Governance

Nigeria has experienced its second recession in the five years of the present administration's existence, as the economy continues to shrink right into the third quarter of the year.
Confronted with diminishing sources of revenue, Government now tinkers with the idea of making use of funds, local investors intend to collect in form of dividends from private companies.
Of worry, however, is the fact that Nigeria would soon resume the importation of refined crude oil from the Niger Republic, a non-oil producing country, while the $2 billion private sector-driven petroleum refinery sited in Mashi, Katsina State is facilitated by the Niger Republic, for obvious reasons. This refinery shall be ready by 2021.
The recession which has been described as the worst in the last 36 years, might have been partly caused by the self-serving interests of political office holders, rather than the interest of the people.

Nations of the world have been warned not to forsake God so as not to be neglected.
This warning was given by a Christain cleric, Pastor Opeyemi Ajayi in a chat with Federationews2day.
'God will neglect any nation that forsakes His word. Anation without God's blessings shall not prosper, rather such a nation shall embark on the irrational. Everything starts and ends with the word of God,'' Pastor Ajayi stated.

Most communities in Nigeria today are inhabited by a sizable number of criminally-minded leadership and followership, which has resulted in the unabating rate of crime and criminality in these communities. Indeed, parents and guardians in several instances, aid and abet their children and wards to commit a crime.
However, Nigerians are hopeful that in the not too distant future, these communities shall produce those who shall make a positive and useful contribution to the advancement, progress, and development of these communities.
 In this interview, the Founder, Spiritual Head, and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke says that privileged elders in the country have impacted negatively on the youth. Excerpts :
Most communities in Nigeria are inhabited by a number of criminally-minded leadership and followership, in what ways do you think these communities shall produce those who shall ensure the positive advancement, progress, and development of these communities?
Deviation from all the universal keys into successes always creates an environment of ethical practices, morality, and institutions of discipline as cultural heritages. Under this circumstance, communities were able to produce people as technocrats and leaders, who used to ensure advancement, progress, and development such as our founding fathers in Nigeria.   The social environment is always serene most especially when one finds himself working and living in the various quarters of tertiary institutions then, brilliance was promoted, the golden fleece was always the target of achievement when there is the opportunity to travel abroad.  The dignity of labor dictated the pace of hard work and prosperity. Unfortunately, this was shortlived after the departure of the colonial masters who gave us independence in 1960 which we could neither manage nor sustain because of our failure in power-sharing. The Nigerian youth has been badly affected by the greed of the privileged elders, who are yet to accept a paradigm shift solution of mentorship for godfatherism to develop a stable political environment for sustainable development. From the spiritual angle, Nigerians, low and high, have refused to understand that deviation from the positive mindset to help others and develop the youth aright through educational rejuvenation and career opportunities make one fall into a deluge of sins which if not well controlled and contained would eventually lead to the emergence of various forms of crime, affecting the psyche of all to destroy the legacies of our founding fathers who collectively fought and vowed to stand, to maintain and sustain the virtues and values bequeathed them, as contained in the national anthem, wherein we declared that the efforts of our heroes past shall are not in vain.
what obtains in Nigeria till date, is the vandalization of our heritage in all senses of it, making us look as if we are deliberately working against what we vowed to protect as been sung the daily-the national anthem.
Today, Nigeria is enveloped by criminally minded people emerging almost in every community as visibly manifesting on the image of Nigeria to the bewilderment of all including people abroad. The challenge, therefore, is in proferring feasible solutions starting from sensitizing all the youth to identify with some role models in the nation and work towards raising their status to be able to achieve for the land as they had achieved for their communities during their time. Anthony Enahoro moved the motion in 1953, which led to Nigeria's independence in 1960. There several other eminent Nigerians, dead or alive, that are worthy to be role models for the youth. Let us give the Nigerian youth a chance but under a reformed environment of zero tolerance to corruption and institutional indiscipline. Say No to allowing criminally minded to attain power from today.

The Federal Government has been called upon to totally democratize  Nigeria.

This call was made by the All Workers Convergence(AWC) through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emnelieze.
''The focus now should be on the total democratization of Nigeria.  All Nigerians must count and not a select few and all must be involved in making critical decisions, rather than for Government to force anti-people policies on the citizenry.''

Nigerians are not happy with the policies of the present administration in the country at all levels. The people insist that the policies are not people-friendly and have continuously impoverished them.
The method of control of the economy by the powers that be has to a large extent unsecured the maximum welfare, freedom, and happiness of Nigerians which has negatively affected social justice and unequal status and opportunity. In this interview with  Poverty Line, the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of  Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opines that Nigeria is still in search of visionary leaders who shall impact positively on the people. Excerpts :

The economic and other policies of the present administration have negatively impacted on the welfare, freedom, and happiness of Nigerians and have resulted in social injustice and unequal status and opportunity. Why is this so?

