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  • South West Governors Ought to take Road Rehabilitation and Electricity Supply as Priorities-Prof. Olagoke

    Only  focused  and incorruptible leadership shall emancipate the Yorubas from their current travails and  ensure good governance.

    This assertion was made by the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafuadeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke in a lecture titled ''Enhancing Economic Development in Yorubaland'', at the 20th year remembrance anniversary of the late Comrade Ola Oni in Ibadan, Nigeria.

    ''It will take a credible leadership and good governance to faciliate and activate opportunities on the ground for the Yorubas. Most of  our roads are in a state of disrepair. Governments at all levels should take it as a matter of priority to rehabilitiate and construct new roads especially those that link the farms/villages to the cities. Transportation of agricultural produce to the towns from the farms/villages will be easy if  our link roads are in good condition. This will in trun enhance economic development  in Yorubaland''.

    Most of our stadia are begging for repairs. Liberty stadium in Ibadan has become a shadow of itself among others. Power supply has also become an albatross to our economic devlopment in Yorubaland. Governments in all the states in the Sout West have a responsibility to find a lasting solution to the epileptic power supply from the Electricty Distribution Companies. In the absence of corruption, there will not be any need for 5-7 per cent tariff increase on electricity bill in the tax regime. Even borrowing may not be necessary to fund projects'', Prof.Olagoke stated.

  • Increase in Electricity Tariffs-People are Suffering Govt Should have a rethink-Pastor Ajayi

    The Federal Government has been advised to consider tha harsh economic climate in the country before facilitatin g the increase in electricity tariffs.

    This advice was given by Pastor Opeymei Ajayi in a chat with Poverty Line.

    ''Government should consider the masses and have a rethink by not increasing tariffs on electricity. The economic crunch is biting very hard, people are finding it very very difficult to feed. Food items are now beyond the reach of millions of Nigerians. Government should have pity on the masses'', Pastor Ajayi advised.

     

  • Onitsha Traders Protest Demolition of Market by Anambra Govt.

    Oni 2

     

     

     

    Traders  in Onitsha have condemned the decision of the Anambra state Government to demolish their shops at  Modebe Shopping Plaza, Madueke street.

    The traders, in their hundreds  protested the demolition at the Government House, Awka.

    The shops of the traders were demolitioned by the state government while they were away for the Christmas and New year hoildays.

    The card carrying aggrieved traders, lamented that in the course of the demolition, goods worth millions of Naira were looted by the agents of the state government.

    The state government's  Task Force comprising a  joint security team of the  Police, Army, Civil Defence and Vigilante group had stormed the plaza around 4.00 am one morning during  the holidays with bulldozers and demolished  structures in the market.

    The traders appealed to Government to consider the harsh economic climate and the fact that most of them were petty traders  as good reasons for it to rescind its decision.

     

  • To Avoid A Stalemate in Nigeria’s Democracy in the Year 2020 By Prof. Sabitu Olagoke

    For every prophecy is limit of time (for its manifestation), and soon shall ye know it.(Q.6 vs 67). For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one little will by no means pass from the law(prophecy) till all is fulfilled(Mathew 5 vs 18).

    SHAFAUDEEN 2020 PREDICTION FOR NIGERIA SYSTEM REGULATION FOR PROACTIVE MEASURES TO BE TAKEN TO AVOID UNPLEASANTNESS.

    A. The Executive summary of incidence of probable events :

    • There shall be security challenges as usual.
    • Some projects shall receive favorable attention for completion.
    • The usual spate of decamping shall lead to some politicians falling by the way side.
    • Education shall remain relevant and receive some attention despite a lot of challenges against it.
    • There shall be need for conscious and tight security need for surveillance and vigilance.
    • Height of deceit and persecution in religious houses shall be reported.
    • There shall be a clog in the wheel of progress in sporting activities.
    • Pray against road accidents involving heavy duty vehicles.
    • Climate challenge shall make air travel a cautious one.
    • Pray against fire outbreak and unwarranted air attack.
    • Trials in the areas of secession bid shall be met with resistance into fruitless efforts in the Year 2020.

    B. MONTH BY MONTH ANALYSIS OF PROBABLE EVENTS

    January, 2020 :

    • This month shall record little impact of government’s efforts.
    • Wrangling in the political circle among the politicians shall be recorded.
    • Under funding effect shall make the education sector a distressed zone.
    • People shall be security conscious.
    • There shall be a need to rescue religion from its ridiculous comatose state.
    • There shall be conscious efforts to resolve issues in sports.
    • Pray and guide against fire outbreak.

    February 2020 :

    • Favorable month of discoveries and development in politics and education but there shall be the need for security beef up in this month.
    • Education shall be revisited for improvement by Government.
    • Pray and avoid stray bullets syndrome or sporadic shootings not to be victim of the circumstance.
    • This is a favorable month for religion to regain its prominence and relevance.
    • Pray against sports management in disarray for things to work.
    • Rehabilitation work om some roads shall be effected.
    • Pray against air mishap.
    • This is a favorable month to douse fire out break.

    March, 2020 :

    • This is a favorable month for effective planning on physiological needs through agriculture.
    • There shall be wranglings among politicians over the sharing of economic booties.
    • Education shall receive funding boost from Government.
    • Security alertness, consciousness and awareness shall be rife.
    • Religious objectives and focus shall slippery in practice.
    • Favorable month to resolve conflict and avoid stalemate in sports to have a breakthrough.
    • Work on roads may be retarded due to some challenges.

    April, 2020 :

    • This is a month for economic boost for Nigerians.
    • This is a favorable month for political activities and boost for Education and Security.
    • Unification and peaceful co-existence efforts for religions shall face purity issue challenge.
    • Some sports shall rise in performance while others shall drop into coma.
    • Favorable month for free accident wish.

