By Lateef Lawal

Pregnant women from Nigeria will not be allowed to perform this year’s Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. In addition, passengers on the hajj flights to the holy city will also not be allowed more than 50 Kilogrammes of luggage(40kg checked-in; 10kg hand luggage).

These restrictions on muslim pilgrims were disclosed yesterday by the country’s Amirul-Hajj and head of the Federal Government of Nigeria delegation to the 2009 Hajj Operations, Senator Kanti Bello while speaking with aviation journalists in Lagos on the progress of the ongoing airlift of pilgrims to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for the Hajj. ( Continues below…. )

According to Senator Kanti, these measures were put in place to ensure that the country was not made a subject of ridicule by other nationals who would be converging in Saudi for the exercise. Pregnant women for their safety are not allowed to perform hajj due to the physical stress involved. He said whoever was airlifted due to an oversight and later discovered to be pregnant would immediately be deported back to Nigeria.

Kanti said the era of indiscipline in the hajj exercise was over as his committee would not tolerate any form of misbehaviour or not adhering to the rules guiding the hajj exercise. He said Chairmen of States Pilgrim Boards, have been acquainted with the rules so as to ensure hitch-free operations, and would be on alert to ensure that pilgrims do not abscond to remain in Saudi Arabia after the exercise is over.

By Lateef Lawal

Arik Air, Nigeria’s leading commercial airline celebrates its third anniversary today, October 30, 2009. The airline first took to the skies with the launch of scheduled passenger flights between Nigeria’s commercial hub Lagos and the country’s Federal Capital, Abuja on October 30, 2006. From a humble beginning operating three brand new Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft, Arik Air has scored a number of operational firsts in its short history. With the introduction of the CRJ900 aircraft three years ago, Arik Air became the first airline in Nigeria to operate a brand new aircraft in over 20 years and was the launch airline in Nigeria for this type.

In 2008 it became the first airline in Africa to operate the widebody Airbus A340-500 aircraft, which the airline now operates to connect Lagos with London Heathrow and Johannesburg daily. On October 23, 2009 Arik Air announced the introduction of the Bombardier Q400 aircraft, the first Nigerian airline to do so. Three years since launching commercial operations, Arik Air’s achievement is formidable and in terms of performance, the actual week of the airline’s third anniversary has itself been record-breaking. The airline’s Managing Director, Mr Jason Holt speaking to reporters said: “Since beginning operations three years ago on October 30, 2006 Arik Air has carried more than 3.5 million guests on board 51,000 scheduled flights. The past week has been our most successful ever, when we carried more than 44,000 guests. The airline now operates 124 flights daily from two hubs, Lagos and Abuja, and serves 21 Nigerian airports. Arik Air is the success story of Nigerian aviation.”

Commenting on reasons for Arik Air’s success during the past three years, Mr Holt explained that a number of different, yet equally important factors contributed. He explained: “A key reason is the airline’s extensive network of services and high level of frequency on routes within the ‘golden triangle’ - Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. Within Nigeria, Arik Air serves 19 other airports from Lagos and Abuja. The airline serves five regional destinations - Accra (Ghana), Banjul (Gambia), Cotonou (Benin), Dakar (Senegal) and Freetown (Sierra Leone). Internationally, Arik Air serves London Heathrow and Johannesburg daily from Lagos. Our guests, especially those who travel frequently, value the access we provide within the home market, regionally and two of the most important international markets for Nigerians, the UK and South Africa.”

Another key factor that features highly among Arik Air guests’ reasons for choosing the airline is its focus on maintaining safe, secure and reliable operation. According to the Managing Director, this is a critical area for the continued success of the airline and one where there can be no complacency. Mr Holt continued: “To help achieve and maintain this position, Arik Air has partnered with some of the world’s most experienced and technically competent aircraft maintenance providers including Lufthansa Technik for our Boeing 737 fleet and Lufthansa Cityline for our Bombardier CRJ fleet. To reinforce further our operational strength and reliability, the airline has invested heavily in its operations infrastructure. The Operations Control Centre (OCC) at the Arik Air Aviation Centre in Lagos, where a team of highly trained professionals tracks the movement of our fleet round the clock, is the most technologically advanced in Africa. Resulting from our constant focus in each of these key areas, by standard industry benchmarks the airline has achieved an operations reliability factor of more than 98%, of which we are extremely proud.”

From the time the airline was being planned in 2006, Arik Air was committed to offering its Nigerian guests a world-class travel experience, exceeding the quality of service offered by many airlines in the developed economies. During the past three years, Arik Air’s management and staff have worked diligently to adhere to that early customer-centric business philosophy. The airline continues to place considerable emphasis on this aspect of its operation, an investment that helps the airline win many loyal guests. “When they fly with us, our guests enjoy World Class on-board service, especially on our new Airbus A340-500 fleet that offers lie-flat beds in Premier Class, the most spacious seat in Economy Class and an exceptional choice of personal TV and entertainment options,” Mr Holt said.

The airline’s Managing Director emphasized that Arik Air is first and foremost a Nigerian airline and that in achieving past and future success, the contribution of the airline’s Nigerian workforce cannot be overlooked. Mr Holt explained: “Not only is Arik Air the largest airline in Nigeria it is also a Nigerian airline and therefore employing and investing in a Nigerian workforce have remained two of our highest corporate priorities. The airline currently employs a workforce of more than 1,500 Nigerians, including 70 Captains and First Officers and 220 Cabin Crew. As the airline expands, these levels are set to rise further. In 2006, the year of the airline’s launch, Arik Air instituted a scholarship program aimed at training Nigerian graduates to become pilots, resulting in an initial N16 million investment by the airline. To date, 15 Nigerian cadets have progressed through the program. Similarly, 40 new Nigerian Cabin Crew are also going through the multiple phases of their training programs in readiness for the next phases of the airline’s expansion. Throughout the past three years, investment in our Nigerian workforce has been an integral part of Arik Air’s business ethos. That is set to continue.”

Holt said that the milestones of the airline’s past three years speak volumes about the investment, experience and skill that have driven the airline to the position it occupies today - Nigeria’s most important commercial airline, West Africa’s largest and one of Africa’s fastest growing. Mr Holt continued: “Focusing on the future, the airline has a strong and aggressive network expansion strategy and to support that plan, the airline has placed orders for more than 20 new aircraft including five new Boeing 777-300ERs and 15 Boeing 737-800s. The airline is also set to continue developing its regional and international networks. Later this year, Arik Air will launch the first non-stop flight in a decade between Lagos and New York, re-connecting Nigeria’s commercial hub with one of the world’s foremost centres for international business. This will be a historic day for Nigerian Aviation brought about by Arik Air, a Nigerian airline. Building on the success of the past three years, Arik Air’s new service to New York will set the tone for the scale of its ambitions for the next two years.”

To allow guests throughout Nigeria to share in the airline’s third anniversary celebration, today(only), all Arik Air guests would have the option to celebrate with a special one-day fare promotion. Arik Air will discount its normal one-way ticket prices by N3,000 for flights within Nigeria. This special third anniversary offer will be valid for travel on the airline’s domestic flights and tickets must be booked and paid for by today. Commenting on the offer, Mr Holt explained that the airline’s third anniversary is a momentous occasion, an important milestone in its development and one in which the airline’s guests in Nigeria deserved to share. He continued: “Three years ago, Arik Air set out to become a Nigerian airline that Nigerians would be proud to fly. Now, as Arik Air approaches its third anniversary, not only does the airline connect Nigeria with five West African countries and serve London Heathrow and Johannesburg daily from Lagos, it also connects 21 destinations within Nigeria - a domestic network that no other airline can match. It is therefore appropriate that all guests in Nigerian should have the option to avail of this special one-day offer for travel across the nation.”

Holt reminded guests that the offer will only be available today and that tickets must be paid for by the deadline, either via the airline’s website www.arikair.com or through the airline’s offices across the country. The tickets he said were non-refundable.

Arik Air is Nigeria’s leading commercial airline. It operates a fleet of 29 state-of-the-art regional, medium haul and long haul aircraft. The airline currently serves 21 airports across Nigeria as well as Accra (Ghana), Banjul (Gambia), Cotonou (Benin), Dakar (Senegal), Freetown (Sierra Leone), Niamey (Niger), London Heathrow (UK) and Johannesburg (South Africa). The airline will soon commence non-stop flights between Lagos and New York (JFK) and between Abuja and London (Heathrow). The airline currently operates 124 daily flights from its hubs in Lagos and Abuja. It employs a workforce of over 1,800.

*Airlines Will No Longer Fly Blind In Nigeria
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By Lateef Lawal
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The era of airlines flying blind within Nigeria’s airspace is gone forever, the Chairman of Board of Directors of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency(NAMA), Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje has assured. He gave the assurance while appraising the extent of the work done on the installation of the final phase of the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria(TRACON) project. According to Baraje, the November, 2009 deadline given to the contractor-Thales of France for the completion of the project would be met without any delay.

He explained, the Lagos and Abuja phases of the TRACON have been deployed into operations over three months ago; Kano and Port Harcourt phases, 95 percent completed with their mast and antenna already installed and tested while all terrestrial equipment needed for connection to other airports are in the country in their respective sites ready for installation soon. Baraje listed the sub-sites as –Ilorin, Maiduguri, Numa in Yola, Talata Mafara which when finally deployed would assist in no small measure in making air navigation with all the major airports of Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt seamless.

Baraje said it would now be easy for NAMA to track foreign airlines in Nigeria’s airspace for the purpose of data collating and up-to-date billing for en-route and overflying charges aside from tracking foreign airlines that would want to enter or overfly the country’s airspace illegally, adding that, “The era of airlines flying free through our airspace is gone".

*Olabode George: Victim, scapegoat or example?

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By Frank Ediagbonya
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As millions of Nigerians worldwide celebrate the conviction of Olabode George and his partners in crime, Yaradua’s performance rating has continued to surge, Freida Waziri is now the iron-lady of anti-corruption battle in Nigeria.

Social and political scientists, criminologists and anti-corruption campaigners are beaming their searchlight on the circumstances that led to the conviction of Olabode George if it is worth celebrating at all as thousands of politicians and civil servants with the allegations of corruption hanging on their necks like coral beads are yet to be locked up for good.

Quantitative and unverified evidences shows that corruption is costing Nigerian government an estimated sum of $65 billion annually. An historical and cultural research into indigenous kingdoms, empires, clans and nations which formed what is now known as Nigeria dating as far back as pre-slave trade era, revealed that corruption was a taboo punishable by ostracism, banishment, imprisonment, public booing or death sentences depending on the magnitude if it is equivalent to 86 billion Naira that was stolen by Bode George and his friends.

Bemused Nigerians are now wondering how corruption became an acceptable norms, an institution, a culture and a collective identity in Nigeria.

Experts are now considering the antecedents as to whether Olabode George and his cohorts were victims of cheap political ratings by Yaradua’s Administration which came under heavy criticisms for his lackadaisic attitude towards corrupt politicians and electoral reforms or;

If Olabode George was used as a scapegoat for 86 billion Naira fraud which could involved many others who were not convicted along with him. There are complaints that the sentences given to Bode George is too light for the kind of money they stole from the Nigerian people and meanwhile, there are concerns from anti-corruption campaigners who felt that many like Bode George are busy gallivanting the streets of Nigeria, Europe and Americas spending their loot as they wish.

Anti-corruption campaigners arguably think that Yaradua has bow to pressure and has decided to deal with corrupt public officers as he has given his unflinching support to the anti-corruption agency to persecute all public officers past or present suspected of corruption. Therefore, there are indications that Bode Gorge has been used to set an example to all that anti-corruption war is still alive and kicking and that; it knows no status, creed, tribe, religion or boundaries.

The celebration of Bode George conviction is still too early, anything can happen in the appellate court, Nigeria has only scored 0.5% in the war against corruption. The judgment of Olabode George is just a tip of the iceberg, it may not change Nigerians’ attitude towards corruption. Corruption is an epidemic that has ravaged Nigerian political, economic and cultural system.

Corruption has spiral out of control just like violent crime and kidnapping in Nigeria. As Nigerians commend Yaradua on his peaceful initiative and his commitment to support the independence of the EFCC as well as his brave condemnation of corruption, he has earn himself a medal for demilitarizing the Niger Delta militants, a promise to deliver 6,000 megawatts of electricity in earnest, the U-turn of his coldness toward corrupt public officers, we hope this drive continues without any obstacle as he still need to do more to set Nigeria free from corruption. Nigerians want to see more corrupt politicians and public officers in jail. It is time for Nigerians to return to our old value system where corruption and bad leaders are booed and treated with ignominy by members of the public.

*6 Employees of Nigerian Aviation Services In Police Net Over N31m Theft
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By Lateef Lawal
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Six employees of the Aviation Services EPZE-Nigeria have been arrested in connection with N31 million said to have been stolen from the thrift and co-operatives account of their co-workers. This was disclosed early yesterday by the Commandant of the Airport Command of the Nigeria Police, Commissioner of Police(CP), Umar Abubakar Manko during a press briefing on the activities of his Command in combating fraud and other criminal activities.

He gave the names of the suspects as- Bashir Sule, Odigili Anthony, Michael Lawrence Idowu, Lawrence Essien, Samuel Shojomuku, Gbenga Oguntade, T. Sumwemimo and Charles Nwabuike. The suspects, he disclosed have made very useful statement as regards the alleged crime, while further investigation continues, adding that as soon as investigations were concluded they would be arraigned in court.

In another development, the Commissioner further disclosed that his men were able to also arrest two suspects in connection with fake US$8,500.00.

On October 17, 2009 CP Manko said men of the Command intercepted a pick-up van with registration number XR738SMK belonging to Dana Airline conveying stolen fourteen jerry cans of aviation fuel. Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft. The suspects whose names were given as Peter John, Wale Adebanjo and Samson Udo have been charged to court.

*Nigerian University System: Which Way Forward

By Oyeols Akin

The educational sector, and our university system in particular, has been brutalized for a few decades now. The most popular phrase emanating out of our education system recently has been “…ASUU has decided to embark on strike action to press home its demand for…” rather than news of any scientific or research break through! University education in Nigeria is really at its lowest ebb!!

But is there no solution? Are we forever constrained to having a dysfunctional education system? I believe the answers are out there. The solution requires active participation from all the stakeholders, from the government, to ASUU, parents and students, the NUC and perhaps donor agencies and NGO’s.

First of all, the government must begin to see education for its true importance to national development. Education is arguably the most important and strategic tool a country can equip its people with. Education is the knowledge of putting one’s potentials to maximum use. One can safely say that a human being is not in the proper sense till he is educated. This importance of education is basically for two reasons. The first is that the training of a human mind is not complete without education. Education makes man a right thinker. It tells man how to think and how to make decisions.
The second reason for the importance of education is that only through the attainment of education is man enabled to receive information from the external world; to acquaint him with past history and receive all necessary information regarding the present. Without education, man is as though in a closed room and with education he finds himself in a room with all its windows open towards the outside world.
From the Senator at the National Assembly to the tyre mender on the streets, a good quality education is key. A good education has the capacity to lift a people out of poverty by equipping them with a means to making the best possible choices for their lives. A good education enables people to think imaginatively and creatively (which appears to be lacking in Nigeria, especially in public service), it enables them to act in more socially responsible ways, and make better decisions about their health.

The poor quality of our education is partly responsible for so many of the socio-economic issues which pervade our country today. With a better education, maybe so many of the garage boys and touts we have on the streets wouldn’t be there today. They would be able to better make smarter decisions as to what to do with their lives. A better educated police would be able to think and act more proactively to prevent crime, a well educated school leaver would be able to identify career options available to him, without necessarily focusing on a white collar job. A carpentry shop owned by an uneducated folk who did local apprenticeship and a woodwork shop, owned by a well-educated man, equipped with modern tools, can never be the same. Even a well-educated taxi driver is not the same as the typical uneducated taxi driver. While a well educated one would be able to add value to the tourism drive of a country by also acting as a tour guide (the way they do in Ghana, South Africa, Kenya and Egypt), an uneducated one wouldn’t even see the connection. Nigeria cannot develop anywhere near its potential without having the majority of its population WELL educated. If only the government could truly realise this and see the importance of an educated populace, perhaps it would be willing to put more resources, financial and other wise, to ensuring the sector emerges from its present comatose state.

Having said that, while our entire educational system needs to improve, from the primary right through secondary to the university, the focus of my article will be on the universities.

There is no doubt that due to the decades of neglect, the financial resources required to return our universities to some semblance of sanity will be massive. And while we certainly do not have a poor government, the financial position of the government is not particularly buoyant. Yes, corruption in Nigeria is massive, but even in the absence of large-scale corruption; I am not convinced that Nigeria can really afford to give its ballooning population a free and qualitative education right now. Lets face it; what ever is good and high quality costs money and education is no exception. Unfortunately, because of the failure of past governments, any government in Nigeria now has a vast amount of things to spend money on and not enough money to spend. Examples are roads and transport infrastructure, power generating stations and related infrastructure, infrastructure for the Niger Delta, refineries etc. Lets also face it, even in the midst of producing 2 million barrels of oil a day, Nigeria is still a relatively poor country. 2 million barrels sounds like a lot, but with 150 million people!! Trust me, its not. We tend to compare Nigeria with Saudi Arabia, Brunei, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Norway and some other oil producing countries. But the truth is that these countries produce a lot more oil than we do, with a fraction of our population. To put it in more perspective let me give the per capita income of these countries; Saudi Arabia $18,855, Brunei $37,053, Kuwait $45,920, Bahrain 27,248, UAE $55, 028, Norway $94,387 and Nigeria, with its 2 million barrels of oil per day - a paltry $1,401!! To put it in more perspective, South Africa that has no oil has a per capita income of $5,685!!! And these are countries that have largely sorted out their infrastructure problems and therefore do not need to spend so much on roads and electricity generation and the like. So is Nigeria really a RICH country? I don’t really think so! Therefore in as much as we would like to believe that Nigeria should be able to make education free, the way it might be in so many of these countries, I am not convinced that Nigeria can really afford it.

Where am I going with this? I believe that our universities should be structured such that the government takes care of all capital expenditure (capex), which would be budgeted for, while the universities take care of all operating expenditure (opex), including salaries, from their own internally generated revenue. This will likely mean that university tuition would go up, but with the importance of a quality education, would it not be worth it to pay higher for a higher quality education? Like I said earlier, rarely is a thing of value and quality cheap. We often make references to “abroad” where education is free, but I wonder where exactly. I just browsed on the web and found that the average tuition fee for British citizens is about £3,200 (about N860,000), while in America, it is about $9,000 (1,350,000) for Americans. And while tuition in a few countries in western and central Europe is free, in some cases fees for accommodation, living expenses and books still exceed Eur1,000 and in most cases anyway, the governments of most of these countries are currently reviewing them. Besides these are also some of the most heavily taxed countries in the world. I am not saying our tuition should be at these levels, but at least let the universities themselves make the call as to how much to charge based on my suggested financial autonomy and their perception of the kind of quality education they deliver. If a particular university wants to pay its lecturers N800,000 a month, it will have to ensure that its internal revenue is capable of handling it. In fact, it is my belief that financial and political autonomy in the universities, along with disparate salaries based on financial capacity of the universities to pay (ASUU will not want to hear this), will actually enhance the university system by providing competition. This competition will force our universities to develop a value proposition to attract student and lecturers alike and will force the universities to better manage their resources. A university could put forward its academic excellence in engineering or its excellent sports facilities to students as its unique selling point. Another could sell its linkages to the private sector after graduation as its unique selling point in a bid to attract students. Likewise another could sell its appreciable research grants as a reason to attract quality lecturers. There should be a reason to seek to attend one university over the other. For now, the only perceived difference in quality of our universities is that some are federal, while some are state owned. Just a few days ago, I read an article in the papers suggesting that our universities lack proper management. I believe this totally. Our Professors and vice-chancellors are at best administrators, not visionaries. Though they are specialists in their field, most lack the all round management expertise to effectively manage the resources in our universities! In fact, with the current structure of our universities, where everything comes from the government, they are not really encouraged to do so. Indeed, not every Professor can effectively function as a Vice Chancellor! However, with political and financial autonomy, the governing council of each university would be hard pressed to elect a vice-chancellor that would deliver a really well managed and focused university. The universities are not primarily money-making institutions, but I am of the opinion that there is plenty of room for cost savings on the one hand and improved revenue generation on the other, if the VC’s think a little bit more creatively.

