The Pharaohs of Egypt made the road for Super Eagles in the African Cup of Nations slippery today when they held the home team to a one-one draw.
Oghenekaro Etebo’s 60th minute goal rekindled Nigeria’s hope of going atop Group G. The Eagles were running away with a victory, until the late minute strike by Mohammed Salah, the AS Roma star player, who took the wind out of Nigeria’s sail.
The Super Eagles need to beat the Pharaohs, Tuesday, in Egypt, to stand a chance to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations. [myad]
The Oba of Lagos, Oba Riliwanu Akiolu has said that he liked President Muhammadu Buhari because the President meant well for the development of Nigeria.
“He has good intention for Nigeria and that was why I like him. I often pray for the President to achieve his campaign promises.
Oba Akiolu Akiolu who made the appeal during a courtesy visit by a delegation from Kebbi State led by the state governor, Atiku Bagudu, to his Palace, called on Nigerians to pray for the President. “
He needs God’s intervention to address the country challenges. He needs God’s intervention to achieve his aim. And I know that if we pray for him, by this time next year, the economic challenges we are experiencing would cease. And we will all have reasons to smile.”
The Oba also appealed to Nigerians to patronize Made-in-Nigeria goods because it would help create more employments for Nigerians.
Governor Bagudu had said that the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu facilitated the partnership between Lagos and Kebbi state on the establishment of a commodity value chain and appealed to other governors to adopt the strategy. “Infact, yesterday, he (Tinubu) saw me at the Economic retreat in Abuja, asking the progress made on the partnership. That showed how keen he was to ensure that the partnership works.” according to him, this is the kind of partnership which the founding fathers of the country clamoured for after the country’s independence and that it helped the country’s economy to grow. [myad]
The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared Rivers State as a danger zone, warning it would only conduct fresh elections or any future elections under a guaranteed security. This is coming in view of the violence, brigandage and killing that marred the March 19 rerun polls. In a statement today, the electoral body emphasised that it would never return for the fresh polls until there is an assurance of security and safety. INEC made it clear that it would not endanger the lives of its personnel, journalists and observers and others involved in the exercise. “INEC will, at a date to be decided, conduct fresh elections starting with accreditation and voting in all Local Government Areas, Constituencies, Registration Areas and Polling Units where the exercise was disrupted before voting was concluded on Saturday 19th March, 2016.” The statement, signed by INEC’s Director of Voters’ Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, said that the future elections would be conducted after due consultation with parties involved, and subject to the advice of the security agencies and guarantees by the political parties, candidates and their supporters. “While the Commission is committed to conducting free, fair and credible elections, it hereby reiterates its resolve not to return to Rivers State (or anywhere else where there was a breakdown of law and order in the cause of conducting elections) until there is a conducive atmosphere for the conduct of credible elections. As a responsible organization, it will not expose its stakeholders especially voters, its officials, observers, media personnel to any danger and even where dates have been fixed and published, it will not hesitate to again suspend the exercise where there is a clear danger or credible threat of a breakdown of law and order,” This was even as INEC has resolved to uphold results already declared in the March 19 election, saying: “the Commission restates its earlier decision to uphold the declarations and returns made in the Federal and State Constituencies where the exercise had been concluded. “Similarly, the Commission will conclude and make returns in constituencies where it is satisfied that voting and collation were done in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act and our Guidelines.” INEC had since admitted that there were some challenges in its operational efficiency, especially as it concerns the production and customization of the result sheets used for the conduct of the election. It however, insisted that no fake result sheet was used, as alleged by both the PDP and the APC. “The Commission wishes to emphatically state that there were no fake result sheets or any fake materials used in the conduct of the elections.” [myad]
The Presidency has formally dissociates itself from the #Istandwithbuhari advocacy group and demands that the group should immediately stop claiming any alliance with the Buhari Administration.
The Presidency also demands that the persons behind the controversial #Istandwithbuhari group should stop using President Muhammadu Buhari’s name and that of his wife, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari to promote themselves and their activities.
A statement by the special adviser to the President on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu said that among other reasons the Presidency found it necessary to distance itself from the #Istandwithbuhari group was the fact that it is premature ostentatious, celebrating the present administration’s achievements which is totally inconsistent with President Buhari’s philosophy of service with humility.
“While the present administration has indeed recorded significant successes in its priority areas of improving security across the nation, ending the Boko Haram insurgency, curbing official corruption and revamping Nigeria’s economy, President Buhari is well aware that his government still has a lot of national challenges to overcome.
