Opinion I New Year Jubilee: The Genesis of a Unique Odyssey

NEW YEAR JUBILEE: THE GENESIS OF A UNIQUE ODYSSEY

                 

It has almost become a cliché to say that someone is redrawing the map of the world. Same is applicable to seeing actors in their dramatic moods. For many years, several cultural and historic monuments have been destroyed which has tremendously jeopardized the progress of various historical jubilees that would had constituted many historic remarks. Most of these remarks that have existed in the past successively were lately misunderstood by the present generation, therefore, being observe as mere clichés.

         

Saturday penultimate week, one of my bosom friends residing in Canada called to register his extreme anticipation in respect of the forth coming year, 2018 precisely. In his first sentence, he informed me that he couldn’t wait to see the New Year. I tried to ascertain the actual cause of the immeasurable anxiety, though which is most times usual amongst mankind. He further disclosed that he had already set aside a very tangible resolution that would commence as soon as the year in question begins.

           

Still on the phone conversation, I became more curious and my curiosity was accompanied with enthusiastic inquisition. Thus, I persuaded him to disclose the resolution to me even though he wasn’t ready to let the cat out of the bag. And, he gladly succumbed to my humble importunity. He told me that he had made a resolution that “in the coming year (2018)”, he would never taste beer or any alcoholic drink again. Honestly, I laughed because the fellow in question has been known by all and sundry as one of those who believe that beer ought to always be in one’s tummy irrespective of the weather condition.

           

That was the reason he was earlier mute to let out the inborn resolution to my person. He knew I would certainly consider it as a mere annual cliché being vomited (cited) by millions of youths scattered all over the globe. But, he further let me see the reason his case was a distinguished one by backing it up with some facts or experiences. I concluded by telling him “Bravo!” and he was so delighted to receive such gesture/exclamation from me.

         

In any perspective your observation or analysis might be standing on, the fact remains that any anniversary is consequential regardless of the nature or its area of interest. Sometimes the discrepancies between school records and examination results may not be considered necessary because both are found in academic environment.

       

Notwithstanding, in any two or more existing similar materials or facts, there must be a distinct dichotomy among them. In other words, if many anniversaries or jubilees have been in existed for donkey’s years, one or two of them must be definitely different. Let’s put it this way; if two babies are born simultaneously and they happen to be identical twins, there must be certain difference(s) lying between them.

        

We are discussing New Year anniversary. A ‘new year’ is a certain different year that has just been encountered by mankind which the beginning takes place in every 365 days or 366 days, as the case may be. In the world at large, the commencement of such year always calls for a jubilee among the entire mankind irrespective of religious or cultural affiliations.

        

The world over celebrates the 1^st of every New Year to mark a certain distinct journey that has just begun. Suffice to say; every New Year is regarded as a different odyssey that has just been embarked on, and each day that makes the year in question is seen as one of the steps that constitute the journey since any journey must begin with a step. Let’s ride on!

          

Most people come up with a series of resolutions at the beginning of every calendar year. A few ends up actualizing theirs while most of them often fail towards the end of the odyssey. And these – failures and successes – have been a point of attraction to many concerned souls in regard to New Year resolutions.

         

New Year jubilee is truly a welcome phenomenon that has resulted to many worthwhile histories or historic events. As we celebrate such day, courtesy demands for a certain useful individual resolution to be reached. And, the resolution ought to be seen as the essence of such jubilation.

         

Having reached a certain resolution, there is optimum need for such decision to be accompanied with adequate practical-intensive support to ensure that its outcome becomes a success. Having backed up your decision with an intensive support, then you shouldn’t relent to couple such journey with tremendous prayers and faith. Any of the above tools or measure should not be taken for granted if you truly want your goal to be actualized. There are no two ways about it.

         

Hence, for success to be attained there must be a certain target or dream. And such dream or aim must be accompanied with hard work alongside any necessary avoidance measure as well as adequate prayers and tremendous faith.

          

However, it’s noteworthy that sometimes failure(s) might be consequential regardless of the amount of effort put in any of your aims. And this is where nature comes in. Certainly, “man proposes but God disposes”.

          

Having stated the above facts, it’s therefore needless to reiterate that New Year jubilee or anniversary is surely the genesis of a certain worthwhile odyssey that truly calls for adequate sustenance by all and sundry. Think about it!

 

 Comrade FDN Nwaozor

Executive Director, Docfred Resource Hub (DRH) - Owerri

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frednwaozor@gmail.com

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Opinion I On Ayade's #1.3tn, Ambode's #1.046tn 2018 Budgets

ON AYADE’s #1.3tn, AMBODE’s #1.046tn BUDGETS

        

The optimum pleasure a kid derives from being beaten or scolded is wailing, which often follows suit, just exactly as an analyst or a critic feels while criticizing a certain ill-advised policy from any politician in a position of authority.

