The Nation Newspaper

Tag: truths

  • Truths we choose not to talk about

    SIR: In the wake of the United States’ 2016 election, many experts raised concerns about the potential impact of lies, propaganda, and conspiracy theory propagation and consumption on both political life and innocent individuals. That warning, no doubt, did not go far as fake news consumption almost cost many innocent citizens their lives in Washington D.C.

    In America today, people call news they don’t like fake. This fascination with selective reporting and news consumption has, without a doubt, infiltrated Nigeria with its confirmation bias and propaganda technique.

    Nigerians, like “Evangelicals” and “Liberals”, are constantly falling-out with each other over political and economic situations with fake news, propaganda and deception.

    For the most time, the biting economic realities and lack of justice for people slaughtered, by people who feel it is their birthright it is to foment trouble, does not affect the government’s scorecard. These people have continually employed lies, propaganda and fake news to suppress obvious facts.

    Be that as it may, it is especially significant to note that the lethargic reaction to critical national issues in Nigeria has portrayed the current system of governance as a weak enterprise. Specifically, the government seems helpless against the clambering cases of kidnapping and Boko Haram attacks.

    Besides, the strife between nomadic herdsmen and farmers has, in recent times, reached an unbearable crescendo with increasing clashes and deaths reported in Adamawa, Benue, Taraba and Nassarawa states.

    Strangely enough, the go-to policy for the government has always been to push its media resources into spreading news that insults the intelligence of Nigerians. On the other hand, citizens who dare speak up on the run-down situation of security and the economy are harassed by men of the Department of State Services (DSS). This government attack dog is every ready to visit anybody who dares say or write otherwise.

    In spite of this militarization of democracy by Nigerian government, many Nigerians still remain divided along religious lines. To most people, religious identity and region are determining factors in the election and appointments of leaders. As a matter of fact, competence has never been a factor as die-hard advocates of religion-and-region-before-competence never see beyond a candidate’s religion and region of origin. To such people, the nation can continue to face insecurity to any length but will continue to live in denial of this as long as their favorite candidate remains in power.

    This are truths we as Nigerians know but have chosen not to talk about.

    Paul Watzlawick, an Austrian-American psychologist, communication theorist, and philosopher, said that the secret of propaganda is to totally saturate the person, whom the propaganda wants to lay hold of, with the ideas of the propaganda, without him even noticing that he is being saturated.

    For one thing, misinformation or propaganda is a global phenomenon. Besides, researchers have established that misinformation is “sticky” and is often resistant to correction. In the words of Tom Rosenstiel, misinformation is not like a plumbing problem you fix. It is a social condition, like crime, that you must constantly monitor and adjust to.

    In essence, the threat posed by the spread of misinformation should not be underestimated considering that Nigeria has one of the highest Internet and social media penetration rate in Africa. This why fact-checking news should be the new culture in our society.

    There is need to face this threat by investing in quality information and actions to combat the rise of misinformation, hatred, racism, bigotry and intolerance in our societies. This is an uncomfortable truth we all need to face and it starts with individuals taking responsibility for the information they pass or consume.

     

    • David Dimas,

    Laurel, Maryland, U.S.A

     

  • IMF spoke some truths to Nigeria

    SIR: You don’t have to agree with everything said by the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, IMF, Christine Lagarde, but she has said a lot to indicate that she knows Nigeria and her economy in-and-out. She said Nigeria since inception recorded the slowest pace of growth in the year 2015.

    Some of her words in marble were: “I see an immediate priority—a fundamental change in the way government operates”, because “The new reality of low oil prices and low oil revenues means that the fiscal challenge facing government is no longer about how to divide the proceeds of Nigeria’s oil wealth, but what needs to be done so that Nigeria can deliver to its people the public services they deserve—be it in education, health or infrastructure.”

    On war with Boko Haram, Lagarde expressed my conviction: “terrorism not only takes a human toll but it also makes public finances more fragile. How? By widening budget deficits. Revenues are lower, including from lower growth, and spending needs higher, including for security and for supporting those impacted by the violence. One immediate downside is higher financing needs that can crowd out other essential public spending.”

    Another area of serious concern to Lagarde is fuel: “fuel subsidies are hard to defend, particularly in Nigeria – think of the regular accusations of corruption, and think of the many Nigerians who spend hours in queues trying to get gas (petrol) so that they can go about their everyday business.”

    President Buhari may be recovering looted funds, but we await his measures for fighting corruption in the ministries and parastatals. Nigerians want efficiency and accountability, and the rulers, including the Governor of the Central Bank, to embrace austerity measures in their budgets.