Now, let it not appear as though I live in the clouds and have lost sense of all reality. No doubt, the generality of Nigerians are poor. For many, to afford the existing “cheap” tuition is a challenge, how much more to afford a tuition fee of 2 to 5 times that. I share that sentiment. However, I believe the university system is better served by support to the students themselves rather than to the university. Rather than make tuition unsustainably cheap, I would rather a situation where tuition is allowed to find its level, while the government, NGO’s and wealthy individuals support poor students who are unable to afford university education via bursaries, grants and scholarships. A quick check online indicates that tuition at Bowen University, a private university in Nigeria, is about N400,000.00, at Covenant University, it is about N480,000.00, while at Redeemers University, it is about N350,000.00. These are universities built from scratch. Therefore, if the structure earlier proposed was at play, where government universities cater for only their operating expenditure themselves, and considering that the physical structures are in most cases already in place, perhaps the tuition at our government universities might settle at anywhere between N100,000 and N150,000 for a session.

Do the students and parents themselves have any role to play in all of this? Yes, they do. I believe students and parents alike have lost all sense of how important a good education is and the reason why they go to university. On the one hand, society is to blame. We have all grown up to believe that if a child does not have a university (or higher education) that such a child has no future. So much so, that we do everything we can to ensure our children get into university and obtain a degree, without giving much thought as to the quality of that degree. Yet, I know a number of people in Nigeria today, who are active in businesses totally unrelated to the courses they studied in university. If we really value a good education, shouldn’t we be willing to pay for it, even if it means giving up a few things? The Nigerian people are a very wasteful one. Even in the midst of poverty, we always seem to be able to find money to buy one union cloth (aso egbe or aso ebi) or the other, or to bury a parent that died years ago, or to organise a party or wedding ceremony in a bid to outdo the party a friend threw a few months back. These are all nice things, especially if the financial capacity is available, but largely irrelevant when there are more important things to invest in, such as a quality education for our children. Even our students have lost all sense of why they are in university. Perhaps they have lost hope in the usefulness of the degree in the outside world. In most cases, our graduates are not able to gain employment once they leave the university with their degrees. But the truth is that the quality of our education is so poor that our graduates are not really equipped and ready to fit into the corporate world and the outside world. Their minds have not been developed. They can barely use the computer effectively, they can barely speak good English and are barely any better intellectually than when they entered. As the old saying goes “one should go through university and allow university to go through him”. Unfortunately most graduates go through university, but university does not go through them. Many of our girls have turned to prostitutes on campus in order obtain money to afford vain things; expensive phones, clothes, shoes and bags, while many of the boys are cult members or strive to drive cars on campus and wear clothes that even their working brothers are not wearing. All misplaced priorities!! I recall that back in the day, many of our parents had to carry firewood, fetch water or hawk in the morning before they went to school and after they returned. That was a time when we valued our education. Our parents were prepared to give an arm and a leg to get an education then. Funny enough, when Nigerians go abroad to study, they are usually willing to work in Burger King, Mc Donald’s, ASDA and the like to earn money to support their school fees, in search of a valuable education. However our local students are not willing to sacrifice a bit more for their education. I am convinced that if most relatively poor students were given the option of working at the university car wash to earn an income to support their education, 90% would refuse, probably too embarrassed to do “such a job”. I guess this is because they get the impression that the available education offers little value and they therefore see no need to sacrifice for it. However, hopefully if the quality of our education improves significantly (and ultimately becomes more expensive), our students will be willing to do more to support their tuition fees.

There is so much more that can be said about our higher educational framework. Although I have said a lot, I do acknowledge that my views are not meant to suggest that there is only one way forward for the development of our university system or that I have all the answers. I have however attempted to be as objective and dispassionate about the issue as possible, from all points of view. Therefore I will give a run down of what would be my main policy thrusts, were I saddled with the responsibility of re-structuring our university system

1. The universities should be given political and financial autonomy. Political autonomy is defined here as “giving the universities the power to elect its own vice chancellor and other principal officers”, while financial autonomy is defined to mean “ each university should be given the freedom to determine the salaries of its lecturers and other staff, based on their academic quality and what they bring to the table, subject to a minimum, as well as charge whatever tuition fees it deems appropriate and in general be responsible for financing its own operating expenditure”.
2. Government should continue to be responsible for capital expenditure in the universities as well as all research grants, as well as give operational grants from time to time to support the universities.
3. Government should put in place mechanisms whereby poor students are supported with scholarships, grants, bursaries and loans.
4. The universities themselves need to re-orientate their thinking. The current modus operandi of our university system, where everything falls from the government table, does not appear sustainable. Vice Chancellors should be visionaries, managers and leaders, not just administrators.
5. NUC should live up to its responsibility and effectively regulate the amount of student intakes based on available facilities as well as regulate the university system generally.
6. University education should be de-emphasised in favour of equally high quality technical and vocational education that empowers students to start their own business and do their own thing.

Hopefully, one day very soon, the government, ASUU and other stakeholders, will sit down together and discuss objectively and chart a sustainable future for our education system. My fear though is the lack of trust. ASUU, based on our experiences of the 60’s and 70’s, will likely not listen to any claims that the government cannot afford to give Nigerian’s an equivalent 60’s education in 2010. Government is also likely to be too big headed to agree that it has been largely incompetent in the managing of the human capital of this country and admit that it has to and can still afford to do much more than it is currently doing, though maybe not as much as we expect. All parties must be able to find some middle ground. However, if we cannot get this restructuring done, then it will be doom for this country over the next decade and beyond, as educational standards fall further and Nigeria does not possess the manpower required to effectively compete in an increasingly global economy.

*Village Square Series 09 – how it went

By Abiola Abiola

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“The event was declared open with prayer and the singing of the African Anthem( SADA Anthem ), God Bless Africa( www.africamasterweb.com/godblessaflyrics.html ) by gifted singer/songwriter, Tolupe Olumide.” -Nigeria Masterweb Daily News of 10/21/09.

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The “Village Square” series put together by Philos, the youth led division of Sons and Daughters of Africa (SADA) got a good start last Saturday, Oct 24. The event which aims to bring together a group of diverse leaders committed to instilling social change and development in Africa did just that – with three topics (Education, Health and Human Rights) discussed by the panels.

Kicking things off was the deputy Ethiopian ambassador, reminding and in some cases informing the audience the role Africa, as a continent has played in human civilization, the roles Africa needs to play as we move forward, and the importance of education. He certainly created a segue for the next speaker, Dr. Kofi Agyapong, President of SADA and lawyer. He contends that the only way forward is a “United States of Africa,” with one parliament, government and currency, reminiscent of Kwame Nkrumah.

The Health panel’s discussion was mind opening and informative, with Dr. Ikenna Okezie, of HealthTank Inc., shedding light on the top killer diseases on the African continent, most of which are curable and preventable, – and with people aged, 15 and below being the biggest casualties. During the discussion he said, “in Africa, when death comes, it comes early.” HealthTank is a health publishing and promotion company dedicated to improving individual health and wellness for people of all ages by offering more effective forms of learning.

Top Ten deadly diseases in Africa (according to WHO-World Health Organization)

Lower respiratory infections
HIV/AIDS
Malaria
Diarrhoea
Tuberculosis
Measles
Whooping cough, or pertussis
Tetanus
Meningitis
Syphilis

Hayden Craddolph, CEO of HaydenFilms, talked about the importance of the youth bringing peoples’ attention to all issues and taking action to solve them.Craddolph uses Film as the voice of the young people. HaydenFilms is anindependent film production and distribution company with a mission is to create and foster an online network of independent and student film producers

Also present at the event was the President of DNPT (Distinguished Nigerian Physicians of Tomorrow) An organization whose apt tag line, ‘Changing thebrain drain into brain gain,’ I think is self explanatory

The Education panel, which included Adenike Akinsemolu and Kristina Omiloli discussed topics such as”mental colonialism,” loss of idenity among young Africans in the western world, with input from the audience.

During the refreshment break, Tolumide, singer/songwriter serenaded the attendees, including yours truly with some of her music.

The organizers of this event can certainly be proud of themselves for this mind-opening and well organized event.

*Anambra State Association-USA (ASA-USA) ‘09 Convention, A Success

By Primus Ugo Odili
( National Secretary, ASA-USA )

Igbo Ndi Oma, Nigeria and the world;

ASA-USA concluded a very successful, eventful and action packed convention yesterday at GayLord Resort and Convention Centre, National Habour, Maryland, U.S.A. The Convention was very well attended and the host chapter, ASA Washington DC, under the leadership of Chief Mark Onwuka and Jonathan Okafor proved to the attendees that they wer equal to the task.

ASA-USA once again re-instated and re-established her non-partisanship status by accomodating every Gubernatorial Aspirant that attended the convention as well as their representatives. The highlight of this non-partisanship status culminated in the presentation of a Goodwill Message from Dr. Emmanuel Andy Uba by Hon. Tim Egboka. Hon Handel Okoli represented Prof Charles Soludo. Dr Chris Ngige, former Executive Governor of Anambra State was present in person and His Excellency Gov. Peter Obi was present too.

ASA-USA’s central message is the security of life and property in Anambra State as well as Free and Fair election. ASA-USA has put every machinery in place that will enable her resist any candidate who emerges as a product of rigging during the elections. The votes of our people must count. ASA-USA will resist with every possible strength, any external influence in determining who becomes the next Governor of Anambra State. Anambra people must make this choice and there is no two ways about it. The battle has begun and the people are already braced… to either make the choice or resist the selection.

Once again, the just concluded ASA-USA Convention was a big success, thanks to Jonathan Okafor and his group.

Chicago here we come 2010.
Primus Ugo Odili
National Secretary
Anambra State Association-USA (ASA-USA)
+1 (615) 400-7501

Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze, ASA-USA President

*Tags: Anambra State News, SE News, Nigerian News, United States News.

*FG Must Protect Nigerian Airlines Against Foreign Predators

By Lateef Lawal

Last week, members of the Airlines Operators of Nigeria(AON) cried out over the inclement environment they are currently facing as regards the high cost of operations, the favouritism granted foreign airlines to the detriment of Nigerian Registered Domestic Airlines, Stringent Regulations/High Recapitalization.

As earlier reported by this journal to the effect that at the end of their brainstorming session last friday, where not less than 12 domestic operators gathered under the aegis of AON, they resolved to officially intimate President Umar Yar’Adua on their plights with the aim of coming to their aid and stem the tide of airlines going bust with Afrijet and Bellview already out of operations, even if temporary. More airlines could join the fray.

However, it was heartwarming to read that the presidency has hearken to the distress call of the airline operators by calling them and other stakeholders for a meeting in the Federal Capital, Abuja October 22, 2009. The meeting I learnt was chaired by the National Economic Adviser to the President who is to communicate to the president, resolutions at the meeting and his own candid advice for vetting and final pronouncement as to what government intend to do to assist the airlines.

It is pertinent to point out that the Ministry of Aviation contributed in no small measures to the predicament by over-protecting foreign airlines and leaving their own to dangerous fangs of the predatory carriers from other lands. For example, what is the sense in granting multiple entry points to several foreign airlines, who together operate not less than 140 frequencies in and out of Nigeria every week and a joint 560 frequencies monthly while before VirginNigeria(now Nigerian Eagle Airlines) withdrew from the London route and now Bellview, the trio of VirginNigeria, Bellview and Arik Air hardly operate 15 weekly fights to London or up to 40 flights a month.

Apart from the market edge given the foreign carriers cum capital flights out of the country, the multiple entries granted these foreign airlines have taken the shine out of the government’s avowed policy of making Lagos or any of the four busiest airports in the country a Hub for air transport business in the country. For better clarity of the point at issue, let us check the multiple routes being flown by foreign airlines courtesy of the Nigeria’s Ministry of Aviation: Lufthansa flies Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja; Air France-Lagos, Abuja; British Airways-Abuja and Lagos; KLM Dutch Royal Airline-Lagos, Abuja; Emirates-Lagos, Abuja; Virgin Atlantic-Lagos, Port Harcourt; Egypt Air-Lagos, Kano; Afriqiya Airline of Libya-Lagos and lately suspended its Kano operations just to mention a few.

When the Aviation Ministry had allowed foreign carriers to dominate our skies carrying passengers that domestic airlines ought to lift and leaving them with little passenger volume that could make them break-even to sustain their operations, why wouldn’t they have problems? The first step the government should take is to immediately stop the multiple entry points granted these foreign airlines and ensure that no foreign airline has access to not more than one entry point into and out of the country.

By the time this step is taken there is no doubt that domestic airlines will surely record an appreciable increase in their passenger volume with an attendant positive effects on their revenue generation capability.Other issues as regards certain aspect of regulation and those bordering on double taxation on aircraft spares and rotables and other high charges should also be critically reviewed with a view to assist the Nigerian registered airlines.Its time we protect our own.This is the essence of good governance!

*Nigeria To Host Airport Council International Conference In 2010

By Lateef Lawal

Nigeria is to host the 20th General Conference of the Airport Council International(ACI), Africa Region, September 19, 2010 at the Federal Capital, Abuja. This was announced yesterday by the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN), Mr Richard Aisuebeogun at the Presidential Lounge Press Center, Murlala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. He said President Umar Yar’Adua is expected to declare the event open.

The FAAN boss who was with the Secretary General of ACI, Africa Region, Mr Ali Tounsi, said about 500 delegates are expected from member countries across Africa. The theme of the conference, according to Aisuebeogun is: “The Challenge of Safety, Security and Technology in Emergent Trend In Africa” with specialists on the field already on stand-by for the conference.

He said Tounsi was in the country to inspect the level of preparedness of Nigeria(FAAN) for the hosting of the continental conference, especially the state of the facilities to be used. Aisuebeogun listed the benefits that Nigeria will derive from hosting the conference which is coming on the heels of the 50th Independence Anniversary of the country as:

*Apart from putting Nigeria’s name on the list of host countries, it will position the country better as a leader in the West Africa sub-region and Africa as a whole.

*It will give a financial boost to the country’s economy while many business concern will want to identify with the conference project through sponsorship of the various hosting programmes.

*It will foster opportunity of strenthening non-aeronautical revenue stream for FAAN through relationships and prospects from the event,in addition to affording the Authority theopportunity of up-grading the facilities at the airports

*Traffic and Tourism will get the greatest boost as foreign delegates will want to explore the natural resources that abound in the country
*It will also create more awareness of the activities of ACI among policy makers, especially government officials and this will bring about positive changes and

*Afford aviation suppliers of goods and services the opportunity to exihibit and showcase their products and services to the benefits of the industry.

Posted by Lateef Lawal

*Nigeria: Amnesty, Youths & A New Beginning

By Ifeatu Agbu

At last, we are beginning to see glimpses of a blue sky over the Niger Delta region. The stormy clouds have lifted; the blinding lightening has ceased and the clattering thunder has died down. This clement condition is possible largely because of the unconditional amnesty that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua granted repentant militants.
It came as a big relief when the likes of Henry Okah, Ebikabowei Ben [alias Boyloaf], Ateke Tom, Government Ekpemupolo (a.k.a Tompolo) and other militants accepted the amnesty programme. This development is a remarkable breakthrough for the government as sceptics never gave the pacification strategy any chance of success.

Indeed, the success that the amnesty initiative has recorded so far marks a turning point in the effort of President Yar’Adua to translate one of his seven-point agenda into reality. This much was acknowledged by the Director General of the European Union, Mr. Stefano Manservisi, while disclosing that his organisation has set aside 90 million Euros to support the post-amnesty programme. He said: “This is indeed a very important turning point and we welcome it very much. We at the EC will urge the government of Nigeria to continue the effort of sustainable rehabilitation and reintegration of the former militants”. One cannot but agree.

The President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Mr. Ledum Mitee also captured the essence when he said that the amnesty “should be a process and not a one-off thing". The major task now is to change the mindset of the youths who have become accustomed to using violence to achieve their goals. They must be made to appreciate the virtues of dialogue in conflict resolution. In addition, they must also recognise that there is dignity in embracing decent means of livelihood.

This cannot be achieved by giving the repentant militants red carpet reception in Aso Rock. Flying them into Abuja with Presidential jets gives the impression that the government is glamorising militancy. Yes, the militants need to be appeased but it is wrong to cast them in the mould of regional role models. According to a former oil minister, Prof. Tam David-West, “the entire process was too ‘razzmatazzed’ and politicized to give the profound event a real soul”.

Again, we must not lose sight of the fact that amnesty is only a prelude to finding satisfactory solutions to the main cause of the crisis in the region, which is lack of development. It must, therefore, be followed with several programmes that would rapidly and significantly transform the oil-bearing communities. The needed massive development should go alongside a well organised re-orientation, training and re-training programmes for the youths. Their bursting energies and world view should be properly channelled towards productive ventures.

The steps taken so far towards addressing the anomalous situation in the oil-rich Niger Delta seem to focus only on repentant militants or those who claim to be the “kings of the creeks.” Unfortunately, this approach is defective and in fact counter-productive, as the army of unemployed youths in the region may be tempted to enlist into militant camps just to attract attention. Of course, they would aspire to be accorded presidential attention and royal treatment as is currently being given to the ex-militant leaders. To guard against another resurgence of militancy, there should be an all-inclusive re-orientation and empowerment of the youths irrespective of whether they were former militants or those who have always embraced the peace alternative.

Indeed, the re-orientation should not be limited to seminars and workshops in high-brow venues such as Abuja, Lagos, or other cities in the Niger Delta. To reach the youths at the grassroots, the training and re-training programmes should be taken to the schools, churches, town hall meetings and market squares in the villages and creeks. The recent post amnesty seminar organised by the Bayelsa State government in Kaduna, though well-intentioned, took place in a wrong location. Obviously, that event was not meant for the youths of the Niger Delta, who should constitute the target audience of such a gathering. It can best be described as an ill-advised political jamboree, mainly for political heavy-weights, especially those of northern extraction. It nevertheless provided a platform for the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole to take swipes at Niger Delta political leaders, whom he accused of conspiring to squander the resources entrusted to them.

What the Niger Delta youths need now are programmes that would reshape them and make them better human beings. They should not just be trained and left to grope in the dark alleys of the unemployment market. They should be mentored to fully imbibe the habits of managing their own businesses successfully. This is very important as the President of National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, Chief Lugard Airniuwu explains: “while training is just about knowledge, mentoring takes care of the total human being. It moulds and shapes the person’s beliefs and values. You use mentoring to lift the person to another level of confidence”.

The youths of the region should be made to see achievement-oriented and honest leaders of the region as their role models. Certainly not the militant leaders, some of who have used violent means to traumatise the nation. Yes, some of the ex-militant “generals” had good intentions when they started the struggle, which is to draw attention to the neglect of their region. Even then, they don’t have to spill the blood of fellow Niger Deltans to achieve their goal.
Credit must be given to the Non-Violence Training Programme for Youths initiated by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, in 2008. The scheme, which was introduced as part of the strategies adopted by a Think Tank on the Niger Delta, is aimed at reforming the youths who may have resorted to anti-social activities as a result of unemployment.

What has been gained through the non-violence training must be sustained to ensure that the youths do not relapse into another round of violent behaviour. This can be achieved by making sure that they are gainfully employed. There is no faulting the adage that the devil finds work for the idle hand.

The post-amnesty era requires a change of strategy to make sure that the gains of the struggle are sustainable so as to benefit the people in the creeks. Blowing up of pipelines inflicts more pains on the ordinary people, destroys the ecosystem and renders Niger Delta farmers and fishermen jobless as well as increase the level of diseases and other environmental hazards. It is not the kind of struggle the people bargained for. We want a struggle that will enhance the living standard of our people, a struggle that is intellectually-driven as exemplified by the late Ken Saro-Wiwa.
As has been generally acknowledged, the economic well-being of Nigeria rests squarely on the Niger Delta. President Yar’ Adua puts it succinctly: “If government must succeed in its bid to secure the country, it must first secure the Niger Delta region”. And that is exactly what he has striven to do through the amnesty.

