Jibrin's Suspension: One Wrong, Too Many

JIBRIN’S SUSPENSION: ONE WRONG, TOO MANY

       The last time I checked, everyone mortal was guilty of a criminal tendency. It’s not anymore news that whenever a child intends to dodge a punishment, he would employ antics that would make his superior overlook, or not to remember, the misdeed. If a child could possess such criminal tendency, why would someone confidently assert that there is a full grown adult that doesn’t have the potential to commit crime, or indulge in any wrongdoing?

       As we attempt to answer the above question, I would advise us to equally readjust our reasoning faculty in order to suit the topic of the day. Penultimate week, precisely on Wednesday 28^th September 2016, the former chairman of House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriation in the person of Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin was definitely suspended by the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges headed by Mr. Nicholas Ossai.

       It would be recalled that the House under the leadership of Mr. Yakubu Dogara, has upon resumption on 20^th September 2016 directed the Ethics Committee to investigate the ongoing budget padding scandal, which was raised prior to the assembly’s recess that lasted for two months, and report back to the house within a week with its findings and recommendations. The suspension is meant to last for 180 legislative sitting days of the House, starting from the aforementioned date.

       It’s noteworthy that, the House members sit three days in a week. In other words, the stipulated duration for the suspension is approximately equivalent to one year in the Gregorian calendar. Mr. Jibrin is equally expected to tender an apology letter to the House towards expiration of the purported punishment. The suspension would see the victim out of the premises of the House within the stipulated period. According to the committee boss - Mr. Ossai, in accordance with the House Code of Conduct, Mr. Jibrin is not eligible to handle any position or responsibility as long as the eighth assembly lasts.

       Mr. Ossai said that the decision of the Ethics Committee was majorly informed by Mr. Jibrin’s inability to appear before it when asked to do so, coupled with ‘other misconducts’ of the lawmaker. It’s worth noting that Mr. Jibrin failed to answer the call of the committee two weeks ago - Friday 23^rd September, for questioning, with the reason that the committee lacked the locus standi to interrogate him since the matter in question was already in court. Therein, the embattled lawmaker sought for court injunction to stop the committee from exercising such ‘unlawful act’, but his effort proved abortive prior to the emergence of the suspension.

       It’s really mind-boggling, perhaps fascinating to acknowledge that when the motion pertaining to the suspension called for voting from the overall honourable members on the floor of the House, as was presented by Mr. Speaker, all the legislators present at the sitting – excluding Mr. Jibrin unanimously seconded the motion. The overwhelming support won by the motion remains the highlight of the outing.

       It’s very disheartening that amidst the ongoing recession, what the lower chamber of the National Assembly (NASS) could first entertain to was the budget padding scandal, with the intention of ostracizing the whistle blower. It’s even more worrisome when realized that the case in question is currently being entertained by a law court of competent jurisdiction. This very action has made me to believe that the recess embarked upon by the House members was merely used to deliberate on how to conspire against a colleague that is seen as a threat. Hence, I unequivocally refuse to be convinced that the abrupt action wasn’t occasioned by conspiracy.

       I wonder why the members couldn’t ‘conspire’ toward ensuring that the speaker steps down while the investigations last; rather, they chose to do otherwise. Isn’t it amusing to acknowledge that the so-called investigations conducted by the Ethics Committee were done under the leadership of the same man who was being accused of the scandal; how do you reconcile this? The legislators, instead of focusing on issues that would salvage Nigeria from the unbearable lingering recession, they preferred to indulge in matters regarding personal interest. Yet, they would proudly tell us that they are representing our collective interest. It’s amusing that the melodrama is happening amidst the anti-graft war era.

      Come to think of it, why couldn’t the court issue an injunction to stop the committee from carrying out such uncalled duty? Someone might say, it was an internal affair of the House, thus no one/authority could stop it from doing so; if this presumption truly holds water, it implies that the judiciary lacks the power to call the legislature to order. Then, if this is the case, it would be better to scrap the former (judiciary) from the country’s constitution.

       For crying out loud, when the lawmakers become lawbreakers, as in this case, it is the duty of the judiciary to remind them of their obligations. The judiciary was basically established to interpret the law with a view to maintaining its rules; it is the statutory duty of the judiciary to ensure that the rule of law prevails, or is sustained, at all cost. I got baffled each time I observe the highly revered institution doing otherwise, or overlooking its fundamental functions as stipulated in the Nigerian Constitution. It’s high time we got it right, at least for once.

