Pope: Bribery Is Extremely Sinful Habit, Dignity Comes From Dignified, Honest Work, Holy Father Says

Parents who feed their children on “unclean bread”, earned through bribes and corruption, are starving their children of dignity, because dishonest work robs us of our dignity. These were the words of Pope Francis during his homily at Mass on Friday morning in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. Pope Francis focused his homily on the parable of the dishonest steward, in order to talk about the dangers “of worldliness, of mundane affairs”. Jesus “prayed to the Father that his disciples might not fall into the trap of worldliness”, which is “the enemy”. “When we think of our enemies, we really think of the devil first, because it’s the devil that harms us. The devil enjoys…

Strike no going back on demands – Poly Lecturers

Two months into its nationwide strike, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, said that there was no going back on its demands, insisting that unless all issues that caused the strike were addressed, the action would continue. This came as the union rejected the discriminatory cut-off points for candidates seeking admission into Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education and called for harmonization of the cut-off points into tertiary institutions in the country. ASUP had called out its members on a nationwide strike in protest against government’s refusal to implement agreement on bothering on welfare and other sundry issues. The union, after its 74th National Executive Council, NEC, meeting at Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra…

OGUTA STATE CONSTITUENCY RE-ELECTION: Why I am not excited

On the 29th of June 2013, there will be a re-run election for the representative of Oguta State Constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly. This is as a result of the nullification of the election of Hon. Eugene Dibiagwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the court. The front runners in the election, the PDP and All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA)/yet-to-be registered All Progressive Congress (APC) have been campaigning and mobilizing in a very big way. The battle line seems to be drawn between both parties. On the side of the PDP are Senator Hope Uzodinma, Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha, Senator Author Nzeribe etc. while Governor Rochas is leading the other side…

Politics And Public Service: The Most Lucrative Business Enterprises In Nigeria Today (1)

Politics is a witty stratagem and artifice that are being exercised to establish a human and material platform for the institutionalization of a stable and progressive state with the full credence and tenet of the entrenchment of democracy and enactment of good governance. While Public Service could be categorized as a working contract entrusted to the care and responsibility of a chosen with a stipulated remuneration, recompense or allowance, for the strengthening of the affairs of the state and welfare of the people. Analytically, both politics and public service are for the advancement, growth and upliftment of a state in every facet of her development including direction, conduct, guidance, administration and management. If all these…

Kano increases pensioners allowance by 3,000%

Kano State Government has increased the minimum allowance of its pensioners by 3,000 percent.  The government said the least paid pensioner in the state now earn N5,000 as against the previous N135 per month. The State Head of Service, Alhaji Umar Shehu Minjibiri who disclosed this during a press briefing at the 2013 Public Service Day, said the implementation of the improved allowance had already taken effect. He said the state government decided to improve the pensioners’ welfare in view of the fact that their previous allowance was barely enough to attend to their needs. He also said as part of the Public Service Day celebration, the state government was organizing a workshop to sensitize…

Justice Not Sympathy for Imo State Pensioners

Recently the democratically elected government of Imo State declared that with effect from April 2013 retired civil servants will be paid pension only at the Community Government Council offices of their home communities where the traditional rulers are to identify them as genuine pensioners. The general meaning of this directive is that government gazettes of appointments, promotions and retirements of these pensioners as well as the series of biometric capturing exercises held since 2006 are unreliable records until they are confirmed by traditional rulers who have no records to verify the claims of the pensioners. No wonder that in its editorial comments of May 2, 2006 “The Guardian” said that in advanced societies the respect…

Should Nigerian Public Employees (Government Workers) also accept TIPS?

