SOMEDAY, FROM THAT DAY WE SHALL BE FREE!

Someday, job applicants in Nigeria will not be made to pay to apply for govt jobs without getting absorbed or losing out to the "connected ones"-who will never attend any job aptitude test but eventually get govt jobs.

Someday, govt jobs will not be meant for the "connected, politically favoured incompetent ones" but for those who really deserve and are ready to diligently serve with veracity of mind and purpose.

Someday, govt agencies, departments and parastatals will stop having the opportunity to extort & defraud job seekers in the name of recruitment exercises.

Someday, a larger percentage of our youths will not be idle job-seekers but youths who have varied & creative opportunities to be employed, self-employed & be job creators, adding value to the nation’s economy.

Someday, Nigeria will be led by leaders who genuinely have the welfare of their people at heart and are duly committed to creating enabling environment for social economic development.

Someday, Nigeria will be free from band of leaders who keep milking the nation in the midst of widespread poverty.

…Leaders who go round campaigning for re-election amid wide evidence of their sloppiness and ineptitude.

…Leaders who takes pleasure in shielding thieves & corrupt aides while the nation is wallowing in huge debt.

…Leaders who keep voting & spending billions of naira on private security while lives of innocent & defenceless citizens are been massacred weekly.

…Leaders who keep asking people for religious piety & prayers while they go about patronizing marabouts & sprawling in their laziness.

One day Nigeria will be free from a class of these deadheads!

Someday Africa will be free from selfish, myopic, egoistic, covetous & corrupt leaders!

From that day we shall be free indeed!

-Written By Seun Adeogun

This is a reflection inspired by the worry I got myself entangled with as a result of the reports of current happenings in my beloved country Nigeria.

It’s high time our leaders realised that Nigerians are probe-sick & action-eager!

RIP to fellow countrymen who have lost their lives as a result of the prevalent insecurity and socio-economic malaise in recent times!

London Metropolitan University To Face out Nigeria Students

August 30, 2012 

Hundreds of Nigerian students in London face deportation as London Metropolitan University has had their right to admit foreign students revoked.

Many of the international students speak of their deportation worries if not able to find a sponsor within 60 days, elombah.com reports.

“Some people come from poorer backgrounds… parents have sold their homes or land and made huge sacrifices to get them here,’ says London Met student facing deportation.

Lilian Owhor, 20, from Nigeria, is about to start her second year reading forensic science.
She said, “I’m really worried because this is my future.

“I have come in today to get my transcripts, as I will have to see if I can transfer to another university.

“I haven’t been very happy since yesterday. My friends have told me to have hope.

“The university have said they would help us. I contacted them yesterday before the final decision was announced but I haven’t spoken to anyone yet today.

“I haven’t told my parents. I am just hoping I don’t have to go back to Nigeria. My fees are around £11,000 per year. I have already spent a lot of money on my education here.”

Emmanuel Egwu, 24 from Nigeria is the international student officer at the university’s student union and about to begin his third year reading forensic science.

He said, “I have lost my job, not just my place at this university. I came over here in 2009 and I have invested a huge amount in this university.

“My role within the Union means I represent the students affected. More than 2,600 students studying here are about to face two options: they can look for another place in another university or they can leave.

“People have been ringing me all morning from their homes in Nigeria and India asking me what they should do. I have to explain to them that they have to stay calm and they can call whenever they need me.

“They will receive a letter from UKBA who will tell them they have 60 days to find a solution. 
“This is devastating, some people come from poorer backgrounds and their parents have sold their homes or land and made huge sacrifices to get them here.

“I’m feeling very bitter. I can’t believe that they can do this to international students. It poses a serious threat to UK higher education.”

Egwu said the students affected were planning to meet with the vice chancellor of the university laterThursday (today).

“We’ll see what he has to say,” he added.

He said they also hope to plan a peaceful protest.

Syed Rumman, 26, graduated from the university last year. He studied law and is now the vice president of education at the student union and student governor of the university.

