THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2012
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CARTOON & LETTERS
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IR: The floods threatening many parts of Nigeria, killing a lot of people and making many homeless and hence refugee in their own country is threatening Nigeria’s environment and the economy. The impacts include loss of agricultural produce, fish, and abandonment of fishing grounds and associated livelihood pursuits, degradation of aquatic resources and other ecological damages. Others include emigration of wild life and consequent decline in hunting, loss of drinking and industrial water and its importation or derivation at extra costs. There is also the impact of destruction or reduction of agricultural and related activities as well as cleansing, population resettlement and other aspects of rehabilitation. Impairment of human health, forced population migration, worsened rural development and embitterment of the affected individuals and communities. However, permit me to commend the efforts of the federal government under Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR for prompt intervention and visit to many communities where the floods rendered most people homeless and also killed many. As part of efforts to cushion the effect in the interim, the federal government constituted a committee and released funds for the assistance of the
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Flood: No time for emergency millionaires flood victims. Some states, like Delta State released funds, donated relief materials including Hilux vehicles to take care of the flood victims. This is highly commendable. For the committee constituted at different levels for disbursing ba-
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sic items for the survival of the victims, let integrity, honour, patriotism, selfless service, distinction and fear of God be the hallmarks and watch words of those charged with the funds and relief materials for the flood victims so as to ensure transparency, probity, accountability and
honesty at the end of the whole exercise. Let mergency millionaires among members of the committee or other NGO’s who are currently assisting not emerge. It should be noted that the core of human life and happiness and not their destruction is the first and only
Open letter to the President
IR: In the spirit of citizenship, patriotism, love and faithfulness and in the words of a renowned American President who said “think of what you can do for America and not what America can do for you”, I am writing to you from the secret place of the most High God where wisdom and revelation emanates and disseminates. In view of the present ethno-religious, socio-political and economic crises ravaging our great country, there is urgent need to employ and utilize strategies that will settle the
spate of terror attacks, political agitations, kidnappings and corruption among other numerous ills bedeviling our nation. I am a patriotic and service-oriented Nigerian who absolutely believes in the oneness and unity of our country. I believe that Nigeria is a great country and can only remain great if we are undivided and united. For this to be achieved, we must have a clear and common philosophy, ideology, ethics and values transferred and ingrained into the mentality of every Nigerian.
The crises we hear and see in Nigeria today stems mainly from ignorance, prejudice and mindsets. This calls for a conscious campaign, education, orientation and enlightenment of the Nigerian people and nothing can be more important now! While the security agencies are doing their work in quelling insurgences, crime and criminality, it behoves of us to swing into action by transversing the length and breadth of our great country to establish our values, spread love,
The trouble with state police
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IR: Founded in London by Sir Robert Peel three centuries ago, the state police was first named Metropolitan Police. The men employed by the force were called “Peelers” or “Bobbies” after the founder. Working full time and wearing a special uniforms, with prevention of crimes as their primary function, England set the example, and other countries who virtually share similarities began to establish the formal or modern policing, though those who differ, developed it to centralised policing system. In its effort to establish a police
legitimate object of good government. We, the followers must contribute appropriately, genuinely and sincerely to this task. One can boldly say without mincing words that many Nigerians are morally vacuous and would do anything for money. The members of the committee have historical opportunity dropped on their laps by God to distinguish themselves and demonstrate that they are not going to be anybody’s stooge but with high level of discipline, where necessary step on toes for the betterment of flood victims. • Charles Ikedikwa Soeze, Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta State.
force in Nigerian colony, the British had two options; either to adopt its own system or to develop the local African means of maintaining law and order. The former was adopted in the East, while the latter for the West and Northern Nigeria. The name pillars “peelers” was called yandoka in the North and they did everything but just! In Kano, a man was arrested when he visited a friend who was in a police custody, just because he belonged to opposition party. Fifty women were shot dead, when they revolted against special taxes in Aba, just to mentioned a few. To allow the state to have its own
police means only those from the state would be recruited, and needless to add, justice would surely be denied to non indigenes, considering how ethnicity and religion bigotry have become the order of the day. Its undisputed fact, the some states will also use it to have an easy way of arming their supporters during elections, since politics is now a “do or die affair”. Moreover, in a situation where majority of states depend on monthly allocation from federal coffers, and yet not enough is available to cater for other social amenities, funding would also be a major
problem. Despite being tagged as one of the most corrupt institutions, the constitutional review committee, should look for way forward to make the Nigeria Police corruption free, and more citizen-friendly as against relying on excessive force. Police entitlements should be paid promptly, and training should be top priority, to curb extra judicial killings, which is to be blamed on the aggravation of the crises in the northern states. • Auwal A. Dankano, Kano.
propagate right living, understanding and compromise in our polity. If the Nigerian people are orientated to do what is right from our families to our places of work and service, Nigeria will regain his place and good reputation in the comity of Nations. No institution can do this better than the already established National Orientation Agency. The National Orientation Agency must lead the campaign for peace, unity and corporate existence of our nation. The agency should be pragmatic and not just attend functions to make speeches. They should be mass recruitment of citizens in the 36 states of the federation who should be trained to carry out the campaign of religious harmony, political consensus, fairness and fair-play. Let us take this campaign to our schools, churches, mosques, market places and shops. Like the popular campaign banner goes, it should be door-to-door and neighbour to neighbour. As our dear President, Gen. Yakubu Gowon said before, “to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done”. Lets do this not by violence or force but by negotiation, discourse and education. • Monfum Ebine, Nfom, Ogoja, CRS