He was right when he said at a stakeholder’s forum last year that “If the people can see that their leaders are honest, they will understand, but once they see that their leaders are in power to make money, then there will be a problem”. Now, where are these Niger Delta political leaders, who can confidently and honestly thump their chest and say “I am in government not to make money but to serve my people?”

Leaders of the Niger Delta should not only talk about selfless service but should be seen by all to truly render such. That way, the youths of the region will look up to them as leaders worthy of emulation instead of regarding ex-militant leaders as their role models in the light of the special treatment they are receiving from the President.

• Mr. Agbu writes from Port Harcourt
• ifeatuagbu@yahoo.com

*Nigerian Ministry, FAAN, B-Courtney & Arik Air Indicted By Report

By Lateef Lawal

The leadership of the labour unions in the aviation industry, National Union of Air Transport Employees(NUATE)and Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association of Nigeria(ATSSSAN) threatened to call out workers and shut down the airspace on September 23, 2009 to protest what they called the illegal and non-transparent handover of the Terminal of Lagos Airport to Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Ltd.
They were irked especially with nobody talking about the welfare of the FAAN staff that are likely to be affected in some of them are laid off in the event of the full execution of the concession by Bi-Courtney. The tension generated by the workers threats and several street protests led to the invitation to a round table conference of the union leaders by the presidency.

After listening to all the parties from the Ministry, FAAN, Bi-Courtney, Unions, Justice Ministry, published below are the abriged highlights of the reports and recommendations written by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Aviation. Though, it was learnt that the president rejected most of what were contained therein, we are however reproducing the document for record purposes and against the backdrop of the intervention of the House of Representative Committee on Aviation, on Monday 19,2009 where all parties were directed to maintain the status-quo and also withdraw all cases arising from the issues at hand from the courts to give room for amicable settlements. All parties are to report back to the House Committee on Aviation in two weeks time. ***(Editor’s Note)

INTERIM REPORT ON THE LABOUR CRISIS AT THE LAGOS AIRPORT
BY-CAPTAIN SHEHU USMAN IYAL(OON),SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT
TO THE PRESIDENT

Observation:

(a) Officials of both the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN) were extremely tardy and unprofessional in the handling of the handover of GAT to Bi-Courtney Aviation Services. their actions or inactions gave the workers the impression that government was being stampeded into relinquishing the GAT to Bi-Courtney.

(b)The workers are genuinely concerned about their future, especially their severance benefits having worked for FAAN for several years.Neither FAAN nor the Federal Ministry of Aviation offered them assurances that would have calmed their anxiety and frayed nerves.It was this breakdown in communication that led to the protests by the aviation workers.

©The management and staff of Arik Airline(which operate from GAT) were equally not well informed and manged by the concerned aviation authorities.They were simply given hours to pack.In all fairness, that was most unprofessional given the huge logistics that such movement would usually entail.The airline panicked and began making statements in the media that were unnecessary.These panicky measure measures by the Arik mangement exacerbated the tension.

(d)Dr Wale Babalakin,Chairman,Bi-Courtney Aviation Services also did not help matters.By his actions and utterances,he created the impression that there was a victor and a vanguished in the GAT handover.It should not be so.He ought to have shown maturity and sensibility by reaching out (without government’s involvement) to other stakeholders,even if it meant little concession here and there.

Recommendations:

(a)That the officials in FAAN and the Federal Ministry of Aviation that mishandled the GAT transfer would need to be cautioned against such future assignments.

(b)The continuing refusal by both Bi-Courtney and Arik Airline to fashion out a working relationship endangers national security, both firms should be given a definite ultimatum to sit down and agree on how they can work together at the Lagos Airport without endangering the national interest.I make this recommendation conscious of the fact that both firms are huge employers of labour and have both made colossal investments in the nation’s aviation sector.

©The Federal Ministry of Aviation and FAAN should speedily convince not just the aviation workers, but Nigerians as a whole that the handover of GAT to Bi-Courtney Aviation followed due process.In particular, all necessary documents to this effect should be given to the union leaders and possibly the press.

(d)The future of the protesting workers must be addressed by both FAAN and the Federal Ministry of Aviation and assurances given about the severance entitlements.Their apprehension actually stemmed from the shoddy manners disengaged members of staff of the defunct Nigeria Airways were treated.

Posted by Lateef Lawal

*Four Years Are Enough To Fix Nigeria’s Problems

By Kali Gwegwe

There is no gainsaying that the once promising Nigerian nation is lost deep inside the wilderness of underdevelopment and insecurity due to the effects of pandemic corruption and deep tribal scheming. The situation has become so bad that it would take only a very courageous leadership to get Nigeria out of the woods. Unfortunately, every administration since 1960 has come and acted in manners that suggest the nation would require up to a century to have her problems fixed.
It has now become a countrywide tradition for Nigerian leaders and their aides both at the state and national levels to either hide or deny their failures by casting stones at their predecessors. The Obasanjo administration is the guiltiest of them all. For eight years, administration officials shamelessly indulged in the habit of reminding Nigerians of the havoc done the nation by subsequent military dictators but failed to do anything practical to remedy the situation.

In fact, the Obasanjo administration left the country’s socio-economic framework much weaker than it was in May, 1999 when it took over from Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar. The Yar’Adua administration too started with singing the same old song: “It would take a lot of time to clear the mess created by the last administration.” For half a century, Nigerian leaders have fooled the masses. By all standards, leadership is not supposed to be a tea party like many have taken it to be. Leadership is strictly an instrument for development, unity, peace, and security. Society is usually exposed to varying degrees of threats whenever leadership fails.

It is often said that bad workmen quarrel with their tools. The same thing applies to leadership. Bad leaders are fond of blaming others for their failures. One prominent characteristic of bad leaders is the readiness to invest in the recruitment of orators and propaganda wizards to help deceive and pin down the patience of hapless citizens. The blame culture our leaders indulge in has rather helped to expose one very painful fact: Most public office holders do not understand the true meaning of leadership. Some therefore see leadership as opportunities to advance tribal or religious agendas. Others simply see leadership as platforms to amass wealth. Excepting our leaders begin now to appreciate what leadership truly is; Nigeria would continue to suffer underdevelopment, unemployment, poverty, crime, and insecurity.

It would be an understatement to declare that Nigeria has lacked purposeful leadership for the most part of her 49 years as an independent nation. Nigeria would therefore need a legion of leaders that are prepared invest huge amounts of honesty, faith, and patriotism. Without this, the nation would not experience growth and peace. There is no doubt that Nigeria has one time or the other been blessed with honest leaders. The problem has been that these honest leaders mostly surround themselves with dishonest people in the form of advisers, ministers, and confidants. It is natural for honest leaders that accept support from dishonest people to become dishonourable within a very short period of time. That is the problem Yar’Adua and Jonathan are facing.

The success stories of Nigerians in the Diaspora shows that there are enough honest Nigerians who can work with our leaders to fix the myriad of problems that have continued to bedevil this nation. Unfortunately, the nation’s faulty electoral system makes it quite impossible for most leaders to assemble a credible team to work with. This has forced our leaders to have hoards of mainly dishonest people around them. As it is with most democracies around the globe, some key government positions are usually reserved as compensation for influential kingmakers immediately after elections. Since the honest people among us would not go the length to do certain abominable things to rob the electorates of their ballots during elections, they are usually ignored when it comes to filling sensitive positions in government. It is sad to note that even the few honest ones that find their way into government are usually recommended by dishonest kingmakers. This is mostly responsible for the several cases of honest Nigerians who danced naked in the market square shortly after joining government.

For a country with a faulty electoral system, Nigerians do not need a prophet to confirm that the art of king-making here is dirty and stinks to the high heavens. There are no internal democracies. Not only are candidates forced on party members; elections are openly rigged by political kingmakers for a price: key to the treasury. This would best explain why despite all the noise about ICPC, EFCC, and CCB; corruption has continued to grow in the country. It is now fashionable for government to decide who is to be investigated, arranged in court, bailed, or even convicted. This has indeed rubbished the much dramatised rule of law and war against graft the Yar’Adua administration is pursuing. The earlier our leaders stop deceiving the citizens, the better for the future of this country. Nigeria does not need more than four years to get back on her feet.

With all amount of honesty; I would be quick to add that Nigeria would reach the sky in a span of four years if the amount of zeal deployed to tackle militancy in the Niger Delta region is directed at corrupt and super tribal zealots in government. No doubt, Nigerian officials are reputed to be among the best fiscal policy formulators and budget planners in the world. The irony however is that Nigeria is occupying the bottom rung of the ladder in terms of budget implementation. This is a clear case of poor leadership. Nigeria would have been among the first 20 most industrialised countries in the world if her leaders had implemented annual budgets to the tone of 85% at the state and national levels in the last ten years. Nigeria only requires stable power supply, efficient transportation system, access to long term credit facilities, transparency and accountability in government business to enable the private sector drive the nation’s economy up the ladder. All of these would not cost the nation a fortune. It only requires the right leadership. Perhaps, one should add here that our leaders do not lack the capacities to fix these issues. The snag is that our leaders have been swallowed by their own greed and other human weaknesses.

Just like in the case of the Niger Delta where those that were benefiting from the activities of militants never wanted peace in the region; there are several thousands of Nigerians who are benefiting from the nation’s poor leadership culture. Some of these persons believe they would lose substantial stake if there is steady electricity in Nigeria. Is it not a shame that despite the abundance of natural gas in the Niger Delta region, constant power supply has been a mirage in Nigeria? The petroleum sector is no better. As the sixth largest producer of crude, Nigeria still imports more 50% of petroleum products to service local markets. This status quo is maintained just to make sure some persons have the opportunity to make huge profits through the importation of petroleum products. For how long would our leaders continue to fool the citizenry? To make matters worse, government has been making much noise about the planned withdrawal of petroleum subsidy. For a nation suffering from poor leadership culture, there is no doubt that subsidy is the only benefit the masses are sure of. Ordinarily Nigerians will surely resist attempts by government to further impoverish them with the planned increase in the prices of petroleum products by 1st November, 2009.

Furthermore, there are many Nigerians that think an efficient transportation system in the country would impact negatively on their businesses. This is the reason why our federal roads are deliberately allowed to turn into ponds and death traps despite the existence of FERMA. It is also for the same reason that the rail system has gone comatose over the decades. More than that; a handful of Nigerians benefit substantially when government businesses are done in secrecy. It has therefore been difficult for the nation to reap the benefits of transparency and accountability. All of these persons enumerated above are members of the platoon of kingmakers. They work hand in glove with our leaders to destroy the country. Some how, the masses have always tended to undermine them because of the subtle manner they operate. They are mostly faceless but quite a formidable force. They are very wealthy and influential and too ready to contribute resources to install and manipulate political leaders to their advantage.

One ready question that has always hung on the lips of many Nigerian leaders is: “Is it morally right to bite the finger that fed me?” This is the problem with leadership in Nigeria. The foundation of many Nigerian leaders can be traced to the heart of dishonest kingmakers. It would be difficult for Nigeria to enjoy quality leadership as long as the masses are prevented from choosing their leaders. This is the strong reason why the electoral laws should be reformed to make votes count. Electoral fraud is indeed one very big brush that our leaders have used to paint Nigeria black in the eyes of the international community. Though, Nigeria is believed to be Giant of Africa, the international community see the true giant in Ghana and South Africa. This fact should help grow patriotism in our leaders.

Yar’Adua had once flaunted his patriotism when he openly confessed that the 2007 presidential election that brought him to office was flawed. He followed this confession with a firm promise to overhaul the nation’s faulty electoral laws. This honest disposition earned the former governor of Katsina State so much respect among the Nigerian masses and civil society organisations. But with the election season just a few months away, they are beginning to feel betrayed. Some have gone to the extent of cursing the day they accepted to forgive the ruling party of all her electoral sins before, during, and after the 2007 presidential election. Many Nigerians have begun to argue that the president’s blatant refusal to cede the power to appoint the Chairman of INEC is as good as not having any electoral reforms at all. The president’s unwavering resolve to keep the all-important right to appoint the electoral commission’s boss has left wide gaps for fertile suspicions among watchers of Nigerian politics.

Civil society organisations and opposition political have already cried fowl against the continuous delay of the long planned review of the nation’s constitution which was stalled owing to very trivial issues. Even the claim by the deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu that a whole of N500m was inadequate to enable the National Assembly review the nation’s constitution has been quickly interpreted to be part of a grand plan to scuttle the much anticipated electoral reform process ahead of the next general elections. Whichever way one wants to looks at the unfolding drama, the truth still stands out: Our leaders are suffering from severe agoraphobia.

It is pertinent to note at this point that Nigeria does not need just honest leaders. There is also an important need for honest followers as well. Honest followers would not ridicule leaders that are unable to own fleet of cars and mansions after leaving office. Many public office holders indulge in corruption because of undue pressure from family members, friends, and political associates. This should however not be an excuse for public office holders to steal government money while in office. They should rather put the interest of the nation first and grow the courage to resist extreme demands from whatever quarters.

This is the right time for Nigerian leaders to face the realism of fact. This is even more urgent because the patience of the Nigerian masses has run out. It was mainly for the fear of military intervention and possible disintegration that Nigerian masses ignored the charade that was the 2007 presidential elections. But unfortunately, Nigerians have been gravely hurt by the slow pace of development and high incidents of corruption in the polity. What is government expecting from the masses that are witnesses to the fact that most public office holders clearly live above their incomes while they wallow in abject poverty? Nigeria has become a time bomb. It would therefore be catastrophic if President Yar’Adua continues to take the patience of Nigerians for granted. For now, the endurance limit of Nigerians has become even shallower than the lower course of the River Niger.

Government’s propaganda can no longer navigate the heart of suffering Nigerian masses. To successfully dredge same, the president should ensure that the electoral system is reformed in line with popular opinion before the next general elections. This would enable the electorates to take charge of the driving seats and disengage all the unpatriotic kingmakers and apostles of corruption that have held this country back for nearly half a century.

Kali Gwegwe
2,Greenvilla-Customs Link Road,
Biogbolo-Epie,
Yenagoa,
Bayelsa State.
0806 407 4810

*1st Annual Village Square Series

By Masterweb News Desk

Philos World, a youth-led division of Sons And Daughters Of Africa( SADA ) will be holding its 1st Annual Village Square Series on Saturday, October 24, 2009, from 12 noon to 6.00 pm at the Ethiopian Embassy, 3506 International Drive, NW. Washington D.C., U.S.A. The event is free and is open to the general public. Registration and reservation of seats can be made at http://www.philosworld.org/villagesquare/register.html

The Village Square initiative aims at bringing together a group of leaders committed to implementing innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems while drawing strength from a diverse membership that represents a broad spectrum of ideological, cultural and geographical backgrounds. The event is scheduled to be declared open with prayer and the singing of the African Anthem( SADA Anthem ), God Bless Africa( www.africamasterweb.com/godblessaflyrics.html ) by gifted singer, Tolupe Olumide.

Two keynote speakers Dr. Samuel Assefa, Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary and Dr. Kofi Agyapong, President of SADA, are scheduled to deliver papers. Group discussions will include “Are men also victims of domestic violence & sexual abuse?", “How does poverty force Young women into sex slavery?", “Why are young people showing the most negative changes in health behavior?", and “Why are African youths losing their identity?’. Refreshments and dinner will be served.

Confirmed participants for the event include: Adenike Akinsemolu, Founder of PHILOS, Student; Dr. Ikenna Okezie, Founder of HealthTank Inc.; Ms. Shanique Jones, Member of PHILOS Journalist; Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, Member of MNIST & Bio-technologist; Ms. Maryam Atiku, Member of PHILOS, Student; Mr. Kouri Marshall, Chairman of YES; Ms. Yetunde Ibrahim, Secretary of DNPT; Dr. Paul Quinn, APSCUF Delegate & Theoretical Physicist; Mr. Hayden Craddolph, President Hayden Films; Mr. Ehijie Edoro, Member of PHILOS, Graduate Student and Mr. Okey Nwoke, Co-Founder, Making Noise. Event moderators are, Mr. Michael Henderson, Mr. Onabolu Victor and Mr. Olaoluwa Ibrahim.

Adenike Akinsemolu can be reached at (215)519-8406 or press@philoworld.org for more information about the event.

*Report by Nigeria / Africa Masterweb( aka Masterweb )
Nigeria Masterweb: www.nigeriamasterweb.com
Africa Masterweb: www.africamasterweb.com

*Re: Nigeria Must Not Sink

By Mike Morin

( A rejoinder to “Nigeria Must Not Sink” by Adewale T. Akande published on Nigeria Masterweb Daily News on October 18, 2009. )

I am not from Nigeria, never been to Nigeria but have friends from Nigeria.

I’m not a nationalist. Like Nyerere, from Tanzania, Mao, and Chavez, I am a communitarian. I believe in the sovereignty of the local village/neighborhood combined with inter-community and inter-regional unity and cooperation.

Rather than agonize why the area known as “Nigeria” is not being successful in a globalized economy (that is in decline), think about how the people of the region would benefit from a new economic order (of equality) based on the following conceptualization of financial/economic system reform:

To make a sustainable economy, an equitable environment, towards a permanent culture, we need to evolve away from an investor/lender class with their inflationary and unrealistic aggravated growth policies and programs and evolve to an equity sharing paradigm.

We need a financial/economic system that is motivated by the drive to meet peoples’ needs, both in the short and long term, quite different from the speculative, profit-taking system that is extant.

Locally based equity unions, with inter-community, inter-regional unity and cooperation focused on community betterment projects, programs and policies would be the ideal world economic/financial system.

A mission of peace, world unity and cooperation based on the fundamental principles of inclusion, equity, humanity, altruism, quality of life in lieu of the maximization of consumption and waste, environmental/public health and wellness, and sustainability would underlie a “plan and implement” modus operandi in lieu of the selfish, largely unprincipled speculative meanderings and parasitic equity trading of the so-called “free market”

Village/neighborhood sovereignty, economic democracy, and environmental equity would be inculcated in such a system. A more fair and just balance between competitive advantage and comparative advantage would be sought, and the community/environmental improvement for all, starting with those most in need, would be paramount.

Can I submit this as a proposal to the UN General Assembly?

In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
Eugene, OR, USA
www.peoplesequityunion.blogspot.com
wiserunion@earthlink.net
(541) 343-3808

Here is link to “Nigeria Must Not Sink” by Adewale T. Akande:-
http://nigeriamasterweb.com/blog/index.php/2009/10/18/nigeria_must_not_sink

*Failure Of Urban Planning in Nigeria

By Oyeols Akin

Nigeria is a country with a population of about 150 million people, and roughly 250 ethnic tribes, all with different languages and ways of doing things. This diversity often makes it rather difficult to get the people of our country to agree on any one thing. However, one thing I am convinced I can get all Nigerians to agree on is that the successive governments of Nigeria have failed its people.

The issues confronting us as a nation are already well documented, so I will not mention the long list again here. Asides from the knowledge of the multiplicity of issues, we are also largely aware where the blame lies. For example, for our bad roads, we can label the Minister of Road, Works and Transport (as nomenclature changes) to be incompetent. For our poor economy the Minister of Finance and the CBN Governor are the usual suspects. When we fume about the poor state of our Electricity supply, PHCN and the Minister of Power take the bashing and for the inadequacies of the Police, the Minister of the Interior can be labeled inept.

However, as I sat here, thinking about some of the things that annoy me the most about this country, it occurred to me that there is a parastatal (or is it a ministry) whose failures are hardly ever mentioned in this country. I refer to Urban and Town Planning!!

I am constantly baffled at how our cities tend to look like shanties. In fact, I recall that one of the United Nation bodies - the United Nations Settlements Programme, otherwise known as UN-HABITAT, recently declared Abuja as the only real city in Nigeria! If this is so, then in what are the millions of people who live in Lagos, Kano, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Aba, Onitsha etc living? I venture to call them “huge slums” for want of a better word.

