Nigeria’s Economy Growing with People starving

Reports that Nigeria’s economy has outstripped that of South Africa and become the largest on the continent are good news only to President Goodluck Jonathan, his ministers, top politicians, members of the House, and other wealthy people who are living large in a poverty – stricken country. But to the ‘millions’ of jobless, hapless and helpless Nigerians, struggling to make a living on less  than N200 a day – people whose hopes of enjoying their country are dashed daily in the face of missing money and stolen billions – that information means absolutely nothing. In fact, it is like pouring Iodine on a fresh, bleeding wound. Notwithstanding, it is heartening to know that the level…

Please stop the killings now

Day after day, lives are lost in this Country. Careless and unnecessary deaths occur and no one cares. People disappear and no one bothers. One of the fundamental values in Igboland as much as in most Nigeria tribes is respect for the sanctity of life. Killing nowadays is no longer a big deal . Although many of the killings are not reported in the media soon after they happen, for so many reasons, these are often reported in foreign media.  There is only one clear impression: life has become so cheap in our Nigeria. This is not a hurried conclusion when you consider the regular onslaught by Boko Haram in Maiduguri, Yobe and Adamawa, the…

Immigration Recruitment Tragedy

Stampedes are nothing new. But the one which happened in Nigeria during the Immigration Job recruitment exercise last week should make our political leaders ashamed. They have failed this Country; they have failed the youths of this Country. Media reports are full of incidents of stampedes. But as far as Nigerians are concerned, until last week, stampedes happen in far places like China, India, Cambodia, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, during religious festivals or pilgrimages. Early this year, a deadly stampede occurred at a mosque in China, as religious cakes were being shared. The stampede resulted from people’s surge to obtain the hallowed cake. Another happened in India during the funeral of a famous spiritual leader,…

Bringing Christ into Your Lent

Christ was poor so that we might be rich. Christ’s poverty enriches and makes us more like him. Pope Francis this Lenten season taps into this scripture message. However, we all know that if poverty were a choice, not many would want to experience it even for a day, especially here in Nigeria where wealth is worshipped and adored. Yet, the Pope has chosen to make poverty the theme of this year’s Lenten season. Pope Francis draws our attention to poverty, particularly Christ’s poverty, and what it should mean to us as Christians. The Pontiff explains that Jesus “became poor, so that by his poverty we might become rich,” according to the Second Letter of…

Sanusi or no Sanusi, Nigerian Banks Reform – A Necessity

The suspension of Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi two weeks ago as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) may have come as a welcome news to many, given his utterances and unguarded remarks. For stakeholders and close watchers of the nation’s financial sector, his exit is a foretold development. The official reason given by the Presidency for his removal was “financial recklessness and misconduct” – which has now been reinforced by the findings of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) – a body charged with setting accounting standards in the country.  The FRCN found, among other things, a series of discrepancies in the accounting returns of the CBN under Sanusi and that…

President Jonathan’s visit to Imo

One of the national newspapers captured the event well when it said:  Owerri Shuts down as Jonathan Welcomes PDP Returnees. Since Governor Okorocha’s daughter’s wedding last year, no event or ceremony has impacted Owerri or rocked and restricted movement as much as last week’s presidential visit. The good thing is President Jonathan’s long-awaited visit has finally come. A proud moment for us! It was, indeed, a privilege for us to welcome the first president from the South South – a man who got our votes 100 per cent three years ago. Igbo people, so welcoming and hospitable, turned out in their numbers to bid him “ndeewo!”  Governor Okorocha, with other South East governors and eminent…

Mission Schools deserve grants-in aid

In most countries of the world the Catholic Church has proven itself to be a competent and strong provider of quality education and moral values. From Europe to Africa down to the Americas, including the Caribbean, Catholic schools are highly regarded and generally do well academically. They are a prime choice for many parents who want their children disciplined and educated, even in countries where education is free and public schools have a high standard. This is because Catholic education has long been recognized for its ability to offer wholistic knowledge to children – an education that focuses on physical, moral, intellectual and spiritual development. The result is the emergence of a disciplined human being,…

Vocational Education is the way forward

It is known that education is the best legacy any nation, desirous of growth and improvement and development, can give to its citizens. Nigeria inherited its education system from her British colonial master. It was a world standard and robust one. Since after the Nigerian/Biafra civil war when government took over mission schools, standards in education have crescendoed from bad to worse. The entire system has continued to wobble.   Some of the reasons given include lack of equipment, inadequate infrastructure; poor budgetary allocation, incessant teachers’ strikes and the massive corruption that bedevilled the country since the civil war.   Undoubtedly, peoples are searching for solutions to the poor education system. But wealthy Nigerians have…

Imo still sick at 38

For those who see the bottle as half-empty, Imo State has nothing to celebrate at 38, except a string of failures, potholes and poverty. But for those of us who view the same bottle as half-full, Imo has a lot to applaud itself for, some of which are an enterprising population, improved standard of living, a chain of new development projects, and an education system recently out of coma. The state has good reasons to clap its hand and look to the next two years with great expectations, assuming life really begins at 40. Even if it doesn’t, Imolites may still jump for joy on February 3, 2016, when the state reaches the milestone –…

All Progressives Congress (APC) – a blessing or a curse?

