Below is the tuition paid by students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria between 2000 and 2005 (1999/2000 Session to 2004/2005 Session), and the newly approved fees.

The tuition was recently increased with attendant protests from students and eventual closure of the Varsity.

Between 2000 and 2005

100 Level: N1,050
200 Level: N500
300 Level: N500
400 Level: N500
500 Level: N500
Accommodation for all levels: N90

Tuition increment of 2004/2005 session led to disparity in tuition payment. Faculties/Courses determined amount payable. The minimum amount then was over N2,000. Same applied to accommodation. It was upped to around N2,000 (I can't remember the exalt amount).

Newly Approved Fees

Below is the newly approved tuition for returning students, as announced by the University PRO, Mr. Abiodun Olanrewaju, is as follow:

N19,700: Returning undergraduates in Law, Arts, Social Sciences, Administration and Education.

N27,700: Returning undergraduates in Science, Administration, Education (Science), Technology and Agriculture.

N30,700: Returning undergraduates in Medicine, Dentistry, Medical Rehabilitation, Nursing and Pharmacy.

@Femiolas

Please I need information on the actual salaries for the following positions in Nigerian universities:

1. Assistant Registrar
2. Admin Officer 1
3. Admin Officer 2

I await your responses.

Thank you.

Please I need assistance on the following questions. I am grateful in advance

1. What are the steps you will take in your first 30 days as the Education Coordinator?
2. Describe some means by which you can evaluate the progress of qualitative learning in SOS OVCs.
3. Share some of your ideas on improving the literacy rates of children in a community.
4. Share some steps on how you will meet your work objectives working with disgruntled subordinates.
5. What are some leadership techniques you will adopt to ensure that the work gets done.
5. Show a scenario in your work experience where you have shown uncommon boldness and courage against popular view.

Suffice to add that some answers may be relative, as some are very specific to me.

Thank you in advance.

Rumours are rife that Nigeria’s Central Bank Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is on his way out the system; becoming Edward Snowden on the $49 billion Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) missing money was a taboo. The disclosure attracted the ire of President Jonathan and his lieutenants who obviously felt the man should keep mum or just discretely ask for his share of the money since it is just one of the shareable national cakes.

And lest I forget, I am particularly angry with the authorities of Number 10 Downey Street. Why on earth would Britain government go into prisoner swap agreement with Nigeria.

I do not know of any Nigerian that would prefer Nigerian prison to British jail. Exceptions would be the likes of James Ibori who was justly incarcerated for litany of crimes, (and who, like similar accomplice and partner in crime Diepreye Alamieseigha, will eventually get opprobrious presidential pardon and rewarded with titles, contracts and political recognition). 2015 general election is near, and the wisdom some criminals are needed on all fronts.

I bet many will prefer British kennels to slums and hell that wait whoever is repatriated back to Nigeria in the name of prisoner swap. Foolishness of British government in the deal becomes more pronounced with the offer of millions of pounds to improve Nigeria prisons. The money will just go the usual way. Only a problem in the sharing/stealing formula may make us here anything of the money again.

And it seems British obviously do not know we offer spiritual pardon in Nigeria. And even if church services in honour of such convicted criminal fails to offer shamefaced spiritual cleansing, Nigerian judiciary is likely to unconvict the convicted (Chief Bode George comes to mind). Political connection and a portion of what is stolen/embezzled/syphoned, etc. are the only requirement.

Except there is a clause that forbids presidential pardoning for political criminals whose actions exacerbated Nigeria’s current social, political, infrastructural and economic problems, then the whole agreement is charade.

The writer, Femi Olabisi, twits @Femiolas

“Olowo fi owo ra iku”[/i] (the affluent seeks death with his wealth).

The above Yoruba adage came to mind in my search for what defines the Britons, Americans and some other Western citizens. With daily reports of kidnapping, killing and incarcerations one could not but wondered why they have never relented in their search for trouble in the name of holidaying, sightseeing and other pleasures that have become part and parcel of their lives.

News headlines seem incomplete without the mentioning of skirmishes of Westerners’ abduction in Pakistan or Afghanistan; arrests on real and phantom charges in Iran, North Korea or Venezuela; killing and kidnapping by terrorists in Sudan, Mali, Cameroun, Somalia, Nigeria, etc. Yet, they seem oblivious to all these dangers and never waver in their search for good life in most odious places.

It is understandable that some of these Westerners go to these ‘volatile’ spots because of the nature of their job (soldiers, humanitarian workers, etc.), but it is unfathomable that some, without reasonable excuse, do endanger their lives by going to places where they are not wanted or where they would become easy target. It may not be appropriate to say that these people do not have adequate knowledge of where they are going. On the contrary, they are usually well acquainted with the places they intend to visit. It is just unthinkable that one should deliberately endanger his/her life because of pleasure.

It is obvious that these pleasure seekers cannot hide their identity when in hostile environment. For one, the colour of their skin will make them conspicuous; and second, their lifestyles would negate that of natives – theirs would show opulence in the midst of abject poverty as common in most Third World countries. One then wonder why they can't go on vacations where there are relative piece.

If our world is one beset with transnational conspiracy and rivalry, division between powers that be and emerging powers and unrelenting devilish attempts to undo one another, then it becomes imperatives for pleasure seekers to know where they are wanted and where they are not. I cannot see why an American would go to Iran or North Korea and/or why a Westerner would pack his bag and go to some impossible places where war, kidnapping and killing are rife.

Whether real or phantom, scores of foreigners have been kidnapped, arrested, jailed and/or killed in hostile countries. On Jan 6, 2011 Haley Talayan was arrested in Iran for spying; three Americans, Shourd, Bauer and Fattal, were similarly arrested on July 31, 2009 by Iranian authorities at Iran/Iraq border where they claimed to be hiking (I understand why anybody would be hiking in one of the most dangerous places on earth, except if are actually spies).

Venezuelan government last week announced the arrest of an American filmmaker, Timothy Tracy. He was accused of being a spy and charged with conspiracy to destabilize Venezuela (only God knows what would be his fate). And few days ago pariah North Korea Republic announced that the American tour operator, Kenneth Bae, arrested on charges that he tried to overthrow the government of Kim Jong-un in December 2012 would not be allowed to appeal if convicted. He has not been tried in any court till date and would definitely be declared guilty if eventually taken to court. Same fate has befallen other Westerners who felt the comfort of their countries is not enough.