What I see in our ‘cities’ is utter lack of planning. Entire neighborhoods spring up with no plan for utilities and drainage. There are no areas set aside for commercial and residential purposes. Markets are not properly situated; banks, eateries and shopping plazas are allowed to spring up without proper parking space. Once a road begins to take on pole position within a city, traders line both sides of the road with shops selling all manner of things usually ranging from electronics, clothing and provisions. The situation in our cities is rather like a case of a flock of sheep without a shepherd, all wandering about aimlessly and in different directions and doing as they please.

The Urban and Town Planning ministry in most States has become so irrelevant in our lives that most people do not even remember that they exist. In fact, in most states when any attempt to correct this anomaly in town planning is made, the arrowhead is usually one task force or the other. What then do the staffs of the town planning authority do? It seems all they do is create the mess by way of rubber-stamping building permits and looking the other way when all manner of incomprehensible buildings are put up.

For example, I cannot understand the culture we now have in construction whereby banks, eateries and other commercial properties design their parking lots in such a way that visitors departing the premises have to back out onto busy streets to leave!! I am not a town planning professional, but simple common sense tells me that such a design is absolutely not a professional one and to keep it simple, makes no sense at all!! I may not be able to put a percentage to it, but I am sure a lot of the traffic we have today is caused by security guards slowing traffic down on our highways for someone to reverse his vehicle out of one bank or eatery or the other unto the main road. This is the case on almost every major road in every city in this country. Unfortunately, this should never have been the case. A functioning town planning authority should never have approved such designs (that is even if such areas are even meant to be commercial areas).

I also find it incomprehensible how churches have taken over all public space. In residential and commercial areas, flats and warehouses, shopping plazas and even roadsides, the churches are taking over every available building and space. One would think that Men of God would be the last of hope for ensuring that things are done the proper way in this country, but this does not appear to be the case. While it is rare to find a Catholic, Anglican or Methodist church situated without sufficient landmass to allow for proper parking, unfortunately, most of our Pentecostal churches are improperly situated. A few are located in commercial and industrial areas, where human traffic is limited on Sunday mornings, but most erect huge church buildings smack in the middle of residential areas, where absolutely no thought is given for human and vehicular traffic, ultimately ending up in huge traffic jams and inconvenience to residents and road users. How on earth have all these building been approved? If the Town Planning authorities have approved all these buildings, then we have a serious problem. But even at that, shouldn’t a Pastor know better to do the right thing? What is right is right and what is wrong is wrong!!

In Victoria Island and Ikoyi, both in Lagos, what used to be well-designed residential areas have been lost, probably forever, as almost every building is turned into one commercial property or the other? No wonder then, that the traffic in V.I on a working day and even on some weekends is legendary. Of course the roads were never designed to take such an array of cars!! They were designed to handle the traffic load of regular everyday people returning to their homes, probably from the Federal Secretariat, which was in Ikoyi then. Buildings that were designed to occupy a single family of say 5 in the heart of V.I have been knocked down and remodeled to become office blocks, now occupying 30-50 people and to make matter worse, usually with no preemptive thought as to where all these staff would park their cars. The consequence is now that people spend hours driving to places that would ordinarily have taken minutes. The attendant man-hours lost and its value in monetary terms can best be imagined. Not to mention the unnecessary cost of fixing cars that spoil in traffic, as well as the artificial demand for petrol that it causes. The losses to the economy are massive!!

Another problem that many highly populated cities in Nigeria are grappling with is flooding. However, what I have observed in many cases is that low lying areas within most cities that have formed natural drainage basins are encroached upon and built up with no thought as to where the displaced water would flow to. As you might expect, water, not aware of our needs and doing its own thing, usually demands to find its own level. The consequence usually ends up being perennially flooded streets and communities. Port Harcourt is a case in point in this regard. What is however comical is that when the flooding now becomes unbearable, as more people build and constrict the flow of water, the landlords then form an association and begin to call on the government to come to their aid. However, cases like this should never have happened if the Urban and Town Planning Authorities had stepped in and restricted such areas as off limits to construction.

As I said earlier, Nigeria has many issues and people are regularly talking about them. However, I find that some of the problems which frustrates our existence as Nigerians on a day to day basis - traffic congestion, human congestion, failure of drainages, flooding in our “cities”, refuse lining our streets and gutters, non delineation of residential and commercial areas and its attendant difficulties - can all be said to be caused by the failure of our various Urban and Town Planning ministries, but somehow, they seem to have slipped under the radar of public discourse… no one seems to be talking about them!!

*Nigerian Airlines Are Dying Due To High Operational Costs, Says AON

By Lateef Lawal

Airlines Operators of Nigeria(AON)have resolved to formerly intimate President Umaru Yar’Adua with the problems confronting them with a view of securing a bail out. The resolution was arrived at during an emergency meeting held at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos at the weekend. Amongst their complaints were the current unbearable high operational costs arising from double taxation on aircraft spare parts(Customs Duties and Value Added Tax) and high cost of aviation fuel.

Confirming the highlights of the meeting to NigerianAviationNews, both the General Secretary of AON, Captain Mohammed Joji and the Deputy Secretary, Alhaji Mohammed Tukur claimed that it was the joint position of the association that government should give all domestic operators waiver from paying the Terminal Navigstional Charges being introduced by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency(NAMA). They agree that if the charges are allowed, it would add to their already worrisome burden and could lead to the grounding of more airlines.

The operators also took exception to the recently introduced New Regulation by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA), claiming that there were lots of anomalies that need to be corrected. They therefore resolved to sought for an audience with the Director General of NCAA with a view to resolving of the grey areas. Members of AON further complained of high operational charges by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN).

On the controversy surrounding the General Aviation Terminal concession, members unanimously resolved that government should not allow any airline to develop the terminal or any terminal in the country so as not to confer undue monopoly by a single airline above others.

In addition, they urged the government to speedily resolve the lingering concession crisis in the interest of the airlines and the traveling public, “as we will not tolerate the stiffing of our operations due an unnecessary crisis".

Present at the meeting were representatives of-Bristow Helicopters, Dana Airlines, Chanchangi, MidAir, Nigerian Eagle Airlines, Sosoliso, Overland, Skypower Express, Associated Airlines, IRS, Aero Contractors and Afrijet.

*Nigerian’s Speech At S. Africa Anti-Drug Campaign

By Comrade Ekwealor Chinedu Thomas

[ Comrade Ekwealor Chinedu Thomas is President of National Association of Nigerian Students in South Africa (NANSSA) - His speech was at a joint anti-drug campaign by the ANC Youth League and NANSSA. ]

COMRADE EKWEALOR CHINEDU THOMAS’ SPEECH:

In the name of all the martyrs, heroes and heroines of our never ending struggle to create a better society for all, I welcome you all to this august occasion. We are here for a partnership campaign against drug trading and consumption in South Africa. It is evident enough that, from the anal history of the African National Congress Youth League ANCYL and the National Association of Nigerian Students in South Africa NANSSA, that this partnership programme is first of its kind in our era. In the spirit of this reality therefore, we call on every body here present and those who are at home never to toy with this exceptional opportunity but to use what we would learn to make amends for good in our lives and that of neighbours by taking our destiny into our respective hands from today.

With deep sense of humility and respect, NANSSA congratulates the ANCYL of the Pietermaritzburg branch operating from the University of Kwazulu Natal for accepting to carry out this programme with us, without your collaboration we would not have been here today. However, today we concern ourselves with the issues of drug trade, consumption and its bi-product in South African society and environs. At present drug issues has no news worthiness primarily because everybody seems to have a balanced view on the topic. More also, it is no longer news worthy that people from abroad including Nigerians are drug peddlers in south Africa while South Africans are regrettably look upon as innocent drug consumers. Our message is that, the manufacturers are still unidentified and nameless. The above lack the due weight not only because the members of the fourth estate of the realm (the media) in this state have used the principle of interpretative journalism that lacks the essential investigative part of the discipline to bombard the ordinary people, but also both interpretative and investigative reports do not deal with the source of the problem and also in my understanding lack target audience. My question today is who should be the target audience in any attempt to do away with drug in a given society among the producers, peddlers and consumers? Is it the manufacturer, the buyer or the seller, I leave you with the question and suggest that you figure out the answer by yourself.

We are not here to point fingers. But we are saying that consumers, manufacturers and traders are actors at play and that all these parties involved must work together in order to secure a drug free environment. If all concerned are not willing to let go, the stranglehold of drug in the lives of the victims will never expire. The economic terms demand and supply besides capital are the life blood of any business transaction in any country of the world whether colonised or not. So the investigative journalism that places the beam light on the peddlers of commodities alone but failed woefully to thoroughly investigate and solicit the support of manufacturers and consumers in order to root out an outlandish commodity in a given system is not yet ready to bring about the needed change. Special assignment of 22nd January 2008 on SABC 3 and the ‘Dinner with Mr. President’ of 24th January on SABC 2 are subtle evidences that lend credence to our claim that no meaningful head-way can be made unless the drug manufacturers and especially consumers are ready to make genuine sacrifices and concessions needed to create an enabling environment that can render the middle man out of work by drying up the drug supply.

The general saying that he who keeps quiet in the eyes of tyranny and oppression, that he himself is a typical oppressor and a well-meaning tyrant is one of the points that informed our opinion as NANSSA to engage in this programme. Today, South African streets are inundated with spiral of violent murder, crime and the like because some natives have gone into a Catholic marriage with drug.

Drug peddling and consumption are considered issues of global concern, as such it is never unmatched in our setting but most unfortunate that the number of teenagers and youth who consume drug, see it, as a necessary ingredient for gallantry, and a means of pain relief. Courage as a virtue is a gift of God to human kind. To others who hide under the umbrella of pain relief, it is my joy to inform you that the only pain you have is being an addict and its cure is to give up drug intake.

I am particularly amazed at the rate teenagers and youth shamelessly sabotage and cripple state’s effort to record even a single successful campaign against drug abuse in the country. In spite of the inexhaustible material, financial and human resources the South African government invests in the drug campaign, teenagers and youth have constantly make caricature of the state by sporadically using the best and expensive water pipes in high schools. Your counterparts in most African countries do not have and never enjoyed the romance and privileges you derive from your state in their respective states, but they abide by the law. Decide today who and what you want to be, a person or a nuisance? The choice is yours!

I am not sure whether we have any drug candidate in this gathering, but it appears to me that if there is any, that he or she would have some doubts in his or her mind about our claims that drug kills; because we are troubling his or her comfort zone. However, it is with deep sense of unassuming nature, that, I want to further declare to you that he/she, who doubts the alternation of day and night, has the burden of proof to bear. The day is here, you are here, and the time for change is now. As a teenager or youth who is consuming drug you are only destroying your future and exposing your parents to the shock of an untimely death in the family. Learn to save your parent from the agony of loosing you without you giving anything back to reciprocate their love for you. You can start today by not taking drug tonight. It is in this light that you would know that any day without drug is a day well lived and any day well lived is a dream of happiness of every yesterday and a vision of hope of every tomorrow.

On the occasion of World No Tobacco and Substance Abuse Awareness Day on 11 August, 2007 in Limpopo, Minister of Health (Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang) decried drug abuse and these are her words, “the negative impact of drug abuse is eroding many of the gains we have made as a country”, this directly translates that South African government does not need drug peddling and consumption in South Africa, as such its availability is a violation of state’s law. But many teenagers and youth have either relegated that provision to the dustbin or deliberately given themselves to anarchy and lawlessness in their morbid craze for money and the exercise of freedom in the new South Africa. Drug consumers in the present day South Africa have not yet met with their 1994 democratic breakthrough in this state, simply because they are still slaves of drug.

The argument that if drug is not peddled that there would be no consumers is one of the tripod pillars upon which our concern as NANSSA is tightly built. Our knowledge that there is no supply without demand will never be defended in this gathering. However, taking into account that drug life is a tragic option and can never be a preferred alternative to any choice, National Association of Nigerian Students in South Africa, hereby categorically states: that presence of drug in any social environment is a social aberration. That drug involves decimation of human lives and a systematic extermination of human values. That our interest is central, to a peaceful environment and general wellbeing of all concern which must be motivated by genuine commitments found within the confines of the guiding rules and laws of the state. At this height, we call on all the right thinking minds, senior citizens and morally rich Nigerian residents in South Africa to advise the alleged insignificant number of Nigerians in the illegal economy of drug to take a deep breath and bring oddities to a great halt.

In a similar vein, it is our considered view that other countries should do exactly same. To the resident consumers, the syndrome of ‘I ‘ve got a right’ which reigns terror among youth and teenagers is today a pervasive culture, and the dignity of human person is through that route consigned to the winds. Use your will power and moral fibre to address your deep-seated problems, knowing that right goes with duties, civic obligations and responsibilities.

Beautiful and well intentioned as our programme might be, our efforts will amount to nothingness if you fail to live with the consciousness that you are one of the leaders of today and a public office holder of tomorrow. Know also that drug addicts are not qualified to manage either people or resources in our present day societies. They blatantly drop out of school in most cases and follow drug to their respective graves. Some, who refused death but had no academic qualification, constitute the proud members of Crime Republic. At this juncture, we appreciate the support of the department of education for the success of this gathering informed by learners’ physical presence.

Without dillydallying we observed with keen interest and viewed with pathetic sight that this gruesome development of drug ingestion in the lives and times of teenagers and youth sometimes start at schools. With a profound sense of sorrow we want to mention that faulty educational system that has intentionally or unintentionally replaced tea-break with drug-break can only produce faulty minds. Our understanding is that, persons who have a faulty upbringing are likely to grow up perverted adults. In this spirit therefore, educational system across the nine provinces especially in drug zones should be re-empowered through a programme of re-orientation with the view to permanently weigh down or methodically eliminate drug and its related, in schools.

NANSSA is of the opinion that some of the routes out of this arena of shame are: (i) that corporal punishment must be valued in primary and high schools (ii) that parents be allowed to discharge their parental duty to punish their children’s wrongdoing (iii) that moral instruction against drug consumption be integrated into learners curriculum which must be taught at every morning assembly and at dismissal (iv) that video clips of drug victims be shown to the learners from time to time, as counselling alone could never be relied upon to realise this human development project. It is pertinent to note here, that some parents and guardians may not be aware of drug dangerous trend in their children’s lives while others who may know about this unfortunate and clandestine life style erroneously assume that it is a consequence of peer pressure that will die a natural death. We are saying that your assumption in itself is false, untrue and indeed misleading. The longer you allow the natural death to come the more room you give to the hawk that wants to hijack your child’s life to mature. Let me painfully remind you that soon the hawk is grown, it will hijack the life of your child and take to the air with it.

So in order to avoid being buried by vultures, and avert cowardly sacrificing our lives on the altar of ignorance let us resolve today in this gathering to collectively re-kindle the spirit of self-help efforts in our communities, schools, churches and other institutions with the appreciation that drug consumption can make us socially handicapped, economically wrecked, psychologically maimed and patriotically drained. Say NO to drug and determine your pace.

Long live National Association of Nigerian Students in South Africa
Long live African National Congress Youth League Campaign

Aluta Continua! Victoria Acerta!!

Thank you all and God Bless!!!

Comrade Ekwealor Chinedu Thomas.
NANSSA National Secretariat, RSA
Bureau: NANSSA Presidency,
secretariat@nanssa.co.za
www.nanssa.co.za
Mobile: +27 (0)73 4099 690

*Nigeria Cautioned By Pilots, Engineers Over GAT Concession

By Lateef Lawal

The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers(NAAPE) has cautioned the Federal Government to tread softly on the current controversial concession of the General Aviation Terminal(GAT) to Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Ltd.

The issue had been a source of tension between owners of Bi-Courtney, the National Union of Air Transport Employees(NUATE), the Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association of Nigeria(ATSSSAN) and the Government.

The unions are alleging lack of transparency in the deal leading to the handover of GAT to Bi-Courtney while the welfare of workers of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN)who are likely to be affected in the concessionary exercise has not been addressed.

At a press briefing, Friday, 16 October, 2009, in Lagos, the Acting General Secretary of NAAPE, Comrade Umoh Ofonime Tom stressed the need for: “full due process in order to guarantee that the parties are not aggrieved at the end of the day should be paramount to government, workers and the concessionaire. This amicable settlement will provide a conducive working environment for workers and the traveling public, whose interest, we presumably believe, will be at the forefront".

The pilots and engineers body cautioned that a situation where ground and air safety are threatened would not augur well for the nation.
Comrade Ofonime Tom remarked: “Our members, Pilots and Engineers are already feeling very insecure when coming to work or flying in from other airports. They are not sure of what to meet at the airport on landing in view of the recent security beef up at the GAT. The visible presence of security operatives is a sure sign that all is not well".

He added that on several occasions, the association, he noted pleaded with government to imbibe transparency without which it would be difficult for any meaningful success in its policies, especially the privatisation project, adding that the use of brut force in a civilian regime was tantamount to dictatorship and would only derive temporary ’success’.

As a way out and to ensure transparency, NAAPE therefore suggested that government should sell the airports in the stock market first to enable all interested Nigerians buy into the company to be called NIGERIAN AIRPORTS PLC instead of selling the people’s wealth to institutional investors or individuals as the case is today. India and British Airports Plc are models of what transparency can do when they sold their airports and allied services, NAAPE further pointed out.

The NAAPE Acting Scribe said: “We want to state unequivocally that if the situation of heightened insecurity persists, we shall call all professional pilots and aircraft engineers irrespective of membership status to sympathetically support our sister unions in their quest to secure justice and to ensure ground and air safety for the nation’s airports".

Posted by Lateef Lawal at 9:43 am

*Nigeria must not sink

By Adewale T. Akande

On April 1st, 1953, Chief Anthony Enahoro, a back bencher in the Central House of Representatives as it was called then introduced a private member’s Bill demanding for self-government for Nigeria by 1956. His historic motion was developed and later realised on 1st of October, 1960 with collected efforts and cooperation of our early nationalists and founding fathers of Nigeria which include Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Dr.Nnamdi Azikwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr.M.I.Okpara, all of the late memories.

These are leaders with the values of patriotism, with uncompromising emphasis on integrity of character. These people meant well and seek for a country with milk and honey, a true federalism where democracy flourish, where fundamental human rights are respected, where there is free and qualitative education, good health services without need to travel abroad for medical treatment every months, undisrupted electricity supply, regular supply of drinking water and good road network linking all states of federations. But what we are now experiencing is exactly the opposite of all listed above. If there is a life after death: What do we think our past nationalists and founding fathers in heaven will be saying by now? Are we saying now, that, after 49 years of independence we cannot produce a leader that can lead us to a “good government and welfare of all persons in our country…”as firmly and solemnly resolved in our constitution? Where are those men and women to transform our resources into greatness? How are our leaders wanted to be remembered? Do these present leaders have REAL vision for Nigeria? They keep on talking about vision every year without serious goals, planning or implementing integrity and dedication. What are the outcomes of the National Political Reforms Conference inaugurated on February 21,2005 by President Obasanjo? No miracle will happen if these set of greed and selfish leaders are in realm of power. They should be VOTED out. They should remember the great words of Franklin D. Roosevelt that” Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative efforts”. Where are those past leaders that stole billions of Nigerians money?

