Opinion
World Book Capital And Reading Culture
In 2014, the World’s Literary pendulum shall be pointing at the direction of Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State and the acclaimed garden city of Nigeria.
By location, it is Nigeria but by implication, it is a world affair.
UNESCO decided to award it’s 2014 edition of World Book Capital City to Port Harcourt, Rivers State. This is in recognition of the pragmatic efforts of the present administration in promoting the art of literature and reading in the state and especially, the educational sector. Historically and in another perspective, the huge investment and expenditure done on educational sector through the transformation agenda is evidently or justifiably enough to draw international attention. Also, the Garden City Literary Festival (GCLF) which has become a trade-mark and have annually been able to pull remarkable names in the Pen industry and literary icons to the state contributed immensely to this global award and recognition.
It is indeed a monumental achievement and kudos to the administration of Rt. Hon. Chubuike Rotomi Amaechi, the Executive Governor of the State. He has really demonstrated his unalloyed love and loyalty for his professional discipline as an English and literary practitioner: This is one of the best, remarkable and cumbersome things that will ever happen in the history of Rivers State and Nigeria in general. To have a state of literacy above board is to have a generation of civilized people with decent ethical behavior.
The fact cannot be overruled that the gains of every society with out-standing percentage of literacy demystify that of illiteracy. This is why I quickly agreed with Governor Amaechi when he said “literature restores value and represents the world full of opportunities and numerous responsibilities”. A state or nation where 2/3 majority of the total populace are literate, who can read and write more of less gone through the conventional basic education will always be less vulnerable to some anti-social behaviours. It can never also be easily push-over, make to be a copy-cat or relegated to the background of social, political and economic development.
Reading and writing enhances creativity, professionalism, proper planning, coordination and articulation in word processing and manipulation. There is absolutely a clear distinction between learning to acquire knowledge and putting the knowledge acquired into proper use for the benefit of others. Every foundation in the arts of basic concept, technology and ideological principle is founded on the act of reading and writing. Without this concept that is put down through publishing of books, the scientific innovations, the discoveries that is shaping the world and making it a better place today would have been an illusion. Every good reader and writer can never lack word to express him or herself or to describe a situation or event. The great work of Books and Literature can never be quantified. This is why I truly avail the advice of Hilaire Belloc (1870 – 1953) to his son. Strongly, I believe this as a fundamental instruction when he said “child do not throw this book about, refrain from the unholy pleasure of cutting all the pictures out. Preserve it as your chiefest treasure”. The book project, reading and writing fiesta will enormously propel Port Harcourt, Rivers State is such an international recognition and benefits that must surely be reaped in the long run. This is why I am enjoying all well-meaning sons and daughters of positive minds to avail themselves with this opportunity no matter the negativity against all odds and bizarre circumstances perceived to surround its peripheries.
In as much as we envisage the lots of good opportunities that are abound in the lofty project, we also have to examine the shabby and shoddy state of our educational system and sincerely acknowledge that all is not well with it. This, at the back of our mind will surely help us to look back, dot our “i’” and cross our “t” adequately in very aggressive preparation for the event.
Crystal clear is the fact that, reading and writing culture in the country has regrettably felt below average in our education.al system. Right from the fall of WAI (War Against Indiscipline) of the Late General IDIAGBON – my most cherished Head-of-State, when the platonic, sardonic and draconic decrees that really shaped and positioned the socio-cultural behavior of our people, was toppled and abandoned, indiscipline has become the talk of the day in our schools. In those good old days, the 70’s and 80’s precisely, every school – secondary. schools especially had .prep or evening classes on their ,time table, these period, students are compulsorily allowed to go to their respective classes for studies on their own. So much readings and writings are always done at this period which was of greater advantage on the pupils performances.
Infrastructural development especially those that has direct impact and bearing on the literal aspirations and performances of the student for instance, before the adventure of the few modern schools of the transformation policy of the governor, there hardly be any of the schools especially community schools with standard or substandard library. And there hardly be any community in the state that does not have at least one community secondary school in its domain.
