On Workers Minimum Wage and Impending Strike

It’s an irony that in a nation where an average Senator and Honourable of the National Assembly and the State Assemblies earn millions of naira per month (doing no meaningfully thing), we have workers fighting to receive just N18, 000 per month. This is pure injustice!

WHERE NEXT IS THE BLAST POINT? (The Rate of Insecurity in Nigeria)

By Seun Adeogun

www.seunadeogun.blogspot.com

21 June 2011

The inability of the present administration to curb the incessant spate of terrorist attacks ranging from the outlawed Boko Haram activities in the north-eastern part of the country, the resurgence of kidnapping in the south-eastern and south-southern part, the violent robbery and gang clashes in the south-west and the communal clashes between Fulani herdsmen and local farmers in the north-central, amongst several others, has again brought to fore the weakness in the nation’s security system and governance.

For almost Nine months now, some states in the north-western part of the nation including the federal capital territory, has being witnessing recurring terrorist and violent attacks claiming lives of innocent Nigerians.

On October 1 2010, the nation was turn into mourning after it celebrated the independence anniversary with serial bomb blast in Federal Capital Territory -about few meters to the eagle square-the venue of the celebration. In similar circumstance, on December 31 2010, at a time of preparation to enter into the New Year,  serial bomb blasts were witnessed right inside the Mogadishu Barracks, Abuja, the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, and on the outskirt of the city of Jos respectively. Prior to, during and after the general election in April 2011, some parts of the country were not spared as bomb blasts were witnessed serially in places like Borno, Niger, Kaduna, and Bayelsa states respectively.

In one of the series of bomb attacks, some members of the National Youth Service Corps were killed in a bomb blast that occurred in Borno state Independent National Electoral Commission office. Similarly, the post-election violence in some parts of the north claimed the lives of corps members together with other innocent citizens.

Few weeks ago, two police stations and a church-St. Patrick‘s catholic church in Maiduguri were destroyed by a bomb attack purportedly carried out by the dreaded boko haram sect. Few days after, four men at a drinking joint were reported to have been shot by members of the Boko Haram Sect. The references are endless.

According to the recent report by the National Commission for Refugees, NCFR, about 1.3 million Nigerians have been displaced by communal crises, natural disasters and other mayhems that have turned them to become refugees in their country. Countless others have lost their lives, love ones and properties.

Our fear now is that the terrorist acts might spread all over the nation given the fact that the nation’s security outfits are yet to devise a clue to curtailing the dangerous situation.

It should be worthy to note that, until the problems of poverty, corruption in public offices, unemployment and dwindling standard of education are alleviated, there are likely to be more dangers ahead. Most of the security challenges witnessed in recent time are as a result of mass unemployment, mass illiteracy, poverty, corruption and abysmal character of our leaders.

Alone, the uncurbed rate of corrupt activities among some top government officials and other public officers at the different tiers and levels of government poses a strong influence on national security and desperation amongst Nigerian youths some of whom are most neglected, depressed and frustrated.

Without doubt there is serious social crisis in the system today which in similar, vein poses greater threat to the nation’s security and most importantly its future.

Before now, some of us thought it bad for US to have enlisted Nigeria amongst the terrorist nations, but for the past one year, occurrences have shown that truly Nigeria can be ranked aside Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, etc. as a terrorist nation.

With three bomb blast recorded in three military barracks, several others in the police stations in north-eastern parts of the nation including the most recent one within the premises of the Nigerian police force headquarters- which is a few meters from presidential villa and the national assembly complex in Abuja-, one during the nation’s fiftieth independent anniversary celebration amidst countless others, only fate knows where next..

It is time for the nation’s leadership together with various security agencies to take decisive actions against the fast rising menace of terrorism. We need more action and less talk at this point in time. It’s time for us to stop travelling on the wrong road.

The Likely Implications

§  The current situation would, no doubt, affect direct foreign investment in Nigeria. An average investor looks forward to a safe haven for his investments

§  The recurring tragedies will do more damage the reputation of the nation. Before now the nation was battling with the image of corruption and bad leadership, now it is terrorism (the worst of all).

The trend of insecurity has the tendency of inciting more counterproductive actions especially as a larger percentage of the nation’s youth are unemployed and ill-educated.

§ 

§  It also poses additional threat to religious crisis and the corporate existence of the nation

The Boko Haram Attacks Dateline 2009-2011

§  July 2009. The group struck in Maiduguri, Borno state killing several innocent residents of the state.