He said: “I require a T4 visa to work for the university so I will have to leave my job.

“I’m angry, I’m devastated, I’m speechless but on the other hand this is a wider issue, because this is the first time that T4 sponsorship places have been revoked at a UK university.

“There are lots of questions in my mind.

“But on a practical level, where are all these students going to go? You see on the news that people doing their A-Levels have found it hard to go to the universities they want to go to.

“I just don’t know what is going to happen. It’s in the middle of their studies, some of them will be submitting research projects of the summer, things will be unfinished. It’s a bombshell.”

London Metropolitan University’s HTS status was suspended last month while UKBA examined alleged failings.

A statement posted on the university’s website Wednesday night reads, “The implications of the revocation are hugely significant and far-reaching, and the university has already started to deal with these. It will be working very closely with the UKBA, Higher Education Funding Council for England, the NUS and its own Students’ Union.

“Our absolute priority is to our students, both current and prospective, and the university will meet all its obligations to them.”

The NUS on Wednesday contacted Prime Minister David Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May to “express anger at the way decisions have been made in recent weeks and to reiterate the potentially catastrophic effects on higher education as a £12.5 billion per year export industry for the UK.”

NUS president Liam Burns said, “It is disgusting that international students continue to be used as a political football by politicians who seem either incapable of understanding, or are simply uncaring about the impact of their decisions on individuals, universities and the UK economy.

“This decision will create panic and potential heartbreak for students not just at London Met but also all around the country.

“Politicians need to realise that a continued attitude of suspicion towards international students could endanger the continuation of higher education as a successful export industry.

“This heavy-handed decision makes no sense for students, no sense for institutions and no sense for the country. This situation and the botched process by which the decision was arrived at could be avoided if international students were not included in statistics of permanent migrants.”

A UKBA spokesman said, “London Metropolitan University’s licence to sponsor non-EU students has been revoked after it failed to address serious and systemic failings that were identified by the UK Border Agency six months ago.

“We have been working with them since then, but the latest audit revealed problems with 61 per cent of files randomly sampled. Allowing London Metropolitan University to continue to sponsor and teach international students was not an option.

“These are problems with one university, not the whole sector. British universities are among the best in the world – and Britain remains a top class destination for top class international students.

“We are doing everything possible, working with Universities UK, to assist genuine students that have been affected.”

Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said the move could harm Britain’s reputation as a prime destination for overseas students.

Teen kills uncle for shutting down her internet

Taipei -A Taiwan teenager allegedly stabbed her uncle to death on Wednesday because he shut down her internet to stop her from staying online late into the night.

The 19-year-old, identified only by her surname Lin, was taken into custody in Miaoli County in the north-west of the island after she allegedly stabbed her uncle in the stomach with a 29-centimetre knife, according to the semi-official Central News Agency.

Based on their initial investigation, the police said the teen was connecting to the internet around 2 am when her uncle shut the power down. An argument ensued, and the teen pulled out the knife.

The 37-year-old uncle, whose name was not released, died of his wounds in a local hospital.
Lin’s grandmother, who also lived in the home, said the uncle had a bad temper, and would shut down the power of the house occasionally while Lin was surfing the web because he was annoyed that she stayed up so late.

A representative from Miaoli’s prosecutors office declined to comment on the case, but said a murder conviction in Taiwan carries a penalty ranging from 10 years in prison to a death sentence. (dpa/NAN)

How ex-General’s daughter, Cynthia, was killed by facebook ‘friends’

IKEJA— Indications emerged, Tuesday, that the late Cynthia Osokogu, the only daughter of General Frank  Osokogu (rtd), whose  body was discovered in a Lagos morgue a month after she was declared missing, could have been murdered by her facebook acquaintances.

Already, six persons, among them two  university students, a pharmacist and an employee of the hotel where the 24-year-old post-graduate student was murdered have been arrested.

Investigation into the murder, as reliably gathered, revealed that Cynthia was strangled to death in the hotel by her assailants, who thereafter left with an undisclosed amount, her student identity card and phones.
Report said the beautiful and vivacious Cynthia had chatted with the two undergraduates on facebook for months.