“The President prefers to give his fullest attention to addressing those challenges without the unsolicited and unwelcome distraction of untimely praise-singing from groups with dubious and questionable motives.” [myad]
It goes without saying that a sensible society that is in the quest for development will take seriously its educational system. But for our leaders whose interest is to develop themselves and their immediate relatives on one hand, and to continue to subject the down trodden poor into continued despondency, servitude and bondage on the other hand, emancipating the deplorable education sector in our country is not their priority.
The condition of the primary education with Bauchi state as an example, appezrs to have gone down the drain because of disdainful leadership.
Do you know that in the whole of Bauchi metropolis, only one Primary school is housed with furniture (chairs) for pupils to sit? Yes! I mean one primary school! Do you also know that there are primary school teachers in Bauchi state who have not been promoted for about 9 to 11 years? In fact, do you also know that hundreds of teachers have died of hypertensive related illnesses in the last four years because of unpaid salary rooted from incessant strikes and unnecessary verification? Do you also know that a class room that is supposedly meant to accommodate 35 pupils or 40 at most is housing over 100 and these pupils are sitting on a bare floor to receive lessons? The list of questions is just endless.
Like I mentioned earlier, only one Primary school (Sa’adu Zungur Primary school) in the whole of Bauchi metropolis, the seat of government is provided with the right furniture (chairs) for the comfort of the school pupils. Undoubtedly, even Kofar Fada Primary School, where almost all the Emirs of Bauchi schooled is also abandoned, with its pupils sitting helplessly on a bare floor to receive lessons. The question is, if primary schools in the state capital, the seat of government will appear in this shape, what is the fate of other schools outside the metropolis? And how would they look like?
Let me mention only thirteen primary schools that are not far from one another and that are without chairs, and I challenge the reader of this piece who might think I’ve exaggerated what I wrote to visit these schools and see for themselves. Babban Mutum Science Primary School Shekal, Zannuwa Primary School, Dangikka Primary School Bakaro, Baba Sidi Primary School, Unguwar Barno Primary School, Rariya Primary School, Saleh Manga Primary School Gwallaga, Nassarawa Primary School, and RiminJahun Primary School. Others are: Dutsen Tanshi Primary School, Adamu Jumba Primary School, Kofar Fada Primary School and Kandahar Primary School. All these schools are without chairs. I keep mentioning chairs because in my opinion is the least likely indicator of the terrible state of primary education in Bauchi state.
Other instructional materials such as textbooks are grossly insufficient and are not even in conformity with the current curriculum. Workbooks, literature textbooks, vocabulary and spelling books—all these materials are completely absent. Not to talk of graphic organizers that are meant to depict visual representation of information. It is indeed shameful to recount other indicators if the above teaching aids are completely missing.
To further proof the pharaonic-liked leadership in the education sector which held it retarded for several years by these despots, some primary school teachers spent 9 to 11 years without being promoted to the next level. In the event where some of them are promoted, hardly are they paid their yearly salary increment. There is also the recurrent and unnecessary verification exercise that is often done in violation of due process, which in most cases results to further delay of teachers’ salary and some of them disengaged in the process.
All these atrocities are committed on people who are saddled with the responsibility of not only upbringing children from the scratch, but nurturing and raising them from their stage of insanity to a stage where they understand and give meaning to life and the essence of their existence as human beings. Even the disdainful and anathematic crops of leaders we have today are nurtured by the same people they continuously and recklessly dehumanize.
How could these people be willing to give out their best when they are forced to spend several months without salary? How would they teach with an empty stomach? How would they have the enthusiasm to teach when they spent 9 to 11 years without promotion? How would they teach when their yearly salary increment is out rightly denied? How would they teach with an overpopulated crop of helpless pupils sitting on a bare floor?
It is because of these reasons that teaching today is not considered a profession. The only person who is left teaching is someone who could not bag appointment in another ministry; therefore their last resort is to teach. The continued neglect by the government of this single, but most important sector is an indication of a terrible system managed by terrible people. But who are these terrible people managing a terrible system?
They are people in positions of authority nurtured and trained by the teacher who suffers their insensitivity and despotic leadership. They are people who were given free and quality education from the state’s resources, but are busy milking the state dry. They are people who send their children abroad to get sound education at the expense of the state resources, but pretend not to see the children of the down trodden studying under a tree. They are people who buy cutlasses for thugs to snatch ballot boxes during elections, rig themselves into offices and occupy various positions. They are people who run to Germany when they suffer from headache but refuse vehemently to buy panadol for public hospitals for my sick grandmother to access. They are people whose children attend parties in Dubai and Paris with millions of naira in their pockets but ignore a graduate in Nigeria who cannot afford three square meals.
