NOVEMBER 24, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R
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SUNDAY COMMENT
Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com
2023: OUR POLITICIANS SHOULD PERISH THE THOUGHT A country is not measured by the number of elections, but by the standard of living of its people
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ess than six months into the current term of office, it is as if the campaigns for the 2023 general election have started in Nigeria, especially at the presidential and gubernatorial levels. Yet this is happening at a period majority of citizens fret reasonably over searing poverty and insecurity; and when those in power in the states and Abuja have barely put in place structures of governance. This needless campaigns, albeit surreptitiously, have become a source of distraction for those who ordinarily should be more concerned about tackling head-on the many social and economic problems besetting the nation. It all started with the debate over which zone should take the presidency in both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). And then there were insensate campaigns of a possible third term for the incumbent. What worries is that in all the cold calculations, there is nothing about the welfare of Nigerians or any attempt at addressing the problems of the day. It is lost on our politicians that a country is not measured by the number of elections it has held but by the standard of living of its people. Meanwhile, things taken for granted by relatively poorer countries are luxuries to us in Nigeria today. Many of the states are finding it difficult to meet basic obligations while millions of Nigerians can no longer sleep with their eyes closed. A major problem in the country’s development process seems to be the simple fact that successive policymakers have not been futuristic enough. Being futuristic is about how to address the pressing challenges of the people, not cold calculations about who holds what positions. This lack of foresight has invariably led to the virtual collapse of the nation’s economic and social infrastructure. We are therefore of the strong opinion
that for a nation as economically and socially challenged as ours, it is a classic case of work-avoidance that the main issue on the agenda of our public officials is the 2023 presidential and gubernatorial elections that are still more than three years away.
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It is a classic case of workavoidance that the main issue on the agenda of our public officials is the 2023 presidential and gubernatorial elections that are still more than three years away
Letters to the Editor
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S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITORS OLAWALE OLALEYE, TOBI SONIYI MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE
T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS BOLAJI ADEBIYI , PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS ERIC OJEH, PATRICK EIMIUHI ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com
ations, like individuals, have dreams. But there must be clear plans to achieve them. In the present context, the only plan for which our politicians engage most of their time is how to capture power essentially to advance personal goals. For instance, we are only a few weeks to the year 2020 yet all the dreams envisioned for our country more than three decades ago have become a mirage. That is because there was no real commitment to them. Practically all sectors of our national life are comatose. If proper cognisance had been taken of population growth and the future demand for electricity, we would perhaps not be in the sorry state we find ourselves. If it had been properly envisaged that the volume of goods and persons to be transported around the nation would be so much, it would have long been appreciated that road transportation also would not be adequate. And perhaps rail transportation would not have been allowed to die, even though the current administration deserves commendation for the attention in that direction. This lack of vision manifests in so many areas of the nation’s development. Not only is it visible in the area of urgent planning, it is also noticeable in the provision of water and electricity services, healthcare delivery and other social sectors. In education, there are clear indications that we are never prepared for the growth of the population. Classrooms, where they exist, are congested. This planlessness also manifests in the difficulty of secondary school leavers gaining admission into the universities. Given the foregoing, our politicians must understand that democracy entails much more than periodic elections. It is about all the elements of constitutional life from the rule of law to minority rights to good governance. Elections are meant to promote the fulfillment of such important goals as economic development, human rights, social inclusion and welfare, etc. They are not supposed to be an end in themselves as they seem to be in Nigeria today.We therefore call on our leaders, at all levels, to concentrate on their jobs and forget about all the permutations about 2023.
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FUOYE on The Path of Academic Excellence
ederal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Ekiti State, is one of the universities established by Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 to promote the frontiers of knowledge in Nigeria. University education is critical for advancing knowledge and providing solutions to critical problems affecting national development. Prior to the appointment of Prof. Kayode Soremekun, FUOYE was facing myriads of challenges in planning and administration. Effective educational planning is key for attaining quality and standard in university education. Prof. Soremekun appointment as Vice Chancellor of
FUOYE led to his exit from University of Lagos, not an unceremonious exit as purported by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Akure chapter. His appointment as a professor of Political Science in University of Lagos is still in good standing. He has taught political science in Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Lagos, Covenant University and National Open University of Nigeria. The exit of professors when appointed vice chancellors in another university has been a culture in the education system. Therefore, no amount of resistance will deter him from carrying out development programme
in Fuoye. Prof. Soremekun brings his wealth of experience in university education management from Unilag to bear in Fuoye. In a short while, his team consisting of Mr. Olatunbosun Odunsanya, Director of Administration, Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Mr. Ikechukwu Areh, Director of Procurement Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Mrs Olayinka Adeniran-Ajayi, Acting Registrar and other principal officers has worked assiduously to place Fuoye on path of academic excellence. Prof. Soremekun strategic planning has led to the establishment of commercial ventures, endowment fund and other alternative sources of fund generation for the
university. He places priority in staff welfare, promotion and reward for hard work. Both academic staff and non-academic staff are benefiting immensely from his compensatory style to hard work. He is positioning Fuoye to greatness in research, teaching and consulting. He is focused on making Fuoye a leading citadel for commercial research in Nigeria that would be committed in helping private companies, public companies and multinational companies address localized industrial problems affecting their productivity. Achieving all of these strides did not come without resistance, conflict and disagreement by concerned unions, persons and groups. Management scientist affirms that organizational change driven
by change in management is bound to be resisted by employees. This is the case of Prof. Soremekun experience in Fuoye. But in all, he has gained victory and success over all trials of litigation, petitions and accusations leveled against him and the university management. He is striving to ensure continuity in the succession planning and development programme of the university. More importantly, long term succession planning and development is critical to attainment of long-term goal of building Fuoye to be a commercial research hub for private companies, public companies and multinational companies in Nigeria. ––Pedro Ukokobili, Lagos.