§  September 7, 2010. The sect attacked a prison and freed about 700 inmates in Bauchi state

§  November 24, 2010. The group carried out serial bomb attacks in the some part of Jos plateau state killing about 10 people

§  October 31 2010. The dreaded insurgent group carried out another attack in Mogadishu barracks (aka Sani Abacha barracks) mammy markets killing 11 while leaving several others injured

§   January 28, 2011.  Boko haram claimed responsibility for the gruesome murder of the ANPP Gubernatorial candidate in Borno state who was murdered along with his brother and four police men.

§  April 1 2011. Members of the boko haram sect launched an attack on a police station in Bauchi state.

§  April 15 2011. During the election period, the Borno state Independent National Electoral Commission office was bombed by suspected boko haram members.

§  April 20, 2011. Suspected boko haram sect murdered a Muslim cleric together with some police officers in Maiduguri.

§  April 22, 2011. Prisoners were set free after a jail break carried out by members of the boko haram sect in Yola, Adamawa state.

§  April 25, 2011. Three bomb blasts was witnessed in Tudu Palace Hotel and Kano Motor Park in Maiduguri Borno State, allegedly carried out by the sect.

§  May 28 2011. A bomb blast occurred in Shandawanka Barracks mammy market in Bauchi state killing 14 people and injuring about 40.

§  May 29 2011. The sect carried out serial bomb attacks in Bauchi, FCT, and Maiduguri.

§  June 1 2011. The group killed the Sheu of Borno’s brother, Abba El-kanemi in Maiduguri.

§  June 16 2011. The group carried out its first successful suicide bombing in the premise of the Nigerian police force headquarters, Abuja, killing about eight police men while valuable properties were destroyed.

CUBING THE MENACE OF KIDNAPPING IN NIGERIA

By ‘Seun Adeogun

16 June 2011.

It’s really disheartening to have heard the news of five abducted serving youth corps members (National Youth Service Corps Members) kidnapped in Ikwere local government area of Rivers state few days ago. It made me remember the gory incident of top journalists abducted in like manner in Port-Harcourt close to a year ago. This unfortunate and reoccurring incident requires urgent attention on the part of the various security agencies and government of the day. Such as this incident coming at a time when the NYSC is facing unwarranted challenges and widespread criticisms on its essence is uncalled for. Nevertheless it brought to the fore one more reason why the NYSC scheme needs to be reviewed or better still eradicated. 

Up on till the writing of this piece, the abductors, who earlier demanded for 100 million naira, had reduced their ransom to 10 million naira and perhaps the security agencies are yet to find a clue to rescuing the victims. 

I also use this medium to challenge our leaders and Nigerians alike on the need to solve societal problem from the fundamentals before the kind of change we envisioned within the society can be realised. Some of the fundamental issues that require urgent attention include:

The Need for Role Model Leaders. Everything is said to rise and fall on leadership. Most of our problems today have been caused by competence and character failure amongst our past and present leaders. Our polity needs a renaissance. We need leaders who can envision a developed nation, have the capacity to demonstrate personal character, have the passion and are ready to discharge duties in line with the natural and national core values at various levels of governance.

The Need for Value Re-orientation. There is value erosion in our nation today. The culture of materialism has eaten deeply into the Nigerian system. This culture needs to be de-emphasized in all ramifications. Religious institutions have cogent role to play in this regard. We seem to be very religious but not spiritual. Corruption must be strictly abhorred and culprits dealt with zero tolerance. The lip service and media persecution used in fighting corruption must stop. Corrupt public officers should be duly persecuted in accordance with the law.

The Need to Revive the Economy. The nation is yet to recover from the economic downturn. Policies that can turn around the harsh economic condition witnessed all over the nation must be put into place. The problem of massive unemployment should be solved. Recently, it was discovered through a study conducted by the Lagos chambers of commerce that about 90% of youths are presently unemployed in Nigeria. The instinct for survival is the strongest in man. When a man has no means of livelihood, he looks for possible means to survive. Jobs must be created and small scale businesses need massive support from both the government and the private sector. 

The Need to Strengthen the Nation’s Security. Capacity of the national security outfits must be developed. The men of the Nigerian police force need re-orientation and should be equipped with modern security apparatus to combat crime at all levels. They need adequate compensation and good welfare package should we desire to get the best from them.

It is high time we stopped deceiving ourselves on ways to tackle the criminality within the nation. Kidnapping amongst other criminal offense on the increase are offshoots of leadership inadequacies, misplaced values, complacency on the part of the followers and economic hardship witnessed within the nation. We must become the change we seek in the world. In the word of Albert Einstein, ‘’the problems we created cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were when we created them’’.

We can’t continue to see our leaders’ loot and misappropriate public funds while the populace live in penury. It time to stop traveling on the wrong road.