Unfortunately, the trend will continue as long as some cannot distinguish between enjoyment and endangerment. Few other Americans who had fallen victims of similar fate include Laura Ling, Euna Lee, Aijalon Mahli Gomes, Haleh Esfandiary, Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, Roxana Saberi, Kian Tajbaksh, among others. Phantoms charges, kangaroo trials and unbelievably long sentencing have always been the outcome while death sentence is never ruled out.

More worrisome is venturing into danger-prone climes.

The Maghreb and some part of West Africa have lately become haven for terrorists with particular hatred for the Whites. It is no longer news to hear of Westerners being killed or kidnapped, yet some pleasure seekers cannot think of a better place for holiday. Just last week a French family of seven was released by their captors (I want to believe huge ransom must have been paid for their release). They were kidnapped few months ago in Cameroon by the dreaded Nigeria Boko-Haram terrorist group. This is just one of the few instances where those kidnapped were lucky. Scores have not been so lucky. Gruesome death is usually the outcome.

These countries have arrays of disgruntled elements who have found criminalities as the opium to feed their hatred for the failures of their governments. Aside from being thorns on the flesh of the people and governments of their home countries, they seem to harbour mutual hatred for anything Western. Boko Haram, Ansaru - otherwise known as JAMBS (in Nigeria), Al-Shabaab (Somalia), al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and others are notorious for targeting Westerners. One would think foreigner would look for better havens to feed their hedonistic needs but reverse is the case.

Pleasure seeking is not totally wrong, but it is baffling that some Westerners would leave the comfort of their countries and other peaceful climes and venture into hostile nations where deaths, persecutions, real and phantom charges, imprisonments, etc. have always been their lot.

Or is it the Yoruba adage [i]“Olowo fi owo ra iku” (the affluent seeks death with his wealth) that is at play?

The writer is on twitter: @Femiolas

For record purpose, some students read up to ten or more textbooks for a single course. During my first degree days at Ife, every semester usually started with a course outline and list of recommended textbooks which may even be up to fifteen. Thank you.

Willzkid:
Bros, let's be honest....how is it possible 4 a student 2 study an average of 10 textbooks for just one course, even if that's the only course he studies per semester..Medical students can't boast of such average even when they do just anatomy, physiology, community health and biochemistry for 2 years..
By the way, it was an excellent piece save for this exaggeration.

Thanks of for your view and comment. Suffice to say here that the article was not insinuating that all polytechnic graduates are not good, and like you said, some may even be better than some university graduates. However, the fact remains that the margin will be minimal, and it is basically impossible to place a professor or a PhD holder on the same pedestal with somebody with HND, First degree and Masters as is common in the polytechnics. Surely, you cannot give what you don't have.

ishmael: Have u ever wondered why some poly graduates know more than d uni grads? Some poly students and grads even teach uni students some courses that they may be offering. Eg accounting courses. Ever wondered why? Can u teach what u don't know?

You cannot give what you don’t have…

Conventional higher education in Nigeria is of three basic categories: University, Polytechnic and College of Education. The University awards Degree Certificate, Master’s and PhD; the Polytechnic awards Higher National Diploma and Ordinary National Diploma (otherwise known as HND and OND, respectively); College of Education awards Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE).

While there exist a somewhat mutual understanding between the Polytechnic and College of Education that HND certificate is higher than NCE and that NCE is higher than OND, there is always a contention between University degree certificate and Polytechnic HND Certificate. This rivalry gets played out on the street and in work places.

A common phenomenon among employers of labour is to superimpose university graduates high and above polytechnic graduates, even when the latter could be better and has spent a considerable time/year than the former in the same organisation. Consequently, a holder of a university certificate is revered; he becomes the boss with higher remuneration and other attendant benefits. It is also a common tendency for a university graduate to miniaturize holders of polytechnic certificate.

The dwindling popularity of HND certificate is also obvious in the number applicants jostling to secure admission to our tertiary institutions through the compulsory Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB). Very few applicants desire to go to the polytechnic (or even college of education), all because of inferiority complex.

I have been attending JAMB Policy and Technical Committee meeting since 2007; the number of applicants to university increases yearly whereas there is a significant reduction in applicants for polytechnic and college of education. The problem becomes more glaring with the introduction of UTME. Some universities record as high as 80,000 to 100,000 applicants (though they may not take more than 5,000), whereas some polytechnics and colleges of education do record zero applicant. This happens yearly.

But why the disparity?

Answer to the above could be found in the calibre of lecturers in our polytechnics.

Universities are mostly peopled with PhD holders and professors, but one can hardly find lecturers with PhD in our polytechnics. Of course, there are those without PhD in the university too, but these are few and they know that upgrading their knowledge is a requisite to remain relevant in the system. Thanks to the conditions stipulated by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

In essence, some of the lecturers in our polytechnics lack the academic and technical wherewithal to baptize their students with the required skill and knowledge. But the problem goes beyond that!

It is common knowledge that lecturers in our polytechnics rely heavily on selling of hand-outs to students. This is not good enough. It is basically impossible to compare somebody that is compelled to study average of ten textbooks for a course (as is common in the university) with somebody that relies of an 80-page hand-out. Definitely, a student thus tutored and literatured with many textbooks will be better equipped since these textbooks must have been written by different scholars with variegated views, opinions and assumptions on the same discipline.

Of importance also is the disparity in recognition and remuneration of lecturers in the university and polytechnic. Few lecturers in the polytechnics that aspire to acquire higher knowledge will eventually leave for better remuneration and recognition in the university system.

The problem with HND certificate is not in the certificate itself. The perceived inferiority is borne out of the environment in which it is issued. It is just not possible to relate the calibre of lecturers in our polytechnics to what we have in the universities. And it is not enough to just conclude that we have brilliant brains in our polytechnics; what matters (as far as Nigeria is concerned) is the certificates/qualifications these lecturers have. Until this is done, there will always be the superimposition of university degree above polytechnic HND.

Rather than the hyped tussle between university degree and HND certificate, efforts should be on reforming our polytechnics. National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the manager our polytechnics, should enforce the acquisition of PhD as a minimum requirement for lecturing. I am not advocating the termination of appointments of those without PhD. This could be done be giving them between five to seven years and with the provision of study grant.

While we cannot say that all PhD holders worth their salt, it is evident that a PhD holder must have passed through serious academic rigour and should be far better than somebody that lectures with only HND, First Degree, Master’s, or professional qualifications like MBA which is more common in our polytechnics.

We can make the HND certificate better and more competitive. But it requires some fine-tuning of the system to achieve this.

There will always be a disparity until our polytechnics employ PhD holders and professors, since the current crop of lecturers cannot give what they don’t have!


The writer is an administrator in a Nigerian higher institution

Follow him on twitter @Femiolas
www.femiolas.

