It was Adebola B. Ekanola, a specialist in African philosophy and philosophy of Peace, who, while writing on the topic; Towards an enduring social Peace in a Violence Ridden Society; From a culture of War and violence to a culture of peace and Non-Violence, stated that a good starting point for the process of peace education would be an analysis and clarification of some of the key concepts and principles like ‘peace’ ‘violence’, ‘justice’ and ‘nonviolence’. As concept and principles relevant to social peace are analyzed, consistent effort, he advised, must be made to propagate what they stand for across…
Author: JEROME-MARIO UTOMI
Recently, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, Mahamat Annadif said that the spate of insecurity afflicting Nigeria and other West African countries is a spillover of the Libyan crisis. As a solution, Annadif called for a regional approach to combat the security challenges in the region and pledged that the United Nations will help the Nigerian Army to overcome the insecurity in the country, as well as help profile the suspected terrorism financiers. Comparatively, while Annadif spoke in Abuja during a visit to the Chief of Army Staff,…
Like every new invention which comes with opportunities and challenges, there was a veiled agreement among participants at a recent gathering(annual lecture) in Asaba, the Delta state capital, that with strict adherence to the tripod of ethics, professionalism and quality service in the delivery of journalistic mandate as publishers and purveyors of authentic, credible and verifiable information, media professionals will continue to provide the needed sustainable partnership and collaboration in nation building as well as support the fundamental needs of the country, and, the positive purpose of the elected government if it will not in any way dent/obstruct the media’s primary responsibility…
The Country Director / CEO, Center for Peace and Environmental Justice, CEPEJ, Chief Comrade Mulade Sheriff, has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to complete the environmental remediation and socioeconomic rejuvenation of the Niger Delta region devastated by long periods of oil spill neglect, crude oil exploration / exploitation, deprivation and marginalization. The environmental rights activist made the call recently in a chat with newsmen in Warri, Delta State, asserting that it is the responsibility of the Nigeria Government and oil companies to remediate the degraded environment, pay adequate compensation to affected host communities and rejuvenate the lost socioeconomic…
For most of our political history, concept and reality, particularly banking on the underlying understanding of a Coquette by Robert Green, the author of; The 48 Laws of Power, it will not be out of place to describe an average Nigerian as a Coquette. The reason stems from the belief that they are experts at arousing desire through a provocative appearance or an alluring attitude. Their strength lies in their ability to trap people emotionally, and to keep their victims in their clutches long after that titillation of desire. This is the skill that puts them in the…
The latest honour bestowed a few days ago on Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as the Best Performing Governor of the Year Award in Infrastructural Development in Nigeria has finally said what has been on the minds of Deltans. Separate from affirming the title of ‘Road Master’ Deltans code named the Governor, the award which was presented to Governor Okowa at the Event Centre, Asaba, during the opening ceremony of the 19th International Civil Engineering Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Institution which has as its theme; “Civil Infrastructure Development: Challenges and Prospects Under Pandemic Situations”, more…
This piece stemmed from three recent developments in the country. First is the latest argument by development minded Nigerians that the nation’s perennial leadership haemorrhage/crisis is aggregated by successive deficiency in leadership vision and in some cases made worse by public official’s understanding and interpretation of problems with clarity but lacking in political will to see through or implement solutions. A development that has made the nation in dire need of a system that works, a government that caters for its citizens, especially the youths, secures lives and property, while bolstering the economy. The second and very germane is…
If there is any event in recent time in Nigeria that further underscores the well established believe that traditional Institutions holds the key to success or failure of peace and security in Nigeria as they operate at the root of the society and interact with people in their daily activities, it is the visit by the Center for Peace and Environmental Justice, CEPEJ, a Civil Society and non-governmental organization, on Tuesday, September 21, 2021, to the Palace of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III to celebrate him for his contribution towards concretizing peace by sensitizing the masses on the…
Aside from the recently passed Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) which took the country over seventeen years to pass, there is another Bill that, if passed, may help prioritize as extremely important the need to complete a process of socioeconomic rejuvenation of the coastal areas of the Niger Delta region particularly in Delta state which relevant authorities have spent far too long a time to do, assist the Delta state Government provide the needed care at the most fundamental level while enhancing the lives of the coastal dwellers in the state. It is the Coastal Area Development Agency (CADA) Bill, recently scripted by…
Separate from the awareness that the euphoria which heralded the epoch appointments of Professor Lillian Imuetinyan Salami, a home economist/nutritionist and former Dean of the Faculty of Education, as the second female vice-chancellor after Grace Alele Williams, and the 10th substantive vice-chancellor of the University of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria, has faded and jeer overtaken the cheers of expectation while fears has displaced reason -resulting in an entirely separate set of consequences – irrational hatred and division, I must say that the recent news report that the students of the University of Benin,(UNIBEN), Edo state, Nigeria, September 14, 2021, blocked Lagos-Benin highway in protest…