Meanwhile, we should get it clear that, the difference between a poor country and the rich or developed nation is not the age of that country. If anybody compares our years of independence with that of other developed countries as an excuse for our under-development, it is either, that the person is suffering from dementia or does not meant well for Nigeria as a nation. Is the giant of Africa not sinking down? Greatness is not based on rhetoric but on achievements. Judging with the country’s God gift in natural and human resources; the largest crude oil producer in Africa, the second largest oil reserves in Africa and this reserves make us the tenth most petroleum-rich nation in the world, its strategic geographical location, with its inherently sizable market that could provide trade opportunities for all countries of the world. Nigeria could compete with ANY developed nations of the world if all these opportunities are well managed and utilised. To know that nature is not cruel to us, according to a recent publication of America Oil and Gas Journal (OGJ), Nigeria had an estimated 36.2 billion barrels of proven oil reserves as of January 2009. To be sincere with ourselves: Can we name five important things that the country has achieved since 49 years ago? What have we gain from the six successful military coups and four failed ones? Everybody embraces and tolerate bribery and corruption. Is it Unity, Peace and Stability to talk about? Is it good militarism or democratic governance? Is it the present state of our education or health sectors? Nigeria name is fading in the world of sports? To qualify for the first edition of soccer world-cup in an African soil is a problem. Nigerians now prefer to watch English premier soccer league than Nigerian soccer league matches. Many Nigeria professionals left the country to escape impoverishment and political repression. Who do you think will come and invest where there is no security to human lives? We cannot boast of good road or railway network in the country. We cannot conduct a free and fair election and declare the winner. We don’t even love each other in all our actions. With LOVE, all these problems wouldn’t have exist! Our developing rate is as slow as snail. Time waits for nobody. Time and resources wasting culture is not new in all sectors. A government worker can hardly spend four hours judiciously and productively from his or her eight hours daily working agreement. All these have both short and long time effects on the nation’s productivity. China clocks sixty recently. A country that was once rated among the poorest nations of the world few years ago has now become the heartbeat of the world. Tell me a place in the universe where there is no Chinese product? Malaysia came to Nigeria forty-nine years ago and took away palm-seedlings. Now, Malaysia is the largest exporter of palm oil in the world while we the ”good Samaritans” are still a net importer of palm oil. Are we not sinking?

We have just witnessed ten years of democracy rule (1999-2009) and we cannot conduct a free and fair election where true representatives will be emerged. Those emerged are not responsible to the electorates. Democracy cannot survive in absolutism. Democracy is not a static concept as practise by our representatives. Democracy is the best and most human form of power. It is for achievers to emerge as representatives and not those fake and greedy politicians. They can’t give what they don’t have. How many times have our representatives find time to meet their subjects at the local level. Rigging is still prominently an outstanding feature in our political life. Everybody wants power by all means. The standard of living of ordinary Nigerians has dropped to the lowest ebb. Over 70 percent of Nigerians are living below abject poverty line. Shameful as we are suffering in the midst of plenty. Ethnic and religious conflicts are mixed-up with politics. The issue of national revenue or allocation, national unity and stability leads us to the true solution to Nigeria problems, which is –True Federalism.

As Professor Wole Soyinka rightly said, “The man dies in all who keeps silent in the face of tyranny”. The foundation of any country is the education of its youth. Which foundation are we now laying if our education is in a mess? It is now time to demonstrate the capacity of our brains to rescue our nation from its doldrums and make her a great nation. Nigeria is blessed with well-educated and skilled professionals to drive the country forward. There is no country in the whole world where we don’t have Nigeria professionals. It is now time to act if we do not want a political and social catastrophe of our beloved nation. How long shall we remain in silence? Gani is gone! NANS kept mute for three months of Universities strike! How long shall we get rid of corruption, 419 syndrome, and armed robbery or kidnapping in our system? How can we keep the country from not splitting apart? How can we stop violation of human rights? The 1999 Constitution which was signed by General Abdusalam Abubakar stated that:” We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: Having firmly and solemnly resolved: TO LIVE in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation under God…. AND TO PROVIDE for a Constitution for the purpose of promoting the good government and welfare of all people in our country on the principles of freedom, equality and Justice, and for the purpose of consolidating the Unity of our people….”. These are all misinterpreted in the concepts of Nigeria polity. We need a true federalism where each arm of government does his own functions independently, where government is based on the principles of fairness, equity and justice. In a true federalism, the national wealth should be distributed more equitably without any grievances to threaten its unity. In federalism, the country’s liquid and solid mineral resources have to be jointly exploited by both the federal government and the state involved under mutual agreement and best criteria sharing formula. This gives a lasting solution to Niger-Delta issues.

A true federalism that will generate growth, healthy competition and development among all states or regions of the federation. It is high time that states should be granted independent powers and responsibilities to perform successfully. True federalism empowers states to make treaties, respond directly to the interest of their citizens. They should be able to pass, enforce and interpret laws within their own legislative, executive and judiciary jurisdictions as done in United States of America. The wastages in central government structures and cost of governance are too much to sustain the nation. Each states should fashion or work out its own wages and salaries scale or structure and pay what it could afford to its civil servant. We need federal and states police that will be well paid, better trained and well equipped. With this in place, the issue of daylight armed robbery; kidnapping and 419 fraud will be taken care. This new arrangement will help the police to achieve their long time Mission Statement of “The creation of a safer and more secured environment conducive for meaningful socio-economic development through crime prevention and control”. In this true federalism, the central government will still retain certain jurisdictions over states in respective of federal policy, federal tax, international relations, aviation, census, federal elections, immigration, defence, currency and national security. Reforms should be made on the following sections of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as soonest those areas discussed above, especially on the subject of elections to the offices in the state should exclusively of state jurisdiction, mine and minerals allocations, the independent of federal and state police, issues of trade and commerce, prisons should be concurrent respectively. A new Nigeria is POSSIBLE in our time. We must not become object of ridicule to the world. Nigeria must not sink.

Written by - Adewale T. Akande, Author and Road Traffic Safety Consultant; Alicante, Spain; Phone: 0034-600877296.

*Nigerian Bellview Airline Given The Boot Out Of IATA

By Lateef Lawal

The International Air Transport Association(IATA) has given a Nigeria carrier-Bellview Airline the boot from its Billing System Plan, otherwise known as the ‘Clearing House’ with immediate effect.
Following this development, the airline which last week voluntarily grounded its operations due to technical hic-cups would no longer have its tickets already sold to passengers or travel agents, honoured by all IATA financial members.

Before now, the airline which has been having problems lifting its passengers on the Lagos-London routes due to dearth of aircraft was also said to be indebted to the Association.

In the letter of suspension ,the copy of which was sent to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA) and dated October,14,2009 from the office of the Regional Country Manager (South West Africa), it stated:

“We would like to inform you that IATA has suspended BELLVIEW AIRLINES (B3 - 208) with immediate effect, as the Airline has ceased operations.
The suspension from the BSP is in accordance with the provisions in Resolution 850 Attachment F. BSP Travel Agents should:

• Stop immediately all ticketing and refund transactions through the GDSs and BSPlink;

• Continue to remit funds to the BSP;

IATA will be pursuing an agreement with the Airline management and/or the appointed Administrator to formalize the ticket refund process. IATA will keep you updated of any new developments as and when they are available.”

*Lagos, Nigeria: Agbero - This Craze Must Stop

By Lummy Samuel

Boarding a bus from one part of Lagos city to another, you are continually faced with touts popularly known as ‘Agbero’, who engage in extortion, thuggery and gangsterism. The Agberos, made up of Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) officials clad in green and white shabbily tailored uniform, extort what they call levy from commercial drivers and motorcyclists.

It is not the ways and manner the levies are extorted from commercial motorists and motor bikers that is appauling but the act of vandalization of vehicles when motorists in a bid to register their displeasure for these levy show reluctance or delay in parting with their hard earned money.

The most heart wrecking part of the whole issue is that this robbery
and abuse by these ‘Agbero’ boys go unchecked and unchallenged at surprisingly every bus-stop. Whichever route you may sample, be it Oshodi-their most potent hub, to Mile 2, Ketu to Ikorodu, Yaba to Mushin, Ikeja to Ojodu-Berger or name it, they are there. They are there at every bus-stop even at wee hours.

The Agberos even at times go over board to demand extra money after payment of their regular imposed levy. A driver may settle them in payment and another Agbero goes after the conductor for additional money. This is totally unaceptable, considering the fact that the roads
are constructed with tax-payers money amongst who are the harassed.

This situation is mind-boggling and requires prompt action by those in authority through legislation and law enforcement. The Agberos should in all fairness made to account for their collections
with details such as banking and use information. One would wonder if the funds are for the maintenance of the roads (even as Lagos State government has been up and doing credibly in this
regard) or are they illegally pocketed.

Permit me not to stand as a complainant, juror, judge and prosecutor all at a time. In all fairness, I strongly and vehemently suggest that His Excellency, Governor of Lagos State, Chief Babatunde Raji Fasola (SAN) revive the abandoned move to rid our roads of these nefarious activities, a campaign at the inception of his government. This would be a right move in the right direction. I also call on other stakeholders to take cursory look at this all important issue and speedily put a stop to the madness.

A passive stance would be interpreted as authorized permission to these
illegal activities. With utmost caution I submit that the state’s passive posture in any manner whatsoever to this heinous act will be a crime to the society and mockery to hardworking and serious minded commercial operators striving within the confines of the law to provide food for their families and to law abiding passengers alike whose rights are constantly and un-endlessly violated by these ‘Agbero’ boys. It is high time we stop these Agberos. It is NOW, not sometime in the future.

*Yar’Adua Orders Immediate Handover of GAT To Bi-Courtney

By Lateef Lawal

The president, Alhaji Umar Yar’Adua has reportedly rejected the recommendations of his special adviser on aviation on the controversial concessioning of the General Aviation Terminal of the Lagos Airport, Ikeja.

Sources close to to the federal capital, Abuja said the president instead ordered an immediate implementation of the agreement signed between the government and Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited.

To this end the Minister of Aviation, Babatunde Omotoba has been directed to ensure that all processes leading to the hand over should be completed without delay.

Following the presidential order the Minister it was learnt also directed the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN), Richard Aisuebeogun to immediately carry out the presidential directive without further delay.

As a result, a memo was sent to the Regional Manager of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja by the FAAN boss informing him that, ‘The honourable the Minister of Aviation approved the handover of the operations and management of the General Aviation Terminal to Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Ltd(BASL) on a concessionary basis’.

The letter dated October,8,2009 further noted, ‘Consequently, you are directed to hand over the said operations and management of the General Aviation Terminal to BASL with immediate effect, and to give all necessary support and cooperation to the management of BASL during the course of the handover.’

Following this development, FAAN management has directed all its staff at the various operational points of the GAT to immediately report back to their department heads for further directives except those of the Aviation Security Department who would continue in their duty posts.

*The Need For And Impossibility Of State Police

By Oyeols Akin

There have been several calls made over the years for the provision for State Police in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The most recent of these calls was made by a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly and reported in some national newspapers, and this has led to me writing this article.

The current operational framework puts the Police firmly within the control of the Federal Government via the Inspector General of Police who reports to the President of the country. The calls for state police have been given credence by the perceived ineffectiveness and incompetence of the police. This view is not far from the truth. The failures of the police force are well documented. Assassinations upon assassination have gone unsolved, crime and general lawlessness is on the rise, the police are ill equipped and unnecessary roadblocks litter our highways and so on and so forth. However, in spite of all of this, can state controlled police really be a viable alternative?

Based on the facts on the ground and with the use of logic, a State controlled police makes sense. A few proactive and forward-looking states are having their plans and vision truncated by the ineffectiveness and incompetence of the Nigerian Police. The plethora of State agencies and task forces devoted to traffic management, sanitation control, action against street trading and the like all owe their relevance to the failure of the police. No state has as yet been able to provide an agency to take crime head on because of course, such a body would be required to possess weaponry in order to defend itself from criminals, which the constitution does not allow. A police force under the control of the state government, properly managed, equipped and motivated would potentially be able to bring about more rapid development to the state in question. The Governor is meant to be the Chief Security Officer of every state. However, in a situation where he does not control the apparatus, how on earth can he really be held accountable for the actions and inactions of the police within the confines of his state? Take Lagos state for example. Governor Fasola has given an immense amount of the support to the Police Command in Lagos, by way of purchase of vehicles, communication gadgets, bulletproof vests and more. This has had some effect in reducing crime, as reports reaching me from friends and family who currently reside there say crime has actually reduced. The situation could however be better. A major obstacle to effective policing in Lagos and everywhere else has not necessarily been vehicles or bulletproof vests, but logistics. 100 new vehicles are all well and good, but how do you deploy them effectively? Various police numbers to call when in distress are all well and good, but do the police have a means of responding? Do they have service level agreements (SLA’s) in place to guarantee that they are at every residence within 10minutes of receiving a call? Have they practiced how to beat Lagos traffic and deploy within the agreed time frame? Are they effectively trained to deliver quality service to the people? In the absence of control, there is little the Governor can do to improve on the lack of logistical capacity of the police. The police are almost a government unto themselves. Perhaps if Fasola had his own police force, he would be able to structure it in such a way that would give a positive answer to all of these questions, which would set Lagos aside as a safe place to do invest and do business, night and day, and would undoubtedly serve to rapidly expand the economy of his state.

This is however just one side of the coin. Let me now flip over to the other side. Let me now postulate what might happen in some of the not so proactive and forward looking states (for the sake of avoiding any backlash, I will not mention any state here). A state police under the control of one of such backward looking states could proffer doom for the state and by extension the country. The 2011 election is not too far away. With the current stage of our political development, consider what might happen if some of our current Governors had the apparatus of state police firmly under their control? I put it to you that all hell would break loose. Such a police force would undoubtedly become agents of intimidation, harassment and assassinations. Without state police, unseating an incumbent Governor is almost impossible. They usually tend to unleash all manner of touts on the opposition. Imagine what would happen if they controlled a police force. Imagine the late Lamidi Adedibu having a police force under his control? I shudder at the thought!!!

No doubt, some arguments can be made for the establishment of a state police. However, while there may be some need for it, I believe we should consider it an impossibility at this stage of our political and socio-economic development.

www.wayforwardnaija.blogspot.com

*Nigerian Ideas

By Engr. Noble U. Nwosu

Nigerian ideas are those ideas which yen in our minds to love one another and foster unity, ideas which make us different and propel
us to strive against all odds. Ideas that motivate us to reach our goals and make us outstanding, separating us from wrong feelings. The ideas that generate the quality in us, the qualities we represent that manifest in our personalities and help us to standout.

These are the ideas we produce driven by our hard work, the ideas we practice and share which is capable of changing our dear country Nigeria, a country with blessed resources, resources large enough to accommodate all Nigerians both home and abroad. The ideas we can contribute through actions to liberate the poor masses from suffering, these are the ideas I am talking about. The ideas that do not include greed and cutting corners, selfishness and sectionalism but include new thought and actions to change the way our education system looks like, change the nature of our roads to avoid accidents and make abundant jobs available for all Nigerians.

The ideas that do not contain sentiments, rather solutions on how to solve the problems that affect us. These are the ideas we believe can change this country, ideas that can produce steady electricity to foster manufacturing and production, the ideas that will keep our institutions independent to help build a robust economy for the common good of all Nigerians. The ideas that would help us grow into becoming the giant of Africa that we claim, these are the ideas Nigeria bargained for. The ideas that will change the way government think, those ideas that would make government encourage bright Nigerians abroad and recognize the history of the makers of Nigeria.

The ideas that would make government let INEC stay independent to allow for genuine elections that would bring the right people into power. The ideas that will sanitize our lawmakers, judiciary and allow the rule of law as Julius Caesar explains that “rule of law makes it difficult for people to do wrong and makes it easier for people to do right”. The ideas that has brought us this far and putting a little more effort we can produce a more suitable Nigeria.

Ideas that appreciate the movie and music industries and writers,
and helping employ many Nigerians. Ideas that will make government initiate genuine public health care services to attend to health issues, take preventive measures on how to fight malaria by keeping our systems clean. America and Asia have mosquitoes, yet only Sub-Saharan African countries die of them. We need to act fast, retreat and think to produce a more welcoming Nigeria.

Nigeria as a sovereign nation, is capable of making its own decisions.
Nigeria has a lot of ideas; ideas that can reflect in our principles and disciplines. Ideas that can disinfect our security agencies and get them back to provide adequate security to match any crime. The ideas that can cut the chains of corruption and allow for honest views and actions. The ideas to teach one common national language in our schools. The ideas to increase human development through trainings and allow the citizens for their fair positions in the labour force.

Nigeria, these are our ideas, the ideas to rebuild our image and follow in the competition globally as technology is made a priority. Nigerians let us preach our ideas, ideas to restructure our government schools in order to reduce interest in private schools, ideas to encourage Nigerian products, circulate less foreign currency and ideas to increase the significance of our currency, ideas to set up adequate research and career development institutions and ideas to make the future pleasant for Nigerians. Ideas that will stick us together and grant us unity to achieve the change we need. Thank you Nigerians and God bless Nigeria.

Engr. N.U. Nwosu

*Making Roads Safer In Nigeria

By Adewale T. Akande

Precisely a year and few days, at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development( EBRD ) conference held in London (4th of July 2008) where the Nigerian chief marshal of the FRSC, Osita Chidoka made a remark in his opening speech that “There are an estimated 161 deaths
from accidents per 10,000 vehicles in Nigeria…” Up till this moment, the figure is still increasing despite all efforts by the corps and no thanks to human factors and the bad state of the roads especially due to negligence and lack of maintenance culture.

Most state and federal roads are death traps as they are short of safety infrastructures. According to FIA Foundation Organization, “every six seconds someone is killed or maimed on the world’s roads”. The majority of these deaths, about 70 percent occur in developing countries. The road traffic injury mortality rate in Africa is 28.3 per 100,000 people. Hundreds are crippled and injured everyday on Nigeria roads. The deaths toll keep on beating our imagination with increasing number of Nigerians being killed daily and subsequent trauma felt by their families. Road deaths and injuries are sudden, violent, traumatic experience events that require special attention by all and sundry.

One of the greatest threats to travelers in Nigeria is road safety. Recently, I made a phone call to former CEO of a notable publishing company in Ibadan( the publisher of my first book ) to inform and discuss with him about my new road traffic safety projects. Coincidentally, I hardly finished my discussion with him, when he told me of a ghastly motor accident that occurred on Lagos-Ibadan expressway less than an hour on his way back to Ibadan. He said many lives were lost due to non availability of emergency medical services or even traffic police officers that are supposed to be seen every minute on the highway roads. They don’t have any other job than to save lives on our roads.

This sad news reminds me of what happened in November, 2007 in one of my regular visits to Nigeria. Few hours on arrival, I decided to drive myself from Ikeja to Ibadan. Controlling the steering wheel on the expressway was a big fight, talk-less of numerous gapping pot-holes, black spots, debris on both sides of the road. I kept on wondering if government officials or representatives travel on this same road. After all they were voted to represent us and make us live and work in safety.

Barely forty minutes on the wheel I witnessed two ghastly road accidents within few kilometres of the one-hour drive of Lagos-Ibadan expressway. The most horrible part of the sad scenes was that I could not see neither a police officer nor an emergency ambulance or doctor/nurse attending to the victims groaning in pain for more than twenty minutes, but I counted eight police check points between Lagos and Ibadan on the fateful day. What are their purposes? All these police check points should be turned to SOS emergency centers staffed
with police officers, ambulances, doctors and nurses.

Every Nigerian has the right to live and work in safety. Every Nigerian has the right to walk, ride and drive on good and safe roads. This generation should not be wasted with road accidents. In less than twelve months, Nigeria will be celebrating its 50 years independence anniversary( Golden Anniversary as it will be called ). The federal government of Nigeria should come out now with a new National Safety Action Plan or Road Safety Improvement Action Plan for 10 years(
2010-2020 ). This should be based on comprehensive and strategic plan
of action which will involve federal road safety, police, federal and all state road, transport, health and education ministries, road engineers, policy makers, insurance companies, automobile companies, motor associations, psychologists, industrial representatives, consultants and researchers on road safety, driver trainers( driving schools ), media, community leaders, youth organizations and others who have stakes in road safety.

The goal of this Road Safety Improvement Action Plan Committee is to meet, discuss and develop blue-print recommendations for advancing
road safety for a decade( 2010-2020 ) or even for five years as deemed
most expedient. The aim of this laudable strategic highway safety plan should be concentrated on the “4Es” of safety which include; the contributions of Engineering, Education, Enforcement and Emergency Medical Services.

