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COVID-19: The dire need for reason amidst the cacophonous voices
Tobi Adetunji
One of the hall marks of last year was the outbreak of the pandemic across the continents of the earth. While it seems the overarching effect of this novel disease is still very much with us, it has exposed the diversity of thoughts; proactiveness or failure of leadership, vulnerability of the masses and the urgency cum pertinence for reappraisal if not overhauling of our institutions conception of leadership, responsiveness and the formulation of center policy in all governmental overture.
Whilst I will not want to pass verdict on the event that characterised the management of the pandemic because series of information had been churned out in that regards, it will not be an exaggeration to assert that Nigerians and more specifically our leaders seem to be poor managers of information, lack creativity, seems not to believe in finding our unique way to solving our problems except the copy and paste solutions from the western world. It appears from what had been seen thus far that the young generation do not occupy any space in their planning while the older generation had already given up.
Recently, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) found a consensus with her long time foe, the Federal government and called off the nine months old strike; an action which had been applauded by people from all walks of life. However, it is important to x-ray several factors that interplay and the need to engage reason for the betterment of the masses.
It is not a gainsaying to affirm that the incalculable injuries and blow the action had dealt with us as a nation may have to stay with us as long as the country exist. This is because it doesn’t only create an imbalance system giving the fact the private varsities was not absolutely affected and who will pass blame on those institutions. What really come to play is how much you are willing to pay, but again on the aggregate the output have grave consequences on national development.
Fast forward to the recent and supposed stance of the federal government on the resumption of schools at all levels slated for 18th of January (today), the inability to find for us as a country a home grown solution or vaccine, the hostile reaction of the members of the House of Representatives committee on Education and the imperativeness of engaging reason, balancing divergence, contradictory views, subsuming egos and forging a trusted and veritable way for the sake of national development, have all become top matters of concern.
In the wake of contentions surrounding the resumption of schools, observations have been raised that in a sane system, there should be a progressive relationship between stakeholders in the ministry of education, ministry of health, the House of Representatives, and the masses if development is to be achieved.
The University Don can’t keep justifying their position of the impossibility of resumption based on non availability of sordid cum suitable technological Architecture for virtual learning, whilst the Honourable members of Representative committee on education focus on not been duly informed by the ministry of education’s decision. If this unnecessary ding-dongs continue, the brunt will be borne by the masses. The issue therefore demands a fierce urgency of reason to arrest the needless tangling or display of unnecessary egoism.
We must bore in mind that the country is yet to recover from the untold effects of Covid-19 especially the major sector like education and the economy. As we await the urgent steps of government at stemming the second wave of the Covid-19, all efforts must be galvanized towards arresting dilapidated ivory tower for a successful future.
To take a wipe is a flash to the words of an icon (Awolowo 1981), which states: “Those of us placed in a position of leadership must be prepared to grasp the nettle if we unite in doing so, and if in addition, we set a worthy example and a marat on Pace in probity, unselfishness, and self-sacrifice, the people will follow all too readily in our footsteps.”
President Bola Tinubu on Friday, approved the appointment of eight new Federal Permanent Secretaries.
The appointment was contained in a statement issued by the president’s Special Adviser on Media & Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale
He said the permanent secretaries were appointed to fill in existing and impending vacancies of some states and geo-political zones in the top administrative cadre of the Civil Service of the Federation.
According to Ngelale, they were appointed after a diligent selection process by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
The new Permanent Secretaries are, Dr. Emanso Umobong Okop – Akwa-Ibom, Obi Emeka Vitalis – Anambra, Mahmood Fatima Sugra Tabi’a – Bauchi, Danjuma Mohammed Sanusi – Jigawa, Olusanya Olubunmi – Ondo, Keshinro Maryam Ismaila – Zamfara, Akujobi Chinyere Ijeoma (South-East), Isokpunwu Christopher Osaruwanmwen (South-South).
“The President anticipates that the new Federal Permanent Secretaries will exercise absolute dedication, diligence, and fidelity to the nation in the discharge of their functions and ensure optimum service delivery to the Nigerian people”, the statement added.
Gov. Usman Ododo of Kogi says the choice of the state as a special agro-industrial processing zone by the Federal Government is a step in right direction.
Ododo said this when he hosted a delegation from the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security on Friday in Lokoja.
He explained that his administration was ready to meet all requirements for the establishment of a Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) in the state.
The project ,which is an initiative of the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Kogi government, is expected to attract significant foreign and domestic private sector investment into the state.
The Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone is expected to process maize, cassava, rice, palm oil, cashew, sugarcane and fish, in line with the commitment of Gov Ododo to transform Kogi into an agro-industrial hub.
The governor said: “We have already allocated 254 hectares of land in Ukpake, AjaoKuta Local Government Area for the purpose of the special agro-industrial processing zone.
