U STAY COOL
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
DTHA: House Committee Chair gets nod of party bigwigs for return bid
The Chairman House Committee on Environment in Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Omawumi Beatrice Udoh has received the nod of PDP bigwigs in Warri South local government to re-contest the Warri south Constituency I Seat in the 2011 general polls.
The lawmaker got the assurance of the party heavy weights Saturday October 2 when she led thousands of her supporters to the Warri South PDP Secretariat to formally declare her intention.
Receiving Hon. Omawumi Udoh at the Secretariat in company of top echelons of the party, including its Delta South Chairman, Hon. Kenneth Efejuku, the Warri South PDP Chairman, Mr. Amah Agbajoh, described the lawmaker as a silent achiever who has done very well and stressed that the party “will not hesitate to assist her”.
Former NDDC Commissioner and kingpin of PDP in the area, Barr. Ada Val Arenyeka in his brief remark at the ceremony enjoined all party faithful “to work towards delivering her” and declared his resolve to back Hon. Udoh’s 3rd term bid.
Speaking earlier, Hon. Omawumi Udoh noted that she was overwhelmed by the large gathering of supporters at the venue and promised to consolidate on her achievements in the House if given the mandate come 2011. She solicited the support of party leaders, even as she vowed that every member of her constituency will be carried along in the initiation of bills.
Hon. Omawumi Udoh had earlier paid a thank you visit to the Warri residence of Delta South PDP leader and Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Sisanmi Otumara who described her as an epitome of humility and prayed God to grant her wisdom in her political pursuit, expressing optimism that Hon. Udoh’s 3rd term bid will come to fruition
Mayuku Declares: Omare, Ayiri, Omadoye, Golly, Pirah, Okudolor back his return bid
No rotational agreement between Ijaw, Itsekiri on constituency- Boro Opudu
By: Tonebsky Nesta
The declaration to run for 3rd term by Hon. Daniel Mayuku Saturday October 2 at the premises of Warri South West Council Secretariat in Ogbe-Ijoh attracted a large gathering of political heavy weights, women, youths and men groups from across the state.
The lawmaker who is the current chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation in Delta State House of Assembly arrived the arena on foot at exactly 12:05pm in company of jubilant youths to a rousing reception. Soon after the chairman of Itsekiri Regional Development Committee, Mr. Mofe Pirah and Delta State Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Frank Omare spoke glowingly about the performance of Hon. Mayuku, the lawmaker who is a lawyer by training made his formal declaration this way, “I have been on errand in the past 7 years doing your mandate. I’m willing and ready to represent the people at the state House of Assembly in the next 4yreas”. He listed the construction of the road leading to Warri South West Council Secretariat as well as the magistrate and customary courts in Ogbe-Ijoh as some of the constituency infrastructural projects he has attracted as a lawmaker.
The Delta State Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Frank Omare in his description of Hon. Mayuku said, “Mayuku respects the Ijaw, middle class and the rich. He should consolidate, most of his projects are in Ogbe-Ijoh”.
The Warri South West Chairman of PDP, Mr. Ayiri Emami averred, “Mayuku has a right to declare his intention, he has the party’s blessing, he has performed very well”.
The Vice Chairman of Warri South West local government, Hon. Blexon Omadoye summed his feelings this way, “Mayuku is a man of the people, he’s a grassroots man. I don’t think he has any opposition, he’s the right person in the right position at the right time”.
Secretary to Warri South West local government, Hon. Emmanuel Golly enthused, “he is free, open hearted and magnanimous. If there’s something above 100%, I will give to him, we know he’ll do more in his 3rd tenure”. On the controversial rotation of the constituency seat in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Golly stated, “there’s nothing like that, the only area was the Chairmanship seat. But this time, it’s turn of the Itsekiri of Benin River, nobody negotiated the House of Assembly with the Ijaws”.
The Chairman of Itsekiri RDC and former aspirant of Warri Federal constituency seat at the National Assembly, Mr. Mofe Pirah declared, “the arena speaks for itself, 5 members of Delta State House of Assembly, Commissioners, people from Isoko, Ibo and the 3 Warris are here. He shows the man has worked very well”.
A House of Assembly hopeful, Chief Vincent Okudolor stated, “he is a man of the people. If the people know you are good to them, they can say go for 3rd or 4th tenure. It’s only when you are bad to the people that they will even go against 2nd tenure”.
Meanwhile frontline PDP Ijaw Youth Leader and CEO of Edy-Bo International Nigeria Limited, Hon. Boro Opudu has debunked insinuations of any rotational agreement between the Ijaws and Itsekiris regarding the Warri South West Constituency Seat, just as he described Hon. Daniel Mayuku as both Itsekiri and Ijaw by living and character.
He put the rotation controversy this way, “there was nothing like that, whether written or verbal. I was part of the peace process and I’m a member of the committee which wrote that memorandum of understanding for the Ijaw and Itsekiri to work together. For the House of Assembly, we did not say one person should go this year, another person should go next year. The only agreement we reached for the position of House of Assembly is for a constituency to be created for the Ijaws of Warri South West”, he quipped.
By: Tonebsky Nesta
The declaration to run for 3rd term by Hon. Daniel Mayuku Saturday October 2 at the premises of Warri South West Council Secretariat in Ogbe-Ijoh attracted a large gathering of political heavy weights, women, youths and men groups from across the state.
The lawmaker who is the current chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation in Delta State House of Assembly arrived the arena on foot at exactly 12:05pm in company of jubilant youths to a rousing reception. Soon after the chairman of Itsekiri Regional Development Committee, Mr. Mofe Pirah and Delta State Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Frank Omare spoke glowingly about the performance of Hon. Mayuku, the lawmaker who is a lawyer by training made his formal declaration this way, “I have been on errand in the past 7 years doing your mandate. I’m willing and ready to represent the people at the state House of Assembly in the next 4yreas”. He listed the construction of the road leading to Warri South West Council Secretariat as well as the magistrate and customary courts in Ogbe-Ijoh as some of the constituency infrastructural projects he has attracted as a lawmaker.
The Delta State Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Frank Omare in his description of Hon. Mayuku said, “Mayuku respects the Ijaw, middle class and the rich. He should consolidate, most of his projects are in Ogbe-Ijoh”.
The Warri South West Chairman of PDP, Mr. Ayiri Emami averred, “Mayuku has a right to declare his intention, he has the party’s blessing, he has performed very well”.
The Vice Chairman of Warri South West local government, Hon. Blexon Omadoye summed his feelings this way, “Mayuku is a man of the people, he’s a grassroots man. I don’t think he has any opposition, he’s the right person in the right position at the right time”.
Secretary to Warri South West local government, Hon. Emmanuel Golly enthused, “he is free, open hearted and magnanimous. If there’s something above 100%, I will give to him, we know he’ll do more in his 3rd tenure”. On the controversial rotation of the constituency seat in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Golly stated, “there’s nothing like that, the only area was the Chairmanship seat. But this time, it’s turn of the Itsekiri of Benin River, nobody negotiated the House of Assembly with the Ijaws”.
The Chairman of Itsekiri RDC and former aspirant of Warri Federal constituency seat at the National Assembly, Mr. Mofe Pirah declared, “the arena speaks for itself, 5 members of Delta State House of Assembly, Commissioners, people from Isoko, Ibo and the 3 Warris are here. He shows the man has worked very well”.
A House of Assembly hopeful, Chief Vincent Okudolor stated, “he is a man of the people. If the people know you are good to them, they can say go for 3rd or 4th tenure. It’s only when you are bad to the people that they will even go against 2nd tenure”.
Meanwhile frontline PDP Ijaw Youth Leader and CEO of Edy-Bo International Nigeria Limited, Hon. Boro Opudu has debunked insinuations of any rotational agreement between the Ijaws and Itsekiris regarding the Warri South West Constituency Seat, just as he described Hon. Daniel Mayuku as both Itsekiri and Ijaw by living and character.
He put the rotation controversy this way, “there was nothing like that, whether written or verbal. I was part of the peace process and I’m a member of the committee which wrote that memorandum of understanding for the Ijaw and Itsekiri to work together. For the House of Assembly, we did not say one person should go this year, another person should go next year. The only agreement we reached for the position of House of Assembly is for a constituency to be created for the Ijaws of Warri South West”, he quipped.
Uduaghan to Omo-Agege: Back your N600 billion squandering allegation with document
By: Tonebsky Nesta
Ahead 2011 gubernatorial poll in Delta State, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has challenged ex Secretary to Delta State government and gubernatorial hopeful, Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege to substantiate his claim with document that he has squandered over 600 billion as Governor of Delta State.
Governor Uduaghan who threw the banter while responding to a reporter’s question on the allegation credited to Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege, added that “those that have been in government before should not throw stones”. Dr. Uduaghan who addressed the Press at a breakfast meeting in his Warri private residence on his intention to rerun as Governor come 2011, stressed his support for the 2011 Presidential bid of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
He quipped, “we can’t be dealing with a better President than that of the South-South indigene”.
The Governor who noted that he is aware of the usual blackmail that goes with governance, stated that he “needs more than 4years to plan for effective development”, adding that “the past 3years has been more of planning”. While disclosing plans by his administration to execute a 5.9billon dollar project for the state next year, Governor Uduaghan averred that “over 14,000” people have been employed in the state “in the last 4years”. He disclosed that as a result of the prevailing peace in the state more investment inquires are being made by investors, while more opportunities for employment are being created in the private secto
Ayiri Emami: I never said I was contesting
By: Jolomi Okotie
Chairman of PDP in Warri South West and CEO of 911 Beach and Resort, Ugborodo, Mr. Ayiri Emami has denied reports that he stepped for Hon. Daniel Reyenieji in the race for Warri federal constituency seat at the National Assembly, insisting that he never told anyone he was contesting.
Mr. Emami who spoke to Fresh Angle in an exclusive chat at Ogbe-Ijoh during the formal declaration of Hon. Daniel Mayuku also noted that as party Chairman he is not aware of any rotational agreement between Ijaw and Itsekiri regarding the local government constituency seat.
The purported sudden withdrawal of Mr. Ayiri Emami came to some of his supporters as surprise, while some political watchers spoken to opine that they never took the aspiration serious in spite of several posters in designated parts of Warri and vehicles specifically decorated with his campaign pictures and that of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.
Chairman of PDP in Warri South West and CEO of 911 Beach and Resort, Ugborodo, Mr. Ayiri Emami has denied reports that he stepped for Hon. Daniel Reyenieji in the race for Warri federal constituency seat at the National Assembly, insisting that he never told anyone he was contesting.
Mr. Emami who spoke to Fresh Angle in an exclusive chat at Ogbe-Ijoh during the formal declaration of Hon. Daniel Mayuku also noted that as party Chairman he is not aware of any rotational agreement between Ijaw and Itsekiri regarding the local government constituency seat.
The purported sudden withdrawal of Mr. Ayiri Emami came to some of his supporters as surprise, while some political watchers spoken to opine that they never took the aspiration serious in spite of several posters in designated parts of Warri and vehicles specifically decorated with his campaign pictures and that of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.
DTHA: Ejele stepping down won’t affect my chances - Tidi
By: Tonebsky Nesta
An aspirant to Delta State House of Assembly in the 2011 general elections, Comrade Michael Ejueyitse Tidi has debunked insinuations making the rounds that the stepping down of Hon. Michael Diden aka Ejele in the race for Warri North Constituency Seat in Delta State House of Assembly will jeopardise his chances in the forthcoming polls.
The House of Assembly hopeful who spoke to Fresh Angle in an exclusive chat in Warri few days after PDP suspended its primaries nationwide, stated that while he won’t want to believe that the former Warri North Council boss has stepped down his House of Assembly aspiration, he noted that even if he has it won’t affect his chances at the polls. When asked if he is worried about intense speculation that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan is disposed to returning all incumbent members of the state House of Assembly, Comrade Tidi responded swiftly, “I’m not perturbed about return of incumbents, the people need change and the change is certain. I represent that change”. The PDP assembly hopeful who did not deny speculation that Hon. Michael Diden is behind him, quipped that he has resigned his job at DESOPADEC to pursue his aspiration, even as he expressed optimism that he’ll get the support of majority of the delegates at the party primaries.
While noting his avid support for Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s return bid to Delta government house, Comrade Michael Diden averred that INEC’s decision not to recognise the Barr. Peter Nwaoboshi led Delta State PDP executive will usher in new breed of politicians in the state and provide a level playing ground for all aspirants.
No apologies for running solo campaign – Akporero • Reveals future presidential ambition
Delta South senatorial aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, Barr. James Oghenero Akporero says he has no apologies for running a solo campaign.
Barr. James Akporero made this assertion in an exclusive interview with Fresh Angle at his Warri campaign office while reacting to a question on why he has not piloted his campaign alongside that of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan like most of the PDP aspirants do. He explained that even though “some people don’t like it” he does not have any apologies, particularly after “I tried the other way it has failed me”.
On the recent report hat INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega has written the PDP National Chairman that he will not recognise 8 state PDP executives including that of Delta, the Ozoro born politician and former House of Representatives aspirant responded swiftly, “I’m only anxious that decision is taken so that I can speak with whoever emerges the PDP executive. I have no sleepless night over change or not of PDP executive”. The senatorial hopeful who disclosed that he has over 172,000 followers worldwide and over 42,000 card carrying members of his Delta South for change initiative, revealed his plan to vie for the presidency of this country some day, hence his decision to build the James Akporero brand. While noting that despite his solo campaign, he’s prepared to negotiate with any aspirant man to man as against servant and boy relationship, Barr. Akporero declared that he’s not bothered about reports of anyone being endorsed by the governor, especially now that the EFCC is making moves to stop con masters from running in 2011.
Governor Uduaghan’s purported endorsement of members of DTHA in 2011 Can’t confirm – Guanah Those are false information – Okudolor I’m not awar
By: Tonebsky Nesta
Following intense speculations making the rounds in Delta State that Governor Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan has purportedly endorsed all members of the State House of Assembly to return in the 2011 poll, your soar away community tabloid sought the views of some aspirants seeking to represent their constituency in the much anticipated polls and they bare their minds this way.
The immediate past Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Development, Barr. Raymos Bolowei Guanah who is seeking to unseat the current Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly in Patani Constituency, Hon. Basil Ganagana in a short message sent to his mobile phone simply responded, “can’t confirm”. The former Special Adviser to ex Governor James Ibori once told Fresh Angle in an exclusive interview that it’s the people of his constituency that will decide who represents them in 2011.