The committee will also be involved with road safety issues such as; road traffic education, nationwide emergency medical services( SOS ),
rehabilitation of accident victims, crash data, research, publicity, traffic laws enforcement, vehicle safety standard, driver training, testing and licensing. Others areas of concern for the committee include, the issue of human factors which account for road crashes such as age, speed, health status, state of mind and substance influence.

Road safety measures are great success in other countries like Malaysia with Road Safety of Malaysia( 2006-2010 ), National Road Safety Plan in Kenya(2005-2010) and in South Africa under different
road safety projects. United Kingdom recently launched a decade of action plan to make roads safe. Road safety is a shared responsibility and concern of everyone. Road traffic systems are the most complex issues people have to deal with everyday.

We should all join hands together to ensure effective implementation of my proposed road safety plan. Road users education, awareness, positive attitudes, defensive driving techniques should be developed to avert unnecessary accidents. We can save more lives, be safe and be responsible road users if we can contribute effectively to safe roads by respecting traffic rules and regulations, road signs, speed limits and do not drive or ride under the influence of alcohol or hard drugs.

Road Safety Improvement Action Plan is very important and laudable project to Nigeria at this stage of development. It needs an urgent action. The government should implement road safety measures as proposed and should see expenditure on road safety as an investment and not as a cost.

Written by

Adewale T. Akande
Author and Road Safety Consultant
Alicante, Spain.
Tel: 0034-600877296
Email: adewale_akande@hotmail.com

*Nigeria At 49: Leadership As An Epidemic

By Adewale T. Akande

Dwight D. Einsenhower (1890-1969), the President of the United States of America from 1953 to 1961 once defined leadsership as: ”The art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it”. This simply explains that a leader is someone you put in your trust to get things done successfuly. Good leaders are known for their competence, patriotism, dedication, commitment to excellence, confidence, enthusiasm and openess to change.

Nigerian military and politicians since independence have performed below expectations, considering the largely untapped natural and human resources, boundless possibilities and opportunities that abound in Nigeria. Infact, our leaders are nothing but what Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah recently tagged “accidental leaders”. They refuse to organize, unite and act to put their names in great history of transformation and development of this great nation. Our leaders fail to take advantage of the nation with one of the world’s largest markets. They fail to take advantage of our oil and gas to make life better for all Nigerians, instead we are faced with the ills of kidnapping, embezzlement of public funds, religion/ethnic conficts, bribery and corruption and election rigging.

What have we done with our oil reserves that made us the tenth oil producer in the world? Is it not a shame if we cannot boast of regular power and water supply at forty-nine years of independence? Is it not a shame if our leaders cannot settle the ongoing federal universities workers’ strike of more than three months? Students are to suffer for this strike action in the long run.

Good leadership roles should be natural traits of those that aspire to lead. It is getting things done and not wasting time nor human lives. Leaders are supposed to be men and women for the people, leading by examples and serving all. Leaders are not only to delegate to subordinates, but also directly or indirectly assess performance of assigned duties. They are not to practise nepotism, but are to base
appiontments on merit.

The reverse is the case in Nigeria. A leader will come to power by coup or election rigging, he will prefer to appoint a yoruba graduate to head the ministry of agriculture and natural resources. This ministry boss in turn will appoint his relatives, some party members and friends even if they are not qualified to complete his team. Are we expecting miracles from them? No! A round peg in a square hole is nothing but a misfit. Many qualified Nigerians are victims of this misfit. It makes sense to recruit the best individual, an achiever who will do whatever it takes to make sure he succeeds.

We do not need a coward professor who shows face after sixteen years to tell us the winner and those who annuled the freest and fairest election of June, 1993 that was won by late Chief M.K.O.Abiola. This
Electoral Chair Prof would have announced the results( be it in Nigeria or abroad ) and made history for himself and Nigeria in laying good foundation for Nigeria`s democracy for the very first time that all Nigerians spoke with one voice.

I have been living in Spain for the last few years, and can accurately narrate the success of the country. Spain was under the military dictatorship rule of General Francisco Franco for almost forty years. During this time, most Spainsh people left the country to look for greener pasture in other countries. The death of the dictator on November 20, 1975 brought a turning point to the people of Spain. The country got her first democratic constitution in 1978( 21 years ago ) that ushered in a parliamentary government led by Mr. Adolfo Suarez. Since then, the country is a success story; the economy has grown, and politically she is one of the most stable in the world.

It is either you are a bad leader or a good leader. Good leaders are very clear about their missions, goals, priorities and preferences. The bad ones will always refuse to do anything after a lot of promises made in their political campaigns and voluminous party programmes.
Since independence, the only thing we got from majority of our leaders is destructive leadership styles, in which they violate the legitimate interest of the country. This is sabotage of the socio-economic transformation for the development of the country. We should now get it clear that the behaviour exhibited by a leader may or may not reflect in their personalities.

What do you think of a leader that traveled out to witness an inauguration of a university when he could not find solution to three months workers’ strike actions of his country’s federal Universities? Let our leaders know that the foundation of every state is the education of its youth.

Looking back from history, poor leadership in Nigeria appears to be an epidemic, a contagious disease that spreads rapidly and widly among the people. This epiidemic disease’s time is up and we have to get rid of it with the help of immunization and quarantine of modern democratic principles and conceptions. According to Joseph Folkmania, “poor leadership in good times can be hidden, but poor leadeship in bad times is a recipe for disaster”. We have to act now to save us from imminent disaster. What has happened to the national political reform conference deliberations and recommendations? Don’t we need true federalism? Don’t we need meaningful balance between federal jurisdiction and the development needs of the states?

Sometimes, I am very sad when reading and hearing from few Nigerians that so much believe that it is very difficult to have a new Nigeria with uninterrupted electricity, regular pipe-borne water and good roads. All these are POSSIBLE with good leadership; one that understands its follwers and their needs. The time of “godfatherism” in politics should be a thing of the past. We must have learnt our lessons by now. We have all what it takes to build a solid foundation for a great nation. Let us vote for an achiever, a statesman with exemplary character of trustworthiness with good vision to accomplish
to lofty heights.

I will be not doing justice to my piece if I forget the words of the great author, Chinua Achebe in his book titled: “The Trouble With Nigeria", where he emphasized that there is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian character, climate, land, water and air, but: ”The Nigeria problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility to the challenge of personal example which are the hallmarks of true leadership…. I am saying that Nigeria can change today if she discovers leaders who have the will, the ability and the vision”.

We need leaders that will provide the well-being of the led, and provide a social setting in which people feel relatively secure. In addition to this - we are not poor because we lack natural or human resources nor because nature is cruel to us. We are poor and in this mess because we lack ATTITUDE and good LEADERSHIP. God bless Nigeria.

Written by

Adewale T. Akande
Author and Road Safety Consultant
Alicante, Spain.
Tel: 0034-600877296
Email: adewale_akande@hotmail.com

*Crash Helmet Law: Winning Or Losing?

By Adewale T. Akande

It is now nine months plus( precisely January 1st ) when the Federal
Road Safety Commission came out with the crash helmet law for all motorcycle and moped riders in the country. The law requires all private and “okada” riders and their passengers to put on crash helmet while riding. This very important law has remained a taboo in some states in Nigeria. People give flimsy excuses for not wearing it and we heard few cases of some motorcycle riders wearing improvised helmets, like empty paint plastic keg or dried pumpkin shells. It is only an approved correctly-fitting-standard helmet that reduces head or neck injury and increases a rider’s chances of surviving a crash. There is something some Nigerians have refuse to understand - the law is meant for a purpose, which is the safety of motorcycle riders and all road users.

Wearing of crash helmet is now compulsory all over the world. It should not to be seen as a new development, but to be taken as road safety habit. It is now a serious traffic offence that attracts huge fine and sanctions in some European countries, for riding motorcycle or moped without an approved standard helmet. The helmet law is designed to keep cyclists safe since it can reduce the risk of brain injury by 85 percent. How much is this standard crash helmet in monetary cost to a motorcyclist against brain damage or permanent disability due to head or neck injury? “Things which matters most must never be at the mercy of things which matters least” so said Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a respect German, regarded as the country’s greatest man of letters.

Motorcyclist and moped riders should know that wearing of approved standard helmets has a lot of advantages apart from reducing head and neck injury from road accidents. Approved standard white or bright colour helmet is another solid tool for making riders visible to other road users. This compliments wearing of reflective clothes that will make a rider to be seen in traffic both day and night. Helmet also helps to reduce ambient wind noise which consequently brings about fatigue and distracts a rider from concentration. Correctly-fitting, well-designed helmet prevents dangers to the ears from indiscriminately loud horns, sirens and traffic noises. In addition, a helmet with visors and goggles also helps with protection from insects, dust and scorching sun.

Traffic police officers have great role to play in strengthening compliance of the helmet law. They should not relent in their effort for the enforcement of this important safety law with more campaigns in all tertiary institutions, as education is an important element to achieving this goal. Effort should be make to create more effective awareness through print and mass media, meeting with motorcycle associations as there is no town or state in the country where we do not have them. And lastly, traffic authorities should liase with community leaders in order to make the crash helmet law a reality.

Written by

Adewale T. Akande
Author and Road Safety Consultant
Alicante, Spain.
Tel: 0034-600877296
Email: adewale_akande@hotmail.com

*Open Letter To Governor Shekarau

By Bashir Abba Shariff

By way of retrospection, I wish to respectfully remind His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano State, about the extant High Court judgments, delivered in July 2002. The referred rulings annulled and voided my dismissal and that of Abdulmumini Yelwa from service and ordered for our unconditional reinstatement as well. It is on record that, not long after the judicial reprieve, the Ministry of Justice, in a letter SMOJ/66/176, dated 29th July, 2002, advised the Government and the Civil Service Commission to “simply comply with the judgment”.

Your Excellency Sir, going down the memory lane gives a clearer picture of my travails, including the pattern, content and forms of unwholesome interjections muted and tested, leading to the necessity for this open letter. Early in the life of the administration, on the advice of the Head of Service, I and Abdulmumini Yelwa, by a letter dated 6th July, 2003, jointly sought for compliance with the judgment. Responding, the Head of Service, in a letter HCS/ADM/S/161/1/197 dated 10th July, 2003, claimed that “in terms of the decision of Government, appropriate notices of appeal were duly filed respectively”, however, claiming that it “is the registrar of the court that has the statutory duty to compile and transmit the Records to the Court of Appeal”, admitting, in a way, that the appeal was, after all, not filed.

Faced with this fallacious claim, the Ministry of justice, in particular, was ridiculed and embarrassed; it is on record that, vide a letter MOJ/CS/063/2000 dated 26th July, 2002, it applied to the Registrar of the Court “for the record of proceeding” to enable it “appeal against the decision of the Honourable Court” on the case. And after being in possession of the records for over five (5) months, it is also on record that, the same Ministry, vide a letter MOJ/CS/063/2001 dated 10th December, 2002, applied to the Registrar of the Court “for the certification of the record of proceeding” in its possession, to enable it “transmit same to the Court of Appeal”.

However, for reasons not far to fetch, even after it collected the certified proceedings, to date, not an inch is walked on Kaduna road to reach the Appellate Court to file any appeal. Either way, if I may say, the Government, for whatever reason, was clearly misled, either by the Head of Service or the Commissioner for Justice, on the case.
With the failure of the phantom appeal to click, particularly when our former solicitor, Alhaji Aliyu Umar, the present Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, in a letter, dated 21st July, 2003, said “the action of the Government is unfair, unjust and inequitable” and challenged the Head of Service to show any evidence that the “appeal was filed”, he back pedaled, even if momentarily, to wax another maneuver. On 23rd July, 2003, the Ministry of Justice, through its letter MOJ/CS/039/02/P.21 invited our former Attorney to a meeting in the office of the Head of Service “in order to deliberate on the pending appeals”.

At the meeting, which the Head of Service personally chaired, the issue of the phantom appeal was, very surprisingly, never resurrected. Instead, our solicitor was unsettled that, being part of the Government (then penciled down as a Commissioner for Justice), he (Barrister Aliyu Umar) should cajole us to renounce the judgment and, in its place, accept “amnesty and any of four options” illegally muted against the court judgment. Caught off-guard, Barrister Aliyu Umar said he was not mandated by his clients to discuss anything but the claimed “pending appeals”. He then suggested to the Head of Service to discuss with us on one to two basis. Consequently, I and Abdulmumini Yelwa met him, at his instance the following day. When briefed about the obnoxious “amnesty and options”, we demanded to know the nature, content, where, when and how of the supposed offence/indictment to which we were, directly or by vicarious responsibility, linked and for which we were to be subjected to committing “options and “amnesty”.

Being a colleague, I particularly cautioned the Head of Service about the gross abuse of office, disregard for the Court Judgment, rule of law and breach of due process that his letters, separate meetings with our solicitor on one hand and us on the other, represent. It is my contention that the Head of Service should not have had anything to do with us, at least officially on this case, since we were, as at then, not reinstated by the appropriate authority otherwise he would appear venturing beyond boarders to usurp the power and authority that does not belong to him.

Your Excellency Sir, the response of the Head of Service to our legitimate caution and inquest, most absurdly, was, in his words, we “should remember that the Government can decide to sit on the case and keep us in limbo for God knows if we refuse the offer”. Devastated, of course not by what he said but by the implication of what he said on governance and Fundamental Rights, I said Allahu Akbar or words to that effect and categorically declined to renounce the Judgment and rejected the diabolical “amnesty and options”.

Meanwhile, with the legal advice from the Ministry of Justice and the fact that, two years after, the Government had failed/refused to take advantage of the 30 days allowed by the court on 11th October, 2002, to appeal the judgment, it was not difficult for a casual commitment to the rule of law to propel the Civil Service Commission to uphold justice. To this end and because, in its words, it “has no any other alternative than complying with the courts’ ruling”, the Commission duly intimated His Excellency of its resolve to comply with the judgments.

On the approval of the Government, conveyed in a letter with reference SSG/AGS/S/A/81/V/421 dated 5th March, 2004, the Commission notified the Head of Service and the Commissioner of Finance that “inline with the cardinal principles of equity, justice and fairness of the present administration, the Commission had accordingly stood by and complied with the courts’ order and therefore reinstated the two former officers in their employment and rank prior to their dismissal from service in 1999”. The letter, KSC/736/42 dated 11th March, 2004, added that “any action to be taken contrary to the courts’ ruling will be regarded as contempt of court”.

When I learnt about this development, I and my family, particularly the children, I admit, were soundly relieved and, in a manner of speaking, breathed the air of hope, for too long lurking, at the end of what appeared to be a dark tunnel of uncertainty.

However, less than 24 hours with the receipt of the reinstatement letter, the Head of Service, not willing to let go, interjected with a letter to the Commissioner of Justice dated Friday, 12th March, 2004, contesting and putting on scale, his scale though, the authority, power and propriety of the Civil Service Commission to comply with the judgment. It did not matter to the Chief Civil Servant that the Constitution, rule of law and the Civil Service Rules actually required or indeed compelled the Commission to comply the very way it did. But when, after a little while, may be by instinct, it appeared incontrovertible that the Civil Service Commission has all the constitutional, legal as well as moral authority to comply with the judgment and cannot, by any means, approbate and reprobate, a more deadly offensive, both latently and manifestly, was muted.

On the 15th March, 2004, His Excellency was anonymously petitioned against what was contemptuously called “purported reinstatement of some dismissed officers”. Highlights of the petition, of course contrived by a very familiar source, include (1) the malicious allegations that “the fact that the judgment was made in June 2002 and that the Commission failed to appropriately take up the issue with the previous government points to a deliberate attempt by the Commission to take advantage of your administration’s liberal disposition to reinstate them” (2) “the reinstatement is a deliberate political blackmail aimed at misleading your Government to lose its credibility and in the process, give a formidable weapon to opponents who will not hesitate to accuse you and your Government of double standard” as (3) “the Commission did not consider others for reinstatement because they do not have the money to buy their way” and (4) advised that “the Commission be call to order or be disbanded since it appears to be inclined to serving not the state interest. We should forget about all stories of Constitutional encumbrances since re-organization is allowed”.

In spite of its being anonymous, the imperfect and malicious petition was entertained by the Government and without ascertaining whether the subject was an establishment issue or not, the Civil Service Commission and the Head of Service, by a letter SSG/AGS/R/13/11/242 dated 18th March, 2002, were asked to comment on it. With all respect, I will not belabor His Excellency with details of the comments since, I believe, they were duly acknowledged. However, it suffices to say that while the Commission was ignored, the Head of Service had both his way and wish; the Government accepted his recommendation to set up “a consultative meeting, at the instance of the Cabinet Office, with the stakeholders, particularly, Special Adviser on Labour Matters, NLC, CSU, the Ministry of Justice, Civil Service Commission” and his office “in order to chart a way forward for the disposal of the case”, even when the Civil Service Rules, the Guidelines thereof as well as relevant Circulars could not have tolerated such a composition for any disciplinary proceedings against any civil servant.

The fact that the Ministry of Justice had eventually, in a letter MOJ/CS/039/02/72 dated 18th March, 2004, asserted that “the Court have not stayed their judgments” was, to the powers that be, also immaterial. Perhaps because it was programmed not to do anything, the “Stakeholders Committee” was neither given terms of reference nor specified period within which to submit a Report. Set up in April, it did not commence work until 10th June, 2004, under the chairmanship of the Secretary to the Government.

Moreover, while it lasted, the Committee neither reviewed any document, particularly the Court Judgment, nor invited anybody, including myself, the High Court official, the Civil Service Commission, whose reputations were maligned, or the anonymous “concerned civil servant”, by default wisdom, not considered “stakeholders” for either defense or clarification. It was therefore by providence that the Committee submitted a “Report” in July, 2005. Again, I need not to bother His Excellency with the details of the Committees’ proceedings, decisions and recommendations as that was appropriately, somehow reluctantly, done by the committee in July, 2005.

Acting on the Report, the Government approved (a) the reversal of the dismissals of four officers, two of them posthumously, who did not go to any court to contest their dismissal to retirement with full benefits (b) the full reinstatement of Abdulmumini Yelwa, in line with the court Judgment and © my compulsory retirement from service! Consequently, on 30th December, 2005, by a letter with reference HCS/ADM/SS/567/1/285, the Head of Service forwarded what he called my “retiring document” to the Kano State Staff Pension Board adding that “part of the attachments include documented records of amounts to be recovered from the retiring benefits amounting to N467, 824.30 as one of the resolutions approved by the Government which warranted the retirement”.

Although the unjustified disregard of the Judgment gives me a rude shock, rudder was the shock to realize that Abdulmumini Yelwa was fully reinstated, promoted to catch up with his colleaques and paid all salary and allowances arrears in line with the same Court Judgment. Interestingly, because the import of the letter and the purported retirement documents clashed with the provisions of the Civil Service Rules, which stipulates punishment for all offences/indictments and the Pension Law, that requires genuine, verified and authenticated documents, the Pension Board has not been able to effect the purported “compulsory retirement” up to now.

In view of the aforementioned, characterized by the preponderance of impunity, that are, by no means, casual outcome of a sincere need to observe due process, equity and the rule of law, I petitioned His Excellency on 28th June, 2006, with the hope that the strong shall be just in the use of strength and the just shall use strength to uphold justice. Taking action as deemed appropriate, therefore, on 3rd July, 2006, His Excellency forwarded the petition to the Directorate of Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption, with the instruction to investigate and submit a Report.

Developments that have taken place so far since the submission of my petition necessitate this open letter to His Excellency. To begin with, on August 22nd 2007, I was invited for a meeting/discussion on the petition by the Directorate of Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption. I must confess that, the discussion was most straight forward, sympathetic, encouraging, assuaging and assuring. And not long after, I learnt that the Directorate had submitted its Report to His Excellency, in which it says “the Head of Service did not respect the Court Judgment” and recommends that he “should reinstate the officer back” and “withdraw the letter of compulsory retirement”. Curiously, to date, the Government has not said anything, giving credence to the insinuation that the investigation was, in the first place, intended to lead no where ab initio.

