Professor Emmanuel Emovon, CON

We must rethink our education policy

By HENRY OKONKWO

In 1971, he became a Professor of Chemistry and was subsequently appointed the Vice Chancellor of University of Jos in 1978. He spent seven years, which is a two-term of four years and three years.

His brilliance did not escape the notice of the military administration headed by the self-confessed evil genius, General Ibrahim Babangida who appointed him Minister of Science and Technology, an office he held  for about four and half years. Following a cabinet reshuffle, he was appointed as the coordinator and chief executive of Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO)  in 1990; he held this position till his retirement in 1998 having attained the age of 60.
 A respected Benin chief, he holds the title of Obayagbona of Benin kingdom, which translates to ‘World is a gift to the Oba.’
Talking about gift, Emovon has been one great gift Nigeria, nay the black race, cannot forget in a hurry. His name resonates in the annals of who-is-who in science and technology. His strides in this field have proven him as a distinguished scientist, researcher and administrator. Professor Emovon has played a major role towards placing Nigeria in pole position in the comity of scientific and technological advanced countries. In particular,he played a pivotal role in the development of the National Policy on Science and Technology; the establishment of the National Science and Technology Fund; the restructuring and re-organization of research institutes in 1998; the pioneering of Science Village and the establishment of National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development.
He speaks on his life at 85, the lessons, travails and achievements.
Enjoy it:


As a younger scholar, what motivated you to study Chemistry?
My interest in science generally started in Edo College. Back then, I excelled more in the sciences. I was also good in the Arts, History and the rest. When I did the entrance examination to the UCI, I passed. The core subjects I chose were Chemistry, Physics and Botany. Those subjects were courses for the study of Medicine. I got admission to study Medicine, but I didn’t have the money to pay my way through school, until I won a scholarship from the Benin Native Authority, BNA.
But I couldn’t study medicine because the BNA wanted to train scientists at that time. So I made up my mind that rather than just stay at home and wait for the next year to write the exam, I should take the opportunity and enter for a science degree.
During my first year, I won the university scholarship. That took me through the course of my education. After my Intermediate B.Sc examination, which we used to write in those days, the professor of physics and chemistry wrote to me from London to come into their honours classes. I was in a dilemma which course to choose between physics and chemistry. Looking at the Nigeria situation at that time, physics was a little bit more limited than chemistry. So, I opted for chemistry.
What were some of the challenges you had to grapple with during your reign as vice-chancellor and minister?
Admission is the most critical thing in the university system. During my time, people had what they called catchment areas for university and the NUC tended to put the number of students that would be admitted into the university along with the financial allocation; so that the more students a university had the higher their allocation, hence universities started to admit to bloat up their numbers without caring if the amenities were available. That created a lot of problems because universities were admitting students without due regard to facilities available. It was one of the challenges I encountered and tried to correct. But it is still happening today because students completely outnumber facilities the schools have. The government tried to solve it by building more universities and issuing licence to private universities. However, building more universities would raise the question of skilled manpower to provide the necessary tutelage to the students.
The other one is when we tried to enforce the use of local materials in production. Even the cassava production we are making so much noise about now, we had used it in my time to make bread and other confectionaries. But we didn’t have enough funds to carry on the research further than what we did at that level before I left. But certainly we made bread and many confectionaries from cassava floor.
Then again, we tried to malt corn and guinea corn to be used in the brewing of beer. We insisted that since we could malt corn and guinea corn, we should stop the importation of barley malt. President Ibrahim Babangida agreed and we went into it. But at a time, because of too many vested interests, the brewery failed to back that project. And the project could not be sustained.
As an academic that have also served in government, what is your take on recurring wrangling between government and academic unions? Do you share the notion that ASUU was unreasonable in their demand or blame government for not keeping to its agreement?
It takes two to tango. The government had its own blame on the issue; the universities also have their own share of blame. When you reach an agreement with someone, you are expected to make your word your bond. Having regard for personalities on the government side; a man like Gamaliel Onosode was chairman of the committee. He is not a frivolous person, he is responsible enough. And I am sure that while negotiation was going on, he must have been briefing the government on the issue. And government signed that agreement without ever complaining or making a fuss. But when it came to implementation, government failed.
ASUU on the other hand were right to stand their ground because things were not getting better in the universities. We must admit facilities were deteriorating, hence the academic bodies decided that they must do something to force the hands of government. Strike is not usually the best but there is no other way labour can assert its rights.
Facilities in our schools have deteriorated greatly; yet we were establishing more and more universities. The rate of production of manpower for the university is not commensurate with the rate at which we are establishing universities. So, we don’t have enough staff and  facilities, including electricity and water. If you’re carrying out a research, particularly in the sciences, medical and engineering, those things are vital. If they are not available, it creates a lot of problems. Chemistry experiments require a lot of water and sometimes water is not available or sometimes you start your experiment and in the middle of it, suddenly power goes off. These were the things that force d the academic union into the strike.
As a former vice chancellor, we had gone through all these processes but we tried as much as possible to be reasonable in our reaction. Having made your point, at a certain level there should be a halt, but it depends on the reaction of the other party. So, if one side is determined not to honour an agreement it willingly entered into, then the other side would stick to its guns to down tools. It was a considered agreement, it wasn’t something that was sprung on either the government or the academic bodies.
What does the strike portend?
Government tells Nigerians and the world that education is a priority and that they would invest as much as they have. Take for instance, the UNESCO recommendation that about 25 per cent of the budget should go to education, and in particular, university education. Our government comes out and pledge it was determined to fund the universities or education generally. A few days after saying that, the budget is released, you notice that the allocation to the education sector falls short of what they promised. This makes you wonder how serious the government takes education. Rhetoric can catch many people and sweep them off their feet, but when it comes to implementation now the government falls short, thus disappointing the people.
What should universities do to cushion the six months lost to strike?
The scheduled programme of universities must have been disrupted by the strike. All they have to do is to settle down and see how they can recover from the strike. In fact, they must not try to rush through the semester by compressing lectures they are supposed to do in one year, into two days, otherwise, we would be producing half-baked graduates. If I was in their position, having lost six months, we would recover it by extending the semester, cutting down on the holidays. You can’t eat your cake and have it.
How would you rate science and technology in Nigeria?
I think we haven’t done too badly. We made success of many programmes in the scientific field. In some of our universities, the researches have been positive. And having been a member of the Academy of Science, I would say that we have done fair enough.