        I strongly belong to a school of thought that’s of the view that a mistake can be pardoned, but a blunder is conspicuously unpardonable. The point remains that, Mr. Jibrin’s suspension is arguably ‘one wrong, too many’ that needs to be addressed in earnest by all concerned bodies. The error must be corrected; else, we ought to be prepared to witness the unthinkable among our ‘lawmakers’. 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

Twitter: @mediambassador

         

Celebrating 2016 World Teachers' Day

ENCOURAGING TEACHING PROFESSION AT ALL COST AS THE WORLD MARKS THE 2016 WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY ON WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5

    

       Today, Wednesday October 5, the global community is commemorating the 2016 anniversary of the World Teachers’ Day. In view of the unavoidable impact of teachers on any society, in 1994, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reached a unanimous resolution that October 5 of every year should be observed by all the UN Member States as World Teachers’ Day. The annual World Teachers’ Day, which is aimed at mobilizing support for teachers as well as ensuring that the needs of future generations would continue to be met by teachers, was first commemorated in the year 1994.

        According to UNESCO, World Teachers’ Day represents a significant token of the awareness, understanding and appreciation displayed for the vital contribution that teachers make to education and global development. On its part, Education International (EI), which is the global union federation that represents education professionals worldwide, strongly solicits that World Teachers’ Day ought to be internationally recognized and celebrated around the world.

        No doubt, every right thinking person eagerly wishes to know what he/she does not or is yet to know. Such attribute can be referred to as ‘man’s quest for knowledge’. In the same vein, for anyone to acquire any form of knowledge, he must be taught by someone or something. In a situation whereby the knowledge recipient is being taught by a non-human such as book, internet, or as the case may be, it is worthy to note that that material or avenue through which he/she acquired the knowledge was invented by someone or a human. In other words, teaching cannot be possible without the effort of a person.

        Someone who impacts knowledge to other person(s), directly or indirectly, is generally referred to as a teacher. In a concise term, a teacher is someone who teaches others better ways of doing something or a better way of living. He can also be described as someone who helps or contributes meaningfully in the uplift of someone else’s educational status or level. Hence, teaching is simply the act of impacting knowledge. On the other hand, education, in a general sense, is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to another.

       Sure, anyone can be identified as a teacher, considering the relationship that exists between the persons involved.  It would equally interest us to acknowledge that, there are those or group of persons who embrace teaching as a profession; this set of people could be regarded as institutional teachers. The latter are the people the World Teachers’ Day is targeted to celebrate.

        The institutional teachers are the ones that are often recognized as ‘teachers’ owing to the fact that they are the only persons that bring out their time, energy, resources, and what have you, to the fullness, to ensure that knowledge is fully and duly obtained by its seekers. Among all, anyone who practices teaching or who takes teaching as a profession, must had passed through a certain professional training in a higher citadel of learning, particularly an education institute.

        In most nations, it is disheartening to note that this set of people known as teachers, who had contributed immensely and relentlessly to the socio-economic development of the nation, are treated poorly as regards payment of salaries among other incentives. It is even more pathetic and disgusting to acknowledge that in some quarters, these persons whom are meant to be the leading professionals are regarded as second class, if not third class citizens.

       If the truth must be told, then we all must agree that it is only an insane man that is yet to comprehend that teachers are the building block of any nation or society. Needless to say; they remain the rudiments or foundation on which any nation is built. So, when realized that same set of individuals are invariably relegated to the background, it becomes a thing of worry to anyone who truly means well for his country, or immediate society.

       As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate the 23^rd anniversary of the World Teachers’ Day, the civil society coupled with other stakeholders are expected to encourage the teaching profession by ensuring that the following conditions are reached by any employer:

v Good and enticing employment conditions including appropriate contracts, salaries, and prospects for career progression and promotion.

v Conducive and charming work environment.

v High quality pre- and in-service training.

v Effective management to include a teacher’s recruitment and deployment.

       The international community and various governments need to stand firm and united to support teachers as well as quality learning worldwide, especially in those countries where the highest number of out-of-school children exists. In this regard, they are meant to acknowledge that an education system is only as good as its teachers. The various existing teachers’ unions are also expected to support their respective governments in the area of maintenance of sanity in our schools. By so doing, anomalies to include mediocrity, laxity, apathy, truancy, and other nonchalant attitudes found among most present days’ teachers would be totally eradicated.

        The above measure, if properly implemented in Nigeria, would enable every teacher in the country to proudly identify him/herself as a ‘teacher’ regardless of the circumstance, which would definitely help to uplift the country’s educational standard. Thus, we are expected to support this remarkable crusade with utmost passion. Think about it!  

COMR FRED DOC NWAOZOR

(The Media Ambassador)

-Public Affairs Analyst & Civil Rights Activist-

Chief Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research

& Career Development - Owerri

_____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

http://frednwaozor.blogspot.com

Twitter: @mediambassador          

I Warned Heartland FC, But ...

