeh is well grounded in party politics and he is a disciplinarian.  We are thinking of him to assist in unraveling the anti-party activities in the Senate and the House.”

  • Poll shift, a setback to democracy

    SIR: There is no doubt that the recent postponement of the forthcoming elections by the Independent Nation Electoral Commission (INEC), through the manipulation of the Presidency and the PDP, constitute a serious setback to democracy. It is an embarrassment of an immense proportion that an election packaged many years ago could be shifted through the manipulation of President Goodluck

    Jonathan and the PDP. It is a greater embarrassment that the security agencies that did not oppose the conduct of elections all along were suddenly alleged to have renounced their constitutional and statutory duties to provide security for the nation, its inhabitants and their activities including the pending elections.

    The postponement of the election is an affront on Nigerians and a threat to democracy, infact it is a coup against democracy and the constitution of Nigeria. The postponement is not only provocative but extremely disappointing. Fearing that the PDP and its Presidential Candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan may not survive the Feb 14 polls, INEC was cleverly manipulated to shift the polls through the alleged memorandum from security chiefs that they could not guarantee the  protection of the election process. The elections have therefore been moved six weeks forward from February 14 and 28 to March 28 and April 11.

    Majority of Nigerians clamouring for change with the hope of replacing the under-performing PDP government with that manned by the APC under the Buhari Presidency are disappointed. If President Jonathan was hopeful of winning the elections, he would not have done sabotaged it. Let it be known that the PDP has only postponed the evil day, as nothing can change the peoples perspective about the lack-lustre performance of President Jonathan for the past six years and that of the PDP for the past 16 years. Six weeks will not therefore rub-off all the evidences of bad governance ravaging the land such as insecurity, corruption, acute poverty and decay of all essential infrastructures.

    Never has a properly scheduled election been postponed in its journey of over 100 years. Nigeria has worked hard to rescue Liberia, Congo and Sierra Leone from the quagmire of destruction in the past, but the same country is now being rescued by a landlocked Chad. What a greater irony that the same security agents that could not muster forces to quell the insurgents in the North-east is now battle ready in six weeks to restore Nigerians hopes and aspirations.

    We must also appeal to INEC to take all necessary measures such as the total distribution of the

    permanent voter’s cards to enable all eligible citizens including those displaced to exercise their civil right to vote in the elections.

     

    •Sen. Olorunnimbe Farukanmi,

     Iju, Ondo State

  • Ugborodo crisis: Peace deal suffers setback

    •Two naval officers injured

    The peace process in Ugborodo community, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, suffered a setback yesterday.

    Youths expelled security personnel drafted in the area.

    Ugborodo is one of the host communities of a Federal Government $16 billion Export Processing Zone (EPZ) project.

    The peace committee, set up by the Federal Government and headed by the Navy, convened an expanded meeting of stakeholders in the community, including members of the two sides in the crisis, last month.

    The meeting agreed that the Federal Government should take over the enforcement of the resolutions in the peace agreement, earlier entered into in Abuja, as well as the militarisation of the community to avert a breakdown of law and order.

    Things went awry yesterday, as youths allegedly stormed one of the sites where men of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta were stationed, demanding their exit.

    At 2am yesterday, eyewitnesses said the youths were aggressive.

    A naval officer said: “The people came to where our men were, they were shouting ‘we don’t want navy, navy should leave’.

    “Our people sent for a boat at 2.20am and a local boat came and it was when they were inside the boat that they had an accident. Two officers were injured.”

    A member of the Ugborodo Export Processing Zone (EPZ) Interface Committee, Femi Uwawah, described the incident as a minor skirmish, which his committee was handling.

    According to him, the youth who confronted the security men had been misinformed about the mission of the state’s agents.

    “There was a little skirmish. They now told the naval men to leave based on the information they got that some people want to use the military to witchhunt them.

    “We are ready for peace. We have decided to work together based on the governor’s advice. We have told our brothers, who are displaced, to come home.

    “As I am talking to you, we are leaving for Ugborodo to calm the situation,” Uwawah said.

    The Commanding Officer of the NNS Delta, Navy Captain Musa Gemu, said two of his men were injured.