There is no way I could be convinced that standard library equipped with richer, juicy and certified books from authors of national and international reputes will not enhance the standard of reading and writing of our pupils. Though I can also agree that library alone, whether befitting or otherwise cannot bring in all that we need in our students and from our system. It is not all about a beautiful and serene environment or competitive facilities, it is all about the product of such an endeavour which must come through hard-work, discipline in all ramifications.
However, I quite agreed with the governor that better dreams come as a result of readIng books and indeed good books of course. It does not matter were one is brought up or the handicap situation one found self but what could be deduced from such a situation. In the words of the Governor, “I dream because I read. I was raised up in a poor neighbourhood of Diobu in Port Harcourt, I was the only child of my parents who went to school and today I am governor because I read”. This is an eloquent testimony, true confession and practical picture of the derivative factor of devotion, hard work and disciplinary measures exemplified through reading and writing. It is very palatable to emulate but much is needed to completely bring back this dream which are the banes of. sustainable and productive educational system in our dear state. We do not want the expensive and agrarian efforts of our governor to be a wasted venture. It is e common adage that if you want to hide something from a black person, mostly Nigerians, hide it in a book.’ I have looked at the above
statement as a fiction that has no bearing, but looking at the crop of people we turn out every year from our schools, I now draw affinity with the proponent of the adage. Something needs to be done urgently before we are swallowed up in a drowsy ocean of literary helplessness.
It is against this back drop that ‘we need to look at some measures to really address the anomalies vigorously. The culture of discipline anchor on an encompass corporal punishment must be brought back into the system. No one should be above discipline as long as uniform in dressing is maintained end there should be no regard to financial, parental statue, political affiliations and social background. The concept of compulsory boarding should be reintroduced.
Today globalization has brewed in so many packages, which are detrimental and with far reaching negative implications on the. people. The youth are most vulnerable to this feast. This is because browsing though the internet has taken over 75CYo of our youths. Instead of finding time to read books, writing and solving assignments, our youth prefer to spend long hours at cyber cafe browsing irrelevant articles. This is not healthy for the system and our forth- coming “World Book Capital City”. Today also, you seldomly see a child given in
to reading of ‘newspapers, bulletins, magazines, novels etc or even listening to news on Radio and television. not even documentary, program that has literary implications, what is common is music all-round the clock. There should be an over-hauling and upgrading of our educational curriculum to accommodate the teaching of moral behaviour and value in our schools. In the same vein, certain features of the 70’s and 80’s era and style of studies which made the system thick by then should be introduced. For instance, inter-school’s competition is a formidable tool that can alleviate the system.
However, we are happy with government efforts in revamping the sector and believe that with “proper arrangement devil can see God”.
Tordee (JP) a social commentator and public analyst resides in Port Harcourt.
Manson B. Tordee
Opinion
Good Friday: Timeless Message Of Sacrifice, Redemption
As the sombre clouds gather and the world pauses to observe Good Friday, it presents an opportune moment for deep reflection on the profound significance of this day in the Christian calendar. At Good Friday, the most solemn day in the Christian calendar, we commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, a pivotal event that carries profound implications for believers and non-believers alike. Beyond its religious connotations, Good Friday serves as a timeless reminder of the enduring themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the human capacity for transformation.
At its core, Good Friday embodies the ultimate act of selflessness and love. The narrative of Jesus willingly accepting crucifixion as a means to atone for humanity’s sins speaks to the depths of compassion and empathy. In a world often charactersed by selfish pursuits and division, the message of Good Friday transcends religious boundaries, resonating with all who aspire to emulate the virtues of sacrifice and compassion in their lives.