They are people whose children attend functional and well equipped schools abroad with air conditions, portable drinking water, good toilet facilities and modern teaching equipment, but leave our schools without water, toilets facilities, forcing our children to result to open defecation which unequivocally made them vulnerable to cholera. They are people who award the erection of sub-standard class rooms that cannot last for even five years, when the erected class rooms built by the British invaders still exist.
What consequences are we likely to reap from the downsized educational system? In the last four years, hundreds of teachers have died of frustration and hypertensive illnesses, fuelled by unpaid salary and disengagement letters issued to some of them. It also gave birth to the poor quality of education that is also evident among pupils in primary and junior secondary schools, as majority of them could not read and write. The result of these neglect have also boiled down to senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions especially with the massive failure in WAEC, NECO and JAMB, coupled with the “half-baked” graduates produced by our higher institutions.
What is more worrisome in the case of Bauchi state is that despite the huge money allocated to the education sector in the 2016 budget, there is still no clearly articulated policy by the state Government to revitalize the sector and stop the humiliation of teachers. Many of them are yet to be paid their salary since January; while some newly appointed teachers during the last hour of Governor Yuguda’s administration are still owned salaries for about eight months.
With these bones of contentions still existing, this writer will continue to keep a critical eye on the sector with the aim of keeping readers abreast and encouraging the state government to take the right decisions in revitalizing the sector.
Haruna Mohammed Salisu writes from Bauchi. He could be reached at 08063180608 or harunababale@gmail.com. [myad]
“Not in the mood to say same to you?” “Okay. Same to you”
“This is the season of love, you know. Our Lord Jesus Christ died on the Cross of Calvary so we may have everlasting life. He made the ultimate sacrifice so that you and I can be saved.”
“Keep preaching”
“We must learn to love others and be prepared to imbibe the virtue of sacrifice.”
“I have never pretended that I want to be like Jesus Christ. Thank you.”
“His teachings. His example.”
“Good. But look, listen to me, just don’t go to Kaduna and go about preaching to people. I hope you know. Keep your teachings to yourself.”
“Even on a Good Friday? Oh, come on. Nobody can stop us from proclaiming The Word. And we need the message of love, sacrifice and salvation in this land.”
“Sacrifice? Have we not sacrificed enough?”
“It’s never enough.”
“We haven’t had electricity in our neighbourhood for a whole week. We can’t even afford to keep running the generator”
“All that will change.”
“When they have told us there will be fuel scarcity till May? You may add two more months to that.”
“No, oh. The Minister was misquoted. He has since clarified his statement. He said he was just being sincere.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning the journalists who reported the story added salt and pepper to his statement.”
“But have you seen the queues at the fuel stations?”
“Seen? I spent a whole day looking for fuel yesterday.”
“Very good. Don’t complain. You were making sacrifice.” “I love my country, no matter what. All we need is just love.”
“Say that to the over 3 million workers in the food and beverages industry who are about to lose their jobs.”
“I read that. It is rather scary.”
“Many companies are shutting down, or downsizing, or they are unable to pay salaries.”
“Have faith. All that will change. All these companies sacking people up and down should also try and make some sacrifice.”
“Business is business”
“Business should have a human heart. Sometimes, when I read all those figures about people being retrenched, I suspect sabotage.”
“How convenient?” “What I am saying is that Corporate Nigeria should be prepared to support the people and the government.”
“Corporate Nigeria should transform into a wing of the Red Cross. Very nice. Well, for your information, the economy is imploding, the Naira is sick, there is no electricity, no this, no that, and so businesses are being disabled.”
“All that will change.”
“You keep saying things will change. You know I don’t like slogans.”
“The Minister of Finance will soon write another article about it, and may be if you have been reading…”
“What article?”
“She likes to write essays to explain things. Newspaper essays.”
“And who reads that?”
“You should. In one recent article she said “we are undertaking an ambitious counter cyclical strategy to stimulate our sluggish economy….”
“Counter cyclical strategy. Please, I don’t want to read essays.”
“Don’t worry. Even that will change”
“Go and say that to all the workers who will not be paid salaries this month end. Go to the streets of Osun and tell the workers that in case they don’t receive their salaries, they should be prepared to make sacrifice. And that they should understand why their state got only N6 million allocation this month.”