In the process, they reportedly got to know that she owned a boutique in Nasarawa State, following which they reportedly had a business proposal with her, promising  to host her whenever she visited Lagos.
On her arrival at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, on July 22, 2012, she was reportedly picked up by the two undergraduates  and driven to a hotel in Festac Town. Unknown to her, she was embarking on a journey of no return.

At the hotel, her drink was reportedly drugged before she was strangled to death. Vanguard reliably gathered that after her death, one of her assailants  left the room and later put a call to the hoteliers, informing them that there was a corpse in one of the rooms.

The hotel, as gathered, took the corpse to the Isolo General Hospital mortuary. Sources informed that efforts by the hoteliers to contact family of the deceased proved abortive as there was reportedly nothing to trace her close relatives or friends.

Meanwhile, back in Nasarawa State where her family is said to be based, apprehension had set in following her disappearance. She was, therefore, declared missing, with her pictures dropped at some police divisions in the state.

How the suspects were arrested 

Vanguard reliably gathered that after the murder,  the killers deleted all information and chats with the deceased from their facebook. But, along the line, the deceased phone was  dialled and one of the suspects reportedly answered. When  the call log was checked from the service provider, the receiver was traced to Festac Town in the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area.

Again, the Close Circuit Television stationed in the hotel was said to have revealed identities of the killers following which two of them  were arrested and their confessional statement led to the arrest of others.
During interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed to have bought the drugs with which they drugged Cynthia’s drink  from a pharmacist, thereby leading  to his arrest. It was at this point that her family was reportedly  contacted.

Vanguard reliably gathered that during investigation, the two undergraduates, whose identities could not be ascertained,  confessed to have killed Cynthia.

They also reportedly confessed to belong to a syndicate which specialised in luring unsuspecting  rich women with the aim of dispossessing them of their belongings, particularly cash.

The late Cynthia, as gathered, was not their first victim, as they were said to have confessed to the police that she was their sixth victim.

When contacted, spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, Ngozi Braide, confirmed the arrest, but was not forthcoming with details.

 Story By Vanguard Newspapers' Evelyn Usman

The Lagos Road Traffic Law

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, recently took a drastic step in the effort to ease traffic flow and improve road safety in the state with the signing into law of a new traffic legislation. Tagged Lagos Road Traffic Law, the legislation prohibits driving against traffic and eating, smoking or making phone calls while driving. Other offences under the law, which will soon be operational in the state, are refusal to obey traffic lights and road signs, and driving without valid drivers’ licences.

The law also restricts movement of commercial motorcycles known as okada to between 6 a.m and 8 p.m only, while they are banned from major roads such as Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, Ikorodu Road, Apapa – Oshodi Expressway, the Victoria Island – Lekki – Epe Expressway and all bridges, such as the Third Mainland Bridge. Articulated vehicles, with the exception of fuel tankers and long passenger buses, are banned from all roads in the state between 6 a.m and 9 p.m., while picking and dropping of passengers at unauthorised places, and sale of alcohol at motor parks, are also proscribed.

Infractions of these provisions attract stiff penalties such as community service, hefty fines, impounding of vehicles and jail terms. These sanctions have since become a subject of controversy in the state. There is no arguing the fact that Lagos’ legendary intractable traffic gridlocks demand bold action from the state authorities.

Traffic hold ups exact a huge toll in the state. They are responsible for avoidable waste of valuable man-hours, and also contribute to rising rates of road accidents. Traffic jams impact negatively on the health of commuters, even as they constitute a huge drain on the economy. The gridlocks are largely caused by flagrant disregard of traffic laws and ethics, although bad roads and flooding during the raining season also play a role.

The decision to tackle the traffic problem in the state through stiff legislation is, therefore, commendable. Such laws are unavoidable if the Lagos metropolis, in particular, is not to be ground to a halt by unruly motorists. But, while it is necessary to guide the conduct of drivers in the state with stringent laws, the sanctions prescribed under the new legislation are draconian. For example, the law provides for a fine of N20,000 for first offenders of some of the provisions, N30,000 for subsequent offences, or three years imprisonment or both subsequently for offenders.