    May, 2020 :

    • Favorable month to beam a searchlight on fraudsters and corrupt people-freshly fresh issue and old changes.
    • Political wranglings shall snowball into whirlwind of problems in some quarters.
    • Education shall receive attention to dividend level.
    • Favorable month of exposure and divine sanction of criminally minded purported people of God.
    • Records of sad news on sporting activities performances.
    • Pray against fire outbreak, threat of air mishap and traffic logjam.

    June, 2020 :

    • This is a favorable month for economic buoyancy but we need to guide against emerging sharp practices and corruption.
    • Pray against wastage and sharp practices in politics and governance.
    • Pray against reckless destruction of farmlands and property by hoodlums and sudden death of a religious icon.
    • Hope shall rise on sports for unrestricted activities.
    • Pray against fire outbreak in this month. Be safety conscious and guided.

    July, 2020 :

    • This is a month of peace but pray against jail break.
    • Favorable month for Education, Security and Sports rehabilitation programs but the month shall be harsh on religious sectors.
    • Favorable month for free or minimal accident.

    August, 2020 :

    • Government activities shall have hope of giving worthwhile dividend.
    • Pray against Government project collapse.
    • Education sector shall receive attention for improvement.
    • Pot holes in religious zones shall be visited to restore sanity on roads, water and air to be accident free shall be noticed.
    • This is a clearing period of debris of past fire out break.

    September, 2020 :

    • This is a favorable month for reconstruction exercises and a dousing period for political imbroglio.
    • Pray to avoid clashes among security agencies. Note, far reaching implications for this.
    • Waning glamour of religion shall be experienced.
    • Avoid shattered hope in sports.
    • Pray against occult plan for road accident and hgih rise building fire out break.

    October, 2020 :

    • Favorable month to harvest dividend of Democracy and realize economic buoyancy for the nation.
    • Pray against clashes between two political giants and their followers.
    • Pray against ploy in the education sector to avoid sabotage.
    • Pray against infighting in the house of Islam.
    • Favorable month for the houses of sports to be revisited for conflict resolution.
    • Conscious efforts shall be rife to make an accident free month.

    November, 2020 :

    • Favorable month for economic dividend of Government activities and Democracy.
    • Pray against fire outbreak and unwarranted discord in the political circle.
    • Favorable month for the improvement in education, security and sanity restoration into religion.
    • Avoid sabotage in sports and its administration.
    • Favorable month for reconstruction and rehabilitation work in the Houses of God.
    • Pray and avoid fear on the road in relation to kidnappers’ rampage and fire out break occasioned by heavy duty vehicles, oil tankers inclusive.

    December, 2020

    • Finishing touches to projects completion shall be rife.
    • Some political parties shall become mere remnants.
    • Leakages in the Education and Security sectors shall be acknowledged to be fraud free.
    • Fake security threats shall be recorded. Exposed fraudsters in religion shall face sanctions and embarrassment.
    • Pray against fatal road accidents.

    CONCLUSION

    Re branding for proper socialization and correct cultural and ethical value orientation for promotion of integrity and discipline for all, must be in place, to allow divine intervention to revamp our economy, promote health and stable polity as well as principle of equity.

    Good governance is a function of Godly leadership, therefore, the essence of this revelation is for the political class to imbibe the culture of tolerance, focus on the issue of the importance of welfare.

    The religious sector must therefore imbibe the spirit of religious harmony to promote peace and be more dedicated to the service of God to save the Nation through their prayers, while all Nigerians must uphold discipline, love and culture of patriotism to move the nation forward. With all these, we may avoid a stalemate in our Democracy.

    — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -

    Rasool, Shafau, Imtizaala Mohammed(SAW)

    Alhaji Engr. Prof. S.A Olagoke, JP, Ph.D FNSE, FNATE, FNIM,FAES

    Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam Shafaudeen In Islam Worldwide

     

  • The Urgent Need for Sound Health shall Determine the Voting Pattern of Nigerians in Future Elections-Prof. Olagoke

    IndexThe unfortunate happenings in the health sector has become a source of concern for every Nigerian, access to basic health care is now almost an impossibility, this is in addition to the proliferation of fake drugs and the increasing rate of quackery in the sector. In this interview, the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opines that the need for sound health is one of the major factors that would determine the voting pattern of Nigerians in Future Elections.

    The health sector is in a very bad state, and there is the issue of the proliferation of fake drugs to contend with in addition to the unabating rate of quackery in the sector, all these combined makes it difficult for Nigerians to access basic health care delivery service. What do you think can be done to salvage the situation ?

    Of all the fundamental essence for the survival of human beings the health sector takes an important position. Besides the provision of food, clothing and shelter, upon which the health of everybody depends to be sustained. Unfortunately, Nigeria is short of all these physiological needs demanding the urgent need to visit health care centers and hospitals regularly.

    The dire need for sound health is one of the major factors that would ever propel the people to vote and give their mandate to those who will rule them in future elections.

    Government service on provision of basic amenities and functional infrastructure that are adequate to serve the overwhelming population of over 200 million are yet to be achieved.

    The question arising from this ought to have been a very good guide for government. Such questions should include :

    Against the backdrop of the world’s standard rating of personnel/people to serve ratio, what is the position of Nigeria ?

    Considering the Number of certified hospitals in the country based on state by state account and ward by ward record, what is the record and where is the evidence ? If they exist , what is their status ? In terms of structure, personnel , drugs and percentage efficiency.

    All these data are expected to be on government lines of action for effective and adequate planning.

    Against the backdrop of the World Health Organization(WHO) stipulations, how far has Nigeria fared ? For example, the WHO stipulates 15 per cent minimum benchmark of the annual national budget on the health sector but Nigeria sways between 3.95 per cent and 4 per cent.

    This may be the reason why Government personnel and those who belong to the elite class in Nigeria, have had cause to run abroad for mere ailments which ought to have been attended to in Nigeria.