“In the spirit of Easter, yes. Why not?”
“If they stone you, don’t expect any sympathy.”
“Man shall not live by bread alone.”
“Can you stop?”
“We should never lose hope.”
“Sorry, the people want to live by bread. Right now, yes. And I can tell you they want to eat rice too”.
“Rice?”
“Yes, rice? Now that the importation of rice through land borders has been banned, the cost of rice has gone up again.”
“Land borders? So, rice can only be imported by air or water? I don’t believe it.”
“I know many families who have stopped eating rice in this country.”
“It is not that bad. Ah. People like to exaggerate things. That is why I talk about blackmail and sabotage. There are saboteurs in this country. Economy no good, economy no good, some of the banks are declaring hundreds of billions as profit!”
“Who is sabotaging who?”
“You should answer the question yourself, since you seem to know it all. Everything I say, you just wave it aside. What’s eating you up?”
“Nothing. But you too, you are beginning to sound like members of the National Assembly.”
“What have they done again? I know many of the members seem to have a special talent for comedy.”
“You know the other day, the House of Representatives hosted the gentleman who graduated with a 5.0 Grade Point Average from the University of Lagos. Good idea, but do you know what the Speaker of the House said?” “No”
“He told the fellow that if he wants to succeed in life, he should not let three things get into him”
“Which are?”
“Money, women and alcohol”
“Alcohol, yes. I understand that part about alcohol, but money and women?”
“Male chauvinist. Hypocrite.”
“And the female members of the House did not protest?”
“By now, they must be used to their male colleagues always making snide remarks about women”.
“Do you know the Speaker’s wife?”
“What has that got to do with this matter, if I may ask?”
“She should be the one to help settle the matter on behalf of all Nigerian women. He should deny him food, and constantly remind him that it is not good for him to allow a woman get into him.”
“Some of these people are tyrants at home, you know. They wont even allow their wives to express an opinion. And I tell you, don’t offer advice to other people’s wives. That can be dangerous.”
“But have you heard?”
“What again?”
“The Federal Government is planning to organize a town hall dialogue between herdsmen and farmers to address the issue of constant violence between the two groups.”
“Dialogue? What dialogue? To be attended by the people of Agatu and the herdsmen who slaughtered them? And who are walking free, beyond justice?”
“Dialogue is always healthy”
“Justice first. The solution is simple. Create grazing reserves. Set up ranches. This is the 21st Century. Nobody should graze cattle on highways, airports and on farmlands.”
“There are cultural issues involved.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about. They have cattle in other parts of the world too. Nobody sheds human blood to preserve the blood of cattle.”
“I think you should attend the dialogue and offer some ideas.”
“I have said my bit. Certain things are just straight-forward. Look at the case of the three girls who were abducted from Babington Junior Seminary in Ikorodu, Lagos state.”
“Yes?” “The principal of the school is saying the suspect in the matter has been sending text messages asking for forgiveness and prayers”
“He certainly needs prayers.” “No. He doesn’t need prayers. He should be handed over to the police and made to pay for his crime. He abducted three young girls for six days and he is asking for prayers! We pray too much. We talk too much. And it is a shame that anybody is listening to his request for prayers.”
“Young girls in Nigeria are really endangered. I was reading another story about a female student at the Queen’s College, Lagos, whose parents reported that she was molested by a male teacher.”
“I read that too. But there are too many versions of that story. What is certain is that the right of young girls to grow up without being molested and abused by older men must be protected. You check the newspapers, there is a hardly a day you won’t read a story about young girls being raped or abducted. What is wrong with Nigerian men? Grown up women no longer appeal to them?
“Please don’t generalize. Say some Nigerian men. Don’t join people who label all Nigerians.”
“Okay. Okay. At least, I can vouch for you. And I am certainly a gentleman. And if anyone is caught abusing a girl-child, that person should be punished.”
“In the UK, they just sent a footballer to prison for six years for having unlawful carnal knowledge of a 15-year old girl.”
“Good. Good. Who is he?”
“Adam Johnson. He used to play for Sunderland.”
“Never heard of him. But I hope Yunusa Yellow and all such men in Nigeria also get their day in court.”
“What’s the latest from Rivers State, after the re-run election?”
“Nothing. Bad blood. Politics of hate. Rivers of blood. My heart goes out to the families of all the people who were murdered during that election.”
“That was sad. It is so painful to see how people shed blood because of politics.”
