11042019 - INSECURITY: Senate condemns killings; insists on State Police

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32—Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2019 ALL nations were once poor and chaotic, but several have successfully transited from poverty to prosperity, from anarchy to order and stability. Some are, however, still stuck in extreme poverty and chaos. A modern example of the former is China. In 1951, China was an impoverished backwater, today it’s an economic superpower. Nigeria, sadly, is an acute example of the latter - still stuck in extreme poverty and chaos. Truth is, Nigeria is not working: its politics is broken, its polity is decadent. Nigeria languishes at the bottom of every global development and governance index. In a recent tweet, a retired US consular officer described Nigeria as “one of the laughingstocks of the world.” That, truly is how the outside world views Nigeria! But why is Nigeria not working? Well, there are policyrelated factors, for instance, those relating to socio-economic policies and political governance. The policy choices that a country makes, and its politico-governance system, can make the difference between its success and its failure. But these policy-related factors are not my focus here. Rather, my focus is the human factors. The truth is that Nigeria’s problems are not caused by foreigners; no foreign country has invaded or plans to invade this country; no foreign power is plotting the failure of Nigeria, whatever the conspiracy theorists might The enemies within: Why Nigeria is not working suggest. Nigeria’s problems are self-inflicted, caused primarily by human failures, and it is these endogenous human factors, and the forces behind them, that I call the enemies within. Now, what are the human factors? Well, there are many, but I would highlight just four. The first is the absolute impossibility of a national consensus on any issue in Nigeria. The second is the pervasive and destructive influences of powerful vested interests. The third is the complete lack of credible institutions of state and civil society. The fourth is the absence of a critical mass of well-informed citizens. As I said, it is a nation’s policy choices and political governance that ultimately determine its progress, but it’s the human factors that shape the policy choices and political environment. So, let’s briefly consider the human factors. Take national consensus. Progress only happens when there is a consensus in favour The parlous state of our education By Chiedu Uche Okoye THE Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Fourth Edition, defines education as “the process of teaching or learning in a school, or the knowledge you got from this.” And, the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, Luxury Edition, defines it in this way: ‘The process of educating or being educated.’ Education, we all know, is very critical to the development of any country. The technologically advanced and economically prosperous countries like America, Japan, Britain, Germany, and others have robust and functional educational systems. And, their schools offer students qualitative and practical education. We should note that national leaders of developed countries are conscious of the fact that only people with knowledge and skills can drive the developmental initiatives in their countries. But, here in Nigeria, the reverse is the case. Our political leaders pay scant attention to our schools. And the matters regarding our education are treated in a cavalier way by them. That’s why there is rot in our educational system. Consequently, products of our tertiary institutions are semiliterate people, who are found wanting both in knowledge and character. They’re unemployable, too. However, the rot in our school system pervades all the strata of our education, starting from the primary school level. In order to make basic education accessible to children of indigent parents, most states in the country have adopted free education policy. They adopted and started implementing free education policy for primary school pupils to reduce the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria. But is the free education policy for public primary and post-primary school of positive change. But when has there been a national consensus for anything in this country? Well, the only time there was a national consensus in Nigeria was during the struggle for independence. Progress eludes Nigeria primarily because of lack of unity of purpose, dominance of vested interests, weak institutions, absence of enlightened citizens, paucity of visionary and inspirational leaders students working effectively in Nigeria? It took little Miss Success Adegor’s outburst in a video clip for us to know that headmasters and headmistresses in some public primary schools have introduced illegal levies in their schools. Their introduction of those illegal levies has made nonsense of the free education policy declared in those states. The seven-year old Success Adegor, who is a pupil of Okotie- Eboh primary school, Delta State, was sent away from school owing to her parents’ inability to pay examination fees for her. In the video clip, which went viral, Success Adegor showed her preference for receiving corporal punishment over being denied the opportunity to stay in school. Her love for education cannot be mistaken, which attracted sympathy and attention to her. But the Success Adegor’s case has opened a can of worm. The head teacher of Okotie-Ebo Primary School where Success is a pupil has been suspended pending the conclusion of investigation into the issue of collection of examination fees from pupils. Not only do they pervert and corrupt the ordered way of doing things in schools, but also most teachers in public primary and post primary schools cannot inculcate knowledge into the pupils