Indiscriminate Dumping of Waste Materials in The 'Eastern Heartland'

INDISCRIMINATE DUMPING OF WASTE MATERIALS IN THE ‘EASTERN HEARTLAND’

Brethren, I sincerely thank God that; as the days unfold, our congregation increases. This signifies that we’re witnessing growth on a daily basis. I’m sure we all know what that implies? To the best of my knowledge, growth is what everyone prays for, regardless of his/her status or background. Glory be to the Almighty that our denomination is really vastly progressing; I can’t thank Him enough.

Having noted that there’s a remarkable progress among our fellowship for the past two years we commenced this ministry, I wish to use this avenue to let you know one fact, which is; my love feeds on yours and as long as you live, it’ll remain in your arms without leaving mine. In case you consider the candid statement vague, the summary of it is that, we’re meant to be together irrespective of the pressure we might be facing.

Barely two months ago, I was in Lagos state. During my stay which lasted for several weeks, I noticed that so many things had changed positively in the state, except one thing which seemed to be unchangeable. That very anomaly appears to be common amongst virtually all the states across the federation; this singular observation made my person to conclude that, Nigeria as a nation has a certain common disease, though social. I wouldn’t like to disclose that social disease at this juncture. But I promise, prior to the end of this edition, it must be mentioned and duly treated.

Please permit me to go back to history, as usual. Few days ago, an old time friend studying in Ghana, West Africa initiated a chat with me on one of the existing social media, Facebook to be precise. At the starting point of the chat, she hurriedly asked how Nigeria had been faring regarding environmental sanitary. According to her, the last time she checked, Nigeria as a whole was still lagging behind in the area of public sanitation. Based on her enquiry, I responded that, from my personal view, most of the recent government functionaries (administrators) in Nigeria adore cleanliness; but it appears that their subjects enjoy littering the environments due to the fact that, they have not been forcedly persuaded to act otherwise. Suffice to say; they cherish being treated like members of the “animal farm”. Let’s ride on!

If you can take a second glance at the topic of today, you will concur that, my interest solely lies in Imo state otherwise known as “the Eastern Heartland” which remains my state of origin.

For those of you who have been residents of Imo state, you will bear me witness that the state in question has been facing tremendous challenges as regards environmental sanitation, in spite of the tireless effort that had been recorded by the ongoing Owelle’s administration to see that the anomaly becomes a thing of the past. Needless to say that the efforts rendered so far by the government seems futile, or were to no avail. It’s no longer news that all the gutters has been loaded with fathomless rubbishes, thereby negatively affecting our drainage systems seriously. As a concerned social analyst, I can recollect vividly that I’ve often times spoken on this societal eyesore.

Frankly, I want to state unequivocally that, for a wholly decent and charming environment to be obtained in Imo state in respect to environmental sanitary, or for the aforementioned anomaly to be adequately addressed by the government, both human and non-human faces are required, and all hands must as well be on deck.

Firstly, the government in collaboration with the relevant existing Non-governmental Organizations in the state should from time to time organize seminars, workshops, and what have you, to properly educate and re-orientate the occupants of the state on their respective civic responsibilities in the area of environmental sanitation. The religious institutions should not be left out with regard to the proposed sensitization exercise. The print and electronic media ought to also be used to actualize this motive.

Secondly, I urge the Ministry of Environment to ensure that waste bins are situated at all strategic locations across the state. In other words, no area or locality should be exempted or ostracized while this routine is being carried out. In line with this, a formidable ad-hoc committee must be set up to guarantee thoroughness of the project/initiative.

Thirdly, a mobile Task Force group ought to be set up by the government. The group is expected to monitor every nook and cranny of the state on a daily basis and in every second, to ensure that the commuters and pedestrians adhere strictly to the environmental instruction by making adequate use of the various waste bins mounted at the strategic points after emptying any canned, bottled, packaged or sachet drink/food. Such concernment would be wise and ideal to be signed into law by the State Legislative organ. Therefore, the members of the task force must always endeavour to wear a non-human face while implementing the proposed law; most importantly, they must be thoroughly sincere and transparent. In this regard, anyone caught defaulting the law must be instantly tried by a mobile court, which would be established at every major junction in the state; and if found guilty, must be subjected to a capital punishment. In addition, any moving vehicle would be mandated to have a small waste bin where its passengers can discard any waste material, to avoid any embarrassment from the task force.