“Oh, you are not talking about sacrifice, again?”
“I am not talking about that kind of sacrifice. If people have to die to elect their own representatives, it is a sign of sickness in society.”
“Looks like INEC has changed. If they can’t organize common re-run, how will they manage a general election?”
“Ha.”
“Too much ego in that their Rivers state. It was a fight-to-finish re-run. I just hope the outstanding elections will not again result in violence.”
“In fact, no member of the NYSC should agree to serve as an ad hoc staff for INEC again in Rivers state.”
“Governor Nyesom Wike says the state government will immortalize Samuel Okonta, the youth corps member, who was killed. He has also increased the monthly allowance for youth corps members serving in the state”
“Immortalize?”
“Yes”
“But will that bring the dead back to life?”
“I know. Really sad. National service yes, but these youth corps members should not be exposed to danger. You remember how they are always the victims during elections.”
“I do. Nobody at all should die during elections. Electoral violence must be prevented by all means and whenever it occurs, sanctions must be applied.”
“Yes.”
“Anyway, no government has ever promised magic.”
“Well, at least, they now have a budget. Has anybody analyzed what was passed by the National Assembly?”
“Please. The analysis is enough. Enough analysis.”
“I think the Ministry of Finance will still make some presentations.”
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has commissioned electrification project connecting 68 communities in Ibeju-Lekki area of the state that had been in total darkness for over five years, to the national grid. Governor Ambode, who commissioned the project amidst fanfare from joyous residents, also announced the readiness of the state government to pay the electricity bill of residents until the installation of meters in all homes in the affected communities. The Governor said the project was another success story of the Light Up Lagos Project, an initiative of his administration. The Light Up Lagos Project, which is a key programme of the Ambode administration, was built on a tripod of Community Electrification, Street Lightening and Power Advisory Committee made up of key stakeholders from the public and private sector. The Advisory Committee, which was set up in December 2015 by Ambode, is chaired by the state Deputy Governor, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule and its major role is to develop a roadmap to provide sustainable power supply to homes and businesses in Lagos in the medium to long term. Speaking at the commissioning, a visibly elated Governor Ambode recalled that the attention of his administration was drawn to the plight of residents of Ibeju Lekki, Ise and Ode-Omi, comprising 68 communities in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government and Lekki Local Council Development Area some few months back. The communities have been without electricity for over five years. The Governor said: “After a due assessment of the situation, we commenced work last year October and we promised to ensure that these 68 communities are connected to the national grid. “Today, we are delighted to say that these communities have been connected to the national grid. “To make this project a reality, 33kv dedicated high-tension lines were laid from Ajah sub-station to Eleko junction and from there spread to 68 communities a high tension network covering 131.5 kilometers was rehabilitated and 86 transformers were installed at a total cost of N600million. “Beyond fulfilling our promise to these 68 communities, we have also demonstrated our commitment to run an all-inclusive government which no one will be left behind. “It is expected that the commissioning of this project will boost the socio-economic activities in this area after having suffered untold setback for over five years.” The Governor, who said he was fully aware that lack of access to electricity was not peculiar to the said 68 communities alone, disclosed that the State Government, through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, was currently attending to similar challenge involving 34 communities in Badagry. He said before September of 2016, the communities would be connected to the national grid. “As we do this, we shall continue with the street lightening of the Light Up Lagos Initiative. The vision is to ensure that we light up all major roads and border towns in the state,” the Governor said. Besides, Ambode commended officials of the State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Light Up Lagos Power Advisory Committee and management of Eko Electricity Distribution Company for working tirelessly for the completion of the project. He also reaffirmed the full commitment of his administration to the wellbeing of all Lagosians irrespective of their locations within the boundaries of the state. Earlier, the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Wale Oluwo, recalled that after residents of the communities complained about their plight, Ambode issued a directive for investigation and that the result revealed that the sub-station supplying electricity to the communities was vandalised, which resulted in the power outage for about five years, until the intervention of the state government. Oluwo said the state government was seriously committed to the sustainability of the Light Up Lagos Project and urged residents to take ownership of the electrification project and imbibe the culture of prompt payment of their electricity tariffs. He said the next phase of the Light Up Lagos Project is to take electricity to public institutions such as water corporations, schools, hospitals among others. Responding on behalf of the residents, Dr. Tola Kasali, one of the community leaders, said the commissioning of the project confirmed Ambode’s love and readiness to address the plight of the people. “This is a typical example of a Governor that listens; this is a typical example of a Governor that cares; this is a typical example of a Governor that reacts to the needs of the people,” Kasali said. Also, a representative of Electricity Distribution Companies, Engr. Charles Momoh, said the commissioning was an eloquent confirmation of walking the talk, and expressed the readiness of DISCOS to partner with the state government and make the Governor’s dream of lighting up every part of Lagos a reality. [myad]
