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Electricity and loss of jobs
It was recently
reported that
Ghana is luring Nigerian firms with incentives, with the intention of moving them to Ghana.
Already, many companies operating in Nigeria have closed shops and relocated to Ghana, no thanks to the poor electricity supply, which has made many companies to incur operating losses.
Due to epileptic power supply, companies now rely on generators to power their machines, which is impacting negatively on their profit.
Also, due to the fact that many companies are closing shops, a lot of workers are being sacked, the result is the growing number of jobless people .
Electricity, no doubt, propels other sectors of the economy, hence, government must do everything possible to suppply uninteruupted electricity.
Mosunmola Mare,
Bowen University,
Iwo.
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Time to change for good
The drubbing of
President Yar’Adua
and the National Assembly have been receiving over their lack of commitment to electoral reforms shows that the democratic spirit is alive in Nigeria, but it lacks a clear focus. Both the ruling PDP and opposition parties are paying lip services to the whole reforms that our electoral process deserves. Like many other people, I suspect that neither the ruling party nor the opposition can deliver the change the country needs because the constituents of these parties are part of a cabal who have held this country hostage at one time or the other.
The duty to achieve these reforms solely rests on civil societies and individuals who are apolitical. No doubt, we need fundamental changes in the way we govern ourselves and that change can only come from calling a true and well intended constitutional congress. The National Assembly that could have salvaged the country is embroiled in leadership tussle, a characteristic of secondary school pupils.
Although the current constitution has served us “well”, it has not withstood the test of time hence, it is time we as a nation re-examined it. Beyond regional agitations, we need to determine how many senators and representatives a group of citizens should have. Should we transform the Senate and the House of Representatives contain fewer people perhaps one person in each chamber per state? I strongly believe we need fewer senators and representatives, and that this would improve the quality of our elected representatives; in order to compete with a view to producing the best as against the present practice of relying on political machinery that foist persons who lack ideas on the people.
Granted, there is a dearth of transparency in all aspects of our national life. From the presidency to local councils, it has been business of self- interest and callousness. It has been self justification and sycophancy. Each attempt to jumpstart a true nation building and economic recovery is met by stiff opposition by those in power.
The clarion call by the new Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Sanusi Lamido, to the presidency to prune the Seven-Point Agenda to two was well thought out and could have triggered infrastructural revolution if heeded. But, as usual, pride and naked power intoxication would not allow the government to adjust its bogus and unachievable agenda.
It is in place, therefore, to say that the greatest force against us as a nation is our own inertia. However, once and if the need for change is realised by the government and the people, the drive for it can be unstoppable because we can not continue to live with serious anomalies that characterise every facet of our national life and pretend as if everything is well. If we continue as it is, the future is bleak not for the poor alone but also the rich. We are getting closer to self motivated revolution which works better and faster than armed struggle of any sort.
Tola Osunnuga,
Olabisi Onabanjo Univeristy, Ago Iwoye.
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On Bishop Okonkwo’s interview
I read the interview of Bishop Mike Okonkwo
of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission
(TREM) in the Sunday Tribune of June 21, 2009, and I must say it was very interesting.
For a man of God to have said that the president has done nothing since he took over the mantle of leadership, shows that everybody in the country believes that this administration has not lived up to expectations.
I also want to support Bishop Okonkwo’s suggestion that the Federal Government should dialogue with the Niger Delta militants, instead of attacking them, because innocent people will be victims of the military onslaught.
Bishop Okonkwo, and other men of God, have a lot to do in this country. I believe they know how to get their suggestions across to those in government .
Our religious leaders should, from time to time, tell our political leaders the truth about the goings-on in the country.
Political jobbers, simply because of what they stand to gain, will never tell politicians the truth, hence it shouldn’t come as a surprise if the president does not know that in the country, some areas are supplied electricity on weekly basis.
Obi Nwankwo,
goodwill2000@yahoo.com,
Onitsha.
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