2016 Int'l Day of Friendship

STRENGTHENING NATIONAL UNITY VIA INT’L DAY OF FRIENDSHIP

      Saturday July 30, the world over is commemorated the 2016 edition of the International Day of Friendship. The resolution concerning the annual International Day of Friendship was adopted unanimously by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in May 2011 in recognition of the fact that friendship can contribute meaningfully to the efforts of the global community towards the promotion of dialogue among solidarity, civilization, mutual understanding as well as reconciliation.

      The resolution mandated the international community to recognize July 30 of every year as International Day of Friendship thereby inviting all the UN Member States, several arms of the UN system, as well as other international and regional bodies coupled with civil societies, to observe the day in accordance with the culture/customs and other appropriate circumstances of their respective local, national and/or regional communities through public awareness-raising activities.

      It’s often said that ‘two good heads are better than one’. It’s also widely noted that ‘a tree does not make a forest’. These and many more similar quotations, which signify the essence of partnership or amalgamation, have been adhered to by millions of personalities and schools of thought across the globe owing to their obvious inevitable role in human existence.

      The aforementioned philosophies are not unconnected to the fact that, no individual or group can do it all alone if efficiency or effectiveness remains his/its watchword. No doubt, this was the reason God ensured that a woman was formed having created a man. Needless to say; the creator Himself understood the unavoidable essence of companionship. This simply implies that everyone requires a friend in whom he/she is well pleased toward arriving at the anticipated success room.

      A friend, in a nutshell, is a person that one likes and knows well. It could also be described as a supporter of a cause or a staunch fan of a certain organization. A true friend is the first person you wish to call whenever you receive good news; he/she is equally the person you wish to share your pains with; he is that person or fellow that would like to accompany you on the most boring errands or trips and make them seem fun; he is that fellow that is invariably willing to tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.   

      In the same vein, friendship is a kind of relationship between two or more people who care about each other. Since friendship has to do with people who truly care about each other, there’s no gain saying that sometimes it requires that people put someone other than themselves first. Indeed, true friendship signifies that some occasions might warrant you sacrificing your happiness for that of others. Hence, life is all about sacrifice, which is usually a product of compassion. What’s the essence of life if you can’t cough up a reasonable time to think about others?    

      Notwithstanding, a friendship is meant to be a symbiotic relationship rather than a parasitic one. Hence, many qualities are required or necessary for a good friendship to hold, including honesty, transparency, trustworthiness, loyalty, tolerance and unconditional acceptance. These, among other factors, have the tendency to yield an unconditional love between the parties involved. For any friendship to be reliable as well as successful or hitch-free, either or both parties, as the case might be, must possess all of the above at all times.

      In Nigeria, for instance, which is an amalgamation of various friendships or relationships, for the union to remain in peace and progress, the leaders must be willing to be transparent and honest to the teeming followers, thus they must always exercise the political will towards leading transparently. The electorate, on their part, must equally reciprocate the gesture by being loyal and submissive. Any union is anchored on reciprocity among its overall members, and Nigeria isn’t an exception. We must take into cognizance that national unity would continue to suffer from epilepsy if trust is nowhere to be found; and there will never be trust if honesty and transparency is missing.

      Happiness ought to be seen as a keyword by the people or groups who constitute a certain friendship or union, irrespective of the circumstance. Of course, we aren’t unaware that human beings can clash very easily, which is why it’s hard for some persons to maintain many friendships at a time or simultaneously. In view of this assertion, members of a particular friendship are expected to uphold absolute honesty at all cost with the sole aim of sustaining the relationship in question.

      Another pertinent factor to acknowledge towards sustaining national unity is unconditional acceptance. The various ethnic groups across the federation must be prepared to accept each other unconditionally since they are bound to be one indivisible body. We found ourselves together, or as one nation, thus we must strive to sustain the oneness regardless of our respective distinct cultures and backgrounds. No doubt, this is the only way we can boast of unconditional love, which is the only factor that can yield the awaited societal uplift. Unalloyed love produces absolute peace and unity that are required for both human and capital developments. The Ministry of Information and Culture under the watch of Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in collaboration with various relevant bodies, can help in making the general public comprehend this fact via awareness cum thorough sensitization campaigns.