Marsha Gay Reynolds, a JetBlue Airways flight attendant and former Jamaican beauty queen, turned herself in to the United Statse Drug Enforcement Administration agents in New York on Wednesday after she was detected to have been with almost 70 pounds (31.8 kg) of cocaine. Her flight was to take off from Los Angeles International Airport in the United States of America. The authorities said she would face a charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. It said Reynolds was stopped at random during luggage-screening processes by a Transportation Security Administration officer at the airport. The report added that she kicked off her Gucci high heels and successfully fled. According to an affidavit, in her abandoned luggage, 11 independently wrapped packages containing cocaine were found. Meanwhile, Marshall McClain, President of the Los Angeles Airport Police Officers Association, called for 100 per cent screening of all passengers and employees at the airport. [myad]
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the Edo University, established in the country home of the Edo state governor, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, Iyamho. It is coming as the 41st State University and 142nd University in Nigeria. The approval was contained in a letter to Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, dated March 23, 2016, signed by the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Professor Julius Okojie. Okojie said: “Consequent upon the formal presentation of the relevant gazetted law, Academic Brief and Physical Master Plan and satisfactory report from the Advisory resource assessment visit, I write on behalf of the National Universities Commission (NUC), to inform His Excellency, that with effect from Wednesday, 23rd March, 2016, Edo University, Iyamho, has been recognised as the 41st State University and 142nd University, in the Nigerian University System. “We hereby pledge our support to the University and urge His Excellency and Edo State Government, to take full advantage of the professional and technical advice that we are statutorily required to give to State Governments, on the establishment and operation of their universities. “By a copy of this letter, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Tertiary Education Trust Fund and the National Youth Service Corps, have been informed of the establishment of the new University. “I wish to congratulate His Excellency and the good people of Edo State, on the establishment of Edo University, Iyamho.” [myad]
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the violence and killings that occurred during the March 19 state and National Assembly rerun elections in the state even as the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state condemn the move. In a statewide broadcast yesterday, Governor Wike said the establishment of the commission was to forestall a recurrence of such violence and killings in future elections. He said that part of the expectations from the commission are recommendations that would be implemented by the state government, saying: “In order to forestall a repeat of the needless violence and fatalities in future elections, I hereby establish a Judicial Commission of Enquiry to investigate the violence, killings and other related acts that occurred in parts of the state during the March 19, 2016 rerun elections and make appropriate recommendations to the government for implementation.” Members of the panel are Hon. Justice Monima Wenike Danagogo, chairman; Venerable John Adubasim, member; Douye Green, member; Joseph Zabbey; member, Luke Nwanodi, member; and Uche Uriri, secretary. Members of the commission were expected to have been sworn today.
But in statement the APC Spokesperson for the state, Senibo Chris Finebone described the probenas “self-serving and a mere smokescreen” by the governor to rubbish his political opponents and divert attention from the violence and deaths he planted, nurtured and carried out during the Rivers State rerun elections.
The APC recalled that following the killings in electoral violence in Rivers State in 2015, the then governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi set up the Professor Chidi Odinkalu Commission to unravel the issues behind the killings, saying that it was the same Wike and the PDP that swiftly filed suit No FHC/PHC/256/2015 at a Port Harcourt against the sitting of that Commission.
“One of the arguments by the PDP and Nyesom Wike was that the former governor was an interested party in what happened during the elections and therefore should not have set up the panel. This time, Governor Nyesom Wike is on record for having threatened violence and death to stakeholders long before and even during the rerun elections. There is no doubt that the several threats Nyseom Wike issued to his supporters and associates gave rise to the widespread and wanton killings by the PDP and their acolytes. Therefore, where lies the enabling neutrality and moral high ground for Gov. Nyesom Wike to set up a commission of inquiry to investigate a matter in which he is the mastermind-in-chief?”
The APC asked Governor Wike to consider the matter of the commission a total waste of time and resources, and dead on arrival.
“Taking a look at the members of the commission, the APC would like to advise Gov. Wike to look for a more honest means of compensating his supporters and their relations rather than sending them on a journey to nowhere or one that will suffer a still-birth.” [myad]
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The Pharaohs of Egypt made the road for Super Eagles in the African Cup of Nations slippery today when they held the home team to a one-one draw.
