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Friday Sermon: Echoes from the Lagoon

Published

5 years ago

March 6, 2020

Eric

By Babatunde Jose

“And do not kill yourselves, surely God is most Merciful to you.”

— (Quran 4:29)

The Lagoon beckons the distressed, the frustrated and the depressed. It calls on the down-in-the-dumps to come end it all and leave this unjust and unfair world; a world where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, impoverished and immersed in want and perpetual debt. Taking stock of his lot in life, the depressed begins to contemplate checking out and ending it all. That is when the ‘Lagoon’ beckons and offers a final solution. But is it the solution?

For millions, the lagoon beckons; a metaphor for a call to commit. . . . It calls to the depressed, frustrated, distressed and dispirited who having lost all hope have gotten to their tethers’ end and would contemplate suicide as a final solution.

There are however, many other causative factors to the incidence of suicide and this would include the mental state of the person. There are many who are clinically depressed and are prone to suicidal instincts. People who take their own lives as a result of failed amorous affairs, family matters or even failure in expectations. Many are who leave notes while others just take the plunge to save face after a terrible emotional fiasco.

What has led to the spate of suicide in our clime? Why take one’s life? Why jump into the Lagoon? It is the culmination of the vagaries and vicissitudes of the time; economic hardship on a scale never experienced before and still getting worse. There is abject poverty in the land and it now walks about naked without any shame, let or hindrance. People are now picking food from the proverbial dustbin with careless abandon; and the rich are not excluded as many harbor their own problems; many are in debt and at the mercy of AMCON. The rich too are crying and many are not only distressed but depressed. The cheap money has stopped coming in; proceeds of corruption, graft, grand larceny and outright pen robbery. The banks have been knocking at their doors and they have nowhere to run. AMCON has become more radical in its approach at debt recovery and properties are being seized. Yet we are the biggest economy in Africa; this unfortunately is not reflected in the socio-economic wellbeing of our people because we practice a ‘witchcraft’ economy which records 2% growth without commensurate development. No light; we wallow in constant darkness, failed leadership and clueless followers; lopsided political structure and an unjust and inequitable authoritative allocation of values. Our revolution of rising expectations has become one of rising frustration. The ‘lagoon’ therefore beckons. Many have answered the call of the lagoon but are unsung and unknown. Many deaths are not natural and unreported. Many are buried without proper death certificate which is often procured for a fee. Records of death and cause of death are not properly kept, which is a sad commentary on the administration of birth and death in our country.

‘Echoes from the Lagoon’ is a play, written by late Rasheed Gbadamosi, which described the society at the time it was written. The play portrays a corrupt society and the presence of clan stratification, oppression and greed. The society has not changed from that time. Rather, it is now worse.

Low-income countries have the highest burden of suicide. Suicides are associated with psychopathologies such as depression and hopelessness. Poverty, scarcity and economic crisis are associated with psychopathologies. During economic crisis which cause problems in the banking sector and downturns in stock markets, bankruptcies, house repossessions and rises in unemployment and hopelessness, suicide become very rampant. Hopelessness is common in people living in slums, with young males under 30 at greater risk than any other group.

Most religions are against suicide and regard it as a sinful act.

According to the theology of the Roman Catholic Church, suicide is objectively a sin which violates the commandment “Thou shall not kill”. The Catholic Church used to deny suicides a Catholic funeral mass and burial. However, the Church has since changed this practice. The gravity and culpability for that sin changes based on the circumstances surrounding that sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 2283 states: “We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives.” Paragraph 2282 also points out that “Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide.”

The Orthodox Church shows compassion, however, on those who have taken their own life because of mental illness or severe emotional stress.

Studies have shown that suicide levels are highest among the retired, unemployed, impoverished, divorced, the childless, urbanites, empty nesters, and other people who live alone. Suicide rates also rise during times of economic uncertainty. (Although poverty is not a direct cause, it can contribute to the risk of suicide). People living in the most disadvantaged communities face the highest risk of dying by suicide.

A report, Dying from Inequality, Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Suicidal Behavior: SUMMARY REPORT 2017 showed that financial instability and poverty can increase suicide risk. Suicide is a major inequality issue. It was found that income and unmanageable debt, unemployment, poor housing conditions, and other socioeconomic factors all contribute to high suicide rates. Tackling inequality should be central to suicide prevention and support should be targeted to the poorest groups who are likely to need it most.

Every year close to 800 000 people take their own life and there are many more people who attempt suicide. Every suicide is a tragedy that affects families, communities and entire countries and has long-lasting effects on the people left behind. Suicide occurs throughout the lifespan and was the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year-olds globally in 2016.

