The Nation Newspaper

Tag: too much

  • Too much of a good thing

    There is an Igbo saying to the effect that you do not feed your son to death just because he is an incarnate of your father. This of course suggests that the Igbo of eastern Nigeria believe that life consists of an unbroken cycle of goings and comings… unto eternity.

    This must also be true of other tribes of Nigeria and peoples of the Black race generally. It explains why in the days of yore a new born child is taken before the diviner who would proclaim that alas, it is Nnamdi, meaning that Papa never died after all, here he is with us. Or that this baby girl before me is Yetunde: Mama who has returned to us.

    But as Hardball is won’t, this piece is not a disquisition on Nigerian and African traditional rites. As usual we are interrogating another situation of mis-governance which has lapsed into a conundrum.

    That small matter of acute governance paralysis concerns the nation’s ports management. The federal government has so much focused on the ports in Lagos that like the proverbial father-incarnate, the ports have been fed to suffocation and near death.

    The problem is better capture by the Vice-President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Dr. Kayode Farinto when he said that, “Our total dependence on the Lagos ports is no longer good for business; it is over-burdening the city and its amenities, especially roads and bridges.”

    The situation simply is that the ports in Lagos – about three of them – have been fed with so much import and export businesses to the point that if they were humans they would have died of acute constipation.

    For more than five years the ports of Lagos which are in the Apapa axis have been over-burdened with so much outbound and inbound cargo that there is a spillage of trucks for about 10 to 15 kilometres into the city. Farinto thinks the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) must do the right thing for the overall good of the country by urgently making the other ports in the land viable.

    There are six other ports in Nigeria that ought to service the southern and northeastern parts of Nigeria. These are Onne, Koko,Port Harcourt, Warri, Calabar and Ibom Deep Sea port. But these have been rendered largely redundant due to overall mis-governance and poor understanding of the strategic economic importance of ports to the country.

    Concentrating on Lagos ports has vastly diminished the capacity of Nigeria’s maritime economy, while the economy and overall wellbeing of Lagos have been hampered: too much of a good thing.

    NPA must unleash the dragon of huge economic benefits in ports development.

     

  • Too much

    Against the backdrop of the claim by President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife, Aisha, that the Aso Rock Clinic, Abuja, lacked medicaments and syringe barely 18 months ago, Nigerians must have been taken aback by the report that the clinic had been allocated N9.7bn in four years. So, what is the hospital doing with the resources? Aso Rock Clinic takes care of the medical needs of the president, vice president; their families as well as employees of the Presidency. Indeed, what has been allocated to the hospital may hit the N10bn mark if the N823.44m that the government proposed for the hospital in this year’s budget is approved by the National Assembly. Figures released by New Telegraph show that the facility got N3.94 billion in 2015, N3.87bn in 2016, N331.70m in 2017 andN1.03bn in 2018, making a total of N9.17bn.

    The shocker is that, in spite of this apparently huge expenses, President  Buhari’s wife has had cause to complain about the services in the hospital in October 2017. At the opening of a stakeholders’ meeting on Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) organised by her pet project, Future Assured, Mrs Buhari berated the management of the clinic over alleged poor services and lack of medicaments. She recalled that she was once advised to seek medical help abroad when she fell ill because of the poor state of the hospital and asked the hospital’s management to account for the huge budgetary allocations to it.

    Although budgetary allocation to the facility for  2017 was not much, allocations of the previous two years were quite humongous. So, Mrs Buhari’s inquisitiveness to know how the facility spent the money would appear justified. “If the budget is N100 million, we need to know how the budget is spent,” she said. Her anger is also justified in a country like ours where auditing of public entities rarely takes place and when it is done at all, it is like an annual ritual; nothing comes out of it.

    It is indeed puzzling that public officials, including President Buhari, still have to jet out of the country for medical attention in spite of the huge investments in the Aso Rock Clinic. This should not be so. Hospitals of that status in other climes serve the purpose for which they were established. It is only in very exceptional cases that top functionaries travel out for medical care. As a matter of fact, in many other countries, such travels are seen as demeaning to national pride.

    We join Mrs. Buhari in calling for a thorough audit of the hospital’s allocations. ‘To whom much is given’ as they say, ‘much is expected’. It is important to know if really the problem with the facility is the fact that virtually all its services are free, from consultation, to treatment, laboratory tests, etc. as claimed by the Permanent Secretary, State House, Mr. Jalal Arabi, in his reaction to Mrs Buhari’s criticism. He had hinted then of plans to commercialise the medical centre, in order to boost its revenue and ensure better health delivery system. How much toll is the free services taking from government’s subvention?

    There is no point running a single hospital with huge taxpayers’ money without having commensurate result. Moreover, given the number of people it is to cater to their needs, there is no justification for the hospital to have more funds for capital projects than all the 16 Federal Government-owned teaching hospitals put together. For example, in 2016 alone, the clinic got N3.87bn, whereas the teaching hospitals got N3.33bn, about N500m less than that of the medical centre.

    The country cannot be losing money on all fronts. If it must spend so much on the Aso Rock Clinic, then there cannot be further justification for the president and other public officials expending the country’s hard earned foreign exchange on medical tourism.