Signs Of The Times, By Reuben Abati
“Easter greetings”
“Ok”
“I am greeting you”
“I see”
“Are we quarrelling? Or you have malaria?”
“Can’t you see that I am just not in the mood?”
“Not in the mood to say same to you?”
“Okay. Same to you”
“This is the season of love, you know. Our Lord Jesus Christ died on the Cross of Calvary so we may have everlasting life. He made the ultimate sacrifice so that you and I can be saved.”
“Keep preaching”
“We must learn to love others and be prepared to imbibe the virtue of sacrifice.”
“I have never pretended that I want to be like Jesus Christ. Thank you.”
“His teachings. His example.”
“Good. But look, listen to me, just don’t go to Kaduna and go about preaching to people. I hope you know. Keep your teachings to yourself.”
“Even on a Good Friday? Oh, come on. Nobody can stop us from proclaiming The Word. And we need the message of love, sacrifice and salvation in this land.”
“Sacrifice? Have we not sacrificed enough?”
“It’s never enough.”
“We haven’t had electricity in our neighbourhood for a whole week. We can’t even afford to keep running the generator”
“All that will change.”
“When they have told us there will be fuel scarcity till May? You may add two more months to that.”
“No, oh. The Minister was misquoted. He has since clarified his statement. He said he was just being sincere.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning the journalists who reported the story added salt and pepper to his statement.”
“But have you seen the queues at the fuel stations?”
“Seen? I spent a whole day looking for fuel yesterday.”
“Very good. Don’t complain. You were making sacrifice.”
“I love my country, no matter what. All we need is just love.”
“Say that to the over 3 million workers in the food and beverages industry who are about to lose their jobs.”
“I read that. It is rather scary.”
“Many companies are shutting down, or downsizing, or they are unable to pay salaries.”
“Have faith. All that will change. All these companies sacking people up and down should also try and make some sacrifice.”
“Business is business”
“Business should have a human heart. Sometimes, when I read all those figures about people being retrenched, I suspect sabotage.”
“How convenient?”
“What I am saying is that Corporate Nigeria should be prepared to support the people and the government.”
“Corporate Nigeria should transform into a wing of the Red Cross. Very nice. Well, for your information, the economy is imploding, the Naira is sick, there is no electricity, no this, no that, and so businesses are being disabled.”
“All that will change.”
“You keep saying things will change. You know I don’t like slogans.”
“The Minister of Finance will soon write another article about it, and may be if you have been reading…”
“What article?”
“She likes to write essays to explain things. Newspaper essays.”
“And who reads that?”
“You should. In one recent article she said “we are undertaking an ambitious counter cyclical strategy to stimulate our sluggish economy….”
“Counter cyclical strategy. Please, I don’t want to read essays.”
“Don’t worry. Even that will change”
“Go and say that to all the workers who will not be paid salaries this month end. Go to the streets of Osun and tell the workers that in case they don’t receive their salaries, they should be prepared to make sacrifice. And that they should understand why their state got only N6 million allocation this month.”
“In the spirit of Easter, yes. Why not?”
“If they stone you, don’t expect any sympathy.”
“Man shall not live by bread alone.”
“Can you stop?”
“We should never lose hope.”
“Sorry, the people want to live by bread. Right now, yes. And I can tell you they want to eat rice too”.
“Rice?”
“Yes, rice? Now that the importation of rice through land borders has been banned, the cost of rice has gone up again.”
“Land borders? So, rice can only be imported by air or water? I don’t believe it.”
“I know many families who have stopped eating rice in this country.”
“It is not that bad. Ah. People like to exaggerate things. That is why I talk about blackmail and sabotage. There are saboteurs in this country. Economy no good, economy no good, some of the banks are declaring hundreds of billions as profit!”
“Who is sabotaging who?”
“You should answer the question yourself, since you seem to know it all. Everything I say, you just wave it aside. What’s eating you up?”
“Nothing. But you too, you are beginning to sound like members of the National Assembly.”
“What have they done again? I know many of the members seem to have a special talent for comedy.”
“You know the other day, the House of Representatives hosted the gentleman who graduated with a 5.0 Grade Point Average from the University of Lagos. Good idea, but do you know what the Speaker of the House said?”
“No”
“He told the fellow that if he wants to succeed in life, he should not let three things get into him”
“Which are?”