1. Never walk around without a document:
People with documents look like hardworking employees headed to important meetings. People with nothing in their hands look like they are headed for the cafeteria. People with newspapers in their hands look like they are headed for the toilet. Above all, make sure you carry loads of stuff home with you at night, thus generating the false impression that you work longer hours than you really do.

2. Use computers to look busy:
Any time you use a computer, it looks like "work" to the casual observer. You can send and receive personal e-mail, update Facebook status, chat and have a blast on Twitter and other social networks without doing anything remotely related to work. These aren't exactly the societal benefits that the proponents of the computer revolution would like to talk about, but they are not bad either. When you get caught by your boss - and you will get caught - your best defence is to claim that you are teaching yourself to use new software, thus saving valuable training expenses.

3. Have a messy desk:
Only top management can get away with a clean desk. For the rest of us, it looks like we're not working hard enough. Build huge piles of documents around your workspace. To the observer, last year's work looks the same as today's work; it's volume that counts. Pile papers and files high and wide. If you know somebody is coming to your cubicle, bury the document you'll need halfway down in an existing stack and rummage for it when he/she arrives.

4. Don’t always pick your call and use voicemail:
Rarely pick your call and use voicemail most times. People don't call you just because they want to give you something for nothing - they call because they want you to do work for them. That is no way to live. Screen all your calls through voicemail. If somebody leaves a message for you and it sounds like impending work, respond during lunch hour when you know they are not there - it looks like you are hardworking and conscientious even though you're being a devious weasel.

5. Look impatient and annoyed:
According to George Costanza, you should always try to look impatient and annoyed to give off the impression that you are always busy.

6. Leave the office late:
Always leave the office late, especially when the boss is still around. You could read magazines and storybooks that you always wanted to read. Make sure you walk past the boss' room on your way out. Send important e-mail at unearthly hours (i.e. 9:35 p.m., 7:05 a.m., etc.) and during public holidays.

7. Creative sighing for effect:
Sigh loudly when there are many people around, giving the impression that you are under extreme pressure.

8. Have a stacking strategy:
It's not enough to pile documents on the table. Put lots of books on the floor (thick computer manuals are the best), etc.

9. Build your vocabulary:
Read up on some computer magazines and pick out all the jargon and new products. Use the phrases freely when in conversation with bosses. Remember; they don't have to understand what you are saying, but you sure sound impressive.

10. Do not forward this to your boss:
Except you have found a new job, do not forward this Gospel to your boss by mistake.

Twitter: @ Femiolas
http://femiolas.
http://femiolabisi..com

It is a true life story. It happened between 2004 and 2006. I changed the names and left some things unsaid to protect the identity of the lady. I spoke with the same lady about two months ago. She is older now and not yet married, though I am not sure whether she has somebody now or not. In addition, the story, as written by me, was published in Chameleon Magazine in 2010.

Bridget was a graduate of Sociology from one of the first generation universities in the southwestern part of Nigeria. Typical of most Edo ladies, she is stunningly beautiful, and of average height. Her sojourning in a Yoruba speaking region of Nigeria was due to the fact that her parents were staff of the university where she graduated. Very fair complexioned, she was always bombarded with score of admirers; the genuine and the “touch and go” whose main motive was to have a taste of her beauty.

Bridget could speak English, Yoruba and Isan (her native language) fluently. Although her parents were not to be counted among the super-rich but you could hardly tell because everything was smooth for her. Bridget’s problem started sometime in 2003 when her relationships with Bayo was shattered.
Bridget met Bayo in their sophomore while in the university. Bayo is a Yoruba guy and his parents’ house was just a stone throw from Bridget’s. Also the two of them were in the same faculty but studying different courses.

“I have known Bayo for a few years before we started dating. We lived in the same neighbourhood and I have always known him to be gentle. Of course we were not friends but we see almost every day. I did not take his love advances serious at first particularly that we were living very close. I was afraid of my parents”. Bridget confirmed when asked how her relationship with Bayo started.

The relationship between the two lovers blossomed into a serious one. The parents of the two lovers got wind of their children’s affairs. Initially, they neither approved nor disapproved. As far as they were concerned, it was an affair between two teenagers. Besides, they met mostly in school since the two of them lived in the campus hostel and stayed apart as much as possible whenever they come home during weekends.

“As our relationship grew, our parents seemed to be getting attuned to realities of life. I was no longer afraid of visiting him in his house and he too was free to come to our house. Before long, an unstated mutual understanding developed between our parents. We were happy that our parents supported our relationship”. Bridget stated.

Amid tears, Bridget related how the relationship took a dive. “Sometime in 2003 my mother asked me come to her office in the campus. On getting there she handed me a brand new Nokia phone and a line. When I asked her who was the owner of the new phone and line she said that she bought it for me. I was so happy because mobile phone was an exclusive preserve of nouveau riches as at that time. Few students that had mobile phones then were respected and they would do anything to harass and intimidate others even when lectures were on-going. But if I had known that that phone would be the genesis of my predicament I would have rejected it”.

Unknown to Bridget, the phone was actually a gift from Mr. Lawson, a non-academic staff in Bridget’s department. Mr. Lawson is also an Edo man. His home-town is just some few kilometers from Bridget’s. Bridget knew Mr. Lawson intimately. Apart from being a staff in her department, he is also the secretary of Edo people in the university.

Prior to this time, Bridget’s mother had always asked her to borrow any textbooks she needed from Mr. Lawson on the pretext that he was like an uncle to Bridget. Probably due to connivance between Bridget’s mother and Mr. Lawson, the latter never requested for the return of all books borrowed by Bridget. According to Bridget, Mr. Lawson was very nice to her. Not long afterwards, the bubble burst.
Bridget told of how the whole fiasco started.

“On that fateful Friday, my mother called me on phone that I should come home for the weekend because there was an important issue to be discussed. I did not want to wait. I immediately went to her office to have an inkling of what she wanted to tell me. I was actually thinking that the discussion might be about my dad. My dad had been bedridden for almost three years and had to apply for early retirement from the university authority because of his failing health. On getting to her office, she said that my father was ok and that the discussion was about me. When I pestered her further my mum insisted that the discussion was too important to be tabled in the office. Naturally I was apprehensive”

“My mum kept me in suspense till Saturday. Around 11a.m, my mum asked my siblings to vacate the sitting room but my dad was there. Then she started, telling me how she loved me, how she had been planning my future, how she did not want me to marry a man outside my tribe because of the heartaches my elder sister was suffering from her Yoruba husband. Of course I knew where she was going but not in the least had Mr. Lawson in mind. And I did not utter anything to betray my inner turbulence”.