Similar observation and intervention by the Honorable Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of the Federation, as contained in a letter PE.1/CRD/219/08/1/53 dated 12th May, 2008, that “the judgment obtained by Bashir Abba Shariff on 5th July, 2002, was not obeyed and the State Government lost in its attempt to stay execution of the judgment” adding “the present administration wants to see the rule of law entrenched and Mr. President has declared at several fora that Court Judgments must be obeyed by all, without regard to who is involved, so that Nigeria can truly be said to be a democracy” and urged that “the Government comply with the Court Judgment” has been consigned to abeyance.

In conclusion, my amazement is how the Government could have treated an anonymous, baseless, unlawful, malicious as well as libelous petition within few days of receipt, but remain silent on my 28th June, 2006, officially acknowledged, legitimate and lawful petition, decline action on the official Report submitted at the instance of the Executive Governor since September, 2007, by the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Agency and indeed the wise counsel of the Honourable Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of the Federation, also offered as far back as May 2008. Being a victim of injustice, I not only expect the Government to jettison the cemetery silence maintained all these years to treat my predicament with utmost dispatch but also to keep word on justice, equity and the rule of law.

Your Excellency Sir, open that this letter is, it has been copied to the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation, Speaker of the Honorable House of Assembly, the Civil Service Commission, the Head of Service, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice as well as the State Staff Pension Board for obvious reason.
Allah ya tayawa His Excellency,

Bashir Abba Shariff
N0 1 Sokoto Road, Kano.
Email: abba_bashir@yahoo.com

( Nigerian News - Kano State, Nigeria. )

*Competence Vs Incompetence

By Oyeols Akin

I was discussing with a friend a while ago and as so often happens we began to discuss our country Nigeria. He told me that after reviewing Nigeria’s issues and problems, he had come to the conclusion that the problem with Nigeria is not so much of corruption as it is incompetence. This came to me as a surprise, but after careful consideration of his argument, I had no choice but to agree that he certainly had a very valid point.

But what is incompetence? I put the word on a Microsoft word page and clicked for synonyms. Guess the other words that came up? Ineffectiveness, ineptitude, stupidity and uselessness all came up as synonyms. What strong words!! The popular Wikipedia defines administrative incompetence as “dysfunctional behaviour that hinder attainment of organisational goals”. Unfortunately, a look around the public sphere in Nigeria shows that our nation reeks of incompetence!!

Some of my worst experiences in this country usually stem from my interactions with the Nigerian police and staff of the Power Handling Company of Nigeria. I recall a few months ago, I returned home to find out that my power connection had been severed. I found this very odd, considering I had paid my bill about 7 days earlier. Apparently, the local PHCN office, the same one where I had paid, had no means of reconciling accounts. They had no clue who in the community had paid or had not paid. Their modus operandi was therefore to arbitrarily cut power supply, especially if the occupants were not at home, as was my case. What incompetence!! Especially in an era where the use of a computer and Microsoft excel could easily have kept records of who had paid.

Now, many of you reading this might say that perhaps I should have pasted my bill on my gate. No doubt, this is commonly done. However, where is this stated in the laws of the land that bills must be pasted on gates? My responsibility for enjoying a service is to pay and this had clearly been done in this case. The incompetence of PHCN should not be our problem.

In too many cases in Nigeria, even when public officials have no intention to be corrupt, the level of incompetence inherent in the system frustrates the delivery of service. In most cases, this incompetence stems from a lack of education. Take the police for example. I understand that the level of qualification required to join the police in Nigeria is a primary school leaving certificate, ditto for the armed forces and elective office. Is it then any wonder that we are saddled with a police force that cannot perform? Even in ordinary Ghana, a policeman is someone who is revered and respected. This respect does not necessarily emanate from the policeman on the street, but from their Inspector General of Police, who is well educated, knows what he is doing and knows enough to put in place the policies, processes, checks and balances and technology that will ensure his officers are competent.

On the other hand, our own Mike Okiro, now former Inspector General of Police, once declared that he didn’t know how many officers the force had!! If he was not competent enough to know this, is it any wonder he could not put any structure or framework in place to significantly improve the competencies of the Police? And even if he tried to do so, what level of response do you expect from a force that has its rank and file full of police officers with primary school education….Nigerian primary school education, I might add!!

The same scenario presents itself in our public institutions. The ministries and their various agencies and parastatals reek of incompetence. Did we not have officials in this country give out contracts to build power plants, without any thoughts about where the gas would come from? Or how the generated power would be transmitted or distributed? Now we have power plants without enough gas to power them.

Not necessarily because of the Niger Delta issues, but because in some cases, gas gathering facilities and pipelines to the power stations were not initially conceived when the power stations were being designed and contracted out. We also have some completed power plants without sufficient transmission capacity to evacuate the electricity. In a nation looking for 6,000MW!!! Is this incompetence or what???

Likewise, at the State and Local Government level, we have commissioners and chairmen who are not competent enough to creatively proffer solutions to issues. From dilapidated roads to refuse disposal, traffic management, urban development and many more, they usually seem helpless and confused. How can that be? Do all of these things defy solutions? Can a traffic bottleneck not be solved by perhaps making a few roads in that vicinity one-way? Can adjusting the sequencing of the traffic lights not solve it? Can surveillance cameras not monitor road junctions? Can popular refuse dumps not be monitored via goggle earth? There by making it easier to send the refuse contractors there to evacuate the garbage before it begins to spill over unto the road?

In many instances, either a creative idea or the re-engineering of an existing one can bring about the desired results in resolution of our issues. Even, the constant cry of lack of funds to operate can be significantly addressed with a bit of creativity, but unfortunately our elected officials are usually not educated enough to act in a competent manner. Or perhaps they are just not willing to do so.

It is not exactly clear to me how we can remove the running and management of this country from the grip of the incompetent, but what is clear is that we must!!!

*Immunity Clause, Berlusconi And Nigerian Lawmakers

By Frank Ediagbonya

“Italy’s top court has overturned a law granting Silvio Berlusconi immunity from persecution while in office as Italian Prime Minister. The decision could pave the way for the colourful and controversial tycoon to be brought before the courts on various charges including corruption.” …..Source London Metro Newspaper, Thursday 8/10/2009 page 19.

The Italian Prime Minister has become a source of embarrassment to democracy and the Italian people for his involvement in series of gaffes, racist remarks, extra marital affairs including alleged indecent relationship with a hooker as well as allegations of corruption. Knowing very well of how immunity clause has helped corrupt politicians in most developing countries like Nigeria to escape persecution from corruption and other serious offences.

Berlusconi introduced immunity clause in Italy barely a year ago to protect himself and three others from persecution while they remain untouchable throughout their time in office. 15 Judges of the highest constitutional court in Italy debated the issue in just 24 hours and overturned the immunity clause through a unanimous decision of 9 votes for and 6 against.

This is what Nigerian federal lawmakers could not achieve in 12 years,
but has become a reality in just 24 hours in Italy. The structure responsible for the removal of immunity clause from politicians under investigation of corruption and allegations of corruption should wake up to their responsibilities and stop gambling with Nigerians’ future. They should be bold enough to serve the country faithfully and desist from promoting immunity clause for the benefits of a few individuals while corruption thrived.

Those “Berlusconis” at the seat of power are the ones who are flexing their muscles against campaigners of immunity clause removal or Freedom of information bill enactment since they have publicly declared that they are comfortable with the way Nigeria is being governed. These privileges which they enjoys would cease when Nigeria is finally freed from her captors. The incapacitation of EFCC and other related agencies through immunity clause should be addressed in a fiat if Nigeria is ready to be counted among the biggest 20 economy of the world by 2020.

There are suggestions from some school of thought that the recent condemnation of corruption by Nigerian politicians and most public officers is a public stunt to deceive the vast majority that Yaradua’s administration mean business whereas they are revolving and recycling corruption among the new and old breeds politicians.

There are no visible evidences to backup the claims that this administration is keen to persecute corrupt politicians past or present lets assume that I’m wrong but the recent battle of wit between the UK court, the Attorney General of the Federation, the former anti-corruption czar, the present anti-corruption czar and the erstwhile Delta State Governor who has embarked on a personal vendetta against Ribadu.

Ibori’s threat to open a can of worms as well as his claims that he single handed formed Yaradua’s government and as such he is immune to persecution worries most Nigerians who want to see power and wealth redistribution in our life time.

This irresponsible behaviour of one man who thinks he is greater than Nigeria speaks volumes about the seriousness of Yaradua’s government to fight corrupt politicians like Ibori who makes mockery of his government or place serious doubts on the credibility of the AGF who is seen by many Nigerians as a public officer who is cunningly protecting ex-politicians suspected of corruption and other serious criminal offences at tax payers’ expense.

Is Yaradua listening to public opinion as he pledged in his inaugural speech? If yes, then what is the controversial AGF still doing in his position? The brutal honesty is that most Nigerian citizens and global citizens are not taking 93% of Nigerian politicians very seriously, as humiliation of Nigeria at home and abroad is being orchestrated by Nigeria’s image repairers. Other reasons being that they have failed to lead by example.

They have failed to fight corruption and rebrand Nigeria in the heartland of government where corruption oozes like food aroma before advancing anti-corruption battle to the public domain.

If we want to progress as a nation, we should be ready to do what we say in the public domain. Nigeria will remain in the doldrums of perpetual backwardness if our politicians are creating loopholes for themselves to rig elections, milk the nation’s scare resources and continue to smoke screened the populace with propaganda, big, big grammar and public stunt.

The Berlusconi’s example should be a food for thought for Nigerian law makers. It is good to be brutally honest and serious if we really want to step out of the terrain of backwardness. The National Assembly or the Nigerian supreme court has a duty to protect innocent Nigerians from the exploitation of immunity clause by politicians who came to power with the intent to ruin the economy.

Immunity clause removed; only then would serious genuine politicians be seen in the corridors of power. There was no immunity clause for Berlusconi until he deemed it necessary to introduced it in order to escape persecution like corrupt Nigerian politicians who are reluctant to overturn it so as to continue with corruption and other serious civil and criminal offences.

*Nigeria Calls - Obey!

By Placid Nwokorie

We shall not abandon this nation, no! not now. The tide sway to such horrible eye saw, the level of brigandism electrifies not only the super bourgeois, the high ups, the haughty capitalists and also the down trodden whom the windmill of greatness refused to elevate to the corridors of lordliness, no!, not now.

The poorest of the poor sacrificed by ignorant politicians for rituals to their gods for their own selfish insatiable appetite of greed and to remain in power perpetually. We shall not abandon Nigeria, no! not now. In the face of schematic covert and overt human annihilations going on unchecked and unrecognised in our time, we shall not abandon her, no!not now.

Sickness and death can only break the human body which is dust anyway, but cannot break or touch his spirit and the good works a man stands for, for actually a man’s good works is strenghtened by his death for only the spirit can accomplish what the human flesh cannot achieve during its time. We can sit abroad and point fingers while secretly admiring the oppressors. You are good, I am bad will not solve Nigerian problems. Brain drain is the problem and we all must needs be, return home and fix our problems. If it worked in Anambara with Peter Obi, why are you waiting?

The forces of good will take over and prevail. And it is now. The developed world had men and women who made ultimate sacrifice and continue to do so for their nations even when it seemed and looks like a flock not what dyeing for. Some, as I speak already answered this call and paid the ultimate price trying to bring free medical mission to the suffering masses and their shed blood shall not be in vain for the time has come and their spirit will achieve all. Nigeria will embrace the peace, true freedom,and prosperity she’s long thirsted and yearned for 49 years and counting.

An armed citizenry will not be the basis of our freedom. Our freedom rests on collective moral consensus enshrined in the law of our land. All true Nigerians will uphold as very dear to us the laws of the land. No one shall be above the law. Let us go home and give our people direction and hope. Let us show them the good we learnt from the developed world. Our pay and reward will only be our good works. We will fight corruption and crime at all levels. We will ask the enemies of our land to abandon their old ways which is evil.

We will fortify our borders. We will let educators craft policies,programs and curricullum for schools. We will let religious bodies compete on a level playing ground with public schools. We will decentralise the police force and instill in them the spirit of patritism. Parents, traditional rulers, clergy,comissioners and everyone will be held accountable in his or her own front line and so doing discourage greed and property grabbing in our society. Our times is not in the hands of mortals,so, fear no mortals then.

The road will not be easy,the commitment is enormous, we shall offend many because we will refuse to dance to the old tune of tribalist and nepotists.We will seek the good of all and care for you from conception till you return to your maker. We will make government programs to benefit the poor as in developed world. We shall build houses for our people.

It will be zero tolerance for wanton school children and we shall expect colleges and universities to exhibit conducts expected of future leaders. We shall give them the necessary tools to compete favorably with their counterparts from other parts of the world.(to be continued)

*An Open Letter To President Yar’Adua

By Benjamin Aliu Snr.

Dear President,

It has become imperative that I write you this letter in the hope that you will see the Damage you are doing to our dear Country and change direction so as to avert a Ship wreck.

Mr. President, what were you thinking when you made the decision to go Saudi Arabia to open a University when all the Universities in Nigeria were closed due to a labor dispute between your Government and ASUU? What were you thinking when you choose to go to Saudi Arabia instead of attending the UN general Assembly? If it was so important that you go to Saudi Arabia, why did you choose a low level Minister in Mr. Ojo Maduekwe instead of the Vice President to represent Nigeria? I am sure that you are aware that Mr. Maduekwe got the humiliation of his life.

Not only that Mr. Maduekwe was completely ignored and humiliated, he was not allowed to hub nub with World Leaders. He was not even invited to the meeting that President Barack Obama held to address Countries that send Troops to the UN Peace Keeping Missions around the World. This is in spite of the fact that our Country (Nigeria) is the Fourth largest contributor of Troops to UN Peace Keeping Missions. Mr. President, Mr. Maduekwe had to gate crash the event and was not allowed to speak. Nigeria under your leadership has lost all its Glory and Respect and has become a Laughing stock and butt of jokes. The international community has lost Trust, Confidence and Respect for Nigeria.

Mr. President, do you even comprehend the fact that Nigeria under your leadership has lost respect all over the World? To say that under your leadership we have moved miles backward in terms of Development and making life more meaningful for the Nigerian People is an understatement. As a Country, we continue to wallow in self delusion of being the Giant of Africa when Countries that use to look up to us have left us behind. Nigeria is suppose to be a Pacesetter in the so called Third World but while Countries like Brazil, Malaysia and Taiwan have become industrialized Nigeria which has more money, Human and material resources than any of these Countries has nothing to show. While we pretend to be Democratic, Ghana has become the Beacon of Democracy in Africa.

President Obama’s choose of Ghana as the first Country to visit in Africa should have made you to reflect on your administration but it seems that in spite of the monumental humiliation, you and your advisers have not learned any lesson and your visit to Saudi Arabia instead of the UN proved that. What is it going to take for you to see the enormous damage that you are doing to the Image and progress of Nigeria? With your Masters Degree, do you still need somebody to interpret the US Secretary Ms Clinton’s speech during her recent visit to Nigeria to you? Do you need any body to tell you that President Obama’s visit to Ghana instead of Nigeria is a direct indictment of you as a President who is presiding over massive corruption and protection of thieves?

Mr. President, it is obvious that you lack Courage, Vision and the Will necessary to move the Country out of its Comatose State. You need to resign. Your problem is compounded by the Sycophants you have surrounded yourself with. These Sycophants know that you can not win a free and fare election but they are telling you to run for a second term. You yourself know that you can not based on your record win an election and with your ill health, why border? It is not How Long You Stay In Power but How Well You Are Able To Use The Time You Are There To Improve The Country and The Lives of The Common Man.

So far Mr. President, you have proved to be a ceremonial leader with no Courage or Vision. Your Administration lack a Mission and the Vision to project and carry out that Mission. You need a clearly defined Objective and a dedicated team to carry out your objective. The Sycophants around you are only there for what they can make from telling you what you want to hear instead of what you need to hear. Mr. President, what are your objectives for the Country? You continue to Wobble and Fumble without a clearly defined Objective or Agenda. Your only Agenda as one can see is Hub Numbing with Criminals while presiding over massive corruption.

While you and your family are safe in Aso Rock, the rest of the Country is not safe. Armed robbers and kidnappers have taken over the Country and you have no answer to the problem. What are you doing to arrest the situation? The ill-equipped Police are no match for the criminals, do they have to kidnap your only son before you know that there is a problem or what is it going to take for you to do your job? Your idiotic Attorney General continue with your approval to use his office to protect criminals. He has become a master of manipulation on behalf of criminals. By your inaction, you have legalized armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom and all forms of corruption. Why for crying out loud did the AGF take over the case of the “Innoson Three” in far away Nnewi? On May 29,2009, a notorious gang leader of a kidnapping ring - Innocent Orji was arrested and he confessed to leading the gang that kidnapped three Chinese Industrial Experts and implicated one Mr. Ogbuawa Pius as being the mastermind behind the kidnapping. As soon as Mr. Ogbuawa was arrested, Mr. AGF in a sudden maneuver took over the case and intervene in Mr. Ogbuawa’s favor. This is inspire of the fact that there is a mountain of evidence in the case that shows Mr. Ogbuawa’s involvement. Mr. President, you and your AGF have become masters at manipulating the system to protect and enable your criminal friends.

Why does criminals have easy access to Aso Rock when hard working Law abiding citizens can not come near Aso Rock? Why are you so close to criminals like Alhaji Dahiru Mangal - a smuggler incorporated, Mr. James Ibori - a convicted felon who stands accused of looting Delta State, Kenny Martins - who stands accused of looting the Police equipment fund, Mr. Tony Anenih - a crook who looted the Federal Ministry of Works and Transport, Mr. Odilli - who stands accused of looting Rivers State, Orji Kalu - a drug dealer who stands accused of looting Abia State to mention just a few of them. What is it going to take for you realize that your behavior and that of the AGF is criminal and detrimental to the Image and progress of the Country?

Your independence day speech was dull and uninspiring. What will your legacy be? For now, you are known as a leader who cling to power through deceit and corruption. You are a non achiever who do not care about the people he governs. You are a leader in cahoots with criminals. While you live in luxury, most Nigerians live in squalid conditions. Mr. President, take a trip to Dubai and Kuwait and see what governments are doing for their people with Oil Money. It is not too late to change things around if only you have the courage to act. NEPA or PHCN can be fixed and electricity supply can be made steady within nine months, the Security of the nation can be brought to par with that of the USA and Britain if you have the Will and Courage to take swift and decisive action. Mr. President, either you act as a President who is in charge or please step down.

Benjamin Aliu Snr.
Brooklyn, New York.

*Airport Concession: NUATE, ATSSSAN Cry Over Spilled Milk

By Lateef Lawal

Nigerian Aviation Professionals Association(NAPA) has called on aviation workers unions to stop ‘crying over spilled milk’ by threatening to down tools on the concession of General Aviation Terminal(GAT)to Bi-Courtney Aviation Services by the government.

The association through its Secretary-General, Comrade Ra zaq Saidu made the call while dissociating the body from the agitation of members of the National Union of Air Transport Employees(NUATE) and those of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria(ATSSSAN)who had two weeks ago planned to short down the nation’s airspace over the concession imbroglio.

The NAPA Scribe wondered why did the two unions just woke up almost six years after the signing of the agreement between Bi-Courtney and the government through its Ministers and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN) only to now protest an already executed agreement.

Further investigations by the NigerianAviationNews indicated that following the earlier crisis generated by the agreement,the president, Mallam Umaru Musa Yar’Adua summoned a meeting of top government officials including the Chairman of Bi-Cpourtney, Dr Wale Babalakin where issues relating to the concession of GAT were discussed on 13 July, 2009.

Present at the meeting were Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, Secretrary to the Government of the Federation, David Edevbie, Principal Secretary to the president, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoaka, Minister of Justice, Babatunde Omotoba, Aviation Minister, Remi Babalola, Minister of State, Finance, Captain Shehu Iyal, Senior Special Assistant to the president on Aviation, Richard Aisuebeogun, MD/CEO, FAAN and Calistus Gar Korinjoh, SAP to the President.