Nigeria's state of instability in governance and the crop of leaders emerging after the first republic became questionable for us to erroneously build on the concept of a unitary form of government to fashion out the 1979 and 1999 constitutions in running our democracy. The journey so far is really embarrassing to the extent that our leaders lack control of governance which has resulted in leakages, waywardness, frivolities, and the general culture of institutional indiscipline. In the process, the homes and other institutions lost grip pf organizational and professional ethics.
The culture of integrity and the dignity of labor suffered a lot to make prophetically real, Prof. Chinua Achebe's submission in his book, Things Fall Apart'', that the Falcons can no longer hear the Falconers as the thing was falling apart for the center not to hold anymore with the consequence of mere anarchy ruling the world.
It is unfortunate that Nigeria has not been so blessed and is still in search of visionary leaders who will be ready to sacrifice to hold Nigeria together to get us united into a permanent state of prosperity.
The culture of patriotism is gone and quick money making syndrome is becoming a palliative to replace the arrows of unemployment even for graduates of the various higher institutions.
Nigeria needs good governance that aids development without compromising the ability of the youth to take the baton of development with ease, to be able to build upon the strong foundation of the expected heroic heritage.
The issue lies in the fact that the economic and other policies of Government since  1970 till date have not favored the natural human rights of the people vis-a-vis welfare, freedom, and happiness, as a result of the series of inequities, social injustice, inequality of status and opportunities. The way forward is to work on a phrase in our national anthem that is, ''The labor of our heroes past shall never be in vain'',  by SWOT analyzing the value chains in governance through Tafawa Balewa, Herbert Macaulay, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, Aminu Kano, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Okotie Eboh, Anthony Enahoro among several others.
The challenge for Nigeria in the present circumstance is for the government to respect our youths and their parents by providing good governance as precedence so that aberrations noted by them in their peaceful protests should be quickly addressed through cautious and effective restructuring programs for the economic and other policies of government to serve the expected purpose of sustainable development.

61 And may your hearts be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”61 And may your hearts be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

The Print, Television and other branches of the mass media ought to at all times uphold the fundamental objectives of the real purpose of governance in impartial and unbiased ways. 
Sadly, a number of organizations have failed to uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people for pecuniary and related reasons. In this interview with Federationews2day, the Founder, Spiritual Head, and Grand Imam of Shfaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opines that a section of the media in Nigeria beautify rather than highlighting the Government's shortcomings.

Excerpts: 
Some media organizations have overtime failed to uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people. Why is this so?
The golden profession of the pen and other arms of the mass media are powerful communication tools to enliven the primary roles of enhancing education information and entertainment aspects of human activities for the purpose of peaceful co-existence and peoples' wellness and development.
This is why there is a regulatory control board for the proper management of the practice of the profession to avoid misleading the people and the promotion of disaffection among the people of mankind.
Without this profession, the whole world would have been in 'darkness', where waywardness and frivolities without a check would have dominated the scene to the displeasure and disadvantage of the weak and the just.  In the case of Nigeria, we started well with the print and electronic media.  Considering the emerging political scenario, partisanship has dominated the mass media, with reports having slants via tribal sentiments and political party biases.
This became more pronounced when privately owned mass media became prominent.
At a particular point in time, Nigeria relied upon foreign news than the local ones.
The local media have challenges such as the doctoring need either by government or the proprietors of various mass media otherwise employees would lose their jobs.
The role of the mass media is supposed to go beyond that of a watchdog that can only bark without biting.
However, Nigeria is yet to benefit from their competitive nature for any form of improvement need.
For the mass media to be effective, it needs to dwell on issues and objectivity based on facts and figures for their solidarity to check the opposition's overzealousness and critically evaluate the government's activities.
The performance rating and the need to restructure through management ethics need to be used as a tool by the mass media in order that their findings as x-rayed, would sensitize the society into taking decisive action on correcting aberrations in governance for all indicators of development to be improved.
Activities of the media are expected to x-ray the contributions of every individual in the National Assembly while periodical checks through a good performance rating of the executive members as well as the appointees of government into various positions of power.
Publications regarding the truth about the suitability of people in Ministerial portfolios ought to let the public know the people who are responsible for the various fraud and corruption in the land. This approach of the media would assist the government to carry out a periodical reshuffle of the cabinet for the purpose of achieving better performances in other people for the nation.
It is very unfortunate that Nigeria has witnessed cases of erstwhile good union leaders who were found wanting in governance affairs when challenged with management administration issues as they involve transparency and accountability. Also, erstwhile media practitioners of note have usually been found wanting, when given the opportunity to serve the government. One can now understand why the mass media may usually beautify government activities rather than exposing its failures.
However, for the nation to grow and develop, the mass media must be firm through organizational and professional ethics orientation as well as strong editorials and commentaries that must be respected based on objectivity that would not attract insinuations from members of the public that the outbursts were sponsored by the enemies of the government.
Society relies solely on the strength of the mass media in the charging government to be responsive and responsible through the due process of transparency and accountability.

Corruption, forgery and other fraudulent acts have become ways of life among the old and young alike in Nigeria today.

Even though there constitutional provisions to check the criminal acts, such provisions are very weak to make any noticeable impact, as events in the country suggest.

Sadly, the establishments saddled with the responsibilities of addressing the criminal acts which received adequate operational inputs and official backing have been successful in carrying out their assignments teleguided and with slants.

Of worry, is the large number of political appointees and elected office holders certificates' which have no verified evidence of attendance and completion of prescribed courses of study justifying the award of same.

Interestingly, presently, merit is perhaps, not one of the factors determining the employments and appointments into the deteriorated system in Nigeria.

The extent to which the unified structure of government bank accounts has been able to plug leakage and eradicate corruption is known only to those in government.

Sadly, reported incidents of corruption are on the increase, while the fight against corruption seem to have been toned down.

The controversial actions of those presently in the saddle of governance has, without doubt negatively affected their good intentions, which seem to now be in the realm of wishful thinking, considering the overbearing nature of self-centered interests in the land.

Nigerians have been called upon to trust and put their hopes in  God for the solution to people's unfriendly policies of the present administration in the country.

This call was made by Pastor Opeyemi Ajayi in a chat with Federationews2day.

