My Faceoff with my NYSC Local Government Inspector

Thank God the service year is finally over but it wont be nice not to make mention of my experience towards the end of my National Youth Service Corps service year.
By the Grace of God and the benevolence of fellow corps members in the community I served - Nenwe Community of Aninri Local Government Area, I was the Community Development Service(CDS) president for the unit since our community development service is structured such that each community has a CD group in order to avoid transport expenses to the Local Government Secretariat. Some communities had more than one CD groups, the leader of the general CD group was called the CD Coordinator while the various CD units under the general CDS had presidents but in cases where the community has one CD group, the Coordinator of the group doubles as the CD president.

On assumption to my Service post, there are some traditions ad customs that were existing in the CD group and some were just introduced. One of the tradition that was introduced by the 2011 Batch C was the printing of CDS certificates to complement the National Anti- Corruption Volunteers Corps Certificate that would be issued by the ICPC. The reasoning behind this move was to honor corps members that actively participated in the group's meetings because the ICPC officials are never around during our CD meetings and thus have no knowledge of participation of members of the group. Some members kicked against the planned certificate on the basis that it was illegal for corps members to issue themselves certificates on NYSC platform. The issue was tabled before the then Local Government Inspector Mr. Okpara and he said it was a welcome development and to give it more legitimacy, there was a column for the signature of the Local Government Inspector(LGI). Mr. Okpara was transferred to another Local Government and a new Local Government Inspector was brought on board.

Her coming in as the Local Government Inspector coincided with my election to the position of CD Coordinator/President. The duty therefore fell on me to take the certificates of the then outgoing  batch- Batch A 2012 to her for endorsement. She cussed and fumed that she wont append her signature to those documents, that printing those documents with was a criminal offense and punishable by prison term. She then placed a call to the officer in charge of education at the ICPC to find out if it was okay for corps members to print a certificate for themselves which he replied in the affirmative. She told me the outcome of her discussion but added that she would not sign the certificates because she was relatively new then and was not the one in charge for a majority of the time the outgoing corps members served the local government. Another reason she adduced was that corps members from my community were responsible for the exit of the former local government inspector. She said she might only consider signing the certificates for the next outgoing batch that was my batch, Batch B 2012. She also said that the outgone LGI would be coming for a meeting with her that if he is generous enough that he would sign the current batch of certificates. We waited for him and when he came he did justice to the certificates.

By the end of my term as CD Coordinator/President, the general CDS had agreed that we should be awarded the usual certificate alongside the one by the ICPC if any. Although I was averred to this decision due to the fact that the treasury of the CD group was not having sufficient funds and I wanted a legacy of having successfully executed projects and handing down a lifeline to the next set of excos. Nevertheless, the decision of the general house was binding on me so we had to print the certificates. I also went to the officer in charge of Education at the ICPC to submit my last monthly report and request for certificates for myself and my colleagues. He asked me to get an introduction letter on an NYSC letter headed paper from my Local Government Inspector that the list I submitted to him was d authentic list of active participants.

I went to the Local Government Secretariat and could not meet her but met the assistant inspector so I told him the instruction I got. He vowed to get the letter for me. I kept calling him to find out the situation with the letter and he informed me that the problem was with letter headed papers because there was none at the Local Government and thus needs to be gotten from the state secretariat but that he must get a written note from the Local Government Inspector. He advised me to place a call to her and intimate her of the situation. I did exactly as he Instructed but low and behold she scolded the living day light from me for calling her on a Sunday.

A week later during the monthly pay rolling, I in company of the incumbent CD coordinator went and met her concerning the letter and the certificates. Lo and behold all hell was let loose as she nagged me because my fellow corps members from Nenwe had refused to carry out a project in her office. The issue of the project had been communicated to us by the Corps Representative aka Corps Liaison Officer but members had rejected the proposal as it went against the tenets of the CD program thus " corps members are not to use their personal money in executing any project whether Personal or group" , secondly, the site of the project was considerably far from our immediate community and thus would not impact the lives of indigenes of our host community. Thirdly, the office of the Local Government Inspector should be funded by the Local Government NYSC committee. She specifically said "I wont sign it because you people have refused to carry out a project here. Go let the principals of the schools and communities you carried out the project sign the certificates for you and issue you letters.