At a time, we were importing heavily; almost all we needed in this country were imported. So, when I was a minister, I charged my staff that all we should do was to ensure that all our productions contained a high proportion of local content, instead of  just throwing up our hands and depending on imported materials. And the research institutes rose to this challenge. That was why in my time, we set up Raw Material Research and Development Council. We also thought of the Nigeria Pharmaceutical Research and Development Agency; all were geared towards making our raw materials useful in our manufacturings.
In the wider field, let say engineering, we have also done very well. I gave a lecture in Boston about 20 years ago, and the topic was, ‘Nigeria’s achievement in Science and Technology: Are we really in the right direction?’ We were once at the same level with the Asian Tigers, but they have gone far ahead of us because of their heavy investment in science and technology. We are lagging behind because we didn’t do that. You find on our streets, the latest model of any car. Even before they appear on the roads in the country of production, we are already driving it in Nigeria. So, there seem to be a false impression about what we do as per manufacturing; the manufacturers association complain that they have not been given necessary encouragement to match the exploits of other countries.
What should we be doing to catch up with other countries like the Asian tigers?
It all depends on our system. Our system should be geared towards producing a lot of science graduates. Now, if you look at our education policy; we run the 6-3-3-4. I have always said that our universities are saddled with all sorts of graduates, some of whom have no business being in the university in the first place. This further complicates the already complicated problems in our tertiary institutions.
Now, you come to our secondary schools, they have the same problem of dearth of good teachers, lack of facilities and so on. However, to gain admission into an institution of higher education, I have always maintained the university should preserve what they have before in their degree programmes. But that the country should make provisions for students to attend a higher school after completion of their secondary school before going to the university. I mean that instead of the 3-3 we should have a 3-3-2. The two-year  post senior school certificate should be used for HSC (Higher School Certificate) or GCE Advanced Level; people should be admitted into the university from result of their HSC which should be written in the secondary school. In other words, JAMB should be phased out so that universities would not have to set up their post-JAMB examinations.
Have you directly made this recommendation to government?
No, but I have made it known in our private discussions and so on.
So you haven’t really made concrete move to put this in black and white for the authorities?
No, I haven’t. I would do it someday. I am trying to write my autobiography and there I would spell out my ideas to the government and to Nigerians.
With the system we have on ground, do we have the prospect of excelling in science and technology?
Oh, yes. We have the prospects but what is lacking is the ability to harness. Look at the performance of Nigerians in science and technology in other countries like America, Britain and so on; we certainly have a bright prospect. But we must be prepared to fund that sector of development, because if we don’t, of course, we would continue to see our scientists leave the country to other countries for greener pastures. We must be able to encourage them not only by providing the facilities, but we should be able to pay them well to spur them to want to do more for the country.
At 85 what has life taught you?
Life has taught me many lessons. I have learnt that human relationships is vital for one to have a clear idea of what one wants to do, because you cannot live as if you live in an island all by yourself.
I have learnt too, that one has to be honest in whatever one sets one’s hands on. Honestly, there is so much corruption in this country that a good deal of our efforts is being spent on trying to correct the ills of corruption. The monies cornered by corrupt individuals, if channelled towards any sector of development, can go a long way to change the face of this country.
Also, life has made me understand that it pays to have honesty, integrity and hard work as your watchword. These are things I have learnt and I wish we adopt. And our youths themselves should not follow the beaten track. Somebody was saying some years ago that may be our generation was a lost generation, but we were honest. But when I look at this new generation, I don’t just know what would become of them.
What virtue would you want the present generation to learn from Professor Emovon?
One, that mountains are not climbed looking at them, but you have to work hard. Those that have gone ahead have worked very hard to attain the heights that they have found themselves. So hard work is the first thing I would want them to adopt. Others are integrity and humility.
What would you want to be remembered for?
I want to be remembered for my hard work, and that I have set up institutions which are working to ensure that Nigeria excels in the global comity of science and technology.
How do you relax and spend your free time?
I go to the Oba’s palace. Once I am through with this interview, I would head straight to the palace. Years ago, Benin had instituted a certain legal system which ensures justice. That is because the Oba holds a court almost every morning listening to his citizens and he tries with the help of his chiefs sitting around him to ensure that justice is meted out to all.
I enjoyed sports as a young man. I played soccer, tennis and cricket. And I was so good that I was made captain of the university cricket team back then. In fact, I played cricket till my 70s, perhaps that is why I am still fit now (laughs).
But now I no longer indulge in rigorous sporting activities, but I still enjoy playing chess, snooker and being with my friends.
What is your greatest achievement in life? Do you feel fulfilled?
I would say that my achievement is that I participated in the training of manpower for my country as a university teacher. So, I feel fulfilled because in any gathering I go to, I meet my students. Even when I have forgotten their faces many of them would walk up to me and introduce themselves as my students. And I would say, ‘Wow! You are now a huge personality.’ So I feel fulfilled in that direction.
And I have participated as a member of the Federal Executive in shaping certain policies in the country. Also, I have trained my children and they are doing well in their different fields of endeavour. I have six children-three boys and three girls. I first had two girls, followed by two boys, another girl and then a boy.
All these add up to make me believe that I have lived a fulfilled life.
 

