Government

Labor Leaders in Nigeria no longer address issues confronting workers but prefer to behave like politicians.
This assertion was made by an Ex-Officio of the Oyo State Council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), who is also a former chairman of the union, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.
''Labor leaders are no longer addressing issues confronting workers, rather labor leaders have shown that they are no different from politicians who use diversionary tactics to blindfold the people of today's realities. Labor leaders now use Mayday to deceive workers, this is so because Mayday has been turned into a mere jamboree. Except the workers correct the current situation, the present crop of labor leaders in the country are leading workers astray,'' Comrade Emelieze warned.

It is stale news that a considerable number of companies have divested from Nigeria.
Their relocation revolved around challenges of energy,  infrastructure, and insecurity which has rendered business operations in the country prostate.
It is regrettable that Those-in-Charge has woefully failed to retain the confidence of investors by sustaining crucial industry support requirements viz electricity, good roads, and security.
Interestingly while the multinationals and a number of indigenous companies have taken refuge in Ghana and other countries, the Chinese, Indians, Lebanese, and Koreans have filled the gap and taken a firm grip of the economy. This set of investors have a reputation for exploitation, casualization, and the payment of stipends as wages to helpless workers.
In a number of instances, the workers are subjected to long hours of work without leave or holidays. Sadly, Those-in Charge has endorsed the country as a safe haven for this particular set of investors, who have over the years undermined the efforts of the law enforcement and security agencies.
 It is not surprising the Debt Management Office(DMO) has disclosed that Nigeria is indebted to China to the tune of $3.7 Billion.
Curiously, the ambition and other selfish reasons of some helmsmen in the states which has almost brought Nigeria to its knees are the major stimuli for their intentions to conduct Local Government elections in these perilous times.

Human development is a major prerequisite for national development.

However, the Federal, State and Local Governments have been lackadaisical in ensuring the development of the appropriate manpower that ought to impact positively on the country.
Young boys and girls, who are, of course, students of Primary and Secondary schools in different parts of the country, are a reflection of the rotten state of the education sector in Nigeria.
Indecently dressed, disrespectful, rude, wayward, and equipped with obscene language, these children have continuously exhibited behavior and attitude that does not suggest that they have a future.
Of great concern, is the terrorism traits they also display, in addition to the taking of outlawed hard drugs such as Indian hemp.
Sadly, the parents of these children subtly encourage them to embrace criminality as a means to an end, since the affected parents had a similar upbringing.

Furthermore, teenage prostitutes soliciting for partons is commonplace everywhere, while the same applies to their male counterparts. Indeed, homosexuality has gained more ground in Nigeria.
Fathers and Mothers, who reside along Molusi, Solanke, Oyegbami, Oshodi, Scout Camp, and Felele communities among others in Ibadan, Oyo state, openly consent to their children's engagement in criminality. This explains the high number of hotels, beer parlors, and ''Ogogoro'' joints in these communities, which serve as solace to various categories of criminals such as kidnappers, armed robbers, ritualists, and car snatchers.

Of great worry, is the increasing population of illiterates among the young and the old alike, just as accusing fingers point to the leadership for aiding and abetting criminals in these times of insecurity, economic stagnation, deceit, and treachery.
Sadly, those in the category of Not-Too-Young-To-Run, who are fortunate to be elected or appointed into public offices at all levels of government have become negative influences to the Nigerian youth.