     

    • Pius Oyeniran Abioje, PhD,

    University of Ilorin.

  • Akwa Ibom election petition tribunals: Separating facts from fiction, half truths and lies

    Akwa Ibom election petition tribunals: Separating facts from fiction, half truths and lies

    For every good reason there is to lie, there is a better reason to tell the truth.” – Bo Bennett

    In its characteristic way, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State is seeking to manipulate the system to get reprieve from crimes it committed during last elections by adopting the roles of a victim. According to a news report, circulated by the party’s propaganda machine, it claimed its members are being harassed by the Department of State  Security (DSS), alleging that this agency of government is aiding and abetting the opposition at the venue of the electoral tribunals currently sitting in Abuja.

    Reading this report, one wonders if the State Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State, Obong Paul Ekpo, can recall vividly three months ago how  his party obviouly used the same agency and other security forces to harass, intimidate and kill innocent voters, who dared to resist snatching of ballot boxes by PDP political thugs. Why is PDP raising alarm over alleged harassment of members now the muzzle is facing it?

    As was expected, reportage of ongoing Akwa Ibom State Election Petition Tribunals have become highly controversial, reflecting conflicting interests in the state. On one side are reports from media correspondents on ground in Abuja, where these tribunals are ongoing and on the flipside are political appointees based in Uyo, who rely on second hand information, which are further sieved and skewed before release to the public through state sponsored media outlets and online platforms.

    Funny enough, these government apologists readily circumvent thorny questions raised as cases progress to exaggerate momentary and inconsequential issues, devising well known publicity stunts to sustain lies even though it would have been a lot easier to accept facts staring everyone in the face.

    Whatever is their reason for this deception, it is more important to note that ongoing election tribunals are different from previous ones as they have so far shown independence of the Judiciary, giving hope that the rule of law shall prevail above gimmicks and undue influence. The onus is therefore on both petitioners and respondents to argue their case on points of law regardless of whatever is peddled outside court rooms. This is the first and most critical fact.

    Secondly, supporters of the interim government are at liberty to present various shades of truth about what transpires in court daily, but they cannot undo major gains already made towards recovering what was stolen from the people. Their indiscretion cannot alter a dot in the coming judgment as it will be based on proven facts as stated in law “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth”.

    Another stanch fact is that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and most of their candidates, including Udom Emmanuel, Godswill Akpabio and others, are before state election petition tribunals in Abuja, to defend allegations of stealing the mandate of Akwa Ibom people during the last elections. Hard pressed Akwa Ibom people have risen as one in a historic move to recover their mandate from a regime that has held them captive for nearly a decade and they will stop at nothing to ensure all respondents answer for their roles in manipulating a simple and straight forward electoral process into some twisted, complicated farce.

    To achieve this feat, the people are determined to take the whole stretch as could be seen in dispassionate testimonies of principal witnesses currently recounting their personal experiences of massive electoral irregularities, fraud and violence allegedly perpetuated by PDP and its agents in active connivance with some corrupt INEC officials. There are recorded evidences proving that April 11 elections in Akwa Ibom State were far cry from credible, free and fair elections stipulated in the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) and 2010 Electoral Act (as amended).

    Incidentally, these evidences and testimonies are received regularly in court notwithstanding what lies are peddled about them afterwards. The fact is, having listened to and adopted these evidences and testimonies, the tribunals may rely on them to deliver judgment.

    Above all, from available records published by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, one can decipher the whole story on how electoral fraud were committed by the INEC in Akwa Ibom State. All it takes is a closer look of voter accreditation computed by INEC staff at polling units across the state compared to what INEC Permanent Voter Card, PVC, readers automatically computed and sent to INEC servers in the Headquarters unknown to Okojie and his cohorts.

    Before going through the records, recall that on the 2nd of April, 2015, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, issued a very clear directive to all its officers that ONLY the “Card Reader” electronic machines be used for the accreditation of voters for the governorship and State House of Assembly elections scheduled for April 11, 2015.

    This directive was reportedly confirmed a couple of days later, by Prof Attahiru Jega, the then Chairman of INEC, during a world press conference where he maintained that the April 2 INEC directive, emphasizing that in places where there are card reader malfunction up to 5 pm, elections in these places should be shifted to Sunday, April 12, 2015. Incidentally, there was nowhere in the over 2,500 polling units across Akwa Ibom state that field officers of INEC reported the malfunction of their card readers meaning there was nowhere in the state where elections were shifted to Sunday, April 12 as such  governorship and state house of assembly elections held on April 11 without problem but how come the numbers computed into the INEC server, which were automatically generated when  Permanent Voters Card (PVC) were verified at the Polling Units across Akwa Ibom state are different from those hand filled in FORM EC 8D by INEC staff at these  polling units? The fact is, those results written in forms EC8D were doctored by INEC staff unaware that back-up PVC verifications were being simultaneously documented in the INEC servers in Abuja!