TheSun

APC: Message from island of Patmos

Blessed is the All Progressives Congress (APC) member who reads this piece, and keeps those things that are written in it; for the time is near.
Yes, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the timetable for the long-awaited (and dreaded) 2015 general elections.  On the day the world celebrates love next year, February 14, Saint Valentine’s Day, Nigerians will be filing out to declare their love for a new president, and members of the National Assembly.  And two weeks later, they will be on the march again to choose new governors, and lawmakers into the state assemblies.
Since we returned to democratic ways in 1999, this is perhaps going to be the most keenly contested, the most pulsating election in the country.  The rampaging Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has won every election at the centre, and in majority of the states, now has to contend with a rainbow coalition, an amalgam of opposition parties that has formed a confederacy to wrest power in 2015.  I tell you, this may be our keenest election ever.
John the Divine, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ, was banished to the island called Patmos, “for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”  From there, he received revelations that are still unravelling about 2,000 years later today.
Well, ‘Prophet’ Adesina was also in the spirit earlier this week, and he received messages for the All Progressives Congress (APC), which if they heed properly, they will have cause to smile after the elections next year.
Destabilisation, sabotage, subversion and treachery are legitimate weapons in politics.  The APC will have plenty of it from people already planted in the fold by the PDP.  The party has been fishing in all kinds of waters, landing big fishes, small fishes, all disgruntled members of the PDP, who have joined the ranks of the APC.  Because “there is no art to find the mind’s construction in the face,” agents of destabilisation are also already in the fold.  Their duty is simple: rock the party to its foundations, sow discord, and set the members in disarray.  How the APC copes with these fifth columnists will determine how far it goes in next year’s elections.
Again, wrangling by founders and joiners may be a mighty centrifugal force.  See the scenario in many states.  Attahiru Bafarawa was a key figure in the merger process from the Action Congress of Nigeria end.  He also had influence in All Nigeria Peoples Party and Democratic Peoples Party.  He was even a presidential aspirant in the 2011 elections on the platform of the ACN.  Now Gov Aliyu Magatakarda Wamako of Sokoto State, a sworn political enemy of Bafarawa, has joined the APC.  Like a wild horse, the latter kicked, saying over his dead body would his former deputy governor, whom he forced to resign, become the party leader of which he (Bafarawa) was a co-founder.  The matter had festered for months, and now, Bafarawa has gone into the PDP.
Here is the message from Patmos: let Bafarawa go.  He is now a lightweight, mere feather in the politics of Sokoto State.  If he remains bilious and grouchy against his former subordinate who upstaged him in the political game, then he has not much to bring to the table in APC.  Politics is about permanent interests, not about permanent friends or enemies.  If Bafarawa refuses to see the larger picture, and holds on to deep-seated animus and antipathy, then let him go.  An aching tooth is better out than in.
But even as Bafarawa left in Sokoto, I wouldn’t have canvassed the same in Kano. Whatever it would have taken, APC should have held Ibrahim Shekarau tight. The man is a positive influence, added value to any political party.  Shekarau is one of the brains behind the formation of APC, just like Mohammed Buba Marwa from the Adamawa end.
True, there’s been no love lost between Shekarau and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in Kano.  The former had upstaged the latter from the governor’s seat in 2003, and spent two terms in office.  But in 2011, like a typhoon, Kwankwaso swept back into office.  Since then, Kano has been polarized politically into pro-Shekarau and pro-Kwankwaso camps.  But you need the influence (and possibly the funding) that incumbent governors can bring to bear on the process.  So, APC embraced Kwankwaso with open arms when he defected.  But what do you do with Shekarau in terms of who leads the party in Kano?  Dilemma.  Quandary.  Puzzle. There should have been rapprochement between Shekarau and Kwankwaso, despite the long years of political bitterness.  The leadership of APC should have facilitated it.  Kano is a big political pool, and wrong splashes cannot be afforded from that direction.  Now Shekarau has gone into PDP. Tufiakwa!  It should never have happened.  I have the sneaky feeling that the former Kano State governor, a man I respect so much, has made a mistake, and an egregious one at that. Shekarau is too much principled to join a party he had always excoriated for its bad practices.  What Bafarawa lacks in political influence, Shekarau sure has aplenty. APC should have held tight to him.
What of Marwa in Adamawa?  Same scenario.  The urbane former Borno and Lagos State military governor brought verve and panache into public service.  If Nigeria was not such a self-destructive country, a land that consumes its best people, people like Marwa should be giving quality leadership at the centre now.  Should APC then let him go?  Remember that song by King Yellowman, the reggae artist:  “If you should lose me, oh yea, you lose a good thing…” APC should not lose Marwa.  Whatever it takes to reconcile him and Gov Murtala Nyako, the party should do. And this is straight from Patmos.
The same with Dele Belgore and Bukola Saraki in Kwara State!  Belgore ran for governor in 2011, but Saraki succeeded in installing his own protégé in Abdulfatah Ahmed.  Belgore had been in the vanguard of opposition as symbolized then by the ACN, which became a major part of APC, and then suddenly, Saraki and his people joined APC.  About 20 lawmakers in the Kwara State House of Assembly have also defected from the PDP to APC.  Who then leads the party, the founders or joiners?  The joiners have plenty to bring to the table in terms of influence and resources.  So who does the party hand the baton of leadership to?  Another puzzle.  Dilemma.  But the party leadership must resolve it amicably, making concessions here and there.
In Bayelsa State, the same scenario exists between the old members, and supporters of former governor, Timipre Sylva.  In Ondo State, Ogun State, and many others, the party is equally being rocked by leadership tussles.  What the APC leadership at the national level does with these pockets of discontent will go a long way in determining its fortunes (or misfortune) at the polls next year.
Another message from the island:  APC, watch the processes by which your candidates emerge.  Your adversaries are waiting for that time, and they are already predicting that it is the time the alliance would crumble and scatter.  Can you afford to have a carryover of the tendency in ACN, in which candidates are handpicked by the powers that be?  Never!  Or the disorder in the old Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), in which you never knew who the candidate was, even on voting day?  Never again!  Who will be the presidential candidate of APC?  Muhammadu Buhari?  He has not thrown his hat into the ring yet.  Nuhu Ribadu?  Marwa?  Kwankwaso? Rochas Okorocha?  Or even the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who still has one leg in PDP?  Whoever it is must emerge through a free and fair process, transparent for all to see.  The same with gubernatorial candidates, National Assembly, state assemblies, indeed, at every level.  APC must be a true analgesic to all the headaches and body pains of the past, caused by undemocratic tendencies in the previous parties.
Continue to fish in all waters.  I know the APC has come under severe criticism for this.  The new chairman of PDP, Adamu Muazu, says they are poachers.  But I ask: if you don’t fish in PDP waters, poach in PDP game park, where then do you do it? Mars?  Wresting power from an incumbent is never a picnic, nor tea party.  The APC needs all the hands it can get, despite the strident criticisms.  There are talks about lack of ideology, but let somebody show me that single party that has held stubbornly to clear-cut ideology in Nigeria, and ever got into power. Such parties only produced “the best president we never had.” And for how long should that happen?  A child gets circumcised with pains and peppery sensations.  So is the power game too.  Let the APC continue to poach, but only be careful to sift the grain for the chaff.  In the process of ingathering, moles and saboteurs will be brought in.  The onus is on the party to be able to separate the wheat from the tares later.
Sell your programs to Nigerians.  Yes, a lot of people are tired of the PDP, they believe the party could have served the country better in the 15 years it has held power at the centre, but they are also in the valley of decision.  A good number are sceptical, even cynical.  They say all parties, all politicians are the same, and then conclude that the devil you know is better than the one you don’t know.  So, APC, sell yourself, and your programs to Nigerians.  Time for campaigns will come, be ready.  Showcase things your governors have done, and tell us what you will do better at the centre.  Nigerians are yearning for change, but they also want to look before they leap.  They don’t want change for change sake, they want the change that will give them a better country, where the resources available are utilized to make life better for the vast majority.
And then this!  APC, don’t think the PDP is dead.  I wrote on this last week.  When a snake is scorched, and not killed, it becomes more venomous.   That is the state of the PDP.  The party has been weakened by the crises of the past year, but it still has ample time to rally back, with a new leadership.  Don’t think PDP is dead.  It is not.  To underrate the party is to be in for a big surprise.  In the states, at the federal level, it will take a big fight to dislodge the PDP.  Be ready for it.
On Saint Valentine’s Day next year, it will be a battle of love. An old suitor and a new one will seek our hands in marriage.  Who do we go with?  Of course, the one that courts us best, making us lofty promises, and singing sweet songs into our ears, even if those songs are really sweet nothings. But one thing is sure: we will not allow anybody to marry us on credit again.