“She closed her statement by telling me how she had sealed my fate, how she had accepted Mr. Lawson’s request to have my hand in marriage; that my mobile phone and line and various gifts were courtesy of Mr. Lawson and that a date had been picked for my engagement ceremony”.

“To say that I was pique would be an understatement, I was burning inside. I thought of my mother’s betrayal of Bayo; his respect for my family, his love for me and his numerous sacrifices for my younger brothers to ensure that they secure admission to university were just few of his caring nature. And true to nature my father did not utter a word; he sat motionless as if already dead. I knew his presence at that meeting was at my mother’s insistence”.

“I could not recall saying anything meaningful; my ontology was a massive turbulence, and my protest was vehemently rebuffed by my mum. According to her, a date had been picked and nothing would change it. I had my plans too”.

“On the engagement day, I acted usual. Around 10a.m on the engagement day, I watched would be in-laws and groom arriving. Then I did the unthinkable. I left the house through the rear exit and went to my hostel room in campus and left my phone at home”.

That action was considered an affront and my mother practically cut me off from the family: no feeding allowance, no books, and no tuition fees; even my elder sisters would have nothing to do with me. It was a living hell”.

Not long after a succor appeared in the horizon for Bridget.

Mayowa was a Yoruba boy who also lived in the same neighbourhood and was a year ahead of Bridget in the same university. He was quiet, brilliant, a semi-introvert and a man any lady would want as husband.

Mayowa and Bridget met at the height of her crisis. Because her mum had driven Bayo away, it was not long before she accepted Mayowa’s entreaties. Their relationship blossomed and Mayowa took over Bridget’s finances.

Soon afterward, Mayowa graduated and went for the compulsory one year national service of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC. After a session, Bridget also graduated and went to Ibadan to learn computer. Though the two lovers were separated, there was constancy in their relationship. But as a prodigal son that will lose track, Bridget started another relationship with a new guy, Tunde in Ibadan.

According to her, the relationship was a sham. Tunde left her in Ibadan without informing her and another lady ejected Bridget from the apartment she was living because the house belonged to Tunde. The lady claimed to be Tunde’s fiancé.

Prior to this unfortunate turn of event, Bridget had informed Mayowa that a man of God told her that she was not destined to marry Mayowa and that the relationship would end in disaster if they did not heed the warning. Mayowa pleaded with Bridget not to end the relationship but she was adamant, claiming it was God’s will. After months of fruitless persuasion, Mayowa accepted his fate and started a new relationship. Fortunately for him, he secured a good job and got married.

After being jilted by Tunde, Bridget tried fruitlessly to return to Mayowa. But all her entreaties amounted to nothing. While narrating her ordeal, Bridget has this to say:

“I was the architect of my doom. Mayowa loved me. He cared for me. He was there in my moments of need; when my family neglected me he was there always. I lied to him about the man of God because I thought Tunde actually loved me. I was afraid of the distance between me and Mayowa but I achieved nothing afterward. I will be 37 this October, yet nobody has proposed to me. My only solace is my job but it was not enough. I have forgiven my mum for my separation with Bayo. But who do I blame for cheating myself out of Mayowa’s committed and true love? I LEARNT A BITTER LESSON”.

Twitter: @ Femiolas
http://femiolas.
http://femiolabisi..com

“The Good, the Bad, the Ugly” is a 1966 Italian epic western film directed by Sergio Leone. Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach are the three major characters. The film chronicled three adventurous fortune seekers. Of the trio, one is at the extreme of evil (the Ugly), one a ‘moderate’ evil (the Bad) and one that stands opposite to them (the Good).

Each of this trio represents the different stages of Nigeria’s peregrination and the search for progress and development from October 1, 1960, when Nigeria secured her independence from Britain. Ordinarily, the journey ought to be a transition from ‘the Ugly’ to ‘the Bad’ and eventually the desired ‘Good’ that was the desire of the founding fathers. Alas! This was not to be. Rather, it was a movement from the good to the ugly.

Fifty-two years after independence and thirteenth year of democratic government, Nigerian seems to be in extended infancy. Official corruption, vote rigging, assassinations, youth employment, militancy, terrorism and host of other evils permeated our society.

October 1, 1960 was a dawn of new hope. All was set to engender a new beginning for Nigeria. With the demise of colonial rule hope was high that all will be well within a short period. While colonial configuration put together ‘a marriage of inconvenience’ call Nigeria, everybody believed things would work out.

Independent Nigeria had its teething problems. Prominent was the civil war that ravaged Nigeria. Otherwise known as the Biafran was, the country was plunged into three years of implosion. Precipitated by injustices, the rest of the country was pitted against the East. Eventually, Nigeria survived and the war ended with “no victor, no vanquished”.

The 70s was the era of oil boom. The country was so rich that the president then proclaimed that the problem of the country was not how to get money but how to spend the money. As insane as the comment was, truly there was so much money. Except that it was eventually squandered.

In Nigeria of yester-years, our currency was so strong that it was more valuable than the U.S. dollar. But what do we have today? Our economy has plummeted and our Naira is as useless as it can be.

Nigeria of yesterday excelled in all fields. Our universities were well equipped and students received the best of education. We heard of the exploits of first generation universities like Obafemi Awolowo University (formerly University of Ife), University of Ibadan, Amadu Bello University, among others. Today, the former glories of these schools and scores of other are in decline. With archaic libraries equipped with antiquated books and laboratories sans of reagents, one can only hope for a better tomorrow.

We hear of huge amounts budgeted every year for road construction and maintenance, for the health sector, agriculture, education, security, etc. But there is nothing to show for all these. Our health facilities are not improving, our roads are death traps and our education sector is collapsing. Whatever happens to all these monies.

Senior government officials and politicians travel out for minor headaches; hapless Nigerians are left at the mercy of our ill-equipped hospitals. Children of the rich school outside the country; millions make-do with schools without facilities, politicians travel in bullet-proof cars and well-protected mansions; millions are at the mercy of armed robbers.

Some of us grew up without being able to differentiate between Christians and Muslims because of religious harmony. I remember vividly that celebrations of Christmas, New Year, Eid-Fitri and Eid-Kabir were everybody’s affair. Christians celebrate with Muslims, and vice-versa. But today, the story is different.

Sectional, regional and ethnic groups were then an abomination. Those in existence were mainly pressure groups. But today, Odua People’s Congress (OPC), Egbesu Boys, Arewa Youth Forum, Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Boko Haram, etc. have all mushroomed to redefine our corporate existence. Everybody is obviously dissatisfied with the state of things.