The concept of redemption lies at the heart of the Good Friday narrative. Through his suffering and death, Jesus offers a path to redemption and forgiveness for all. This notion of divine grace transcends mere theological doctrine, extending an invitation to individuals of every background to confront their shortcomings, seek forgiveness and strive for spiritual renewal. In a world, a country, Nigeria, marked by brokenness and despair, the promise of redemption offers a beacon of hope and restoration.
Good Friday therefore brings a message of hope to suffering Nigerians with the assurance that the whole problem will one day come to an end; that as Jesus, crucified on Good Friday conquered death and resurrected on Easter morning, there will certainly be light at the end of the tunnel.
Good Friday is also a day that reminds Christians that they must die, and offers them the opportunity to reflect on where they will be after death and how they have contributed both individually and collectively to the current poor state of Nigeria across all sectors.
Today, Christians of various denominations troop to churches, some who for several reasons cannot make it to their places of worship will get glued to their television sets to participate in Good Friday activities, including the last station of the Cross for the Lenten season (for Catholics), the veneration of the Cross among others. Often, one wonders what better society it will be, particularly in Nigeria, if Christians who make up a large proportion of the nation’s population will put the lessons of Good Friday into practice instead of seeing it as a mere annual ritual.
To what extent has this impacted on the lives of Christians in the country? Do they recognise and accept suffering and pain, as a will of God for their salvation or reject them as “not their portion?” Often, we have heard some Christians including some renowned leaders, claim that suffering is not from God but from the devil. Today’s remembrance, therefore, presents these and other Christians a good opportunity to reflect on the significance and centrality of the Cross in their lives.
Jesus was a selfless leader who bore all these travails for the unwavering love he had for mankind, capping it with a shameful death on the Cross, even though He committed no crime. Can we find such altruistic leaders among Christians in Nigeria? As leaders in our homes, offices, societies, churches and other spheres of influence, can the believers of Christ in the country say they sacrifice all for the people they lead or is it the other way round?
In Ephesians 5 : 1-2, St Paul said, “be imitators…and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God,” Jesus submitted his own life to sacrificial service under the will of God (Luke 22 : 42), and he sacrificed his life freely out of service for others (John 10:30). He came to serve (Matthew 20:28) although he was God’s son and was thus more powerful than any other leader in the world. He healed the sick (Mark 7:31-37), drove out demons (Mark 5:1-20), was recognised as Teacher and Lord (John 13:13), and had power over the wind and the sea and even over death (Mark 4:35-41; Matthew 9:18-26).
Yet, in John 13:1-17 we see him giving a very practical example of what it means to serve others. He washed the feet of his followers, which was properly the responsibility of the house-servant. He did that out of love, a show of a leader who was ready to render service for his followers when the need arises, a leader who wanted to set an example for his followers to follow.
Can it be said that Nigerian Christians and non-Christians who occupy leadership positions both in religious and secular organisations display this servant-leader style that Jesus teaches? A situation where they lord it over their followers or subordinates, abuse their offices, take undue advantage of the poor to enrich themselves and oppress the people does not show that they are true imitators of Christ. Sometimes when you see the arrogance and mannerism of some Christian leaders, you wonder where they learnt their own version of Christianity from.
Our country today is in dire need of direction. Darkness seems to have covered the land. There is an unprecedented level of insecurity in the land. No one is happy, no one is safe. Kidnapping for money is now a thriving business. Corruption and rabid treasury looting, injustice and ethnicity are the order of the day. Poverty, lack of employment and hunger are now the lot of majority of the populace.
But the question is, are Christians playing any role to remedy the ugly situation in the country? Do we not think that if the Christians live according to the teachings of the gospel and fail to join the bandwagon in a life of debauchery the story would have been different? We were told that the followers of Jesus were first called Christians in Antioch because their deeds were similar to that of Christ. Can the same be said of Christians in Nigeria, some of whom cheat in the markets, sell fake and adulterated goods and commit other atrocities to make money? How has their adherence to the life and teaching of Jesus impacted on the national ethos and values?