Suicide is a global phenomenon in all regions of the world. In fact, over 79% of global suicides occurred in low- and middle-income countries in 2016.

Countries with higher levels of poverty have higher levels of pediatric and adolescent suicide, according to research presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics, National Conference & Exhibition. The rate of suicide by firearm also increased as poverty levels increased, researchers found.

Allah says: “take not life, which Allah hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law: Thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom. (Quran 6:151); “Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: For verily Allah hath been to you Most Merciful! (Quran 4:29).

There are two forms of suicide, the formal which involves the actual carrying out of the deed such as hanging, firearms, stabbing, electrocution, ingesting poison, self immolation, running under a moving train and jumping into the Lagoon. There is however a passive suicide which involves committing acts that might lead to death or doing those things which one ought not to do that might eventually leads to death such as starving oneself to death.

There is however an extreme form or ‘X-Suicide’ commonly referred to as mass suicide when a group of people simultaneously kill themselves. In March 1997, California’s 911 emergency line dispatchers got a call in Rancho Santa Fe in San Diego.

When police turned up at the location on March 26, they found the bodies of 39 people, all dressed identically and neatly tucked in their bunk beds, with plastic bags tied around their heads. All of them were members of the eccentric Heaven’s Gate cult.

The Movement For The Restoration Of The Ten Commandments Of God (MRTCG) in Kanungu, Uganda was a fringe Catholic group convinced that the world would come to an end when the millennium calendar began. However, when the world did not end as expected, followers began to doubt their leaders. So a second date for the ‘Judgment Day’ was announced: March 17. On March 17, 2000, some 300 followers — including 78 children – headed for a last celebration before salvation hit them. Instead, what happened was mass self-immolations and poisoning.

In the 1970s, the self-styled prophet Jim Jones established a “socialist utopia” community in Guyana named Jonestown. In November 1978, that Jonestown pretty much ended when the outside would discover the rotting bodies of 918 followers of People’s Temple. The Jonestown massacre is the greatest human-made tragedy in the history of the United States, topped only by the September 11 terrorist attack.

A Muslim is obligated to exercise patience at times of affliction and fight injustice to the best of his ability. He is not commanded to commit suicide to escape afflictions.

Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend

Parting Shot: The Corona virus portends a recipe for mass suicide on a scale never before contemplated if our leaders in this country do not, as a matter of urgency, put in place crowd control policies that would stem the spread of this epidemic. All contact religious activities should be suspended for now. If soccer loving Italians can place a ban on spectatorships at football matches; Saudi suspending Umra and probably Hajj if care is not taken; closure of schools in many countries and suspension of Juma’at services in Iran, we have no reason not to follow suit.

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Senate Approves Tinubu’s ₦1.77trn Loan Request

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2024

Eric

The Senate has granted approval to the ₦1.77 trillion ($2.2b) loan request of President Bola Tinubu after a voice vote in favor of the request.

The Senate presided by Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, approved the loan after the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts chaired by Senator Wammako Magatarkada (APC, Sokoto North) presented the report of the committee.

The request which was submitted by the President on Tuesday is part of a fresh external borrowing plan to partially finance the N9.7 trillion budget deficit for the 2024 fiscal year.

Tinubu had on Tuesday written to the National Assembly, seeking approval of a fresh N1.767 trillion, the equivalent of $2.209 billion as a new external borrowing plan in the 2024 Appropriation Act.

The fresh loan is expected to stretch the amount spent on debt servicing by the Federal Government. The Central Bank of Nigeria recently said that it cost the Federal Government $3.58 billion to service foreign debt in the first nine months of 2024.

The CBN report on international payment statistics showed that the amount represents a 39.77 per cent increase from the $2.56bn spent during the same period in 2023.

According to the report, while the highest monthly debt servicing payment in 2024 occurred in May, amounting to $854.37m, the highest monthly expenditure in 2023 was $641.70m, recorded in July.

The trend in foreign debt servicing by the CBN highlights the rising cost of debt obligations by Nigeria.

Further breakdown of international debt figures showed that in January 2024, debt servicing costs surged by 398.89 per cent, rising to $560.52m from $112.35m in January 2023. February, however, saw a slight decline of 1.84 per cent, with payments reducing from $288.54m in 2023 to $283.22m in 2024.

March recorded a 31.04 per cent drop in payments, falling to $276.17m from $400.47m in the same period last year. April saw a significant rise of 131.77 per cent, with $215.20m paid in 2024 compared to $92.85m in 2023.

The highest debt servicing payment occurred in May 2024, when $854.37m was spent, reflecting a 286.52 per cent increase compared to $221.05m in May 2023. June, on the other hand, saw a 6.51 per cent decline, with $50.82m paid in 2024, down from $54.36m in 2023.