Member of Delta Water ways Security Committee and aspirant to Warri South Constituency II Seat, Chief Vincent Okudolor in an exclusive chat summed his feelings thus, “there’s no information like that, those are false information. The Governor has nobody of his choice, he said he won’t impose any aspirant on another. He has been preaching one man one vote and I know he’ll stand by his words, we are waiting for the primaries and the campaign train is on”.
When asked on telephone if he attended any meeting where the Governor purportedly asked all aspirants in the 3 Warris to step down for incumbents, renowned technocrat and grassroots politician, Mr. Matthew Poko Opuoru who is aspiring to slug it out with Hon. Dennis Omovie for Warri South Constituency II Seat, stated that he’s not aware of any such meeting. He said nobody has told him to drop his ambition, stressing that he’s going ahead with his campaign in preparation for the primaries on the platform of the ruling PDP.
Fresh Angle however gathered that some Itsekiri aspirants within the PDP fold vying for both State and Federal Constituency Seats in the 3 Warri local governments were allegedly told at a caucus meeting in Asaba to drop their aspiration for the incumbents.
Following intense speculations making the rounds in Delta State that Governor Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan has purportedly endorsed all members of the State House of Assembly to return in the 2011 poll, your soar away community tabloid sought the views of some aspirants seeking to represent their constituency in the much anticipated polls and they bare their minds this way.
The immediate past Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Development, Barr. Raymos Bolowei Guanah who is seeking to unseat the current Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly in Patani Constituency, Hon. Basil Ganagana in a short message sent to his mobile phone simply responded, “can’t confirm”. The former Special Adviser to ex Governor James Ibori once told Fresh Angle in an exclusive interview that it’s the people of his constituency that will decide who represents them in 2011.
Member of Delta Water ways Security Committee and aspirant to Warri South Constituency II Seat, Chief Vincent Okudolor in an exclusive chat summed his feelings thus, “there’s no information like that, those are false information. The Governor has nobody of his choice, he said he won’t impose any aspirant on another. He has been preaching one man one vote and I know he’ll stand by his words, we are waiting for the primaries and the campaign train is on”.
When asked on telephone if he attended any meeting where the Governor purportedly asked all aspirants in the 3 Warris to step down for incumbents, renowned technocrat and grassroots politician, Mr. Matthew Poko Opuoru who is aspiring to slug it out with Hon. Dennis Omovie for Warri South Constituency II Seat, stated that he’s not aware of any such meeting. He said nobody has told him to drop his ambition, stressing that he’s going ahead with his campaign in preparation for the primaries on the platform of the ruling PDP.
Fresh Angle however gathered that some Itsekiri aspirants within the PDP fold vying for both State and Federal Constituency Seats in the 3 Warri local governments were allegedly told at a caucus meeting in Asaba to drop their aspiration for the incumbents.
Don’t mortgage your political destiny, Amori tells Urhobos
By: Frank David
From: Ovurie
The Deputy Chairman of Delta State Chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Ighoyota Amori has charged indigenes of Urhobo nation not to mortgage their political destiny for mere material gains as the 2011 elections draw nearer.
The PDP Chieftain gave the charge recently at Ovurie in Ethiope East local government area of Delta State during a consultative visit to drum up support for his 2011senatorial ambition.
The one time Commissioner for Education during ex- Governor James Ibori’s first tenure stated that Delta Central Senatorial district requires tested and proven individuals who are driven by passion to develop the Urhobo nation.
Former Delta State PDP Publicity Secretary, Chief Paul Koko who spoke on behalf of the Ethiope East political leaders present at the occasion, said Chief Amori represents the needed change sort by people of Delta Central at the polls in 2011.
The political leaders in Ethiope East reaffirmed their support for Chief Ighoyota Amori’s quest to run for the position of Delta Central Senatorial seat, saying they are solidly behind him
Chief Paul Koko said Chief Amori as a founding member of Delta State PDP has consistently worked for and defended the corporate image and unity of the party in the state.
He opined that Chief Amori has worked tirelessly for the Urhobo nation politically and has empowered the people socially and economically.
He therefore enjoined all Urhobo sons and daughters to support and vote for the realization of Chief Amori’s 2011 senatorial ambition.
CBN’s clamp down on Coastline, Eagle Flight MCFBs: The Untold Story
By: Tonebsky Nesta
It is no longer news that a total of 13 Micro Finance Banks in Delta State recently had their operational licenses revoked by the Central Bank of Nigeria for various policies which centred on questionable lending policies, but what remains untold are the reasons which led to the bank quakes hence leaving many of its customers in utmost disbelief.
Fresh Angle authoritatively scooped that the listing of Coastline Micro Finance bank situated at the heart of Okere market square and Eagle Flight Micro Finance bank owned by Word of Life Bible Church, is not unconnected with their facilitation of the Delta State government Micro Credit Programme. Impeccable sources in one of these banks which had its doors shut to customers for days told Fresh Angle that the bank’s inability to recoup monies lent out to some beneficiaries of the programme, particularly in the riverine areas led to the CBN’s hammer which is currently threatening its close to 50 man workforce. The sources further revealed that the visit of CBN officials to ascertain the financial state of the bank three days after it was shut to customers showed that the bank’s inability to separate the operations of the Delta Micro Finance Programme, DMCP and that of other credit facility customers, including those servicing their debts monthly and others who aren’t servicing theirs in its accounting books led to the bank’s waterloo.
The Director of Eagle Flight Micro Finance bank, Pastor (Mrs.) Helen Oritsejafor had in a bid to absolve the bank a day after CBN made public the revocation of the 224 micro finance bank licenses told the large gathering of Word of Life Bible Church members in one of its Sunday services that members of the church as well as customers should ignore the CBN statement regarding Eagle Flight, declaring that the bank will not be dissuaded by detractors who are trying to manipulate the process because Eagle Flight Micro Finance bank has a total capital base of 2billion naira, which is well above the CBN requirement. It was not immediately clear as at press time if CBN’s reason of some of the affected banks trying to operate like commercial banks has anything to do with Eagle Flight being listed as liquidated, but Fresh Angle can report that normal banking operations have continued at the bank without any interruption.
Customers and passers-by who stormed Coastline Micro Finance bank Monday September 27 were shocked when they noticed that a brand new car usually displayed at the front of the bank for promotional purpose was removed and the protected covering destroyed. It was reliably gathered that one of the bank’s biggest customers, a prominent indigene of oil rich Ugborodo community (name withheld) drove the car to a nearby police Division after allegedly seizing the key from the bank’s driver who we gathered was detailed to do same with a bid to forestall theft or vandalism.
Fresh Angle can authoritatively report that the customer who drove the car to the police division did so because he deposited a huge some of money in the bank few days to the closure, hence his decision to take custody of the car for a possible recoup of the money should the bank eventually fold up. It was not immediately clear why Creekline Micro Finance bank as well as Erikpo Micro Finance bank both situated in Warri weren’t affected even though they are also used for the DMCP Programme, but there were moves being made by the Director of Coastline, Mrs. Omawumi Atsiangbe Urhobo to ensure that the bank which started operations as community bank resume operations to assuage the fears of its customers, most of whom are civil servants and teachers working in the three Warri local government councils.
It is no longer news that a total of 13 Micro Finance Banks in Delta State recently had their operational licenses revoked by the Central Bank of Nigeria for various policies which centred on questionable lending policies, but what remains untold are the reasons which led to the bank quakes hence leaving many of its customers in utmost disbelief.
Fresh Angle authoritatively scooped that the listing of Coastline Micro Finance bank situated at the heart of Okere market square and Eagle Flight Micro Finance bank owned by Word of Life Bible Church, is not unconnected with their facilitation of the Delta State government Micro Credit Programme. Impeccable sources in one of these banks which had its doors shut to customers for days told Fresh Angle that the bank’s inability to recoup monies lent out to some beneficiaries of the programme, particularly in the riverine areas led to the CBN’s hammer which is currently threatening its close to 50 man workforce. The sources further revealed that the visit of CBN officials to ascertain the financial state of the bank three days after it was shut to customers showed that the bank’s inability to separate the operations of the Delta Micro Finance Programme, DMCP and that of other credit facility customers, including those servicing their debts monthly and others who aren’t servicing theirs in its accounting books led to the bank’s waterloo.
The Director of Eagle Flight Micro Finance bank, Pastor (Mrs.) Helen Oritsejafor had in a bid to absolve the bank a day after CBN made public the revocation of the 224 micro finance bank licenses told the large gathering of Word of Life Bible Church members in one of its Sunday services that members of the church as well as customers should ignore the CBN statement regarding Eagle Flight, declaring that the bank will not be dissuaded by detractors who are trying to manipulate the process because Eagle Flight Micro Finance bank has a total capital base of 2billion naira, which is well above the CBN requirement. It was not immediately clear as at press time if CBN’s reason of some of the affected banks trying to operate like commercial banks has anything to do with Eagle Flight being listed as liquidated, but Fresh Angle can report that normal banking operations have continued at the bank without any interruption.
Customers and passers-by who stormed Coastline Micro Finance bank Monday September 27 were shocked when they noticed that a brand new car usually displayed at the front of the bank for promotional purpose was removed and the protected covering destroyed. It was reliably gathered that one of the bank’s biggest customers, a prominent indigene of oil rich Ugborodo community (name withheld) drove the car to a nearby police Division after allegedly seizing the key from the bank’s driver who we gathered was detailed to do same with a bid to forestall theft or vandalism.
Fresh Angle can authoritatively report that the customer who drove the car to the police division did so because he deposited a huge some of money in the bank few days to the closure, hence his decision to take custody of the car for a possible recoup of the money should the bank eventually fold up. It was not immediately clear why Creekline Micro Finance bank as well as Erikpo Micro Finance bank both situated in Warri weren’t affected even though they are also used for the DMCP Programme, but there were moves being made by the Director of Coastline, Mrs. Omawumi Atsiangbe Urhobo to ensure that the bank which started operations as community bank resume operations to assuage the fears of its customers, most of whom are civil servants and teachers working in the three Warri local government councils.
PDP Woman Leader loses Dad
By: Jolomi Okotie
Peoples Democratic Party Woman Leader in Ekurede/Ugbuwangue Ward 4, Warri South local government, Mrs. Toju Aziz has lost her 85year old father, Pa. Augustine Emit Amiteyekpa alias Umogun.
Pa. Augustine Amiteyekpa who was until his death Spokesman of Ajoki Community in Ikpoba Okha local government area of Edo State and a prominent elder of Oghara Community, Ethiope West local government area in Delta State died after a brief illness at Bethel Clinic, Sapele.
According to Mrs. Toju Aziz, Late Pa. Augustine Emit Amiteyekpa who is survived by 14 children will be laid to rest Saturday November 27 at Arakpa, Oghara, Delta State. Until his death, Pa. Augustine Amiteyekpa who lived most of his life in Sapele was a major distributor to several brewery company, a philanthropist and retiree of Palm Line Limited in the ancient city of Sapele.
DESOPADEC Staff forum commends Uduaghan for reorganizing commission • Says IMC has brought experience, expertise
Staffers of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC have commended Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan for its on-going re-organization of the commission.
At a Press briefing organized in Warri, the commission’s staff acting under the auspices of DESOPADEC Ethnic Nationalities Staff Congress, DENSC, noted that the Governor’s genuine interest has uplifted “the lives of millions of the hitherto impoverished people of the rich oil-bearing parts of the state”.
The statement which was read by the forum’s President, Comrade Agbateyiniro Weyinmi, declared that the Governor’s directives that no worker be dropped and that salaries of workers should not be reviewed downward shows his understanding of the pains people of oil bearing communities are going through as well as the attendant socio-political consequences such an exercise would have had on the people.
They particularly gave plaudits to the Governor for the quality of persons in the team of permanent secretaries he recently appointed as members of the IMC to re-organize the commission. According to them, after a thorough assessment of the activities of the Interim Management Committee, IMC, it became very clear that the IMC has not only brought experience and expertise to bear in their re-organizational exercise, but has also started giving hope to both staff of the commission and other stakeholders.
The statement which was signed by the 15-member DENSC executive assured the Governor of maximum votes from the Itsekiris, Ijaws, Urhobos, Isokos, Ndokwas and other friends as well as brothers in other parts of the state in the 2011 elections as a way of showing their deep appreciation.
The statement also appealed to all traditional rulers, opinion leaders, pressure groups as well as youth and women bodies, particularly those from DESOPADEC coverage areas to exercise patience with the commission’s Interim Management Committee.
At a Press briefing organized in Warri, the commission’s staff acting under the auspices of DESOPADEC Ethnic Nationalities Staff Congress, DENSC, noted that the Governor’s genuine interest has uplifted “the lives of millions of the hitherto impoverished people of the rich oil-bearing parts of the state”.
The statement which was read by the forum’s President, Comrade Agbateyiniro Weyinmi, declared that the Governor’s directives that no worker be dropped and that salaries of workers should not be reviewed downward shows his understanding of the pains people of oil bearing communities are going through as well as the attendant socio-political consequences such an exercise would have had on the people.
They particularly gave plaudits to the Governor for the quality of persons in the team of permanent secretaries he recently appointed as members of the IMC to re-organize the commission. According to them, after a thorough assessment of the activities of the Interim Management Committee, IMC, it became very clear that the IMC has not only brought experience and expertise to bear in their re-organizational exercise, but has also started giving hope to both staff of the commission and other stakeholders.
The statement which was signed by the 15-member DENSC executive assured the Governor of maximum votes from the Itsekiris, Ijaws, Urhobos, Isokos, Ndokwas and other friends as well as brothers in other parts of the state in the 2011 elections as a way of showing their deep appreciation.
The statement also appealed to all traditional rulers, opinion leaders, pressure groups as well as youth and women bodies, particularly those from DESOPADEC coverage areas to exercise patience with the commission’s Interim Management Committee.
POLITICIANS, 2011 AND THE MORPHOLOGY OF INGRATITUDE
CHIEF BOBSON GBINIJE
BOGEP OILS LIMITED
WARRI.