The marking of passion and death of Jesus Christ by crucifixion should, therefore, be used by Christians to reflect deeply on how they have followed the example of Jesus in both their private and public lives. Christians in Nigeria should seize this opportunity to identify those attitudes that are not in conformity with Jesus’ teaching, which put Christianity in a bad light and root them out.
It is expected that the gains of the 40-day spiritual exercise and the triduum which culminates in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, on Easter morning, will be deployed by Christians towards making Nigeria a better country.
Jesus expressed His love for mankind by His selflessness, compassion and kindness. By His love, He diminished the distinction of tribes and tongues and brought all people together. Nigeria needs these virtues more than anything now in order to move this nation forward. The message of Good Friday will help the nation a great deal when every Nigerian, Christians and non-Christians, realises that He does not need to be selfish. Jesus could not have successfully accomplished his salvific mission if he was selfish.
The crucifixion of Jesus stands as a testament to the unjust suffering endured by countless individuals throughout history. It calls attention to the plight of the marginalised, the oppressed, and the downtrodden, urging us to confront injustice and stand in solidarity with those who suffer. In a world rife with violence, the message of Good Friday compels us to work tirelessly towards building a more just and compassionate society.
By: Calista Ezeaku
Opinion
Easter: Hope For Humanity
Easter means so much to humanity, especially Christians. It is one of the happiest moments or events those who have realised the value of the death and resurrection of Jesus love to associate with. Did you know why?
It is the event that reminds regenerated humans through faith in atoning sacrifice of Jesus, that the “old account has been settled long ago” by Jesus who is the propitiation of our sin. Through His vicarious suffering and atoning sacrifice, Jesus paid the supreme price for sin, no human could have paid in a life time. And thus becomes our Saviour, our Redeemer and indeed our kinsman-Redeemer.
Easter is a testimonial and testimony that Jesus is alive, because He has the power to lay down His life and to take it. Hallelujah. It is attestation to the fact that Jesus conquered death, the grave could not stop Him from resurrecting.
This inspires confidence in Christians that death has lost its power. That death is a gate-way to eternal life. It lends credibility to the saying: “If our hope is only in this life we are of all people most to be pitied”.
For everyone that has truly encountered the Lord Jesus, with an inside-out transformation, the thought of Easter deepens commitment to Jesus Christ and the Statement of Faith on Him which states: We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe in His virgin birth. We believe in His sinless life. We believe in His atoning sacrifice and His vicarious suffering and death. We believe in His bodily resurrection. We believe in His ascension to the right hand of God the Father. We believe in His return to reign one thousand years.
When each of the strands of the Statement of Faith is considered in its merits, the Central message is “Jesus is God”. He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. He is the only Way, Truth and Life
Easter gives hope for depraved humanity that by faith in the finished work of Jesus on Calvary’s cross, there is salvation and redemption. Paul, the intrepid apostle and foremost missionary said: It is a faithful saying and worthy to be accepted that Jesus died to save sinners… Therefore, if we confess our sins, Jesus is Faithful and Just to forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness
Easter gives validity and significance to Good Friday. If Jesus has not resurrected men will describe Him as a mere impostor. Jesus’ death would not have been different from my father’s which occurred in 1978. And he is still in the grave. There would not be a distinction between Jesus and the several founders of religions who are dead and are still lying in their graves. And on their grave it is emblazoned, “Here lies the remains of…,”. But concerning Jesus the angel said, “He is Risen. He is not Here (not in the grave). Praise God.
Easter makes false theories on the resurrection of Jesus by enemies of the Christian faith, arrant fabrications. Some of those theories are: the Disciples of Jesus stole His body; that Jesus swooned (fainted and got revived in the grave); that those who claim that Jesus has resurrected are suffering from a disease of the mind known as hallucination; that where Jesus was buried was not known to Mary Magdalene and the visitors to the grave.