    This is another reason why many Nigerians prefer to avoid hospitals in the country, until the ailments afflicting them becomes uncontrollable and unmanageable, which could eventually result in permanent infirmity or sudden death.

    This may be the major reason why most health professionals seek to work abroad, where the environment is conducive.

    The most worrisome aspect of the health sector challenge is the emergence of unregulated and not certified health establishments.

    The general challenge for the nation, is therefore that of lack of quality healthcare from those certified government establishments and those supposed to be certified in the private sector.

    Government at all levels, therefore need to be challenged on when Nigerians would begin to have adequate number of hospitals, with sufficient number of health professionals and the right type of equipment to treat various health conditions. Nigerians should be conscious of the fact that every profession has its code of conduct, ethics and rules and regulations.

    To this extent, Government regulations and controls would only become effective, when we all stand by the concept of zero tolerance for corruption and institutional indiscipline which by right extends to the wholesome rejection of fake drugs and quackery. Let the whole country wake up from the long slumber.

  • Housing Challenge in Nigeria shall remain Unless….-Prof. Olagoke

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    Nigerians have continued to express reservations over the nonchalant attitude of government at all levels on issues bothering on affordable housing for the citizenry.

    Indeed, a number of unscrupulous government officials in connivance with private estate developers have taken advantage of the very obvious housing deficit in the country to exploit and extort homeless Nigerians. In a number of cases, house owners are dispossessed of their property through dubious means, while a sizable number of citizens have been victims of questionable professionals in the building industry.

    Government’s response to this development has been the repeated issuance of political statements with no visible steps taken to address the worrisome challenge. In this interview, the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opines that when sanity returns to the government establishments, the hope of Nigerians having their own houses would be rekindled. Excerpts :

    What measures do you think government can put in place to address the housing deficit in the country ?

    The United States of America wondered aloud that the same Democracy operated in that country to ensure development, is the same been operated in Nigeria that has been used to oppress and impoverish Nigerians. This statement is highly pregnant with meanings, insinuations and implications.

    Regarding the issue of housing for all, the National Party of Nigeria(NPN) in the 1980s promised to provide housing for all to justify its victory at the polls for a second tenure. However, its manifesto was merely a paper tiger, while its promise to provide housing for all was a mirage.

    Up till today, the reality regarding the housing challenges remain the same old story-insufficient housing for the ever increasing population of Nigeria.

    In the face of this shortcoming, prices of building materials are ever increasing with the negative effects manifesting on those who manage to put up structures. The issue of sub-standard houses now trail the daily lives of the owners whose strictures are located in remote areas. The distance now brings about problems of transportation.

    Theses built houses could easily collapse due to the inferior materials used for their construction, this is in addition to the use of quacks rather than professionals. Even though cost is saved, but the problems associated with building collapse now takes the center stage. Most of the edifices in different locations not owned by government, must have been built through treasury looting.

    Also, Shylock Landlords overrun and overtake homeless Nigerians, thereby making life difficult. As a result developers take advantage of the situation by embarking on an aggressive marketing drive through the media to acquire lands at cheap rates, divide it into plots and estates and later sell to Nigerians through hire purchase.

    Who are these developers ? Most of them are either professionals in the building industry, estate agents or the ones who must have been very successful in romanticizing with people in government.

    Nigerians are now preys to the above mentioned, to the extent that they worry about how to source for funds to meet up with the demands of those in the building industry, in the face of non payment of salaries by their employers either government or private concerns.

    Governance goes beyond the accumulation of wealth, it is about the provision of basic amenities and functional infrastructure for every Nigerian to be actively involved in the development process of the nation.

    In the light of the foregoing, the Judiciary must be given a free hand and the anti-corruption agencies must be strengthened to ensure that justice is done and the era of sacred cows would be seen to be gone for good.

    This would encourage government officials to achieve maximally, in the areas of Democracy for service and service to humanity. To this extent the issue of sharp practices, when it comes to the 17 point agenda of the Unsuitable Development Goals(SDGs) would have been taken care of as regards the realization of housing for all Nigerians.

  • Communities Urged to Join the Fight against HIV/AIDS

    Communities have been called upon to take active part in the fith against the  Human Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV).

    This call was made  in a Press Statement by  the The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima.

    “I believe in communities. Communities make change happen. Communities are the best hope for ending AIDS because communities have fought against HIV right from the beginning! As the epidemic raged through our countries, cities, villages, women held communities together and bore the higher burden of care for their families. For far too long we have taken their volunteerism for granted.''

    “Twenty-five years ago, a Burundi woman called Jeanne was the first person to disclose that she was living with HIV. Today, Jeanne is holding leaders accountable and fighting for the right to health care. Pioneers like Jeanne have been joined by younger leaders, like 20-year-old Yana, who was born with HIV in Ukraine. Yana founded Teenergizer, a group bringing together young people across Eastern Europe. In a world where power resides with old men, she wants her peers to have a voice and a choice,”  Byanyima stated.

  • IGS should serve as a Centre of Excellence in E-Learning in Oyo state-Goodie Ibru

    The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Ibadan Grammar  Students Association(IGSOSA)Chief Goodie Minabo Ibru has expressed optimism that the school's Information and Communication Technology(ICT) complex and E-Library would serve as  a centre of excellence for E-Learning in Oyo state.

    Chief Ibru made this known last Saturday, in his goodwill message during the Annual General Meeting of IGSOSA, held at the Emmanuel Alayande hall, Ibadan Grammar School, Molete, Ibadan, Nigeria.

    ''I would also like to thank Professor Venerable Jaiyeoba for attending the Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday, 20th November, 2019 at which we touched on issues as IGSOSA foundation which was incorporated November, 2014. The school reverting to its owners, the title Deed of Ibadan Grammar School and encroachment on the school property. We also discussed the ICT complex and the E-Library, which is the only school in Oyo state with a first  class ICT centre, a millenium library cum E-Library. It should therefore serve as a centre of excellence in E-learning in Oyo state like the Higher School Certificate(HSC)did in 1960 as the secondary school to start HSC in Nigeria(after Kings College, Lagos'', Chief Ibru stated.