It is a common knowledge that recently, the Ijaw leaders, youths and women predominantly residents in six councils of Delta State, with these councils domiciled within the Delta South Senatorial zone, insisted that their ethnic nationality must produce the next governor in 2023, as they have made huge sacrifices, contributing to the socio-economic sustenance of state and supported other ethnic nationalities over the years emerge governors in the state. Though alluring in outlook, what however, qualifies as a worrisome, worrying as well as newsy development is that another ethnic nationality in the state, the Urhobos of Delta Central Senatorial zone…
I still recall with vividness how in the year 2008, Nigeria and most Nigerians breathed a sigh of relief as the country was certified by the United States of America as cooperating in the anti-narcotic crusade for the eighth successive time in 2008, with George Bush, the former president of the United States of America, USA, noting that Nigeria had made significant progress in counter narcotics war and had effectively co-operated with the United States on drug-related and money laundering cases. Although he (Bush) was saying the obvious, and, majority of Nigerians thought that the nation was winning the…
The recent unexpected expression of interest in the 2023 Delta state gubernatorial election by Comrade Mulade Sheriff, peace and environmental rights advocate and National Coordinator of The Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), a Lagos-based non-governmental, not-for-profit organization, gives fillip to the fact that the forthcoming 2023 General election in the state would be laced with arresting surprises and shaped by new orientations such as; fiscal, sociological, political and communal happenings in the state and the country by extension. Essentially, Mulade’s speech at the event not only touched/expressed worry about ‘public leadership recruitment process, usually characterized as, and completely devoid of…
It is evident that the actions and inactions of Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, the Executive Governor of Delta state, in past six years of his administration, not only supports but seamlessly aligned with the saying that development of initiatives which focuses on social dimensions, and consist of introducing comprehensive plans to enrich human capital and enable citizens grow through education, training and support, are the major attributes/preoccupation of good leaders. This opinion was arrived at after reading/listening to Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, in the last one month speak at different events on the efforts his administration is making to…
The recent signing into law by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, the bill that authorizes the state to collect VAT., coupled with the ruling by a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, that states, and not the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), should be collecting Value Added Tax (VAT) and Personal Income Tax, takes my consciousness back to recent debates/arguments/occurrences in the country, Chief among these arguments is a declaration by a public affairs commentator that Nigeria has a choice, to restructure by plan or by default. In his explanation, a planned restructuring will be collaborative, systematic, and redesign Nigeria,…
It is important to state from the beginning that this piece stemmed not from orchestrated troubling realities in the country, poor leadership induced failures and dissatisfaction/disaffections in some quarters occasioned by their understanding that the ‘Federal Character Principle’ which was introduced into the 1979 Constitution and the Federal Character Commission established in 1996, to among other responsibilities; promote peace, stability, sharing of power and resources amongst the states, has contrary to expectations failed to achieve the promised principles. And as a consequence, led to lowered education standards in the country, compromised standards and professionalism in the nation’s civil service by…
It is globally believed that, to lower the risk of democratic backsliding and improve lives, leaders must among other demands, stress and promote values that are essential to good governance, especially transparency and accountability, and to support civil society, independent media, and the free flow of information. Certainly, but, despite this admirable age long declarations, the global community, particularly the development professionals, do not think that the present Federal Government in Nigeria is living up to the above guiding rules. This partly explains the inertia and torrent of negative reports against the nation Nigeria as it lends credence to…
From available records, it was the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, responsible for proposing legislation, enforcing EU laws and directing the union’s administrative operations, that in 1995 defined Governance as the sum of the many ways individuals and institutions, public and private, manage their common affairs. It is a continuing process through which conflicting or diverse interests may be accommodated and a cooperative action may be taken. It includes formal institutions and regimes empowered to enforce compliance as well as informal arrangements that people and institutions either have agreed to or perceived to be in their interests.…
I learned two separate but related lessons from a keynote speech delivered by Senator (DR) Ifeanyi Okowa, the Executive Governor of Delta State, at the 2021 Annual Lecture and Symposium organized by Ripples Centre for Data and Investigative Journalism (RCDIJ), held Wednesday August 25, 2021, at Sheraton Lagos Hotel, Lagos. The lecture had a theme; Rebuilding Trust in a Divided Nigeria: Advancing the Conversation. Beginning with the first, the lecture brought deeper conviction that there was indeed a sincere desire at independence in this country to build and move toward a genuinely great nation, and I also concluded after listening…
Aside from the time-honoured belief that the poverty of any country is felt by the quality and quantity of food to its citizens, it is important to state abinitio that this piece was principally inspired by two separate but related promptings. First is the study report which among other observations states that over the past century in the United State of America (USA), there exists a shift in the locations and occupations of urban consumers. It explained that in 1900, about 40% of the total population was employed on the farm, and 60% lived in rural areas. Today, the respective…
