Letters
Readers reaction
 
Name: Ndubuisi Onyenandu,
Address: swrfsafsa
Phone: 08099999

Ibrahim Babangida, the former military president of Nigeria, should stop wasting his time and money through playing one card or the other to know if the people of Nigeria will accept him. The truth is that Nigerians are tired of people like Babangida. He has so far played an ignoble role in the nation’s history.
Ndubuisi Onyenandu,
Enugu, Enugu State.
 
Name: Adeoye A. David
Address: Orile Agege, Lagos.
Phone: 0804622266

I refer to Longe’s Yoruba Numerical Vision, TELL, August 30, 2010. I find Professor Olu Longe’s research very interesting. I pray that God will grant him more days to perfect his work on the Yoruba numerical, which hitherto has caused us a lot of tongue twisting. I would, however, like to offer a suggestion, which I think may further simplify the Yoruba numerical counting, especially as it relates to the counting of high numbers, such as 100, 1,000 and 1,000,000,000. Indeed, Longe has simplified these figures by writing them as 102, 103, and 109, respectively. And if we translate this to Yoruba tradition, it is as a mother backing her child, which Yoruba language calls pon omo. In consonance with this good Yoruba tradition of mothers backing their babies, I, however, suggest that numbers such as 102 be counted as ewaponmo meji, and 103 be counted as ewaponmo meta, 109 be counted as ewaponmo mesan. Furthermore, a number such as 1,004 (103+4) be counted as ewaponmo meta ole merin, and 1,000,007 (106 + 7) be counted as ewaponmo mefa ole meje. A more complex number such as 1,089,207 can be broken down as (1,000,000 + 80,000 + 9,000 + 200 + 7) = [106 + (104 x 8_ + (103 x 9) + (102 x 2) + 7]. This can then be pronounced as ewaponmo mefa ole ewaponmo merin lona mejo ole ewaponmo meta lona mesan ole ewaponmo meji lona meji ole meje. If this suggestion is compared with the English counting of the figure 1,089,207, which is one million, and eighty-nine thousand, two hundred and seven, this attempt is not too longish; but let the research continue until the Yoruba numerical counting is made simple.
Adeoye  A. David,
Orile Agege, Lagos.
 
Name: Odih Iheanacho,
Address: Ikoyi, Lagos State.
Phone: 0804622266

I refer to your cover story, A Nation Under Siege, TELL, August 2, 2010. Frankly speaking, what we are experiencing today is a reflection of the things we neglected in the past. Bible says train up a child in the way he should go, when he is old, he will not depart from it. We failed to inculcate discipline and moral values into the minds of our young ones. This has resulted in moral decadence. In view of this, we need to return to Bethel – by living an exemplary life that our children would emulate. Those in position of leadership need to eschew bribery and corruption. We need to allow transparency and accountability to be the watchword. We also need to equip the police force to deal with those who have chosen to be instrument in the hand of Satan. Our financial institutions should encourage entrepreneurship by providing soft loan to those who are willing to be self-employed. An idle hand is a devil’s workshop.
Odih Iheanacho,
Ikoyi, Lagos State.
 
Name: Dayo Oladeji
Address: Saki, Oyo State.
Phone: 0804622266

I refer to your cover story, Reducing the Burden of Democracy, TELL, July 12, 2010. A time will surely come when lawmakers would be made to account for their stewardship. What is the essence of having representatives who are only interested in looting the treasury rather than representing the people.   A pay that does not reflect the true status of the average Nigerian is nothing but preposterously outrageous. Enough of this bole-ka-ja (come down and let’s fight) democracy with a sedative Senate and a quarrelsome House of Representatives – happy spoilt brats.
Dayo Oladeji,
Saki, Oyo State.
 