Defaulting articulated vehicles such as trailers will be impounded while drivers of such vehicles will pay N50,000 fine or be liable to imprisonment for six months. These are unduly harsh provisions. There is no justification at all for impounding of vehicles for traffic offences, because the offender may not necessarily be the owner of the vehicle. It is also improper to impound vehicles from motorists who present fake documents, as the law states, especially when such documents are obtained from the appropriate authorities. Beyond the stringency of the law, however, is the lack of adequate road signs to guide motorists on use of roads in the state. A state that wants to enforce severe sanctions for traffic law infractions must provide road signs to guide motorists.

Necessary road signs and directions must not only be provided, law enforcement officers in the state must be trained to guide motorists, and not to lay ambush for them as is the practice today. Law enforcement officers must abide by the law and demonstrate high sense of responsibility in its implementation. The essence of the law should be to ensure road safety and ease traffic flow and not to apprehend offenders in order to extort bribes, or fine or jail them.

This is why the state must not be hasty in implementation of the law. Let all the necessary road signs be put in place. Officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) should be properly trained and orientated and motorists educated on the provisions of the law through vigorous enlightenment campaigns. While we commend some aspects of the law such as the restrictions on operations of commercial motorcyclists and trailers, we are concerned that the new law appears to violate Section 42 (1) of the
Nigerian Constitution in that it prescribes for Lagos State a law that is different from those applicable to people in other states.

That section of the Constitution states that: “A citizen of Nigeria of a particular community… shall not, by reason only that he is such a person, be subjected either expressly by, or in the practical application of any law in force in Nigeria … to disabilities or restrictions to which citizens of Nigeria in other communities … are not made subject.” Moreover, aspects of the new trafffic law offend the principle of Federalism in that they restrict movement of certain categories of vehicles on mostly Federal roads such as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which are not within the jurisdiction of Lagos State government.

This is a glaring anomaly. Beyond enforcement of this law, we advise the Lagos government to put roads in the state in good motorable condition, to reduce traffic gnarls that push motorists into driving against traffic in the first place. The law, though good in a few aspects, is too draconian. Many of its provisions, especially those relating to jail terms and seizure of vehicles, should be reviewed.

Culled from the Sun newspapers Editorial, August 12, 2012

OUR FIRST LADY THE PERMANENT SECRETARY

DESPITE desperate attempts to explain and justify it, the appointment of the wife of the President, Patience Jonathan, as permanent secretary in the Bayelsa State civil service is an abuse of process, abuse of office and totally without merit. It is not surprising that the appointment has attracted public criticisms on grounds of propriety. Mrs. Jonathan has already taken the oath of office, putting paid to expectations that she might turn down the controversial appointment. That act of taking the oath even magnifies the impropriety of the wife of a serving president, already playing full ceremonial role at the presidency as the First Lady, being so elevated; more so as she has been out of her career job for more than 13 years, ostensibly on leave of absence.

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, affirmed that the appointment of Dame Patience as permanent secretary, along with 18 others, was done in a transparent manner and after due consultations with stakeholders. He further said the process was devoid of lobbying, as those elevated were selected from a list of the most senior civil servants in each of the eight local councils of the state. Besides, the exercise, he emphasised, was in accordance with the constitutional power conferred on the governor.

On her part, the First Lady insisted that she deserved the promotion, being a teacher in the state’s civil service who had been on leave of absence since 1999 when her husband became the deputy governor of the state. She reasoned further that since the position of the First Lady was not constitutional, she needed to express her career in the civil service and be entitled to retirement benefit upon leaving the service.