At the end of the lenthy meeting in which the Minister, FAAN MD and Bi-Courtney Chairman put forward their different positions, the President directed as follows:
*That the concession agreement executed between the government, FAAN and Bi-Courtney for the development of MMA2is valid and should be implemented.
*The increase in the concession period from 12 to 36 years though valid, needs to be examined further by government.However,whatever infractions that may have occurred are internal matters of government, who will revert to Bi-Courtney if there is reason to do so.
*Bi-Courtney’s offer to the Ministry of Aviation and FAAN to relinquish part of the land except an additional 10 meters required for the completion of the design for the conference center and hotel etc, presents an opportunity for a resolution of the matter and should be seriously considered.Both parties should meet to discuss and finalise the matter.

Based on the above development, Comrade Saidu remarked,: “It is sad to note that if not for leap services/sponsored agitations at this point in time(an agreement and addenda to that of 24 April, 2003 and later became a court affairs) ought to have been challenged before the verdict of the court during the hearing of the case instituted by Bi-Courtney".

Posted by Lateef Lawal

Captain Noelle leaves Afrijet in pre-recapitalization plot

By Lateef Lawal

Afrijet Airlines, is set for re-capitalization to shore up its business and re-new its fleet to more modern aircraft. This followed interests shown by a number of investors in injecting huge capitals into the troubled airline.

As a first step to the development, the erstwhile Managing Director of the airline, Captain Berry Noelle, has reportedly disengaged his services from the company.

Pending the re-capitalization of the airline, the Board and Management of Afrijet has approved the appointment of the former Director of Administration of the airline, Ibe Vitalis as the acting Managing Director.

Sources close to the airline said the new investors that would be known in a matter of weeks reserve the right to retain, appoint or inject new blood into the management team that will emerge after the re-capitalization.

Posted by Lateef Lawal

*Nahcoaviance Rewards 15 Employees
for Excellent Customer Service Delivery

By Lateef Lawal

Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (nahcoaviance) has concluded plans to reward 15 employees who were independently nominated by the company’s clients for consistently excelling in service delivery.
The Company said in a statement during the week that the nominated employees have emerged as “Customer Service Champions” who are to be celebrated and appreciated by the Company. The development is part of activities lined up to mark the 2009 International Customer Service Week.

According to Ademola Akinbola, Head Corporate Communications and Business Development of the company,the 15 customer service champions were nominated by nahcoaviance’s clients such as Air France, British Airways, Alitalia, Virgin Atlantic, Aero Contractors, Delta Air, Emirates, Lufthansa and Nigerian Eagle Air, among others. The 15 workers of the company will be duly recognized by the company’s Management in order to encourage them and others to take service delivery to high levels.

Other activities lined up by nahcoaviance for the week include relationship management visits to client airlines, in-house service delivery re-orientation programmes for staff and awards. Speaking on the essence of the Customer Service Week, Mr. Bates Sule, MD/CEO of nahcoaviance, noted that service delivery is central to the success of the aviation industry because safety, speed and quality are important parameters.

According to him, the company is using the occasion of the 2009 Customer Service Week to re-dedicate itself to quality service delivery and also re-assure all its client airlines of its commitment to exceeding their expectations. To this end, the company is continuously investing in acquisition of new equipment and training of staff. Also, a self-sanctioning customer service guarantee scheme will soon be unveiled in order to further entrench the culture of excellent service delivery within the company.

The Customer Service Week is organized and promoted by the United Kingdom’s Institute of Customer Service. This year’s edition is the sixth and it runs from October 5-9, 2009. The Week is celebrated/commemorated worldwide by private and public organizations as a formal way of creating awareness on the need for quality customer service, recognizing/appreciating exemplary customer service initiatives by staff and appreciating customers.

Posted by Lateef Lawal at 5:32 AM

*A Cry For Change In Nigeria

By Engr. Noble U.Nwosu

Nigeria through its blessed land and human resources, upon independence promised better life for its people. Our leaders then, assured the people they would provide quality life to them, instill morals to the polity and love that would motivate people to live in peace and unity with one another. But how have we uplifted Nigerians? We have failed Nigeria by suffering its citizens even when they could be getting good standard of living, in other words - enjoy their God given resources.

Nigeria came into being that it may flourish its citizens, impact positive knowledge and offer adequate education to its citizens through its resources, Nigeria as a name has done well, Nigeria as a place of inhabitation has also done well but we the inhabitants of Nigeria have we done well? We the reapers of the naturally sowed resources have we actually done justice in the norminal distribution of the God given wealth? We the assumed Nigerians, time of question has come, shall we continue to live in disunity? Shall we continue to live in distrust? And shall we continue to live the life of pretence? These are questions we need to ask ourselves deeply and answer them sincerely within our minds and see whether we can change our understanding for a pure Nigeria.

I believe in Nigeria, I know you do believe in Nigeria too so we can do this, we can come together, think together and reason together for a more productive Nigeria. The scripture explains “knowledge is made easy for those who understands”who am I in the mist of brains we have in Nigeria? Who am I in the stream of prominent personalities we have in this our great nigeria? Just a simple nigerian crying and yerning for change.

I know knowledge does not rest in only one head so as I deny myself sleep thinking about nigeria so also you are worried about Nigeria, Nigeria is a great nation where great people live, we can make Nigeria a better place if we choose to, make our education system competitive globally so that we do not have to run to other countries for quality education, improve state of living so that we do not have to run to other countries for succour or have a negative althernatives, I don’t think we are happy when we get ill we fly to other countries for adequate medical health care or are we happy when we taste for tourism we persive other countries as the best, Nigerians this is what we can get here if we try a little, this is what we can get here if we sacrifice a little believe me if Nigeria is repaired today, we will all be happy, our unborn generation will desire to come out, people will step out of their hut with two hands up rejoicing for a happy Nigeria.

It may not be easy, it will not be easy but success is sweet at the end achieved through hardwork and sacrifices. Nigerians i know you, you are compationate people with humaniterian heart ready to work if government could try a little, let us come together to embrace this message devoid of any sentiment, Nigeria is one from north to south, south to east Nigeria is one, in fact, if you look at all the names of tribes in this Nigeria, all the tribes names’ could be derived from the name Nigeria using each of their letter word making the tribes one Nigeria as unity and love propers a nation. Nigerians now is the time to pursue a common goal, now is the time to fulfil a common purpose as it will not make us less important but will make us most important and attract external progress and prosperity.

We have to resist that which disintegrates us and focus on being one Nigeria, let us give back a little, put a smile back on the face and show a little reward to that name nigeria that has given us so much by spreading its comfort to its citizens. Nigerians we are polite people with good mannerism, discipline and honest and so do not fundamentally need the law for direction and correction, this is our vitue, I know it, all we need to do is allow it to flow and display it all the time. Hatred, envy and jealousy does not progress a nation as scripture expresses “what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and looses its soul” what happened to patriotism, what happened to a control of emotions in other words allow platform for happiness and growth to rain.

Let us change our perception about who is the best and the buying factor and allow the free flow of nature, Nigerians we are challenge fighters, fighting one another will only pull us backward, we have the abilities to pass through the raging waters positively so let us answer this call of change and give Nigeria a new direction for a better living. This is the way I feel, I am sure you feel the same way too, pursing common goal will change the way we play politics and reduce political desperation, with like-minded purpose as our target, citizens will be able to participate in politics, choose their own leaders and connect with their leaders for proper accountability.

Sometimes, the forces we fight arround us could be negative discouragement and ignorance, intimidations and lacks but the creature has already made provision for satisfaction when He fed the multitude with five loaves of bread and two fishes, the little we eat we are satisfied and get content with the one we have. Nigerians let us journey through this process of change devoid of any challenges and rejoice later, let us agree to pass through this little stress and be happy for better tomorrow, this is my submission to you. Thank you and God bless Nigeria.

By Ifeatu Agbu

Of all the stakeholders in the Niger Delta region, the multi-national oil companies should take the greater blame for the environmental devastation resulting from several decades of oil exploration and exploitation. In their search for the black gold, they have combed the swamps and ravaged the mangroves; polluted the rivers and rivulets; scorched the farmlands and left the people gasping for breath just like the fish in the region, which have been suffocated by oil spills.

With this unflattering track record, one would expect the oil companies to throw their full weight behind efforts to revive and regenerate the environment for a people that have been so unjustly treated. Given the enormous impact of their activities on the environment, they are expected to be at the forefront in the critical task of urgently developing the oil basin that has suffered so much neglect in the past. It is, in fact, in their interest to develop the region where they operate in order to guarantee peace, which is very necessary for them to continue with their work.

Rather than lead the assault on underdevelopment and injustice, some of the oil companies are busy throwing spanners in the works. For fifty-one years, they have planted more Christmas trees [capped oil wells] than those that would yield economic benefits. It is, indeed baffling to learn that the oil companies are defaulting in the discharge of their statutory obligations to government agencies charged with the responsibility of developing the Niger Delta. The recent disclosure that oil firms owe the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, a whooping N7.55 billion came to many as a rude shock.

According to the Managing Director of the commission, Mr. Chibuzor Ugwoha, the
Foreign oil companies operating in the Niger Delta have accumulated $50 million in unpaid royalties to the NDDC. This, he said, is besides other statutory returns payable in naira, which the oil firms have also not remitted to the commission.
Ugwoha, said the 2005 audit report of the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) showed that some of the oil firms did not remit the funds, which represented part of the three per cent of their total budget which they are legally obliged to pay to the NDDC every year.

He said: “We are equally aware that a certain amount of money due to the commission from the government is yet to be paid and that makes development difficult because we need a lot of money to be able to develop the region.
Those who know the terrain of the region will agree with me that where it is possible to construct one kilometer of road in some places with less challenges, it takes far more to build roads in the Niger Delta because of the terrain”.

He stated that the commission was committed to a comprehensive development and transformation of the region, which he believes would ultimately curb the activities of militants. He said: “President Umaru Yar’Adua had on August 6 during the inauguration of the new Board of the NDDC charged us that the region should be transformed and that we should focus specifically on major projects that would impact on the lives of the people so that problems that had lingered in the region will be things of the past. However, these cannot be achieved without adequate funding as part of the funds due to the NDDC is yet to be remitted from the contributions on the part of oil companies and industries that operate in the Niger Delta".

Certainly, the NDDC needs to be adequately funded to enable it confront the challenges of developing the region that gives Nigeria its oil wealth. All the key stakeholders, which include the three tiers of government and the oil companies, have a responsibility to support the NDDC as the agency driving the implementation of the Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan. Records show that the commission has only received 30 per cent of its expected revenue since inception in 2001. The statutory allocations to the commission have consistently been withheld for inexplicable reasons.

The NDDC Act states clearly how the commission shall be funded. Section 14[2] provides that “there shall be paid and credited to the fund established pursuant to subsection [1] of this section; [a] from the Federal Government the equivalent of 15 per cent of the total monthly allocation due to the member states of the commission from the federation account, this being the contribution of the Federal Government to the commission; [b] three per cent of the total annual budget of any oil-producing company operating onshore and offshore in the Niger Delta area, including gas processing companies; [c] 50 per cent of monies due to member states of the commission from the ecological fund…” and other sources such as grants and loans.

Contrary to the provisions of the Act, some of the oil companies have not been paying the three per cent of their annual budget as required by law. The records show that they deduct first charges before calculating the three per cent from the balance. It is more like cutting the nose to spite the face, given that what they spend for the development of the Niger Delta is for their own good at the end of the day.

The oil companies tell anyone that cares to listen that they are doing their best to be good corporate citizens and that they are socially responsible. Of course, they know that it is in their best interest to have a peaceful relationship with their host communities. However, despite this realization, many of them are not doing enough to show that they are truly committed to the development of their host communities. Building a bloc of classroom here and another clinic there can at best be described as no more than sheer tokenism.

Apart from statutory requirements, the oil companies also have moral and social responsibilities to fulfill. The oil workers are the ones sharing the same neighborhood with the villagers. They cannot in good conscience be enjoying potable water while the villagers around them are drinking polluted water or enjoying uninterrupted supply of electricity while their hosts are in perpetual darkness or for them to live in mansions while the indigenous neighbours live in hovels.

It is even wrong for the oil companies to think that they are doing their host communities a favour by allowing them to share their facilities with them. In fact, such pecks are not enough compensation for the despoliation of their environment. In addition to hand-outs, the oil companies have moral obligations to replenish the lands they are destroying.

The truth is that oil companies no longer operate freely in the Niger Delta. The NDDC on the other hand does not suffer from this encumbrance, apparently because of its track record of working hands in gloves with the people at the grassroots. Obviously, the commission is well positioned to assist the oil companies to win the hearts and minds of the oil-bearing communities where they operate.

As Mr. Agwoha rightly said, it is not only the oil companies that have failed in meeting the statutory obligations to the commission. According to him, the Federal Government is equally culpable, as the interventionist agency was getting only 10 per cent from it instead of 15 per cent during the Obasanjo administration. This resulted in the much-talked about N326 billion debt that it owed the commission.
President Musa Yar’Adua, known for his avowed respect for the rule of law, should promptly pay up the outstanding debt. This would strengthen the hands of the new board to actualize his vision for the rapid development of the Niger Delta.

Mr. Agbu writes from Port Harcourt.

*Aero Contractor Settles N70m of its Passenger Charge Indebtedness

By Lateef Lawal

One of the domestic airlines using the MMA2 terminal-Aero Contractors, has paid over N70 million it was owing Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited as passenger processing charge(PPC). The payment was to forestall the inconvenience likely to be suffered by its passengers and the embarrassment it would cause the airline as a result of long queues at the boarding gates.

Bi-Courtney had last week said that passengers are to as from October,1,2009 pay the PPC directly to it at the boarding gates due to the refusal of the airlines in remitting the charge already embedded in the ticket fares to the company.According to a very reliable source,all the airlines using the terminal are owing various charges totaling $500million.

As at today,only those airlines that are not owing or that have shown willing to remit by paying reasonable part of their debts are allowed to check in their passengers without having to go through the rigors of first purchasing their tickets and later go on another long queues to individual pay N1,000 passenger processing charge.

Such airlines include-Aero Contractors,Dana Air and the Nigerian Eagle Airlines while the debtor airlines whose passengers had to suffer the rigors of direct payment of the fee due to the indebtedness of the airlines to B-Courtney are-Chanchangi Airlines,IRS Airlines and Bellview.One airline had to pay in advance over N250,000 for two booklets for two of its flights out of Lagos and distribute to its passengers at the point of purchasing tickets to save the airlines from losing passengers to other airlines whose passengers had seamless thoroughfare at the boarding gate.

Posted by Lateef Lawal

*Birds Of The Same Feather

By Benjamin Aliu Sr.

In the Sunday Tribune of September 27, 2009 Mr. James Ibori, the Ex-governor of Delta State was quoted as saying that he “likes the way Nigeria is being run by President Yar’Adua”. That is not surprising coming from Mr. Ibori after all he is a free man running his mouth today thanks to the inept, inefficient and irresponsible Yar’ Adua and the evil manipulation of the inelegant, nasty and pugnacious Attorney General of the Federation Mr. Michael Kaase Aondoakaa who has used his office to ensure that Mr. Ibori who stands accused of looting the treasury of Delta State is never prosecuted.

It is because of people like President Yar’ Adua, AGF Mr. Aondoakaa, Mr. James Ibori, Mr. Odili, Mr. Lucky Igbinedion to mention a few of them that Nigeria is now known internationally as one of the most corrupt Nations and one of the most expensive places to do business in the World. These negative connotations does not seems to mean any thing to the President and the AGF. Mr. Michael Aondoakaa became the AGF not by merit or by accident but by design - the design on Mr. James Ibori, Mr. Aondoakaa and the other Exgovernors accused of looting public funds.

For those who did not know, Mr. Aondoakaa was Mr. Ibori’s personal Lawyer during Ibori’s days as Governor of Delta State. Remember that during Obasanjo’s tenure as President Mr. James Ibori was arrested in London for money laundering and was accused of embezzling public funds. He was at some point locked up by the then head of EFCC - Malam Nuhu Ribadu. Mr. Aondoakaa who was Ibori’s Lawyer fought hard to get him out on bail. Once Ibori was out, they put a plan together. By this time, Obasanjo had imposed Yar’ Adua on PDP as their Presidential candidate. Mr. Ibori and Aondoakaa then went to work. The first step was to make sure that Yar’ Adua becomes the next President for they figured that if Buhari wins Ibori will go to jail and will be made to cough up his loot. They worked day and night using stolen money to work on behave of candidate Yar’ Adua. Obasanjo was determined on the other hand to make sure that neither Buhari nor Atiku becomes the next President.

Once the election was over and Yar’ Adua was declared the winner, Ibori and Aondoakaa went to work with phase two of their plan which was to get Mr. Michael Aondoakaa to be appointed the Attorney General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. For the task ahead, they brought in all the Ex-Governors who were accused of looting and they were rumored to have raised over Five Billion Naira to lobby for the appointment and confirmation of Mr. Michael Aondoakaa as the Attorney General. The thieving Ex-Governors under the directive of Mr. Aondoakaa were able to carry out their plan. In Nigeria, Money talks and money was not their problem.

Any body watching the events in Nigeria as it concerns the prosecution of the Ex-Governors will agree that Mr. Aondoakaa the AGF has been hard at work. He has worked relentlessly against the administration of Justice, he has done every thing humanly possible to frustrate EFCC, the Judiciary and the London Metropolitan Police from prosecuting Mr. Ibori and the thieving Ex-Governors. Mr. Aondoakaa the AGF is aiding and abetting criminals, his allegiance is to the criminals with deep pockets instead of to Nigeria. He is so engrossed in protecting Ibori and the other looters that in the process he has desecrated and debased the office of the Attorney General of the Federation. The depravity of his behavior has shocked even the Nigerian Bar Association - NBA who have passed a vote of no confidence on him and called him a “Monumental Embarrassment to the Legal Profession”. All well meaning Nigerians should call on the NBA to suspend Mr. Aondoakaa from the association as he has become a complete Embarrassment. Mr. Aondoakaa is erratic, dubious and morally bankrupt. His conduct as AGF is reprehensible.

President Yar’ Adua does not seems to understand the enormity of the damage to the image of the Country that Mr. Aondoakaa has caused but on the other hand, it seems that his hands are tied due to the money he got from Ibori and the thieving Ex-governors. To say that Mr. Aondoakaa is a failure as the AGF, a Disgrace and an embarrassment is an understatement. His removal is long over due but the question is does Yar’ Adua have the Scruples to ACT?.

Benjamin Aliu (Sr)
Brooklyn, New York

*Arik Airline Chairman in EFCC net over N4billion Tax Evation

By Lateef Lawal

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is extending its searchlight to the air transport sector of Nigeria’s economy with the aim of apprehending airlines that have been evading tax payment and committing other economic crimes.

In its first move, operatives of EFCC reportedly swooped on the headquarters of Arik Airlines on Tuesday, 29 September, 2009 in search of the airline’s Chairman/Chief Executive, Sir Joseph Ikhide Arumemi-Johnson over alleged tax evasion by the airline running to over N4 billion.

The search by the EFCC Operatives which started at about 11am lasted till 4.30 pm on tuesday with movements into and out of the Arik Airlines premises restricted while the security men were busy going through the account books of the airline.

Several officials of the airline were also questioned as to the where about of the chairman.While the EFCC were leaving the compound five hours after, they left a specific instruction that the chairman must show up today-Wednesday-or risk being declared wanted.They however whisked away the chief pilot of the airline, Captain Victor Egonu.
In an press statement, the Media Officer of Arik Air, Banji Ola said: “Operatives of the EFCC visited our Lagos headquarters office today over claims of purported irregularity in tax remittances.
They have since withdrawn and the airline has continued its normal operations. They took away our chief pilot, Captain Victor Egonu.”

Latest reports reaching NigerianAviationNews early today from EFCC indicated that the Arik Airline Chairman,Sir Arumemi-Johnson has reported himself at the Lagos office of the EFCC. It was gathered that before the latest development,several invitations were sent by the commission to the chairman to come and explain certain things regarding the finances of the airline but were not honoured.

Posted by Lateef Lawal