Lastly, but not the least, the government must ensure that, the usual but defunct monthly environmental sanitation exercise in the state is reinitiated. And this time, it must be whole and compulsory. When I say “whole”, I mean ensuring that it’s being observed by all localities in the state, whilst “compulsory” implies that everyone regardless of age or status must participate. I also urge the state legislators to sign the practice into an impeccable law, therefore, must ensure that it is duly enforced. On this note, a committee is also expected to be inaugurated by the executive arm to see to the effectiveness of the practice; and the committee must also wear a non-human face in carrying out this official assignment. Thus, anyone caught abusing the directive by the committee must be brought to book with no iota of delay.

Believe me, if all these are properly put in place, in no distant time, Imo state would be a place to reckon with in regard to conducive and accommodating environmental condition.

But, the people involved must wake up from slumber by bearing in mind that, such act is barbaric, uncultured and uncalled for. We should endeavour to deliver ourselves instead of waiting for others to do so on our behalf.

The above mentioned and treated syndrome is a national issue that requires an urgent and cogent measure that must be implemented in earnest by the respective affected states. Don’t forget; “Cleanliness is next to godliness”, and “A healthy nation is a wealthy nation.” Think about it!

______________________

FDN NWAOZOR

frednwaozor@gmail.com

Leadership And Its Inevitable Challenges

LEADERSHIP AND ITS INEVITABLE CHALLENGES


Brethren, frankly the inconveniences I personally encountered during my last trip to Calabar in Cross River State was solely my fault. Honestly I learnt a lot of lessons in respect to what transpired that fateful day. Though, I’m not willing to disclose the real nature of the anomaly, but the experience implies that, most of the inconveniences we come across on a daily basis are due to our mistakes.

Of course it’s no longer news that, mistakes are inevitable. In other words, apparently we will continue to witness inconveniences as long as we breathe. Please don’t get me wrong; what I’m saying in essence is that, some harmful challenges we encounter in our respective lives or endeavours are simply unavoidable. I’m just appraising facts.

Come to think of it; who says he’s beyond a mistake? Sincerely I want to use this avenue to unequivocally inform you that, no one who breathes lacks a mistake. We’re all victims to mistakes sometimes, someday, or even every day, irrespective of our statuses or backgrounds. Thus, we must continue to face challenges provided we still inhale air.

Lest I forget; penultimate week, Tuesday precisely, I overhead a certain young man in my neighbourhood lamenting over a certain scenario which had to do with the correction he received from a senior colleague in his place of work. According to him, the colleague told him that he made a mistake in a proposal he submitted for approval. The said neighbour made it clear before his listeners that, he could never make a mistake in his life, stating that, his colleague was just trying to intimidate him thereby making him feel inferior. Imagine how far people can attend while bragging, or whenever they are being corrected.

Well, our topic remains, “Leadership and its inevitable challenges”. Concisely, according to the context of this edition, leadership is the state of being in control of a certain group or organization.

The prime essence of this piece is to remind us of some of the qualities a leader is expected to exhibit regardless of the nature or status of the organization he/she leads.

First and foremost, any leader is expected by his/her subjects or colleagues to be God-fearing. Believe me, apart from a leader, any God-fearing individual cannot think of lying, cheating, stealing, or hating anyone no matter the circumstances surrounding him/her.

Secondly, every leader must have a forgiving heart. He must be willing to forgive anyone who must have hurt him, especially those who cheated him while he was aspiring/contesting for the position.

Thirdly, anyone who calls himself a leader must be tolerant. A tolerant person absorbs any opinion from his colleagues or subjects without minding the nature of the opinion. Therefore, any leader must be willing to accept criticism, either constructive or destructive.

Fourthly, any leader must be courageous. Yes, a leader is expected to wear a bold skin, so that, no circumstances can break him/her. A leader must be ready to withstand any pressure or tension at all times.

Fifthly, every leader is expected to be very observant. He/she must be sensitive enough to know and comprehend every bit of what’s happening around him/her.

More so, any leader must be very careful and conscious. He must mind the kind of action he takes, and must always bite his tongue before he speaks. He must always consider and as well reconsider the consequences of any action he intends to take. He must beware of nemesis or repercussion; he should consistently have it in mind that, whatever goes around will surely come around directly, not indirectly. Yes, the evil that men do live with them, not after them as it’s popularly cited. Carefulness is a very worthwhile virtue in any leadership stride. Let’s ride on!