  • Talking too much

    Talking too much

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, probably thought it was a good opportunity to play politics, but he has found out that political opportunism can bring problems.

    When he visited the hometown of the late former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme, on January 28 “to inspect the facilities in preparation for his burial,” Ngige said things to impress members of the public and promote the ruling party.

    He was quoted as saying at Ekwueme’s hometown in Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State: “I can tell you authoritatively that Mr. President (Buhari) is committed and passionate in ensuring a befitting burial for Ekwueme. If he does not come for the burial himself, I am sure the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, will be here for the burial, as a matter of right.”

    He continued: “I can tell you that I am satisfied with the progress of work. The Federal Government is doing rehabilitation works on Amawbia/Ekwulobia road, up to Uga and Akokwa, in Imo State. We are also doing road rehabilitation on Oko/Umunze road, up to Ibinta in Abia State. I know the cost of all this, not less than N480 million. The Federal Government is building the mausoleum, which will contain a modern library and other facilities, and I also know the cost of that too.”

    Ngige didn’t say why it took Ekwueme’s death to get the government interested in fixing the mentioned roads. Why must road rehabilitation be tied to the burial of a VIP?

    Ngige added: “And remember that the Federal Government took up all the medical bills of flying him abroad and bringing him back to Nigeria from London, upon his death. The cost of hiring an air ambulance is not a joke. So, Buhari has honoured this Igbo son in all ramifications. He has committed not less than a billion naira in this project, because he is passionate about it.”

    This figure attracted public criticism, and the minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Nwachukwu Ngige, needed to defend his boss. A defensive statement said:  “For the avoidance of doubt, what he did as a member of the Burial Planning Committee was to give the details of the road rehabilitation projects from the Awka end of the state and from Abia and Imo State axis, all leading to Ekwueme’s hometown of Oko, as well as the medical services, the mausoleum and others.  But at no time did the minister attach a figure of one billion naira.”

    Was Ngige misquoted? Or did he talk too much, perhaps unthinkingly?

  • I’m just too much(2)

    Last week, we shared the story of Motorola and its landmark achievements in pioneering remarkable technologies like the first hand-held walkie-talkie; the hand-held AM SCR-536 radio used during the World War II; and even the radio equipment Neil Armstrong used to contact earth from the moon. We, however, observed that the company is no longer a major force in the market because it lost its competitive edge. One major reason we identified for Motorola’s fall from grace is that “first doesn’t mean best”. When imitators begin to offer a better version of a product, pioneers had better watch out. Today, we shall discuss a few other reasons Motorola lost out:

    1. The stumbling block called success: one of the best ways to deal with success is to quickly put it behind and face the next goal. Success is progressive so it has no end. If you are done innovating then good for you; someone else is taking over! Knowledge doesn’t stop with what you know. Where one person’s expertise ends is where that of another begins. We must be willing to admit that there is something out there that is more than what we currently have. This is the ever learning attitude that can keep us relevant in life. While we are celebrating our achievements, someone else is working on an improvement on our efforts. There is no time to take a break from innovation.
    2. Disconnect from the end user: it was reported by Network World that Motorola missed the opportunity to migrate to 3G because the US Wireless Carriers, its biggest customers, weren’t interested in it. Unfortunately, the end users were ready for the migration. We cannot overemphasize the importance of staying in touch with every level of those who use our products or services. The question we need to ask is “who do we need the most?” Middlemen are a means to an end; users must be our priority.
    3. Failure to adapt to changes: I found this very strange considering Motorola’s commitment to research and development. However, we cannot deny that the company’s technology gradually became obsolete in the face of competition. Finding out new ways of doing things is the way to the future. Steve Jobs had this to say, “I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.” We must not be too enthralled with our achievements to realise that the world has moved on. We must accept that people are too restless and dynamic to celebrate our successes for eternity; before we know it, they are looking for the next best thing.

    When a problem lingers, it may be an indication that the current level of information is not adequate. According to Albert Einstein, “You can never solve a problem on the level on which it was created”. If it is true that every solution to an existing problem creates other problems of its own, then we must never be satisfied with yesterday’s solutions. What we know now may be good enough to solve today’s problems; but make no mistake, it will never be adequate for tomorrow. We must never become “too much” to realise we have stopped learning for “so long”.

    I look forward to reading your stories of great successes and your comments. Share your views with me by visiting www.olanreamodu.com and following me on twitter @lanreamodu.

  • I’m just too much

    Motorola is a world class brand, no doubt. The company started as Galvin Manufacturing Corporation in 1928 after two brothers, Paul V. and Joseph E. Galvin, bought over the battery-eliminator plans and manufacturing equipment of the bankrupt Stewart Battery Company at an auction. When its first product, battery-eliminators, became obsolete due to advancement in radio technology, the company began the production of inexpensive car radios, which became a huge success. This success led to the rebranding of the company as Motorola.

