Heroine of our Time

Yesterday10th December, 2014,  I watched  a remarkable teenager, child activist, MALALA YOUSAFZAI received the Nobel Peace Prize 2014 at the Award ceremony in Oslo. She and Kailash Satyarthi won for this year. This is the highest honour in the world!
This young lady is the youngest Peace Prize Laureate of all time. She joins the likes of Nelson Mandela, Bishop Tutu, Dr Martin Luther King jnr etc. 

 Mr. Thorbjorn Jagland, the Chairman, Norwegian Nobel Committee during the presentation speech said

 Both are Champion of Peace. This they are not only behind desk but in practice. The road to democracy and freedom is paved with knowledge. Taliban and IS dislike knowledge because they know that it is an important condition for freedom. Attendance at School especially by girls deprives Taliban, IS, Boko Haram and similar movement of power.

Malala vision was clear right from the start. Girls had a self evident right to education.

During her speech, Malala made people laughed when she said she happens to be the only recipient who has two younger brothers. It was funny but true. The camera showed her siblings who were still children between six and thirteen sitting with her parents.  Most of the recipients have always been old men and women like her co recipient, Satyarthi, who have fought the systems in their different Countries for a better society.

 Malala has shown that age is no barrier to how far you can go to stand up for, and fight for what is right. She has proved to all that being young is a strength and not a disadvantage.
 Malala, as a little girl then, spoke out against the tailban's campaign to stop girls going to schools in her village. She with the help of her father defied this ' girls stay off school' campaign and was going to school. This did not go down well with the Talibans and they sent assassination squad, to find and kill her.

On that fateful day, she was on a school bus with other young girls, when the assassins burst in with guns, and asked "which one is Malala?" Sensing that it could lead to certain death for her and the other school children in the bus if she kept quiet, she responded and identified herself. Her bravery, boldness and courage earned her a gun shot in the head. I am sure that the assassins thought she had died with that point blank shot to her head.

God who watches and protects innocent children saved her that day. She survived the gun shot and was flown to America where several surgeries were performed on her. She spent several months in  intensive cares receiving treatment. 

By the Grace of God, she recovered . After recovery, she sets up her own foundation to fight for the rights of girls, globally to go to school. By the way, she is still a teenager. 

When I watched her on CNN some years ago being interviewed by Amanpour, I saw a young girl who had had to mature within months. Her near death experience changed her and made her more determined to bring about a better deal for the oppressed girls. She made fun of the talibans that if they had known they would not have tried to kill her. She said her misfortune turn out to be a blessing. She said she can now read, write and speak English.  

Congratulations to Malala. I pray this amazing young Lady, will not loose focus and not be distracted from this mission and responsibility that fate has placed on her lap. When she came to Nigeria to plead with  President Goodluck Jonathan to rescue the abducted Chibok School girls, she matched action with words by donating to the cause from her foundation. Unfortunately, months after, the Chibok school girls are yet to be rescued. The girls have been turned to suicide bombers. Almost on a daily basis now, female suicide bombers are on the prowl, killing, maiming, destroying and burning properties.

I hope our young ones can draw inspiration from this remarkable and brave young Lady to be useful for themselves and their society. Malala is admired by all now for her noble qualities, courage and bravery. You too can.

Opportunity abounds. Grap them and do something good with them. Encourage people around you to live and lead a productive Life.

Presidential Scholarship Scheme

In Nigeria, good things are always not supported especially if the poor are beneficiaries.

Last year in Abuja, a total of 623 candidates met the criteria for selection for the second edition of the Presidential Special Scholarship Scheme for Innovation and Development (PRESSID) and were invited for the screening as stated by the Chairman of the scheme, Prof. Julius Okojie.

Okojie, who is the Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission and the acting Minister of Education were invited by the House of Assembly to explain why some states had more students  who benefited from the scholaship while most States in the Northern part of Nigeria had none.

Okojie, who is the Chairman, Implementation Committee of PRESSID, said that shortlisted candidates sat for the screening examination on Dec. 10 at Chams Plc as against  446 candidates who wrote the test for the first edition of PRESSID in 2012/2013 academic session out of whom 100 were selected.

Okojie explained to the House that the scheme was part of efforts to achieve the goals of Vision 20:2020 and President Goodluck Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda.

”Federal Government of Nigeria has plans to develop a critical mass of professionals, who will serve as catalysts of change and agents of scientific and technological advancement as well as sustainable economic development.

”But this can only be achieved through the sponsorship of outstanding students for postgraduate studies in the top 25 universities in the world.

”This is why the Federal Government has instituted the Presidential Special Scholarship Scheme for Innovation and Development,” he said.

Okojie said that the scheme was for graduates who obtained first class degrees from recognised and approved universities.

 He said the graduates must be in the areas of sciences, medicine, basic medical sciences, engineering, economics, special aspects of biology, nuclear physics, quantitative genetics, medical biochemistry,  
aeronautical engineering, among others. 
 These top Universities in Europe, US, Asia and Canada are some out of the 25 higher Institutions selected by the Federal Government for the Scheme.
 