Having been perpetually subjected to military dictatorship, the return to democratic governance in 1999 brought a glimmer of hope. Hope was again rekindled. But that too was to become another chapter in our litany of woes.

Our democracy only increased the number people to steal our money, and by extension, increase in the amount stolen every day. Yes, we all decried military dictatorship, but it was not as corrupt as today’s democracy.

While there are few imposed thieves during military era, our elected and ‘selected’ thieves steal more because they are more than quadruple military thieves. Worse still, they represent nobody but themselves.

Nigeria celebrates her 52 years of freedom from Britain today, but are ordinary Nigerians truly free?

A retrospection of what Nigeria was, what Nigeria is, and what tomorrow portends leaves much to be desired.

‘The Good’ was when Nigeria secured her independence and the prosperity that followed; ‘the Bad’ was when we were confronted with teething problem like the civil war; ‘the Ugly’ is our current travails; leadership tragedy and avalanches of hydra-headed problems bedeviling Nigeria.

Happy independence anniversary to all Nigerians.

God Bless Nigeria!


Twitter: @ Femiolas
http://femiolas.
http://femiolabisi..com

Jonathan: word used to describe shoelessness, cluelessness and hopelessness in leadership

Election: A means of resetting the musical chair of politicians involved in the stealing game.

Cabal: The highest, biggest and greatest decision making body in Nigeria.

Presidency: A word used to describe an Automated Condolence machine which condemns acts of terrorism and corruption on a daily basis

GCFR: GRAND CRIMINAL OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC. A national award given to the Cheerleader of Corruption.

Committee: a secret code language used in calling the president’s men to Come-and-eat (can also be spelt as (Com-eat-eee)

Farouki: the art of extortion and bribe taking. (Can be used in a sentence… E.g…The policeman Faroukied the bus driver)

Campus: A training camp for future pastors, politicians and prostitutes.

Activist: A man who still wears a safari suit even when the temperature is over 100 degrees centigrade.

Daddy (in the Lord): A general overseer who has walked on top of water just to show off.

Deacon/Deaconess: A title you get when you are too contaminated to be a pastor and yet too valuable- for your tithe – to be an ordinary floor member.

Faroukas: New currency printed by the cabal. It is used in describing bribe money whether in local or foreign currency (eg F620,000 or six hundred and twenty thousand Faroukas)

EFCC: Dog that barks but doesn’t have teeth

Bus Evangelists: A title given to a man or woman who uses buses for his/her church receives tithes and offerings from commuters and screams a lot.

PDP Youth Circuit: A process of seamlessly mashing the new breed politicians with the old breed without leaving a stretch mark.

Friends of a politician: Groupies willing to be gang-raped for a drop of juice from a politician’s table. (Eg Friends of Goodluck, Association of Goodluck’s Facebook friends)

Ruben Abati: A man who holds the top spot on the Guinness book of records for issuing the highest number of condolence messages within six months

Honorable: A title given to those who are allergic to honor, dignity or integrity

Immunity:A bullet proof vest given as a baptismal gift to armed robbers.

Intellectuals: People whose job is to think backwards for their country, speak big english and get paid in dollars

Condemn: newly discovered Weapon of Mass destruction by the current Nigerian regime for bringing the perpetrators of dastardly acts to book.

Twitter: A country in Nigeria where public office holders are widely hated and Subbed. It is filled with rebels of all kinds, NB: its also known in some political circles as a security threat or a breeding ground for terrorists (boko haram).

Junk: The thing stuffed inside the brain compartment of an average Nigerian politician. Researchers at the Moshood Abiola University believe it is made of saw dust soaked in cunning fluid.

Harvard: A foreign university saddled with the responsibility of producing economic hit men and women for Nigeria

Wey Yellow: a free pass to all police checkpoints applicable nationwide (explanation; There’s always a cop with that nickname in 9 out of 10 patrol units… If you ask,they assume you are pals with him&go easy on you)

National Assembly: A meeting place for ex-thugs, ex-convicts and dishonorable men who earn $1,000,000 a year. There they decide if it is time for millions of $1 a day earners to be paid $2 a day.

Edwin Clark: A politician who has mastered the art of keeping himself trending by pissing down his leg.

PDP: Modern day evil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Personal Assistant: A well-dressed politicians’ baby sitter who also picks up laundry from the drycleaners

Pundits: Journalism equivalent of charge-and-bail lawyers.

Radical: A Ranting politician with no record of doing anything specific while in government.

Security Vote: An unspecified amount of money given to governors and other chief executives to encourage them to steal government money.

Sting Operation: A secret service operation that could be made up to exist even if it never existed; usually done with the aim of embarrassing those embarrassing the cabal.

Testimony: Public rehearsal of wannabe Nollywood actors, typically in front of a church’s congregation.

Yabiswako: unknown twitter overlord.

Youth Corpers: Lambs sacrificed on the altar of national unity. Usually youths sent to dangerous parts of the country the Commander-In-Chief will never set foot in.

Devils Dictionary: the crazy imaginations of a mischievous Nigerian youth


Follow the writer on twitter @Dolusegun

NOTE: This piece is courtesy of ekekeee.com

Twitter: @ Femiolas
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The more the investigations into what passed as fuel subsidy payments, the more the revelations about how some Nigerians simply took the nation for a ride by sharing amongst themselves hundreds of billions of Naira of pubic money. Unfortunately, Nigerians do not seem to be paying much attention to the report of the Verification Committee headed by Access Bank Managing Director, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede.

Established by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Committee has come out with a more damning outcome than that of Hon Farouk Lawan’s House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee, the only difference being that it left out NNPC and other government institutions.

Unlike the Lawan Report which recommended further investigations into N230 billion unaccounted for by some 71 marketers, the Imoukhuede Report is seeking a refund to the tune of N422 billion from the marketers who were listed. Interestingly, that self-indicting report by the federal government has also established a more iron-cast case of corruption in fuel subsidy payments than the House committee did. Unfortunately, rather than bring to justice those who colluded to gang-rape our nation, Nigerians are now being treated to some sordid “sting operation” audio shows.

If a simple criminal investigation concerning an alleged bribery of a lawmaker could be so cynically bungled, then we should forget that anybody will ever be punished for the monumental looting in the name of subsidy payments. And that is the real shame.

NOTE: The treatise was culled from Femi Fani-Kayode Facebook page

Twitter: @ Femiolas
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Obere4u: It's a pity that GEJ is now Condoler - In - Chief

That is very apt: "Condoler-in-Chief". That's in addition to scores of nomenclatures he acquired since assuming office.