Nigerians have continued to ask a very important question with no answer-Do the people's representatives at the Federal and State levels know how appropriated funds have been spent in the last five years?
The expectations of the people revolve around the pursuance of development at all levels of governance with vigor, but sadly, the contrary is the case.
As the ''Elected'' remain in the saddle, the groaning of the people is increasingly becoming very loud.
Those elected and appointed continue to intensify efforts to work for their pockets, even as mum is the word from all arms of government, in the face of corruption and insecurity.
The insinuation is that the government is propaganda that is designed to achieve nothing.
Praise singers, sycophants, and hangers-on have now taken over the public space, while the beneficiaries of the massive misappropriation only condemn the anti-people policies of the government in closed doors and hushed tones.
The vile state of mind of the ''Elected'' has influenced them to do the unthinkable in recent times.
Every institution established to ensure law and order, fester in corruption. The law enforcement agencies, the civil service, the Judiciary, and educational institutions stink.
The absence of an edifying ideology and clear vision of an ideal and inspiring leadership coupled with their self-serving attitude, greed, banality, and propensity for anarchy has not helped matters.
The ''Elected' rule by fear while the helpless massed suffer. Yet the process to borrow N815 billion from unclaimed dividends and dormant accounts of distraught Nigerians is on.
Evil reigns to the extent the ''Elected''  harness the beliefs and superstitions of the population to acquire greater power over them.  These are indeed perilous times.

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Illiteracy, hunger, poverty, and unemployment are among the factors that have over the years impeded development in Nigeria.
Ordinarily, a sizable number of political appointees and officeholders at the Federal and State levels have no business in governance, but for the unreliable mindset of the powers that be.
A leadership that is unable to convincingly put an end to the grievous and heinous activities of cultists and other categories of criminals in several communities in Nigeria, such as Molusi, Solanke, Oyegbami, Olorunsogo, Aluko/Barracks, Felele, Mobil/Yemetu among others in Ibadan, Oyo state, place electoral value on the criminals, while the criminals openly and boastfully express great hopes in such a leadership.
As these criminals continue to organize the end of year dance parties in this period of insecurity and coronavirus pandemic, such a leadership prefers to focus on a surprise birthday party, sadly, not for the benefit of disillusioned Nigerians.
Nigerians now perceive the Government establishment as a place of wastefulness, where nothing works and money is shared with reckless abandon.
Governance in different parts of the country is presently characterized by the perpetration of injustice and a state of fear, killings, kidnappings, and violence.
Those whose antecedents are well known to Nigerians are incapable of bringing about convincing and visible transformation.
leadership has been corrupted and polluted. Leadership is now determined by the cash you have to throw around.
In saner climes, leadership is not for sale, but in Nigeria is presently on the shelf.
The original problems of a human being are food, shelter, and clothing. Nigerians are hungry and those who purchased leadership on the shelf are on the prowl by proxy.

Nigerians have been advised to shun deceit and lies for peace to reign in the country.
This advice was given by Pastor Opeyemi Ajayi in a chat with Federationews2day.
''The leadership and followership tell lies in order to save their faces from the outcome of events resulting in the telling of such lies. Nigerians always look for ways to cover up for wrongdoings and sins. A sin is a sin, deceit, and telling of lies are sins. For us to have peace of mind, live in peace, and move the nation forward, we must stop all acts of deceit and telling lies, Pastor Ajayi stated.

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.”

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.

President Muhammad Buhari is reluctant to send the Service Chief packing, despite the fact that insecurity in Nigeria has got to un unbearable level. Read this-Insecurity underpins property rights in Lagos – no matter what class you are-click here-https://bit.ly/3157BmF

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

The attitude of Nigerians has been cited as one of the factors responsible for the formulation of oppressive policies by Government.

This assertion was made by the All Workers Convergence(AWC) through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''Nigerians are coping and managing poverty, why ? because our attitude is encouraging government to oppress us because we fail to speak out and until Nigerians realize that they have a futuristic  duty to challenge bad governance, poverty will continue to be endemic. The citizens should blame themselves for their woes", Comrade Emelieze noted.

As cases of child abuse, trafficking and labor continue to increase in different parts of the world,  with not too encouraging response from Governments of different nations, the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke in this interview says that the day is a wake up call for stakeholders to ensure that children are well groomed for future leadership.

What is your message to children as they celebrate the children’s day on May 27 ?

My worries for Government of several nations over issues of festivals and programs and charters of the United Nations for the purpose of human welfare and general development is that it goes beyond the mere ceremonial terrain. Unfortunately, when nations experience traumatic period of wars or ravaging diseases such as the coronavirus pandemic, Spanish flu from 1918 to 1920 and Hong Kong flu of 1968 experiences show that no lesson is ever learnt in a bid to change our psyche on the need to do the needful to better the lot of humanity.