Notwithstanding the justifications, the development provokes a number of pertinent questions: What relevant bureaucratic experience has the First Lady to merit her appointment? What is her portfolio? How does her appointment interface with her extra-constitutional role as First Lady? So far, no one has provided the answers. It is beyond doubt that Mrs. Jonathan has no bureaucratic experience for the position she has been elevated to, and since it is a nominal appointment without any formal portfolio, what point does the governor intend to prove by the appointment?

The governor’s insistence that the appointment was done on merit and that he only exercised his constitutional powers is face-saving, certainly not reconcilable with the fact of the act being an aberration, meant only to curry the president’s favour or goodwill. It smacks of an attempt by the governor at ingratiating himself to the president, given the controversy of his emergence as governor of Bayelsa State. Ordinarily in most civil service regulations, officers on secondment or leave of absence, upon return, sit for promotion examination and if successful, are granted apposite notional promotion to bring them to the levels of their colleagues.

It may be argued that past first ladies such as Mrs. Fati Abubakar and Mrs. Mary Odili had been caught in a similar political-cum-moral web. To be sure, their cases were different from the present one. For example, Justice Fati Abubakar, who was a High Court judge in her native Niger State, remained on her job despite her husband, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar, becoming the head of state. This was under a military dictatorship, and no organ of government played sycophancy to the head of state by elevating his wife to some unearned portfolio. Mrs. Odili was professionally focused as Justice of Appeal Court and hardly played the Rivers State’s first lady role, a fact that ensured her career growth and subsequent elevation to the Supreme Court.

Above all, the development points up the ethical component of the state. The ethical state must ensure social justice; it must be accountable to the people; it must be sensitive to the public perception and feelings and it must be self-effacing. In doing so, the state earns its legitimacy and maintains hegemony of sorts. The First Lady’s appointment ignores the ethical side of the state and its responsibility. The governor betrays ignorance of the fact that leadership is a position of pre-eminence, not one to be trivialised. By appointing Mrs. Jonathan a permanent secretary, Dickson trivialised his office. The mere reliance on provisions of the 1999 Constitution, without a corresponding judicious use of his powers therein regarding the appointment to the State Civil Service, is simply disingenuous. President Jonathan on his part ought to have advised against it, as the decision constitutes a moral burden on the image of the presidency.

Despite the oath of office, the appointment can still be reversed. As the Scottish bard, William Shakespeare once opined: “For many an error by the same example, will rush into the st.”

Therefore, the rascality of the ‘African big man’ should not be tolerated in a democratic dispensation, as it is insulting to the sensibility of the people.

Culled from the Guardian Newspaper Editorial July 30 2012

Short Reflection on Nigeria's Democracy Day

Today marks thirteenth year of Nigeria's democracy and without sounding to critical, nothing has been achieved so far by the People's Democratic Party, PDP, led administration in alleviating the sufferings of majority of Nigerians.

Rather, what Nigerians have witnessed are, higher level of insecurity and human right abuses; greater level of corruption in virtually all sectors of the economy; infrastructural decay; incessant increase in public utilities tariffs; and increase in level of unemployment, just to mention but few.

It quite unfortunate that so far in  the history of Nigeria, we have a President with the highest level of education (university) but the worst performed!

God bless Nigeria!

The Trim-Tab: ACTION PHOTOS FROM PROTEST AGAINST SUBSIDY REMOVAL...

The Trim-Tab: ACTION PHOTOS FROM PROTEST AGAINST SUBSIDY REMOVAL...

ACTION PHOTOS FROM PROTEST AGAINST SUBSIDY REMOVAL

REMOVAL OF FUEL SUBSIDY: PROTEST NOW OR CONTINUE SUFFERING!

By Seun Luseun Adeogun 

January 1 2011.

The worst New Year gift Nigerians have ever received in the last fifty years is the removal of subsidy on petroleum by the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. This is action is simile considered to be a criminal & barbaric act from the presidency. It shows how insensitive, barbaric and inconsiderate the government of the day is.

In actual fact, the foolishness of a myopic majority who voted for Goodluck Ebere Jonathan in the April 2011 polls out of their irrational empathy has brought us to this state of socio-economic afflictions. This present government is a corruption induced government and it’s of no different from the previous administrations in Nigeria.