Whether you are cashing a cheque over the counter, going through immigration at the airports, making a complaint to a police officer, renewing your driver’s license, receiving a title from a royal father, ordering a drink in a bar, obtaining your transcripts from your college, arranging for a funeral with a clergy or even being rushed into the emergency room in Nigeria, be prepared to TIP. Technically, tip means “a sum of money given to someone as a reward for their services”.  It is not to be confused with wage or salary, which is a sum of money due to someone for their services.  Generally, tip is often optional and the amount determined by the…

Bombs still litter Igboland …43 Years After Civil War

It has been revealed that no fewer than  50,000 latent bombs and landmines could be found in the South East and South-South Nigeria.  They are remnants of explosives deployed during the Biafra/Nigeria war. which lasted from July 1967-January 1970. The disclosure came from the Media Director and Field Administrator of the Nigerian Mines Action Centre Owerri, Dr. Emeka Uhegbu, who spoke with The Leader recently. However he did not explain how they came about the number. The spokesman of the centre explained that more than four decades after the war ended, the region that was the theatre of war then, have remained unsafe as unexploded bombs, landmines and other forms of explosives have continued to…

The Role of the Education Officers in Museum Management

Museum according to the International Council of Museums (ICOM) can be described as “ a non-profit making permanent institution in the service of society and its development and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits for the purpose of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of man and his environment”. It does not end there, Duruaku 2006 citing the term Wikki, describes museum as a building or institution dedicated to the acquisition, conservation , study, exhibition and educational interpretation of objects having scientific historical or artistic value. Several other perceptions also abound, but in the opinion of the writer, the phenomenon can also be understood simply as the custodian of our…

Editorial: Maintaining our Pro-Life Stand

The news that the House of Representatives, after 18 months of foot-dragging has finally toed the step of the Upper Legislative Chamber in proposing laws banning the practice of gay marriage, homosexuality, lesbianism and other sexual aberrations in the country, has gladdened many hearts. Henceforth, Churches and Mosques are forbidden from conducting same sex marriages while gay and lesbian couples who marry could face up to 14 years each in prison. Witnesses or anyone who helps such couples marry could be sentenced to 10 years behind bars. Anyone taking part in a group advocating for gay rights or caught in ”public show” of gay affection also would face 10 years in prison if convicted by…

NIGERIAN GOVERNORS FORUM: WHICH WAY NOW?

When the Chief Executives of the 36 states of the federation formed the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) soon after the return to civil rule in 1999, Nigerians welcomed the idea as a laudable development capable of strengthening the then fledging nascent democracy. The Forum, as a coalition of the elected governors is a non-partisan association which seeks to promote unity in governance and better understanding among states to ensure a healthy and beneficial relationship between the states and other tiers of government.  It is on record that the Forum has played useful role at certain critical moments of crisis in the country by trying to wedge the country from drifting down the precipice. The Forum…

Janet Dozie Foundation for Empowerment of Indigent widows

June 23, 2013 is international day of the widows. Janet Dozie Foundation is kick – starting the month with empowerment of widows in Imo State. From the 2006 population census, 49.7% of the total population of Imo State was women and 18% of total households in Imo State were headed by females and most of them widows.  In Imo State, widows are confronted with problems which include obnoxious practices and poverty.  The incidence of poverty due to female headed households was 56.5%.  Poverty lays a particularly heavy burden on widows since they are the sole means of survival of their families.  The poverty of widows relate directly to their status. Indigent widows are core poor…

Lawmakers Pass Anti-Gay Marriage Bill

The House of Representatives voted Thursday to ban gay marriage and outlaw any groups actively supporting gay rights, endorsing a measure that also calls for 10-year prison sentences for any “public show” of affection by a same-sex couple. Representatives appeared to unanimously approve the proposal in a voice vote, sending it immediately to President Goodluck Jonathan for him to potentially sign into law in Africa’s most populous nation. It wasn’t immediately clear if Jonathan would sign the measure, though gays and lesbians already face public ridicule and possible prison sentences in the Country. While Western diplomats declined to immediately comment, the United Kingdom already has threatened to stop aid to nations that discriminate against gays….

The morality of sharing money to pupils in Imo (1)

Two parents called my line on Monday, April 29 at about 7.30 – 8.00pm to launch a complaint. They said they were calling in from one of the towns in Owerri North LGA. Their complaint was that their children (pupils) in the primary schools were coming back from schools at that time of the day. Reason, they were waiting to receive the 300naira stipend from the governor before going back to their homes. I couldn’t understand that myself but went into some investigations to gather from authoritative sources that the allegations were founded. It was alleged that those who came from the ministry to share the money to the kids came late themselves which warranted…