and students because they lack pedagogic skills and knowledge of the subjects which they teach. In some states in the country, primary school teachers flunked competence tests given to them. They couldn’t pass tests meant for primary four pupils. Sometime in the recent past, the Kaduna State governor, Mallam el- Rufai, angrily sacked those illiterate teachers, who flunked the competence test. His action sparked off protests and attracted condemnation to him. A primary school teacher’s inability to pass a primary four quiz underlines the deep rot in our educational Even then, while the South desperately wanted Nigeria to become independent from Britain, moving a motion for it in 1952, the North demurred. It was not until 1959 that the North changed its mind, ushering in Nigeria’s independence in 1960. Today, North and South are similarly divided on political restructuring. Indeed, schisms exist among virtually all the ethnic groups. But no nation can make progress with deeply entrenched divergent positions. Professor Cass Sunstein said in his recent book, How Change Happens, that political change only happens when a critical threshold is reached and the dam bursts. But positive change seems so elusive in this country. That brings us to the second human factor: vested interests. Nigeria is a country where powerful vested interests dictate every aspect of governance. In her book, Reforming the Unreformable, the former finance minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, illustrated how vested interests can completely derail or damage positive change in Nigeria. For instance, she narrated how her plans to reform the Customs Service were derailed by “some of the powerful forces within government and society.” Truth is, whether by the cabal in President Muhammadu Buhari’s government or powerful forces outside government, this country is run by vested interests who are benefitting from the rot and would resist any positive change. Of course, vested interests are only powerful because institutions are weak. To be sure, institutions are not just rules and structures but, more importantly, the people running them. Every society needs critical institutions of state and system. It shows that the quality of education obtained in most public primary and postprimary schools in the country has nose-dived to an abysmally low-level. Shouldn’t the federal government declare emergency in the education sector? But the precarious state of our school system is traceable to corruption, which is endemic and systemic in our country. Here in Nigeria, merit is subsumed under nepotism, clannishness, and the factor of consanguinity when it comes to recruitment of teachers into Government at different levels should re-think our educational policies, and map out strategies to tackle the rot in our schools and educational system schools. That’s why people who have no business being teachers are teaching our pupils and students in public schools. Not only are they destitute of knowledge, they also moonlight, abandoning the pupils and students placed under their care. But a government that places high premium on education should ensure that those aspiring to become teachers are subjected to rigorous academic, mental, and intellectual tests to ascertain their suitability for the teaching jobs. Again, a case should be made for the return of teachers’ training colleges in the country. In the past, teachers’ training colleges located in various places in Nigeria trained and groomed teachers in the methodologies of teaching. Those that attended the schools were equipped with pedagogic skills and adequate knowledge Send Opinions & Letters to: opinions1234@yahoo.com civil society. Sociologists talk about “pillars of integrity”, which can act as effective counter-powers against bad governance. But where are the pillars of integrity in Nigeria? The $2.1 billion arms purchase scandal was very revealing because it showed how virtually all institutions could easily be compromised. I mean, name it - the judiciary, religious groups, traditional institutions, the media, NGOs - all the country’s key institutions allegedly benefitted from the scandal. So, what hope is there for a nation when none of its critical institutions is above board? Which brings me to the last factor: a critical mass of wellinformed citizens? As Professor Paul Collier of Oxford University, put it: “Without a critical mass of well-informed citizens, rules and institutions become paper tigers, the rules get ignored, the institutions get overpowered”. But Nigeria lacks a critical mass of informed citizens to hold leaders and those in authority to account. Poverty, illiteracy, tribalism, selfinterest and other ills have bred citizens whose mantra is: “If you can’t beat them, join them”! Truth is, progress eludes Nigeria primarily because of lack of unity of purpose, dominance of vested interests, weak institutions, absence of enlightened citizens, not to talk of paucity of visionary and inspirational leaders. These human failures are the enemies within. Tackling them is the first step towards making Nigeria work. of primary school subjects, which they would deploy to effectively impart knowledge to pupils. Now, it is obvious to us that our government’s neglect of educational issues is at the root of the problems bedeviling our schools. As our public schools are in bad state, so are many privately-owned schools. Since government bodies concerned with the establishment and monitoring of private schools are negligent and remiss in their duties, there is proliferation of privately-owned primary and post-primary schools in the country. Those schools are not worthy and fit to be called schools in the true sense of the word. The collapse of the Ita Faaji School in Lagos has brought to the fore the issue of squalid and unsafe environment where pupils and students in most private primary