I met my colleagues and intimated them of the situation. The Enugu State Coordinator of the NYSC was intimated of the situation by an angry corps member. The State Coordinator called the LGI to enquire about the issue and even sent her a  copy of the sms from the Corps member. At about 12 noon on Tuesday two days to my Passing Out Ceremony, I received a call from My LGI asking if I reported her to the State Coordinator. I said NO and she directed that I should find out the person and alsocome along with the person and the certificates for her to sign. The incumbent CD Coordinator had signed and so it was just her left to sign. The following day I happily took the certificates to her but was not with the reporter( even if I knew the person was she really expecting me to pinpoint the person to her? If she wanted the person so badly she should have asked the state coordinator the name and details of the person. Moreover I am not a sorcerer to see who sent the message).

On reaching the LGA secretariat, the first thing I did was to handover the certificates to her. She requested for the person that reported her and I told her I could not figure out the person. The terminal clearance she was to issue that day, she withheld mine knowing fully well that without the terminal clearance I would not be issued with my Certificate of National Service.
She publicly humiliated me in front of all then outgoing batch B corps members and laid great curses on me. This she said she did because I have refused to produce the Corps member that reported her. She also said I should produce the person that signed as State coordinator on the certificate when it was clearly written CDS Coordinator. I tried his line and it didn't go thru. My next offense was printing with the NYSC logo and ICPC logo. She forgot that the certificates were brought to her to go through it and if found faultless append her signature or refuse to append her signature for whatever flaw she realized.
Pleas by batch B corps members from my unit and I was abortive. after issuing the terminal clearance to other batch B corps members she left.


On getting home, I quickly reported the issue to the State coordinator. Some other members from my unit did the same thing almost twenty of us. The man being a virtuous and morally upright man quickly wade into the matter and asked me to come on the POP day to get a clearance from him.

On the fateful day, I went to the State Coordinator in company of some of my colleagues and justice was done. I collected my certificate of National Discharge successfully. After the POP, I went to the ICPC office to intimate the officer of matters arising. Unknown to me, the LGI had packed all the CDS certificates we printed and forwarded to the man. while waiting, she came in, met him and discussed with him. She later came down and threatened me fire and brimstone. She said she would make my life miserable because the assignment she gave me I couldn't do it and that I would pay the price on behalf of the entire corps members serving in Nenwe because I am the one she knows, others she does not know. She even asking me to come for a query the following Monday as she would not be available at work on Friday because she is  tired( Is a civil servant not suppose to be at work daily?) not knowing that I had gotten my CNS although I begged her. She said corps members at my unit wanted her to lose her pension. when she left, the ICPC official asked me to quickly go and meet the Deputy Director in charge of mobilization to wade into the issue before she puts up a bunch of lies against me to the state secretariat. He said after that I should then get a note from the secretariat to come and get my NAVC certificate because I was the president. I left there and never returned because it is not in the interest of my colleagues that I alone gets a certificate by virtue of the fact that I was president of the group while others that also went through physical and mental stress to achieve the success of our projects would go home without any reward.

I want to thank all Outgone Batch B 2012 corps members that served in Nenwe for their support during the trying times. I am honored to have served distinguished individuals like you and remember we have been adjudged the best set so far in the implementation of projects in the whole of Aninri by Our former Assistant LGI
Also a big Thank you to the management of the NYSC in Enugu for showing that we still have men and women of honor in this country

Much Ado about Homosexuality in Nigeria

I have decided to take up the topic" Homosexuality In Nigeria because of recent happenings in the country.
Last week the country experienced an unprecedented show of solidarity by members of a network I would call "The Gay Network". Media outlets were awashed with news on the peaceful protest carried out by Gay practitioners at a magistrate court sitting in Anambra sate. If you missed it, this is how punch puts it

Members of the gay community in Anambra State on Wednesday disrupted court proceedings at the Atani Chief Magistrate’s Court, while protesting the arraignment of two of them for allegedly having same sex relationship.

The gay members had thronged the court as early as 9am to show solidarity with their members arrested by the state police command.

A large number of them came to the court with femine outlook to the surprise of the people around.

The group, who sang anti-police and court songs, said they should be allowed to exercise their fundamental human rights and to show solidarity with their members who were standing trial.

They also demanded the unconditional release of the two accused persons, vowing to continue to fight for their rights despite the move by the National Assembly to criminalize their relationships.

However, the two accused persons, whose identities could not immediately be confirmed, were later remanded in prison, as the magistrate’s court said it had no jurisdiction to try the matter.