        

On Thursday, 30^th November 2017, the Executive Governor of Cross-River State, Prof. Ben Ayade categorically presented his administration’s 2018 appropriation bill to the state’s legislators. To the people’s utmost surprise, the execution of the proposed budget tagged ‘Kinetic crystallizations’ was estimated to cost 1.3 trillion naira. The budget had over 200% increment as against that of 2017 of 301 billion naira. 70% of the budget was estimated to be utilized on capital expenditure whilst 30% would go for recurrent expenditure.  

      

While I was trying to fathom how Cross-River got to this point, subsequently on Monday December 11, 2017, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode presented another budget proposal worth up to a trillion naira. The budget, which was branded ‘Budget of progress and development’, was estimated to be serviced with 1.046 trillion naira with about 28.67% increase compared to that of 2017 of 812 billion naira.

       

The ratio of the capital to recurrent of the Lagos historic budget was given as 67/33% amounting approximately to #699bn and #347bn, respectively. The governor revealed that the estimate for total revenue of the year 2018 was #897.423bn, whereby #720.123bn was to be generated internally and #148.699bn to be sourced through deficit financing within the state’s Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). Meanwhile, we were not notified how the remaining #28.601bn would be realized.  

       

Gov. Ambode equally disclosed that as at November 2017, the state’s revenue performed at #448.396bn at 76% compared to the full year’s performances in 2016 of #449.609bn at 83% as well as #399.382bn at 82% for 2015. These statistics indicate that the total revenue for 2017 may not be up to 83 per cent as against that of the previous year (2016) let alone outshining the worth of the said fiscal year. This implies that there’s a foreseen drop of revenue in the state, thus 2018 might not be exceptional.

      

To acknowledge that some states in Nigeria now compete with the country in terms of budgetary is arguably a thing of worry for any concerned sane mindset. The ongoing astronomical increase of the annual budgets of most states across the federation has become a scenario that requires an unbiased analysis and review by every relevant stakeholder.

        

For states like Lagos, whose major Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is usually derived from tax, to come up with a budget proposal of #1.046tn amidst a recessionary era is really ill-advised. As weeks unfold, the rate of redundancy all over Nigeria gets to a different alarming level, signalling possible liquidation of most existing firms in the nearest future; yet, a proposed annual budget that mainly depends on tax would be estimated to cost over a trillion naira.

        

The above assertion shows that in the long run, over fifty per cent of the budget might be financed by funds sourced via borrowing. Aside borrowing owing to contingencies, the budget is already a deficit budget because the estimated total revenue is less than the total fund budgeted. Such a measure, which has inadvertently become a norm in Nigeria, does not augur well for any entity or individual involved that truly wishes to emerge financially buoyant.

      

That of Cross-River – a state that is majorly dependent on oil and gas – is as well another mind-boggling compilation. It’s not anymore news that by the day, everyone lives in scepticism as regards what the fate of the oil industry entails in the contemporary global society, thus Nigeria isn’t an exception over the lingering fear of the unknown.   

        

I would say unequivocally that some of the clauses captioned in the Prof. Ayade’s 2018 budget proposal were mere frivolities. For instance, #2bn is budgeted for school feeding programme. The question here is; is the state really in need of such approach? Rather than discuss how to better the lives of the citizenry in their entirety so that they can take care of their homes, we are discussing how to feed their wards. Teach them how to fish, and not to feed them with fish.

      

Same is applicable to the #52bn mapped out for social welfare, to cater for the aged. If the children of the targeted beneficiaries are comfortable, they don’t need to be fed by the government. Similarly, the #7bn to be expended on the state’s job centre toward training unemployed youths with ‘marketable job skills’ is needless. The government is expected to rather concentrate on how to create an enabling environment that would enable the youth to explore or commercialize their respective patents. Among all, how long can these projects be sustained?

         

It’s equally noteworthy that some of the clauses mentioned in any of the aforementioned budgets might end up implementing white elephant projects that have remained a monster in our present days’ democracy, hence one of the prime needs for the two concerned legislative chambers to holistically examine the appropriation bills critically before passing them.   

        

However, since price of goods and services remain the main determinant of the cost of servicing any budget, as prices of commodities continue to skyrocket unabated in the Nigeria’s markets on a daily basis, the total estimated funds for these budgets have the tendency of emerging far higher during the concerned fiscal year. Think about it!    