Name: Agboola Ajayi
Address: Oyo, Oyo State.
Phone: 08099999

I refer to your cover story, How the Judiciary Aids Corruption, TELL, June 28, 2010. That the last hope of the masses, aids and abets corruption in the corridors of power through protracted adjournments and doctored injunctions leave much to be desired. The judiciary is supposed to be our only bulwark against corruption. Instead, it has become a cog in the wheel of anti-corruption crusade. This trend is detrimental to the development of our democracy. A nation whose judiciary colludes with the executive and the legislature to perpetrate crimes is doomed. Nigeria needs incorruptible judges who will discharge their duties without fear or favour. Judges whose palms will not be greased before pronouncing their verdicts. One of the principles of the rule of law is equality of all before the law. But the reverse is the case in Nigeria where politically connected persons who have embezzled common wealth go “court-free”. Nobody is above the law is a clause that cannot be applied in Nigerian context. The law is no respecter of armed robbers, but it is a respecter of pen robbers. The latter have become sacred cows. Those corrupt judges should be brought to book to serve as deterrent to others. Our judges should remember that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. It is incumbent on the judiciary to curb the excess of our leaders. The whole nation depends on an independent judiciary to safeguard our democracy.
Agboola Ajayi,
Oyo, Oyo State.
 
Name: Ajuwon Johnson
Address: Ibadan, Oyo State.
Phone: 0804622266
I refer to your cover story, How The Courts Abet Corruption, TELL, June 28, 2010. Corruption walks on all fours in this country. It has become the nation’s cognomen. Laws were made to check corruption, but it’s disheartening, saddening and lamentable that those who are to enforce the law are themselves agents of corruption. There are many courts of law in Nigeria, but the irony of it all is that, there is no court of justice. Many judges who should have been priests in the temple of justice willingly desecrate the shrine, all because of money. What a pity! To this class of judges, justice is for sale and they are ready to sell their souls to the devil or the highest bidder. Little wonder the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission remain toothless bulldogs. That is why the war against corruption will never be meaningful, purposeful, respected and result-oriented. Now that the last hope of the common man – the court – has been defiled, where will patriotic Nigerians turn to for justice?
Ajuwon Johnson,
Ibadan, Oyo State.
 
Name: ’Dinobi Ofuonyebi,
Address: Akure, Ondo State.
Phone: 08099999

The judges and their wigs are supposed to connote nothing but symbols of justice, fairness, honesty, and uprightness which exalts a nation. They are supposed to be seen as the centre of a nation’s pillar through exhibition of virile, fearless and incorruptible judgments. But when the wig becomes a garment of shady and fraudulent characters, which manifest through questionable injunctions to shield corrupt Nigerians, then anarchy is loosed upon the nation. Unfortunately, one day the consequences of these evil days that are postponed will catch up with the falcon and its falconers. The judiciary should be reminded that the continuous abuse of judicial authority and process in this regards casts a dark shadow over the honour and integrity which hitherto had been their hallmark.
’Dinobi Ofuonyebi,
Akure, Ondo State.
 
Name: Olugbenga Olayiwola
Address: Igbo-Ora, Oyo State.
Phone: 0804622266

I refer to your story, Jumping For Jega, TELL, June 21, 2010. Be it FEDECO, NECON, NEC, or INEC, one major problem of our electoral umpires since the inception of democracy in Nigeria is their inability to resist the overbearing and manipulative tendencies of their principal – the ruling political party. The appointment of Professor Attahiru Jega as INEC boss is a right step in the right direction towards building a strong and virile democracy. Nigerians and the international communities expect Jega to ensure a free and fair election. He should allow a level-playing ground for all parties. Government should also provide conducive and enabling environment. It is over to him to protect his reputation as a man of integrity.
Olugbenga Olayiwola,
Igbo-Ora, Oyo State.
 
Name: Ajuwon Johnson
Address: Ibadan, Oyo State.
Phone: 9-9-90

I refer to your cover story, The Burden of Our Democracy, TELL, July 12, 2010. The question is: Do we really have a democracy? What we are practicing in Nigeria is Demo-crazy and not democracy. Democracy involves truthfulness, honestly, fairness and humane leadership. But our leaders are still in the school of greed, selfishness and mismanagement. Instead of government existing for the people, the people now exist for the government. Rampant looting of our commonwealth has become the primary aim of our so-called leaders. Leadership in Nigeria is focused more on personal aggrandisement than service to the people. We have a “vulture-like democracy”. One in which the strong patiently devour its victims at the full glare of domestic and international community. May God free Nigeria from the clutches of these intellectually and morally destitute leaders.
Ajuwon Johnson,
Ibadan, Oyo State.
 