    Shouldn’t it bother all concerned how the accreditation of voters in Akwa Ibom produced two (sets) of numbers per local government by the same electoral body, one handwritten on FORM EC 8D and the other automatically accredited by INEC Server via PVC; #Akwa Ibom? Answering this question will confirm that indeed an electoral fraud was committed.

    Can INEC explain the following inconsistencies in voter accreditation?

    Abak LGA | Form EC 8D = 45, 358 Accredited | INEC Server = 25,546 Accredited, Eastern Obolo LGA | Form EC 8D = 14,592 Accredited | INEC Server = 6,521 Accredited, Eket LGA | Form EC 8D = 53,576 Accredited | INEC Server = 26,472 Accredited, Esit Eket LGA | Form EC 8D = 28,279 Accredited | INEC Server = 18,812 Accredited, Essien Udim LGA | Form EC 8D = 89,313 Accredited | INEC Server = 8,729 Accredited, Etim Ekpo LGA | Form EC 8D = 45,922 Accredited | INEC Server = 15,481 Accredited, Etinan LGA | Form EC 8D = 44,228 Accredited | INEC Server = 3,383 Accredited.  Also, Ibeno LGA | Form EC 8D = 19,032 Accredited | INEC Server = 11,980 Accredited, Ibesikpo Asutan LGA | Form EC 8D = 39,467 Accredited | INEC Server = 22,512 Accredited, Ibiono Ibom LGA | Form EC 8D = 64,623 Accredited | INEC Server = 10,369 Accredited, Ika LGA | Form EC 8D = 34,697 Accredited | INEC Server = 10,487 Accredited, Ikono LGA | Form EC 8D = 45,666 Accredited | INEC Server = 10,767 Accredited, Ikot Abasi LGA | Form EC 8D = 24,958 Accredited | INEC Server = 9,956 Accredited andIkot Ekpene LGA | Form EC 8D = 52,335 Accredited | INEC Server = 23,218 Accredited.

    Note also Ini LGA | Form EC 8D = 33,554 Accredited | INEC Server = 6,850 Accredited, Itu LGA | Form EC 8D = 27,808. Accredited | INEC Server = 15,557 Accredited, Mbo LGA | Form EC 8D = 13,853 Accredited | INEC Server = 8,545 Accredited, Mkpat Enin LGA | Form EC 8D = 35,412 Accredited | INEC Server = 7,623 Accredited, Nsit Atai LGA | Form EC 8D = 24,748 Accredited | INEC Server = 9,606 Accredited, Nsit Ibom LGA | Form EC 8D = 13,090 Accredited | INEC Server = 13,088 Accredited, Obot Akara LGA | Form EC 8D = 35,836 Accredited | INEC Server = 13,189 Accredited, Okobo LGA | Form EC 8D = 24,280 Accredited | INEC Server = 13,745 Accredited, Onna LGA | Form EC 8D = 54,050 Accredited | INEC Server = 15,864 Accredited, Oron LGA | Form EC 8D = 27,468 Accredited | INEC Server = 17,142 Accredited, Oruk Anam LGA | Form EC 8D = 81,021 Accredited | INEC Server = 21,753 Accredited, Udung Uko LGA | Form EC 8D = 14,094 Accredited | INEC Server = 11,165 Accredited, Ukanafun LGA | Form EC 8D = 48,271 Accredited | INEC Server = 9,846 Accredited, Uruan LGA | Form EC 8D = 38,006 Accredited | INEC Server = 11,599 Accredited, Urue Offong/Oruko LGA | Form EC 8D = 8,141 Accredited | INEC Server = 5,405 Accredited and Uyo LGA | Form EC 8D = 47,990 Accredited | INEC Server = 38,022 Accredited

    In summary, Total Form EC 8D = 1,158,624 Accredited | Total INEC Server = 437,128 with a wide difference of 721,496, more than 50% error yet Akwa Ibom state was among the states that first published election results!

    Figures do not lie and, if the ‘sanctity of the ballot’ (borrowing the phrase from Obong Victor Attah), and by extension, credibility of last elections were founded on voter accreditation, using Permanent Voter Card machines, then one can rightly assert that there was no election in Akwa Ibom state especially on April 11 considering gross discrepancy between FORM EC 8D, compiled by reportedly compromised INEC staff, and those automatically computed by PVC readers and sent to INEC servers.