''Nigerians should put their trust in God for the solution to the increase in electricity tariffs and the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit(PMS). Nigerians should hope in God. The increase is a bad omen for Nigeria. Everybody should look up to God for divine intervention in the present precarious situation. The government should ease the heavy burden it has placed on the people. Cost of living is now extraordinarily high'',  Pastor Ajayi noted.

Nigerians have been advised to pray ceaselessly for the Federal Government despite the increase in electricity tariffs and the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit(PMS).

This call was made by the Ezendigbo of Ibadan and Oyo state, Eze(Dr.)Alex Anozie, who doubles as the Vice-Chairman(South) of the Ezendigbo in Diaspora.

''How I wish the government was able to discover any other possible way of getting what they want rather than coming out with an increment of electricity tariffs and pump price of petrol. But we should continue praying for the government. Even though I do not think it is the best, it is also true that the government itself is at a crossroads because  COVID 19 affected everything about governance. It has affected everything including the government and governance, so I know the government is having additional problems.''

''It is a pity that such action should be happening by now, Nigerians are in pain because the best anybody can give Nigerians now is what would improve their lives and bring them out  the pit they presently find themselves because COVID 19 has turned everything upside down for people, so what Nigerians are expecting now is something that would help them to come out of the dungeon of hardships'', Eze(Dr.) Anozie concluded.

Herbert Samuel Heelas Macaulay was born on 14 November 1864  in Lagos to Thomas Babington Macaulay, the founder of Lagos Grammar School and Abigail, a daughter of Samuel Ajai Crowther.
At the age of five, Young Herbert was enrolled at ST. paul's Breadfruit School, Lagos.
For a while, he worked as a clerk at the Public Works Department(PWD) and during this period, he developed an interest in building, drawing, and town planning.
In 1890, at the age of 26, he won a government scholarship to study in the United Kingdom, and in 1893, Herbert returned to Nigeria as a qualified Surveyor. His interests included music and reading.
At the beginning of his career, he was appointed Surveyor of Lagos and he played a crucial role in the re-planning of several buildings in Lagos, including the Anglican Christ Church Cathedral.
Interestingly, he was the first Nigerian to buy and use a car.
As a result of his brave and fearless nature, he was popularly called ''Ejongboro'' ''The snake in the street''
Herbert Macaulay founded Nigeria's first political party, the Nigerian National Democratic Party(NNDP) in 1923.
In 1944, the National Convention of Nigerian Citizens(N.CN.C) came into being and Herbert Macaulay was elected its first President, while DR. Nnamdi Azikiwe was elected the party's first General Secretary.

In 1946, the NCNC led by Herbert Macaulay embarked on a nationwide tour, to educate Nigerians on the reasons why it opposed the Richards constitution. In the course of the tour, he took ill at Kaduna and had to return to Lagos. He passed on the same year at the age of 81.
Hebert Macaulay, in his time, was known as a great fighter and was in fact Nigeria's first politician.

Nigerians have are of the consensus that the legislature at both the Federal and State levels have done very little to address the country's challenges that revolve on peace, order, and good governance. In this interview the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opines that it would be difficult for the present crop of lawmakers at the Federal and State levels to make laws that would ensure, peace, order, and good governance due to the circumstances surrounding their elections into the legislature. Excerpts :

In what areas do you think members of the Legislative arm of government in Nigeria can make laws to ensure peace, order, and good governance?

The shift from premiership or the parliamentary system of government to the present colossal waste form of the presidential system has been found to be an eternal error for Nigeria. 

During the parliamentary system, the regional government was favored, making each region to develop at their own pace, based on the wealth of resources on the ground.

For the west, the areas of commerce, communication, transportation, mining, agriculture among others led to the birth of radio and television, which was the first in Africa. This equally beamed their searchlight on other areas of development to the benefit of the welfare of the people including their environment.

The presidential system on the other hand only succeeded in impoverishing the people and retarding development leading to a series of challenges and problems. The replication of the achievement in the west enriched the North at the expense of other areas to the threat level of the unity of the nation, under the cover of federal character that favored only the acclaimed states or regions.

During the parliamentary system, wisdom and experience were crucial factors that determined those who were elected, unlike in the present circumstance wherein only the money bags have their way.

Assistance for the rich only goes to the elite class who earn their pay for the services rendered to the politicians in power.

Educational and professional institutions are made to languish under the whims and caprices of the moneybag politicians who dictate the tune.

The religious sector under the presidential system is managed through divide and rule tactics to segregate the religious leaders, wherein most of them are been used as megaphone propagandists to deceptively make it look as if God is supporting the oppressive and wasteful rulership approach of the politicians in power.

To the saints, who are very few in number, the whole scenario implies impunity in the houses of God, contrary to the sacredness essence of the houses of worship.

Spiritism drives the engine of political vehicles affecting our system of integrity, objectivity in policymaking, and implementation! Since the presidential system in vogue, anti-societal clauses and phrases have continuously emerged in the form of budget padding, making the implementation to be fraught with fraud.   Institutional indiscipline simultaneously cropped up with various allegations and accusations against political office seekers. This has manifested in the various cases of perjury and forgery of certificates just to be able to get the juicy positions of power, not for service but to make money.