  • Doctors’ sack, setback for Ebola war

    SIR: A twist has been added in the ongoing fight against the ravaging Ebola outbreak in the country with the directive by the Presidency that residency training for medical doctors in Nigeria be suspended indefinitely in all the government hospitals. The directive is nothing but a euphemism for mass dismissal of over 16, 000 doctors.  The action is not only flawed, it is ill-timed and thoughtless, especially in the light of the ongoing crisis in the nation’s health sector.

    The latest action by the Federal Government at crippling the industrial action will lead the country to nowhere. If anything, it will bring more untold hardships on Nigerians and may further weaken the war against the deadly Ebola outbreak in the country.

    Government cannot blow hot and cold at the same time. It cannot be pleading with the NMA to drop its strike action for the sake of the ravaging Ebola disease and in another breadth dismissing its members. It is totally unacceptable to Nigerians that at the period where more medical personnel are required to put an end to the Ebola menace and other diseases in the country, the government is decimating the number. It is quite disturbing that government is yet to find a lasting solution to these incessant strikes by doctors and other health workers. The federal government’s action is tantamount to cutting off the head of a patient in lieu of treating the headache.

    Certainly, this is not the part of the much taunted state of emergency declared recently by the federal government on the public health sector as one of the ways of combating the Ebola Virus Disease in the land. It is equally inconceivable that the same government who recently introduced the so-called life insurance for health workers in the country would now embark on this dead mission. It is left to be seen how this action will help to galvanise the populace in a fight against the deadly virus.

    While one is not holding brief for the striking doctors especially in the light of the outbreak, it is, however, imperative to state that they have not be fairly treated. It is completely scandalous that an average Nigerian medical doctor in the public hospital earns N5,000 as hazard allowance. The implication is that if a medical doctor becomes infected with while treating victims, he/she  is only entitled to N5,000 as allowance for the hazard! Little wonder, there is a brain drain in our health sector. Most doctors prefer to leave the country’s shore in search for greener pastures. This leaves the nation’s health sector perpetually comatose. This doldrums have been allowed to fester because government officials and their cronies can always afford foreign medical treatment at the detriment of the poor masses.

    All the fire brigade approaches being now adopted to combat the Ebola outbreak ordinarily ought to be in place in the first place, if governments were sincere about addressing the rot in the health sector. The so-called life insurance scheme being proposed for health workers is a help too late and too little. President Barrack Obama rightly captured this malady in his speech at the recently held America-Africa leaders summit when he chided African leaders for not doing enough in improving public health infrastructures . The underline lesson is that government does not have to wait for a major outbreak such as this before it puts in place necessary infrastructures and facilities.

    There can never be alternative to negotiation in labour dispute. Government should explore this option to its fullest rather than engaging in this knee-jerk approach. For public interest and sake of helpless patients, the striking medics should soft pedal and find a way of ending the logjam.

     

    • Barrister Okoro Gabriel,

     

     

  • Missing WTF Grand Prix, a major setback, says Chukwumerije

    After missing out from the last World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) Grand Prix in China, three-time Olympian, Chika Chukwumerije admits  this might affect the country’s chance of qualifying for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. Excerpts:

    What does missing the WTF Grand Prix mean to you personally?

    Irrevocable loss of funds, time and hard work – with the first two being very limited resources.

    What impact will it have on the country’s chances of qualifying for the Rio Olympics?

    Missing a G4 tournament is not funny at all, because winning it will send one up the charts by as much as 10 – 15 slots. It means we would have to invest more to win back those ranking points – that means more competitions to attend, extension of training time, increase in the mental and emotional stress that it takes to be focused.

    We cannot afford for our National Taekwondo athletes to miss the majors. Don’t miss the Africa Games, the World Championships, the Grand Prix, and do not miss the G-2s. If we do that and do relatively well, we will have two or three people automatically in the Olympics. It is that straightforward.

    What is the implication of this on your career?

    After a decade of this up-hill battle, one feels like giving up. Probably Thomas Edison would frown and remind me of his words that, “many of life’s failures are people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up”, but it does not change how frustrating it gets to work so hard and feel like one’s efforts are being emptied into a black hole.

    It is demoralising to compete against opponents who have committed resources – dedicated funds, dedicated training spaces, dedicated support training staff etc. We might be just as talented, but it is definitely not a level playing field.

    Nonetheless, I have shaken off the disappointment. There is a whole new generation of young taekwondo athletes coming up and being inspired. We must keep showing them the way through our examples, and the first example would be “never to give up even though the going is always tough”. We will keep working towards set goals one step at a time.