“Man”, notwithstanding philosophical, archeological, anthropological, historical and scientific research through radioactive isotopes e.t.c, remains a mystery – a complex conundrum and a prodigious myth waiting to be unraveled. His chameleonic mien, conduct, disposition, traits, characteristics and idiosyncrasies monumentally attest to these assertions.
The eighteenth century philosopher and poet “John Arbutnot” was flummoxed and bewildered by the “Homosapien” that he asked in his poem “Know Yourself”. “What am I”? “How produced? And for “What end” Whence drew I being? To what period tend? Am I the abandoned orphan of blind chance, dropped by wild atoms in disordered dance? Or from an endless chain of causes wrought? And of unthinking substance born with thought”? The enigmatic labyrinth called ‘man’ gets more complex everyday.
But in the midst of this quandary, “Man” has through emotion and reasoning established a symbiotic and functional relationship with all other things. He has intra and inter human relationships, realizing that as a catholic entity and person it behooves man to husband himself and other things. In making this relationship active and feasible, generosity, beneficence, charity, altruistic commitment and kindness to his kind and others becomes critically crucial.
What do we expect in return for showing kindness and generosity in material or spiritual format? Many will argue that they expect nothing for showing kindness, some will say they except a thank-you and nothing more. Whatever we say is an attestation to the complex nature of “Man”. But in all, a vast majority of people will expect ‘Gratitude’. Have our politicians been grateful to the poverty stricken masses of Nigeria right from 1960 till date?
Gratitude as a human trait lies in the deepest recesses of a noble mind. It entails a form of reciprocal action, an avid desire to show appreciation, gratefulness and recognition of good. It is the driving line between great minds and mundane ones. Ability to show gratitude stimulates and extends the tentacles of altruism and munificence.
Egomaniacs do well and show kindness because they want to be thanked in front of the market place, in front of the church and on radio or television. They are self-seekers. Theirs is, no matter what we say, is termed philanthropy or generosity, but there is a material price in their generosity. But giving or doing good without caring about self is true goodness. Such has a spiritual price. Man is not armed with tools to decipher and competent to judge a true giver, but we know that it is more blessed to be a selfless giver. Let every generosity be hallmarks by gratitude. Will they be grateful the electorate after the 2011 elections.
It is recorded in one of the synoptic Gospels that ten lepers were healed by Jesus Christ only one came back to show gratitude and that one left with Christ’s approval. William Shakespeare the English playwright in his drama piece “Julius Caesar” showed how the great Caesar was attacked by the conspirators and as a Roman War General he wanted to fight back but when he saw his own friend Brutus –a noble man being one of them he became despondent: he said’ “Mark how the blood of Caesar rushed out of doors to see if Brutus so unkindly stabbed and as he plucked his cursed steel away ingratitude and treachery stronger than the traitors hands burst his mighty heart ………… this was most unkindest cut of them all”.
The Nigerian politician has never ever been grateful to the totality of the Nigerian electorate. That is why 99.9% of Nigerians still wallow in the labyrinth of crass poverty and elephantine neglect. We still experience shortage of drinkable water, we have no shelter, no good motorable roads, no medical care facilities, no good schools, pensioners still die on the queue, we still experience psychotic corruption in every strata of leadership. We ask our politicians to show gratitude to the electorate by pursuing the greatest good for the largest number of Nigerians.
In the poem “The Fallen One” by an anonymous writer it tells of a man who worked selflessly for his community but he was later discarded and thrown into the streets during the winter season and through the forest, he was lacerated and buffeted by the torrential winter winds he cried and said “Blow, blow, blow, thou winter but thou art not so unkind as the spirit and sting of ingratitude”. “The quotation has also found a place in the works of many poets and authors condemning ingratitude.
In the Sheridan Comedy “The Rivals” Sir Anthony absolute for his son’s insubordination and ingratitude punished him thus “Don’t enter the same hemisphere with me, don’t dare to breathe the same air or use the same light with me, but get an atmosphere and a sun of your own”.
Ingratitude is tenebrous, wicked and a ghoulishly teratoid trait in man. It is a gross inability to show appreciation, gratefulness and thanks in the face of obvious and clear-out assistance. It unearths the biblical “Cain – Strings” in man. Ingratitude delimitates and short-circuits goodness. It smacks of Neanderthal man’s instinctual primordialities and breeds secular humanism – a consummate belief in self. That all I have, all I am and all I shall become are within my purview and powers only.
Secular humanism has become the Modus and Locus of the modern era, it tends to over-emphasize man and de-emphasizes “GOD”. We claim and boast that all our successes are by dint of our hard work. We in all honesty know that this is a brutal lie. God puts everything in place. He fine-tunes the logistics, perfects the strategies and orchestrates the actions that led to whatever we have achieved. Little-man is too full of himself that he arrogates to himself false dignities and claims God’s glory by showing gross ingratitude to him. Will our politicians continue to stew in the irreverence of ingratitude after 2011?
Ingratitude to God is the crux, the locus classicus, the fons et origo and the initium et finis of the purport of secular humanism. Ingratitude to God is based on our inability to understand our roles on earth. We think that the acquisition of material abundance is the sole purpose of life on earth and man will stop at nothing in bringing it to pass in his life-time. But in all honesty unless the lord builds the house, they labour in vain who builds it. God is it. He alone bringeth good things to pass. Forget about the prosperity of the wicked their properties will be inherited by God’s own. Let us not turn around and kick the ladder by which we climbed, God is the ladder, without which man would have been completely vulnerable and empty.
Jane Eyre talking about vanity and susceptibility of man said “Man but proud man dressed in little brief authority best assured of what he is most ignorant and plays such fantastic tricks before high heavens as make the angel weep”. There is no ratiocination or syllogistics reasoning that will ever come near to disputing God’s total presence in all our endeavors, but man’s refusal to commit it to him but rather believing in themselves has always led to negative results. Man will fail you and you will fail yourself unless you commit it all into God’s hands. This is a prophetic prologue to avoid a tragic interlude.
The wreath of life is decorated, festooned and embroidered with travails, traumas and tribulations. It is only God’s presence that can determine where you stand in the midst of it all. Life is not for empty pursuits, it is to seek, find and serve God and then all other things can be added unto us. The essayist “Ingersoil” said “life is not , Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die”. It is rather “Let us put our heads together and serve mankind thence serving God”. Happiness is where you are, when you are there and your own happiness is concretized by that you put in other people’s lives. This is latently corroborated by Van Dyke – he said, “ There is a loftier ambition than merely standing high in the world. It is to stoop down and lift mankind a little – higher”. Dyke is a legal luminary, essayist and poet.
There can never be any acceptable rationalization of our ingratitude. We can only show gratitude to God through service to man. If we take offence at the ingratitude of “Man” to us having shown them generosity. How then does God not feel chagrined at man’s ingratitude to him. Wilfred Greenfield said, “The service we render to others is really the rent we pay for our room on this earth. It is obvious that man himself is a traveler, the purpose of this world is not “To have and to hold” but to give and to serve”. Alexander Pope, Poet and essayist in his poem “Essay on man” observed that, “man, like the generous vine, supports lives; the strength he gains is from the embrace he gives”. Will our politicians ever learn from this morphology of ingratitude?
Man has nothing to offer God except total submission to his will. He can abundantly reflect this through service to man. Man should realize that he is weak and empty without God except total submission to his will. He can abundantly reflect this through service to man. In Thomas Gray’s “Elegy written in a country church yard” he noted the ephemerality and transient nature of man’s life in the face of his arrogance and moribund pursuit of carnal things. He said, “The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power and all that beauty, all that wealth ever gave, awaits alike, the inevitable hour, the paths of glory lead but to the grave”. Man is emptiness festooned with lucent glamour- a Barmecidal - dish.
It is tantamount to a display of banal ingratitude to a friend who in a boundless demonstration of compassionate comradeship decides to assist us in time of need only for us to mock, traduce and blackmail him behind his back. This fiendish spirit of ingratitude has stopped most people from doing good and this has surreptitiously injected individualism into the world. ingratitude has murdered philanthropy.
A little soft thank you, an acknowledgement, a recognition, a genuflection, a passionate apology and a good retort to somebody who has done something good to us is a laudable and noble reflection of gratitude. Though little, but it shows the greatness in little thing. Scott Arnold the essayist said, “Little things are but little things, but carefulness in them is noble and when put in the right places go a long way”.
Do we do good because we expect a reward and a pay back? Some do good to those they know can also do to them, quite a miniscule few do “good for goodness sake” man must realize that there is always a reward for doing good, but the reward is more bounteous when it comes from God. Do good and leave the rest to God. It is tantamount again to secular humanism if you do good to those we hope to get reciprocal action from, it is more blessed to do good to the needy and poor. Extrapolating Ella Wilcox, ”Dollar’s planted in the soil of benevolence grow into harvest of prosperity”.
In the book “The great controversy” by e.g. White, we era told that when emperor Charles V ascended the throne of Germany he was by papal bull or the papists mandate asked to carry out wanton persecution of “Doctor Luther” the reformist. But the quick intervention of the ‘Elector of Saxony, to whom Charles V was greatly indebted on account of his throne, he discountenanced the order. This is a splendid display of gratitude because when he was fighting to ascend the throne the “Elector of Saxony” stood by him. Gratitude is a noble virtue registered and cultivated in great minds. Like the quality of mercy, the quality of gratitude is not strained, it dropped as the gentle rains from heaven and it is twice blessed, him that giveth and him that recieveth. It is a pity, and indeed a pity beyond all telling, a wondrous pity indeed that “man” can be ungrateful. Ingratitude is a monster too hideous to behold.
The icon Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe cherished the virtues of humility and gratitude. He gave tacit endorsement to these virtues anytime he delivered a panegyrical speech. A case in point was in May 4th 1949 when he admonished the inimitable unionist Pa Imoudu he said “Courage brother courage, do not stumble or falter. Through the path be dark as night; there is a star to guide the humble and grateful……. Trust in God and do the right” ingratitude as a noxious and egregious conduct will imperceptibly but inexorable lead on to the perilous path of doom.
Gratitude to God is the height of it all. That is where our lives lie and that is where our peace can come from. Augustine of Hippo supported by Saint Francis of Assisi said, “Man is a being that cannot find happiness outside God, for only through him and in him can there be that “Peace” that passeth all understanding”.
Under any situation let gratitude to the almighty God be the signet and guiding light of our lives. Gratitude is euphony and euphony is the greatest form of prayers. It is a tragedy of eternal proportion for man to lack this virtue. We are told the story of exemplary gratitude in Germany. “A young man lay on an operating table. A skilled surgeon stood next to him and a group of his students were nearby. The surgeon said to the patient, “If you wish to say anything before we administer the anesthetics, now is your opportunity for I must warn you that they will be the last words you will ever utter in this world. The young man understood for his tongue was to be removed because of cancer.
What words should he choose for such an occasion? After a long pause, he said “Thank God for Jesus Christ”. Can we say the same” to appreciate God’s many gifts. First thank Him for His greatest gift in Christ Jesus.
Gratitude to God stimulates all commendable traits in man, love, brotherhood, kindness, charity and altruism. Why is man ungrateful? This again takes us into the complex being called Man for Alexander Pope warns, ”know then thyself, presume not God to scan; the proper study of mankind is man”. Let man introspectively unearth his grotesque inner-man in him and come out and over with an eternal cure for himself. This will build great universal bridges across the world. The basic foundation of gratitude and man shall have become fully explored and understood.
Pastor and lecturer Thomas Dewitt Talmage (1832 – 1902) told the story of an accident that occurred on a ferry on one of the great lakes. “A little girl standing by the rail suddenly lost her balance and fell overboard. “Save my child” cried the frantic mother, Lying on the deck was a great Newfoundland dog, which plunged into the water at the command of his mother. Swimming to the girl he took hold of her clothing with teeth and brought her to the side of the boat, where both were lifted to safety. Although still frightened, the little girl threw her arms around that big shabby dog and kissed him again and again. It seemed a natural and appropriate thing to do.
Likewise a response of love and gratitude should flow from every person who has been rescued by the Saviour through his self- abnegation and self-sacrificing death on the cross. He came from heaven’s glory to suffer and die that we might have eternal life. A good attitude towards life begins with gratitude toward God. Charles Dickens had a poor, hopeful and grateful character say “my not knowing at one meal where I shall get the organic fibre of our lives.
Gratitude is the common denominator with which the latent values of goodness and blessings from God are expressed. It has an all-embracing outreach. Be it in Islamism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastanism, Confucianism, Eckism, Paganism etc. Gratitude remains a magisterial and imperious plinth of reaching out to the Almighty (Light, God, Allah etc). But call the Almighty one by any name he remains the same Almighty One.
In recognition of the importance of practicing good as a means of enthusing Allah and committing our lives to him and not to our empty self-secular humanism, the Holy Koran admonishes in Ayat 4 Surat 173 that “Allah will reward those that have faith and do good works. He will enrich them from his own abundance. As for those who are scornful and proud, he will sternly punish them and they shall find none beside Allah to protect or help them” there is no victory and peace anywhere except in the – Almighty One. Allah promises further in Ayat 19 Surat 9 “As for those that believe and do good works, Allah will guide them through their faith. Rivers will run beneath them in the gardens of delight. Their prayers there will be glory to you, Lord and their greetings peace’. Praise be unto Allah, Lord of the creation, will be the last of their prayers”.
Finally, let us begin to see “Humanity” as one big happy family created and continuously called by the Almighty to come and know him in truth and in spirit so that we can show him the gratitude befittingly due him. We should show great love to his creation through generosity, for if thou doeth it to one of this little ones, thou doeth unto me. Let us not lilliputanise his person through our megalomaniacal self – seeking arrogance. He is a God and not man. He is the real indescribable and unfathomable conundrum that has provided love, gratitude and faith as the only “Key” to unravel the “empty dust” called man. “Man know thy self”. Politicians must learn from the morphology of ingratitude come 2011 otherwise they will be singing their own nunc dimities.
BOGEP OILS LIMITED
WARRI.
“Man”, notwithstanding philosophical, archeological, anthropological, historical and scientific research through radioactive isotopes e.t.c, remains a mystery – a complex conundrum and a prodigious myth waiting to be unraveled. His chameleonic mien, conduct, disposition, traits, characteristics and idiosyncrasies monumentally attest to these assertions.