    Going forward, none of those sham elections (Governorship and State House of Assembly) held on April 11 would be deemed credible using records from PVC readers’ printout from INEC servers. For instance, it is safe to question Form EC 8E compiled by reportedly compromised INEC staff which says Governor Emmanuel Udom got 996,071 votes. How did he get these outrageous figures when PVC readers printout from INEC servers say there were only 437,128 accredited voters in Akwa Ibom State for the April 11 governorship? Mystery surrounding facts such as this is what the election petition tribunals seek to unravel not mannerism of witnesses or whether they spoke correct grammar or not.

    Ukpong, writes from Uyo.

     

  • 10 home truths (III)

    The sparkling new year is

    upon us. In the previous two

    weeks, we’ve been telling each other some home truths about job search. The objective of this exercise is to energise us for the new year. And remember, never give up or go on holiday from job search.

    Let us conclude this presentation.

     

    Home truth No. 8

    You need to get organised for job search.

    The starting point is skill analysis. Skills are the fundamental basis of job search.Employers are looking for certain skills, and the best jobs are those ones where your skills match the needs of the employer.

    There are three types of skills job specific, self-management and transferable skills. You also need to put together an arsenal of accomplishments. This is for those with fairly long working history, highlighting their career achievements.

    You need to understand your strength(s), weakness(es), interests, aptitude and potential. What would you like to do with your life, all your life? Using the inputs from the above, you will determine and write your career/job objective statement.

    It is a statement that describes or states what career or job (or a range of closely related occupations) you desire. A job/career objective statement must highlight what skills you have to offer the employer as well.

    You will now generate a list of potential employers in respect of your chosen job objective. Necessary information may be obtained from friends, relations, consultants, vendors, newspapers, trade journals etc. Once you’ve made your choice, go after them- using conventional and unconventional means.

    How do you intend to pursue these job opportunities? What is your job hunting strategy? Let me tell you what is working. Or let us start with what have the least chance of working. The five most ineffective job search strategies are these.

    • Internet: posting your CV/Resume on the Internet, and expect potential employer to visit the board/site and make a choice, depending on the match between your skills and their requirements. It has four to 10 per cent success rate;

    • Mailing out Resume CV to employers at random (Resume blasting). Seven per cent success rate;

    • Answering ads in professional/trade journals. Seven per cent success rate;

    • Responding to newspaper ads. Five to 24 per cent success rate. The higher the salary/position, the lower the success rate;

    • Using employment agencies, five to 28 per cent success rate. Again, the higher the salary/position, the lower the success rate.

     

    Now, the best five ways to search for a job;

    • Ask for job leads from family, friends, people you know, etc – “Do you know of any job at the place where you work, or elsewhere?” Thirty-three per cent success rate;

    • Knocking on the door of any employer, factory, office etc, whether they are known to have vacancy or not. Forty-seven per cent success rate;

    • Identifying subject/field of interest, identifying employers on that field and calling on them to ask if you they are hiring for the position you desire and that you know you can do well. Sixty-nine per cent success rate;

    • Do the above in a group with other job hunters. 76 per cent success rate; and

    • Doing a life-changing job search (identifying your skills, proffered places, interest and acceptable working environment and going after the job you desire) 86 per cent success rate.

    You got me there. There is still a better method: combining the strategies (experts suggest it should not more than four !).

     

    Home truth No. 9

    As you can see, most job seekers don’t have the right strategy, If any at all.

    A fact never to be forgotten:

    The major difference between successful and unsuccessful job seekers is not some factors out there, or the ‘barrier’ listed earlier. It is the way they go about their job hunt. A successful job search requires organisation and effort. Don’t think of yourself as unemployed. You have a job, full time job. If you are employed think of your job search as a part-time job. If you are unemployed, the working hours of eight are available for your job search. If you are employed but seeking new opportunities, you need to make time for your job search, and be consistent.

    Job search requires that you develop a new set of priorities and schedules. Be aware that there will be distractions. Just about anything will sound better than looking for work. Don’t be fooled, your number one priority is finding that new job. Don’t let anything get in your way. Here are some tips:

    • Establish measurable goals, daily and weekly. If you set 10 a.m-3 p.m Tuesday for research, your goal could be to identify 10 new employer you can pursue. Wednesday’s goal could be to contact the employer you identified on Tuesday. Be realist, but challenge yourself.

    • Make yourself accountable. Create an area in your home where your entire job search is centered. If you keep all your job search supplies and information there, you will stay organised and ready to work. Check your progress at the end of each day and each week. Set new goals. It is a good strategy to involve someone else in your search. Give them permission to hold you accountable for your plans. Or join a job club.