There are also several cases of members of the National Assembly involvement in corruption scandals through contract awards and constituency projects scams that are being reported by the media. Is it not an irony of life that most projects meant to emancipate the masses are always hijacked by the political class that is inside or outside government, most especially the members of the National and State Huse of Assembly as bait to parley with the Executive on issues of jeopardized public interest. Examples are the 774,000 jobs that are expected to be executed through the Local Governments and the National Directorate of Employment(NDE). It is a source of concern that the National Assembly shall have a share of these jobs, including the fact that a former Lagos state governor, his daughter, and a caretaker chairman of the NURTW are to manage the Lgoas state share of the jobs. Secondly, the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC)corruption probe equally indicts several legislators who are expected to concentrate on their constituency projects and their oversight functions. Unfortunately, most of the projects as contracts from the NDDC and as oversight functions are seen to overlap in the presentation! With all these antecedents of bad records for many of the legislators,  one cannot but become skeptical about the possibility of having lawmakers that would be patriotic enough to sacrifice his or her time, body and wealth to the level of thinking for Nigeria and the people through whose mandate they are able to get to the positions of power.

Thoughts of domesticating some international human rights issues, most especially in the areas of women's human rights, always send jitters down one's spine, whenever one remembers how it was first rejected, then ridiculed. The bill to be passed had issues due to the issue of bribery which was not forthcoming. One can easily infer therefore that making laws to ensure peace, order and good governance would continue to prove difficult, considering the way and manner the lawmakers got elected through several group interests, political parties will always seek to have the majority in the House not to be able to serve the masses who gave them the mandate, but to be able to satisfy possible evil romance with the Executive that must have had some clandestine meeting of the oath of allegiance for the parties to remain in power and to be able to resist a possible outcry from the public or opposition parties for the removal of their colleagues. A downward review of the salaries and allowances of the legislators is long overdue. The nation, therefore, needs to develop a  feedback mechanism that would be measurable to assess and evaluate the impact been made by the policies formulated and implemented. The people's voice on the actions and inactions of political office holders must be used the pulse of the nation on the quality of the laws made and passed by the lawmakers using the parameters of peace, good governance, and sustainable development to justify people's voting participation and the salary been earned by the political officeholders. A paradigm shift from the business as usual approach to that of sacrifice and service in office is not only desired from the executive but from the lawmakers as well. 

The Federal Government is in the process of recruiting 774,000 Nigerians through the National Directorate of Employment(NDE). Those recruited shall come from the 774 Local Governments in the country-1,000 per Local Government. The jobs are direct labor in nature and the beneficiaries shall receive N20,000 per month for three months.

However, Nigerians have have expressed worries that Senators, House of Representatives members, Ministers, State Governors and political party stalwarts may influence the recruitment process.

They lament that the jobs are temporary and the number of those to be recruited is insignificant considering the very high unemployment rate in the country.

In this interview, the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opines that the N-Power, Tradermoni and the Direct Labor schemes are not remedies for the worrisome state of unemployment in the land. Excerpts :

Do you think that recruitment of 774 Nigerians as direct labor workers shall address the high rate of unemployment in the country ?

Unemployment saga in Nigeria as it affects mostly the youths and graduates has aggravated sinister development in terms of banditry, insurgency, armed robbery and rape for rituals to mention just a few, leading to the general state of insecurity even amidst the panic of the coronavirus pandemic.

The partial pittance of distribution of palliatives which was highly short lived exposed Nigeria’s poor state of welfare and high poverty level in terms of our population as if we are just recovering from famine and war.

Unfortunately, there is no sense of remorse or state of regret on the part of the elite, whose contribution to the impoverishment of the masses are obvious and with no place to hide as in billions of Naira worth because of the advantage of either been in government or the corridors of power. Nigeria today is known as the world headquarters of poverty and corruption, instead of addressing this, they care less about the North which could be said to be the epicenter of poverty.

The great challenge before government is to redouble their efforts in working on this for Nigeria to be more habitable.

 Government pretends to be responding to the cries of the people by rolling out a plan to solve the problem of poverty by initiating employment opportunities for 774,000 Nigerians with 1,000 candidates per Local Government.

However, the feasibility study for its effectiveness is yet to be done while the modalities for identifying the poorest of the poor continues to be a game of political jingoism because during the palliative distribution to cushion the effect of the lock down in the scanty and selected areas, even within each state’s geographical contraption.

The faces of most of the people who received the pittance of token were known to be working class and well fed. The society is yet to know how government was able to fish out the poorest of the poor.

During the N-Power program meant to reduce poverty by cushioning the effect on the unemployed youth in the society, most especially the unemployed graduates, research statistics showed that most of the beneficiaries were already engaged in various places of work, making a jamboree out of the exercise.

After two years of benefiting from the program, the beneficiaries flooded the already saturated labor market, thereby making the exercise to have no impact, while their counterparts with lesser certificates and grades, who happen to be offspring of the elite and people in government easily get absorbed into choice places of work-CBN, NNPC, NSE etc.

Government’s gesture of employing 774,000 Nigerians, though of very low impact, would have been commendable, if not for the fact that it is menial in nature, the wage of N20,000 is not impressive and the number to be recruited is too small compared to the number of unemployment youths, graduates and artisans alike.

This situation makes one wonder why successive governments have always been failing to promote the cause of our future leaders.

Unemployment became an issue in Nigeria in the year 2006 when it rose to 6 per cent, by the year 2011 it rose to 11.6 per cent , 2014 it was 19.6 per cent, in 2016 it rose to 23.9 per cent.

Despite all policies leading to the emergence of various economic interventions like OFN, Family Support, Better Life for Rural Women, DFFRI and Sure P, policy somersault rendered all of these ineffective and useless in the face of institutional indiscipline, corruption and lack of patriotism for Nigeria.