The eighteenth century philosopher and poet “John Arbutnot” was flummoxed and bewildered by the “Homosapien” that he asked in his poem “Know Yourself”. “What am I”? “How produced? And for “What end” Whence drew I being? To what period tend? Am I the abandoned orphan of blind chance, dropped by wild atoms in disordered dance? Or from an endless chain of causes wrought? And of unthinking substance born with thought”? The enigmatic labyrinth called ‘man’ gets more complex everyday.
But in the midst of this quandary, “Man” has through emotion and reasoning established a symbiotic and functional relationship with all other things. He has intra and inter human relationships, realizing that as a catholic entity and person it behooves man to husband himself and other things. In making this relationship active and feasible, generosity, beneficence, charity, altruistic commitment and kindness to his kind and others becomes critically crucial.
What do we expect in return for showing kindness and generosity in material or spiritual format? Many will argue that they expect nothing for showing kindness, some will say they except a thank-you and nothing more. Whatever we say is an attestation to the complex nature of “Man”. But in all, a vast majority of people will expect ‘Gratitude’. Have our politicians been grateful to the poverty stricken masses of Nigeria right from 1960 till date?
Gratitude as a human trait lies in the deepest recesses of a noble mind. It entails a form of reciprocal action, an avid desire to show appreciation, gratefulness and recognition of good. It is the driving line between great minds and mundane ones. Ability to show gratitude stimulates and extends the tentacles of altruism and munificence.
Egomaniacs do well and show kindness because they want to be thanked in front of the market place, in front of the church and on radio or television. They are self-seekers. Theirs is, no matter what we say, is termed philanthropy or generosity, but there is a material price in their generosity. But giving or doing good without caring about self is true goodness. Such has a spiritual price. Man is not armed with tools to decipher and competent to judge a true giver, but we know that it is more blessed to be a selfless giver. Let every generosity be hallmarks by gratitude. Will they be grateful the electorate after the 2011 elections.
It is recorded in one of the synoptic Gospels that ten lepers were healed by Jesus Christ only one came back to show gratitude and that one left with Christ’s approval. William Shakespeare the English playwright in his drama piece “Julius Caesar” showed how the great Caesar was attacked by the conspirators and as a Roman War General he wanted to fight back but when he saw his own friend Brutus –a noble man being one of them he became despondent: he said’ “Mark how the blood of Caesar rushed out of doors to see if Brutus so unkindly stabbed and as he plucked his cursed steel away ingratitude and treachery stronger than the traitors hands burst his mighty heart ………… this was most unkindest cut of them all”.
The Nigerian politician has never ever been grateful to the totality of the Nigerian electorate. That is why 99.9% of Nigerians still wallow in the labyrinth of crass poverty and elephantine neglect. We still experience shortage of drinkable water, we have no shelter, no good motorable roads, no medical care facilities, no good schools, pensioners still die on the queue, we still experience psychotic corruption in every strata of leadership. We ask our politicians to show gratitude to the electorate by pursuing the greatest good for the largest number of Nigerians.
In the poem “The Fallen One” by an anonymous writer it tells of a man who worked selflessly for his community but he was later discarded and thrown into the streets during the winter season and through the forest, he was lacerated and buffeted by the torrential winter winds he cried and said “Blow, blow, blow, thou winter but thou art not so unkind as the spirit and sting of ingratitude”. “The quotation has also found a place in the works of many poets and authors condemning ingratitude.
In the Sheridan Comedy “The Rivals” Sir Anthony absolute for his son’s insubordination and ingratitude punished him thus “Don’t enter the same hemisphere with me, don’t dare to breathe the same air or use the same light with me, but get an atmosphere and a sun of your own”.
Ingratitude is tenebrous, wicked and a ghoulishly teratoid trait in man. It is a gross inability to show appreciation, gratefulness and thanks in the face of obvious and clear-out assistance. It unearths the biblical “Cain – Strings” in man. Ingratitude delimitates and short-circuits goodness. It smacks of Neanderthal man’s instinctual primordialities and breeds secular humanism – a consummate belief in self. That all I have, all I am and all I shall become are within my purview and powers only.
Secular humanism has become the Modus and Locus of the modern era, it tends to over-emphasize man and de-emphasizes “GOD”. We claim and boast that all our successes are by dint of our hard work. We in all honesty know that this is a brutal lie. God puts everything in place. He fine-tunes the logistics, perfects the strategies and orchestrates the actions that led to whatever we have achieved. Little-man is too full of himself that he arrogates to himself false dignities and claims God’s glory by showing gross ingratitude to him. Will our politicians continue to stew in the irreverence of ingratitude after 2011?
Ingratitude to God is the crux, the locus classicus, the fons et origo and the initium et finis of the purport of secular humanism. Ingratitude to God is based on our inability to understand our roles on earth. We think that the acquisition of material abundance is the sole purpose of life on earth and man will stop at nothing in bringing it to pass in his life-time. But in all honesty unless the lord builds the house, they labour in vain who builds it. God is it. He alone bringeth good things to pass. Forget about the prosperity of the wicked their properties will be inherited by God’s own. Let us not turn around and kick the ladder by which we climbed, God is the ladder, without which man would have been completely vulnerable and empty.
Jane Eyre talking about vanity and susceptibility of man said “Man but proud man dressed in little brief authority best assured of what he is most ignorant and plays such fantastic tricks before high heavens as make the angel weep”. There is no ratiocination or syllogistics reasoning that will ever come near to disputing God’s total presence in all our endeavors, but man’s refusal to commit it to him but rather believing in themselves has always led to negative results. Man will fail you and you will fail yourself unless you commit it all into God’s hands. This is a prophetic prologue to avoid a tragic interlude.
The wreath of life is decorated, festooned and embroidered with travails, traumas and tribulations. It is only God’s presence that can determine where you stand in the midst of it all. Life is not for empty pursuits, it is to seek, find and serve God and then all other things can be added unto us. The essayist “Ingersoil” said “life is not , Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die”. It is rather “Let us put our heads together and serve mankind thence serving God”. Happiness is where you are, when you are there and your own happiness is concretized by that you put in other people’s lives. This is latently corroborated by Van Dyke – he said, “ There is a loftier ambition than merely standing high in the world. It is to stoop down and lift mankind a little – higher”. Dyke is a legal luminary, essayist and poet.
There can never be any acceptable rationalization of our ingratitude. We can only show gratitude to God through service to man. If we take offence at the ingratitude of “Man” to us having shown them generosity. How then does God not feel chagrined at man’s ingratitude to him. Wilfred Greenfield said, “The service we render to others is really the rent we pay for our room on this earth. It is obvious that man himself is a traveler, the purpose of this world is not “To have and to hold” but to give and to serve”. Alexander Pope, Poet and essayist in his poem “Essay on man” observed that, “man, like the generous vine, supports lives; the strength he gains is from the embrace he gives”. Will our politicians ever learn from this morphology of ingratitude?
Man has nothing to offer God except total submission to his will. He can abundantly reflect this through service to man. Man should realize that he is weak and empty without God except total submission to his will. He can abundantly reflect this through service to man. In Thomas Gray’s “Elegy written in a country church yard” he noted the ephemerality and transient nature of man’s life in the face of his arrogance and moribund pursuit of carnal things. He said, “The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power and all that beauty, all that wealth ever gave, awaits alike, the inevitable hour, the paths of glory lead but to the grave”. Man is emptiness festooned with lucent glamour- a Barmecidal - dish.
It is tantamount to a display of banal ingratitude to a friend who in a boundless demonstration of compassionate comradeship decides to assist us in time of need only for us to mock, traduce and blackmail him behind his back. This fiendish spirit of ingratitude has stopped most people from doing good and this has surreptitiously injected individualism into the world. ingratitude has murdered philanthropy.
A little soft thank you, an acknowledgement, a recognition, a genuflection, a passionate apology and a good retort to somebody who has done something good to us is a laudable and noble reflection of gratitude. Though little, but it shows the greatness in little thing. Scott Arnold the essayist said, “Little things are but little things, but carefulness in them is noble and when put in the right places go a long way”.
Do we do good because we expect a reward and a pay back? Some do good to those they know can also do to them, quite a miniscule few do “good for goodness sake” man must realize that there is always a reward for doing good, but the reward is more bounteous when it comes from God. Do good and leave the rest to God. It is tantamount again to secular humanism if you do good to those we hope to get reciprocal action from, it is more blessed to do good to the needy and poor. Extrapolating Ella Wilcox, ”Dollar’s planted in the soil of benevolence grow into harvest of prosperity”.
In the book “The great controversy” by e.g. White, we era told that when emperor Charles V ascended the throne of Germany he was by papal bull or the papists mandate asked to carry out wanton persecution of “Doctor Luther” the reformist. But the quick intervention of the ‘Elector of Saxony, to whom Charles V was greatly indebted on account of his throne, he discountenanced the order. This is a splendid display of gratitude because when he was fighting to ascend the throne the “Elector of Saxony” stood by him. Gratitude is a noble virtue registered and cultivated in great minds. Like the quality of mercy, the quality of gratitude is not strained, it dropped as the gentle rains from heaven and it is twice blessed, him that giveth and him that recieveth. It is a pity, and indeed a pity beyond all telling, a wondrous pity indeed that “man” can be ungrateful. Ingratitude is a monster too hideous to behold.
The icon Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe cherished the virtues of humility and gratitude. He gave tacit endorsement to these virtues anytime he delivered a panegyrical speech. A case in point was in May 4th 1949 when he admonished the inimitable unionist Pa Imoudu he said “Courage brother courage, do not stumble or falter. Through the path be dark as night; there is a star to guide the humble and grateful……. Trust in God and do the right” ingratitude as a noxious and egregious conduct will imperceptibly but inexorable lead on to the perilous path of doom.
Gratitude to God is the height of it all. That is where our lives lie and that is where our peace can come from. Augustine of Hippo supported by Saint Francis of Assisi said, “Man is a being that cannot find happiness outside God, for only through him and in him can there be that “Peace” that passeth all understanding”.
Under any situation let gratitude to the almighty God be the signet and guiding light of our lives. Gratitude is euphony and euphony is the greatest form of prayers. It is a tragedy of eternal proportion for man to lack this virtue. We are told the story of exemplary gratitude in Germany. “A young man lay on an operating table. A skilled surgeon stood next to him and a group of his students were nearby. The surgeon said to the patient, “If you wish to say anything before we administer the anesthetics, now is your opportunity for I must warn you that they will be the last words you will ever utter in this world. The young man understood for his tongue was to be removed because of cancer.
What words should he choose for such an occasion? After a long pause, he said “Thank God for Jesus Christ”. Can we say the same” to appreciate God’s many gifts. First thank Him for His greatest gift in Christ Jesus.
Gratitude to God stimulates all commendable traits in man, love, brotherhood, kindness, charity and altruism. Why is man ungrateful? This again takes us into the complex being called Man for Alexander Pope warns, ”know then thyself, presume not God to scan; the proper study of mankind is man”. Let man introspectively unearth his grotesque inner-man in him and come out and over with an eternal cure for himself. This will build great universal bridges across the world. The basic foundation of gratitude and man shall have become fully explored and understood.
Pastor and lecturer Thomas Dewitt Talmage (1832 – 1902) told the story of an accident that occurred on a ferry on one of the great lakes. “A little girl standing by the rail suddenly lost her balance and fell overboard. “Save my child” cried the frantic mother, Lying on the deck was a great Newfoundland dog, which plunged into the water at the command of his mother. Swimming to the girl he took hold of her clothing with teeth and brought her to the side of the boat, where both were lifted to safety. Although still frightened, the little girl threw her arms around that big shabby dog and kissed him again and again. It seemed a natural and appropriate thing to do.
Likewise a response of love and gratitude should flow from every person who has been rescued by the Saviour through his self- abnegation and self-sacrificing death on the cross. He came from heaven’s glory to suffer and die that we might have eternal life. A good attitude towards life begins with gratitude toward God. Charles Dickens had a poor, hopeful and grateful character say “my not knowing at one meal where I shall get the organic fibre of our lives.
Gratitude is the common denominator with which the latent values of goodness and blessings from God are expressed. It has an all-embracing outreach. Be it in Islamism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastanism, Confucianism, Eckism, Paganism etc. Gratitude remains a magisterial and imperious plinth of reaching out to the Almighty (Light, God, Allah etc). But call the Almighty one by any name he remains the same Almighty One.
In recognition of the importance of practicing good as a means of enthusing Allah and committing our lives to him and not to our empty self-secular humanism, the Holy Koran admonishes in Ayat 4 Surat 173 that “Allah will reward those that have faith and do good works. He will enrich them from his own abundance. As for those who are scornful and proud, he will sternly punish them and they shall find none beside Allah to protect or help them” there is no victory and peace anywhere except in the – Almighty One. Allah promises further in Ayat 19 Surat 9 “As for those that believe and do good works, Allah will guide them through their faith. Rivers will run beneath them in the gardens of delight. Their prayers there will be glory to you, Lord and their greetings peace’. Praise be unto Allah, Lord of the creation, will be the last of their prayers”.
Finally, let us begin to see “Humanity” as one big happy family created and continuously called by the Almighty to come and know him in truth and in spirit so that we can show him the gratitude befittingly due him. We should show great love to his creation through generosity, for if thou doeth it to one of this little ones, thou doeth unto me. Let us not lilliputanise his person through our megalomaniacal self – seeking arrogance. He is a God and not man. He is the real indescribable and unfathomable conundrum that has provided love, gratitude and faith as the only “Key” to unravel the “empty dust” called man. “Man know thy self”. Politicians must learn from the morphology of ingratitude come 2011 otherwise they will be singing their own nunc dimities.
UDUAGHAN, CRITICISMS AND THE DIALECTICS OF RELATIVISM
CHIEF BOBSON GBINIJE
BOGEP OILS LIMITED
WARRI.
Encapsulated in rhapsodic ebullience hallmarked by serendipity were Christopher Columbus on the discovery of the Western Hemisphere, Luigi and Lucia Galvani on discovery of the theory of galvanism, Volta on the production of electric current by conduct of two dissimilar metals – and thus the invention of the battery, Faraday on magnetism, Achimedes on his mathematical principles, Cyrus W. Field on his projection of the First Altantic Cable, William Penn the British Quaker who founded the colony of Pennsylvania, Leonardo da Vinci on Mona Lisa and others too numerous to mention.