When has it become the responsibility of the Parliament to legislate on the social lifestyle of individuals? Section 35 subsection 1 of the 1999 Constitution as amended states that

Every Person shall be entitled to his respect, Liberty and nobody shall be deprived of such liberty except in the following cases and in accordance with a procedure permitted by law

• In execution of the sentence or order of a court in respect of a criminal offence which he has been found guilty.

• by reason of his failure to comply with the order of a court or in order to secure the fulfillment of any obligation imposed upon him by law

• the purpose of bringing him before a court in execution of the order of a court or upon suspicion of his having omitted a criminal offence or to such extent as may be reasonably necessary to prevent his committing a criminal offence;

• in the case of a person who has not attained the age of 18for his education or welfare;

• in the case of persons suffering from infectious or contagious disease, persons of unsound mind, persons addicted to drug or alcohol or vagrants for the purpose of their care or treatment or protection of the community.

• for the purpose of preventing the unlawful entry of any person into Nigeria or for effecting the expulsion, extradition or other lawful removal from Nigeria of any person or the taking of proceeding relating thereto. 

section 39(1) states that

Every Person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and receive and impart ideas and information without interference.

A couple of weeks ago, the House of Representatives passed a bill that makes same-sex marriage a felonious act punishable by up to 14 years in the penitentiary. Those who arrange, enable, or support such relationships, according to the bill, may incur a 10-year prison sentence. The bill also forbids anyone from operating a gay club and or associated organisations. It also criminalises public display of affection by the homosexual community. The Senate passed a similar bill in 2011. Once both bills are harmonised, and signed by President Goodluck Jonathan, it becomes the law of the land.

My hope is that President Jonathan will not sign this bill. As the chief law enforcement officer of the nation, he must not sign a bill that unfairly punishes and victimises a section of the public. A law against indecent exposure? Yes! Laws against public sex and sex with minors? Yes! Law against canal knowledge of mentally-incapacitated adults? Of course — but not laws against adults who willingly entered into a mutually benefitting relationship.

It is not the duty or the right of any government to legislate against private behaviour – especially if the behaviour is in private, harms no one, and harms no private or public institutions. We don’t need this law. Homosexuality and or same-sex marriages do not infringe on our civil and human rights. It does not abridge our national security; and neither does it make us less safe or less human.

There are a dozen and one related matters our lawmakers should or could have worried about, i.e. violence against women and children; sex with minors by adults; the inequality of sexes; adults who marry underage girls; child labour and child slavery; the exploitation and subjugation of the poor and the needy; and the severe lack of goods and services for our nation’s teeming underclass. The negative attention, and the condemnation directed at our fellow Nigerians who are of different sexual orientation and belief and practice are wholly uncalled for. In essence, this bill is much ado about nothing!

Sadly, this legislation has the backing of both Islamic and Christian clerics. Shouldn’t they be the ones preaching and encouraging universal love? Shouldn’t they be the ones encouraging tolerance and the equality of all Nigerians? Today, we find the Church and the Mosque at the forefront of hate, intolerance and prejudice. We hear supposed men of God spewing vile against those they consider different. Unfortunately, the Nigerian media and the civil society have not been of much help.  Their silence has been deafening, and their indifference, regretful.

And even the great Nigerian people – many of whom are uninformed, ill-informed or totally unschooled in general human sexuality — are complicit in the official fight against our homosexual brothers and sisters. For those of us who are heterosexuals, we cannot and must not acquiesce to the criminalisation of same-affection affection.  We cannot! We cannot because all consenting adults have the right to love whoever loves them. They have the right to be with whoever makes them happy. They have the right to be free, and to live free and happy in a free world.

Millions of Nigerians probably do not know that when some of these politicians visit the United States, Canada, Germany and other parts of the world, they engage in “sexual perversions” – perversions that may include fisting, rimming, anality, double-penetration, gang-bang, and circle jerk. Some have even been said to attend orgies and swinger parties. And they do these and many other sexual and non-sexual activities with the taxpayers’ money. Yet – yet – back in Nigeria, many behave as if they are paragons of morality, keepers of the moral cathedral.

But really, at what point did the Nigerian politicians decide they were going to confront the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community? At what point did they dream up such an inchoate and dehumanising legislation?  If I were a gambler, I’d bet that a sizeable number of Nigerian legislators (since 1999) are not wholly heterosexuals. Even so, I won’t and you too should not hold it against them. Human sexuality is simply what it is: Natural!

