Who is Sanusi Lamido Sanusi ? – By Uche Igwe

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Mallam Lamido Sanusi

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Dan Majen of Kano must be both saddened and probably shocked wherever he is now. I do not know the Central Bank Governor in person. I saw him first at the annual meeting of African Development Bank in Abidjan in 2010 and then in Washington DC earlier in the year but did not get to chat with him. However, since he was appointed the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, I have been following his utterances and actions cautiously and methodically. One must admit he has taken some steps which portrayed him as a man with enormous guts and convictions. The sack and subsequent prosecution of Managing Directors of five banks suggest that Mr. Sanusi could bring an end to ‘business-as-usual’ practices in the Nigerian banking industry.  Furthermore, the man called SLS by his admirers never shied away from public debates as it can be said to be to his credit that the debate about the salaries of federal lawmakers was brought to the public domain.

Both in 2010 and 2011, Emerging Markets Magazine named him the World’s Central Bank Governor of the year. In 2011, Times Magazine voted him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world while Forbes magazine voted him as Africa’s person of the year. These are no mean achievements that both his admirers and critics must acknowledge. But I am not carried away by them. Lest I forget, SLS has also till date procured about five honorary doctorate degrees for himself from five Nigerian Universities.  Though the fact remains that these are no mean achievements either, there are so many things about the apex bank governor that deserve urgent clarification.

Many observers have raised justifiable reservations about his academic qualifications pointing to the fact that SLS may not be as qualified and may only be posturing. But that is by the way. His seeming knack for controversy has caused observers to continue to probe into his background to raise questions about whether Mr. Sanusi is using his position to advance national interest or a sectional one. His stubborn insistence on introducing Islamic banking and his controversial donation of 100 million naira to the Muslim victims of Kano bomb blasts partly confirmed rumours that continued to lurk around his personality. Never mind that he ran back to donate 25 million (one quarter of what he gave in Kano) to the Christian victims in Madala, Niger State in an effort to cover his shame.

Here is a man who conducted himself as though the Central Bank that he heads is a republic of its own even under the nose of a sitting President.  You can take this to the bank. The main reason behind every conduct of Mr. Sanusi might be the fact that he is fully aware that he is not qualified and he is doing everything humanly possible to cover up his deficiencies. Although SLS has a bachelor’s degree in Economics, most of his writings before his appointment have been Sharia legal system only. Though Section 8 of the CBN Act is not explicit about the meaning of ‘proven integrity and recognised financial experience’, I argue that someone with Sanusi’s credentials could suffice as Governor in the sixties not in the era of globalization. One must continue to wonder the sort of system that throws up people who are relatively unknown to sensitive national positions based mainly on geographical considerations. I recall that Mr. Sanusi was nominated to that position at a time when the word cabal was probably the most important word in the Nigerian polity and that partly justifies the way he carried himself even after the cabal publicly lost out in the vicious power game. Both his utterances, his pattern of donations, even his policies sound like they are predesigned to make a particular section of the country comfortable and happy. A more objective and rigorous scrutiny of the actions carried out by SLS will reveal his ‘reforms’ might turn out to be one of the most unprofessional and whimsical consolidation exercises that have ever been conducted in the history of banking in Nigeria. Mr. Sanusi might have denied his rumoured Presidential ambition, but the trajectory of his new found philanthropy has sold him out. He will go down in history as one man who has made the highest amount of discretionary donations with public funds.

Probably the most disturbing is the allegation that Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is both a supporter and sympathiser of religious extremism. Dependable academic sources documented that one Sanusi Lamido Sanusi alleged played a catalytic role in the public beheading of one Mr. Gideon Akaluka in Kano in 1995 on a false allegation of desecrating the Muslim holy book. A 2003 report from the Centre for Human Rights Policy at the Kennedy School Harvard University, United States of America, affirms that this singular event sparked off the religious riots where thousands of Christians were massacred. It was said that Mr. Sanusi was expelled from Kano and locked up in Sokoto prisons for two years by the late Sani Abacha government until his benefactors bailed him out. Now, hang on a minute- could it be the same person or a case of mistaken identity? Who really is Sanusi Lamido Sanusi?  A cerebral economist? A reform minded regulator? An ambitious politician? Or an Islamic fundamentalist? The answers to these questions will reveal the real personality of the head of the apex bank and can give ordinary Nigerians fresh insights as to what the next move of the Dan Majen Kano may be.

