The Hood – Hearing from your neighborhood

By Oyejide Sunkanmi 

Youths are the primary productive human resource of socio-economic development. It is, therefore, essential to identify the roles of youth in mainstream development. The youth is the driving force of a country’s economic progress.

The involvement of youth in national development is a must. In fact, youths play one of the most important roles in nation building.

The young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but also the partners of today. Young people are social actors of change and progress. They are a crucial segment of a nation’s development. Their contribution, therefore, is highly needed.

They have bubbling enthusiasm which has to be regulated and utilized the right way. This can surely ensure rapid national development. After all, all the people can only exercise their full potential when they are young and energetic.

The policies and development works of a nation can only be carried out by the youth. 

The younger ones are the social actors of change and progress. They carry out the policies and do all the development works which older people are incapable of actually carrying out. They make policies and plans but those are implemented by the young people. 

Conclusively, the youths are one of the greatest assets that any nation can have. Not only are they legitimately regarded as the future leaders, they are potentially and actually the greatest investment for a country’s development. Young women and men are, in particular, recognized as a vital resource whose future prospects are inextricably tied to that of their country. They are the valued possession of any nation or region. Without them there can be no future. They are the center of reconstruction and development. They serve as a good measure of the extent to which a country can reproduce as well as sustain itself.

You call me lazy but it took you 6 months to select your cabinet; majority of whom have no scorecard for the past 3 years of stewardship.

You call me lazy but you stayed back at home to ‘work’ when rats supposedly took over your office. 

You call me lazy but you sat back at the villa when herdsmen invaded farms, chopped off fingers of hardworking farmers, raped their wives and daughters and killed hundreds of their kinsmen and indigenes. Didn’t even have the simple courtesy or sense of responsibility to go out of your way to sympathise with them.

You call me lazy but I wonder if £1 would be equivalent 507naira if you stayed up to partner with economists and experts to study economic indices and develop actual strategic plans to get us out of the excuse of a life we live in this country.

You call me lazy while I sit back and wonder how many youths your government has sponsored to the higher institutions. Let’s not talk about what jobs they’d do after graduation.

You call me lazy when my brothers are sold into slavery in Libya, while others die crossing the atlantic all in search of daily bread. 

You call me lazy but when asked to respond to your wife’s lamentations on the porosity of your government, your hardworking mind thought it wise to respond by trivializing her wit and undermining her before the entire world just because she is a woman. 

You call me lazy but your answer to some of the most embarrassing flaws of your administration is: “I didn’t know”.

You call me lazy whereas young men and women with Nigerian blood are breaking barriers all over the world just because they are in societies that are designed to make the most out of them.

If we are lazy Mr. President, I wonder what you are for NEVER taking responsibility. If we are lazy Mr. President, IT’S ON YOU!

Popular Fuji musician, Odetola Wasiu Alabi Pasuma has called on the organisers of Big Brother Naija to be more strict in addressing issues that bother on verbal abuse in the house.

Pasuma said this in reaction to Cee-C’s verbal confrontation of fellow housemate, Tobi yesterday.

Cee-c on Wednesday verbally attacked Tobi for over an hour which led to Biggie issuing her a warning strike.

She had accused Tobi of gossiping and talking behind her with other housemates.

Reacting to the development, Pasuma on his Instagram page wrote: “I haven’t been paying attention to the Nigeria’s BBNAIJA reality show until recently i started receiving its viral updates which really have been largely filled with unpalatable dramas and misconducts by some of the housemates.

“The latest of this is the mindless verbal assault launched by one of the female housemates called CeeC against a male housemate named Tobi.

“This undesirable behaviour is clearly one of the indications of the collapse of our moral system and the weakness of the family unit as a vital agent of the society with the prime obligation to install values, good conduct and discipline in children from the cradle.

” Indeed, I’ve personally taken that as a duty as a parent. It’s always been part of my songs to the society and its expected that parents will take this responsibility with more seriousness.