and secondary schools are taught. Again, many private primary and post primary schools in the country recruit unqualified people as teachers whom they pay paltry sum of money at the end of each month. And good schools that offer quality education to students have priced their school fees above the financial capacities of millions of parents in Nigeria. So, children from poor homes are stuck with private schools where little or no education of pupils and students take place. Government at different levels should rethink our educational policies, and map out strategies to tackle the rot in our schools and educational system. And the issue of incessant industrial action which cripples learning in our tertiary institutions and alters their school calendars should be addressed. More so, it is imperative for the government to put a stop to its rash establishment of universities, which it cannot fund adequately. Rather, it should monitor the educational programmes and activities of private universities to ensure that they meet the minimum globally accepted standards. •Okoye, a social commentator, wrote from Uruowulu-Obosi, Anambra State
Vanguard, THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2019 — 33 2019 POLLS: A-Ibom group makes case for REC By Chioma Onuegbu UYO—AKWA Ibom Human Rights Community, AKHRC, has stressed the need to encourage and applaud the state Resident Electoral Commissioner Mr. Mike Igini for conducting what it described as credible elections in the 2019 general elections. The group, in a statement by its Coordinator and Secretary, Mr. Clifford Thomas and Mr. Enobong Ekot respectively, noted that for the first time the residents were satisfied with the outcome of the polls. According to the group, those who have proven themselves to make the electoral process work must be encouraged. The group expressed no doubt that the tremendous improvement in the conduct of the 2019 general elections would encourage voter participation in the next general elections in the country as people now believe that their votes could actually count. The statement reads: “For the first time in the state, people came out to vote, and their votes actually counted. And they even followed the results from the unit, ward and to the local government collation centres. Before these elections, there was this fear among Akwa Ibom electorate, they never believed that their votes would ever count. “Mr. Mike Igini must be congratulated for his star performance during the 2019 elections. He must be encouraged to do more. Igini ensured that the past became history in Akwa Ibom, by putting the electorate, not the politician, first in INEC’s agenda.” The group said having been satisfied with the electoral process in the last elections that Igini deserves to be promoted to head INEC at the national level in order to promote integrity and transparency throughout the country in future elections. Rotary donates libraries to schools By Simon Adewale DISTRICT 9141 Rotary, Sapele Urban, Delta State has donated well equipped and furnished libraries to two schools in Sapele, Orodje Grammar School and Ethiope Primary School. This came as a primary six pupil of Ethiope Primary School, Gift Akpere received a scholarship for one year from the book distribution committee chairman of District 9141 Rotary, Sapele Urban, Dr. Esioghene Agbatutu for his AWARD OF HONOURARY DOCTORATE DEGREE: Chief Femi Ojo, Principal Partner, Foster Associates (middle), after receiving a Honourary Doctor of Science in Finance and Tax Management awarded by the European American University (EAU). With him are Dr Dominic Opara (left) and Prof Simeon Nnah, both of EAU. The award took place at the University of Lagos Main Auditorium, recently. <strong>INSECURITY</strong>: ....As another asks FG to revisit restructuring By Emma Amaize Y ENAGOA—A group, 21st Century Youths of the Niger Delta and Agitators with Conscience, yesterday, expressed concern over the failure of the Federal Government to live up to its responsibility of protecting lives and property of Nigerians, urging the government to revisit the demand for restructuring The group in a statement by “Gen” Izon Ebi, said the government was very good in condemning killing of innocent Nigerians, but does not match words with action. It said: “Government should revisit the clamour for restructuring by the various geopolitical zones, including Pan Niger Delta Forum PANDEF, Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, Pan-Yoruba cultural organisation, Afenifere and the Middle Belt Elders Forum and agitators, and as a matter of utmost urgency, sign into law the electoral and other bills passed by the National Assembly to strengthen our institutions.” outstanding performance at reading competition organised by the organisation in the school. Meanwhile, Principal of Orodje Grammar School, Agbata Enoch and the Headmistress of Ethiope Primary School, Mrs. Edith Agino, who received the items on behalf of the two schools, have paid flowing tribute to the donors, saying: “The libraries will go a long way in entrenching the culture of reading in the wards, thus assisting them to pass their examinations in flying colours.” “The Federal Government should also revisit the recommendation of its party, All Progressives Congress, APC Committee chaired by the governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, on restructuring. The restructuring of this nation is the only panacea to the monster bedevilling the growth, peace and prosperity of this nation. “Immediate devolution of power, creation of state police to allow the people protect themselves as practised in other civilized democracies because democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people to allow the people participate, protect and contribute to the development of our dear nation.” The agitators also condemned the move by some politicians