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Uche Igwe is a Governance expert and wrote from Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. He can be reached on ucheigwe@gmail.com

HURIWA Condemns Catholic Church Bombing In Bauchi

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+Canvasses Full Blown State Of Emergency In Restive Northern States

A democracy inclined Non-Governmental organization- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS’ ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA [HURIWA] has strongly condemned the Sunday deadly bomb attack of the Saint John Catholic Pro-Cathedral in Bauchi State and called on President Goodluck Jonathan to declare state of emergency in Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Adamawa and Kano State for six months to enable the Government take far -reaching emergency measures to combat the rising spate of targeted bomb attacks and to bring the perpetrators of the dastardly crimes aganist humanity to the competent courts of law for prosecution and sanction in accordance with the due process of the law.

The Rights Group also carpeted the Federal Government for doing nothing to improve border security to prevent illegal arms from flooding into Nigeria from the porous borders.

In a media statement authorized jointly by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Officer Miss. Zainab Yusuf, the Rights Group asked Government to stop the sensational media celebration of the capture of suspected kingpins of the dreaded and armed Islamic Insurgents in the North but to concentrate effort towards the building of formidable intelligence of the security operatives to effectively deter the continuous bomb attacks and targeted killings of high profile Government officials and innocent worshippers.

HURIWA charged Government to ensure that the court system and the Nigerian Prison service work optimally to deliver effective and decisive justice to suspected mass murderers belonging to the armed insurgency.

HURIWA also tasked Federal Government to probe the widely held allegation that the suspected bombers arrested and detained without proper documentation and speedy prosecution may have bribed their way out of detention which may explain why there is increased rate of attacks by these terrorists.

HURIWA also blamed the Governors of the affected terror-prone states in the North of failing to play their key constitutional roles and deploy the resources of the states transparently towards ensuring the protection of lives and property of the citizenry resident in those areas.

The Rights group singled out the Bauchi State Governor of spectacular failure to protect minorities that are indigenous to the state and other Nigerians. “The Bauchi State Governor has come under intense criticism from a cross segment of the people of Bauchi State especially from the ethnic and religious minority tribes from Tafawa Balewa areas of allegedly failing to protect their consituional rights by surreptitiously undermining their representation at the state House of Assembly through the suspension on nebulous grounds of the female member representing the constituency in the Bauchi State House of Assembly”.

HURIWA also blamed the Federal Government for the total lack of national security objective in the ongoing anti-terrrism fight because according to the Group; “It is preposterous and illogical that while the members of the joint military task force are celebrating victory over the armed terrorists in the North through carefully coordinated arrest of suspected top flight chieftains of the Islamic armed Insurgency in the North, the Justice and prison sectors are in very bad shape because there are no proofs that any of the high profile suspected bomber has been sucessfully prosecuted and sanctioned by any competent court of jurisdiction in compliance with section 6 of the 1999 constitution[as aended].

“Nigerians are tired of the state sponsored media drama of ‘dubious’ victory of the Government over the bombers but will be glad to see that all those indicted and arrested for the spate of bomb attacks in the last three years that have caused the death of several thousands of innocent women, children and other citizens are brought before competent courts of law and prosecuted for these heinious crimes against humanity”.

The group condemned the Bauchi Catholic Church bomb attack as unprovoked attack of innocent persons for the mere fact that they have chosen to worship their God in accordance to their faith just as the Rights group warned the Government that people are losing patience because it is unreasonable to expect most Nigerians to fold their hands and watch their oved ones decimated and exterminated by Islamic fundamentalists while the Federal Government does nothing and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is busy travelling across the globe while the nation burns

 

Updated: Catholic Church Bombed in Bauchi, 4 dead, 2 police officers injured

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Information reaching 247ureports.com indicate that a Church has been bombed in Bauchi State. St. John’s Catholic Church was reported bombed at 9:26am today, Sunday September 23, 2012 at Bayan Gari.