It is time for the average Nigerian to take to streets and protest peacefully and massively against GEJ’s insensibility and hatred to the Nigerian populace. We can’t continue to suffer extremely while the government is living large on public funds. We must frustrate inhumane gestures by this government. 

The present Nigeria predicament is characterised with massive graduate and youth unemployment, insecurity of lives and properties, enormous socio-economic crises, high level of corruption most especially in government, its agencies, departments and parastatals. Amidst all these, the presidency without remorse is spending and budgeting huge amounts of money to run an inactive, purposeless and clueless government with an array of special advisers and unneeded aides.

In a matter of time, the subsidy removed will result into companies downsizing due to increase in the cost of running businesses, there would be 100% increase in transportation fares across all transportation sectors, and this will have adverse effect on food prices and other commodities. And the common man would be the most affected!

Have you seen anywhere in the world where a government with all its powers and authority, finds it hard to fight a cabal within its territory? A government that is not ready to live by example by reducing its cost of running government but find it so easy to force the populace to make the sacrifices isn’t worth existing!

If the administration of Goodluck Jonathan finds it hard to fight corruption, then he should resign! We can continue like this. What is the essence of being a Nigerian when the populace can’t enjoy anything worthy as citizens!

It’s quite unfortunate that the present administration that finds it very difficult to fight corruption in its domain still find it easy to plan to use the same corrupt system & method to manage funds diverted from the fuel subsidy removal;. this shows the government has no direction. The problem with Nigeria is not unavailability of fund rather it is the ineffective and corrupt management of funds. What has been happening to all the previous proceeds from the hike in petroleum products in the past ten years? 

Former president Obasanjo promised that the proceeds from fuel hikes during his administration would be used to build basic infrastructures across the federation, what are the evidences today?

kudos to those of us out there to protest....for those thinking we are fools, fine  right where you are, you will soon be negatively affected by the fuel subsidy removal!

TRIBUTE TO MY NEPHEW:Bolawa Akisanya-2005-2011

TRIBUTE TO MY OCTOBER BOY-BOLAWA AKISANYA (OCTOBER 26 2005-NOVEMBER 12 2011)

You never told me you will exit this soon

Last week you were with me

You persuaded me to allow you see a movie on the PC

I told you to wait till I finish my write-up

You said no problem

I even asked you when you will write your own book, after your brother showed me his,

You said soon…

Afterward, I saw you playing ball in the compound

You were gentle and handsome

Brilliant and Interesting!

In a very short period

You developed a slight illness

Despite much efforts to get you on feet

You suddenly gave up!

Little did I know the weight of your assertion "Bintin Laye"(tiny world)

The little period you spent

You made great impact

You made me feel happy whenever you are around me

You asked me deep questions

You surprise me with your utterances

You are always willing to lend a helping hand

 Now I have to dig your grave

I never imagined or pray for this in my life…this will never occur again

My boy, very early this day

You made my cry like a baby

All through the journey

From the hospital down home

I have to carry your corpse on my laps

With no movement from you

Despite the ditches we ran into on the way to the family house

No breathe no sneeze

No cough no shakes…

Now, none of us could sleep alone!

Well, I love to see you always

But fatality has separated us now

 I will do all I can with His grace

To ensure I end up in heaven

Where we shall meet again

My October boy

The Akisanyas will miss you

The Adelekes will miss you

The Adeoguns will miss you

St. Bernadette School Ipaja will miss your brilliance and agility

I will miss you gan ni

You dwelled in the shelter of the most high

While in this world

Now rest in the shadow of the Almighty God!

Blossom in His bosom!

WAR AGAINST TERRORISM: LESSONS FROM AMERICA

By Seun Adeogun

September 11, 2011

T

today, Americans solemnly remember their fellow countrymen who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks on the New York Twin Towers, shanks Ville, Pennsylvania and the Pentagon building.