Specifically , the children’s day is expected to pose the challenge of alertness on all stakeholders, naturally billed to take care of children in modelling as a great foundation that must solidified for future leadership. This immediately calls for the need to accept in principle the 17 point agenda of the United Nations on the sustainable development goals, starting from the issue of poverty and hunger, to nip in the board the scary challenges of economic dichotomy that marginalize a majority of the population. For example in Nigeria into the classes of the poor, abject poverty, destitution and the poorest of the poor, recently derisively identified by the government of Nigeria at all levels of governance.

The area of marginalized women, girl child abuse and people with disabilities are all very much inclusive in the trauma of mismanagement.

Within the rank and file of all these marginalized sector of humankind, the arrows of debacle continue to have such children as vulnerable.

The 13.9 million out of school children are equally inclusive. Are these scenarios of cries of the dead from the grave, worthy of celebration through mere celebration by those in the regime of power, affluence and influence, paying lip service to what they vowed to correct during their political campaigns, before they find themselves in the great positions of power.

If truly we want to celebrate our children,the areas of weaknesses and travails of our children, most especially the marginalized ones, are supposed to receive the kind of attention government is devoting to the coronavirus pandemic, with all keenness, facts and figures and vehement struggle, not only to put a stop to its spread, but to find a permanent cure.

Nobody ever knew that the government of Nigerian can be so serious and energetic on matters bothering on threats to life, with all recklessness backing up the funding.

The lives of our children are more sacred and valuable than the coronavirus pandemic or even if we term them to be of equal value for equal treatment and aggression. Children during this period of public health crisis have suffered so much, but only the effects would be visible in the nearest future, when they are to take over the mantle of leadership, with all the set backs we are creating for them today.

For example, all schools shut as a result for the coronavirus pandemic, shall affect the standard of education negatively. The so called online teaching and learning cannot be said to be effective because the environment cannot be said to be conducive for all of them and the monitoring essence is equally low due to the high percentage of illiteracy and ill education of most parents. The general under funding of education is an insult to the intellectuals to the disadvantage of our children. This period, reports of emotional outbursts into psychological trauma are equally on the increase with cases of pedophilia, incest, sodomy, defilement, homosexuality and other cases of sexual abuses, have resulted in the vulnerability of children, particularly the girl child. Kidnapping of children has equally worsened the situation. Fundamentally therefore, children deserve all the care and attention, whereby all stakeholders starting from government on legislative framework for qualitative education that must be accessible to all irrespective of their social status. Also, the health sector must be children friendly, in terms of policies that would promote the rights of children on the issue of employment.

Frontline feminine activist and university lecturer, Stella Nyanzi has bagged an 18 month jail term for criticising Ugnada's President  Yoweri Museveni.

Nyanzi had through a facebook post carpeted Museveni's 33 year rule.

In her reaction Director for East Africa, Amnesty International, Joan Nyanyuki said that “Stella Nyanzi has been criminalised solely for her creative flair of using metaphors and what may be considered insulting language to criticise President Museveni’s leadership''.

“The mere fact that forms of expression are considered insulting to a public figure is not sufficient ground to penalize anyone. Public officials, including those exercising the highest political authority, are legitimately subject to criticism and political opposition.”

“This verdict is outrageous and flies in the face of Uganda’s obligations to uphold the right to freedom of expression for all people in Uganda and demonstrates the depths of the government’s intolerance of criticism,”

“It must be quashed and Stella Nyanzi, who has already suffered enormously for expressing her opinions, left to get on with her life.

“The Ugandan authorities must scrap the Computer Misuse Act 2011 which has been used systematically to harass, intimidate and stifle government critics like Stella Nyanzi.”

Anyanzi was arrested and detained in prison on 2 November 2018, two weeks after she posted a birthday poem considered to be abusive against the President.

The acitivist has already spent 9 months in prison.

Government at all levels have been advised to ensure governance is anchored on the all inclusive principle.