In his poem “The Volunteer Day” .C. Lewis took an emotional and retrospective glance at the travails, trauma and tribulations of the volunteers of war for ancient England. “It was not fraud or foolishness, glory, revenge or pay. We came because our open eyes could see no other way. There was no other way to keep man’s flickering truth alight. These stars will witness that our course burned briefer, not less bright”. So also the altruistic fervour of these inventors. They stood between Scylla and charybdis, critics and kill – sports, but with dogged pertinacity, the punctiliousness of a Spaniard and Trojan perseverance they were able to move mankind forward. Critics were their best friends and their worst enemies in the journey.
Man is Hegelianly imperfect. Perfection is nowhere within the purview of man – hence imperfection is a uni – ovular twin with man. Given this state of imperfection – mistakes, defects, shortfalls, indisposition, and even death becomes a concomitant of man and his activities. Longfellow asserts that “no man is an island unto himself”. In the light of these, social, political, cultural and educational engineering processes heightened a concatenation of events that gave rise to “the society” and the social contract”. In professions, men, women, students and critics contribute their quota towards ensuring a viable “social contract” ideally the critic is the argo – eyed spectator who sees a better part of the game. He mirrors – in and mirrors – out activities through communication engineering, information technology and information management, seeing the world as a global village.
A critic should have a profound and all - embracing understanding of his profession and goings – on in society and the world, to enable him form informed opinions and views. A critic, say in “architecture” must have and know the nuts and bolts of the architectural profession, the basics of architectonics” – construction, designs, planning, framework, style and history of designs. He should have hindsight, cognate experience, formal and informal training. He should be master of situations and not situations mastering him.
Karl popper a foremost authority on criticism asserts in his books “the open society and its enemies chapters 22, 23 and 24 and conjectures and refutations” chapter 10 [routledge and kegan paul, 1963] that “ the institutionalization of criticism is the basic precondition of improving social and politically, there are good and bad rulers and also good and bad critics, but that in any situation criticism must be institutionalized”. Which good critic will want to work under a bad or dictatorial ruler and vice versa. The courage or foolhardiness of the critic is brought to the fore here.
A good critic must espouse the good course to enable society move forward. The Aristolelian concept of the pursuit of the greatest good for largest number should be his diadem and garlands of honour with which he is festooned even unto death. Is there such a critic? “Few”. A critic is a human being and unless he is given the enabling environment he cannot appropriately deliver. Though many have climbed to the pinnacle of martyrdom in it and they have changed the world for the better.
No critic would have liked to work against Hitler during the slaughtering of the Jews, Idi Amin “Dada of Uganda, Hastings Kamuzo Banda, Stalin, Mobutu Seseko, Sani Abacha and Tsars of Soviet Russia. e.t.c. The beauty of democracy is in its upholding the rule of law, the rights of critics and citizenry at large. This writer has always been a critic of government’s actions right from the military era to the civilian era. He suffered threats from the military juntas but under the civilian administrations he has written and spoken of and about government’s actions without any molestations. This is the beauty of democracy which I think Governor Uduaghan has been able to uphold.
Apart from dictatorship another problem the critic faces is lack of tools to do his work and democracy. But he should not develop, in Marxian dialectics, “An inverted attitude to an inverted world” the profession and every facet of life is literally closed because there is no mirroring – out. There is communication Erebus as there is no way to get information except from government propaganda machinery and literary hirelings. Nobody knows what is going on except what they want you to know. Wherever information is hoodwinked, teleguided and unnecessarily classified, it precipitates information imperialism, news autocracy and the messiah complex.
The first tool of a good critic be it in philosophy, politics, religion, mathematics, arts and the sciences e.t.c. is the “fact”, yes the raw facts. Not deductive and speculative reasoning but researched and proven truth. This is the one basic and inobliterable plinth on which the “art of criticism” rotates. A critic must be an effervescence of information and not exiguous of it. He should not hide under the “capacious umbrella” of generalization, social forces, livid analogy, kiekgard’s existentialist determinant, bias and subjectivity.
If he appears as a newspaper columnist, commentator, an arbiter, wine connoisseur, book reviewer, arts pundit, an expositor in a colloquium, seminar and symposia, an evaluator, a judge of formal standard, professional analyst and an authority on the subject then he is a critic.
But when a critic resorts to being a paid hack, pen–outrage, an animadversionist, bad press, brickbats, disparaging flak, querulous fault – finder, a detractor, momus and stricture – possessed. Then, there is paradigm shift and normative gap in the practice, he is a bad critic, but in a bad society he is a “heroic critic” – the plural impasse.
The French philosopher Rene Descartes asked himself “what is that we know certainly? The answer is obvious. But he asked and concluded that he was certain he could think and from that he inferred his existence – cogito ergo sum [I think: therefore I exist]. So also do I wish to state with unmistakable exactitude that society has bad and good critics. But a pot – pouri of bad government and the larger society made them what they are.
Since perfection is outside the reach of man what is the middle of the road approach and personality of the “dynamic critic” of the modern era that will be able to move society forward? It is an unacceptable over–simplification to assert that he is either good or bad. No, that betrays uncompromising intransigence. He should be near–good or near bad, not perfectly bad or perfectly good. But in assessing Governor Uduaghan’s performances it must be based on observable verification. The laudable three point agenda has received cardinal attention. His dream of the dualization of the 167 kilometers Asaba - Ughelli Road, completion of the Asaba International Airport, The Delta State ICT Park Asaba ,The Osubi second run way, Warri Industrial Park, Koko Export Free Zone, 250 Mega watt of Power Project (IPP) and increase in Micro-Businesses operating in the clusters funded by the State Micro Credit Scheme. This should form the basis of a balanced criticism of Governor Uduaghan
In his “Ideology and Utopia” Professor K. Mannheim was greatly rebuffed by Dr. Bhikhu Parekh Lecturer Department of Political Studies University of Hull for his taking sociology of knowledge as his answer to Ideology and criticism. He asserted” …………. Like moral ideals that cannot all be achieved these demands cannot all be met. In heightening up its concept or achieving comprehensiveness, a theory or criticism may lose in empirical richness. In trying to be “absolutely accurate” it might become as chaotic as the reality itself losing in coherence what it gains in suggestiveness. As no criticism possesses all the qualities one ideally expects in it, beyond a certain point, the choice between them is a matter of individual discretion. Objectivity or partiality therefore, is not the only or even always the highest virtue in critics. If a discipline is dominated by a single body of assumptions that its professionally socialized practitioners unconsciously assume to be self-evidently true, there is much to be said for advancing or accepting an extreme criticism in order to stir them into critical self-reexamination and to encourage a radical reappraisal of the concepting tools of the discipline since objectivity and impartiality are achieved as a result of the clash of subjectivity and partiality, falsehood and extremism often make most worthwhile contributions to the discovery of “Truth”.
Dennis J.O Haan in his treatise “HASTY CONCLUSION” said “A Persian king wanted to teach his four sons never to make rash judgment. So he told the eldest to go in winter to see a mango tree, the next to go in spring, the third in summer and the youngest in fall. After the last son had returned form his autumn visit, the king called them together to describe what they had observed. “It looks like a burnt old stump said the eldest”. No. “said the second, “ it is lacy green”. The third describe it as “Beautiful as a Rose”. The youngest said, No, its Fruit is like a pear”. Each is right, “said the king”. For each of you saw the tree in a different season”. This didactic jeremiad serves to caution the critic that given the multi-dimensionality of thought we can only see a portion of the truth at any point in time and hence can not be “Completely Right”. Hence, whether Uduaghan has done well in his first tenure in office is a matter of political opinion informed by prejudices or the truth.
The “Dynamic critic” of the modern era should be able to develop a comprehensive basis of vision, a dynamic and synthetic viewpoint that encompasses, explains and integrates conflicting perspectives with truth and the love of society as the signet of his actions. Critics have always been buffeted by parochialism in government, Religion and Philosophical cycles etc. Socratics, Plato, Aristotle Isaac Newton, Galileo, Sigmund Freud, Hobbes, Locke, Kant, Voltaire, Helvetius, Bentham and Adam Smith were victims.
Why do men criticize? There are two schools of thought in this regards. One says men generally do what they do because of selfish interest and the other says for the general good. In the psychological theory of human interest and action as initiated by Hobbes, refined by Locke, and perfected by the thinkers of the French enlightenment. Man, it was argued, was essentially a practical homosapien, to make the world a habitable place.
Reason, it was argued further, was set in motion by human desires, indeed, it was created by desires, so that the more a man desired the greater the stimulus he had to think and therefore the greater his reason. As Voltaire in his “Treatise of Metaphysics” remarked “The passions are the wheels which make all these machines go round”. Vauvenargues reflected the same attitude in his “introduction to knowledge of human mind”. When he concluded that the true nature of man did not lie in reason but in passions. Helvetius observed in his “Treatise of Man” that reason in itself was insert and was set in motion only by desire. Bentham argued, further, that of all human passions the concern for personal interest was the most powerful, most important, most uniform, most lasting and most general. Adam Smith corroborates this view in his belief that it is natural for man to prefer himself to mankind; indeed, he argued that this desire comes with us from the womb and never leaves until we die. It is clear, that, man acts out of personal interest but in some cases man acts out of a genuine desire to improve - his kind and move the world forward.
In all the critic’s endeavor let him allow conscience, nurtured by truth to be his guiding light, Shakespeare agrees thus “ To thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night the day. Thou canst not then be false to any other man”, for its only this that can salvage the critic from the “ Plural Impasse”. It is clear from this dialectical, intellectual and analytical discourse that in looking at the achievement tapestry of his Excellency the Executive Governor of Delta State Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan it can be safely said that he deserves a second term. This will bring into political equilibrium the political algebra and calculus among the political microcosm in the macrocosm in Delta State. Apart from that his achievements lends credence to his desire to campaign for a 2ND TERM.
God Bless Delta State.
BOGEP OILS LIMITED
WARRI.
Encapsulated in rhapsodic ebullience hallmarked by serendipity were Christopher Columbus on the discovery of the Western Hemisphere, Luigi and Lucia Galvani on discovery of the theory of galvanism, Volta on the production of electric current by conduct of two dissimilar metals – and thus the invention of the battery, Faraday on magnetism, Achimedes on his mathematical principles, Cyrus W. Field on his projection of the First Altantic Cable, William Penn the British Quaker who founded the colony of Pennsylvania, Leonardo da Vinci on Mona Lisa and others too numerous to mention.
In his poem “The Volunteer Day” .C. Lewis took an emotional and retrospective glance at the travails, trauma and tribulations of the volunteers of war for ancient England. “It was not fraud or foolishness, glory, revenge or pay. We came because our open eyes could see no other way. There was no other way to keep man’s flickering truth alight. These stars will witness that our course burned briefer, not less bright”. So also the altruistic fervour of these inventors. They stood between Scylla and charybdis, critics and kill – sports, but with dogged pertinacity, the punctiliousness of a Spaniard and Trojan perseverance they were able to move mankind forward. Critics were their best friends and their worst enemies in the journey.
Man is Hegelianly imperfect. Perfection is nowhere within the purview of man – hence imperfection is a uni – ovular twin with man. Given this state of imperfection – mistakes, defects, shortfalls, indisposition, and even death becomes a concomitant of man and his activities. Longfellow asserts that “no man is an island unto himself”. In the light of these, social, political, cultural and educational engineering processes heightened a concatenation of events that gave rise to “the society” and the social contract”. In professions, men, women, students and critics contribute their quota towards ensuring a viable “social contract” ideally the critic is the argo – eyed spectator who sees a better part of the game. He mirrors – in and mirrors – out activities through communication engineering, information technology and information management, seeing the world as a global village.
A critic should have a profound and all - embracing understanding of his profession and goings – on in society and the world, to enable him form informed opinions and views. A critic, say in “architecture” must have and know the nuts and bolts of the architectural profession, the basics of architectonics” – construction, designs, planning, framework, style and history of designs. He should have hindsight, cognate experience, formal and informal training. He should be master of situations and not situations mastering him.
Karl popper a foremost authority on criticism asserts in his books “the open society and its enemies chapters 22, 23 and 24 and conjectures and refutations” chapter 10 [routledge and kegan paul, 1963] that “ the institutionalization of criticism is the basic precondition of improving social and politically, there are good and bad rulers and also good and bad critics, but that in any situation criticism must be institutionalized”. Which good critic will want to work under a bad or dictatorial ruler and vice versa. The courage or foolhardiness of the critic is brought to the fore here.
A good critic must espouse the good course to enable society move forward. The Aristolelian concept of the pursuit of the greatest good for largest number should be his diadem and garlands of honour with which he is festooned even unto death. Is there such a critic? “Few”. A critic is a human being and unless he is given the enabling environment he cannot appropriately deliver. Though many have climbed to the pinnacle of martyrdom in it and they have changed the world for the better.
No critic would have liked to work against Hitler during the slaughtering of the Jews, Idi Amin “Dada of Uganda, Hastings Kamuzo Banda, Stalin, Mobutu Seseko, Sani Abacha and Tsars of Soviet Russia. e.t.c. The beauty of democracy is in its upholding the rule of law, the rights of critics and citizenry at large. This writer has always been a critic of government’s actions right from the military era to the civilian era. He suffered threats from the military juntas but under the civilian administrations he has written and spoken of and about government’s actions without any molestations. This is the beauty of democracy which I think Governor Uduaghan has been able to uphold.
Apart from dictatorship another problem the critic faces is lack of tools to do his work and democracy. But he should not develop, in Marxian dialectics, “An inverted attitude to an inverted world” the profession and every facet of life is literally closed because there is no mirroring – out. There is communication Erebus as there is no way to get information except from government propaganda machinery and literary hirelings. Nobody knows what is going on except what they want you to know. Wherever information is hoodwinked, teleguided and unnecessarily classified, it precipitates information imperialism, news autocracy and the messiah complex.
The first tool of a good critic be it in philosophy, politics, religion, mathematics, arts and the sciences e.t.c. is the “fact”, yes the raw facts. Not deductive and speculative reasoning but researched and proven truth. This is the one basic and inobliterable plinth on which the “art of criticism” rotates. A critic must be an effervescence of information and not exiguous of it. He should not hide under the “capacious umbrella” of generalization, social forces, livid analogy, kiekgard’s existentialist determinant, bias and subjectivity.