Till date our attitude has never changed, but grows worse under every government despite their campaign for positive changes.

The areas of international embarrassment included the recruitment process with over bearing influences of the State Governors, Ministers, Senators, House of Representatives members and party leaders.

Since the poorest of the poor are expected to reside in the Local Governments and communities that are remote, one should expect in a sane society therefore that the responsibility of recruiting candidates should be that of the Local Government chairmen, but for their questionable autonomy. Sadly, in Nigeria the masses are only relevant during the voting period, but are inconsequential after the elections by the people who they voted into power. Is this not a costly paradox of life ?

For this project to be of any meaningful impact, the Federal Government must increase the numbers to key into satisfying at least on third of the verifiable number of people suffering from the saga of unemployment, while their remuneration must be to the least value of the minimum wage or that of the National Youth Service Corps(NYSC) members. N-Power, Tradermoni and the direct labor schemes are not remedies to our state of poverty and unemployment in the face of the gruesome level of the challenges of insecurity confronting the nation.

Much as the number of universities are not sufficient enough, the number of graduates who are unemployed should be reduced drastically either by providing jobs or establishing vocational training centers under TIVET to accommodate large numbers of people who are unemployed and to justify the teaching of entrepreneurial courses in our institutions of higher learning while government must revisit the poor state of our Technical colleges for facility update in order that we are able to produce more craftsmen, whose graduates would be able to source for loans through accredited people’s banks for the purpose of becoming job creators for others to patronize and for them to be self employed.

Besides this, most of our artisans are highly unskilled, they have caused a lot of damage on projects assigned to them.

Revived Technical colleges equally come to the rescue of giving them short term courses that would improve their proficiency with some elements of rudimentary level of managerial skills.

Only such holistic approach which is youth focused and centered can solve the challenges of the dependents which every expected working class should bear to satisfy their socio-spiritual responsibilities for peace to reign.

Above all, the issue of stable and regular electricity supply is equally germane to the survival of small and medium scale industries for the realization of genuine industrialization to be realized. 

The grand design of God and how best to keep humanity and our societal interaction in a state of equilibrium and peace, is the best for mankind but our different attitude and disposition towards the set objectives of God on giving him just worship in an environment of love suggests otherwise.

The scriptures provide right inferences on this — Quaran 51 : 56 ‘’ I have only created Jinns and men that they may serve.’’

1 COR 13 ‘’ So these three things continue, faith(religion)hope (derived from just worship) and love(enabling environment for the realization of hopes and desires).

The design of God spans through the unions of education for civility and development, religion for character formation, good moral code and institutional discipline and the loop of government through various political formations, dispositions and dispensations. 

Al these are planted on the seat of cultures which vary from one tribe to the other, races and other in-built social virtues.

For humanity to be groomed into ethical practices, the three unions must be built on trust for generations to be able to ensure its value continuity.

Unfortunately for mankind, we are divided into opinions to lose focus of the scriptures in building for us right attitudinal values even within the same denomination of religion, we lock horns. making sects to rise against sects through antagonistic teachings that lack the backing of the scripture for various religious adherents to disagree and lose the battle for unity which education, religion and politics are supposed to give us to have respite in the land.

In this 21st century, adherents must not allow their venom of hatred for others to override the true scriptural teachings which are addressing the same issues of love and harmony, morality and discipline, if we want God and Godliness to be truly served, to serve us.

No religion teaches evil and all religions co-exist in concept and principles, at the point of quintessence that promotes minimum energy with love and harmony in addition to moral discipline resulting in peace.

Every religion, has the potential to give adherents tranquility of the mind and the peace of the environment for the society, but only through just worship dictated by the upheld religion, with the fear of God which ultimately provides Godly protection and immunity against life’s hazards.

The epitome of belief are Jesus Christ and the Holy Prophet Mohammed, who we all profess as Christians and Muslims to follow, in humility we learnt of them as they served humanity through sacrifice, visions, transparency and exemplary lifestyles of discipline and beneficial development for others. For example the Holy Quaran states ‘’ Oh ! ye who believe enter into Islam wholeheartedly and follow not the footsteps of satan, for he is to you an avowed enemy.’’

John 4 : 34 ‘’ Jesus said my food is to do what the one God who sent me wants me to do. My food is to finish the work He sent me to do.’’

Quaran 33 : 21 ‘’Ye have indeed in the messenger of Allah, an excellent exemplar, for him who hopes in Allah on the final day, and who remember Allah much.’’

With all the advantages and facilities for correct learning , let us emulate our religious holy prophets or true masters to resuscitate the already eroded ethical values to be able to promote an environment of institutional discipline, active and reliable change agents, as well as a corruption free society for true development to emerge.

The Nigeria Police Force  is determined to shield some of its personnel, who have for long worked hand-in-gloves with some members of the public to intimidate, threaten, attack, blackmail and terrorize the Editor-In-Chief of Governance(https://bit.ly/2YHRGt8)  
 
The officers and men attached to the Iyaganku Area Command and the Felele Police station,have always acted the scripts written by residents of Olorunsogo, Molete, who remain solidly behind their actions. On two occasions, one of which was on Sunday, 25 May, 2008, Mrs. Koloko in connivance with the then Divisional Crime Officer(DCO) the Challenge Police station, Orita Challenge, facilitated the arrest of the journalist. While in the office of the DCO, the journalist was repeatedly  harrassed, intimidated and threatened.

In another plot against the journalist,a letter titled” A Petition Against Solomon Adewumi” and dated 20 November, 2008, was received by the Assistant Commissioner of Police(ACP), Iyaganku Area Command, Mrs. Abiodun Ige on 30 April, 2009.