Sunday June 3, 2012 stated just like any other day for millions of Nigerians. Each region was expected to witness the usual – bomb blasts in the North, kidnappings in the East, and less horrendous hazards in the South; robbery, hooliganism, the usual political bickering, among others. Of the litany of woes that have been the lot of Nigeria in the recent past, the South seems to be better off.

Common to all regions of the country is institutionalized looting and we are use to it. Everybody knows this. We live with it and nothing seems to be strange about it.

But, that day was to be different. President Jonathan was to add more his basketful of maladministration. And the country was to be once again subjected to agonies necessitated by assemblage of insatiably corrupt, kleptoparasitic and inefficient officials.

When the news of a cargo plane owned by Allied Air, a Nigeria-based firm, crash-landed in Accra Ghana with JUST 10 deaths, Nigerians were not that concerned. That number was far below what the dreaded Boko Haram, accidents occasioned by bad roads and armed robbery kills daily. And when the news of the suicide bomber that targeted Living Faith Church in Tundun Yelwa Bauchi filtered in with JUST 12 deaths, nobody bothered. It was a usual thing.

But, a more colossal tragedy was to come. A combination of systemic and official corruption, incompetence, bad leadership and a total disregard for human lives were to unite Nigerians in sorrow. It was a BLACK SUNDAY!

It was no longer news that a Lagos bound Dana Airline crashed into a residential area of Iju-Ishaga in Lagos, that the ill-fated Abuja-Lagos aircraft was just a stone throw to the airport, that the 153 people on board did not have a chance and that deaths were also recorded on ground. Incidents before and after precipitated this treatise.

Screaming news headlines reported that the pilot of the plane relayed a ‘MAY-DAY’ message to the airport when it was in some 11 nautical miles to the Lagos airport. May-Day is the aviation language that signifies danger, emergency, request for assistance, etc. That plane crashed at 4 nautical to the airport.

In saner climes where human lives are sacred, where corruption doesn’t dictate, where competency determines employment, where mediocrity is not celebrated and where accountability is the norm the airport emergency services would have been activated with rescue helicopters tailing that plane with fire trucks deployed to the route of the plane. But no, the authority yet again exhibited its registered incompetence.

It was equally baffling that emergency services failed to show up immediately the plane crashed. They were to come when the plane had exploded. There were sure to be survivors on that plane. But they were left to be burnt beyond recognition.

Expectedly, Mr. President visited the scene of the carnage on Monday and shed some crocodile tears. What we need is not your tears, sir. The death of these Nigerians will be in vain if those responsible - directly or indirectly - for these preventable deaths are not apprehended and prosecuted.

We are familiar with committees and panels of investigations and their usual white papers. They have never been of good to us. Your tears will only be meaningful if decisive actions are taken and those responsible brought to book.

What we need now is the sack of corrupt officials that allowed a defective plane to fly; that failed to deploy emergency rescue teams when the pilot made MAY DAY call; that exercised unprofessional conduct by not getting to the scene of the crash until about thirty minutes when the plane had exploded. Whereas the crash site is just a stone throw to the airport.

Sir, we also noted that no Nigerian TV station provided live feed of the crash site and rescue done by Nigerians who thronged the scene. The national TV, NTA, was busy as if nothing happened. We felt bad that it was foreign media that informed us of such an incident in our country. It is a shame. We believe this must be because of uncivilized ‘DO-NOT-BROADCAST’ directive from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). Such a retrogressive law must be expunged. It is anti-people and a gag on freedom of information.

Sir, may be you don’t know that nothing works in this country; that we are referred to as ‘’generator generation’’ because electricity is non-existent, that our roads are death traps, that potable water is only for those with the means to have private water bore-holes, that libraries in our schools are stocked with antiquated books, that we are all afraid because of lack of security, that….

Our litany of woes is endless because we are in a quagmire occasioned by leadership tragedy. It is time to show us action; to redeem this nation from the precipice of imbalance.

Your tears cannot atone for the sins of the Aviation Minister Mrs. Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi and the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Dr. Harold Demuren who preside over a decay industry that caused the deaths of these hapless souls. Revocation of operational license of Dana Airline is also not the solution; you have just sent more Nigerians into the labour market.

We are not fooled by your tears, Mr. President. It is time to act.

Twitter: @ Femiolas
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Nigeria had, in the last few decades, witnessed a number of air tragedies. Below are the facts and figures.

- November 20, 1969: Nigeria Airways BAC VC10 crashed on landing, killing 87 people on board.

- January 22, 1973: Royal Jordanian Airlines flight 707 carrying 171 Nigerian Muslims returning from Mecca and

five crewmen crashed in Kano, killing all on board.

- March 1, 1978: Nigeria Airways F28-1000 crashed in Kano, killing 16 people.

- November 28, 1983: Nigeria Airways F28-1000 crashed near Enugu, killing 53 on board.

- December 1988: Skypower Brandeironte aircraft overshot Ilorin Airport’s runway, killing all the

passengers.

- February 24,1991: British Helicopter crashed in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, killing all nine people on board.

- May 21, 1991: A Cessna Citation 550 of Ashaka Cement, Hombe, crashed, killing all on board.

- June 26, 1991: An Okada Air Bac-11 crashed in Sokoto, killing three persons.

- September 26, 1992: Nigerian Air Force A C-130 plane crashed minutes after take-off from Lagos. All 200 on

board killed.

- June 24, 1995: Harka Air Services Tupolev 34 crashed on landing in Lagos, killing 16.

- November 13, 1995: Nigeria Airways Boeing 737-2F9 crashed on landing in Kaduna, killing 9.

- January 17, 1996: Ibrahim Abacha, son of Sani Abacha, was killed in a plane crash. The group “United Front for

Nigeria’s Liberation” (UFNL) claimed responsibility for the crash.

- November 7, 1996: A Nigerian ADC (Aviation Development Corporation) Airline Boeing 727-231 flying from Port

Harcourt to Lagos with 142 passengers and 9 crew members crashed on landing, plunging into the lagoon with

all on board killed.

- January 31, 1997: SkyPower Express Airways Embraer 110PIA crashed on landing in Yola, killing five.

- September 12, 1997: NAF Dornier 228-212 in Nguru, Borno State ran into a ditch during take off, none of the 10

people died.

- January 5, 2000: SkyPower Express Airways Bandeirante 110P1A crashes on landing in Abuja, killing 17.

- October 26, 2000: Dornier aircraft plunged into a thick bush near the Niger Delta, 6 occupants injured.

- May 4, 2002: EAS Airlines’ BAC 1-11-500 with 105 people on board crashed and burst into flames in a densely

populated suburb of Kano, killing 76 on board and 72 on the ground bringing total casualties to148.