Giving the benefit of the doubt to those who propound those theories, one would ask if Jesus did not resurrect as they claim, where did fearful disciples derive their boldness from? Where comes the power of salvation or regeneration – the power that changes a sinner to a saint? Why are people giving their life to a “dead” Jesus? Why are people being baptized in the Holy Spirit with the initial physical evidence of speaking in a language a person has not learnt in keeping with His word “tarry in Jerusalem until you are endued with power (And the baptism in the Holy Spirit was received by the 120 in the Upper Room, 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus). No doubt, a lifeless being could not fulfilled his promise.
I can go on and on to ask. And every conscientious and sagacious person will pick holes in the spurious assertions of those who contest the validity of Jesus’ Resurrection. Bible’s Paul, the apostle by divine inspiration in his apologetics on the resurrection evolved the following propositions: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain: you are yet in your sins. Then they who are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept. (1 Corinthians 15 verses 17-20).
Easter, therefore speaks volumes of the death of Jesus Christ, His sinless life (a lamb of God without spot and blemish. He was tempted at all points, yet did not sin), His bodily resurrection, His return to reign a thousand years.
The resurrection of Jesus is an attested fact of history which gives Jesus power over Satan and the kingdom of hell, hence He declared without equivocation, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me,”, And consequently, Jesus delegated power of sonship (heritage) and authority to all believers in him, over the hordes of hell when He said: I give to you power to tread on serpents, on scorpions and on every works of the enemy. And nothing shall hurt you”. A dead fellow lacks the capacity to command: lift up your heads oh you gates and be lifted you everlasting doors and let the King of glory come. He could not have ascribed to Himself,” The Lord mighty in battle, Strong and Mighty, the Lord of hosts, the King of Glory. Such audacious declaration could not have come from an impostor, a dead person.
Let us celebrate Easter in the consciousness of its significance. Jesus is risen and this existential reality gives us a foretaste of the resurrection of all people, some to eternal life and others to eternal condemnation, depending on who and what they believed.
By: Igbiki Benibo
Opinion
Restoring Service Commission As Professional Gatekeeper
On the 13th of December 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inaugurated the newly reconstituted Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), and gave a marching order to the Commission to “competently facilitate the transformation, reorientation, and digitisation of the federal bureaucracy to enable, and not stifle, growth and enhanced private sector participation in the development of the Nigerian economy, in full adherence to the renewed hope agenda of his administration.” The FCSC has since interpreted this mandate as a charge to interrogate a fundamental question: What has the FCSC failed to do to institutionally gatekeep the federal civil service and safeguard its professional integrity, dynamics of efficiency and structural parameters despite many years of consistent and sustained administrative reforms in Nigeria?
To answer this question in a resolute way demands first the admission that given the institutional degeneration of the FCSC itself in the wake of the system-wide decline of the public administration system in Nigeria, it does not have the requisite structural and institutional parameters, to complement any forthright system-wide reform to reform the civil service reform and thereby participate in bringing to fruition the Renewed Hope Agenda of His E xcellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This therefore, requires a concerted reflection outside the box in measure that will instigate the critical injection of fresh and innovative ideas, insights and models of performance that are potent sufficiently, to compel the repositioning of the federal civil service in terms of its operational capability readiness, redoubled managerial acumen and policy professional policy professionalism that could add up to become a game-changing event for the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government. This is the mandate of the renewed FCSC.
And in pursuing this fundamental mandate, we must never forget to situate the FCSC within the context of the ongoing service-wide reforms, especially the performance bond-enabled central policy and service delivery coordination framework of the Presidency and the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
The FCSC reforming the reform mandate is essentially a complementary task whose significance adds to the overall health of the federal public service system in Nigeria.