TheSun

Aso Rock not the end

It seemed strange that the lawlessness, which all along ravaged Rivers State, suddenly gave way to rule of law as provided not only in the Nigerian constitution but also in monumental judicial pronouncements.
The police eventually allowed a public rally where citizens aired their views on the prevailing political situation in the state, contrary to the police sacking of a similar gathering in the same Rivers State, a week earlier.
The adherence to the rule of law came less than a week after a major political party,  the All Progressives Congress, (APC), directed its members in the National Assembly, to perform their duties as provided for in Nigerian constitution by checking the excesses of the Presidency, which had been violating the autonomy of states clearly preserved under the constitution.  The Judiciary and National Assembly are so empowered under the constitution. For the Judiciary to perform that function, it must be approached by the offended party while the National Assembly can act all alone depending on the voting strength interested parties acting as a group can muster. That is the practice in any democracy all over the world.
Completely unserious if not ignorant groups made vain attempts to befog the issue with baseless allegations and threats of unleashing security apparatus. Only the future and history will adequately appreciate those who, at least for now, are patriotic enough to stabilise the rising political tension in the country. It can only be hoped that the return to rule of law in Rivers State is permanent. Meanwhile, was it without reason that a major political party had to alert the National Assembly to check the Presidency from sustained and seeming unrepentant violation of the constitution?
The facts need to be summarised to appreciate the magnitude of violation of Nigerian constitution. For over a year, a Commissioner of Police has not only been confronting but also defying the Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi (henceforth the state governor) duly mandated by the people of that state to conduct their affairs for the stipulated tenure. If the state governor deviated from the mandate, Nigerian constitution provides relief for the electorate to call him to order, even if it means impeaching him but strictly, not on instigation from outside political interests especially for purposes of vendetta. What is more, it is not the business of a Commissioner of Police and not within the power of the same officer to obstruct a state governor from performing his duties or his movements within his official residence or the state.
Among those who have been subjected to this intermittent humiliation by the Commissioner of Police, along with the state governor are visiting fellow state governors, former speakers of state houses of assembly, serving speakers and the governor’s local and visiting political associates. Reports of these ugly incidents are regularly carried in local and foreign media. Stripped of all sentiments, there is only one word for this breach of constitution –subversion. A Commissioner of Police is under the direct supervision of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), to whom the state governor had severally reported his officer.  Better still, is the Inspector-General of Police unaware of the regular media reports of the unpleasant events in Rivers State?
Owing to the fast deteriorating situation in Rivers State including instigated violence in the state House of Assembly to make sittings impossible, the House of Representatives had to assume constitutional responsibility. Still, the situation did not improve. What reports were the Inspector-General getting from the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State? That is really begging the issue. The Inspector-General of Police directly reports to the Presidency, that is President Goodluck Jonathan. Is Jonathan not aware of the violation of the constitution in Rivers State? If Jonathan is unaware, that will be bizarre. But if Jonathan is aware of that breach of constitution in Rivers State, what has he done about it? When successive service chiefs could not conquer Boko Haram insurgents, Jonathan fired them, one set after another. What therefore, is peculiar about the ongoing subversion in Rivers State not to attract the concern of the Presidency?
This was the apparent background to the step of the All Progressives Congress in alerting the National Assembly to check the deliberate or unconscious indifference of the Presidency. By the time the National Assembly stall executive bills, including finance bills, the message will be sent that Nigeria cannot finance subversion in whatever guise. If the National Assembly fails to act and allows the Police or even the Presidency to have their way in Rivers State, the remaining 35 states will be similarly vulnerable to be politically slaughtered.
There should be no pretence about the root of the tensed political situation in Rivers State. Governor Amaechi is known not to support President Jonathan’s second term bid. Is that a crime for any state governor even if a PDP member? Under the Nigerian constitution, every citizen is free to hold and express political views different from another’s. Even if the PDP constitution compels a member to support the re-election of a sitting President, (there is no proof of this), it is always the argument of Jonathan’s supporters that whatever prior agreement to which he might have committed himself to any group or person, such commitment, according to Jonathan’s supporters, is rendered null and void by the supremacy of Nigerian constitution, ala various rights. If therefore, Jonathan enjoys the supremacy of Nigerian constitution, all other members of the PDP are equally entitled to the same rights. The beginning of Nigerian constitution is the end of any other agreement, documented or not.
Governor Amaechi may not be believed in his denial of any interest in 2015 presidential elections. But then, who is that Nigerian politician to be believed? Goodluck Jonathan? Northern Governors accused him of reneging on a 2011 agreement not to contest in 2015. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo only recently also confirmed Jonathan’s commitment not to contest in 2015. Jonathan not only denied any such agreement, but conveniently demanded written proof. Yet, these same governors and Obasanjo were the chief backers of Jonathan in 2011. That such strong backers later conspired to concoct a non-existing commitment against Jonathan? This does not mean Obasanjo is better than Jonathan. A major dent on Obasabjo’s recent otherwise timely letter to Jonathan was that he (Obasanjo) must acquire the necessary credibility for such an exercise considering his futile attempt to mutilate an amended constitution in 2005 to enable him stay in office for a third term. Obasanjo was to later deny telling anybody of a third term bid, the very denial, in exact words, Jonathan echoes today. Yet, Jonathan is expected to declare himself soon. Or what is the Rivers State war about?
As noted earlier, President Jonathan might pretend not to know about police violation of Nigerian constitution in Rivers State. Today, Jonathan, after the alert of National Assembly by the APC, can no longer claim to be unaware. By the time National Assembly informs President Jonathan for necessary action, the man has no option except to stabilise the subversion in that state. If still, Jonathan allows the Rivers State issue to prolong, he would be rendering himself liable to necessary sanctions by the National Assembly under relevant sections of the constitution for being unwilling or unable to perform his duties, especially in violation of the Oath of Office to which he swore. Among others, President Jonathan swore that “…I will not allow my personal interest to influence my official conduct or my official decisions; that I will, to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; that in all circumstances, I will do right to all manner of people without fear or favour, affection or ill-will…”
How are personal political interests involved in the Rivers State issue? Section 143 (11) also clarifies possible impeachable offence of gross misconduct to mean “…a grave violation or breach of the provisions of this constitution or a misconduct of such nature as amounts, in the opinion of the National Assembly, to gross misconduct.” What are the chances with a hostile National Assembly such as is building up?
President Jonathan should, in fact, be grateful to the APC for an unsolicited gift in alerting the National Assembly on the grave situation in Rivers State, which should not be underestimated or disregarded. Consultations or persuation might have been an alternative, and if none worked, so be it. As Shakespeare writes,  “The fewer men, the greater  share of honour.” Noticeably, almost all the remaining PDP governors are keeping quiet in the full if embarrassing knowledge that Rivers State is not it. In short, none of them would like a similar experience.
The risk is not worth it. By all means, Jonathan can proceed to contest the 2015 presidential elections. The worst that can happen is that he may not win Rivers State, which is only one. In contrast, Obasanjo lost the entire six states in the South-West in1999, yet, he became the elected President. Due consideration should be given to life after Aso Rock. Admittedly, 2015 is not 1999 or 2011. The more reason Jonathan should reflect on his past since his days as deputy governor of Bayelsa State. Fate, rather than agitation, was the sole determinant all through to the seat of power at Aso Rock. That is how it should be in the affairs of men.
At the end of the day, the choice is Goodluck Jonathan’s.
•Postscript: This headline is the personal philosophy of the masses as displayed on Izuchukwu minibuses plying Lagos-Benin -eastern highways.
If Bamanga Tukur forgets