- November 30, 2003: A Cargo aircraft of Hydro Cargo, Brussels, Belgium, crash-landed.

- March 6, 2004: An Aenail spray aircraft with registration number 5NBEF belonging to Berfieex Nigeria Ltd,

crashed at the Bauchi Airport.

- July 26, 2004: Pan African Airlines’ helicopter crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in Eacraros, Delta State, killing

four persons on board.

- December 29, 2004: A Boeing 727 of Chanchangi Airlines belly-landed at the MMA.

- December 29, 2004: A Kenya Airlines aircraft crashed- landed at the MMA due to gear fault.

- January 28, 2005: A Nigeria Air Force fighter plane crashed into a farmland in Yar Kanya, Kano State.

- February 25, 2005: ADC’s B73 aircraft had its tyre burnt while landing at Yola Airport.

- March 27, 2005: A Boeing 737 of Bellview had one of its engines caught fire.

- June 11/12, 2005: Lagos: a Boeing 727-200 aircraft belonging to the domestic Chachangi Airlines overshot the

runway at Murtala Muhammed Airport, while yet another overshot the runway at the airport in Jos in central

Nigeria a day earlier.

- June 24, 2005: A Russian aircraft belonging to Harka Air crash- landed at the MMA, all the people on board

died

- July 6, 2005, Port Harcourt: An Air France A330 plane crashed into a herd of cattle at Port Harcourt airport,

sustaining serious damage and killing many of the cows.

- July 23, 2005, a Lufthansa aircraft crash-landed at Lagos airport and was badly damaged, but no life was lost.

- October 22, 2005: A Bellview Airlines Boeing 737 with 117 people on board crashed shortly after take-off from

Lagos. All on board killed.

- December 10, 2005: A Sosoliso Airlines DC-9 crashes in Port Harcourt, killing all 103 on board.

- September 17, 2006: A 18-seater Dornier 228 Air Force transport plane, carrying 15 senior army officers and

three crew members crashed in Benue State, leaving only three survivors.

- October 29, 2006: Aviation Development Corporation Airline Boeing 737 with 104 on board crashed minutes

after take-off from Abuja’s airport. All but 6 perished in the disaster.

- November 10, 2006: OAS Service Helicopter crashed in Warri, Delta state killing four on board.

- August 2, 2007: Bristow-owned helicopter crashed inside ExxonMobil facility in Port Harcourt.

- March 15, 2008: Beechcraft 1900D plane marked 5N-JAH, belonging to Wing Aviation crashed in Cross River

State. The wreakage was not found until 6 months after. All four crew members died.

- March 14, 2002: A helicopter belonging to the Joint Task Force (JTF) crashed in Kabong, Jos, killing all

members onboard including four senior police officers.

- May 4, 2002: Executive Airline Services (EAS) BAC-1-11-525Ft aircraft crashed at Aminu Kano International

Airport Kano, killing 70 people.

- December 10 2005: A Port Harcourt bound Sosoliso Airlines flight 1145 crash-landed in Port Harcourt Airport,

killing 109 passengers including 60 students of Jesuit Loyola College Abuja.

- October 22, 2005: A twin Engine Boeing 737, belonging to Belview Airline crashed in Lisa Village, Ogun State

and killed all the 117 passengers on board.

- October 29, 2006: An ADC aircraft crashed when it took off from Abuja, killing 105 people on board.

- November 10, 2006: A six-seater helicopter belonging to Odengene Air Shuttle (OAS) crashed in Delta State

and killed two people.

- September 16 2006: Air Force plane crashed in Benue State killing Army generals.

- March 15, 2008: A twin-turbo Prop 19-seater aircraft belonging to Wings Aviation Ltd crashed in Calabar while

on a routine flight from MMA, Lagos.

- March 8, 2011: HS-125 chartered aircraft crashed in Bauchi. No casualty.

- July 29, 2011: A Kwara State-bound helicopter crashed in Osun State killing all on board including the

Managing Director of Josepdam Group of Companies, Mrs. Josephine Oluwadamilola Kuteyi and her personal

assistant.

- June 3, 2012: A Abuja-Lagos Dana Air passenger flight crashed in Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos, killing all 153

passengers on board.

Twitter: @Femiolas

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The fact that Nigeria is a conglomeration of many nation states re-echoed on Tuesday May 29, 2012, Nigeria’s Democracy Day, when a truth we try to hide re-surfaced. Nigeria was a creation of colonial lordship without recourse to common sense and consideration for unified socio-political, cultural and economic indices and affinity that should be the hallmarks of a country.

Just like every other May 29 since the return to democratic governance in 1999, this year’s Democracy Day was celebrated as usual but not without some hue and cries. The first news that attracted news hunters was the declaration by the Federal Government that there would not be any celebration. Everybody knew why: the government was afraid of Boko-Haram, MEND and their accomplices.

The day’s Presidential broadcast took all by surprise. President Jonathan in the broadcast re-christened the famous University of Lagos (UNILAG) to Moshood Abiola University, in honour of late Chief Moshood Kasimawo Olawale Abiola, who paid the ultimate price for running for and winning the popular June 12, 1993 Presidential Election.

It was a shocker; unexpected and castigated by many. Students of the institution took to the streets in protests and the authority of the school shut down the institution. The President is still being lampooned for not consulting with stake-holders before the re-christening of the University.
As opinionated by many, I agree that Chief MKO Abiola deserves the honour. But re-naming the institution shows a truth we all avoid; that Nigeria is not a country.

And while we are confronted with yet another good but not-well-thought-out policy, most of the students on the streets may not even know who MKO Abiola was since nobody bothers about our history again. Everybody waits what comes next.

Nigeria, A Nation-States By Nature

Nigeria, a nation naturally segregated into North, South and East is famous for naming governmental institutions after individuals (dead or alive) and some of the naming are mostly parochial and not national in nature. A nation that calls itself one will not regionalize its activities.

Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Bayero University Kano, Usman Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Abubarka Tafawa University Bauchi, Hussaini Adamu Federal Polytechnic Kazaure and Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic Birni-Kebbi are named after northerners and these schools are located in the North; Unamdi Azikwe University Awka, Michael Opara University of Agriculture Umudike and Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education Oweri are in the East and named after people from that region; Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Adeyemi College Of Education Ondo and University of Lagos (now renamed Moshood Abiola University) that are named after Southerners are situated in the South.

If we are a country it will not be difficult to name an institution in the North after an individual from the South, and vice-versa.

