Metro
Nation’s Challenges Take Centre Stage at 2021 Awolowo Lecture as Leaders Speak Out
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Nigerian leaders and panelists, at the 2021 Obafemi Awolowo Annual Lecture, have reiterated the necessity of building a united and progressive Nigeria through massive education and a re-engineered constitution.
The webinar lecture, held on Saturday evening and chaired by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, was to mark the 112 birthday anniversary of the late Sage and former Premier of Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
The Special Guest, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, a Diplomat and former Commonwealth Secretary-General, who noted that the current state of affairs in the country was not sustainable, emphasised the need for one Nigeria.
“There is no section or ethnic group in Nigeria that does not stand to gain from belonging to one country.
“It is in the common interest of all the ethnic groups and component parts to sustain the oneness, for progress of the country,” Anyaoku said.
He decried the growing poverty, incessant attacks, killings and displacement of people by terrorists and bandits, growing level of distrust and divisiveness undermining the cohesion and continued existence of one Nigeria.
The elder stateman, who noted that these national challenges should be effectively dealt with to make progress, however, stated that they could not be tackled with the present federal system of government.
Anyaoku said that a federal system with less dominance of the federal would bring Nigeria back to the path of political stability and progress.
He advocated the Indian type of federal system as against the US, saying that India shared a lot of national attributes with Nigeria.
He urged the National Assembly to organise an all-inclusive national dialogue, taking into account previous national conferences to produce a consensus constitution, as only a restructured constitution would guarantee political stability and economic development.
The Sultan of Sokoto and Royal Father of the Lecture, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, who noted that the processes of Nation building always took time, said that insinuations, suspicions and provocative utterances had held the country back.
He decried the inaction of governments and the erosion of the nation’s founding father’s healing, understanding and accommodation processes among ethnic groups, while calling on the political class and religious leaders to manage social tensions.
“We can solve our problems without a stick. No problem is beyond dialogue, ” Abubakar said, while cautioning against violence and tribal wars.
He urged government to act promptly and swiftly in addressing national challenges and send strong signals to divisive elements.
The Guest Speaker, Mr Odia Ofeimun, who delivered a lecture on the theme; “Whither Nigeria? “, emphasised the necessity of education for all children and ending minority domination of the nation, to overcome her teething challenges and make progress.
Ofeimun, who stressed the need for ethnic nationalities, said that the nation had many unresolved issues such as Boko Haram, Indigenous People of Biafra, herdsmen and others, all of which had been fueling secession pressures.
“We need to discuss what belongs to us as a people. This is a country that is worth defending and we should all defend it. We need to free ethnic nationalities so that Nigeria can be free,” he said.
Emphasising the need for restructuring, Ofeimun, who called on political leaders to take responsibility, decried political financing and the widening gap in education between the south and the north.
“There is a way of managing Nigeria such that every child will go to school. We must put all the cards on the table and discuss Nigeria. We need a less dominant centre. If we go by this, we are moving towards having a country.
“Every government should give every child education, to address some of our problems. There are so many children roaming the streets without education and hope. Every child in the north needs to go to school.
“We have to plan a country, Awolowo did it and it worked. It is important we bring all Nigerians into education like the Awolowo Education Policy did. Nobody should be left out,” he said.
In his contribution, the former Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said that some of Nigeria’s issues were not ethnicity or religion, but economic and governance, saying that the nation’s expensive system of government had also hindered her progress.
Wrapping up the dialogue, Soyinka observed that there was a consensus on the country requiring restructuring that would allow decentralisation and devolution of powers, adding that a lot could be done on the Constitution to allow greater autonomy for the state.
Soyinka, who said that the current system was not working and should not be allowed to continue, called for an honest and people-oriented Constitution to set the country on the path of progress.
Dr Dosunmu Awolowo, one of the daughters of the late sage, said that Obafemi Awolowo Foundation’ lecture was instituted to honour Chief Awolowo, noting that Nigerians wanted the country to work and are willing to sit together to find solutions to the nation’s challenges.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lecture, moderated by Prof. Michael Faborode, had several eminent Nigerians, both from within and abroad emphasising the need to address our national challenges without delay. (NAN)
Metro
Jos School Collapse: CWON Holds Trauma Healing Session for Parents, Survivors
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From Jude Dangwam, Jos
The Catholic Women Organization of Nigeria (CWON) has organized a trauma healing session for survivors of the Jos Saint Academy School collapse alongside parents who lost their children in the unfortunate incident.The National President of the organization, Dame Mary Gonzum noted that the effort was part of their psychosocial support and counseling services for victims of the school building collapse as a follow-up to the assessment of the condition of the victims during their visit.