    In his address, the National President of IGSOSA, Professor Kolawole Jaiyeoba expressed hope that all the issues impeding the take off of the foundation would be resolved soon, adding'' it gladdens our hearts that  the school is a reference point in post primary education not only in Oyo state but in Nigeria as a whole''.

    The National Executive Council of IGSOSA  emerged through consensus during its  Annual General Meeting in 2018 .

  • Corruption and Inefficiency Militates against the Provision of Potable Drinking Water in Nigeria-Prof.Olagoke

    IndexMillions of Nigerians in the six Geo-political zones of the country are complaining bitterly about the absence of potable drinking water.

    Indeed, Governments at all levels insist that in the course of governance, the provision of potable water is no longer a problem, but Nigerians argue that the availability of potable drinking water is not only a problem but a set back to governance, considering the moribund state of several bore hole projects across the country.

    In this interview, the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke says that corruption and inefficiency pose major threats to the plans of the Federal Government to privatize the water sector. Excerpts :

    What do you think can be done by Government at all levels to ensure the availability of potable drinking water for Nigerians ?

    Simple biological analysis, with respect to the significance of water, points out that 75 per cent of human composition is water, making us to heavily depend on potable water for survival.

    Simple geographical analysis equally expresses that the whole earth is 75 per cent water. Cycle of evaporation and condensation is responsible for rain seasonally.

    The abundance of water on earth, ranging from running water, estuaries, lagoon and ocean are at their raw stage containing debris of impurities making them to be unsafe for drinking and other purposes.

    With this background, part of the mandate of service given to political office holders is therefore focused on the provision of basic amenities of which potable water is of significant value because of its direct relevance in human sustenance.

    The United Nations and the World Health Organization(WHO) work on the standard qualities that must be met in the provision of potable water that would be safe for human consumption.

    In the spirit of this, to avoid the violation of this rule the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration(NAFDAC) mandate equally covers the quality of water for human consumption.

    However, in Nigeria the history of our struggle in providing potable drinking water was that of lapses and retrogressive moves on the part of government.

    In the 60s, urbanization was premium, with the costly neglect of the need to develop the villages as well as in the areas of the provision of primary infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, electrification and potable water.

    The urban city dwellers enjoyed potable water which flowed as public utility with a network of laid pipes at strategic locations, there were reservoirs which helped to ensure an uninterrupted supply of potable water, most especially during the down time of water, when repairs and maintenance are undertaken.

    The common diseases then, referred to as water borne diseases such as guinea worm and others, were remote in the urban centers, but rampant in the villages, forcing us into a state of rural-urban drift.

    With increasing population and without a corresponding expansion water works resulted in urban threats of potable water scarcity.

    The former Public Works Department routine repairs and pipe re-connection stopped abruptly to the extent that even when some water works made attempts to produce, members of the public who were lucky to get water, received dirty and colored liquid due to rust and in most cases the members of the public received nothing from their taps due to leakages, which could not be detected.

    Wells are sunk by individual homes, while bore holes were equally sunk by the elite in communities. It is rather unfortunate that successive governments at all levels resorted to sinking bore holes without considering that many of these could not be relied on mainly because of possible geological reasons-earth crust dislocations and future possible landslides.

    Besides this, the Nigerian factor of the contractors on the issue of sinking bore-holes has made us to witness many white elephant projects.

    Now that government is considering privatization of the water sector, there are some few questions we must ask : What is the success rate of government’s privatization of the power sector ?

    What would become of the various grants usually received in the water sector from international donors ?

    Are the investors, government have in mind, to invest in the water sector indigenous or expatriate ?

    Will the public outcry of the poor performances of the Power Distribution companies, be the same when it comes to the water sector ? If not, then government ought to give Nigerians the strategies it would apply in the water sector privatization.

    The Nigerian factor in handling the affairs concerning the welfare of our teeming population has always been a case of woes and deterioration because water is even more crucial than electricity.

    If our failures in managing Millennium Envelopment Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) are anything to go by, then the Federal Government must look inwards using the SWOT analysis in both government and the Ministries,Departments and Agencies, to effect sanity, sincerity, patriotism and high efficiency for productive end for the sector.

    We have our areas of strength in terms of natural resources and expertise, even if they are not adequate, which may be our areas of weaknesses. Government must be read to fill the gap. Our areas of opportunities are very many, from government resources to that of international aid and interventions.

    Our areas of threat is the culture of corruption and weak sanctioning system which government must pay particular attention to, to be able to break even in achieving the needful.

    If government is unable to identify and fix all possible loopholes responsible for our inaction, then the crop of people who are there are not qualified to be there.

    Government must muster the muscle of political will on the issue of the provision of potable water through our various water works and others that must be built without over relying on sinking of bore holes.

    Nigerians, generally, deserve to be served by their government, which must see governance as service rather than been a source for self enrichment.

  • Ugandan Feminine Activist jailed 18 months for criticizing Museveni

    AnyanziFrontline feminine activist and university lecturer, Stella Nyanzi has bagged an 18 month jail term for criticising Uganda's President  Yoweri Museveni.

    Nyanzi had through a facebook post carpeted Museveni's 33 year rule.

    In her reaction Director for East Africa, Amnesty International, Joan Nyanyuki said that “Stella Nyanzi has been criminalised solely for her creative flair of using metaphors and what may be considered insulting language to criticise President Museveni’s leadership''.

    “The mere fact that forms of expression are considered insulting to a public figure is not sufficient ground to penalize anyone. Public officials, including those exercising the highest political authority, are legitimately subject to criticism and political opposition.”