The American Academy of Paediatrics, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the National Association of Social Workers, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists all agree that homosexuals and their sexual cousins are “created by nature.” After all these years, there has not been any credible scientific organisation anywhere in the world –including Ghana, South Africa, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Nigeria or Saudi Arabia — that labelled the LGBT community sick, diseased, or unnatural. Not one!

 

Basing the argument against Homosexuality on morality and religiosity is totally outrageous considering the fact that our lawmakers are one of the greatest practitioners of immorality if not how do we explain the fact that a lawmaker would get married to A 13 YEAR OLD, isn't that abominable? Most of our Lawmakers are bisexuals, Gay in the closet, heterosexuals in the public. why wasn't it included that a mere proof that you are homosexually oriented should attract a prison sentence or are our Lawmakers scared of the cockroaches in their closets? Nigeria has come to a threshold where no law should be enacted based on religion because in doing so, we are hypocritical condemning the violent sect Boko Haram for pursuing their religion to the letter while at the same time enacting policies that are religiously inclined.

Today, the world is gradually moving towards this scientific reality. And in the not-too-distant future, social and cultural mores in all parts of the open and civilised world will catch up with this thinking. The problem with the vast majority of Nigerians and other Africans is that they are afraid – fearful of the unknown. But they need not be afraid. Homosexuality is not an unknown phenomenon on the continent. It is as African as tribal marks, indentured servitude, polygamy and circumcision.  If you doubt me, ask faculty members at the department of History or the department of Anthropology at any Nigerian university. So, please get over it!

However, what you should not get over are politicians who, on a daily basis, embezzle our money with impunity. And even if you wholeheartedly believe that homosexuality is bad, well, look at it this way: they engage in joyful rides with consenting adults. They are about love and happiness and mutually consenting activities. They are not the ones damaging our economic space; they are not the ones weakening our governing institutions. They are not the ones who refused to build and repair the roads, bridges and hospitals across the country and in the process causing thousands of preventable deaths every year. These politicians deserve to be locked up for 14 years for the trillions of naira they have stolen since 1999, at least.

 

 

I would advise that homosexuals should not carry placards around begging for their rights but should immediately challenge the piece of legislation at the courts. The Penal code which the police based their allegations on were put in place during the military regime at a time the constitution was suspended. with our current constitution, I can assure that that legislation is nothing but a serious case of LEGISLATIVE RASCALITY

 

 

 

Taxi Driver turns Money into paper

Calabar- Wonders they say would never end, As Jesus turned water into wine so have people learnt and mastered of defrauding people by turning money into pieces of papers. Would we attribute this to leadership problems, laziness or outright wickedness and insensitivity to the plight of others. Pension money withdrawn from a second generation bank by a 24-year-old woman for the upkeep of her sick father mysteriously turned to pieces of newspapers after she alighted from a commercial taxi in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
The woman alleged that she had gone to the bank  located at Murtala Muhammed Highway, Calabar Road, to withdraw N70,000.00 but later discovered to her surprise that the money which she wrapped in a black cellophane bag before boarding a taxi had turned to pieces of paper.
The bewildered lady while narrating the incident to policemen on duty and concerned commuters amidst tears, said after making the withdrawal she boarded the taxi to Watt Market to buy some items.
According to her "after the withdrawal she stopped a commercial taxi with four passengers behind and one in front and she was asked by the driver to squeeze herself in the front seat.
As she was about to enter the front seat, a male in front came down for her to go in. Not suspecting anything, she entered and sat close to the driver, while the male passenger entered and sat by the door".
She said: “When I got in, the other man followed and was telling me to adjust. The driver, in pretext of helping me to sit well kept pulling my left hand that held the black polythene bag containing the money.
“In a short while, the driver said there was no space for me, that I should alight. Moments after I alighted, after the car had zoomed off, I experienced coldness when i realised that the polythene bag was now lighter”
The woman further said to clear her doubt, she reached for the bag only to discover that her father’s pension money had turned to pieces of paper.
She said she immediately stopped another taxi to go after the earlier one and when she could not catch up with it, she stopped and reported the matter to policemen.
She said that she was afraid of telling her ailing  father what happened, saying the father might drop dead.
To salvage the situation, she said she decided to borrow the money from her friend with the hope of paying back latter.