If he appears as a newspaper columnist, commentator, an arbiter, wine connoisseur, book reviewer, arts pundit, an expositor in a colloquium, seminar and symposia, an evaluator, a judge of formal standard, professional analyst and an authority on the subject then he is a critic.
But when a critic resorts to being a paid hack, pen–outrage, an animadversionist, bad press, brickbats, disparaging flak, querulous fault – finder, a detractor, momus and stricture – possessed. Then, there is paradigm shift and normative gap in the practice, he is a bad critic, but in a bad society he is a “heroic critic” – the plural impasse.
The French philosopher Rene Descartes asked himself “what is that we know certainly? The answer is obvious. But he asked and concluded that he was certain he could think and from that he inferred his existence – cogito ergo sum [I think: therefore I exist]. So also do I wish to state with unmistakable exactitude that society has bad and good critics. But a pot – pouri of bad government and the larger society made them what they are.
Since perfection is outside the reach of man what is the middle of the road approach and personality of the “dynamic critic” of the modern era that will be able to move society forward? It is an unacceptable over–simplification to assert that he is either good or bad. No, that betrays uncompromising intransigence. He should be near–good or near bad, not perfectly bad or perfectly good. But in assessing Governor Uduaghan’s performances it must be based on observable verification. The laudable three point agenda has received cardinal attention. His dream of the dualization of the 167 kilometers Asaba - Ughelli Road, completion of the Asaba International Airport, The Delta State ICT Park Asaba ,The Osubi second run way, Warri Industrial Park, Koko Export Free Zone, 250 Mega watt of Power Project (IPP) and increase in Micro-Businesses operating in the clusters funded by the State Micro Credit Scheme. This should form the basis of a balanced criticism of Governor Uduaghan
In his “Ideology and Utopia” Professor K. Mannheim was greatly rebuffed by Dr. Bhikhu Parekh Lecturer Department of Political Studies University of Hull for his taking sociology of knowledge as his answer to Ideology and criticism. He asserted” …………. Like moral ideals that cannot all be achieved these demands cannot all be met. In heightening up its concept or achieving comprehensiveness, a theory or criticism may lose in empirical richness. In trying to be “absolutely accurate” it might become as chaotic as the reality itself losing in coherence what it gains in suggestiveness. As no criticism possesses all the qualities one ideally expects in it, beyond a certain point, the choice between them is a matter of individual discretion. Objectivity or partiality therefore, is not the only or even always the highest virtue in critics. If a discipline is dominated by a single body of assumptions that its professionally socialized practitioners unconsciously assume to be self-evidently true, there is much to be said for advancing or accepting an extreme criticism in order to stir them into critical self-reexamination and to encourage a radical reappraisal of the concepting tools of the discipline since objectivity and impartiality are achieved as a result of the clash of subjectivity and partiality, falsehood and extremism often make most worthwhile contributions to the discovery of “Truth”.
Dennis J.O Haan in his treatise “HASTY CONCLUSION” said “A Persian king wanted to teach his four sons never to make rash judgment. So he told the eldest to go in winter to see a mango tree, the next to go in spring, the third in summer and the youngest in fall. After the last son had returned form his autumn visit, the king called them together to describe what they had observed. “It looks like a burnt old stump said the eldest”. No. “said the second, “ it is lacy green”. The third describe it as “Beautiful as a Rose”. The youngest said, No, its Fruit is like a pear”. Each is right, “said the king”. For each of you saw the tree in a different season”. This didactic jeremiad serves to caution the critic that given the multi-dimensionality of thought we can only see a portion of the truth at any point in time and hence can not be “Completely Right”. Hence, whether Uduaghan has done well in his first tenure in office is a matter of political opinion informed by prejudices or the truth.
The “Dynamic critic” of the modern era should be able to develop a comprehensive basis of vision, a dynamic and synthetic viewpoint that encompasses, explains and integrates conflicting perspectives with truth and the love of society as the signet of his actions. Critics have always been buffeted by parochialism in government, Religion and Philosophical cycles etc. Socratics, Plato, Aristotle Isaac Newton, Galileo, Sigmund Freud, Hobbes, Locke, Kant, Voltaire, Helvetius, Bentham and Adam Smith were victims.
Why do men criticize? There are two schools of thought in this regards. One says men generally do what they do because of selfish interest and the other says for the general good. In the psychological theory of human interest and action as initiated by Hobbes, refined by Locke, and perfected by the thinkers of the French enlightenment. Man, it was argued, was essentially a practical homosapien, to make the world a habitable place.
Reason, it was argued further, was set in motion by human desires, indeed, it was created by desires, so that the more a man desired the greater the stimulus he had to think and therefore the greater his reason. As Voltaire in his “Treatise of Metaphysics” remarked “The passions are the wheels which make all these machines go round”. Vauvenargues reflected the same attitude in his “introduction to knowledge of human mind”. When he concluded that the true nature of man did not lie in reason but in passions. Helvetius observed in his “Treatise of Man” that reason in itself was insert and was set in motion only by desire. Bentham argued, further, that of all human passions the concern for personal interest was the most powerful, most important, most uniform, most lasting and most general. Adam Smith corroborates this view in his belief that it is natural for man to prefer himself to mankind; indeed, he argued that this desire comes with us from the womb and never leaves until we die. It is clear, that, man acts out of personal interest but in some cases man acts out of a genuine desire to improve - his kind and move the world forward.
In all the critic’s endeavor let him allow conscience, nurtured by truth to be his guiding light, Shakespeare agrees thus “ To thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night the day. Thou canst not then be false to any other man”, for its only this that can salvage the critic from the “ Plural Impasse”. It is clear from this dialectical, intellectual and analytical discourse that in looking at the achievement tapestry of his Excellency the Executive Governor of Delta State Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan it can be safely said that he deserves a second term. This will bring into political equilibrium the political algebra and calculus among the political microcosm in the macrocosm in Delta State. Apart from that his achievements lends credence to his desire to campaign for a 2ND TERM.
God Bless Delta State.
Intervene in monetization payment, Warri PHCN workers task EFFC
By: Frank David
from: Warri
Warri business district workers of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, have called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to intervene in their monetization payment.
The PHCN workers in Warri made this call recently when they embarked on another round of strike action over the non-payment of their monetization which crippled business and social activities in Warri for few days.
The workers who were armed with various placards bearing different inscriptions such as “EFCC Help us Get our monetization,” “No monetization, no work,” “Government has something to hide in monetization payment,” “Why is management not taking action on the Warri monetization,” advised government to act now and pay their entitlement.
While addressing the striking PHCN workers at the premises of the Warri Business District of PHCN, the Benin Zonal Organizing Secretary of National Union of Electricity Employees NUEE, Comrade Joseph N. Ndem said their action was in order due to the present economic realities.
He said; “We know that you are fighting a just fight. We have come here as people who are also your leaders. There is no reason why they cannot pay your monetization. We are therefore demanding EFCC’s intervention in the matter. If for any reason, they have any record to show that this place has been paid, we want the proof and except that is done, we will not return back to work.” Adding, “We are prepared actually to make sure that as you are taking your destiny in your hands, we also look forward to seeing that your destiny should be achieved. We want to ensure that as your leaders, we cannot abandon you in mid sea; the General Secretary at the national level is going to be informed about your action and we shall all inform you at the appropriate time and within this measure, we want to say that this action is going to continue until further notice when we must have also be satisfied that management and government have also intervened into this matter, then we shall all retreat back to our offices”.
Also speaking, Comrade Benson. O. Okorodudu, the Co-ordinator/Information Officer, NUEE for Edo/Delta said no PHCN worker in Warri has been paid, even as the Federal government claimed to have paid 57 billion naira to the PHCN account.
“No reason has been given for this; if the government or management at any level has discovered that there are problems somewhere, may be it has to do with some of the workers, it cannot be the entire workforce, certainly it is one person, or two or group of persons; they have a way of sorting that out. It is on that note that we have left the Zonal meeting we were attending with the C.E.O. in Benin and of course, the Senior Zonal Organising Secretary in charge of this zone, Comrade J.N. Ndem who has come with myself and the Delta State Secretary, Taiwo Onovwiona to hear what is happening here and to say that we are in support of whatever that is going on here,” he added.
Fresh Angle can however report that normal business activity has since resumed in the Warri business office of PHCN after several customers who made frantic effort to buy card for their prepaid meter were denied access to the two offices in Warri following the strike action.
from: Warri
Warri business district workers of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, have called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to intervene in their monetization payment.
The PHCN workers in Warri made this call recently when they embarked on another round of strike action over the non-payment of their monetization which crippled business and social activities in Warri for few days.
The workers who were armed with various placards bearing different inscriptions such as “EFCC Help us Get our monetization,” “No monetization, no work,” “Government has something to hide in monetization payment,” “Why is management not taking action on the Warri monetization,” advised government to act now and pay their entitlement.
While addressing the striking PHCN workers at the premises of the Warri Business District of PHCN, the Benin Zonal Organizing Secretary of National Union of Electricity Employees NUEE, Comrade Joseph N. Ndem said their action was in order due to the present economic realities.
He said; “We know that you are fighting a just fight. We have come here as people who are also your leaders. There is no reason why they cannot pay your monetization. We are therefore demanding EFCC’s intervention in the matter. If for any reason, they have any record to show that this place has been paid, we want the proof and except that is done, we will not return back to work.” Adding, “We are prepared actually to make sure that as you are taking your destiny in your hands, we also look forward to seeing that your destiny should be achieved. We want to ensure that as your leaders, we cannot abandon you in mid sea; the General Secretary at the national level is going to be informed about your action and we shall all inform you at the appropriate time and within this measure, we want to say that this action is going to continue until further notice when we must have also be satisfied that management and government have also intervened into this matter, then we shall all retreat back to our offices”.
Also speaking, Comrade Benson. O. Okorodudu, the Co-ordinator/Information Officer, NUEE for Edo/Delta said no PHCN worker in Warri has been paid, even as the Federal government claimed to have paid 57 billion naira to the PHCN account.
“No reason has been given for this; if the government or management at any level has discovered that there are problems somewhere, may be it has to do with some of the workers, it cannot be the entire workforce, certainly it is one person, or two or group of persons; they have a way of sorting that out. It is on that note that we have left the Zonal meeting we were attending with the C.E.O. in Benin and of course, the Senior Zonal Organising Secretary in charge of this zone, Comrade J.N. Ndem who has come with myself and the Delta State Secretary, Taiwo Onovwiona to hear what is happening here and to say that we are in support of whatever that is going on here,” he added.
Fresh Angle can however report that normal business activity has since resumed in the Warri business office of PHCN after several customers who made frantic effort to buy card for their prepaid meter were denied access to the two offices in Warri following the strike action.
Newspaper Editors and the challenges of 2011 elections.
BOBSON GBINIJE
BOGEP OILS LTD WARRI
bobson.gbinije@yahoo.com
The recherché of professionalism entails the serendipitous admixture of myriad formats of knowledge-ability. Hence, every profession has its esoteric jargons. The profession of journalism is not left out in this cauldron of normative standards. But the editor is critically crucial in the newspaper publication industry.
Without slips of prolixity. A newspaper is an alpenstock designed to carry the reader up the mountain of information, entertainment and education etc. It is a daily or weekly publication consisting of folded sheets and containing news, features and advertisements etc. Indeed. a newspaper incarnates the matrix. nexus and praxis of any society. It is the heart of any nation and a good newspaper is a nation talking to itself.
To enhance its functionality, mission statement and the core essence of its fundamental objectives. Its' publishers employ people or journalist with multidimensional ambience. But the editor is one employee that stands out with singular diaphaneity. There are many types of editors in any newspaper setting. They are usually categorized and dichotomized along professional or areas of specialization.
It is the duty of the Editor to prepare text for publication by checking, amending, altering and improving its' accuracy and clarity. It is also the duty of the Editor to ensure that opinions expressed in the newspaper are in congruency and consistent with the Editorial policy and the religious, political, socio-economic and ideological mission statement of the publisher. Indeed, editors, especially editors in government-owned newspapers luxuriate in outright falsehoods, splendiferous theatrics laced with panegyric histrionics, which smacks of Hitleric and Geobelian antics.
There are editors and there are indeed editors. Some editors are coquettish with government and political leaders and are trapped in conscience vendorization through penurious inducements. There are also editors in private and government owned newspapers who tell it as it is notwithstanding whose ox is gored.
It is the genre of conscience mortgaging and filthy lucre- inclined editors who are slavishly tied to the apron strings of their paymasters that have rubbished the integrity of the profession. At best they are paid hirelings, government area-boys, surrogates and newspaper terrorists. It is this type of negative zeitgeist that propelled essayist Norman Mailer to assert that, "once a newspaper touches a story, the facts are lost forever. even to the protagonist".
The empirical testability and presence of corruption in most newspaper newsrooms remains an inviolable truism. Since what is newsworthy is subject to the capricious whimsicality of the "Almighty" Editor. He, as the Alpha and the Omega decides which Reporter and Correspondents' report should occupy the front page and whatever strategic space in the newspaper. He could even under the guise of ' ‘Newsroom Politics' discountenance Reporters' and Correspondents' report if not bribed. He could also decide to publish articles, letters of opinion and report of his cultic friends, tribal friends, relations and monetary expectations from government public relations agents for appointments or monetary reward.
It must however be conceded that the mission statement of his newspaper as spelt out by his Publishers, Members of his Editorial Board and his Employers determine to a large extent the oscillatory pull of the editors ideas. After all, the man who pays the piper dictates the tune.
But we are saying furthermore that, that notwithstanding, the editor of a newspaper can still conduct and manage his submissions in such manner as to mitigate the odium and the blanket of cerebral manacles in which he is cocooned. The 2011 elections are around the corner and the editor must be admonished to be patriotic, fair, balanced, just and conscientious in his editorial portrayal of the political events, parties and their various candidates etc.
The Challenges of the 2011 elections are behemoth and onerous. It therefore behooves the editor as a pyramidal pasagaldic to be very circumspect in publishing sensitive stories. Any false, unguided and unguarded publication might precipitate a political gallimaufry of Hiroshimic proportion. The electorate and all political institutions will be counting on the sense of caution, decency and integrity of the editors
We are asserting here with unambiguous clarity, that the editor must be first and foremost conscience-and-duty-bound to the truth and the general good. What will an editor gain when a society and its leadership are convoluted in the altar of despotism, illegal detention, election rigging, police brutality, assassinations, economic injustice, extra judicial killings, tribalism, bribery and corruption? It is the bounden duty of the editor as part of the watchdog of society, Member of the Forth Estate of the Realm and the conscience of society to condemn these evils in no uncertain terms. Our" Almighty" Editors must note the admonition of Marcus Cicero "Salus Populi est suprema Lex" (the good of the people is the supreme law).