    “This verdict is outrageous and flies in the face of Uganda’s obligations to uphold the right to freedom of expression for all people in Uganda and demonstrates the depths of the government’s intolerance of criticism,”

    “It must be quashed and Stella Nyanzi, who has already suffered enormously for expressing her opinions, left to get on with her life.

     

    “The Ugandan authorities must scrap the Computer Misuse Act 2011 which has been used systematically to harass, intimidate and stifle government critics like Stella Nyanzi.”

    Anyanzi was arrested and detained in prison on 2 November 2018, two weeks after she posted a birthday poem considered to be abusive against the President.

    The acitivist has already spent 9 months in prison.

  • Poor Governance and Poverty Responsible for Human Trafficking-Prof. Olagoke

    IndexChild and Human trafficking have become means to an end for several Nigerians who have lost hope in the system under the present administration.

    Reports of these ugly trend are recorded on a daily basis, with the law enforcement agencies struggling to stem the tide.

    Baby factories are on the increase while mothers, mostly the young ones, sell their new born babies to cushion the effects of the present economic realities.

    Teenagers and adults are deceived into traveling abroad, but end up as prostitutes or slaves. This trend in not abating.

    In this interview , the Founder, Spiritual Head and Gran Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opines that poor governance which has brought about poverty is the major cause of child and human trafficking. Excerpts :

    Child and Human trafficking is what a sizable number of Nigerians engage in these days. Why is this so ?

    Nigeria was first a country where discipline, control the fabric of all social spiritual sub systems . It was characterized by very low import index and very high export index. Religious laws were in tandem with the societal norms to create a path of sanity for our interpersonal relationship and our general attitude towards values.

    Unfortunately, the Nigerian youth in the mufti of the military killed the geese that laid the golden eggs. Since then, value erosion crept in to destroy all agents of socialization for the nation, to stand with very weak legs.

    The civil war followed to put us into alien idiosyncrasies, whereby every moral value is replaced with overtures of waywardness and frivolities starting from the home front to push the society into a state of moral decadence.

    The most pitiable aspect was the era of searching for greener pastures in the houses of spirituality whereby we replaced sacredness with profanity and we commercialized, against the tenets of the scripture on the word of God.

    Sins committed by people became the software which now transformed into the hardware of criminality.

    FESTAC ‘’77 promoted culture as if its is a twin brother of satanic practices. We gave voodooism priority to trivialize the essence of puritanism in religious worship, modesty was murdered to be replaced by shameless acts of fraudulent families while dignity of labor was placed into poor second for various malpractices by the youth to be aided by the elders.

    The sociopolitical and economic life as well as our state of spirituality thereafter became badly affected.

    All media is able to report, is a micro version of the real happenings in the land. The issue of child and human trafficking therefore, emanated in the land as a result of the dichotomy been introduced by the ruling class whereby the suffering masses continue to suffer from impoverishment, while the ruling elite turn democracy into a money makig opportunity through the concept of ego centrism to change democracy into kleptocracy as evident in the rising profile of poverty indices, 15 per cent in the 60s followed by a progressive arithmetic of 28.8 per cent in 1983 , 42 per cent, 54 per cent, 65 per cent under the subsequent military regimes while the National Bureau of Statistics presented the economic experts evaluation in 1999 as 70 per cent.

    Since then, up to the 9th National Assembly regime, it is yet to be improved. For example, in 2007 to 2009 more than 849 companies relocated to other African nations because of our bad economic climate for investment.

    Many abandoned warehouses became places of worship that could never provide employment for the teeming masses, most especially those who were retrenched as a result of the collapse of companies.

    The youth who were mostly affected became ordinary pawns in the hands of dubious elders who played the smart card.

    Anti social menace arose, as a result of the emerging proffered alternative to survive in the race and crave for greener pastures. Armed robbery, arson and active participation of the youth in various insurgencies and militant activities were effective as a result of drug addiction with attendant abuses.

    Trafficking 1

    The con people hid under the bad economic situation to deceive the youth into the various illicit practices, ranging from visa scam and cases of forgery of documents, with sweet promises of jobs in abundance without consideration for certificate worth.

    Many died in transit, most especially those who plied Libya en route the desert to the promised abode of succor. Some of them became victims along the journey, whereby they were always hammered into a corner and their kidneys forcibly removed, resulting in their deaths. This practice brought good money for the smart guys in the medical world of kidney transplantation.

    The most popular but destructive form of trafficking , is deceit of the victims by promising them jobs abroad, which later turn out to be prostitution via several underworld conspiracy against legitimate governments.

    The bottom line that is making this bad attitude to flourish is the issue of poverty and poor governance which needs to be squarely addressed through the following steps :

    One, engaging the citizens through effective sensitization through the National Orientation Agency(NOA), and the mass media on the dangers of getting involved in the trafficking of persons.

    Secondly, government must reform all institutions to be effective enough in promoting sanity.

    The judiciary must be firm as partners in progress with quick interventions on emerging cases while the agencies which are directly concerned must be rightly strengthened to do their work without fear or favor and timely too.

    Thirdly, we must revive, for the purpose of the restoration of core values, all agents of socialization such as the parents, schools, religious houses, voluntary organizations and a host of others.

    Be responsive and responsible in the process and crusade of core value restoration.

    Above all, let government officials be role models on the issue of decency, chastity, drug free life, with total pursuance of zero tolerance to corruption with no respect for institutional indiscipline.

    The issue of role modelling of exemplary lifestyles by parents and the elite is equally sacrosanct to the promotion of the issue of integrity as a key factor to core value restoration.

    When government pursues, realistically, the issue of vocation for the establishment of Small Scale Enterprises(SSE) and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises(SME), youth restiveness would be minimized because they would be meaningfully engaged with focus on job creation, self-employment and self discipline.

    Let government use the SWOT analysis to re examine the situation to do the needful in order that we can walk the talk to correct all aberrations at 59.