New information from the police in Bauchi State indicate two [2] police officers stationed at the Church were seriously injured by the blast. Also it was gathered that four [4] people in total has been confirm dead by the police and by informed witnessess in the area. The sucide bomber was reported to be among the four that lost their lives. The explosion was reported to have occurred at the parking area of the Church. This is according to a security operative.

A police officer who spoke to 247ureports.com revealed that most Churches in the area had already been taking precautious security measure prior to today’s bomb blast. He believes that the casualty number will eventually be lower than normal. The deputy police public relations officer, Hassan Mohammed Auyo stated that three people were killed including the sucide bomber and 46 people were injured. The seriousness of the injuries are not know.

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According to the information gathered, the bomb was planted inside the Church. “It was not a sucide bomber“, said a government source in Bauchi State. But other sources indicate that it was a car sucide bomber who drove a ‘Destra’ vehicle into the church parking lot.

It is not certain the number of casualties sustained but a source indicates that there might be casualties.

The latest attack occurred in an area where four other attacks had occurred. The People’s Hotel located nearby was previously bombed.

Boko Haram is suspected.

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stay tuned

Poll shows Obama up in Ohio 51-46

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President Barack Obama leads Mitt Romney by 5 percentage points — 51 percent to 46 percent — among likely voters in the first Dayton Daily News/Ohio Newspaper Organization poll of the 2012 election.

That 5-point margin matches Obama’s advantage when survey participants were asked which candidate would do the best job of improving economic conditions in Ohio.

“Clearly, how Ohioans view the two candidates in terms of their ability to improve Ohio’s economy over the next four years will go a long way in determining who wins Ohio’s 18 electoral votes,” said Eric Rademacher, co-director of the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati, which conducted the poll for the state’s eight largest newspapers.

“Ninety-five percent of voters who say Romney would do best on the economy choose Romney for president, 96 percent of voters who say Obama would do best pick Obama.”

But with the election more than six weeks away — and four debates, numerous candidate visits and tens of millions of dollars worth of ads targeting Ohioans still on their way — Rademacher predicted that “voters may be in for a wild ride this fall.”

The new poll shows that Ohioans are sharply divided over what should happen to the federal health-care law now that the U.S. Supreme Court has generally upheld its legality, Obama’s stance favoring gay marriage moves voters slightly toward Romney, and a strong majority likes the federal loans given to General Motors and Chrysler.

But the latter issue illustrates the complexity of how economy issues are impacting this year’s election.

Although the auto rescue package won approval from 58 percent of Ohio voters — and opposition from 37 percent — Obama reaps no apparent political reward from the issue he pushed and campaigned strenuously on in Ohio visits.

While 23 percent say the loans make them more likely to vote for Obama, 22 percent say less likely. Fifty-four percent say it makes no difference.

Linda Rae Brown, 65, a telemarketer from Cleveland who took part in the poll, supported Obama’s auto loan package, saying, “I think it was absolutely necessary. I would never want them to go bankrupt, heavens no, and I think they would have gone bankrupt if we didn’t do something.”

But, she added, “I think Obama was right on that, but I don’t think Obama has the financial understanding to run the country. I really think Romney is better equipped.”

In contrast, 66-year-old Barbara L. Hixenbaugh of Liberty Twp. in Butler County is sticking with Obama because “he did the right thing in the auto bailout.”

“We would have been in dire straits if that would not have happened because of the trickle down effect” on related industries and businesses, the retiree added. She said Obama would be better for the Ohio economy “without a doubt.”

Rademacher said the automobile industry issue and the campaigning around it “provide an example of why Ohio is such a difficult state to win. While this issue may help the president in one part of Ohio, it may factor less in vote decisions in other regions.

“Ohio is a complex state where an issue like ‘the economy’ means many things,” he said. “For some regions, it may mean the auto industry, for others it may mean gas prices, others wages and benefits and for still others it relates directly to unemployment.”

Blacklick attorney Gary L. Jones, 74, is a registered Democrat but is voting for Romney. Jones, who has a law practice in Columbus specializing in liquor licensing, said he was put off earlier this year when Obama said, “If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that.”

“I went to law school at night, built my own practice, worked my ass off,” Jones said.