Nigerians everywhere desire a change in their country and many are anxiously looking for a political saviour. The finer details of how that change will come, when, how, from where, and who will lead it, are not important neither are they engaging any serious thought. What people know is that they deserve better as citizens of a potentially rich nation, the most populous country in Africa and one of the most naturally endowed country in the continent.  The expected change is long overdue. For this reason, any new political arrangement, even if the players are the same old people regrouping under a new name, is received with enthusiasm. Nigerians accept virtually every political creation with…

The Anti-gay Law As kudos for Nigeria

A couple of weeks ago, President Goodluck Jonathan, after several months of procrastination finally signed into law the new Anti-gay Bill submitted to him by the National Assembly in May last year. Before now, what was in existence in Nigeria was a colonial law that prescribed punishments ranging from fines to jail terms for those convicted of sodomy. But the new law prohibiting gay marriage and same-sex partnership stipulates 14-year prison term for anyone who enters into same-sex union and a 10-year prison term for anyone who “administers, witnesses or aids” a same sex marriage or civil union ceremony.  This includes: those who organize meetings of homosexuals, operate or attend gay club, carry out public…

Electricity consumers still groaning

When the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, last September announced the names of the presumed reputable companies that bought the assets of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), electricity consumers all over the country heaved sighs of relief.  Everyone believed that the hitherto intractable electricity generation and distribution problems, which had defied the efforts of past administrations, would soon be a thing of the past.  Nigerians were assured that fixing the power sector was among the topmost priorities of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda. Nearly four months after the formal handover of the PHCN assets to their new owners, the causes of frustration to electricity consumers are still very much there.  Up…

Nigeria and Agenda 2014

As the count down to the arrival of 2014 began a couple of weeks ago, individuals and groups went into sober reflections on the passing year 2013, not only to take stocks of gains and losses but to make firm resolutions on the way forward. As obtains with individuals and groups, so it is with corporate entities, including our country Nigeria, New Year brings with it new hopes, new expectations as well as new challenges. It is no exaggeration to say that Nigerians had very little to cheer in 2013. Reason: It was most times tales of woe, industrial actions by workers, and harsh economic realities. Insecurity of life and property topped the list, especially…

As Political Campaigns Gather Momentum

Politicians are warming up for campaigns next year for 2015 elections.  Already they have started tearing each other apart.   Experience has shown that most political office holders serving a first term often spend the last quarter of their tenure campaigning for re-election, whether or not they have delivered democracy dividends to their electorates.  They spend huge government resources campaigning for themselves.   The year 2014, properly fits into this picture.  We are about to enter a period when all sorts of people, good and bad, aspiring for political positions spend mind-boggling sums of money, organizing rallies, printing posters and dolling out cash seeking for support and votes.  This period is full of intra and…

Extending Christmas to all

Christians all over the world this season celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, Saviour of mankind.  They are commemorating that epochal event which took place in Bethlehem of Judea, some 2013 years ago, which was foretold by Old Testament prophets Isaiah. Christ’s birth was preceded by several millennia of expectations of the Redeemer, promised fallen man by God.   As is usually the case when a new baby is born, Christ’s arrival brought into the world a certain feeling of newness, freshness and joy.  The prophet had foretold that the messiah will be called Emmanuel, meaning God is with us.  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given —…

ENDING FG ASUU FACE OFF

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s Education System, particularly at the tertiary level have continued to express disgust at the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which has now entered its fifth month. Opinion analysts think that rather than help matters, the threat by the Federal Government to sack every university lecturer who fails to return to the classroom by Wednesday, December 4, 2013 (later extended to Monday, Dec. 9) and the counter directive by ASUU to its members to ignore the threat, has worsened rather than helped matters.  While the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, who announced plans for the mass sack, says that new lecturers will be hired, the…

Legalizing Foreign Accounts for Public Officers

Recently, (November 21`, 2013), a bill seeking to allow public officers to operate Foreign Bank Accounts passed its Second Reading in the Federal House of Representatives. If and when this Bill scales through the Committee of the whole House and eventually obtains the endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan, with the collaboration of the Senate, our representatives would have rubbished the Provisions of the Fifth Schedule Part 1(3) of the 1999 Constitution which states otherwise. This Section clearly states as follows: “The President, Vice President, Governor, Deputy Governor, Ministers of the Government of the Federation and Commissioners of the Governments of the States, Members of the National Assembly and Houses of Assembly of the States and…

As The Year Of Faith Ends

Five months to the end of his Pontificate, Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI directed the Universal Church to observe the period, October 11, 2012 to November 24, 2013 as The Year of Faith.  A document released by the Holy See, titled: The Door of Faith (Porta Fidei) clearly listed what was expected of Christ’s faithful during the period. We recall that both Benedict XVI and His Grace, the Most Rev. A.J.V. Obinna, Catholic Archbishop of Owerri, in their separate homilies at the Masses marking the official opening of the year in Rome on November 10, 2012 and Nov. 29, 2012  in Owerri respectively further explained how to derive the fruits of the exercise.  The Church’s objective…

WINNER TAKES ALL MENTALITY IN LG POLLS

On assumption of office in May 2011, most of the present governors, quickly dissolved the Local Government Councils they met on ground and replaced them with their own supporters, whom they constituted into Caretaker and Transition Committees or Sole Administrators.   Their plan was to control federal allocations and other funds accruing to the Third Tier of Government and also to ensure that the ruling party in the state gained firmer roots in the various communities, so as to excel in future elections.   To forestall all oppositions from any quarter these governors tried to block the growth of rival political parties by collaborating with law enforcement agents to deny them permissions for lawful gatherings…

Imo and misplaced Priorities

Recently an anonymous cell phone text message circulated in parts of Owerri, the Imo State Capital, as follows: ”Imo must be bitter… Imo is getting angry again”.   Whatever might be the intentions of those behind these cynical remarks, one thing is clear, and that is; the enthusiasm with which the masses welcomed Governor Rochas Okorochas’ administration 30 months ago is fast waning. Reasons: Government is yet to meet people’s expectations in the delivery of democracy dividends, in terms of motorable roads, healthcare, job opportunities, security of life and property and extension of the benefits of the “Free Education” policy to Imo children in non-government schools by way of Grants-In-Aid.   Many political observers doubt…