I WARNED HEARTLAND FC, BUT …

      The last time I checked, the ‘almighty’ Heartland Football Club (FC) of Owerri popularly known as the Naze Millionaires alongside Warri Wolves FC and Ikorodu United FC, had gone on relegation following the outcome of the just concluded Nigeria Professional Footbal League (NPFL), which saw football clubs of Rangers, Rivers United, and Wikki Tourist occupying the first, second and third positions, respectively.

      For clarification purpose, in sports leagues, particularly football, promotion and relegation is a process where participating teams are transferred between two divisions, lower and higher, based on their performance for the completed season. In such routine, the best-ranked team(s) in a lower division are promoted to the immediate higher division for the next season, and the worst-ranked team(s) in a higher division are relegated to the immediate lower division for the next season.

      This implies that the highly revered Heartland FC have been demoted to a Nigeria’s lower division. By hierarchy, in descending order, the four major football divisions in Nigeria are the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), Nigeria National League (NNL), Nigeria Nationwide League, and the Nigeria Amateur League (NAL). Hence, the relegation recently issued to the aforesaid team would see them participating within the scope of Nigeria National League (NNL) during next season.

       The development is a big blow indeed for a club like Heartland that had never been relegated before now. The only club that had such honour on its shoulders alongside Heartland was Rangers FC of Enugu. Going by the recent outcome of NPFL, the latter (Rangers) still enjoys the honour; this significantly means that it is only Rangers that are yet to be relegated among all the existing professional football clubs in Nigeria.

       What does the above analysis signify? It obviously indicates that the Heartland FC have just recorded a history. Mind you, history could be described as good or bad. In this case, the history made is not just bad, but unspeakable. It’s very painful that a well-respected club like Heartland would be rubbing shoulders with a club such as Ikorodu Utd among others of low repute that joined the NPFL barely during the last season.

       It’s not anymore news that from the commencement of the said season, Heartland FC were performing woefully to everyone’s displeasure. In spite of all the changes cum sacking made at the beginning, the occult bird kept crying furiously in the nearby bush. I personally raised alarm in that regard towards ensuring that the team’s administration was restructured; yet after the slight administrative change made by the state’s governor Chief Rochas Okorocha, nothing tangible was realized.

       I was more concerned about the team’s unsteadiness, not just because I’m a stakeholder in the state but owing to the fact that I’m their staunch fan; this was the reason I went extra mile to disclose the foundational plight that was ravaging the club. But, it was pathetic to acknowledge that that very rudimentary predicament wasn’t addressed by the appropriate quarters. I took time to let people understand that the origin of the continued downfall of the team was traceable to the act of mixing sports with politics.

       I don’t want to start mentioning names, not to avoid troubles but in order to save space as well as time. Those who have been following the Naze Millionaires would bear me witness that the governing body that was previously in charge of the club never lived up to the expectations. Even after the dissolution of the board, the cartel was still invisibly in charge, thereby constituting a lot of nuisances. Many saw the anomaly but couldn’t utter even a word. Some spoke but they did so under their respective beds. Whilst, the few who summoned courage to let out their grievances were relegated to the background.

       Though a lot of antics were really taking place, it’s equally worthy to note that the ghastly auto crash encountered by the team penultimate month in Maiduguri, Bornu State, which saw many players and officials injured, contributed immensely to the team’s downfall. Owing to contingencies or unforeseen circumstances, it’s always advisable for any football team to have a reserve, but it appeared Heartland lacked such provision.

       Come to think of it, even the playing/training ground of the affected team, Dan Anyiam Stadium is nothing to write home about. Take a walk to the stadium and see things for yourself. It would be recalled that, initially, the Nigerian League Management Company (LMC) ordered that no match should be played on the said stadium, among other stadia across the country, until some issues of compelling importance were addressed. Rather than putting up a formidable remedy, a facade was introduced in the name of ‘rehabilitation’.

       Someone might pinpoint that the Heartland’s downfall was mysterious and sudden. I beg to differ from such notion. The club’s crisis was never mysterious – all the problems being faced by the club were very glaring; neither was the downfall sudden – the concerned authority saw it coming and had every needed opportunity to boycott it, but chose to overlook it. It’s very bad this is happening at a moment we are expected to look beyond the oil and gas sector. Until we all comprehend that the entertainment, tourism, and agricultural sectors remain the only way out, we will continue to get it wrongly.

       Honestly, I warned Heartland FC, but they wouldn’t listen. It’s high time we treated this hard-hearing syndrome ravaging our dearest society, the Eastern Heartland. Think about it!

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

(TheMediaAmbassador)

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

Chief Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research

& Career Development - Owerri

_____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

Twitter: @mediambassador