Inter alia, a leader must have a listening ear. He ought to be willing to gather opinions and information as much as possible. He should never create any limit as regards listening to people’s opinions or complaints.

Anyone who sees himself as a leader must be transparent. He must invariably endeavour to run an open-door policy. He must from time to time disclose to his subjects what his administration has done so far and as well seek direction from anyone. On this note, he must be accountable; accountability ought to remain his watchword.

Above all, every leader is expected to wear a human face in every occasion he finds himself, even if the tempo of the antagonisms from the opposition is extremely high. Needless to say that, a leader is expected to carry everyone along regardless of where the member is coming from. In addition, a leader is expected to be liberal, magnanimous, and generous, but he ought to be strict. Mind you; there is a dichotomy between strictness and wickedness, or lack of magnanimity. Surely, strictness is a welcome idiosyncrasy. Please, meet me for further explanation so you won’t go astray in your presumption.

Lastly, but not the least, any leader must be humble; humility should remain his motto at all costs. He must always turn his back on arrogance. Therefore, he must always be ready to welcome corrections due to his mistakes. Believe me, arrogance which often leads to bragging constantly brings or contributes to the downfall of any man, knowingly or unknowingly. I also want to let you know that, there’s a contrast between pride (ego) and arrogance; pride is worthwhile. To be frank, one without pride is worthless. So beware! Please, kindly mail me for details.

Having noted the qualities of a leader or any leadership that are worthy of emulation, we must also note that, there’re some certain inevitable challenges that invariably accompany any leadership, be it social, political, religious, or what have you. These are: criticism, antagonism, fanaticism, extremism, hypocrisy, sycophancy, death, envy, and human insatiable nature.

Criticism must surface in any administration; it’s as old as the world. Don’t forget that, a criticism may be constructive or destructive. Whatever the case might be, a leader must be willing and ready to accommodate any criticism. Mind you, constructive criticisms are worthwhile!

Also, antagonism or envy are always witness in any leadership. The gesture is mostly exhibited by those who wish to occupy the position of the present leader, and they’re often tagged “the opposition”.

Fanaticism or extremism are not left out; they can be showcased by any member of the administration or any of the subjects. It has to do with what one’s individual self strongly believes in. Thus, he/she would continue to stick to that ideology thereby constituting an unfavourable and unhealthy circumstance to the administration. Surely, any leader must be ready to encounter such attributes.

Hypocrisy or sycophancy are other gestures a leader must receive from members of his/her administration or any of his subjects. Most grievously, sometimes people/someone may impersonate the leader in order to gain favour or obtain their selfish wants, at the expense of the healthiness of the administration.

Furthermore, due to human insatiable nature, most of the accomplishments of a certain leader may not be appreciated by some/most of his subjects. Suffice to say; to the sight of those in question, the leader hasn’t done anything yet to their delight. This is a challenge every leader must be prepared to experience because it’s also inevitable.

Above all, death is a grievous experience that often seem to cripple any administration; whenever it occurs, it appears as if the leadership cannot function properly again. For instance, a staunch and reliable member of a certain administration may kick the bucket when his/her services or opinions are mostly needed. Such anomaly will definitely weigh the leader down, thereby crippling his/her administration. We must all know that death is inevitable, therefore, must always be willing to accept its hurt or the vacuum it might create. Even if one dies as a leader, there must be a substitute; this is a bitter fact we must all bear in mind.

At this juncture, I urge every leader, including the potential ones, to acknowledge the fact that he/she remains the Moses of the organization he leads. Thus, must bear in mind that, he must surely lead them to the promise-land. Any result less than this would be seen as an aberration.

Don’t forget, mistakes made by a leader are often the sole cause of the challenges mentioned above. Though mistakes are inevitable, but mind you, the level of mistakes made by someone can be controlled or minimized if only he becomes extremely careful. Therefore, carefulness summarizes everything.

Meanwhile, challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes it meaningful. Think about it!