  • 7.2 VAT Increase : Govt Obeying the Directives of Unseen Forces-AWC

    The All Workers Convergence(AWC) has declared that the faulty policies of the Federal Government are fall outs of the external directives under implementation.

    The AWC made this declaration through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

    ‘’President Muhammadu Buhari and his government are obeying directives from unseen foreign forces, to devalue our national currency and the economy, thus the 7.2 per cent increment in the Value Added Tax(VAT). It is more painful that this is coming at a time when workers are making demands for an increase in wages and when such wage increment has not been implemented, government has decided to make goods and services more expensive, thereby, in a way, putting unimaginable burden on impoverished Nigerians.’’

    ‘’As a matter of fact this policy is not welcomed, it must be rejected by Nigerians and Labor unions should seek its immediate reversal. The AWC joins its voice with Nigerians to call on President Buhari to immediately reverse the unwanted policy’’, Comrade Emelieze stated.

  • Nigeria at 59-Only The Beneficiaries of the Lapses in Governance have a reason to Celebrate-Prof. Olagoke

    IndexAs Nigeria clocks 59 on Tuesday, 1st October, 2019, millions of Nigerians insist that there is no cause to celebrate.

    They lament that thousands of lives have been lost as a result of the insecurity in the land, while widespread hunger and poverty have taken root in millions of homes. Corruption is not abating, even though the Federal Government claims to be winning the anti-graft fight. In this interview the Founder Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opines that those who benefited from the bad governance in the country have cause to celebrate Nigeria’s independence.

    Excerpts :

    Nigeria will be 59 on October 1st, is there any reason to celebrate ?

    Celebration is of two fold, celebration with fanfare and glamour, as a result of chains of achievements, in terms of basic amenities and infrastructure and competitive human development index, that should be almost at par with that of the developed countries. The other side has to do with sober reflection, whereby the wailers will bring us back to how to regain our lost strength and wasted opportunities. The wailers will need to continue to challenge us on the need to make amends to minimize the weaknesses and possible areas of threats for Nigeria, we have lost all virtues, while dancing naked in the market of shame. For example, education was very functional at a time, we were pressing for independence, with emphatic no to colonialism. Collectively we forget about our ethnic differences and shunned tribal sentiments to have our way to the reality of independence on October 1, 1960.

    We started with the parliamentary system with a federal system of weak center, to give each region, the liberty to develop on their own, capitalizing on the peculiar value chains, which could be summarily transformed into the North for hides and skins and groundnut pyramids.

    The West, with cocoa and coffee among other agricultural products, while the East was known for the best quality of coal,as well as palm produce.

    In the area of mineral resources, bitumen and asphalt of the best quality as well as other mineral, resources like gold, lead and various rock types for cement production. What about iron and steel ? The regional management of this, made Nigeria excel with high export index, making our currency to be above the Dollar and at par with the Pound Sterling.

    Development became competitive with the West as a pacesetter of development in functional infrastructure. For example, the cocoa house as one of the tallest buildings, the Liberty stadium, WNTV and WNBS, network of good roads and in the area of human capital development,with the first woman drive a car, in the person of the late Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, who championed the cause of women.

    The first Chief Justice of the Federation from the West and we have the history of Herbert Macaulay been the early and First Engineer. All these series of achievements were replicated in the North and in the East, making the nation be project focused for the development of the country.

    Emerging politicians were with ideological goals, unlike these days, when service in office is been replaced by self-aggrandizement and self-enrichment.

    How did we now find ourselves in the appalling situation ? This could be ascribed to the following observations :

    After independence, we reverted to our ethnic and tribal inclinations, losing focus of the unity of Nigeria and resorting to al under hand methods in power sharing.

    Nigeria experienced 29 years of military rule, during this period the economy was battered, while ideological goals were lost.

    The economic profile became jeopardized with ever increasing poverty indices, 15 per cent in 1966, 28.8 per cent in 1983, with subsequent characteristic arithmetic progression of 42 per cent, 54 per cent, 65 per cent and in 1999 at 70 per cent.

    The economic class lost that of the middle package through the political regime of poverty and the upper regime was now controlled by less than 2 per cent, who govern, through kleptocracy, deviating from the normal norm of justice, equity, divinity, peace, sustainable development, security, transparency and accountability demanded by democracy.

    Under these conditions, the celebration of Nigeria’s 59th independence anniversary would be ridiculous to those in the international community, which had expected us to be a role model for other countries in Africa, in terms of good governance.

    Let us be reminded of the fact that the environment in which democracy could thrive, includes when there is the culture of having respect for the fundamental human rights of the people. If we are to go by the experiences in the land, human rights violations abound in various forms leading us into a poor environment of endemic corruption and impunity or institutional indiscipline.

    Derisively too, when we claim to hold elections, it is yet to be free and fair, though winners do emerge. Worse still, there is fundamental ethnic coloration the way we treat the emerging leaders.

    In the religious terrain, those with contrary religious beliefs are bickering, while development continues to suffer.

    Unfortunately, the cost of governance is always too high for the overhead to consume the budget, while capital projects continue to suffer from set backs.

    Nigeria’s image abroad has continued to be questionable while insecurity at home does not justify government’s defense of Nigerians held in jails, decapitated or been tried for various drug offenses.

    The process of reconstruction, reconciliation and rehabilitation after the civil war had a carry over of lapses which has resulted in several agitations and secession threats, with all the groups hiding under the guise of restructuring.

    Beneficiaries of the lapses in governance are now owners of universities, without having anything to do with academics, but are into it for commercial purposes.

    Various projects were built in other African countries and abroad by the cabals and cartels at the expense of the welfare of all Nigerians, majority of whom live in poverty in the midst of abundant natural resources.

    Was President Donald Trump not right about his definition of Nigerians and his perspective about Africans ?