Eventually, erstwhile National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bamanga Tukur, had to step down despite all the assurances to the contrary, leading him to deny any intention to quit. Only Bamanga Tukur could not have seen it coming from the very day he was installed in office. He never belonged to that gang and he was so warned in this column from the first day. Acknowledging him as a nice man and a business expert, he was warned on this page that politicians would use him, destroy him and dump him. Why Bamanga Tukur continued to believe any of them especially in the last one month in office, would not be clear. Regretfully, the media were particularly used to portraying him in bad light, especially that he vowed that even President Jonathan could not sack him. Tukur had occupied public positions for decades and would realise that the boss, in that situation is always the boss even if the rules are to be bent. It would be a surprise if he indeed spoke in that tone.When the moment called for it, Tukur was used by some state governors to provoke some of their colleagues out of the party, so that the schemers could consolidate themselves around the seat of power. Even when the law courts nullified the expulsion of some key national officers, one of whom was the national secretary of the party and former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, those schemer governors pushed the party under Bamanga Tukur’s chairmanship to resist Oyinlola’s resumption of office. The pretext was that the party appealed against the court judgment. Tukur was thus portrayed as the only stumbling block to the return of peace to the party. After the bitter experience, it is most unlikely that Bamanga Tukur will ever mix with political vampires again.
 

TheSun

9 Symptoms You Should Never Ignore

We often experience symptoms that we ignore, but shouldn’t. Why? Perhaps because we’ve grown up in an era that insists that you do not go to the doctor unless you’ve just about lost an arm. Even then, your momma might tell you to just walk it off. Or that there’s only so much that the doctor can really do, anyway. As tough and as strong as we perceive ourselves to be, there are some symptoms that we just can’t afford to ignore. Ever.
Here’s a list of warning symptoms worth remembering. If you suffer from any of these, seeking immediate attention could do more than just make a difference in the quality of your life – it may save your life!
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1. Unexplained Weight Loss
If you find that you’re losing excessive weight without trying, see your doctor. Unintentional excessive weight loss is considered to be a loss of more than:
• 5 percent of your weight within one month
• 10 percent of your weight within six to 12 months
An unexplained drop in weight could be caused by a number of conditions, such as an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), depression, liver disease, cancer or other noncancerous disorders, or disorders that interfere with how well your body absorbs nutrients.
2. Persistent Fever
If you have a normal immune system and you’re not undergoing treatment, such as chemotherapy for cancer, a persistent low-grade fever — over 100.4 F — should be checked if it lasts for a week or more. If you have a fever with shaking chills, or a high fever — greater than 103 F — or if you’re otherwise severely ill, see your doctor as soon as possible.
If you have an immune system problem or take immune-suppressing drugs, fever may not be a reliable warning sign and your primary doctor or oncologist can tell you what would signal a need for an evaluation.
Persistent fever can signal hidden infections, which could be anything from a urinary tract infection to tuberculosis. At other times, malignant conditions — such as lymphomas — cause prolonged or persistent fevers, as can some medications and conditions, and reactions to certain drugs. Fever is also common with treatable infections, such as urinary tract infections. But if a low-grade fever persists for more than two weeks, check with your doctor. Some underlying cancers can cause prolonged, persistent fever, as can tuberculosis and other disorders.
3. Shortness of Breath
Feeling short of breath — beyond the typical stuffy nose or shortness of breath from exercise — could signal an underlying health problem. If you find that you’re unable to catch your breath or you’re gasping for air/wheezing, seek emergency medical care. Feeling breathless with or without exertion or when reclining is a symptom that needs to be medically evaluated without delay.
Causes for breathlessness may include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis, asthma, heart problems, anxiety, panic attacks, pneumonia, and a blood clot in the lung (pulmonary embolism), pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension.
4. Unexplained Changes In Bowel Habits
See your doctor if you have any of the following:

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Blackdoctor+Org

Dear President Jonathan, Corruption Is The Problem Of Nigeria – Theophilus Ilevbare

“Corruption is not the cause of all the problems confronting Africa. In terms of security, Boko Haram is the biggest challenge we (Nigeria) have at the moment.” – President Goodluck Jonathan

“For Mr. President to have said that corruption is not our number one problem that must be the misstatement of the century.”  – Itse Sagay (SAN)

The first quote was the remark of President Goodluck Jonathan at the just concluded World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, while making his contribution to a televised debate titled, “Africa’s Next Billion.”