    What is the response of WTF to your complaints?

    The WTF did everything right – sent info on time, got Nigeria registered once we acknowledged on time, and provided the platform to engage the host organisers in order to participate. Thus, it was not an issue for the WTF. It was a mistake from the official representative of the China Taekwondo Association, and it won’t be fair to bring the WTF in on this. What has happened has happened; we can only learn from it and ensure it does not happen again.

  • Eaglets’ draw, a setback — Manu

    Eaglets’ draw, a setback — Manu

    Golden Eaglets’ head coach Manu Garba has described the 3-3 draw against the Swedish U17 team as a huge setback in his boys’ quest to qualify for the next round of the FIFA cadet World Cup holding in the United Arab Emirates.

    Speaking with hordes of journalists at the media centre of the Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain yesterday after the drab draw against the European first timer, Manu said his wards played below the enterprising game they had against the Mexicans and has rated them at 60 percent.

    The Nigeria U17 handler however promised to work on the deficiencies noticed ahead of the decider on Friday against Iraq in Dubai.

    “It was a great setback because we came out to win not to draw, but at times football can be funny and it has gone that way today. I believe that is the way God wanted it to be. We are happy with the draw having come back from two goals down.

    “My players played above average I will give them 60 per cent. Because all the three goals we conceded were as a result of loss of concentration which is least expected in the game of this magnitude.”

    He also answered questions on the approach deployed by the Swedish team that unsettled his players: “Definitely we knew that the Scandinavian countries always play direct way of football and they operate from the wing and negotiate some pull outs. But no matter the size, if our boys had high level of concentration and were determined to win aerial balls during pull outs from the wings, they wouldn’t have conceded those goals. During our training sessions we shall solve the problem.”

  • UNIPORT Four: Suspects’ trial suffers another setback

    The trial of the 11 suspected killers of four undergraduates of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) at Umuokiri Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State last October has suffered another setback.

    The lack of legal representation for three of the accused-Ikechukwu Loius Amadi, Ellis Chinasa Opara and Ozioma- caused the setback.

    Ugonna Obuzor(18), Toku Lloyd (20), Chiadika Biringa(20) and Tekena Elkanah(21) were accused of stealing phones and laptops.

    They were attacked and lynched by a mob at Aluu, a community close to the University on October 5, last year.

    Eighteen persons, including the ruler of the community, Hassan Welewa, a woman, some students and a retired police sergeant, were arrested.

    A Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) report exonerated seven of them, and said the others, including the monarch, have a case to answer.

    When the matter came up in March, Justice T.S. Orji rejected the file, on the grounds of her relationship with both parties.

    According to her, she hails from Okrika, the hometown of two of the victims (Tekena Elkanah and Lloyd Mike Toku), she is married to Aluu the scene of crime.

    Besides the trio, the others were represented.

    Welewa was represented by a former president of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), OCJ Okocha. This is the third time he is changing his lawyer since the case began.

    The state’s Solicitor-General, Rufus N. Godwins, led other lawyers, including the DPP, Ibikiri Otorubio.

    Yesterday was supposed to be the formal arraignment and taking of plea of the accused, but for lack of legal representation.

    Justice L.L. Nyordee of the state High Court said the accused would be allowed to give their pleas when all of them get legal representation.

    He said the matter would be directed to the Legal Aid Council for assistance.

    Nyordee said: “Owing to the critical nature of the matter and the fact that the charge against the accused is capital in nature, and because some of the accused persons have no legal representation, especially the third, fourth and 10th accused persons, it is obvious that they do not have money to hire a lawyer to represent them.

    “Plea for all the accused persons will be delayed pending when they all get legal representation.

    “The attention of the Legal Aid Council will be drawn to this development, so they can assist by providing legal representation for the three accused persons.”

    The judge later enquired from them whether they would like to represent themselves or they would like a lawyer to represent them. Each of them expressed the desire to be represented by a lawyer.

    The case was adjourned till August 1.

    The father of one of the victims, Friday Elkanah, said the matter is unnecessarily delayed.

    He said: “The case has been delayed so much, this incident happened last year. Till now nothing seems to be happening. Let the government do well to facilitate the proceedings. All I want is justice.”