On Saturday 9 May, 2009, Mrs. Ige ordered the arrest of Solomon on trumped up charges,through one Simon and four other heavily armed policemen from the same command. During the detention of the journalist for eight hours, the policemen repeatedly provided situation report to Mrs. Koloko through the phone.

Curiously, one Chukuwuma Joseph, Bola Adeniran and Mrs. Taiwo Owoeye, a pastor’s wife, who Adewunmi had reported a case of malicious damage against in August, 2008 at the Felele Police station, were now used as witnesses in the case generated by the Police.

Even though the worried journalist informed the then Commissioner of Police, Baba Adisa Bolanta, about this development through a letter titled”Attempts To Pervert Justice” and dated 11 May, 2009, and even made verbal protests, the police response was carefree.

Indeed, the letter was referred to the Provost Marshall’s office at the state police command, under the headship of a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Oseni and one Sergeant I.Oladejo was assigned to handle it. Surprisingly, both opted to cultivate a mutually beneficial relationship with those the letter was written against.

Now desperate to pervert justice, the police moved the duo out of reach, while Joseph Ale, another policeman attached to the Felele Police Station, who midwifed the forceful entry into an apartment in the journalist’s residence, was subtly given the go ahead to instigate Chukuma Joseph and four others against the journalist. Joseph Ale was the Investigating Police Officer(IPO) in a case of mailicious damage reported by Solomon, in August, 2008.

Not done with their sinister plot, on Sunday 9 August, 2009, the police influenced a false report of threat to life by one Mrs. Olawoyin against the journalist at the Felele Police station. One Kehinde was assigned the case to investigate, but she compromised her position as a police rank and file. Mrs. Olawoyin’s husband, a cooperative officer with the Oyo state Ministry of Trade, Investment and Cooperatives, conspired with, a carpenter, Ale and some other policemen to forcefully gain entry into an apartment in Solomon’s residence, while he was being interrogated at the Iyaganku Area command.

 Although this was brought to the notice of the police, the headship of the Felele Police station decided to look the other way. The Edo born Divisional Police Officer (DPO) had always displayed signs of bias in handling cases brought before him concerning the journalist. Interestingly, the DPO has always maintained a symbiotic relationship with all those against the journalist.

In order to actualize a well scripted plot, the journalist was detained from 4.00pm in the evening to 9.30pm in the night, with plans to put him in the cell till the next day. This was, however thwarted by the then Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO), Bisi Okwuobi, who called the DPO to justify his action.

Although the journalist informed the Commissioner of Police of the incident in a letter dated 31 August, 2009 and titled ”Denial Of Justice”, and even met on two separate occasions with the Police Boss, mum is the word from the police.

Greatly disturbed by the attitude of the Oyo state Police Command, the journalist wrote a letter to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, zone11, Osogbo, Osun state, Yesufu Mohammed, titled ”INJUSTICE” and dated 3 December, 2009. After the IPO in charge of the case, one Inspector Odelade, took the statement of the journalist, various excuses characterized his subsequent reactions.

Again on Saturday 14, August, 2010, the same Chukwuma Joseph and his wife, Blessing, in connivance with some night guards in the Olorunsogo, Molete area, brought false allegations against the journalist, physically assaulted him and forcefully gained entrance into his apartment. Forty thousand naira cash and a number of his personal belongings were stolen. After which a report was made at the Felele Police station.

The same Joseph Ale, who has always played a role in the travails of Adewunmi was assigned the case. Ale took Chukwuma Joseph’s statement and conducted a search of the journalist’s apartment alongside the CRO of the police station. Also present were the night guards and the coordinator of the night guards.

Surprisingly, a plain paper without the Nigeria Police Force logo and name was presented as a search warrant. Indeed, Solomon’s request to be shown a search warrant, was met with a forceful entry of his apartment by the policemen. No search warrant was presented by the policemen.However, nothing incriminating was found in his apartment.

Again, another search was carried out on the journalist’s apartment, the same day, by Kehinde, another police man- Olayiwola Ibrahim, Chukwuma Joseph, a night guard and the coordinator of the night guards. Sadly, no search warrant was presented again, while some items were, secretly removed from his apartment. Again, nothing incriminating was found in the journalist’s apartment.

In quick succession, he was detained from 7.00am on that saturday morning, 14 august, 2010, until 2.00pm on Sunday, 15 August, 2010, and hurriedly arraigned before the Iyaganku magisterate court 7 on Monday, 16 August, 2010. With active connivance of the D.P.O OF the Felele Police Station, Solomon was remanded in the Agodi prisons for three days.

Again, he wrote a letter to the AIG, zone11 dated 23 August 2010 and titled”INJUSTICE PART 2”. In the letter, he recounted his experience in the hands of the police at the Felele Police station.

 However, the letter was referred to the Oyo state Police Command, which in turn sent it to the Criminal Investigation Department(CID), Iyaganku. The Investigating Police Officer, Femi Ajibade with the assistance of the journalist invited Chukuma Joseph and others mentioned in his petition. But curiously, after obtaining their statements, Ajibade only searched the apartment of the principal suspect, without visiting the scene of the incident and inviting another principal suspect, Blessing Chukuma.