He said he believes Romney will better curb the nation’s skyrocketing debt and preserve Medicare and Social Security programs.

“I think he understands you can’t continue to borrow money you don’t have and spend it like a drunken sailor which is what we are doing now. That’s really scary for me.”

However, another lawyer, Elizabeth Feniger, 35, of Ottawa Hills near Toledo, calls herself an economic conservative who could support Romney but disagrees with his position on social issues, especially abortion.

“I guess if he wins the election and was able to appoint a conservative justice and overturn Roe vs. Wade I’d be scared,” said Feniger, who is currently staying at home with a son. “I like (Romney). I could vote for him if not for these other issues that are more important to me.”

The difficulty of assessing the impact of the economy on the presidential race also shows up when respondents were asked the question Ronald Reagan popularized in 1980: Are you better off now than you were four years ago?

Currently, 23 percent say better off, 36 percent worse off and 41 percent about the same.

While that breakdown is hardly a fount of optimism for Obama, the numbers are a little better than they were in an OHNO poll from September 2008 that asked the same question.

In that survey, 29 percent said they were better off than four years earlier, 47 percent worse off, and 34 percent about the same.

Although the new poll shows that Ohioans are split four ways on Obama’s health-care law, the president can see a glimmer of hope because 48 percent overall want to keep or expand the law, compared to 44 percent who want it repealed.

The poll indicates that Democrats are slightly more likely to vote than Republicans this year, and Obama supporters are more enthusiastic about the election than are Romney backers. However, Romney is winning independents by a large margin.

The poll also shows a wide disparity in support from region to region in Ohio. In the northeast, Obama leads Romney by a 57-41 percent margin, while Romney leads Obama 53-43 percent in southwestern Ohio.

As with other polls, Obama has a big lead among young people, women and African-Americans. Those 65 and older favor Romney, the poll found, but by a fairly small margin, 50-46.

Robert Merkle, 82, of Springfield was raised in a Republican family and thinks Romney is “a good guy.” But Merkle, a retired physicist and aerospace engineer at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, said he probably will vote for Obama, which he did in 2008.

The reason, he said, is health care. “I favor some kind of reform in health insurance and he got that through in his first two years. I think that’s a great achievement,” Merkle said. “That goes clear back to President Truman….but Obama finally got it through.”

The poll, which used both land lines and cell phones, surveyed 861 likely voters across Ohio from Sept. 13 through Tuesday. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points. Other sources of error are possible, such as non-response bias. A total of 27 percent responded when pollsters called.

The party breakdown of the randomly selected respondents: 48 percent Democrats, 42 percent Republicans, 10 percent independents. The data were weighted to correct for potential sampling bias on gender and region of residence for respondents.

The poll was financed solely by the Ohio Newspaper Organization.

Zimbabwe city residents synchronize toilet flushing to unblock sewers after water rationing

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HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — City authorities in Zimbabwe’s second largest city said Saturday they were appealing to home owners to flush their toilets at a specified time as a way to unblock sewers after days of severe water rationing.

Bulawayo City Council has asked its more than 1 million residents to flush their toilets simultaneously at 7:30 p.m. when water supplies are restored. City officials say “synchronized flushing” is needed to clear waste that would have accumulated in sanitary facilities which will have been affected by days of water outages.

Bulawayo’s two main supply dams have been drying up because of drought conditions prevailing in the arid, southwestern part of Zimbabwe, raising fears of worsening water shortages before the rainy season starts in November.

Synchronized flushing was first introduced to Bulawayo two decades ago at the height of a drought that ravaged the southern African nation.

Residents told The Associated Press late Saturday that they weren’t “aware” of the new system the city council was proposing. They said the whole issue wasn’t properly communicated to them.

Old water pipes have not been replaced in years which saw world record inflation before the formation of a coalition government between longtime President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Power and water outages are common in Zimbabwe following years of political turmoil and economic meltdown.

Civic organizations said any moves by city authorities to solve water and sanitation problems dogging the southwestern province were welcome, but were also awaiting communication from them.