The president has completely erased any iota of doubt that he has a thorough grasp of critical issues like the prevalent endemic corruption now crippling governance that demands his urgent attention as president of Nigeria and frontline leader on the continent. One would expect that thorough research should be done by his fawning aides before he speaks at such a forum. A statement like that is the least expected from the president of one of the most corrupt countries in the world. President Jonathan would have been dead right if he had said every problem confronting Nigeria and indeed Africa is the result of corruption. Any argument in the contrary is like saying there are evils not traceable to the devil. Mr. President has displayed too much incompetence in handling corruption in Nigeria and several of his other responsibilities as president and remarks like the one in Davos, buttresses this point. It is most unfortunate that our president has a kindergarten understanding of graft and its concomitant effects. He seizes every speaking opportunity to make excuses why he cannot fight corruption. Such prevarication will not help the anti-graft war, they only serve the purpose of encouraging more corruption.

His comments are coming at a time that allegations of corruption against officials of his administration are mounting. The Stella Oduah BMW scandal is still fresh in our memory. With his latest misstatement making national headlines, he reminds us of the fifth presidential media chat of September 29, 2013, were he said that Nigeria’s corruption was merely a perception which is grossly exaggerated.

As a member of the intellectual community, he ought to know better and not mistake effects for causes. Corruption diverts capital from legitimate purposes to making wrongheaded policy decisions which deprives the country of a pool of finances.

He has developed a penchant for singing a different tune from realities on ground, same way he has insisted that electricity has improved in spite of citizen reports to the contrary. Deflecting international attention from sleaze is the least expected at a time the country needed a consistent and dogged fight against this monster. The level of corruption in the country demands serious political will to combat, not occasional rhetorical statements like the promise to fight the scourge in his New Year message.

The present administration has embarrassingly failed to realise that the root cause of the present wave of terrorism ravaging the north east is the result of decades of corruption and impunity of perpetrators coupled with the failure of successive government to provide quality, affordable education to Nigerian children. Graft goes beyond misappropriation of public funds. How Boko Haram insurgency that affects a few local governments can be rated above a hydra-headed monster that has eaten deep into the entire Nigerian fabric cutting across all sectors of the economy and all levels of government, stifling development, can only be understood by the president.

The Islamic insurgency that the president cited as a major challenge to his government has its foundation in corruption. Government of isolation or exclusion which breeds injustice and disaffection is corruption.  The country might be having a tough time combating the insurgency of Boko Haram, it does not in any way imply insecurity has overtaken graft. Government malfeasance is the result of dilapidated infrastructure such as roads, health care, collapsed educational system and poor electricity.

Worse still, the failure of our security operatives to effectively deal with the Boko Haram insurgency is also attributable to graft. Billions are voted every year for purchase of combat weapons, training and re-training of security personnel but they somehow end up in private pockets. For example, a former Inspector General of Police is still standing trial for diverting police funds.

Whenever the president makes such statements, it shows he is disconnected from the over one hundred million Nigerians who live in abject poverty, same class of people he belonged before he veered into politics. He lives in self-denial of the realities on ground. Terrorism is no doubt a major problem, even globally, but fighting the root causes and other issues that promote the culture of violence requires a holistic approach.

Some of the probes that shows an evident lack of political will to decisively deal with the menace of corruption include: The KPMG report that indicted the Nigeria National Petroleum Corportation (NNPC) for corrupt practices; The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) audit report exposing 10 years of corruption in the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry; the probe of the Pension Fund Management by the Senate Joint Committee on Public Service and Establishment, State and Local Government Administration; the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) probe that exposed alarming revelations of corruption in the capital market; the probe of the oil subsidy regime by the Ad hoc-committee of the House of Reps; the non-prosecution of those indicted in the Halliburton LNG bribery scandal, the recent Stella Oduah BMW scandal and the unsatisfactory explanation the NNPC has given for the $10.8billion of crude oil earning the Cental Bank of Nigeria (CBN) declared missing. The list is almost in-exhaustive.

It is safe to say every problem we have in Nigeria today has its roots in corruption. We would be living in a fool’s paradise if we expected a president that has been encouraging official corruption to see anything bad in it much less a problem for Nigeria. This will amount to shooting himself in the foot.

Rather than roll up his sleeves and concentrate on fixing Nigeria by fighting corruption frontally, he has instead, resorted to wishing the problem away by selling a warped ideology and diverting attention to insecurity. If this is the thinking of the presidency, and the line of reasoning that this administration wants to toe, then am sorry, we are doomed! I wish them goodluck.

Jonathan should as a matter of urgency, combat the prevalent endemic corruption now crippling governance (at all levels) and stunting the economy of the country.

Judicial officers blame the absurd rulings on corruption cases on the outdated provisions of our antediluvian law – like plea bargains, which allow wealthy Nigerians to get laughable sentences for gargantuan corruption – needs amendment, else criminality and corruption will continue to flourish. It is why corruption has become a raging monster in this administration. Regrettably, there are no serious efforts to review these laws. Justice delayed is another variant of graft. Add that to looting, political desperation, nepotism, impunity, electoral fraud, perjury and you get a snippet of what corruption is.