“Though the BBN managers have penalised the erring housemate for her bad conduct, there must be stricter rules to effectively curb this unpleasant acts so as to enable viewers enjoy the real entertainment and instructional purposes of the show.”

It is going to be a historical feat as villages of Sapeyi of Garki FCT, Abuja and Sauka-Kahuta, Lugbe also in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, will be hosting a United Kingdom based NGO, Vickie Robert Foundation, UK in a 2-day free medical mission to Nigeria.

The free medical mission which will start on Friday April 27, 2018 between the hours of 8:00am and 4:00pm will be hosted in the palace of Sapeyi of Garki FCT, Abuja, Alhaji Dr. Chief Usman Ngakupi.

And on the following day, Saturday April 28, 2018 at exactly the same time (8:00am-4:00pm), the medical team of Vickie Robert Foundation UK, will move to Lugbe also in Abuja, where they will be hosted at the site of BIOS Properties by the Osu of Sauna Kahuta Lugbe 1, Garki, Abuja.

The mission was facilitated and supported by the efforts of Gbola Oba, Visioner, Co-Founder&Coordinator TRAIN2BUILD, Mr Afolabi-Babarinsa Olusegun, MD/CEO, BIOS Properties,  Mr Dare Babarinsa CEO Gaskia Communications as well as; Silver bird, USAF/UDL,  and AMAC.

This will not be the first time Vickie Robert Foundation UK, has visited Nigeria on a free medical mission, as States and communities have benefitted from her charity works in the past and now people of Lugbe and Sapeyi in Garki area of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory can’t wait to receive the United Kingdom certified Nurse and her medical team in their kingdoms.

Vickie Robert Foundation (VRF) is one of the fastest growing indigenous non-profit organizations in Nigeria committed in improving the quality of life of underserved and vulnerable people living with disabilities by promoting access to quality health care and harnessing community capacities for sustainable development. Vickie Robert focuses on helping people with disabilities to maximize their potential and integrating them into mainstream society. Through over 20 programs that encompass early intervention, therapy, vocational training, assistive technology, day care, as well as educational, employment, social service support, sensory and learning disabilities thereby helping them become self-reliant and independent.

Vickie Robert Foundation (VRF) is a registered and respected not-for-profit organization registered in Nigeria under the Registration CAC/IT/NO 101287 and also became an incorporated Organisation in the United Kingdom under the companies Act 2006 as a private company, that the company is limited by guarantee with a company number of 10721499, and the situation of its registered office is in England and Wales.

Vickie Robert Foundation Nigeria also provides essential community consulting through training services to enhance the lives of Vulnerable Children (VC) and people living with disability (PWD). Vickie Robert Foundation (VRF) is an integral part of the local community in which we have grown to become an innovative organization, developing and evolving personalized services that drive true inclusion. Vickie Robert Foundation is an organization for people living with disability and has its major aims in empowerment and promoting the rights of vulnerable children and people living with disability, empowering women, partnership building, financial management, operations research, protecting the right of girl child, service delivery through “COMPREHENSIVE INTEGRATED SERVICES” such as (6+1 services in education, nutrition, protection, health, psychosocial, shelter and care support services + household economic strengthening for economic sustainability of the people we care for and the creation of a society in which people with disability can fully participate.

The true mark of professionalism is the ability to respect everyone else for their styles and always find something positive in every dining experience and highlight it in your thoughts and words.

Honourable Surveyor Iretiolu Olanrewaju Sotayo granted an Interview with the crew of News Waka Now Blog. The excerpts of the exclusive interview are below:

Can we meet you?

My name is Honourable Surveyor Iretiolu Olanrewaju Sotayo, to the glory of God I am a Surveyor, Geographer and environmental manager, I’m hoping to become a town planner one day.

Tell us about your Educational background

At Primary School level, I attended Lisabi Primary School 1, Ijoko, Abeokuta. I attended Baptist Boys High School between 1988 – 1993. After then, I proceeded to The Polytechnic Ibadan where I graduated with National Diploma, also had my Higher National Diploma.