“Our decision to establish the agro-industrial processing zone in Ukpake was due to its strategic location and proximity to essential resources such as water supply, electricity, gas, a railway line linking Kogi and a number of states and the proposed international cargo airport in Adogo ,which is a few kilometers from the proposed site of the agro-industrial facility.
“We wish to assure you that Kogi government will do everything possible to provide the enabling environment for the selection of the state for the phase II of the project and its eventual take off.
“This is because it is in line with my administration’s policy on industrialisation and the strong will to guarantee food security in the state through investment in agriculture.
“We are also aware that such investment in agricultural value chain will increase productivity, provide access to market for farmers and provide job opportunities for the teeming population of the state.”
Ododo commended the African Development Bank for the initiative, which he said would enhance job creation and guarantee food security in Kogi and Nigeria ,at large.
In his remarks, Dr. Bashir Ibrahim-Gaya, who led the AfDB delegation, said the assessment tour was intended to verify the readiness of states to be selected in the phase II for the establishment of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone.
Ibrahim-Gaya explained that the SAPZs were being implemented in 18 countries across Africa, including Nigeria.
According to him, the phase I in Nigeria, covering seven states ,including the Federal Capital Territory, has commenced.
“Our team is here in Kogi to assess the state’s readiness as a possible beneficiary in the phase II of the project, ” he said.
In their separate remarks, the State Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiwaju Ashiru Idris and Commissioner for Agriculture,Mr Timothy Ojomah, assured of the political will by the state government to see to the realisation of the project in the state.
Ojomah said the proposed agro-industrial processing facility would be supported by adequate and reliable supply of raw materials and semi-processed agricultural produce from the state Agricultural Transformation Centres in Alape, Anyigba and Osara.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government (FG) to grant its demands for better welfare and administrative conditions in public universities.
The union made the request on Friday at a news conference held at the Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu.
The Zonal Coordinator, ASUU Calabar Zone, Mrs Happiness Uduk, said that the only way to avert the imminent nationwide strike was for the State and Federal Governments to meet the union’s demands.
Uduk said that the body had given a two-week ultimatum for its demands to be met, warning that failure to do so would result in an industrial action.
She regretted that the FG had yet to fulfill its commitments under the FG-ASUU agreement in 2009, leading to stagnation in salary scales and overall welfare improvements.
She said: “Government had an agreement with ASUU in 2009, which tells us that for 15 years running, ASUU members have been on the same salary scale, nothing has changed.
“We are requesting that government should complete negotiations it started with us more than 13 years ago, first with the Babalakin-led team, then the Munzali-led team, finally the Briggs-led team.
“These people had completed the negotiations and, if the negotiations had been completed and Mr President has the document, we don’t know why for a year now he has not called us to talk to us about it.
“So, government should as a matter of urgency address our renegotiation and take into account current realities, including inflation rate, exchange rate and whatever needs to go into that,” Uduk said.
She called on the Federal and State Governments to address issues bordering on revitalisation fund for public universities, payment of earned academic allowances and withheld salaries, high taxation and victimisation of ASUU members
She also said that ASUU strongly insisted on the removal of its members in federal universities from the Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPIS).
Uduk further said that the high rate of taxation experienced by ASUU members was a result of “the introduction of an obnoxious platform” for salary payment.
“Whatever government has in mind with regards to that, it should use our University Transparency and Accountability Solution or any other platform that would originate from universities rather than the IPPIS,” she said.
She advised that the FG’s students loan scheme be replaced with grants which, she said, would alleviate financial stress on students and improve their academic pursuit.
Uduk called on the FG to stop the proliferation of universities and focus on better funding for the existing ones to improve overall standards within the existing institutions.
She also advocated for the quick resolution of the minimum wage debacle and introduction of a living wage that obtains in saner climes.
On Abia, the ASUU zonal coordinator called on the Abia Government to pay the 11 months salary arrears owed to lecturers in ABSU.
“We are not negotiating any part of that salary for anything because we have worked, taught students and examined them and some of them have graduated,” Uduk said.
She urged the Abia Government to discontinue the use of Treasury Single Account in the payment of ABSU lecturers’ salaries and address the recent inconsistency in the payment of salaries.
According to her, Government is owing April, May and June.
“Let the Abia Government leave payment in the hands of the university administrators and a platform that is consistent with the institution’s operations.
“But it can do its oversight as far as ABSU is concerned,” she said.
Uduk said that some ASUU members at the Ebonyi State University had been suspended for more than two years without salary.
“We call on the Ebonyi governor to look into the peculiarities of the problems in the state university and ensure that our members are reinstated forthwith,” she said.
Uduk said that the ongoing interface with stakeholders was to encourage Nigerians to appeal to the government to do the needful, “otherwise, in two weeks time ASUU will go on strike”.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the union had earlier held an interactive session with critical stakeholders, parents, children and traditional rulers, amongst others.
Tinubu appoints eight new Permanent Secretaries
Naira records first appreciation against dollar in nine days