There is no better time to step up the fight and stem the tide of sleaze than now. Year 2014, to Nigerians, is not just another year, but the end of a century of national existence and the beginning of another. When the centenary celebration proper begins, it should be time for sober reflection on how far we have come. One of the numerous national questions that will continue to reverberate in our minds will be: how did we find ourselves in this abyss of monumental corruption?

Theophilus Ilevbare is a public affairs commentator. Engage him on twitter, @tilevbare. He blogs at http://ilevbare.com.

Omojuwa.com

Gabby Douglas: Black Hair, Black Health

Gabby Douglas, the amazing, gold-medal winning, 16-year old gymnastic wonder with the magnetic smile, has made Olympic history by being the first African-American to win the gold medal in the Gymnastics All-Around final. You’d think that every community in the US, particularly the African American community, would be showing her nothing by their heartfelt pride and congratulations on her wonderful achievements.
But instead of applauding her truly breathtaking performances, this beautiful young lady is a hot topic in the Black community because of what? Her hair.
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Gabby looked and performed gracefully and represented not just African Americans, but all Americans, in a very dignified way. But after Gabby’s big win, many people took to Twitter and other social networks to criticize her hair, saying that it was was un-kept and looked unpresentable for a person on the world stage.
After Gabby won her medal and heard about the criticism, she issued a very pointed response:
READ: How To Maintain Your Hair During Exercise
“I don’t know where this is coming from. Where is it coming from? What’s wrong with my hair? I just simply gelled it back, put some clips it and put it in a bun. Are you kidding me? I just made history and you’re focusing on my hair? I just want to say we’re all beautiful inside out. Nothing is going to change,” she said, adding that her hair would remain the same in her next two competitions in bars and beams.
With this mature and dignified response, her glorious achievements are no surprise. Gabby Douglas’ hair should have never been an issue.
Black Hair & Black Health

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Blackdoctor+Org

National Conference: Bola Tinubu Was Right By Wale Adedayo

I was among those in the forefront of castigating Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu when he voiced opposition to President Goodluck Jonathan’s National Conference. Tinubu did not mince words in describing the proposed gathering as a Greek gift that’ll bear no useful fruit. But, along with others, I argued otherwise. And forcefully too.
We felt it was the first time a sitting president would on his own without any prompting from known agitators agree that Nigeria’s component units sit at a round table to chart a new course for the polity through a workable constitution. More importantly, Jonathan picked a cerebral former General Secretary of Afenifere, Senator Femi Okurounmu, as chairman of the committee to prepare a road map for the conference. That sealed it for us given Afenifere’s long held position that the ethnic nationalities which make up Nigeria must return to the negotiating table as they did before independence to fashion a new constitution for the country.
Okurounmu was not just another Afenifere scribe. He had a pedigree. Apart from serving as a senator on the platform of Alliance for Democracy (AD) (1999 – 2003), he carved a niche for himself as a staunch proponent of a Sovereign National Conference. A scholar and a person many of us considered a deep thinker, we had no doubt he’ll not disappoint. We said so in so many words in several places using different platforms to confront those who did not believe in the conference. But we now know better.
With developments arising out of Okurounmu’s work thus far, I want to admit that we missed it. Jonathan sold us a dummy. And Okurounmu disappointed us in his old age. And I wonder what these old men are leaving behind as legacies with the decreasing distance between them and their graves. How will Chief Adekunle Ajasin feel? What’ll be the position of Pa Solanke Onasanya? What kind of words would Senator Abraham Adesanya reserve for Okurounmu, who for whatever it is worth has put a final nail in the coffin of whatever little respect the average Yoruba has for Afenifere?A National Conference is a veritable admission that the foundation of a polity has given way. It is the shortest route to dismantling that polity without the chaos and casualties of a civil war – and putting the humpty dumpty back again before detractors get to know what is happening. And that can only be done as it was in the beginning before Nigeria got her independence from Britain – our different ethnic nationalities MUST sit and discuss the basis of the Nigerian union.
Any National Conference without the ethnic nationalities as primary participants remain a mere talkshop. It cannot work. It will fail. It is also a wrong position to have a National Conference submit what it arrives at to the National Assembly. A genuine gathering to change the current constitution should have the National Assembly and two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly giving a go-ahead to the National Conference that whatever it comes up with is final and binding as articles of faith in running our affairs as a nation. That is what we were expecting to happen in this instance, not a return to the same circle of political actors who brought us to this sorry state – a patient cannot treat him/herself.
It appears Tinubu, with his many shortcomings, is better at seeing deeper than most of his critics as I am one of them. There is hardly anything an average Yoruba want than a restructured polity in today’s Nigeria with its flawed federal structure. Of course, genuine South-South patriots – not militants turn merchants – want the same thing. But this Jonathan CONference has turned out a 419 project to get mainstream Yoruba behind his re-election bid. It is now clear the whole charade is political 419. And Tinubu said this earlier. But we did not listen. Instead, we hurled abuses in his direction.Those of us on this side meant well for ourselves, and our people. But we appear too romantic in our reasoning and arguments. And I don’t think that is bad because we desperately want things to work despite all the visible obstacles. So, any little sign of light proving the end of the tunnel is here, we rush there with joy. But in the case of this Jonathan’s CONference, my sincere apologies to Tinubu. He got it right. We missed it.

SkytrendNews