After graduating from The Polytechnic Ibadan, I went for a postgraduate course at Federal School of Surveying, that gave me the opportunity to register with Surveyor’s Council of Nigeria. In between  a did I degree course in Geography at Josephy Ayo Babalola University (JABU) and I made a mark graduating with first class. 

I had Masters Degree in Environmental Management at Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. As I am speaking with you, I’m undergoing a course at The Bells University in Urban and Regional Planning which I hope someday I will also become a town planner.

I have attended conferences and seminars in all continent of the world in the last 10 years.

Sir, we would like to know about your working experience

After my Secondary Education, I worked briefly in my father’s establishment Apela and Sons which was an Haulage Company, I worked at a Cashier before proceeding for my tertiary education. After graduation, I worked with a private firm TROS SURVEY CONSULTANT I worked with the firm for more than five years as a Surveyor and I rose to the position of Senior Partner before I established my own firm, that is SHOTTY Consultant – SHOTTY CONSULTANT is a firm of Surveyors, Environmental Managers and GIS experts where we deal with environmental issues.

Have you been in any leadership position before?

Yes, right from my year 1 in tertiary institution, I have been always involved in leadership role up to date. I’ve always been in leadership positions – at school, in the church, professionally and social associations.

Can you make reference to your leadership positions?

While in school, I was Social Secretary of our students association, financial Secretary to the position of president. 

In the church, by birth I belong to Anglican Communion, I was a Vice President of Christian Youth Circle of St. Lukes Anglican Church, Erunbe, Abeokuta. By practice now, I am a member of Christ Apostolic Church and to the glory of God, I am an Elder in the Church.

At Professional level since after gradation, I’ve always been involved in one or two committees. As I speak with you, I am the Secretary of Nigeria Institution of Surveyors Ogun State.

Have you been involved in any humanitarian service?

Well, as the white will say “service to humanity is the best work of life” personally I don’t want to be making noise about that but as I speak with you I have five people who are on tertiary education scholarship and even at  motherless homes and home of the handicapped we have some donations that I do engaged in but those are personal issues that I don’t to make available for public consumption.

We have hearing rumour that you are aspiring for a political position – Is it true that you are aspiring for a political position? 

It is not a not a rumour but a confirmatory statement. I am aspiring to become a member of Ogun State House of Assembly representing Abeokuta South Constituency 1.

Why do you decide to vie for political position?

As I had said earlier, I have been a various leadership positions and roles. Over the years, we have all seen how we are being governed and the caliber of people governing us. We cannot rule it out that we have bad leadership in our country. By the virtue of the work I do, to the glory of God for the past fifteen years now, there is no developmental project that goes on in Ogun State that I have not been consulted. Most times as a Consultant, I write recommendations I found out that those recommendations were not followed and I feel I need to participate for better governance. We lack conservation and management of our resources, there is need for us to conserve our resources and use them judiciously and effectively.

By the virtue of my orientation, there is need to actually deal with our environment in an holistic manner in such a way that everybody will have good environment on terms of security, infrastructure and economy – that will improve our social life, that will make us to move with committee of Nations.

It has been confirmed that you are aspiring as a member of Ogun State House of Assembly representing Abeokuta South Constituency 1, which platform are you using Sir?

Well, I have chosen a good party that I know will give us good leadership and good governance and that is ACCORD.

Why ACCORD Party?

Well, we have seen two parties in the past and we see the way they governed us. Whether you like it or not, you can’t rule it out that  a party you belong to is also a function of your service delivery and if you don’t belong to a good party, you can’t render good service. ACCORD is a party that has good leaders, structure, manifesto, above all people who have fear of God.

Tell us your agenda for your constituents

As I said earlier, there can’t be something good as better governance. We need better governance and good environment in terms of security, good infrastructure, holistic and well mannered economy in such a way that people will enjoy there social lives.