University of Cambridge United Kingdom

Harvard University United States

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) United States

University of Oxford United Kingdom

Imperial College London United Kingdom

ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) Switzerland

University of Edinburgh United Kingdom

University of Hong Kong (HKU) Hong Kong

University of Toronto Canada

The University of Tokyo Japan

This academic session, 104 beneficiaries emerged out of the 623 that met the criteria for selection after screening done by experts in the fields identified and are to study in one of the Universities listed above. There beneficiaries are selected in the fields where the Country is experiencing personnel shortfall. 

This is one of the beneficiary for this year who was at the hearing at the assembly. The Chairman maintained that In the written screening exercise, each candidate was to come with his A game as no political connection is required for selection but academic suavity, a must.

This year Ogun State and other States in the South had more candidates and the powers that be in the north are not happy. They maintained that excellence should be thrown out of the window and quota system should be  used so that the dullard in the North can benefit from the Scholarship. Can you imagine that? When will we get over this quota nonsense that has institutionalize mediocrity in Nigeria and embrace intelligence?.  

Because their candidates did not make it, the so called legislators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria have put the Scholarship on hold. 
God will deliver us from this retrogressive agents. This is a very commendable gesture from the Federal Government that must be allowed to stay. Nigeria needs more professionals and this is the only way to get them.

National Conference _ Matter Arising

Yes, the National Conference is on and issues bothering us as a people and as a Nation hopefully will be discussed. But apart from the rhetoric and the dramas from the delegates, its believed a way forward will be charted for this Nation.

                                          Justice Kutigi

Nigeria is a great Country but our Leaders have over the years reduce it to one of the least Country in the continent in infrastructural development and in lack of good governance. Bribery and corruption have taken over the seat of government and all the arms of governments not excluded.

I have some issues which the National Conference should better resolve for the progress and unity of this Nation

One of them is the revitalization of Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited.  This is a project that if completed can employ up to 500,000 workers directly and indirectly. There are so many shops in the Ajaokuta integrated plant that can cater to so many areas of our economy. The Federal Government has spent almost USD8.6billion on the Steel Plant and the city before it was abandoned several years ago. In 2003under the Federal Government privatisation programme, the Steel Company was given tout on concession to Global Infrastructure Holding limited  for mere USD300 million. During this period, the mostly Indians Management turn around the fortune of the Steel Plant and it started producing iron rods which were sold to Countries outside Nigeria. For almost 5 years, production went on, the Steel plant came alive and the people and the towns and States around, benefited economically and socially.
 

Ajaokuta is a great asset as stated by Mr. Segun Aganga, the minister of Trade, Investment and Industry. The Plant is not obsolete as concluded by Atedo Peterside in his speech when he was commenting on the report of the Science Committee being debated at the Conference on Monday. Unfortunately, people like him are the ones advising the President on Economy of the Nation. I dare ask, what is government concrete plan to actualising the Auto Motor Policy if the Steel Plants are not producing? Are we going to be importing the flat Sheets?

When you have Foundries, you need Liquid Steel and Ajaokuta will produce it. I sincerely hope President Jonathan will not listen to them and release money for completion of the Blast Furnace and commencement of steel production. 

Another issue, the Revenue Allocation Formula should be revisited. Resources marginalisation should be avoided. Resources should be shared in such a way that all States and Local Government have adequate resources allocated so that no part of the Country feel marginalised or short changed. I am not saying the derivation formula should be abolished, Its important that one get more from the natural resources God has blessed one with but the neighbor should not be neglected. In fact if the gains and revenue from these resources are properly managed and shared, the agitation for self rule or control of resources would be over. Every area needs adequate resources for socio economic development. Also there will be National prosperity, peace, security  and Unity.

I do not believe in resources control as some governors use the money to enrich themselves and their families. The money is not used for the good of the people.

The geopolitical Zones should be strengthened. The concentration of powers at the centre is what is breeding violence and this ' do or die' politics. Politicians struggle for control of the centre because of the power and money. Less power at the Nation's centre will free money for the zones to develop. It will also stem the waste that comes with big government. Each President must have Ministers and special assistants from all the States of the Federation if he does not want to be termed a tribal dictator.

Lagos should have Infrastructural Maintenance Allocation as the Nation's commercial capital. Whether we like it or not, Lagos is the commercial and entertainment capital of NIGERIA.  Abuja is just the seat of Government, the Political and Administrative headquarters of Nigeria. The way people migrate to Lagos daily is far stretching the infrastructure provided by the State Government

We want a Nigeria that works for the goods of all Nigerians. We want a Nigeria that is stable, civilised, free from corruption and religious bigots.

Community or State Police should be recommended and structure put in place for it. Nigerians do not have enough police protection except you are connected with the Presidency. Where the Police commissioner and his men are being controlled from the centre is bad for our safety. The drama in Rivers State where the powers at the centre were bent on driving  Governor Amaechi away from the State was scripted and acted out by the Commissioner of Police. If not for God, the Governor would have been assassinated with his cabinet members and legislators.

We want freedom of religious worship and protection of worshippers. It is worrisome to be in Church and be looking behind you. It is even more worrisome when Insurgents insist that one convert to their religion or be killed.

We want a Nation where Industries functions and the closed one revived and revamped. If People are gainfully engaged and employed, less will be on the streets and Boko Haram will not see them to recruit to fight religious war.