On saturday, 8 october, 2011, at about 8.45pm, one Yemi Ajala of Kehinde Aderibigbe street, Olorunsogo, Molete, Ibadan attacked and robbed the journalist. The journalist reported the matter at the Felele police station the next morning. When the policewoman on duty would record the entry, she recorded assault as against the robbery the journalist reported. She said that the suspect’s brother, who is a Superintendent of Police and Divisional Traffic Officer of the Police Divisional Headquarters, Iyana Offa, was her ‘Oga’. Indeed the senior police officer eventually showed up at the station to bail the suspect. And eversince the authorities of the police station have refused to act on the matter.

Most recently, a man in his mid forties, Daniel Offiong, who rented a room in a three bedroom flat, pretended to be a taxi driver, to get the accommodation. Although his owns a golf car, painted in Oyo state Taxi colours, he does not use it for that purpose.

 For long, the man, Offiong had been living a suspicious life, while receiving visitors, who are mostly ‘okada riders, in his apartment. Despite the fact that the journalist intimated the Divisional Crime Officer of the Felele Police station of the ways of the man, other considerations beclouded his sense of reasoning. These days Offiong and his cohorts hide motorcycles of suspicious origins in his apartment, with the knowledge of the Police.

While the Landlady of 5 Kehinde Aderibigbe street, Olorunsogo, Molete, has converted the journalist's residence and the drainage in front to a refuse dump, a tenant wh owns a shop at No. 6 of the same street, Mrs. Adesanya(Mama Tobi) on 30 December, 2015 alongside are family members at about 8.30pm in the night, attacked and robbed the journalist, on his way into his residence.

Indeed, the Landlords and Tenants Association Iin Olorunsogo, Molete, Ibadan, led by one Alhaji Adetayo, have for several years played criminally suggestive roles in the Journalist’s travails. Indeed, most house owners in the community are not meticulous, when they want to take in tenants.
 Even, as majority of the youths have been brought up to take crime as a means to an end.

Till date, the Oyo state Police Command have devoted their energy towards ensuring that the journalist does not get justice, while residents of the above mentioned community continue in the vicious cycle of crime and criminality, encircling them.

The unanswered question now is, if the police is incapable of ensuring that a law abiding citizen such as the journalist get justice, who does this helpless citizen turn to ?

The Federal and State Governments in Nigeria are already tinkering with the idea of cutting the salaries of workers in addition to reducing the size of the workforce. This is coming at a time that a sizable number of labor leaders in Nigeria prefer government patronage to pursuing the cause of workers. Sadly, workers have continued to lament that the meager salaries they earn do not take them home at the end of the month. A cross section of Nigerians believe that any attempt to cut salaries and retrench could have very negative effects on the various sectors of the economy. In this interview, the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opines

The Federal and State Governments are considering cutting workers’ salaries and also reducing the size of the workforce. Is this the right time for such ?

Cutting salaries can be necessary, if government can transparently publish the details of the expenditure so far of managing the coronavirus pandemic which is yet to be effective for people to sympathize and identify with government.

Equally, government needs to show us various foreign grants given the country as interventions from international sources as well as the donations from sympathetic Nigerians.

This attitude will boost transparency essence in governance for the people’s loyalty and trust to be enjoyed. Suffice it now to say, that the lock down , stay-at-home directive and the partial palliative measures from government as well as the skeletal services rendered by workers must have amounted to a lot of waste on the part of government.

It would be against the natural law of social justice to effect any anti-workers policy, this period when the coronavirus pandemic is yet to abate. What Government should preoccupy itself with presently, is how to get more effective measure in curtailing the alarming rate of the pandemic.

Presently, government's handling of the pandemic without the accompanying positive results from the members of the public must also be of serious concern.

Government has the responsibility of encouraging stakeholders in the religious sphere to promote a Godly state of piety and sacredness of the houses of worship for the clerics to be able to seek and have divine intervention over this matter, with a lot of work that is yet to be done on this by government and all in the religious sphere.

Government policy must not drive Nigerians into another state of panic through unwarranted cutting of salaries of workers and retrenchment. Nigeria is yet to reach the sustainable development line as defined by the United Nations. The whole world has tagged Nigeria as the international headquarters of poverty and corruption, while both the Federal and State Governments attest to the fact that most Nigerians are in the pathetic class of the poorest of the poor. An attempt to cut salaries or downsize will ever aggravate this pathetic economic condition, which may spur most people into anti-societal norms and the breakdown of law and order; as is been experienced across the country-insurgency, armed robbery, kidnapping, prostitution, pedophilia, rape and defilement. The source of all these could partly be traced to the physiological needs of the people which government is yet to address, even under a democratic principle of equity and justice.

If government is to make up for its losses during the coronavirus pandemic, the sacrifice must include the drastic downward review of the salaries and allowances of the political class in government and the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, while it could be extended to the salaries of workers in a lower proportion.

Instead of retrenching workers, reforms based on accounts of misconduct,as must have been reported through Service Compact with All Nigerians(SERVICOM) and The Anti- Corruption and Transparency Unit(ACTU) over the years, such workers that could be classified as the dandruff of the system, are to be revisited without prejudice or favor.

Retirement age could be revisited for fresh graduates to be able to have employment in multiples to fill the vacuum of vacancies that must have been created through the exercise. This shall restore sanity in the system.

The aspect of reviving the existing Technical colleges and the re-orientation need to produce capable craftsmen, who would become job creators with the assistance of the Bank of Industry should be given priority.

 Above all, Nigerians must be ready to make sacrifices, that would not open the way for avoidable hardships. To this extent government should embark on cutting all wastage and also blocking all leakages.

Also read-Nigerians No Longer Trust Their Leaders-Prof Olagoke- Click here-https://bit.ly/3hGRaV2

In 1975, the reign of terror was directed and supervised by the Ministry of Interior, where a comprehensive list of action was domiciled in Montevideo.