    Nigeria needs total overhauling.

  • God's Kingdom and Places of Worship

    The dominant philosophy of the present time is '' What I possess is mine to use  as I wish''.

    The enormous wealth of the King were handed back to God. God made the provision for the King's wealth.

    This example, has to a great extent influenced people to do same.

    Our houses of worship ought to attract the most suitable and the best.

    For they thought to say something about the grandeur and majesty of God.

    King David in his times, asserted that building temples is no more important than being the kind of person whose life reflects the glory of God.

    Indeed, there is no place where God's kingdom cannot be found at work, home, leisure and the Church among others.

    Human experiences of life cannot be divorced from the divine. God is involved in the whole of it-happy and sad, good and bad.

  • 2.6 million Kenyans face starvation-Govt.

    The Kenyan government has disclosed that about 2.6 millon citizens face starvation in 23 arid and semi-arid locations in the country.

    The government made this disclosure through it spokesperson,Mr. Cyrus Oguna.

    The government said that of the number  623,000 were children  while 69,000 were  pregnant and lactating mothers, who were at risk of malnutrition as drought ravages the regions.

    It noted that Turkana was the worst affected, with 250,000 children aged under five in Turkana North, Turkana South and Laisamis sub-counties experiencing acute malnutrition,while Another 200,000 in Turkana West and Turkana Central, Baringo, Tana River, Samburu and Moyale were  faced critical malnutrition.

    “Eight out of the 23 counties are severely affected by drought and require urgent enhanced relief food assistance. They include Garissa, Mandera, Wajir, Marsabit, Tharaka-Nithi, Isiolo, Embu and Kitui,” the government spokes person stated.

     

  • Nigerians Score President Buhari Low over soaring Prices of Food Items

    Nigerians have expressed disappointment over the failure of the Federal Government to check the soaring prices of food stuff in markets across the country.

    They lament that the high cost of the food items such as rice, tomatoes, pasta among others have made most citizens to opt for items like ‘’garri’’ in particular, coco yam and maize among others.

    Millions of Nigerians are now of the belief that the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration in the country is nonchalant and insensitive to the hunger and poverty situation in millions of homes in Nigeria, even though most political office holders and government officials are currently benefiting from the closure of the country’s borders in a sizable number of states.

    They passionately appeal to the powers that be to reverse the present order of things in the markets, as a step towards rescuing millions of Nigerians living in hunger and poverty.

  • She developed an interest in building self-esteem for women-Lydia Busingye

    Rwanda 8Lydia Busingye is a young woman who was kidnapped and subjected to sexual abuse at the age of thirteen. This tragedy left her with feelings of resentment, self-blame, low self-worth and confidence. As a result she felt discouraged to pursue her dreams of becoming a confident and effective leader someday.

    Over the years that she struggled with her experience, Lydia found inspiration to regain her confidence and self-worth by having successful women role models such as Minister Louise Mushikiwabo, the late Minister Aloisea Inyumba, Joyce Meyer and Oprah Winfrey. Their life stories and achievements motivated Lydia to use the negative experiences from her childhood to rebuild her strength and encourage other women and girls to do the same.

    She developed an interest in building self-esteem for women and girls through restoring hope, dreams and fighting against sexual and gender based violence (SGBV). Lydia’s passion for women and girls issues encouraged her to look for opportunities that empowered her and other women in various ways.

     

    Lydia describes the Rwanda Women Leadership Institute (RWLI) as one such opportunity that has empowered her to be the woman she is today. As a woman who once dreamt of becoming a leader, she commends the program for reigniting her dream through its training in leadership skills.

    One of her most important lessons from the program is from an African proverb that was shared during the training; “if you want to go fast, go alone but if you want to go far, go together.” According to Lydia, the proverb, reinforces “the importance of working together and supporting one another as women in pursuing our dreams,” and the capacity women have to be leaders that can contribute to meaningful change and development in society. She also learnt the importance of self-love, care, protection/safety of women and girls in any environment.

    As a RWLI alumni, Lydia has used both personal and professional platforms to share information on women’s key role in decision making, transformational leadership and SGBV. She hopes that in sharing with other women and girls, she can help them protect themselves and address issues of abuse as well as motivate them to be agents of change in their respective communities. Lydia describes RWLI as a programme that has given her the right tools to achieve her dreams; “I am now dreaming to be a woman of integrity, a role model, a source of health and wealth in my country and worldwide.”
    RWLI represents one of the projects implemented by Rwanda Women’s Network (RWN) in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion to empower Rwandan women from all walks of life. The institute’s objectives compliment various national and global campaigns that promote women’s rights and gender parity; such as the Rwanda’s national theme for International Women’s Day; “Preserving the Dignity Regained.”
    Rwanda is commended globally for its gender sensitive policies and the highest Parliamentarian representation of women (64%) in the world. The theme outlines the nation’s role in building on these achievements in the empowerment of women. RWN is expanding and contributing to these gains through RWLI and more projects by using holistic approaches to address issues affecting women and girls in Rwanda.
    In line with the global movement #BeBoldForChange, the RWLI program encompasses the importance of women’s active role in influencing change that contributes to empowerment of women and gender parity. 
    RWLI falls under one of the RWN main program areas; Governance and Leadership. It equips women with knowledge and tools to be effective leaders and equal contributors to change and development in their respective sectors and communities. RWLI continues to empower and inspire more women like Lydia to “make their challenges a catalyst for positive transformation,” at a personal, community and national level.

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  • New Minimum Wage : Payment to Junior Workers Aimed at Dividing Nigerian Workers-AWC

    The All Workers Convergence has berated the Federal Government for commencing the payment of the new national minimum wage to workers on Grades levels 01 to 06 while negotiations for other grade levels are still ongoing.