The Ezendigbo of Ibadan and Oyo state Eze and the Vice President(Southern zone)Association of Ezendigbo in Diaspora(Dr.)Alez Anozie gave this advice in a chat with Federationews2day.

‘’When government at all levels is all inclusive, it will go a long way in uniting the country and it will also go a long way in making people to have confidence in the true unity of Nigeria’’, Eze(Dr.)Anozie asserted.

Similarly, a statement by Eze(Dr.)Anozie disclosed that the President of the Association of Ezendigbo in Diaspora, Eze Ibekwe called on Igbos in the 36 states and Abuja to be law abiding. 

Eze Ibekwe, according to the statement, made this call in Ibadan, during the general meeting of all the recognized Ezendigbos residing outside the South East Geo-Political zone in Ibadan.

The statement further said that the Chief Host, Eze (Dr.) Anozie was earlier on hand to receive members of the association at his palace in Ososami, after which they proceeded on a courtesy visit to the Olubadan of Ibadanland’s palace.

It also said that both the executives and members of the association and the Olubadan gave assurances of mutual cooperation and peaceful co existence among the two tribal groups.

Residents of several communities in Nigeria have expressed worries over the criminality, lawlessness and disorderliness which now characterize daily living in these communities.

Sadly, owners of houses in these communities have repeatedly failed to thoroughly screen prospective tenants before accommodating them. In the process of residing in the rented apartments, criminals of sorts ply their trade.

Indeed, community leaders and the executive and members of Landlords and Tenants Associations have by design been unsuccessful in reversing this ugly trend, in addition to the proliferation of beer parlours, ‘’Ogogoro’’ joints and hotels in residential areas.

In a sizable number of communities, the critical stakeholders have been repeatedly accused of sponsoring criminals and crime.

In this interview, the Founder, Spiritual Head and Gran Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opinest that Landlords, tenants, the police, religious leaders all have roles to play to reverse the ugly trend.

What do you think can be done to curtail criminality, lawlessness and disorderliness in communities in Nigeria ?

Nigeria is made up of units or sub-systems bound by ethical principles to promote sanity in the society for ease of interpersonal and social interactions based upon the concept of peaceful co-existence. Each unity or sub-system can be regarded as a community with peculiar characteristics that may feature as a tribe, ethnic grouping, language and some traditions that show the kind of social entertainments, peculiar works as well as dressing modes and dress codes. Customs have varieties of religious undertones that maybe originally cultural or metamorphosis of assimilated foreign religion mixed with their beliefs.

Each of these are based on some value system which keep the community peaceful safe and secured for human sustenance in their struggle to entrench sustainable development. At the national level, regionalization of communities with similar traits keep up the Geography. Fortunately, this is the basis upon which Nigeria was built through several nationalities.

It should therefore not come as a surprise that agitations based on access, equity and development do emerge, but with different causative factors. For example, various agitations leading to militancy through youth restiveness in the South-South is basically environmental and ecological devastation. That of the South-East maybe based on issues of erosion, while that of the South-West is on fall in the standard of education and setback in development.

Generally, the North suffers from desert encroachment, educational backwardness and issues of poverty in the midst of plenty leading to the increasing insecurity as exemplified in the religious fracas of the likes of Maitasine and Boko-Haram issues fueled by poverty stricken youths in the wicked environment of begging for alms for sustenance.

The question now is the relevance of our Town and Gown philosophy on the impact of the expected socio-economic impact, value laden with the light of civility expected of rural integration programs into city urbanization effect.

However, community or village primitive nature dominates the Ivory Tower civilization because the ideal and substance of the value of education is always grossly abused through unwarranted under funding, with graduates preferring to be Personal Assistants to mediocre s, other than even searching for any job which in reality will fetch them less money for sustenance, rather than the ones to earn from the corruption ridden elite, who may not necessarily have a diploma certificate.

Other questions on the roles of all stakeholders in the scheme of nation building and community service on the issue of the core values of integrity that are supposed to make the people to be law abiding and measure up to become responsible citizens.