      During penultimate year’s commemoration of the International Day of Friendship, precisely on 30^th July 2015, the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon urged the global community to use the potential of friendship to strengthen common bonds and inspire efforts for peace and sustainable development. The UN boss further stated that “The day is an important opportunity to confront the misunderstanding and distrust that underlie so many of the tensions and conflicts in today’s world.” He went further to say that the event is a reminder that human solidarity is essential to promoting lasting peace and fostering sustainable growth among mankind, therefore enjoined the international communities to cultivate warm ties that would strengthen our common humanity and promote the well-being of the human race.

      Hence, I call on Nigerians both home and abroad to strive towards achieving national unity through the effort of undiluted friendship. It was Lucius Seneca that said “One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood.” In her words, Helen Keller stated that “Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” Similarly, Hubert Humphrey succinctly disclosed that “The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it.” To this end, I appeal to us to receive friendship in our various endeavours since it has been proven beyond doubts to be the pathway to man’s eternal happiness.

     Acknowledging that two good heads are truly better than one, it’s therefore not needful to say that all hands are expected to be on deck toward ensuring that friendship is created as well as sustained at all cost for the sake of national unity and harmony, which definitely would yield the long awaited national development. Think about it!

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

(TheMediaAmbassador)

-Researcher, Blogger, Public Affairs analyst & Civil Rights activist-

Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research

& Career Development - Owerri

_____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

+2348028608056

Twitter: @mediambassador 

The Ongoing Rio Olympics and Nigeria's Fate

THE ONGOING RIO OLYMPICS AND NIGERIA’S FATE

      It’s not anymore news that the longed awaited 2016 Summer Olympic Games graciously kicked off penultimate week, precisely on Friday 5^th August in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South-America as planned, and it is expected to come to an end on Sunday August 21, 2016. It would be recalled that the last edition of the tournament, which was hosted in London, United Kingdom (UK), took place four years ago, in 2012 to be precise; suffice it to say that the widely celebrated global multi-sporting event is a quadrennial.

     It’s worth noting that, as long as the tournament lasts, Nigeria would participate in eight sporting events only, as earlier disclosed by the Minister of Youths and Sports Mr. Solomon Dalung. The games in question include men’s football, basketball, canoeing, table tennis, wrestling, high jump, long jump, as well as track and field events. The minister equally promised that the contingents would be well treated financially and otherwise toward ensuring better participation throughout the tournament.

     It’s no doubt mind-boggling and disheartening that among the total of three-hundred and six (306) games to be played at the tournament, or in a competition that’s expected to yield 161 medals for men, 136 for women and 9 mixed medals, Nigeria the acclaimed ‘giant of Africa’ can only boast of participants in just eight of the available games. Such level of apathy isn’t unconnected to the fact that the nature of preparation employed prior to the outing wasn’t in any way encouraging, or was nothing to write home about.

     In his speech penultimate month, precisely on Wednesday 15^th June 2016, the Nigerian international and Africa’s most decorated table tennis player, Segun Toriola described preparations for the ongoing Olympic Games as the ‘worst ever’ in the Nigeria’s sports history. The 42-year-old Toriola who just made history in Brazil as the first African athlete to feature in seven Olympic Games tournaments, stated that he had never seen such poor preparation since his debut at the 1992 Barcelona Games in Spain.

     The statement, which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos State, frowned at the level of lack of interest on the part of the government officials responsible for the said preparation. The aggrieved athlete who unequivocally urged Nigerians not to expect ‘much’ from the participating athletes further lamented that it was more painful and pathetic that nobody was even telling them (the athletes) what the next line of action entailed.

     Aside the various lapses that surrounded the preparation, as at three weeks ago, the Nigerian Olympic team was reportedly still uncertain if it would make it to Brazil for the Olympics. The revelation, which triggered the anger of series of sports commentators cum analysts alongside well-meaning Nigerians, was greeted with enormous criticisms and counter-reactions. Many described the experience as ‘untold’ considering that it occurred when the country’s unity was being threatened; according to them, it was only sports that could adequately unite Nigerians.