    According to the National Coordinator of the AWC, Comrade Andrew Emelieze, ‘’the labor movement in Nigeria has been challenged and so they must wake up from their slumber, the recent payment of junior officers in the core civil service, is a wake up call to the Nigeria labor movement.’’

    ‘’Apart from the fact that what is paid is more of an award, reason been that labor does not have any agreement with government on the final template, therefore the payment is just like an award to the Nigerian workers. It suggests a government that is trying to rubbish the labor movement in Nigeria and divide the rank and file of the Nigerian workers, therefore labor must wake up and face reality and equally stop all forms of romance with government’’, Comrade Emelieze concluded.

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  • Get Rich Quick Syndrome : Blame the Elite-Prof. Olagoke

    Prof sabitu olagoke 2The get rich quick syndrome has caught up with Nigerian youths and adults alike, and this has resulted in an unspecified number of unresolved cases of advanced fee fraud, ritual killings, armed robberies and other get rich quick crimes.

    Distraught parents and guardians are helpless, even as law enforcement and security agencies, who are saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives and property, have rather been more or less accomplices in these criminal acts

    Indeed, a section of the elite and the political class are a different set of accomplices, whose roles in these crimes have heightened the insecurity in the land.

    In this interview the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafuadeen-in-Islam Wordlwide, Porf. Sabitu Olagoke opines that the elite in society are,to a very great extent, to blame for the get rich quick syndrome among the youth and it would only take a miracle to reverse the ugly trend.

    Nigerians. most especially the youth are increasingly getting involved in get rich quick crimes. What do you think is the cause ?

    The get rich quick syndrome has been with us over the years and it featured some bad elements of the then Nigerian decent society, in an environment of the era of discipline. At this period we began to learn about some elderly people becoming wealthy in society without commensurate work value in their hands.

    The society’s suspicion drove them to realize that such people must have joined some secret societies, which makes it imperative that after death certain parts of their bodies are severed for recompense.

    Another version, is the use of human beings for rituals, most especially one of their children or kinsman.

    The cat would eventually be let out of the bag, either after protracted illness or sudden death after a short life span.

    The reaction of members of the society to the mysterious end of these people

    resulted in the placing of emphasis on the essence of discipline in their children, with the traditional philosophy of work as an antidote to poverty.

    This was the basis upon which our educational foundation were built, with the hope that graduates even of secondary schools, who might not be capable of furthering their education would be able to support their lives with ready made work to justify the little knowledge acquired.

    Unfortunately, people in high places started the bad culture of self-enrichment syndrome, against all odds of possible heavy penalties for breaking the ethics of the profession or the organization.

    This was what led to the first coup in Nigeria, led by 29 year old Kaduna Nzeogwu, whose team struck because of what they term as 10 per cent corruption, in government and business circles.

    The profile of poverty indices due to corruption and state of impunity xrayed by experts, put them into rising profile of 15 per cent in the first republic, 28.8 per cent in the second republic.

    Babangida and Abacha era put it to the maximum of 65 per cent, while the fourth republic failed woefully to control and checkmate these orgies of corruption, to start at 70 per cent, which attracted people’s attention because of its uncontrollable nature, despite all the state apparatus on anti-graft exercise.

    Psychologically, human beings are born robotic as education is for refinement, at least 20 per cent level from the classrooms, while the environment take 80 per cent charges to make or mar the animal called man.

    If negative influences overwhelms man, he returns to the beastly level of operation.

    Unfortunately in Nigeria, education is dysfunctional, with all the domains of education rendered ineffective.

    For example, apart from the literacy advantage of education from the realm of affective domain, attitudinal rectitude is supposed to be critically addressed to be responsible for character building of any graduate produced.

    Unfortunately, it is paradoxically ironical, to note that the so called enlightened elite, who we regard as educated, are to a great extent responsible for all the fraudulent acts in the society, not minding the oath of allegiance, loyalty and discipline already sworn to before taking up any appointment in the scheme of action building.

    Equally unfortunate is that corruption and impunity have for long found their ways into the Judiciary, where the era of incorruptible Justices seem to have gone for good and profanity has replaced sacredness on matters concerning the house of God making justice, equity and divine interventions to elude the society. Hence the travail of poor practices in governance.

    For our youth, they are products of these unfortunate circumstances and except through miracles, it would be very hard to produce children, who will not inherit the blood of timocracy and the culture of get rich quick syndrome. This is because the environment is hostile and all agents of socialization for the support of even growth of children have been broken down to pieces.Again, unfortunately, whenever we want to have any change of government, political manifesto is always absent with no ideological goals in place. Hence, our failure to address all these problems.

    Sad, enough, vote buying has replaced the ethical principles of the conduct of elections, making the society to remain pawns in the hands of any emerging government, that would prefer self enrichment at the expense of the welfare of the people.

    For sanity to reign therefore, we must put in place visionary leaders, who will be ready to sacrifice everything it takes to deliver.

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  • Kenya is 2nd in Innovation Ranking in Africa

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    The World Intellectual Property Organisation  has ranked Kenya second  in Sub-Sahara Africa, behind South Africa in its Global Innovation Ratings report.

    The report also state that Kenya has overtaken  other countries in matching  their level of innovation to general economic development.

    Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKuat), Moi University, Kenyatta University, Strathmore University and University of Nairobi  are among other private and public research agencies  in the contributors list.

    Both Jkuat and Moi University’s technology assembling plants are two major  innovation milestones achieved by the country. The plants have earned the two institutions multi billion-shilling international and local tenders.

    These institutions are saddled with the responsibility of  assembling and configuring  of the digital devices currently being used in the 2019 national population census.

    The institutions also pioneered the implementation of the Government’s digital literacy program and are key to the achievement of the Big Four Agenda.

    The report ranks  Switzerland as the leading innovation hub in the world., while Sweden ranks above the US at second position.

    South Africa, number one in Africa are ranked 63rd in the world while  Kenya is 77th and Mauritius 82nd globally. 

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