 

Comrade FDN Nwaozor

Executive Director, Docfred Resource Hub (DRH) - Owerri

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frednwaozor@gmail.com
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Opinion I Xmas Commemoration: The Best Of Its Kind

XMAS COMMEMORATION: THE BEST OF ITS KIND

       

Many of us have taken to wearing visors and other similar devices to protect our eyes and visages from the possible effects of harmattan. Taking Nigeria as a case study, many would testify that the ongoing climatic phase causes virulent feelings, and may as well lead to various virulent diseases. While some would definitely testify that it is a welcome scene, therefore ought to continue for eternity. Honestly, these and more similar phenomena observe amongst mankind is not man-made but wholly natural.

         

Let’s put it this way; if brandy is good in bringing the real man or woman in you as a person at any given time. And, that fellow that appears to be intimate to you believes in the work of whisky in respect of similar purpose. Then conclusively, it signifies that you both are of different nature, or possess distinct idiosyncrasies. Thus significantly, no matter the level of intimacy in any relationship or affair, be it symbiotic or parasitic, the exact nature of the two or more parties involved can never be compromised or interchanged.

           
 

In geography, we were taught that about seventy percent (70%) of the earth crust is covered with water, while about thirty percent (30%) is covered with land. There’s a big problem or error attached to this geographic estimation coupled with approximation. The astronomers who carried out the research and rounded off with such conclusion were so myopic to understand the fact that, even the part of the earth crust covered with water is as well covered with land. It’s not a paradox. It’s a fact, and it is natural.

         

 

Of course the bedrock of any sea, ocean, river, pond, lake, et cetera, is land. In agriculture, we call it the soil. Suffice to say; every part of the earth crust is covered with the soil (land).  But this is not my optimum interest in this piece. My concern is; despite the level of intimacy between the land and the natural water, they still don’t mix together. This simply signifies that each of the compounds or substances in question is made up of a certain distinct nature. This is a fact.  

       

Each of the paragraphs above has proven to us that nature is indeed very powerful. Nature could be regarded as all the animals, plants and other things in the world that are not made by man; and all the events, features and processes that are not caused by mankind. In a nut shell, nature is anything that is not man-made.

        

In other words, it’s older than the world. Yes, nature has been in existence before the world was created. This is the reason most times anything caused by it seems to be mysterious. That is, beyond man’s imagination, creativity or creative ingenuity. Therefore, nature controls; it rules; inter alia, it finalizes.

         

Let’s I digress; this piece is solely focused on Christmas otherwise known as X-mas. We’re discussing its annual commemoration. First and foremost, what is X-mas celebration or commemoration? X-mas celebration is a religious festival or ritual being observed on every 25^th December by the Christendom to mark the birth of Christ.

        

Next question; who is Christ? Christ is one of the names of Jesus whom Christians believe to be the only begotten son of God and whose teachings are the basis of Christianity. According to the Christian writ, Christ was sent by God to sanctify the sinful world and He obliged. He came, saw, taught, healed and delivered the world. Most importantly, He died for our sins to be forgiven. Needless to assert that He eventually conquered.

        

As a devoted Christian, Catholic to be precise, I understand that Christ was not really born on the 25^th of December; but such date was selected by the ancient Christendom in order to mark the day such generous being came into the world since the actual date of His birth was not painstakingly recorded by the scribes or historians of His time. They considered it consequential for such date to be monumental or be remembered by mankind because the day in question marked the beginning of mankind’s sanctification, deliverance as well as total emancipation, which remains the most vital Christian tool in existence.

         

Truly Christ came or was born, saw and conquered. Above all, He accomplished His mission because mankind was freed from bondage by His death. After the death of Christ, He resurrected. Before His death, He resurrected many souls. And this remains the most mysterious act performed by Him. Thus, resurrection is nature. If truly we believe that such vital tool is nature, in other words, Christ is nature. He’s beyond man’s imagination. Starting from His birth down to His death, everything about Him was mysterious.

        

So, as we commemorate this season of love, let’s endeavour to recall the spiritual essence of its existence towards doing the needful as long as it lasts. Hence, I enjoin us to use the period to have a rethink in our respective endeavours with a view to making our immediate societies, and Nigeria at large, a better place for me and you.

 

It's indeed a season of love; a season of peace; a season of reconciliation; a season of sharing; a season of jubilation; a season of fellowship; a season of oneness; a season reexamination of our lives; a season for sober reflection; among all, a season of thanksgiving.

        

There is really a tremendous reason for this season. Such a moment set aside to mark the day Christ was born should not in any way be compromised because it is the birthday of our Messiah. Therefore, remains a worthwhile Christian virtue, which is arguably ‘the best of its kind’. Think about it!

 

Comrade FDN Nwaozor

Executive Director, Docfred Resource Hub (DRH) - Owerri

__________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com
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