The agenda is manage our environment in terms of security, good roads etc which bring good welfarism for everybody. 

What are your advise for people aspiring for different political positions?

Well, people have different motives for contesting, if you can’t serve people it is better you don’t run, if you can’t listen to people it is better you don’t go, if you don’t have the prerequisite (the knowledge) it is better you don’t go, if you can’t study people to know their problems and challenges it is better you don’t go. Majorly, people just want to be there because they want to be there, there is need for every contestants to see to how we can address poverty problems, the poverty level is just too high – we need to think about poverty alleviation.

Aspirants should think about quality education for there contituents. We must work on how to improve our economy – people should be self-empowered.

For contestants, they actually need to manage and harmonise their manifestos and actually deliver. It is not sufficient to say “I want to do this” but to really deliver. Above all, everybody must have fear of God because one day we will definitely stand in front of our creator to say “I’ve done it” or “I’ve not done it”.

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has commended the leadership and all members of the Senate for standing up firmly in defence of democracy and the rule of law with their decision to defy those who machinated an attack on the Red Chambers of the National Assembly in which the mace was forcefully taken away.

Saraki, speaking from Washington where he is attending the Spring Meeting of the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF),  also lauded the swift reaction by the leadership and members of the House of Representives in demonstrating their solidarity with the red chamber and thereby sending a strong signal that enemies of democracy and those who want to undermine the legislature will be resisted by all parliamentarians.

“I have just been informed that some hoodlums invaded the Senate chambers, forcefully taken away the mace and assaulted some of our Sergeant-at-arms on chamber duties. I am delighted that the Senate stood up to them by disregarding their unreasonable and shameful action and went on with the day’s proceedings as slated in the Order Paper.

“My commendation goes to my deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, other members of the leadership, my colleagues, the leadership and members of the House of Representives for standing in defence of democracy, parliamentary sanctity and constitutionalism.

“With the way the Senate has defied those seeking to undermine it, we have sent out a strong signal that we are always ready to defend our constitutional mandate and nothing will deter us from this.

“I associate myself with the comments of the Deputy Senate President that we are ready to get to the roots of this assault on democracy and ensure that those who are responsible, no matter how remote, will be brought to justice”, Saraki stated.

Signed

Yusuph Olaniyonu

Special Adviser (Media and Publicity)

to the President of the Senate

Less than 24 hours after Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Lagos West), chairman of Senate Committee on Local Content called for the sack of all service chief over insecurity, the senator miraculously escape a kidnap attempt by thugs  along with the mace of the Senate.

details later.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to show leadership and stop allowing his re-election interest to further de-market the nation and block Nigeria’s chances of accessing international help in critical sectors.

In a statement on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party faulted the President’s claims when he told the British Prime Minister, Theresa May that he’s not preoccupied with the 2019 general election.

According to the opposition party, the world is already aware that President Buhari’s 2019 campaign is already on stream.

The statement said, “All over the world, well-meaning leaders relegate their personal interests, accept responsibility in the face of failure and use every opportunity to seek help and remedy a bad situation.

“Nigerians are therefore miffed that instead of presenting the true state of affairs in our country under his watch, particularly, the comatose economy and worsened insecurity, President Buhari, obviously in a bid to give an impression of performance, chose to understate the challenges, thereby jeopardizing the chances of securing much needed international support for the country.

“We are shocked that rather that engaging his international hosts on ways to pull our economy from the biting recession, President Buhari opted for self-praise, brandishing unsubstantiated record of achievements, thus stalling possible beneficial bilateral discussions and engagements in that area.

“Is it not a disservice that President Buhari is sounding brass in London instead of seeking solution to the woes the poor policies of his administration have plunged our nation into?

“In the last three years, under his watch, there have been little or no direct foreign investments; critical infrastructure has collapsed, with multinational companies relocating to other countries. Nigeria is no longer among the first ten investment destinations in Africa, leading to mass closure of businesses, massive job losses and biting poverty in the country.