Having being following the steps taken by the US leadership since the September 11 2001 attack, it marvels me how the American government and people value their countrymen. In the past ten years consecutively, measures were undertaken by the American government to reduce the spate of terrorism and September 11, each year, the victims of this terrorist attacks are fondly remembered, not just with words but with positive action from the government, living on the promise of curbing the menace of terrorism around the world. This is one promise the American government from Bush’s administration to Obama’s have been living up to.

With this promise in mind, the Al-Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden, who claimed responsibility for the attacks, was laid to rest by the US Navy seal in his stronghold. This promise had also led to the American invasion of Afghanistan and other terrorist haven across the world.

Here in Nigeria, a lot is being dedicated to commemorate with America. Quite a number of newspaper reports, TV and radio programmes were dedicated to remember the victims of the September 11 2001 attacks, while promoting the campaign against terrorism all over the world. Good and hearty as this may be, albeit, one question kept coming to my mind, what is the Nigerian government and people doing to combat terrorism and remember those innocent citizens whose lives were lost due to the recurring crisis in Jos, the several bomb attacks and the ethnic-religious crises in different part of the nation?

The answer is too obvious to an abreast citizen of this nation. The Nigerian government and its agencies are yet to find an alleviating solution to the rising spate of insecurity across its territory. Up on till now, nothing meaningful has been done by the government to either unravel or bring to book the perpetrators of these dastardly acts, neither has it solemnly remembered its fallen citizens. It has totally shown a complete disregard to its constitutional responsibility of protecting its citizens. This is a government that have found pleasure in treating its citizens with contempt.

Despite some security lapses, the American government took up the due responsibility to protect its citizens within and outside the state. Far beyond this, it has kept on reassuring its people, by way of consoling the families of the victims of the terror attack, due justice and the persecution of the perpetrators of this dastardly act.

President Obama recently asserts that America is stronger ten years after the terrorist attacks.  Without gainsaying, the American government place high esteem on its citizens, it has demonstrated the capacity to handle the situation. This is just the way to go for all other government of nations across the world.

I therefore hope the Nigerian government learn from this and live up to its due responsibilities by instituting Justice and protecting its citizens within and outside the nation. It is high time Nigerian government stopped playing politics with security issues. The feeble response of government to the Jos crisis alone has brought about different panels of investigation but it’s so disgusting that none of the recommendations of the panels has been given a pragmatic consideration. Besides, nothing has being done to curb the rising spate of terrorism, unravel or bring to book the perpetrators of the several bomb attacks in some part of the country most especially in the northern region of the country. Nigerians on their part must be security conscious and be genuinely patriotic. We must act in unity and see ourselves as brothers and sisters.

OF THE CURRENT EVENTS IN THE JUDICARY

The current mess witnessed in the Nigerian justice system will no doubt, douse the anti-graft war. It is becoming clearer to us that we have a failed, corrupt and lawless justice system in the nation. We therefore need a total value re-orientation in the nation’s polity. Our values are so eroded that they depletes legitimate means of survival to roguery and crooked avenues for survival.

THE AGONIZING UNEMPLOYMENT SITUATION N NIGERIA:WAY FORWARD

THE AGONIZING UNEMPLOYMENT SITUATION IN NIGERIA

By Seun Adeogun

July 2011

The dawdling approach of government to the issue of mass unemployment is opening up more avenues for social outburst, unrest and crisis.in the past few years the situation has not been able to get a thorough and positive action form the authority, thereby putting the nation’s security and corporate existence at jeopardy.

In the past twelve years of democratic governance in which the unemployment rate have soured high than ever, so much fund has been expended by the Federal Government to stimulate the nation’s economy but the lack of strong-will to ensure full utilisation and monitoring of these funds on the part of the government led to the misappropriation of these funds by some public officers and political jobbers leaving the common majority to languish in suffering.

Early in 2000, the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo came out with the privatization policy which was expected to facilitate infrastructural development, economic viability and also create massive employment opportunities but the recent revelation from the incumbent vice president Nimadi Sambo indicated that about 80% of the privatised companies are not working. This has however led to the colossal loss of the expected economic returns from the much publicised public enterprise privatisation exercise.