“Money, women and alcohol”
“Alcohol, yes. I understand that part about alcohol, but money and women?”
“Male chauvinist. Hypocrite.”
“And the female members of the House did not protest?”
“By now, they must be used to their male colleagues always making snide remarks about women”.
“Do you know the Speaker’s wife?”
“What has that got to do with this matter, if I may ask?”
“She should be the one to help settle the matter on behalf of all Nigerian women. He should deny him food, and constantly remind him that it is not good for him to allow a woman get into him.”
“Some of these people are tyrants at home, you know. They wont even allow their wives to express an opinion. And I tell you, don’t offer advice to other people’s wives. That can be dangerous.”
“But have you heard?”
“What again?”
“The Federal Government is planning to organize a town hall dialogue between herdsmen and farmers to address the issue of constant violence between the two groups.”
“Dialogue? What dialogue? To be attended by the people of Agatu and the herdsmen who slaughtered them? And who are walking free, beyond justice?”
“Dialogue is always healthy”
“Justice first. The solution is simple. Create grazing reserves. Set up ranches. This is the 21st Century. Nobody should graze cattle on highways, airports and on farmlands.”
“There are cultural issues involved.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about. They have cattle in other parts of the world too. Nobody sheds human blood to preserve the blood of cattle.”
“I think you should attend the dialogue and offer some ideas.”
“I have said my bit. Certain things are just straight-forward. Look at the case of the three girls who were abducted from Babington Junior Seminary in Ikorodu, Lagos state.”
“Yes?”
“The principal of the school is saying the suspect in the matter has been sending text messages asking for forgiveness and prayers”
“He certainly needs prayers.”
“No. He doesn’t need prayers. He should be handed over to the police and made to pay for his crime. He abducted three young girls for six days and he is asking for prayers! We pray too much. We talk too much. And it is a shame that anybody is listening to his request for prayers.”
“Young girls in Nigeria are really endangered. I was reading another story about a female student at the Queen’s College, Lagos, whose parents reported that she was molested by a male teacher.”
“I read that too. But there are too many versions of that story. What is certain is that the right of young girls to grow up without being molested and abused by older men must be protected. You check the newspapers, there is a hardly a day you won’t read a story about young girls being raped or abducted. What is wrong with Nigerian men? Grown up women no longer appeal to them?
“Please don’t generalize. Say some Nigerian men. Don’t join people who label all Nigerians.”
“Okay. Okay. At least, I can vouch for you. And I am certainly a gentleman. And if anyone is caught abusing a girl-child, that person should be punished.”
“In the UK, they just sent a footballer to prison for six years for having unlawful carnal knowledge of a 15-year old girl.”
“Good. Good. Who is he?”
“Adam Johnson. He used to play for Sunderland.”
“Never heard of him. But I hope Yunusa Yellow and all such men in Nigeria also get their day in court.”
“What’s the latest from Rivers State, after the re-run election?”
“Nothing. Bad blood. Politics of hate. Rivers of blood. My heart goes out to the families of all the people who were murdered during that election.”
“That was sad. It is so painful to see how people shed blood because of politics.”
“Oh, you are not talking about sacrifice, again?”
“I am not talking about that kind of sacrifice. If people have to die to elect their own representatives, it is a sign of sickness in society.”
“Looks like INEC has changed. If they can’t organize common re-run, how will they manage a general election?”
“Ha.”
“Too much ego in that their Rivers state. It was a fight-to-finish re-run. I just hope the outstanding elections will not again result in violence.”
“In fact, no member of the NYSC should agree to serve as an ad hoc staff for INEC again in Rivers state.”
“Governor Nyesom Wike says the state government will immortalize Samuel Okonta, the youth corps member, who was killed. He has also increased the monthly allowance for youth corps members serving in the state”
“Immortalize?”
“Yes”
“But will that bring the dead back to life?”
“I know. Really sad. National service yes, but these youth corps members should not be exposed to danger. You remember how they are always the victims during elections.”
“I do. Nobody at all should die during elections. Electoral violence must be prevented by all means and whenever it occurs, sanctions must be applied.”
“Yes.”
“Anyway, no government has ever promised magic.”
“Well, at least, they now have a budget. Has anybody analyzed what was passed by the National Assembly?”
“Please. The analysis is enough. Enough analysis.”
“I think the Ministry of Finance will still make some presentations.”
“Can you tell them not to bother? Ha, ha. Wetin?”
“Have a Happy Easter.”
“You, too.” [myad]