“Furthermore, is it not preposterous that President Buhari told the British Prime Minister that his administration is achieving food security when in truth, we are facing a major food crisis in Nigeria, with prices of staple food, particularly rice, now beyond the reach of the citizens?

“Additionally, we are sure that the British Prime Minister will be pleasantly amazed over President Buhari’s success claims on security as the international community is aware that security concerns have worsened under his watch, with daily bloodletting and marauding of communities turning our nation into a large killing field”.

The PDP expressed surprise that the President failed to seize the moment to open serious bilateral talks on practical strategies to end the scourge and ensure the safety for Nigerians, especially given his recent declaration that the marauders were deserters from Libya.

“In spite of his belief to the contrary, it is obvious that President Buhari is completely preoccupied with his 2019 re-election ambition for which governance and the welfare of Nigerians have completely taken the back seat.

“Finally, we hope that President Buhari would have the opportunity to address the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and we implore him to use the august occasion to present the true state of affairs in our dear country and seek help, so that Nigeria will access the necessary assistance from the international community”.

“Some people are in shackles and oppression of other unions because they refuse to make efforts, there is this life of contentment and perpetually staying in your comfort zone and the  essence is to stagnate you, have those states made efforts” ? 

“I know that states that are  making efforts are moving out of the shackles of other unions seating on top of them, listen there is no big deal about it,  if I say “I am not interested” will you force me ? No one can force you to belong to a union, membership of a union is your personal volition and nobody can control that so you have the right to say YES or NO “

” In most cases some people are contented with where they are and so they are not agitating, the spate of judgements in favour of ASUSS all over the federation is a prove that what we are doing is right , we have had cases where some children have disowned their parents for whatever reason is best known to them, is it the convenience between the unions that we say is forever ? NO it is not forever, the law does not say that”

 ” I have a strong and passionate message for every Teachers especially in all these states where NUT is still holding them down , you must know where you are going, every man that does not know where he is going has lost it,  in ASUSS we are entering into a season of freedom and the freedom has come, you can even see it,  but like somebody that is hungry he sees food and refuses to eat, so also is unionism my message to them is that ASUSS has come to stay, ASUSS is the umbrella union for all secondary school Teachers in Nigeria but we are not unaware that we might have some of these defiances but for us in ASUSS  its not a problem”

” I have a strong message for all Secondary School Teachers across the country, my message is simple and straight forward, a Teacher is a Teacher and as a Teacher you are the head of all other departments in life because everyone standing today, reasonably talking, walking and making impacts in this life came from you hence you must be confident that you are the father to all which naturally puts you ahead of others,  it does not matter what your pay is,  first of all, know who you are. We  have people who takes so much money and does not have self confidence and self esteem because they are not a substance, a Teacher is a man of substance.

I met a Governor and I told him I am your Teacher and he said you are too small you did not teach me, I now ask him “….but somebody taught you” ?, he now smiled, then I said the one that taught you is a Teacher and I am that person because I am also a Teacher, we are all products of teaching and learning. 

Every Teacher should be confident, they should maintain a self esteem irrespective of the money that comes to us “

The Lagos State Police Command Spokesman, SP Chike Oti, while confirming the arrest of the policemen on Tuesday said the suspects — two Inspectors and three Sergeants –were SARS operatives attached to Ipakodo.

Oti told newsmen that the men were not operatives from the Federal SARS, Ikeja Unit as reported.

He, however, said that one Insp. Jude Akhoyemta, who was earlier mentioned in the matter among suspects, was found to be innocent.

“In line with the directive of the Commissioner of Police Lagos State, the Command hereby informs the general public that further enquiry into the allegation of harassment of one Immanuel James Ibe-Anyanwu by SARS operatives at Ago-Palace way, Okota revealed the true identity of officers involved in the highly regrettable incident.

“Those involved are currently undergoing interrogation at the Command’s X-Squad Section and would be marched before an Adjudicating Officer at the Police Provost Department for the commencement of their orderly room trial,” Oti said.

NAN