However, events later showed that what befell the helpless citizenry had little or no direction or supervision.

Masterminded kidnappings, torture and elimination were the trend, with government Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDA) becoming active while those saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives and property were always available to carry out the unimaginable.

The separate arms for the state competed for dubious glory of apprehending more subversives and creating a system of sponsored mayhem.

As crime and criminality became the culture, unfortunate relatives of victims met a stone wall at the law enforcement and government offices.

Green Ford Falcon cars became a symbol with different interpretations, while the unexplainable continued unabated. Indeed, the deliberate absence of street lights in most communities across the Nigeria encourage crime and criminality, even as traders, artisans,barbers, craftsmen, market men and women were co opted to do the unthinkable.

Wholesale disappearance of people from all walks of life sent the wrong signals to all and sundry, with the general belief that same had erased any trace of good governance.

Lawlessness and impunity are now the order of the day everywhere in Nigeria as anarchy gradually creeps into prominence. Threats, blackmail, harassment, intimidation and attacks are all tools used to achieve sinister motives in this clime, while fraudsters now play prominent role in government. and governance. Community leaders, Landlords and Tenants Associations and criminally minded residents  also play prominent roles in crime. For instance,  vulcanizer and a woman in her mid thirties, who sells second hand clothing located at a make shift shed beside the gate of the Nigeria Baptist Convention quarters along the Scout Camp road, opposite the neighborhood market in Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria, are among several traders who perpetrate acts of criminality on a daily basis with impunity, with the knowledge of law enforcement agents. Indeed, a sizable number of shop owners in residential areas such as Molusi, Olorunsogo, Molete, Felele and several other communities across the country are now involved in grievous crimes in these communities, with the full support of government appointees, elected officials, public and civil servants. The motive which goes beyond the surface appearance is wove around property matters.

Already, the future of most children and the youth is now a subject of debate, as crime and criminality systematically overwhelms their consciousness and existence.

Teachers and the schools have since abandoned their responsibilities of imparting knowledge for obvious reasons, as the country moves farther  and farther from good governance.

The All Workers Convergence(AWC) has described the actions of the Federal Government in the face of the public coronavirus pandemic as a manifestation of its confused state.

The AWC made this known through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''Nigeria is no likened to a film, where the people and the Government are together confused, nothing is ever real but superficial. Unforutnately, the people are more coonfused that the Government.  Everything is upside down and confusion is the order of the day in Nigeria. Al that has been happening in the ast five years is apologies galore for the failures of Government'', Comrade Emelieze lamented.

The declaration of the Director General of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control(NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu that Nigeria is desperately in need of test kits to curtail the further spread of the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the nature of the appointees of the ‘’Powers that Be’’.

In other words, indecision has exposed the unpreparedness of the Government to curtail the pandemic.

In another perspective, does the Director General mean that Government does not have the financial capacity to purchase the kits or Government is stylishly calling out for donations ?

Lock downs without accompanying palliatives is not only faulty but suspicious .

Ignorance, illiteracy and idleness are among the major obstacles militating against winning the war over the pandemic.

The Federal and Kano state Governments should take the health situation seriously, while other state Governments should learn from unfolding events.

The Oyo state Government has been advised to ensure that the palliatives to be distributed to poor and vulnerable Nigerians cuts across all the ethnic groups in the state.

This advice was given by the Eze Ndigbo of Ibadan and Oyo state, who is also the Vice Chairman(South) of the Eze Ndigbo in Diaspora, Eze Dr. Alex Anozie.

‘’As the Head of Igbos in Ibadan and Oyo state, I believe in justice for all Nigerians and all ethnic groups in Ibadan and Oyo state and I believe that whatever the Government decides to do, whatever palliative steps they decide to take for the benefit of all, they should do it and let all ethnic groups enjoy the benefits. So, I do not want to come out and begin to shout ’see my people Ndigbo’, when I know that the problem that is on ground is affecting everybody. So what I am saying is that whatever the Government intends to do, should be for the benefit of Ndigbo, NdiYoruba, NdiHausa and all other ethnic groups residing in Oyo state. And again, I want to remind all through this medium, that I and my group constitute the legitimate leadership of the Igbos in Ibadan and Oyo state, as ruled by a court of competent jurisdiction. And no other superior court has given another judgment vacating that judgment which states that I and my group constitute the legitimate leadership of Igbos in Ibadan and Oyo state’’.

‘’Therefore, we believe that the Oyo state Government is a law abiding Government which we are sure would never, never allow anybody or group to deceive it. The court judgment is the highest authority as far as the Nigerian constitution is concerned. So, we expect the state Government, been a law abiding Government to reach out to us as the legitimate leadership of Igbos in Ibadan and Oyo state. So whatever is happening, whatever the Government intends to do, all Nigerians in Oyo state should benefit from the palliative measures. We thank God for giving our Governor fast healing from the coronavirus pandemic, same also goes for the Chief Medical Director of the University College Hospital(UCH) and a few others. We shall continue to pray to God that very soon we shall overcome the coronavirus pandemic. It shall become a thing of the past. Those who are yet to be healed, we pray that God should heal them fast.’’

‘’Let me also use this medium to appeal to all and sundry to keep strictly to both the Government’s directives and those of medical experts towards curtailing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic’’, Eze(Dr.) Anozie concluded.

Nigerians in different parts of the country have continuously complained about  the methods adopted by several state governments in the distribution of palliatives to the people.