     

    Home truth No. 10

    You need to give your job search all takes in terms of effort, organisation, focus,energy, creativity, strategy, etc.

     

    • Keep accurate records if you are conducting a serious job campaign. You make hundreds of contacts and generate new opportunities regularly. Don’t rely on your memory, develop and maintain a filling and/or a recording system – binders, pocket calendars and notebooks.

    You need all the help you can get when you are on the march for job seach. The veritable source of help and assistance is the book by Olu Oyeniran, Job-Hunting Manual-comprehensive strategies and tactive for extensive job hunting.

    Your destiny is in your hands. Now you know.

     

     

     

     

  • 10 home truths

    10 home truths

    T HE year 2012 is racing inexorably towards its end. So, you have been in the employment market throughout the year or even before, you will probably be concerned by now by your situation.You are probably strategising about next year. The starting point is why are you still unemployed? I don’t know.

    Sure, you are the one to find the answers, mine is to ask questions, assist and encourage you. In this article some subsequent ones, I will try and help you to a new and profitable start in 2013. That was the promise I made earlier.

    Our employment status is crucial and important to our lives. Why? Most of us start work in early 30’s and retirement often occurs in the mid–60’s. This implies that we spend 80 per cent of our adult life at work.

    It will then be obvious that we need to get not just a job, but also a job of our choice. We need a job that will give us the greatest quality of work life, one that gives us the fullest opportunity for maximum expression of our needs, interest and values.

    The unemployed is poor, feels loss of control over his/her life and faces social pressure (some unintended). He also feels frustrated, angry and has low esteem. in the same vein, sudden loss of job disrupts family and social life, leads to loss of income and identity.

    The resultant change results in emotional turmoil, given the magnitude, speed and scope of change. At another level, many are not happy with their jobs-and are passively or actively looking for opportunity for job/career change.

    They all are really in the job market. The frank unemployment statistics (or better still, estimates) are not cheering: 16 millions Nigerians are unemployed – 25 per cent or four million are University/Polytechnics graduates.

    About 220,000 are produced from such higher institutions, and only 10 per cent obtain employment within one year post-NYSC. These were estimates made two years ago. I don’t think things are better now. In all, it may well be true that over 25 millions Nigerians in the job market-looking for job, a better job or a new career.

    From the foregoing, it is obvious that the Nigeria Job market is tough. The hard reality is that it requires more than extensive cognate experience and academic excellence to obtain a good job in the Nigeria’s job market.

    Question then is, at the personal level, is there anything you can do to get and stay ahead. Yes, you need to acquire job search skills. It is that simple. Buying an exquisite car will not give you the pleasure and pride of driving it, except you know how to drive.

    In the same way, the vast majority of us will only enjoy the fruit of our formal education and training only through paid employment. It is therefore the ironic that few possess the requisite skills for effective job search. That is home truth no1: few of us possess job search skills

    Let’s look at the hiring process, from the point of view of the employer. It is a good strategy of war to have good understanding of the ways of your enemy. The hiring process consists of essentially 3 stages Recruitment, Selection and Placement.

    Recruitment is the set of activities a firm uses to attract job candidates who have the abilities, knowledge and skills required for occupiers of the job position to help the firm achieve its objectives.

    Home truth No 2: Most candidates failed even before the start- they do not get to know about job openings. They are not looking the right places or they are looking in wrong places.

    Selection is the process of choosing the specific candidates for the job. It entails gathering sufficient information about the potential candidates for the purpose of evaluation.

     

    The sequence may be as follows

    • Preliminary screening (basal evaluation of candidates’ application and Resume/CV. A candidate may be considered absolutely unsuitable for academic, vocational, vocational, experience etc reason)

    • Completion of Application Blank (candidates may be required to fill standardised application blanks which are required for information usually already available on the Resume/CV)

    • Selection Test- (usually pencil and eraser, designed to predict candidates performance on the job, intellectual ability, numerate/verbal aptitudes etc.)

    • Interview (interaction and exchange of information between the employer and job seeker)

    • Decision to Hire (Making up the mind of the employer as regards that most suitable candidate)

    • Job offer (contacting and informing successful candidate about the decision of the employer to hire him and the terms of such employment).

    Are you positioned to cross these hurdles?

    Permit me to ask this obvious question again: Do you want a job? Or, a better job? Do you know how to? From deciding what you want, to crafting a winning resume through job interview to negotiating your employment conditions reqires know-how. JobSearchguru’s JOB-HUNTING MANUAL, is now published and available in the market. You can visit our website for further details. It is your complete job search tool-kit.

     

    See you next Monday.