Twitter: @Femiolas
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Former Liberian President, Charles Taylor, was early on Wednesday sentenced to 50 years by the International Criminal Court, ICC in Hague Netherlands.

The sentencing was fallout of his arrest and prosecution for his role and the atrocities he committed in Sierra-Leone during its civil war in the 1990s.

He was initially allowed asylum in Nigeria by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He later fled the country before his subsequent arrest and prosecution.

According to the judge presiding over the sentencing Mr. Taylor had been found guilty of “aiding and abetting, as well as planning, some of the most heinous and brutal crimes recorded in human history” and that the lengthy prison term underscored his position at the top of government during that period.

“Leadership must be carried out by example by the prosecution of crimes, not the commission of crimes,” the judge, Richard Lussick, said in a statement read before the court.

Mr. Taylor was the first head of state convicted by an international court since the Nuremberg trials after World War II.

Prosecutors had sought an even longer sentence of 80 years. If carried out, the term decided on Wednesday would likely mean the 64-year-old Mr. Taylor will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Asked to stand as the sentence was read, he looked at the floor.

Twitter: @Femiolas
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The Islamic Republic of Iran once again made the headlines on Wednesday this week. But this time it was not for the usually confrontation with the West and Israel over nuclear armament.

In a manner that could best be described as absurd, a local judge sentenced a man to ONE MIILION YEARS in prison for being in possession of child pornography. Mohammed Kenare, a 24-year old Iranian man was at the receiving end of the record breaking sentencing.

While one may say that a one million year sentencing was inappropriate and absurd, the judge could actually be said to be lenient as death penalty is the usual punishment for such an offence in the Islamic state.

Twitter: @Femiolas
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The dual carriageway between Oke-Fia and Alekunwodo in Osogbo, the Osun State capital was on Thursday April 19, 2012 barricaded with events canopies mounted on the highway. The result was hectic and heavy traffic hold-ups.

The ever busy road was cordoned off with scores of police officers, road safety officials and their vehicles. This was unacceptable and quite uncivilised by the government we elected.

On investigation, I was told that it was a rally championed by the wife of the governor to campaign against incessant rape in the state. Yes, it was a laudable but execution left bitter tastes in our months.

I was a traveller on that road, having to journey to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso and Osogbo. But to my chagrin and some other users of that road, we were subjected to delays occasioned by lack of consideration for the interest of many hapless Nigerians.

I assume everybody loves this government but this is totally unacceptable. Citizens are daily bombarded with radio and TV jingles of governmental efforts at making Osun State the best among other states in Nigeria.

The various programmes of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, particularly his O-YES programme that led to the employment of twenty thousand graduates within one hundred days in office, O-RENEWAL that was designed to add aesthetic beauty to some cities, and some others are commendable.

But having to cordon-off one of the most important highways in the capital was unacceptable, whereas the party of the governor was sarcastic in its condemnation of the First Lady when Lagosians were subjected to a similar headache few weeks ago.

Governor Aregbesola is loved by many, but barricading a very important road is unthinkable and unacceptable.

Twitter: @Femiolas
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The Nigerian Customs Service, for millions of second-hand vehicles owners – popularly known as Tokunbo, has become something of an anathema.
The agency, though saddled with the responsibility of managing and/or protecting our somewhat porous borders, has become somehow lukewarm in its original responsibilities and substituting its weakness to explainable acts our roads. Rather than managing our borders from influx of unregistered vehicles and other goods, the agency has turned our roads into avenues where vehicles are impounded with impunity.

It is somehow strange that Nigerian Customs have decided not to stop vehicles from crossing our borders illegally but find it convenient to waylay motorists on the road and impound their vehicles.
These vehicles are brought in by motor dealers who display their wares for everybody to see and buy.

These are pertinent questions that the Nigerian Customs need to answer:

i. What stops The Customs from raiding motor dealers that brought these vehicles in illegally?
ii. How do these vehicles get into the country without their knowledge?
iii. Why is it that vehicles are permanently impounded from unsuspected buyers without option of fine?
iv. Who are the beneficiaries of impounded vehicles?
v. How long/how many years does it take a vehicle supposedly brought in illegally to be free of being impounded?
vi. How is the auctioning of impounded cars done? Is it by advertisement or for favoured few and friends of the Customs?
vii. What stops the Customs from locating the addresses of dealers that issue fake custom papers and charge them to court for fraud and
impersonation?

My treatise was predicated on what happened recently. A friend’s car was impounded at Ewekoro area of Ogun State in August 2011 (that car was bought in Lagos and custom papers were issued to the unsuspecting owner). At that same spot, a motor dealer known to them escorted a caravan of vehicles, paid them on the spot and all vehicles were allowed to go. Who is this man? Is that payment official?

It is essential that the agency gets its priority right and stop creating problems for unsuspecting vehicle owners. Raid and arrest these motor dealers that bring in vehicles illegally, if truly you are not in connivance with them.

Twitter: @Femiolas
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It saddening that a Nigeria that was hitherto a sanctuary synonymous with peace-loving people with its abundant human resources is gradually metamorphosing into arena of blood and killings of innocent Nigerian, no thanks to leadership comatose. Surely, Boko Haram is today condemned for the many travails bedevilling our nation but a discerning mind will look beyond the evil called Boko Haram. While I'm not subscribing to the evil these people commit in the name of religion, they foundation for their genesis is rooted in leadership failure that has been the lot of Nigeria since independence. And for the bunch of evil minded criminals that hide under the guise is Islam, they seem not to understand the tenet of that Islam. Though I'm a Christian, I had the opportunity of studying Quran in my heydey and from the little I know violence is not stated as the yardstick of a true Muslim. What all Nigerian need is a condemnation of these criminals, their god-fathers and leadership cleansing because poverty and corruption contributed a lot to the emergency of BH

It saddening that a Nigeria that was hitherto a sanctuary synonymous with peace-loving people with its abundant human resources is gradually metamorphosing into arena of blood and killings of innocent Nigerian, no thanks to leadership comatose. Surely, Boko Haram is today condemned for the many travails bedevilling our nation but a discerning mind will look beyond the evil called Boko Haram. While I'm not subscribing to the evil these people commit in the name of religion, they foundation for their genesis is rooted in leadership failure that has been the lot of Nigeria since independence. And for the bunch of evil minded criminals that hide under the guise is Islam, they seem not to understand the tenet of that Islam. Though I'm a Christian, I had the opportunity of studying Quran in my heydey and from the little I know violence is not stated as the yardstick of a true Muslim. What all Nigerian need is a condemnation of these criminals, their god-fathers and leadership cleansing because poverty and corruption contributed a lot to the emergency of BH