Gonzum speaking during a one day trauma session held at the Secretariat of the Justice Development and Peace/Caritas Commission (JDPC) of the Catholic Archdiocese located along Zaria Road in Jos the Plateau State capital said the trauma healing session was in continuation of their intervention to students who experienced the building collapsed.”Today, a trauma healing session was flagged off with a seminar on how to go about handling the trauma that victims of the Saint Academy School Busa Buji in Jos are passing through.”We will later select those that are so traumatic and need help to continue with the process of healing because it is not something that will end in a day or two but will need sometime.”The surviving students who experienced the building collapsed, parents of the students are all here because some parents are so traumatic, we have one other woman that lost two children”This trauma became necessary because when we went visiting in the hospitals, we observed that some of them are really traumatic. Like the other boy, his mother said up till today he kept telling his mother that he is seeing dead bodies, and anybody he sees he will say is his classmate.”Some of the affected parents while sharing their encounters after the incident said they hardly sleep in the day or night time. Some manage to sleep for two hours and they’re awake, and from the little lectures we received today it is clear that there is a problem,” She noted.The President calls on the government to ensure that those saddled with the responsibility of approving, inspecting and supervising structures are meant to do their job with all diligence to avert future happenings again.Some of the affected parents including; Hasana Suleman Sale who lost two of her children recalled with pains the unfortunate development that claimed the lives of her two children. She expressed gratitude for the trauma healing session which she said came as a means of consolation and strength for her to overcome the trauma she is passing through.Metro
Catholic Church Welcomes New Apostolic Nuncio
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The Catholic Church in Nigeria has welcomed the newly-appointed Apostolic to Nigeria, Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty.
Crotty, an Irish, was appointed by the Vatican.
He will oversee the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the church in Nigeria.
The position, an ambassadorial status, advances cohesion in the body of Christ.
In his welcome message for Crotty on Tuesday, the President of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, said that the Church was glad to receive him.
The CBCN president, who is also the Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, said,” With joy and gratitude to God, I extend a hearty welcome to Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty on behalf of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, clergy, religious and lay faithful in Nigeria.
“We are thankful to His Holiness, Pope Francis, for appointing Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty as the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria to build on the good works of his predecessor, Archbishop Antonio Filipazzi.
“His appointment is a testament to the strong spiritual bond between our countries,” he said.
He said that although Crotty was the first Apostolic Nuncio from Ireland to serve in Nigeria, many Irish missionaries had played significant roles in spreading the gospel in Nigeria.
“We appreciate Archbishop Crotty’s acceptance of serving in Nigeria and assure him of our full support and cooperation.
“We pray for a fruitful mission and a blessed tenure for our excellency,” he added. (NAN)
Metro
Boundary Commission to Provide Infrastructure Along Disputed Boundary Areas
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The National Boundary Commission (NBC), says it has concluded plans to provide infrastructure in flash locations along interstate boundaries to encourage integration and cooperation.
The Director-General of the commission, Mr Adamu Adaji, stated this in an interview in Abuja on Wednesday.
Adaji said that the commission would look at flash point areas and provide infrastructures that would encourage cooperation and integration among border communities.
He said that the goal was to see how the commission could bring people in border communities together to share from a common facility.
This, according to him, will douse tension and bring some kind of understanding among border communities.
“The bounder communities will share the facilities, which in the long run will bring the people together and eventually reduce tension and boundary conflicts.
“This is a way of encouraging integration and cooperation by encouraging people to come together, relate with one another and engage in beneficial commercial activities.”
Adaji said that a similar initiative was test runed with a borehole, constructed boundary corridor in Ado Local Government Area of Benue state, where it shared boundary with Ebonyi.
“We have also been able to construct some market stalls in the Ebonyi sector of the boundary between Ebonyi and Cross River,” he added.
“So, our appeal is for people to appreciate, cooperate and understand that boundaries are not barriers.
“The boundary line will not stop somebody from owning properties across and that is what we want to partner with the states to educate people along by the boundary corridors. (NAN)