     However, amidst the uproar and confusion, barely two weeks to the commencement of the tournament, on Tuesday July 19 precisely, President Mohammadu Buhari ordered the immediate release of funds budgeted for Nigeria’s successful participation in the Rio Olympics, which amounted to #2 billion. The President announced the approval during the official handover of Team Nigeria to the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) at the State House, Abuja. He equally warned that the flight tickets of those who had no business at the event shouldn’t be sponsored by the organizers, towards curtailing excesses.

     It’s on record that the bane of Nigeria’s sports industry, ab initio, has been inadequate or non preparation whenever a competition is awaited, which is often occasioned by administrative error or jamborees. Most times when the officials of the various sport authorities in the country are expected to mean business, they would rather prefer to indulge in frivolous politics thereby ending up creating quagmire within themselves. Though it’s obvious that there’s an element of politics in whatever we do here on earth, it’s imperative to acknowledge that while discussing how to fortify the nation’s sports arena, politics is required to be set aside.

    The last time I checked, four years was good enough for any preparation, and Olympics aren’t exceptional. We can’t be confidently told that if a competent and reliable fund-raising committee was set up by the apt quarters toward the Rio Olympic Games, Nigeria wouldn’t boast of reasonable sum of money needed to cater for the overall preparations. The plight remains inability to comprehend what to do as well as how best and when to implement it. Rather than concentrate on the needful, the men we entrusted our sports to keep dancing Makosa when they are meant to dance Reggae, or vice-versa. Honestly, there’s a compelling need for a rethink.

     The country has every required potential talent and facility towards participating in any Olympic game to include swimming, golf, table and long tennis, gymnastics, boxing, javelin, shot-put; name them. The needed human and natural resources are conspicuously abound; all we need to do is to harness them by using the appropriate technique and mechanism. It’s quite appalling that the inter/intra-school sports competitions, which were the talk of the day, are currently no longer in vogue as a result of apathy, laxity and what have you. Every socio-cultural sporting activity that used to speak volumes has abruptly vanished into thin air.

      Nevertheless, this critique was mainly necessitated by what Nigeria’s fate entails in the ongoing Olympic tournament. Since the deed has already been done, at this critical point, any concerned Nigeria is expected to be solely mindful of the anticipated performance of the Team Nigeria throughout the highly competitive event, instead of laying emphasis on retrogressive issues. Our last outing in London was obviously poor and disastrous, thus any right thinking Nigerian both home and abroad expects to be compensated in Brazil.

     To this end, the participants ought to be sensitized on the need to do more even when they are seemingly worn-out. They should be conscientized to do their very best toward making their fans and Nigeria at large more proud of them in spite of the limited resources or porous preparation. Just as the motto of the tournament - ‘live your passion’ implies, they are expected to vigorously and passionately compete for gold because none of them deserve second best, rather second to none. Their respective coaches ought to let them understand that, even if they have lost interest in Nigeria, they need to strive to make their teeming fans happier because without fans, there wouldn’t be a player/athlete.

     The NOC should equally acknowledge the essence of a formidable fan-club toward recording success in any sport competition. They ought to borrow a leaf from the Nigerian Atlanta ’96 fan-club. Against this backdrop, they should source for more fans in Brazil; they need to discover Nigerians resident in the country with a view to ensuring that the available fan-club is duly boosted.

     Nigeria may have prepared poorly prior to the ongoing tournament, but we ought to note that sometimes success is gotten via passion and luck; hence, despair not Nigerians. However, we must ensure that what transpired this year never repeats itself subsequently. Think about it!

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

(TheMediaAmbassador)

-Public Affairs analyst & Civil Rights activist-

Chief Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research

& Career Development - Owerri

_____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

+2348028608056

Twitter: @mediambassador     

     

                     

Ongoing Free Education in Imo

ONGOING FREE EDUCATION IN IMO: THE PAINS AND THE GAINS

     The last time I checked, Imo State at large was reckoned to be the only state in Nigeria that observes free education from nursery to tertiary level. Needless to that it remains the only state across the federation where education is totally free in all the existing educational levels to include nursery, primary, secondary and tertiary.