Springtime For Catholic Education In Anambra State – by Most Rev. Hilary Paul Odili Okeke

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The Catholic Church is very much aware of its divine mandate in the area of education. According to Canon 7941, “The duty and right of educating belongs in a special way to the Church, to which has been divinely entrusted the mission of assisting persons so that they are able to reach the fullness of Christian life”. From the above, it is clear that the Catholic Church is not a stranger in the field of education. The Catholic Church is not an interloper. Education is part and parcel of its mission. The civil government must understand and appreciate the right and duty of the Church to educate its members and others who want to benefit from the teaching function of the Church. Part of the sad history of Nigeria and for which the nation is paying dearly, was the attempt by civil government to oust the competence of the Church in education. Monopoly of education by government starved education of its ability to give integral formation to the young. Government through its unfortunate policy educated generations of Nigerians without morality. Is it any wonder that most Nigerians do not bother about right and wrong? For the most, it is achievement, money, success, position without minding the means of attaining the end! No wonder Nigeria is groaning under the weight of corruption, fraud and other social malaise!

 

We are paying the price for neglecting and abandoning true education which the Church was giving for the concoction which the State was providing in the name of education. How could the government without the correct sense of values and direction give true education, especially with corrupt officials and ill-motivated teachers? The result was introduction of monumental fraud into the educational system. Bribery and corruption were enthroned; examination malpractices surfaced and were promoted; the seeds of indiscipline and corruption were sown and nurtured in the social fabric and today, every sector of our society is experiencing the disastrous consequences of mis-education.

 

The Catholic Church is on the other hand always conscious and conscientious about the finality of education. According to Canon 795, “Since true education must strive for complete formation of the human person that looks to his or her final end as well as to the common good of societies, children and youth are to be nurtured in such a way that they are able to develop their physical, moral, and intellectual talents harmoniously, acquire a more perfect sense of responsibility and right use of freedom, and are formed to participate actively in social life”.  One cannot leave out any of the objectives of integral education without doing irremediable harm to the society. The result will be producing monsters, moral monsters! That is why some teachers (or cheaters) and children with the connivance and active support of their parents are more interested in passing examinations than in acquiring knowledge and competences. This has led to institutionalization of success in examination without knowledge in miracle or special centres! One does not need a prophet to tell us that this is a recipe for failure of the society! In spite of all appearances to the contrary, our society is a failed society! Why should thousands of Nigerians youths flee Nigeria in search of greener pastures? Why should thousands of Nigerians leave Nigeria for Ghana and other West African countries in search of education? The indices of a failed society are there for even the blind to see!

 

Many Nigerians have come to realize that a lot of things have gone wrong with Nigeria . Many have seen that the foundation is faulty. Some are calling for a Sovereign National Conference as the panacea for the ills of Nigeria. But honest Nigerians know that unless we get the foundation right, in vain will all our efforts in rebranding Nigeria be. The foundation is true education to ensure that we have new generations imbued with genuine sense of right and wrong, authentic moral values and commitment to ethical norms that make for personal integrity, social responsibility and promotion of the common good. It will be difficult to find a group that is imbued with the same sense of mission with which the Church undertakes education. For the Church, education is not a commercial venture. It is its raison d’être. To get education once more right in Nigeria, the Church must be allowed and empowered to do what it knows best and what it is mandated to do: teach!

 

And that is what Mr. Peter Obi, the Governor of Anambra State is doing. Mr. Peter Obi is an uncommon Governor in Nigeria. Most of his colleagues are busy playing politics with the destiny of the people. Most are engaged in palliatives which they call “dividends of democracy” and using contracts to siphon public funds. Mr. Peter Obi is concerned with giving the people of Anambra State what they need and not what they want. With ANIDS (Anambra Integrated Development Strategy), the Governor is attacking the development needs of Anambra State on all fronts. One of the principal areas is education because he believes that education is a primary tool for development.  He is honest enough to realize that the State needs the expertise and commitment of the Church to revamp education in the State. That is why he did what other Governors before him were afraid to do. He returned all secondary schools and primary schools taken over from the Church. And again, he was sincere enough to apologize for the unfortunate takeover of schools which put education into morass. Unlike his colleagues, he saw the Church as a reliable partner in progress. He is willing to work with the Church to reverse the losses and repair the damages which the State had unwittingly inflicted on education. He promised to make a huge sum of money available to the Church to assist it to rehabilitate dilapidated school buildings while continuing to pay the teachers and other state employees in the returned schools.