Majority of the privatised public corporations that expected to generate additional employment opportunities such as the Delta Steel Company that ab initio employed up to 20,000 at creation now have less than 4,000 workforces. Going by a World Bank report, the steel industry alone could have created at least 40,000 jobs while saving us a lot of foreign exchange putting into consideration the massive revolution in the auto industry. In like manner, the Electricity Metre Company of Nigeria, Zaria, privatised in December 2002 recently retrenched about 90% of its workers thereby compounding the unemployment figure in the country.

 In 2007 under the late President Yar’dua, N 500 billion naira industrial fund was devoted as an intervention fund to resuscitate the ailing real sector. Till date the industry is yet to bounce back into operation despite having the ability to absorb the teeming unemployed youths. The agricultural sector and textile industry alone if revived are viable enough to absorb a large percentage of teeming unemployed youths. But one unfortunate thing is that no one has really felt the impact of these intervention funds. 

Against this background, this social economic challenge is fast brewing a massive social crisis which the government is already finding very difficult to manage. One would think the government of the day would have learnt some lessons from the uprising in Tunisia, Egypt and lately, the reactions in some parts of London, and brazen up its economic recovery and job creation effort.

Psychologists have opined that one of the greatest instincts in man is the instinct for survival and the moment there’s no legitimate or meaningful way to survival, man is tempted to look the other way for sustenance. This high rate of insecurity in the nation in recent times is nothing other than a litmus test for this psychological assertion.

Not only has the unemployment situation rendered some of our best hands idle, largely enough, it has resulted into value and productivity degradation. A handful percentage of our unemployed youths are turning into different kinds of illegitimate ventures in a bid to survive. Some of them now find solace in armed robbery, fraudulent activities, drug peddling, smuggling, terrorism, militancy, prostitution, ritual killings, suicide, etc. which are all  prominent within the society today.

The Council for Unemployed Nigerians said about 48.9 million Nigerians are currently unemployed. This figure coincides with the World Bank 2009 statistics that state that about 40 million Nigerian youths (28.57%) are unemployed.

The Way Forward

If we must find a lasting solution to the flying rate of unemployment, then we must begin to look inward to effect a positive change. Good and practicable economic policies would go a long way to engender the economy, hence creating avenues for productivity, employment and small business growth.

The government must play no joke with the issue of corruption. There must be Zero tolerance to corruption if we must curtail the unemployment situation. Funds released for infrastructural development and other developmental initiatives must be utilised as proposed.

Noting short of a viable business environment is needful. The government must provide a viable business environment for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises to thrive. The government has the jurisdiction and resources to create a viable business environment for the small and medium scale enterprises to excel. The SME’s have the potency to absorb the teeming unemployed people.

Infrastructural development is no doubt an important issue that should be treated with urgent attention. The stability of power is a cogent aspect of this reform. Regular power supply alone could engender business activities, hence reducing the excess amount of money spend by business owners on alternative power generation. These amounts could be expended on some other profitable aspect of business process that will in turn boost business expansion and perhaps create more job opportunities.

Nonetheless, emphasis must be place on Human capacity development which is a core aspect of employment generation. Funding and effective management of the educational system is essential. Emphasis should be made on professional and creative entrepreneurship courses. This will do more than enough in equipping our teeming youths to becoming job creators and employers of labour rather than being job seekers.

The activities of the Ministries of Youth and Development, and that of Labour and Productivity should be redefined. Really one can’t identify what both ministries are doing to empower the youthful population and managed employment generation in the country. It’s obvious that we need Social reformation within the public service, one that can be instituted by an effective & conscientious leadership at all level of governance. Our present predicament requires an effective leadership, one that has the will power to implement favourable economic policies regardless of stepping on the toes of those benefiting from the Nigerian negative situation.

Seun Adeogun can be reached via luseunbravura@gmail.com  or http://www.seunadeogun.blogspot.com/