      Education is the act of acquiring knowledge through learning, either in the classroom or otherwise. It can equally be described as the process through which a person is taught better ways of doing something or a better way of living. But in this piece, we are referring to education acquired via the classroom.

     Just as food, clothing and textile remain the three basic needs of life, education alongside health remains the best way anyone could be empowered. Suffice it to say that the best way one could be made useful in any society is by giving him/her a sound education as well as adequate health care. This is why anyone who means well for any society or locality he/she finds him/herself uses every possible means to encourage the educational growth in the area.

      Be it a trader, businessman, craftsman, or a professional, you are where you presently find yourself because you were given a sound education towards attaining to that level, or you were privileged to acquire the necessary educational training. A trader who cannot boast of a fundamental training in education, will continue to record failure as long as the trade lasts, likewise those in other fields of human endeavour.

     To this end, governments at all levels are invariably encouraged to pay special attention to its educational sector. This is the reason, as soon as Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State assumed duty in 2011, he vowed to take the education of the said state very seriously as well as treat it as a priority. In view of this pledge, the governor’s first move was to declare free education in Imo State from nursery to secondary level; a step that was highly commended by all and sundry including the teeming beneficiaries. As if that wasn’t enough; subsequently, Gov Okorocha extended the free-education gesture to all the tertiary institutions owned and managed by the state.

     To say the least, the ongoing free education in Imo State has made hundreds of thousands of less-privileged parents and guardians who cannot afford the cost of private education to cough up a sigh of relieve. Most of them have been praying intensely for the governor for thinking it wise to come up with such laudable programme. In some quarters, the leader in question is regarded as a messiah who has come to wipe out poverty in the state at large.

     Though the Governor Okorocha’s free-education programme has greatly suffered from criticisms from most onlookers as well as members of the state, the truth is that the initiative has succeeded in bringing succor to countless Imo indigenes or residents, as the case may be. The critics are of the view that the free-education initiative has been unable to pay much attention to qualitative education, where pupils and students are expected to acquire sound and viable education. According to them, the colossal funds constantly made available for the free education has deprived the government of the sufficient fund required to take care of other logistics in the various public citadels of learning, thereby leading to underfunding.

     Aside the free education, the Rescue Mission Administration in the ancient state has equally resuscitated the infrastructural status of virtually all the schools involved. The various schools can now boast of befitting structure or a smiling physiognomy. Teachers are also well paid and as when due, if not the ongoing economic meltdown in the overall country that’s currently bedeviling payment of the teachers’ monthly salaries and incentives.

     One major plight that accompanies the free-education programme is that the teachers or lecturers, as the case may be, in question appear to be marred by apathy. Most of them hardly bring out time for their daily lessons. More devastatingly, some have taken truancy as an option. When confronted or asked, he or she would tell you that, after all, the pupils or students aren’t paying for the lessons, thus are not meant to complain for the maltreatment as if they aren’t receiving payment for their respective jobs. Such manner of impunity had lately if not properly checked could degenerate into an unspeakable stage in the nearest future.

    Apart from the apathy, the primary and secondary schools’ learners are tasked by the teachers to pay frivolous fees at different occasions without minding if they could afford it; in some quarters, the pupils or students would be deprived of their exam results if they fail to provide the money. These incessant extortions among other financial inconveniences invariably imposed on the learners had made most parents/guardians to cry foul.

     This implies that the government is required to set up a formidable and reliable monitoring team that would on a daily basis tour between the schools with a view to ascertaining how the pupils or students are faring. In the same spirit, the government should also ensure that classroom desks coupled with other needed facilities are sufficiently made available for the free-education beneficiaries so that they would always learn under a conducive atmosphere. Hence, in addition to infrastructure, enabling environment ought to be put in place toward boosting comfort.

     No doubt, if sincerity is upheld at all times by both the government and the teeming teachers, the ongoing free education in Imo State, the Eastern Heartland would be loaded with more gains than pains. Think about it!   

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

(TheMediaAmbassador)

-Public Affairs analyst & Civil Rights activist-

Chief Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research

& Career Development - Owerri

_____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

+2348028608056

Twitter: @mediambassador