Nigeria will be great if...

The whole universe is one block created by God. But all countries of the world derived their names one way or the other. In other words, God created and recognises the whole earth as one entity whether one part is America, Nigeria or China.

Nevertheless, one fact remains: Each part of the world is differently endowed with mineral and natural resources. Amazingly, among the parts of the world richly blessed today is Nigeria. Not minding our colour and faith, God has chosen to bless us and there is nothing anybody or nation can do about it.

The question then is, why is Nigeria in such economic mess? The following are the reasons: Ungodly leadership, mismanagement of resources, endemic corruption and misplacement of priorities. But, if the first cause is removed, others will become non-existent or less pronounced.

Having discovered the causes of our misfortune, I want to state emphatically that if our leaders can focus on the following six areas, this country will become greater than we have ever imagined. These are health, education, power, transportation, housing and agriculture.

How can a nation be great if the above sectors are neglected? What I am saying in essence is that if our country, Nigeria, is able to give the necessary attention to these six ailing sectors, nothing disqualifies her from becoming a great nation.

Therefore, I wish to strongly appeal to our present crop of leaders at the local, state and federal levels to give serious consideration to this humble submission and work judiciously at reaching the point.

God has programmed us to be great, let us all rise up and collectively combat all the hindrances on our way to greatness.

Iyiola Aluko,
P. O. Box 14672,
University of Ibadan,
Ibadan.

What is happening to our pensions?

Permit me a space in your widely read newspaper to draw the attention of President Umaru Yar’Adua to the plight of those who were retired in some federal teaching hospitals including Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife by the immediate past regime.

These pensioners have been sustaining their families through the goodwill of friends. While some are at the mercy of their children, whose meagre earnings are being overstretched.

The pensioners will be forever grateful to the president if he orders the payment of their gratuity without any further delay.

Adeyoju Ayodeji. E.,
20, Doherty Street,
Imalefalafia, Idi Ope, Ibadan.
08062784718.

Promoting gender equality through education

In the past, there was nothing like gender equality in a society dominated by men. The place of the woman was in the kitchen to prepare food and take care of the children. But how time changes everything. The coming of western civilization has brought with it formal education. Today, we are talking about gender equality. Happily enough, those women championing the cause of gender equality have already acquired formal education themselves and most of them are experts in their chosen fields.

In keeping faith with the promotion of gender equality, on Tuesday, July 17, 2007, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Abuja, organized a one-day workshop in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. The purpose of the workshop was basically to inform and mobilize the people of the state on the Nigeria National Gender Policy which sought to promote gender equality as a development strategy for reducing poverty among women and men, improving health and living standards and enhancing efficiency in public investment.

Speaking on behalf of the organizing ministry at the opening ceremony, the representative, Mrs. Funke Oladipo, said that the Federal Government was committed to building a nation devoid of gender discrimination, guaranteeing equal access to political, social and economic wealth creation opportunities for women and men, and developing a culture that places premium on the protection of all, including children.

In order to achieve the egalitarian society painted above, first both male and female children should be provided with equal access to formal education. In my opinion, formal education is the very important tool needed for the development of the physical, mental and psychological capacities of the individual, whether male or female.But in the Nigerian set-up, there is hardly anything that hinders male children’s accessibility to education than poverty.This is because our society is essentially male children friendly.

On the other hand, there are hindrances before the female children’s education. Consciously or unconsciously, among the hindrances the society places before the female children’s education include being used as house-maids, sexual exploitation, trafficking in girls for prostitution, girl-child abuse, early marriage and girl-child labour such as street hawking.

As things are now, both the federal and state governments need to do more to encourage and provide equal opportunities for the male and female child to go to school. Where free and compulsory education is not possible at the primary and secondary school levels for these children, some opportunities or benefits may be given to the female children in order to encourage more of them to go to school.

Olatunji Oladipo,
Press Section,
Kwara State Ministry of Information & Home Affairs,
Ilorin, Kwara State.

Democracy and Nigeria

One would have thought that if there was one nation devoting a special day for the celebration of democracy, it would be Greece because the idea of democracy originated from there. As is often said, empty barrels make the loudest noise. Who, for instance, told the people of Kabila’s Congo that their nation qualifies to be called a Democratic Republic? How many successful democratic elections have been organised in the entire history of that nation?

General Olusegun Obasanjo who unilaterally imposed a Democracy Day on his people is perhaps the greatest violator of democratic ideals in Nigeria’s recent history. The Nigerian nation is yet to recover from the confusion his do-or-die electoral philosophy inflicted on our delicate sensibilities and electoral culture.

Obasanjo’s democracy day is a commemoration of an imagination. How many of the brutal, anti-democracy generals did we hang on a lamp-post? Are the same generals not still with us, dictating terms in the various political parties and associations?

However, the difference between democracy and dictatorship is gradually emerging, although it may take generations before we have a fully democratic Nigeria of our dreams. Democratic rule may not have delivered expected dividends but not many will disagree that the Nigeria of today is better than it once was as the era of impunity seems to be fast disappearing.

Anthony Akinola,
anthonyakinola@yahoo.co.uk