    The Motorola Company pioneered several technologies such as the first hand-held walkie-talkie in the world in 1940; hand-held AM SCR-536 radio that was vital to Allied communication in World War II; radio equipment for most NASA space-flights for decades beginning in 1958 with Explorer 1(the famous words of Neil Armstrong from the moon “one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind” were said on a Motorola transceiver in 1969); the world’s first large-screen portable transistorized cordless television; the world’s first commercial cellular device; and of course, the world’s first wireless cable modem gateway in 2002, among several other landmark achievements.

    With such seemingly unbeatable number of “firsts” recorded by Motorola, the company should top the list of the world’s leading companies, don’t you think? Well, that is where we are wrong. According to Forbes’ list of the “World’s Largest Companies 2016”, which measured companies based on revenue, profit, assets and market value, Motorola was not in the first 500. What could have caused the fall of such a great company? There may be several factors responsible for the company’s fall from prominence but here is a major one:

    First doesn’t mean best: it is a feat to pioneer development. It takes vision and foresight to conceive and execute ideas that others pass up as fantasies. It also requires preempting the future needs of customers. To pioneer means to think differently from competitors and to take risks while others are hiding in their safe zones. Though it also involves making mistakes that others get to learn from, which may be costly, it also helps that pioneer to own the process and determine the rules.

    In spite of all these glowing attributes of a pioneer, however, blazing the trail is only one side of the coin; the other side is to stay ahead in the process. Of what use is leading if the advantage is yielded to competition? Each time Motorola came up with a new invention, other companies followed suit. That wasn’t a bad thing. The problem came when those companies started to do it better. Hence, it is not good enough to be the first; you must remain the original and the best. Never wait too long on an achievement; always look out for the next big thing.

    I look forward to reading your stories of great successes and your comments.

    Share your views with me by visiting www.olanreamodu.com and following me on twitter @lanreamodu.

  • I’m just too much

    Motorola is a world-class brand, no doubt. The company started as Galvin Manufacturing Corporation in 1928 after two brothers, Paul V. and Joseph E. Galvin, bought over the battery-eliminator plans and manufacturing equipment of the bankrupt Stewart Battery Company at an auction. When its first product, battery-eliminators became obsolete due to advancement in radio technology, the company began the production of inexpensive car radios, which became a huge success. This success led to the rebranding of the company as Motorola.

    The Motorola Company pioneered several technologies such as the first hand-held walkie-talkie in the world in 1940; hand-held AM SCR-536 radio that was vital to Allied communication in World War II; radio equipment for most NASA space-flights for decades beginning in 1958 with Explorer 1(the famous words of Neil Armstrong from the moon “one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind” were said on a Motorola transceiver in 1969); the world’s first large-screen portable transistorised cordless television; the world’s first commercial cellular device; and of course, the world’s first wireless cable modem gateway in 2002, among several other landmark achievements.

    With such seemingly unbeatable number of “firsts” recorded by Motorola, the company should top the list of the world’s leading companies, don’t you think? Well, that is where we are wrong. According to Forbes’ list of the “World’s Largest Companies 2015”, which measured the companies based on revenue, profit, assets and market value, Motorola is not in the first 500. What could have caused the fall of such a great company? Here are a few suggestions, which I believe we can also avoid in our lives:

    • First doesn’t mean best: it is a feat to pioneer development but it is a greater feat to stay ahead in the process. Each time Motorola came up with a new invention, other companies followed suit. That wasn’t a bad thing. The problem came when those companies started to do it better.
    • The stumbling block called success: one of the best ways to deal with success is to quickly put it behind and face the next goal. Success is progressive so it has no end. Knowledge doesn’t stop with what you know. Sometimes, the information already acquired stands in the way of the information needed. However, where one person’s expertise ends is where that of another begins. We must be willing to admit that there is something out there that is more than what we currently have. This is the ever learning attitude that can keep us relevant in life. While we are celebrating our achievements, someone else is working on an improvement on our efforts. There is no time to take a break from innovation.
    • Disconnect from the end user: it was reported by Network World that Motorola missed the opportunity to migrate to 3G because the US wireless carriers, its biggest customers, weren’t interested in it. Unfortunately, the end users were ready for the migration. We cannot overemphasise the importance of staying in touch with every level of those who use our products or services. The question we need to ask is “who do we need the most?” Middlemen are a means to an end; users must be our priority.
    • Failure to adapt to changes: I found this very strange considering Motorola’s commitment to research and development. However, we cannot deny that the company’s technology gradually became obsolete in the face of competition. Finding out new ways of doing things is the way to the future. Steve Jobs had this to say, “I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.” We must not be too enthralled with our achievements to realise that the world has moved on. We must accept that people are too restless and dynamic to celebrate our successes for eternity; before we know it, they are looking for the next best thing.

    When a problem lingers, it may be an indication that the  level of information is not adequate. According to Albert Einstein, “You can never solve a problem on the level on which it was created”. If it is true that every solution to an existing problem stirs up other problems of its own, then we must never be satisfied with yesterday’s solutions. What we know now may be good enough to solve today’s problems; but make no mistake, it will never be adequate for tomorrow. We must never become “too much” to realise we have stopped learning for “so long”.

    •Dr. Amodu teaches at the Department of Mass Communication, Covenant University, Ogun State.