The Obas, Emirs and Obis were the custodians of the community’s cultural values those days, only credible people with a high level of integrity were usually put into the revered positions of power through divination that would enhance them to be people oriented on matters of justice and equity. They were expected not to run foul of the law they make and monitor, to ensure that people comply.

Unfortunately, some of them sold their people out during the colonial era on a platter of token sum or gift from their foreign colonial masters, thereby throwing most of their people to the jungle of enslavement. Since then, these revered positions neither seriously respect the oracles on the matter of choice, but rather receive blood money to enthrone the worms against the wishes of the gods and goddesses. The choice is now based on who can corruptly enrich the purse of the kingmakers.

This is why customs and traditions are now mere paper tigers and nasty objects of funfair of ceremonial importance.

On the religious scene, sacredness has been torn into shreds of profanity and religious substance has been sacrificed on the platter of commerce and deceit, rendering the scripture to a poor second of mere literature books of poetic importance. It is more of an entertainment program for people’s relaxation or mere opium.

This is the very reason why religion is only been used deceptively to choose our leaders, who will never apply, even by intuition, the concept of religious lessons or application of the scripture on the issues of management and administration in governance.

For the non-performance of government that has created the environment of poverty, religious issues are now shrouded in mysteries of magical wands by many self-acclaimed religious leaders to facilitate miracles to hoodwink the innocent, gullible and unsuspecting souls.

In all these processes, the community or the nation becomes fraught with anti-social and anti-divine activities, all in the name of survival of the fittest.

Unfortunately, poverty has also affected the fabric of every home that are either further impoverished or getting richer through the soiled hands of self enrichment or corruption.

Poor parenting, a situation where responsible Fathers are absent , creates an atmosphere of single parenting or separation and even divorce. This situation has only succeeded in putting children and the youth at the risk of poor peer group, most especially when they have the opportunity of mixing in schools with others from equally poor parenting homes.

Unfortunately for us, Nigeria is bedeviled with almost 13.9 million out-of-school children, with the possibilities of joining bad company in an environment of impunity.

Education is meant for all, to the secondary school level, hence must be free and made compulsory by government.

The community service must be directed towards having grassroots harmony. this is why all stakeholders starting from the Obas, Emirs and Obis, must shun self, but uphold the principle of altruism in discharging their divine and traditional responsibilities. Parents must equally direct their energy towards the God given assignment for them to ensure good parenting that would uphold the principles of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs on psychological and sociological needs, safety and security, self esteem and self actualization for the growth and development of their children.

Taking the golden path of assured safe and good child custody, sexuality education to manage the crisis ridden regime of puberty/adolescence stage of life as well as keeping close contact with the nature nurturing needs of the children to adulthood stage of independence.

For the security of the community, every home must participate effectively in the Landlords/Tenants Association’s activities, monitoring and controlling the inflow and outflow of tenants.

The community must be sensitive on the issue of the lifestyles of all Landlords, tenants and their children, while there must be good Police/Community relations.

It is now the trend to have Police stations at the ward level. This is important just as there are Medical centers for grassroots welfare and development.

Above all, parents and religious leaders must teach and implement the provisions of the scripture to be good role models by living exemplary lifestyles, that are worthy of emulation by the children and the youth.

The move by the Federal Government of Nigeria to concession the 22 Teaching hospitals in the country has been described as a calculated step to empower the elite.

This position was made known by the All Workers Convergence(AWC)through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

‘’From all angles and social indices before Nigerians, it has become obvious to everybody that our so called government is giving up its responsibilities, therefore governance is been abandoned systematically. This, Nigerians have seen as an attempt to concession the 22 teaching hospitals in the country. In a nut shell, government is trying to privatize these government hospitals, thereby making the prospect of health care delivery only for the highest bidder, which of course is the elite, more of a cash and carry process’’.

‘’It therefore means that those who cannot afford the bills are free to die. The position of the AWC, is that government should immediately reverse the idea of concession of the 22 teaching hospitals it owns’’, Comrade Emelieze declared.