Without a doubt, there exists leadership challenge in Nigeria. This fact notwithstanding, there exists also signs that few public leaders in Nigeria through their actions and inactions daily demonstrate that the best defense of democracy is to stress the values that are essential for good governance, especially transparency and accountability, and to support civil society, independent media, and the free flow of information. Out of many instances, the latest call/argument/declaration by Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, the Executive Governor of Delta, that for the nation to effectively tackle the challenges of youth unemployment and restiveness in the country, there must be a…
One event in recent weeks that inspired this piece is the news report that Babagana Zulum facilitated the enrolment of 5,361 orphans who lost their parents to insurgency in Monguno Local Government Area. Going by a statement signed by Mr Isa Gusau, Zulum’s Special Adviser on Communications and Strategy, it stated that Zulum and some members of his cabinet participated in the two-day exercise. It explained that 5,361 orphans aged from seven to 13 were given free uniforms, writing materials and free meals in schools. “They were registered in the presence of their guardians who gave their biographical details, including places of…
Aside from being perceived as backward and degraded, occasioned by crude oil exploration, exploitation and production, Niger Delta region means different things to different people. To some, it is a region where communal right to a clean environment and access to clean water supplies is being violated in the Niger Delta. By its admission, the oil industry has abandoned thousands of polluted sites in the region which need to be identified and studied in detail. Aquifiers and other water supply sources which are being adversely affected by industrial or other activities need to be recovered while communities are adequately compensated…
Except for peripheral reason(s), it will not in any way be characterized as an overstatement to describe Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa as a national leader, patriot and courageous straight talker who tells the truth to the power when he is convinced that leaders are going wrong. Separate from his unrelenting decision to ban open grazing in Delta state despite resistance from some quarters, coupled with his recent declaration that the nation Nigeria needs not amendment but a brand new constitution, the latest prove to the above assertion about his doggedness is predicated on his reportedly fresh call during a two-day retreat of the Investment Committee of Revenue…
The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all- John F. Kennedy With the prevailing harsh economic situation in the country, a state of depression that has been designed by yet to be established architects, the countdown to the next general elections appears to be comical, yet laced with trepidation. Many young Nigerians who were not of age in 2015/2019 will get the chance to vote for the first time, while those who voted last time out will want to activate their dreams in another call for change/Next Level; this time for the better. After four…
Although the word deviance often carries negative connotations, it is not synonymous with dysfunctionality. Deviance is, at heart, a creative act-a way of searching out and inventing new approaches to doing things. Acts of deviance can point to areas where organizations/society/nations need to change and can result in fruitful alternatives. The chief thing to keep in mind here is that norms can have expectations. By challenging a particular norm, we can play a role in changing it. Without an iota of doubt, the above expression by Leslie Perlow, aptly captures transformational leadership prowess demonstrated in the past six years…
If there is any event in recent time that did remind Nigerians how out of order the present administration is taking the country, it is the awareness that at a time the world is standing up against capital punishments, such time has against all known logic, become the ripe moment for the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, to urge state governors to sign the death warrants of the 3,008 condemned criminals waiting for execution, especially those whose appeals had been exhausted and were not mounting challenges to their convictions, as part of measures to de-congest prisons nationwide. Aregbesola, spoke at…
The current corruption commentaries coupled with the prevailing insecurity and harsh economic situation in the country, a state of depression (or is it a recession) that has been designed by yet to be established architects, takes me back, though with nostalgia, to a conversation I had with a friend amidst euphoria triggered by the declaration of the 2015 presidential election result. This friend of mine cautioned me with these few words; ‘’men will change their ruler expecting to fare better; this expectation induces them to take up arm against him, but they only deceive themselves, and they learn from experience that they have…
The reported remark by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin at the just concluded 47th session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, calling on Western countries to reflect deeply on their own human rights abuse, has again brought to our consciousness the troubling realty that despite the widening strides by pro-democracy advocates to advertise the virtues and attributes of democracy over other forms of government, the balance of power within the last decades appears to be shifting. The Envoy said in parts; I want to stress that it is these Western countries that are using human rights as an excuse to exert pressure…
Aristotle reportedly noted in his poetics, that stories should have a beginning, middle, and an end. They should have complex characters as well as a plot that incorporates a reversal of fortune and a lesson learned. Well said by Aristotle but definitely, such rule cannot apply when writing a story about the Nigeria’s 9th National Assembly ably headed by Senator Ahmed Lawan. The reason for this assertion is barefaced. The 9th NASS is reputed for visiting Nigerians with conflicting and unexpected answers each time demand for good governance is made. As an illustration, when the Nigeria’s Senate recently, in response to public…