Name: ‘Dinobi Ofuonyebi,
Address: Akure, Ondo State.
Phone: 0809809

Our endless journey in the wonderland of political quandary and leadership quagmire is due to the one reason and truth we all love to hate: the 1914 amalgamation of the Southern and Northern Protectorates. Ironically, the “electoral life bird” for 2011 is in President Goodluck Jonathan’s pocket. He must, however, play the game with caution. Any electoral manouvre that will subjugate the Constitution and the collective will of the citizenry, in deciding the winner for the 2011 presidency, would be an unpardonable national sabotage.
‘Dinobi Ofuonyebi,
Akure, Ondo State.
 
Name: Odih Iheanacho
Address: Obalende, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Phone: 0804622266
I refer to edition 29 of your magazine dated, July 2, 2010 which had its lead story, 2010, It Is The People’sTurn”. From the look of things, it seems the will of people is beginning to see light of the day. And what is the will of people? A credible person(s) with the interest of people at heart should be elected irrespective of where he comes from. This desire diffuses the zoning formula which is heating up the polity. Those who are interested in zoning do not have the interest of the nation at heart but their selfish desires.
Odih Iheanacho,
Obalende, Ikoyi, Lagos.
 
Name: Tosin Olabisi
Address: Eruwa, Oyo State.
Phone: 0804622266
I refer to your cover story, A Nation Under Siege, TELL, August 2, 2010. Honestly, what we need now in this country is more than the zoning formula but how this country will move to the promised land. The road to the state of Eldorado is not too far, but the visionary and focused leader to take us there is unavailable. To be frank, Mr. President does not need to be working hard towards winning next years’ presidential election. What every Nigerian is expecting from him now is total turnaround of the dilapidated infrastructure that have decayed as a result of the military coming into power. He needs to leave some genuine legacies behind for the coming generations to read and the time is now.
Tosin Olabisi,
Eruwa, Oyo State.
 
Name: Kunle Adesokan
Address: Ibadan, Oyo State.
Phone: 08099999

The Reflections column is a reader’s delight. It is illuminating and refreshing perhaps because of the style of presentation which is straightforward, down-to-earth and spiced with real life experiences. The Misfortune of Life Abroad, in the August 2, 2010 edition, and the Buddy Show Me Your Talent, in the August 9, 2010 edition, were very captivating. In the first piece, Tundun Adeyemo brought out the reality of life abroad for the benefit of Nigerians bent on seeking greener pastures, while the second actually reveals the beauty of life abroad for the lucky Nigerians who are propelled by their natural talents. No doubt, different strokes for different people. What we need in Nigeria is a conducive atmosphere to develop and showcase our talent(s). An atmosphere that is devoid of insecurity, poor power supply, poor road networks.
Kunle Adesokan,
Ibadan, Oyo State.
 
Name: Ndubuisi Onyenandu
Address: Enugu, Enugu State.
Phone: 6464363436
I refer to your cover story, A Nation Under Siege, TELL, August 2, 2010. That Nigeria is under siege is a fact that stares everyone in the eye. The nation seems to have been overtaken by the trio of armed robbery, kidnapping and hired assassins. But we have a more worrisome problem. It’s a situation where those who ought to be at the forefront in the fight against these societal ills are now the accused. In this instance, there may be no hope for the country. If those ruling us have blood in their hands then what hope do we have?
Ndubuisi Onyenandu,
Enugu, Enugu State.
 
Name: Agboola Ajayi
Address: Oyo, Oyo State.
Phone: 8767687
I refer to your cover story, Jonathan’s Game Plan for 2011, TELL, July 5, 2010. Goodluck Jonathan should learn how to keep sycophants at arm’s length. More often than not, they disguise to misguide and mislead. With the power of incumbency at his disposal, he can do and undo but he should be very cautious. With his intention to contest in the 2011 presidential election, it is doubtful that the election would be free and fair as he promised. He cannot be his own judge. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. With Jonathan wielding “absolute” power, he may be tempted to abuse it because of his vested interest. Besides, one thought that Jonathan will be preoccupied with the transformation of this nation instead of scheming day and night stealthily on how to succeed himself in 2011. His achievements rather than his game plan within the short duration of his assumption of office as President will speak volumes.
Agboola Ajayi,
Oyo, Oyo State.
 