They must note that criticism is an uncompromisable condition of democracy and freedom. Criticism is the hallmark of intellectual discourse, since it provokes argument and argument would. well handled, facilitate the attainment of good resolutions. Again, it is a mere emotive rationalization to expect that because an idea appears so good by its sheer sound or its face value, it should be accepted wholesomely without questioning, even from our leaders, government agents, publishers and informed members of the public.
The handling of public opinions by most editors must be revolutionized, as most opinions are either edited out of context or not published at all. Every human being in any democracy deserves to be heard notwithstanding his communication deficiency. It is in recognition of the importance of public opinion that, Abraham Lincoln said, “with public opinion on its side, nothing can fail, with public opinion against it, nothing can succeed." The facts are sacred and comments free, but most newspaper editors have traditionally been content to state their own views and to rely on logic of their arguments, the force of diction and reasonableness of their advocacy to commend their views to the public. But it must go beyond this. Let the truth and altruism be their hallmarks as we approach the 2011 elections.
Finally, as our inchoate and embryonic democracy metamorphoses into adulthood, the editors of our newspapers have a catalytic role to play. They must prove Sidney Haword wrong. He said "an editor is a person employed by a newspaper, whose business it is to separate the wheat from the chaff: and to see that the chaff is published" We want to see more righteous indignation and avant-gardism against the rot of our leadership and the society from our editors. It not is life that matters but the courage we put into it. Wither goeth our Newspaper Editors and the Nigerian Guild of Editors? Their conduct before and after the 2011 elections will reveal.
BOGEP OILS LTD WARRI
bobson.gbinije@yahoo.com
The recherché of professionalism entails the serendipitous admixture of myriad formats of knowledge-ability. Hence, every profession has its esoteric jargons. The profession of journalism is not left out in this cauldron of normative standards. But the editor is critically crucial in the newspaper publication industry.
Without slips of prolixity. A newspaper is an alpenstock designed to carry the reader up the mountain of information, entertainment and education etc. It is a daily or weekly publication consisting of folded sheets and containing news, features and advertisements etc. Indeed. a newspaper incarnates the matrix. nexus and praxis of any society. It is the heart of any nation and a good newspaper is a nation talking to itself.
To enhance its functionality, mission statement and the core essence of its fundamental objectives. Its' publishers employ people or journalist with multidimensional ambience. But the editor is one employee that stands out with singular diaphaneity. There are many types of editors in any newspaper setting. They are usually categorized and dichotomized along professional or areas of specialization.
It is the duty of the Editor to prepare text for publication by checking, amending, altering and improving its' accuracy and clarity. It is also the duty of the Editor to ensure that opinions expressed in the newspaper are in congruency and consistent with the Editorial policy and the religious, political, socio-economic and ideological mission statement of the publisher. Indeed, editors, especially editors in government-owned newspapers luxuriate in outright falsehoods, splendiferous theatrics laced with panegyric histrionics, which smacks of Hitleric and Geobelian antics.
There are editors and there are indeed editors. Some editors are coquettish with government and political leaders and are trapped in conscience vendorization through penurious inducements. There are also editors in private and government owned newspapers who tell it as it is notwithstanding whose ox is gored.
It is the genre of conscience mortgaging and filthy lucre- inclined editors who are slavishly tied to the apron strings of their paymasters that have rubbished the integrity of the profession. At best they are paid hirelings, government area-boys, surrogates and newspaper terrorists. It is this type of negative zeitgeist that propelled essayist Norman Mailer to assert that, "once a newspaper touches a story, the facts are lost forever. even to the protagonist".
The empirical testability and presence of corruption in most newspaper newsrooms remains an inviolable truism. Since what is newsworthy is subject to the capricious whimsicality of the "Almighty" Editor. He, as the Alpha and the Omega decides which Reporter and Correspondents' report should occupy the front page and whatever strategic space in the newspaper. He could even under the guise of ' ‘Newsroom Politics' discountenance Reporters' and Correspondents' report if not bribed. He could also decide to publish articles, letters of opinion and report of his cultic friends, tribal friends, relations and monetary expectations from government public relations agents for appointments or monetary reward.
It must however be conceded that the mission statement of his newspaper as spelt out by his Publishers, Members of his Editorial Board and his Employers determine to a large extent the oscillatory pull of the editors ideas. After all, the man who pays the piper dictates the tune.
But we are saying furthermore that, that notwithstanding, the editor of a newspaper can still conduct and manage his submissions in such manner as to mitigate the odium and the blanket of cerebral manacles in which he is cocooned. The 2011 elections are around the corner and the editor must be admonished to be patriotic, fair, balanced, just and conscientious in his editorial portrayal of the political events, parties and their various candidates etc.
The Challenges of the 2011 elections are behemoth and onerous. It therefore behooves the editor as a pyramidal pasagaldic to be very circumspect in publishing sensitive stories. Any false, unguided and unguarded publication might precipitate a political gallimaufry of Hiroshimic proportion. The electorate and all political institutions will be counting on the sense of caution, decency and integrity of the editors
We are asserting here with unambiguous clarity, that the editor must be first and foremost conscience-and-duty-bound to the truth and the general good. What will an editor gain when a society and its leadership are convoluted in the altar of despotism, illegal detention, election rigging, police brutality, assassinations, economic injustice, extra judicial killings, tribalism, bribery and corruption? It is the bounden duty of the editor as part of the watchdog of society, Member of the Forth Estate of the Realm and the conscience of society to condemn these evils in no uncertain terms. Our" Almighty" Editors must note the admonition of Marcus Cicero "Salus Populi est suprema Lex" (the good of the people is the supreme law).
They must note that criticism is an uncompromisable condition of democracy and freedom. Criticism is the hallmark of intellectual discourse, since it provokes argument and argument would. well handled, facilitate the attainment of good resolutions. Again, it is a mere emotive rationalization to expect that because an idea appears so good by its sheer sound or its face value, it should be accepted wholesomely without questioning, even from our leaders, government agents, publishers and informed members of the public.
The handling of public opinions by most editors must be revolutionized, as most opinions are either edited out of context or not published at all. Every human being in any democracy deserves to be heard notwithstanding his communication deficiency. It is in recognition of the importance of public opinion that, Abraham Lincoln said, “with public opinion on its side, nothing can fail, with public opinion against it, nothing can succeed." The facts are sacred and comments free, but most newspaper editors have traditionally been content to state their own views and to rely on logic of their arguments, the force of diction and reasonableness of their advocacy to commend their views to the public. But it must go beyond this. Let the truth and altruism be their hallmarks as we approach the 2011 elections.
Finally, as our inchoate and embryonic democracy metamorphoses into adulthood, the editors of our newspapers have a catalytic role to play. They must prove Sidney Haword wrong. He said "an editor is a person employed by a newspaper, whose business it is to separate the wheat from the chaff: and to see that the chaff is published" We want to see more righteous indignation and avant-gardism against the rot of our leadership and the society from our editors. It not is life that matters but the courage we put into it. Wither goeth our Newspaper Editors and the Nigerian Guild of Editors? Their conduct before and after the 2011 elections will reveal.
Why NFF will continually face FIFA hammer
By: Tonebsky Nesta
The recent banning of Nigeria from participating in all International soccer competitions by the Federation of International Football Association, FIFA, and its suspension barely 5 days later may have come as a shock to many soccer loving Nigerians, but events in the Glass House in the last decade, particularly in the past few months have indicated that it is only a matter of time that FIFA hammer hits Nigeria. No doubt the suspension few days later came as reprieve, but if a proper restructuring of Nigeria football administration to align with FIFA statutes is not done, the temporary reprieve could lead to eventual perennial hammer by FIFA, which will finally put an end to the much loved game in Nigeria.
Until our football is run from the grassroots, state and federal levels by individuals and corporate bodies as done in most European countries, government interference can never stop in the Nigeria FA. While we are gladdened by the planned withdrawal of the suit filed by the National Association of Nigeria Footballers, NANF, we should be mindful of report credited to NANF National Chairman, Harrison Jalla that it withdrew the suit to enable the Super Eagles VS Syli National match in Conakry go on, with a clause that the reason behind the suit be addressed. The reason which according to him is in line with FIFA statutes is that rather than state governors appointing state representatives in the football house, elections into the NFF should be conducted from the grassroots level to the state and ultimately the Glass House. Even though NANF is insisting on this condition which no doubt is in line with FIFA statutes, it is yet to proffer solution to funding of the game which many corporate bodies and wealthy individuals appear disinterested in. Until all these vexing issues are addressed through corporate and individual sponsorship of the game, government at both the local, state and federal levels will never stop interfering in the running of Nigeria football, meaning it’s only a matter of time before FIFA’s sledge hammer will permanently fall on our soccer crazy nation.
Editorial: The Intriguing Battle for the Soul of Delta PDP
The recent letter written by INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega to PDP National headquarters that he would have no dealings with 8 state PDP executive, including that of Delta State over alleged inconclusive congresses that produced the executive of the affective states may not mean anything to most Nigerians whose apathy for our electioneering process has worsen since 1999, but it has sent shock waves and further heightened the political stake by active politicians and other stakeholders who know the political implications as it affects the 2011 general elections in those states. Even the most insensitive and perceived disenfranchised Deltan will acknowledge the political undercurrent and uneasy calm which Professor Jega’s letter has generated in Delta State. Jega’s letter as it relates to Delta State is not unconnected with persistent moves by Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark led Delta State Elders and leaders to cause a drastic change in the state party leadership with a view to “provide a level playing ground” in the upcoming primaries. The frenzy and media war that has arisen since the INEC letter was made public in some National media gives credence to the political permutation by both the Chief E.K. Clark group and Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan loyalists, led by the State PDP Chairman, Barr. Peter Nwaoboshi.
The Ijaw National leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark in an advertorial directed to PDP National Chairman, Dr. Okwesileze Nwodo and published in the October 6, 2010 edition of Vanguard Newspaper stated in Part, “the unilateral selection of candidates and indiscriminate substitution of duly elected ones have not only eroded the people of their right to choice but also have been the bane of our democratic practice”. Adding “Mr. Chairman Sir, this is what I have committed over 60years of my existence on earth in fighting against injustice, unfairness and oppression.
I noted with delight the several statements of commitment Mr. President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR) has made not only to Nigerians but to all world leaders that his administration will conduct credible, free and fair elections in 2001”. A seeming Pro Uduaghan group that goes by the name “Delta Democratic Network” has in the same tabloid accused the Honourable Minister for Niger Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe of moves to destabilise and derail the party National Chairman after allegedly “single handedly produced the National Chairman of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Nwodo”. One thing that is very clear in the unfolding political scenario in Delta PDP is that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and his supporters will have an easy sail in the primaries should the Barr. Peter Nwaoboshi led executive remain in control, hence the relentless move by Chief Edwin Clark’s group to cause a restructuring in the party ahead its primaries.
The recent letter written by INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega to PDP National headquarters that he would have no dealings with 8 state PDP executive, including that of Delta State over alleged inconclusive congresses that produced the executive of the affective states may not mean anything to most Nigerians whose apathy for our electioneering process has worsen since 1999, but it has sent shock waves and further heightened the political stake by active politicians and other stakeholders who know the political implications as it affects the 2011 general elections in those states. Even the most insensitive and perceived disenfranchised Deltan will acknowledge the political undercurrent and uneasy calm which Professor Jega’s letter has generated in Delta State. Jega’s letter as it relates to Delta State is not unconnected with persistent moves by Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark led Delta State Elders and leaders to cause a drastic change in the state party leadership with a view to “provide a level playing ground” in the upcoming primaries. The frenzy and media war that has arisen since the INEC letter was made public in some National media gives credence to the political permutation by both the Chief E.K. Clark group and Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan loyalists, led by the State PDP Chairman, Barr. Peter Nwaoboshi.
The Ijaw National leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark in an advertorial directed to PDP National Chairman, Dr. Okwesileze Nwodo and published in the October 6, 2010 edition of Vanguard Newspaper stated in Part, “the unilateral selection of candidates and indiscriminate substitution of duly elected ones have not only eroded the people of their right to choice but also have been the bane of our democratic practice”. Adding “Mr. Chairman Sir, this is what I have committed over 60years of my existence on earth in fighting against injustice, unfairness and oppression.
I noted with delight the several statements of commitment Mr. President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR) has made not only to Nigerians but to all world leaders that his administration will conduct credible, free and fair elections in 2001”. A seeming Pro Uduaghan group that goes by the name “Delta Democratic Network” has in the same tabloid accused the Honourable Minister for Niger Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe of moves to destabilise and derail the party National Chairman after allegedly “single handedly produced the National Chairman of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Nwodo”. One thing that is very clear in the unfolding political scenario in Delta PDP is that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and his supporters will have an easy sail in the primaries should the Barr. Peter Nwaoboshi led executive remain in control, hence the relentless move by Chief Edwin Clark’s group to cause a restructuring in the party ahead its primaries.
Niger Delta Governors have helped to pauperise their citizens – Group
An NGO, Positive Alliance for the Niger Delta, PAND, says governors of states in the region “have helped in no small measure to pauperise the citizens of their states”.
The group made this allegation at the Press centre in Warri recently during a media briefing held with selected correspondents.
According to PAND, “the planlessness, greed and profligacy” of governors in the Niger Delta has further worsen the woes of indigenes of the region in so much that the “basic necessities of life such as food, shelter, water and light are still luxuries to the average Niger Deltan”. The Regional Spokesman of the group, Barr. Martins Ahweyevu Mukoro further told newsmen that the level of infrastructural decay, decline in education and health services as well as neglect of agriculture, security of lives and property “all combine to make the Niger Delta region one of the most unsafe places to live in”.
While promising that the group will strive to correct the misrepresentation people have about the region via advocacy, Barr. Mukoro vowed that they will act as watch dog on issues of political, economic empowerment, environmental as well as job placement abuse and discrimination that is oppressive and dehumanising to people of the region.
