DIS MAN DEY TOAST US.

Just as we now have an Independent National Electoral Commission which is non partisan and headed by a credible person, we may need to work towards developing our National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) into an independent body tasked with developing our power infrastructure. At the moment the commission's mandate is limited.... Such a commission like our dream INEC should be non partisan, professional and COMPLETELY separated from politics as well as independent of the government of the day. Power, like our Votes ought to be treated as an urgent security issue for it is vital to our nations stability, economy and social progress. For a nation to have steady power, there must be a consistent forward movement in policy and project implementation without policy uncertainty. We need to inspire confidence in those who want to invest in this sector such that International and national bodies and contractors who do business in our country can attest that when a contract is signed it will be implemented as agreed. Transitions from one government to the other irrespective of whatever political colouration or ideological leanings must not affect valid legal agreements. Just as I have signed the AMCON bill to bring about this type of stability and trust in our financial systems, I see a day coming when every aspect of our economy will be immune from unwarranted interference. GEJ

CORRUPT OFFICIALS vs HE-GOAT.

Do you know that a corrupt person smells, perhaps worse than a full grown, long-bearded village he-goat?
Besides, corrupt public officers smart enough to escape the eagle eyes of the ICPC and EFCC, are likely to contend with the more drastic law of Karma. This explains why some children from wealthy homes suddenly run mad in the streets.

These were part of the scary revelations made by Prof Chinedum Adiele, the Abia State Umpire for the National Anti-corruption Volunteer Corps (NAVC), a programme of the ICPC, in a paper he presented recently at the inauguration of the Rivers State Chaplaincy of the Corps in Port Harcourt.

Starting with the lexical definition of corruption, Prof Adiele said a corrupt person smells. Quoting the New Webster’s Dictionary that describes the act as “changed from a sound to putrid state”, he told his crowd of listeners that, “putrid here means decaying, rotten, where dead animals are dumped”.

Adiele spoke of the terrible fate that awaits looters of public treasury even when they escape the long arms of state laws.
“Philosophically speaking, what it means is that if you are a corrupt person and maybe you have not been caught by either ICPC or EFCC, the law of Karma must catch up with you one day.

“Have you ever pondered over some young men from well-to-do homes who run mad in our streets, others with one nemesis or the other? It is simple. When you loot money that is meant for thousands of people to better yourself and family while others suffer, at the end of the day when you expect your children to be useful to you, you will be terribly disappointed. Why? Because whosoever (that) destroys in order to succeed, will meet destruction at the door of his success”.
Describing corruption as a wicked act, Adiele alleged that, “most of the past governors from the East are richer than the states they governed” adding that in some states, people are dying of hunger and starvation. He recalled a recent incident in a state capital when a pregnant woman slumped and died while going to see a family friend for assistance.

Also, the NAVC state umpire said corruption was mainly to blame for the high level of unemployment in the country where employees who qualify for retirement falsify their ages to prolong their stay in service.
“Our teeming graduates are unemployed because those who are due for retirement have continued to falsify their age declaration. Managing directors, managers, directors, supervisors, etc, are now in the habit of yearly swearing of affidavit of age declaration. How can the young then grow?”
Adiele, who described a corrupt person as a depraved mind, did not spare the audience in his condemnation of corrupt officials.

“As you are looking at me, most of you are sitting on some people’s promotion and entitlements. Pensioners die in tens on monthly basis waiting for the money they laboured for many years. What is more wicked and devilish than that? Whether you like it or not, corruption is not just dangerous, it stinks. If you are part of it, you better change now. What you make from corruption gives a temporary solution to everlasting problem.”
He reasoned that it takes a depraved leader or chief executive to fix workers’ salaries in a bank account “when the workers are gnashing their teeth” or ignore the tears and starvation of the masses and continue to enrich himself.

On corruption in the nation’s education sector, the top academic regretted that examination malpractice has fueled what “Exams malpractices have led to multifarious crimes in the society. Most of the crimes like armed robbery and kidnapping are perpetrated by so-called graduates. It has helped in producing paper qualification graduates without commensurate enterprising and entrepreneurial skill in personnel options.
“Exams malpractices have led to the death of numerous innocent people in the hands of quack doctors, nurses and other health providers”.
Adiele recalled a case in a hospital at Ekeakpara village where two medical doctors allegedly cut open a woman who went for appendicitis operation but could neither trace the ailment nor suture her.
“The woman, at the point of death, was rushed to another hospital. Those quack doctors have their certificates and passed out as medical doctors, only to set up hospitals that are suicide squads”.

He said: “some of these half-baked graduates have even ventured into academic settings, having unsuspecting students at their mercy, only for them to be roasted in the academic den by their shylock tutors”.
He told the story of a lady who passed out from one of the nation’s first generation universities with Second Class (Upper Division) in English Language, “but cannot write an application letter”.
He wondered what the country would have been like without such anti-graft outfits like the ICPC because, “most of the governors would have sold their states and traveled abroad”.

Fashola Advocates Derivation On Revenue

Lagos state governor, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola(SAN) has  advocated an increase in revenue accruing to states with natural resources, saying every state should be entitled to 25 per cent of what it has.
He faulted the present arrangement where revenue allocation to states is determined by the number of local governments and said allocation to states should not depend on number of local governments in a state.
Fashola also reiterated call for state police, stressing that
political and true federalism should be taken seriously in Nigeria where local governments should be within the jurisdiction of states.
He made the call during a public hearing on a bill for an act to alter the provision of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and for other matters connected thereto at the Lagos State Assembly Complex Alausa, Ikeja on the 21st of June 2010.

The governor, who was represented at the event by Abdulateef Abdulhakim, said, "Every state should be entitled to 25 per cent of what it has, local government should be within the jurisdiction of states and revenue allocation should not depend on number of local governments in a state."
Fashola also faulted the present arrangement where democratic structures are affected during state of emergency and called for its amendment, saying state of emergency should not affect democratic structures in a state where such was declared.
While calling for state police, Fashola contended that such would give boost to crime prevention at the grassroots as such arrangement would enable state executives to combat crime upsurge in their respective
states.
Echoing similar sentiment, Senator Biyi Durojaiye in his submission said the present constitution which was documented by the military could not reflect the wishes of Nigerians. He said: "The constitution of today lies against itself because it was put up by the military. That is the reason we at NADECO have been calling for Sovereign National Conference (SNC). Section 215 (4) does not give governors power over the commissioner of Police; it should be looked into for amendment.
In his keynote address, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Ikuforiji Adeyemi said the House would never pass a bill without listening to the inputs of those that elected them.
"We will always do things that will please the interest of the 18 million Lagosians. Though, it is not from either the state Executive or Legislature but from National Assembly, we can either accept or reject it and there are about 41 amendments. The constitution of a country is a law binding everyone together in that nation and if there will be any amendment, the people need to be carried along," he said. He continued: "As lawmakers, we believe that lots still need to be done; your opinion will be transmitted to the National Assembly. Your opinion is what will guide our responses to the National Assembly. Our opinion here today will go a long way in the final decision at the National Assembly."
The public hearing attracted politicians, civil society groups, market
leaders and other members of the public.