 

The Governor has taken a bold step to revolutionize education in our State. He has thrown a big challenge to the Church. The Catholic Church in Anambra State under the leadership of Archbishop Valerian Okeke has wholeheartedly accepted the challenge of the Governor. The Catholic Bishops in Anambra State, namely, Archbishop Valerian Okeke, Archbishop of Onitsha, Bishop Hilary Paul O. Okeke, Bishop of Nnewi, Bishop Paulinus Ezeokafor, Bishop of Awka and Bishop Augustine Ukwuoma, Bishop of Orlu (for Uli and Amorka which are in Anambra State but in Orlu Diocese), have resolved to do their best to see that the good intentions of Governor Peter Obi are achieved for the benefit of the children of Anambra State. May God bless our Governor!

 

Our responsibility is to see that the returned schools and the schools which were built by the Church after the takeover of schools are maintained and managed in the best possible manner to yield the desired result. We have to ensure that the infrastructure and facilities are quickly reconstructed and rehabilitated. The funds made available by the government will only help us scratch the surface but we are very grateful for the gesture. We must not depend totally on government subsidy. We have to realize that schools are part of the pastoral mission to which church funds are to be applied.  Indeed, the Church expects the Catholic faithful to foster Catholic schools, assisting in their establishment and maintenance according to their means (see Canon 796 §2).  Education is one of the most critical and important area of investment. Indeed, investing in education is the wisest investment for one will be investing in the people who will transform the society.

 

I am therefore appealing to all Parish Councils, all statutory organizations, organisations and individuals to contribute generously to the Education Endowment Fund of the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi. The Endowment Fund will be launched on Sunday, 26th August 2012. On that day, there will be Special Fund-raising for Catholic Education in Nnewi Diocese.

Parish Priests in carrying out their responsibility of arranging everything so that all the faithful have a Catholic education (see Canon 794 -2), should organize the fund-raising diligently and with a sense of duty. The proceeds with accurate record of contributors will be submitted integrally and promptly (in toto et quam primum) to the diocesan secretariat. I expect all lovers of God and of our children and all public-spirited men and women to give generously not only for the rehabilitation of returned schools but also for the construction of new schools according to the needs of the people.    Definitely, education is expensive! We have tried ignorance and have discovered that it is more expensive and even disastrous. That is why every right thinking person should be ready to invest in education and more so in Catholic education.

 

I appreciate the efforts of parishes and various religious Congregations of men and women who have invested and are investing in education. The schools established with the written permission of the diocesan Bishop are Catholic schools and should contribute in no small way to the mission of the Church in the field of education. I encourage all who have established any school in the name of the Church to ensure high standards of morality and discipline, Catholic religious formation, academic excellence in facilities and environments that are conducive to the overall religious, moral and intellectual formation of the young. I also insist on their delivering affordable Catholic education in all these schools.

The Nnewi Diocesan Education Committee is to carry out a detailed survey of all educational institutions in the diocese with a view to ensuring that the diocese has adequate provisions for Catholic education. Schools are the principal means of imparting education to the young and old. We have to ensure that we have schools to meet the needs of the young and old. I have the responsibility as the diocesan Bishop to ensure that schools that impart education with a Christian spirit are available. Having looked at the schools which are available, I am convinced that we still need to have more secondary schools with boarding facilities. The Catholic Diocese of Nnewi has plans to establish St. Patrick’s College and Hostels at Nnewi as a first class secondary school for boys. St. Patrick is the Secondary Patron of Nigeria. He was instrumental as the missionary to Ireland in making Ireland what it was: Ireland of Saints and Scholars! We want to replicate this in our diocese. Work will begin on the project for this ultra-modern school as soon as we get the funds to embark on it.