_______________________

FRED NWAOZOR

frednwaozor@gmail.com

Farewell Note To The Outgone Imo State Police Commissioner

MY FAREWELL NOTE TO THE OUTGONE IMO STATE POLICE COMMISSIONER

Brethren, I want to use this avenue to candidly disabuse you of the belief that, any child born with a ‘silver spoon’ can attain to his/her desired height regardless of the level of effort involved. Let me quickly use this wonderful opportunity to remind you of my usual citation which states that, any child is a product of nature and nurture. Believe me, I grew up to train myself with such belief; and it’s a fancy fact.

Let me throw more light on what I mean by a child being a product of ‘nature and nurture’. Considering nature; you would bear me witness that, any child is formed, born and sustained by the sole effort of nature. On the other hand; for any born child to be a useful member of the family he/she hails from, he must had been well nurtured by the family in question. In other words, a child can never be useful to either his family or society without passing through a thorough and severe nurture by his/her parents or guardian.

I wish to put up a brief question at this juncture. And the question is; have you ever for once dreamt of seeing your junior colleague or your younger one at home chasing you for the sole purpose of intimidating you? Such manner of dream is not unconnected to witnessing a scene whereby the Secretary of a certain club/society presides over the club’s meeting right in the presence of the president of the said club. Believe me, anyone in his right senses who witnesses such dream or scenario must be bemused thereby embracing a state of incapacity. Nevertheless, pardon me for I’ve digressed.

Few weeks ago, during my last trip to Enugu State for a business transaction, as soon as I switched on my radio set for the news of the day, I was informed that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar had ordered the redeployment, with immediate effect, of eighteen (18) Police Commissioners to various Commands and Formations of the Force across the federation. On receiving the striking news, I quickly picked up my phone and dialed the phone number of one of my fellow Imo State based Social activists to ascertain if the state in question was affected. Shockingly, the crusader told me that Imo State was one of the affected states. Honestly, I abruptly became devastated and incapacitated by the mode of the message. Truly, the information took my person to a state of incapacity. In fact, the news was really a shocker.

As an Imo State based Crime/Social analyst, I’m in a good and better position to inform you that the outgoing Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Musa Katsina, has recorded tremendous achievements in the history of the state in the area of security or Protection of lives and property. Suffice to say that, the pronouncement of his redeployment from the state wasn’t just a shocker to my person, but to the state at large. The 637 autonomous communities in the state would testify to this fact.

Without mincing words, prior to the inception of duty of the outgoing Police Commissioner, the crime rate in Imo State was unquantifiable; a condition that kept the entire occupants of the State in a state of imbroglio. Even the blind could see as at then that, Imo was right in the hands of our enemies. Let’s ride on!

Since the stay of the outgoing CP and his entire team in Imo State, it has been as if God has finally answered the prayers of the occupants of the state in its entirety, as regards security. Everyone has been sleeping with his/her eyes well closed, unlike as it was in the past. Inter alia, it was only during his time/administration, that I understood fully, the real meaning and essence of Community Policing; every nook and cranny of the state has been totally under control till date. Needless to say; the outgoing Police boss was not just a ‘silencer’, but a God-sent.

I also want to use this medium to appreciate the pleasant Governor of the great State, Chief Rochas Okorocha, for his vigorous mission to see that the crime rate in the state is reduced to the barest minimum; I can’t thank him enough.

I sincerely want to inform the entire Imolites that, CP Mohammed Katsina came to nurture the security structure of the gigantic state (Imo) which was founded by nature itself. This was the only reason we were able to attain the present desired and anticipated height. My prayer remains that, his successor would work more effectively and efficiently to see that Imo got to its Promise-land.

My impeccable outgoing CP Sir, we all pray that as you leave Imo for a tougher and more challenging concernment ahead, God in His infinite mercy would continue to guide and guard you till you arrive at the peak of your service. I want to rightly inform you that, the entire members of Imo Fans Fortress (IMOFAF) – an NGO that fosters unionism among all Imo State occupants, which Comr. Fred Nwaozor is the Leader, is deeply pleased by the potent and selfless service you rendered to the ‘Eastern Heartland’. But, when shall Imo receive your warm handshake or see your enticing and charming face again? A question I would love you to answer without hesitation.

My fellow Imolites, truly Imo was born with a silver spoon, but insecurity and societal social-vices in the state has become a thing of the past due to the unending nurture granted to it by the outgoing Police boss and his team in general with the support and willingness of the Governor of the state, by the special grace of the Almighty. Think about it!

_____________________

FRED NWAOZOR
frednwaozor@gmail.com