And in complementing this ongoing reform, the FCSC is compelled to focus on the broader picture of reforming the reforms to encompass the rehabilitation of the public service in Nigeria.To clarify: this larger challenge faced by the FCSC involves answering the loaded question: Who is a Nigerian public servant? This of course looks like a very simple question. However, we begin to see how complex it is when we place it in the context of how majority of Nigerians see the public service and public servants—politicians, the police, immigration and customs, the fire system, national electricity, education boards, and many more.
How have a large majority of Nigerians encountered public servants in these ministries, departments and agencies? The answer is simple: Nigerians encounter bureaucratic inefficiency aggravated by bureaucratic corruption. And the Ease of Doing Business Index demonstrates this from year to year. It is difficult to clear your goods at any of Nigeria’s ports. It is a traumatic experience to get the police to be your friend. Nigerians pay for electricity they do not enjoy, and they are even bullied by overzealous officers in the process. Let us not even talk about the police and the politicians. Long story short: the perception of public servants by Nigerians is bad.
The public service has become bureaucratic because there are so many impediments and obstacles that have prevented the system from becoming creative and innovative in rethinking its own internal operations, processes and procedures that would have made for optimal functioning.
When any ordinary Nigerian visits the federal secretariat in any state of the federation, the lack of inter-sectoral collaboration, for example, or the near-absence of technology-enabled system’s capability ensures that such a Nigerian is frustrated in making simple administrative transactions. And that terrible perception reflects badly not only on the capability readiness of the FCSC to efficiently gatekeep the professionalism of the system, but also the systemic efficiency of the public service to backstop the government’s policies that lead to good governance. And so, attending to these institutional debilitations demands a focus onthree general and systemic components around which reform reflection and action must converge.
First, there is the urgent need to challenge and reengineer the traditional Weberian— “I-am-directed”—bureaucratic tradition which essentially rides on outdated administrative practices, analogue operating system, red-tape bureaucratic culture and poor stewardship with regards to the consideration given to, and the rights of the citizens as the customers who consume public services. In other words, the old Weberian system around which the Nigerian public service system still revolves crucially undermines bureaucratic efficiency. It will therefore be a wrong choice of operational mechanism to hinge the success of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration. Reforming the reform of the Nigerian public system therefore implies rethinking the basis of its institutional efficiency to get service delivery done effectively.
Second, reform must confront the low organisational intelligence quotient (IQ) of the public service workforce and especially its top echelons. This has not only impacted on the essence of public spiritedness and professionalism of the public servant, it has also triggered the breakdown of public service values that makes the public service all over the world a noble calling. The root cause of this decline in the vocational spirit of a public servant can only be redressed by a consistent, coherent and strict metrics of re-professionalisation.
Third, bureaucratic efficiency must be connected with the ultimate objective of achieving an effective and efficient democratic service delivery that defines what good governance is for Nigerians. And this demands that the public service must be compelled to become a performing and productive institution that holds its workforce to metrics of performance accountability. And a culture of structural performance can only take off when reforms reduce the series of systemic constraints that limit the effectiveness of the system to deliver public goods to Nigerians. We have a good example in how the President himself has got all the key governance players in the government to sign on to a performance bond with a dedicated policy coordination backend.
Fourth, a key component of performance management for productivity is a functional competency-based human resource management practices which, in the case of the Nigerian public service system, are already compromised. Two structural issues are responsible for this compromise. The first is the collapse of internal control mechanism, and the second is the rampant bureaucratic corruption aggravated by the lack of the culture of deferred gratification.
The consequence of all these institutional weaknesses is the bloated and inefficient status of the administrative system that allows it to keep generating redundancies and ad hoc structures and units of government agencies that compete with the existing bureaucratic structures in order to achieve what is often taken to be a flexible administrative arrangement unencumbered by administrative codes, rules and regulations. There is also the unfortunate replication of these parallel structures across each state of the federation. The result is the explosion of the cost of governance in ways that burden the capacity to allocate needed funds to critical governance projects speaks more to the infrastructural needs of the citizens than mere overheads.
Olaopa, an online contributor wrote in from Abuja.
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