The group made this allegation at the Press centre in Warri recently during a media briefing held with selected correspondents.
According to PAND, “the planlessness, greed and profligacy” of governors in the Niger Delta has further worsen the woes of indigenes of the region in so much that the “basic necessities of life such as food, shelter, water and light are still luxuries to the average Niger Deltan”. The Regional Spokesman of the group, Barr. Martins Ahweyevu Mukoro further told newsmen that the level of infrastructural decay, decline in education and health services as well as neglect of agriculture, security of lives and property “all combine to make the Niger Delta region one of the most unsafe places to live in”.
While promising that the group will strive to correct the misrepresentation people have about the region via advocacy, Barr. Mukoro vowed that they will act as watch dog on issues of political, economic empowerment, environmental as well as job placement abuse and discrimination that is oppressive and dehumanising to people of the region.
Fresh Angle Editorial Team
Asare Michael Segun – 07056050084
MANAGING EDITOR
Ebule Anthony M. – 08056200599, 07035292550
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Omonigho Matthew – 08060380537
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
Orhie L. Ighoyivwi – 08063397715
&
Efe ……………… - 07065073910
GRAPHICS CONSULTANT
Preye Hitler – 07033457898
ADMIN SECRETARY
Frank David – 08032610999
CORRESPONDENT
Embale Jonathan – 08060123169, 08050414156
BOMADI CORRESPONDENT
Jawa Nana – 08034243588
KWALE CORRESPONDENT
Tetsoma Igbiaye – 08058380827
UNIBEN CORRESPONDENT
Charles Ikedikwa Soeze – 08036724193
FREELANCER
Ebis Daks – 08063345566
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Osuji C.J. Robinson – 08037218565
EXECUTIVE ADVERT & MARKETING CONSULTANT
Linda Nwaeze – 07030270210
ADVERT/MARKETING CONSULTANT
Ifeoma Nwanosike – 08036586925
STRATEGIC ADVERT/MARKETING CONSULTANT, ASABA & SOUTH EAST REGION
Jolomi Okotie
REPORTER
…….You can call any of the above name and number for advert bookings, subscription, coverage of your events as well as scoop for exclusive reports.
Fresh Angle ------ Our growth, patronage, spread and readership is continually on the increase! Join the increasing team of history makers.
B.
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Half Page (black & white) 30,000.00
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Quarter Page (black & white) 20,000.00
Change of Name & other classified adverts 5,000.00
MANAGING EDITOR
Ebule Anthony M. – 08056200599, 07035292550
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Omonigho Matthew – 08060380537
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
Orhie L. Ighoyivwi – 08063397715
&
Efe ……………… - 07065073910
GRAPHICS CONSULTANT
Preye Hitler – 07033457898
ADMIN SECRETARY
Frank David – 08032610999
CORRESPONDENT
Embale Jonathan – 08060123169, 08050414156
BOMADI CORRESPONDENT
Jawa Nana – 08034243588
KWALE CORRESPONDENT
Tetsoma Igbiaye – 08058380827
UNIBEN CORRESPONDENT
Charles Ikedikwa Soeze – 08036724193
FREELANCER
Ebis Daks – 08063345566
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Osuji C.J. Robinson – 08037218565
EXECUTIVE ADVERT & MARKETING CONSULTANT
Linda Nwaeze – 07030270210
ADVERT/MARKETING CONSULTANT
Ifeoma Nwanosike – 08036586925
STRATEGIC ADVERT/MARKETING CONSULTANT, ASABA & SOUTH EAST REGION
Jolomi Okotie
REPORTER
…….You can call any of the above name and number for advert bookings, subscription, coverage of your events as well as scoop for exclusive reports.
Fresh Angle ------ Our growth, patronage, spread and readership is continually on the increase! Join the increasing team of history makers.
B.
Fresh Angle Advert Rate
Full Colour page 80,000.00
Full Page (black & white) 60,000.00
Half Colour Page 50,000.00
Half Page (black & white) 30,000.00
Quarter Page (colour) 30,000.00
Quarter Page (black & white) 20,000.00
Change of Name & other classified adverts 5,000.00
Christian Day Schools, Ugbori-Warri
Are you in search of a government approved school where sound moral training is given optimum attention?
Qualitative Education at minimal cost? Individualized method is employed to elicit the best from pupils and students? Or an institution where information communication technology is given unparallel emphasis?
Then search no further! At Christian Day Nursery, Primary and Secondary School, we also have State of the Art facilities such as Sick Bay, Computer Studio, Library, Art Room, Music Room and an Expansive Playground.
Admission is currently going on in our
Day Care, KG1-3, Primary 1-5, JS 1&2 as well as SS 1
For enquiries call at our Office Annex at 2 Okotie Street Off Ugbori Road, Warri or Visit our Serene Permanent Site at 33C Ugbori Road, Ugbori-Warri
You can reach us on GSM: 08035831542, 08025740150 or 07029291131
At Christian Day, the all round development of your ward is our paramount goal!
Qualitative Education at minimal cost? Individualized method is employed to elicit the best from pupils and students? Or an institution where information communication technology is given unparallel emphasis?
Then search no further! At Christian Day Nursery, Primary and Secondary School, we also have State of the Art facilities such as Sick Bay, Computer Studio, Library, Art Room, Music Room and an Expansive Playground.
Admission is currently going on in our
Day Care, KG1-3, Primary 1-5, JS 1&2 as well as SS 1
For enquiries call at our Office Annex at 2 Okotie Street Off Ugbori Road, Warri or Visit our Serene Permanent Site at 33C Ugbori Road, Ugbori-Warri
You can reach us on GSM: 08035831542, 08025740150 or 07029291131
At Christian Day, the all round development of your ward is our paramount goal!
Miss Fresh
Stylish 23year old Edah Orighomisan Mitchelle from Jakpa in Warri North local government is our Miss Fresh for this month. Pretty Miss Edah Mitchelle who incidentally marked her 23year birthday October 3 is a 400 level Biochemistry Technology undergraduate of Delta State University, Abraka.
The poise with which she carries herself as well as her gait can not easily be ignored by anyone that fancies beauty and style. While she does not have any food as her favourite, charming Mitchelle easily picks pink and purple as her top choice colours.
Our Miss Fresh hates being lonely and yelled at, but spends her leisure dancing, singing, listening to music as well as playing lawn and table tennis. The 58kg damsel who likes dude who are honest, real, handsome, hardworking, ambitious, funny, generous and neat says she’s single and waiting to be searched. Her favourite genres are Hip Hop as well as Rhythm and Blues, while Nigerian born entertainer, M.I and Keri Hilson, American diva remains her top artistes.
You want to reach her? Then call 08075303462 or email: mizzy872000@yahoo.com.
Being truly Independent
Independence is defined as not being controlled, not needing, not willing, not relying or influenced by a person or country.
Congratulations, as our country celebrate its 50th anniversary as a unified nation, the journey so far has been an interesting ride to greatness or weakness depending on your perspective of the nation’s challenges. A country which has the highest number of black educated and skillful people in the world, a nation which has been able to live together successfully not undermining that she has over 250 different tribes and highest number of Muslims in West Africa. Not forgetting that Nigeria has the best foot soldiers in the world, just to name but a few.
Indeed this is one of the greatest country in the history of black modernization, when compared to other countries like United States of America, Nigeria should be called the ninth wonder of the world.
In respect to this write-up, what does it mean to be truly independent? The writer focuses not on political independence of a country but of the individual functionality.
A person is said to be independent if he possess the totality of true freedom, which is physical, economical, psychological, emotional, religious and political independence. No government in the world can offer its citizens a true sense of independence.
Man is built to dominate and control its environment, leading to personal greed. Independence begins first with our spiritual convictions because a man is what he believes, our believe shape every aspect of independence.
Negativity brings lack of creativity, which is why Nigerians have had a hard time trying to create an atmosphere of prosperity. Prosperity is not a measure of monetary influence but by the state of the mind called contentment. Contentment is the pinnacle of true individual independence. A man who is contented find life more joyful, his thought pattern are always optimistic because he knows no matter what goes on around him, life is beautiful so long as there is always hope. Being truly independent depends on the state of mind in which an individual views a situation. We get our solution based on how we perceive a problem.
Being negative about the country’s affair does not change the situation; a positive attitude is highly needed. When USA was 75 there was gas queues all over the country, she could hardly feed its citizens, as at 2008 the USA has an unemployment rating of 8,924,000.00. Marriage survey has shown that one in every two marriage ends in divorce, currently one in every three children in America has one parent doing parole or serving terms. This is to show that no country in the world has the power to make an individual independent. We live life best when we know that it is what we do for our country that makes the difference.
Citizens of any country makes up the government, until we are able to live with the idea that our destiny is in our hands and life is what we make it out to be we will not achieve anything.
A person is said to be truly independent when he/she has learnt how to be contented and live for others.
Remember a mere heart is like medicine to the soul.
I believe that together as a team we will achieve our dream. Happy Independence.
Wise quotes
1. Contentment makes a poor man rich and a rich man poor – Benjamin Franklin
2. Problem is built for a man and a man is built to solve problem – Emibiojo Okoka
3. How we respond to problem, shows our state of mind – Emibiojo Okoka
4. Think what you can do for your country not what your country can do for you – J.F. Kennedy
Contact:
E-mail: emibiojookoka@yahoo.com
Face book: Emibiojooka
Phone number: 07067178027, 08052550501
Congratulations, as our country celebrate its 50th anniversary as a unified nation, the journey so far has been an interesting ride to greatness or weakness depending on your perspective of the nation’s challenges. A country which has the highest number of black educated and skillful people in the world, a nation which has been able to live together successfully not undermining that she has over 250 different tribes and highest number of Muslims in West Africa. Not forgetting that Nigeria has the best foot soldiers in the world, just to name but a few.
Indeed this is one of the greatest country in the history of black modernization, when compared to other countries like United States of America, Nigeria should be called the ninth wonder of the world.
In respect to this write-up, what does it mean to be truly independent? The writer focuses not on political independence of a country but of the individual functionality.
A person is said to be independent if he possess the totality of true freedom, which is physical, economical, psychological, emotional, religious and political independence. No government in the world can offer its citizens a true sense of independence.
Man is built to dominate and control its environment, leading to personal greed. Independence begins first with our spiritual convictions because a man is what he believes, our believe shape every aspect of independence.
Negativity brings lack of creativity, which is why Nigerians have had a hard time trying to create an atmosphere of prosperity. Prosperity is not a measure of monetary influence but by the state of the mind called contentment. Contentment is the pinnacle of true individual independence. A man who is contented find life more joyful, his thought pattern are always optimistic because he knows no matter what goes on around him, life is beautiful so long as there is always hope. Being truly independent depends on the state of mind in which an individual views a situation. We get our solution based on how we perceive a problem.
Being negative about the country’s affair does not change the situation; a positive attitude is highly needed. When USA was 75 there was gas queues all over the country, she could hardly feed its citizens, as at 2008 the USA has an unemployment rating of 8,924,000.00. Marriage survey has shown that one in every two marriage ends in divorce, currently one in every three children in America has one parent doing parole or serving terms. This is to show that no country in the world has the power to make an individual independent. We live life best when we know that it is what we do for our country that makes the difference.
Citizens of any country makes up the government, until we are able to live with the idea that our destiny is in our hands and life is what we make it out to be we will not achieve anything.
A person is said to be truly independent when he/she has learnt how to be contented and live for others.
Remember a mere heart is like medicine to the soul.
I believe that together as a team we will achieve our dream. Happy Independence.
Wise quotes
1. Contentment makes a poor man rich and a rich man poor – Benjamin Franklin
2. Problem is built for a man and a man is built to solve problem – Emibiojo Okoka
3. How we respond to problem, shows our state of mind – Emibiojo Okoka
4. Think what you can do for your country not what your country can do for you – J.F. Kennedy
Contact:
E-mail: emibiojookoka@yahoo.com
Face book: Emibiojooka
Phone number: 07067178027, 08052550501
Burglars feast on adjourning settlements of Ugbuwangue, Ogunu communities
By: Tonebsky Nesta
At least 8 different cases of burglary have been reported in adjourning settlements of Ugbuwangue community and Ogunu road in Warri in the last one month, Fresh Angle can authoritatively report.
Fresh Angle investigation reveals that the burglars who usually carry out their nefarious activities at night in offices and shops as well as on Sundays during the hours of church services in residential houses around the Ugbuwangue – Ogunu link road are allegedly using the yet to be completed Delta State government estate along the NPA Expressway as hideout.
One of the victims (names withheld) who spoke to Fresh Angle exclusively, said that one of the suspects that stood in the front of a provision shop along Ogunu road a week after it was burgled allegedly ran to an illegally occupied government estate at Ugbuwangue via an unconventional route when accosted to explain what he was doing in front of the provision shop by the owner. The source who conducted Fresh Angle through the illegal estate route to the estate, further stated that if immediate security measures are not taken to tackle the security situation headlong, it might degenerate to more dangerous dimension. He further alleged that an indigene of the host community to the estate collects upward of three thousand naira to accommodate the illegal occupants.
One of the victims of the shop burgled along Ogunu road, Mrs. Agatha Tietie, told Fresh Angle News crew that the burglars broke into her shop in the night of Wednesday September 29 and carted away provisions. She also revealed that it wasn’t the first time burglars have raided the area. According to her, cash totalling N950,000.00 was stolen in a nearby company, Arcbase International Company Limited the first time the burglars came calling, while the last raid which is the third in recent time saw the criminals going away with safety boots, expensive cables and filing machines. She further told Fresh Angle that the owner of the company identified simply as Richard had in the time past reported the issue to the police and the youth leaders of both Ogunu and Ugbuwangue communities, without any positive result. The burglars who operate ceaselessly in similar fashion on the night of September 13 burgled a building accommodating Fresh Angle Newspaper and other business concerns.
They broke one of the corridors ceiling and gained access to an interior decoration shop and a laundry office. While they stole a Dell laptop computer, fabrics and goods worth N50,000.00 at the interior decoration shop belonging to one Sarah Edema, the burglars carted away a bag containing customers’ clothes and N30,000.00 cash at the laundry office despite the presence of a security man at the premises.
Fresh Angle can report that despite these continuous raids, no visible arrangement is being put in place by residents of the area to check the ugly trend.
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