to blackmail the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Professor Charles Dokubo by sponsoring thugs and villagers to vandalize the Vocational Training Centre in Kaiama, Bayelsa State. “It is regrettable and unacceptable to blackmail the sincere efforts of Professor Dokubo and President Muhammadu Buhari concerning the amnesty programme,'' it said. Edo Assembly passes resolution on students’ use of pedestrian bridges By Alemma Aliu BENIN CITY—EDO State House of Assembly has adopted a resolution making it compulsory to use pedestrian bridges located in front of the University of Benin, Ugbowo Campus Gate and the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi in Etsako West Local Government Area of the state. The House also tasked relevant agencies to ensure that students and other pedestrians use the bridges instead of crossing the highway. Moving the motion under matters of urgent public importance, the lawmaker representing Ovia North East Constituency I, Eghe Osazewinde, said multiple accidents have claimed the lives of students crossing the high way. According to him: “After the construction and commissioning of these bridges, the problems associated with carnages on the road remained unabated as a result of the non-usage of the bridges by pedestrians and commuters in these areas.'' Damian Lawani representing Etsako Central Constituency, called for the setting up of a mobile court to try and sentence defaulters in line with the State Traffic Offences Law. The Speaker, Kabiru Adjoto directed that clean copies of the adopted resolution be sent to the Acting Governor, Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, leadership of the students Union Governments of the affected institutions, the Nigeria Police, Federal Road Safety Corps, and Federal Road maintenance Agency FERMA. Delta Assembly passes two bills By Festus Ahon A State SABA—DELTA House of Assembly, has passed the Delta State Customary Court Bill, 2017 and Delta State Cancer Control Bill, 2017. The passage of the bills followed separate motions by the Majority Leader, Mr. Tim Owhefere for the suspension of Order 12, rule 77, 78 and 79, to enable the House take the third readings of the Ex-militant leaders task NDDC boss over water hyacinth, surveillance jobs By Emem Idio Y FORMER ENAGOA— militant leaders in Bayelsa State under the aegis of Niger Delta Ex-Agitator Leaders have appealed to the Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Prof Nelson Brambaifa to effect the payment of water hyacinth jobs that have been executed. The group which also expressed dissatisfaction over the delay in the payment of surveillance contracts entitlements to beneficiaries said they were running out of patience with the commission. Court strikes out N254m bribery charge against Senator Bassey, Omokore By Henry Ojelu A Lagos Special Offences Court, sitting in Ikeja yesterday, struck out a N254m bribery charge against Senator Albert Bassey representing Akwa-Ibom North- East, and businessman, Olajide Omokore by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. EFCC had alleged that Bassey received bribes of 12 cars worth N254m during his tenure (2010-2014) as the Akwa-Ibom State Commissioner for Finance. He was to be charged alongside an oil marketer, Omokore. The anti graft agency also alleged that on May 10, 2010, Bassey corruptly received a BMW X5 BP worth N50m from Omokore and in December 2012, he received another Infinity QX 56 BP worth N45m from him. Trial judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo in a ruling, struck out the suit due to lack of jurisdiction and advised the anti-graft commission to file the suit in Akwa-Ibom State, where the alleged bribe took place. “The issue of jurisdiction is a fundamental one. In the bills and seconded by Mrs Pat Ajudua and Dr Alphonsus Ojo. Owhefere thereafter, moved another two separate motions for the bills to be read for the third time and passed and was seconded by Mr Samuel Mariere and Mrs Pat Ajudua. The bills were accorded unanimous passage through a voice vote. The Speaker, Mr. Sheriff Oborevwori thanked the members for their commitment and contributions to the bills. In a statement after a meeting in Yenagoa, the Vice-chairman and Coordinator of the group, General Alex and Leader Monday, urged Prof Brambaifa to urgently address the issues to avoid confrontation and a breakdown of law and order in the region. They said: “Public officers should remain apolitical and should desist from playing politics with public funds and the development of the region to the detriment of the people of the region. Issues of public interest must be treated with the urgency to avoid plunging the region into unnecessary crisis.” instant case, the prosecution had failed to give reasons why the suit should be heard within this jurisdiction. This court lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate on this matter. I hereby strike out this suit for lack of jurisdiction. “The prosecution should file the charges in Akwa- Ibom where the alleged fraud took place, “ Justice Taiwo said. The defendants counsel, Solomon Umoh, SAN and Olatunde Adejuyigbe, SAN, had respectively filed applications contending that the court had no power to hear the substantive case. Bassey’s counsel, Umoh, had argued that “There is nothing in the proof of evidence that suggested that any aspect of the alleged crime against the first defendant was committed outside Akwa-Ibom State and in Lagos State. “Happily, the prosecution has narrowed everything down that it was cars that was delivered to the first defendant by the second defendant. If he (Bassey) received in Akwa-Ibom State, how come they are coming to try him in Lagos State.''
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11042019 - INSECURITY: Senate condemns killings; insists on State Police

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