Name: Olugbenga Olayiwola,
Address: Igbo-Ora, Oyo State.
Phone: 353535

I refer to your cover story, How the Courts Abet Corruption, TELL, June 28, 2010. It is very tragic and appalling to hear that the temple of justice, expected to clean the Augean stable of the stinking Nigerian society, has degenerated to the lowest ebb by being enmeshed in sharp practices. The contradictory verdicts at the election petition tribunals induced by money, show the extent to which our judiciary has lost its sense of purpose.
Olugbenga Olayiwola,
Igbo-Ora, Oyo State.
 
Name: Emmanuel Ugokwe,
Address: Trade Fair Complex, Lagos State.
Phone: 01
Ten years of democracy in Nigeria
gives us a very good opportunity to reflect,
assess and examine ourselves as a nation.
Are we still on the right track, or have
we deviated? Honestly, what we have
been practising in Nigeria for the past 10
years is civilian rule. But an old man on
a sickbed is better than someone in the
grave. Democracy all over the world is
work in progress. Kudos should go to the
judiciary and media for saving our nascent
democracy from collapse. Members of
the National Assembly should sit up.
They should see the electoral reform bill
as a lifeline that would strengthen our
democracy. Even if we are on the right
path, we will not get anywhere if we are
standing still.
 
Name: Olugbenga Olayiwola,
Address: Igbo-Ora, Oyo State.
Phone: 02
The more things change in this part
of the world, the more they remain the
same. The story of democracy in Nigeria
is as miserable as that of 50 years of
oil exports in Nigeria. There is little or
nothing to show. In Nigeria, instead of
government to exist for the people, the
people exist for government. To put our
hard-won democracy at par with advanced
democracies of the world, it behoves
Nigerians, home and abroad, to rise up
and slug it out with the political charlatans
in our midst. For “a people who are not
prepared to stand up for their liberty and
democracy do not deserve either liberty or
democracy.”
 
Name: Dayo Oladeji
Address: Saki, Oyo State.
Phone: 908908908

I refer to your cover story, Clouds Over State of Rescued Banks, Broad Street Journal, July 12, 2010. We have a saying that “one must keep away from a snake that has not been beheaded”. A war general is not satisfied if the entire rebel population is not exterminated. Such is the man who knows how and when to stalk his preys and go for the kill when they are unprepared. In Nigeria, the more reforms we have, the more deformed they look. Of what relevance is the bailout funds?
Dayo Oladeji,
Saki, Oyo State.
 
Name: Odih Iheanacho
Address: Ikoyi, Lagos State.
Phone: 576576
I was shocked to the marrow, when I discovered that the reason many corrupt ex-governors are still free is because, the judges handling their cases may have been bribed. This is rather unfortunate. We have lost our value systems and our sense of judgment has become beclouded with mundane things of life.
Odih Iheanacho,
Ikoyi, Lagos State.
 
Name: Abdulmojeed Olarinoye
Address: Gbagada, Lagos State.
Phone: 8797987


This is a further confirmation that corruption has eaten deep into our moral fabrics. It has permeated into our national lives. That this devilish act is not restricted to the police, students and teachers, politicians and political office holders show that it is a cankerworm that must be addressed with vigour.
Abdulmojeed Olarinoye,
Gbagada, Lagos State.
 
Name: Osareniye Nosa,
Address: Onitsha, Anambra State.
Phone: 04
South to North, East to West, it is the
same story of leadership failure. According
to the newly appointed and confirmed
governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria,
in 1999 President Olusegun Obasanjo
promised to fix lack of infrastructure, Niger
Delta unrest and electricity, and in 2009,
10 years later, President Umaru Yar’Adua
is still promising to fix these issues. This
means we don’t need Sanusi Lamido or
a Supreme Court judge to pronounce
our leaders as complete failures. It is sad
that after three successive democratic
administrations we are still worse off than
when we started in 1999. Could Nigeria
be a case of a country whose leaders or
statesmen or both are not yet born?
 
Name: Dayo Oladeji,
Address: Saki, Oyo State.
Phone: 02
I refer to your special edition, The
Search For Statesmen, TELL, June 8,
2009. Plato once defined “democracy”
as “government by fools” and this aptly
describes the kind of democracy we have
in Nigeria. What do we make of a nation
where rigged elections are painted in
saintly aureoles only to produce knavish
rulers with questionable moral and
cerebral credentials?