 

We have also seen the need to establish professional schools, technical schools and other schools required by special needs (see Canon 802 §2). We have been planning to establish a School for Business and Entrepreneurship in Nnewi. Nnewi is an important commercial centre. We are painfully aware that many young people enter business with little or no formal education. We want to help such people to acquire sound formal and informal education tailored to their needs. The Directorate for Business Executives of the Diocese of Nnewi is actively engaged in planning and implementation of the project. We expect it to take off this year. We are also planning to establish St. Joseph Technical and Development Centre in Nnewi on a piece of land acquired by Msgr. Joseph Nwibegbunam of happy memory. We want to use the project not only to immortalise the ebullient and hardworking priest but also to inculcate the virtues of hard work associated with St. Joseph the Worker.  This centre will train and produce middle-level skilled manpower. . In the next few weeks, we will establish a School of Modern Languages in partnership with Alliance Francaise.  It will be a weekend programme to enable workers and others to acquire knowledge of French and other European languages.  I commend these projects to God and to generous individuals and organizations for sponsorship.

 

I want to turn my attention to a very critical factor in education. The school system cannot deliver the right results both in terms of academic accomplishments and moral tone without a crop of dedicated teachers. Catholic schools could boast of such teachers before the government took over the schools and destroyed the teaching spirit. One of the greatest harms which government did to education was the destruction of the spirit of teaching characterized by love of the children and devotion to duty. Civil service mentality took over. Trade unionism added its own debilitating characteristics. Teachers began to lose the vision of their work as vocation and service. They were more after their remuneration and conditions of service than after the welfare of the children entrusted to their care. They would vote for strike on any pretext, especially in search for more pay and better conditions of work. Re-engineering and re-orientating the teaching staff are critical for the success of the new era of education in Anambra State.  All teachers, especially those teaching in Catholic schools have to recover the nobility and dignity of the teaching profession. The beauty of this profession comes out in the fruit, the young people formed and prepared for life in this world and for the next life. No sane person can forget the dutiful and devoted teacher. I appeal to all our teachers to be part of the springtime for education in Anambra State. Those of you employed and paid by government must overcome the temptation of being just concerned with your pay and the government which pays you. If you are in a Catholic school, be sure that you see yourselves as people involved in the mission of the Church and then give your best to ensure the transmission of worthwhile knowledge, values, attitudes and skills to the young entrusted to your care. It is not a myth to say that teachers are in loco parentis, in the place of the parent. In reality, teachers should give the children and young people in their care the love parents have for their children.

 

Let me conclude by thanking Governor Peter Obi for his interest in education and for partnering with the Church in education. The partnership will yield great dividends for education in Anambra State . I thank government-employed teachers who have accepted the change and urge them to show dedication and discipline so that the schools will become true formative institutions. All hands must be on deck to realise the great vision which the Governor has for education in our State. It happens to be in line with the vision of the Catholic Church. Funding of our educational system cannot be left to the government alone. It is a task that we all must undertake with commitment and generosity so as to reap the fruit of the springtime for education in general and Catholic education in particular. Let us all come together to give Catholic education a boost in our diocese! May God bless our efforts and commitment!

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Most Rev. Hilary Paul Odili Okeke

Catholic Bishop of Nnewi

“Shame on Aba Lawyers” Abia Coalition Group

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Lawyers protest state of roads in Aba
A group known as Abia Coalition has berated some members of the NBA,  Aba Branch for the show of  shame they exhibited in Aba recently in the name of protesting the state of some roads in Aba.
According to the Coalition group, when kidnapping and other vices were going on in Aba, where were the so called Lawyers. Some ran away, while some were defending the criminals in law courts. The group also reminded Abians that lawyers were defending the kidnappers thus proving that they are backing the criminals.
Abia Coalition however, said that since Governor T.A Orji has promised to continue his massive Road construction and removal of illegal structures on drainages in Aba after the rains. It is thus, stupid of these Aba Lawyers to embark on self serving show of shame. The Coalition also went further to remind Abians that NBA Aba Branch is being manipulated.
The Coalition advised well meaning Abians to stand with Governor T.A Orji as he is known to be committed to service as posterity will vindicate him.

Somali lawmaker shot dead in latest militant attack

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MOGADISHU – Gunmen shot dead a Somali lawmaker on Saturday, witnesses said, the first assassination of a member of the war-torn country’s newly appointed parliament.
The unidentified assailants fired several shots at Mustaf Haji Mohamed shortly after evening prayers in Mogadishu’s Waberi district, the latest in a wave of militant attacks since the assembly elected President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Sept. 10.
Mohamud has said improving security is his priority, and such attacks underscore the scale of the challenge he faces in a country where regional administrations, clan militias, Islamist militants and pirates vie for power.

New attack on Obama: Empty chairs hanging in trees

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There are at least two reports of what may be a disturbing new protest trend against President Obama: Empty chairs hanging from trees.

A blogger who spotted a hanging chair with an attached sign reading “Nobama” in Centreville, Va., writes: “This appears to be a crude metaphor for the lynching of President Obama.”

A blogger in Texas wrote about a similar display in Austin.

The owner of the house in Virginia told WJLA-TV that he has taken down the chair and said the idea was inspired by Clint Eastwood’s performance at the Republican Convention, in which the actor “interviewed” an empty chair meaning to represent Obama.

“I loved Clint Eastwood’s speech,” said Doug Burger, adding that the display has no racial connotations.

“I know how to build a noose,” Burger said. “Really. If I wanted to make a noose, I could do that. I did not. I had no intention for that to occur.”

The criticism is “really an attack on free speech,” he added.

NBC News reported that the Secret Service is looking into the empty chair incidents.

“The Secret Service is aware of this and will conduct appropriate followup,” spokesman Brian Leary told NBC.

‘No to Beijing terrorists’: Japanese stage anti-China march over islands reference

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Hundreds of Japanese nationalists have marched through the streets of Tokyo in protest against Chinese foreign policy, as the diplomatic row between the two countries over an archipelago in the East China Sea threatens to spiral out of control.

­Marshaled by Ganbare Nippon, a right-wing advocacy group famous for its attention-catching public actions, a group of at least 800 people, carried placards reading “Sink the Chinese boats in our waters” and “Do not give in to the Beijing terrorists” as they walked through the central shopping district, before arriving at the Chinese Embassy.

“Come on out of there!” shouted some of the protesters, as police had to restrain them. The building was forced to close due to the action.

The demonstration was a response to the mass anti-Japanese rallies held in Chinese cities around the country, which led to the attack of several Japanese-owned stores, and led Japan’s Prime Minister, Yoshihiko Noda, to call for his counterpart to secure the safety of his countrymen in China.

The cause of the dispute is a stretch of tiny uninhibited islands between the two countries, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China that have been the subject of an intermittent diplomatic dispute since 1971 and an ever-intensifying diplomatic spat for the past year.

Controlled by the Japanese since 1895, the islands provide rich fishing grounds and possible mineral resources, as well as drawing an economic and political border between Japan and China.

China, which says it has a claim to the islands dating back to ancient history, has repeatedly sent ships to their vicinity in a show of strength and its citizens have previously tried to land there to hold protests (with counter-protest landings made by nationalist Japanese).

The latest chain of events was set off when the Japanese government  purchased the islands off a private family ten days ago – under threat  that the owner was going to sell them to the staunchly anti-Chinese  governor of Tokyo.

China immediately sent several patrol and fishing ships to the area, with Japan also bolstering their naval presence.

Meanwhile,  the Japanese embassy in Beijing suspended its services following  intense protests outside, while Japanese businesses shut their front  doors after several attacks and arson incidents.  Some Japanese  contractors said Chinese partners had cancelled their orders. Workers at  several Japanese-owned factories also went on strike. The combined  losses from these incidents, has been estimated to exceed $100 million  already.

In a series of symbolic gestures, Chinese booksellers  stopped stocking Japanese literature, while the Japanese national air  carrier JAL severely cut the number of flights to China.

Japanese  armed forces and US marines also performed a joint drill in which they  “re-captured” a “Japanese” island that had been “invaded”.  The  exercises were labeled “provocative” by Beijing, and in response the Chinese have staged a live-ammunition drill of their own.

In  recent days, protests have simmered down in China and officials there  say they will protect Japanese businesses on its territory. The economic  transactions between the two countries amounted to $349 billion last  year.

Nonetheless, the conflict looks nowhere near a definitive resolution, with Beijing calling for Japan to “repent its mistakes” and return the islands, and Prime Minister Noda insisting that Japan possesses an “unwavering resolve to defend its territorial lands and waters.”

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