July 2024 recorded a 15.48 per cent reduction, with payments dropping to $542.50m from $641.70m in July 2023. In August, there was another decline of 9.69 per cent, as $279.95m was paid compared to $309.96m in 2023. However, September 2024 saw a 17.49 per cent increase, with payments rising to $515.81m from $439.06m in the same month last year.

Given rising exchange rates, the data raises concerns about the growing pressure of Nigeria’s foreign debt obligations.

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DIAMED CENTRE: Kesington Adebutu is a Father in a million – Daughter, Abiola Olorede

Published

4 months ago

July 20, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

A United States and United Kingdom trained prolific doctor, Dr. Abiola Olorede, the first daughter of accomplished businessman and renowned philanthropist, Sir Kesington Adebukunola Adebutu, is not a run-off-the-mill medical practitioner. She knows her onions, her worth and the mandate she is programmed to fulfill.

She is the Chief Medical Director of the just opened DIAMED CENTRE, a fully equipped diagnostic and medical facility saved with the responsibility of catering to the medical needs of the Nigerian public.

The hospital, which was built and handed over to her by her philanthropic father, is located at Kuboye Street, in the heart of Lekki Island, Lagos.

In this brief chat, the achiever, who lived most of her educational life in Dublin, Poland, expressed her gratitude to a father like no other, and how she and her team intends to make the best of the facility and equipment to totally affect humanity for the better.

Excerpts:

CAN YOU TELL US THE IDEA BEHIND THIS GREAT PROJECT?

Thank you very much, my name is Abiola Olorede, I am a medical doctor by profession. I schooled in Dublin, worked in the United Kingdom and in United States of America. When I came back home to Nigeria after my education including postgraduate studies, I realized that one of the major challenges is that a lot of the diagnostic tools that we need to use for evident-base treatment of our patient were lacking. Since then, I have always had a dream that when i am able to afford it, I will like to have a place that Nigerians can go to as comparable as those round the world because, just as I have always spoken about it, every Nigerian should have any treatment obtainable anywhere in the world in their home country.

CAN I DEDUCE THEREFORE, THAT YOU INTEND TO STOP MEDICAL TOURISM BY ESTABLISHING THIS ALL INCLUSIVE MEDICAL CENTRE?

Hmmm…Intend to stop is a very big word. I am hoping by the service we would offer here, a lot of Nigerians will see it as comparable to anywhere in the world and would want to use it instead of going out of the country. So, a lot of people that go out of the country can benefit from world class treatment in Nigeria.

SO OUT OF ALL YOUR DAD’S PHILANTHROPIC GESTURES, HOW DOES THIS ONE MAKE YOU FEEL?

If you noticed, the Kensington Adebutu Foundation, KAF, as it is fondly referred to, has major pillars and that’s education and health. It does a lot of other projects no doubt. I know that in any society, if the people are not educated, it’s a big loss to the country, if you don’t have the healthy workers too, it’s a big loss. So this brings out much of my pride in the service of Nigeria.

AS A PROUD DAUGHTER, WHAT MORE COULD YOU SAY ABOUT YOUR FATHER?

First of all, I would like to thank him. I tell everybody that he is father in a million. He supported his children over the years, financially, and with wisdom. I’m going up to 60, and my father still supports me pursue my dreams; it’s very rare. I want to thank him from the bottom of my heart. He’s always there, so thank you dad, you are a wonderful dad.

CAN YOU JUST ANALYZE THE KIND OF EQUIPMENT WE HAVE HERE?

We have a lot of facilities that are available, we have 3D monogram, it gives better images, and it’s less painful when you do that. We also have 64 high CT scan, digital X-rays, a lab, Haematology, Dialysis department, Dental suite, Opthalmology and Physiotherapy. We have a fully functional Pharmacy; so it’s like a one stop shop.

We have a Cardiac Suite where you can do ECO and other tests. We engage patients morning to night, make them comfortable as they get their test done. We don’t want you to feel you are in a hospital premises; you come from home and get all your test done.

WHAT DO YOU PROMISE NIGERIANS USING THIS FACILITY?

I promise Nigerians is that only experts, who will give the right diagnosis will be engaged here so we can give world class treatment and service. We want to use evidence and innovations to manage patients. Those are our promises to Nigerians and others as an organization and God will help us deliver all these promises.

AND HOW AFFORDABLE IS IT TO PATRONISE THIS PLACE?

We would try to make it cost effective in as much as medical care is not cheap. I tell people that being healthy is cheaper that being sick and that’s true, and that’s what we hope to accomplish. It is difficult to maintain some of this machines, some of them are very expensive so we must be able to recoop cost to get and replace equipment when due.

Thank you doctor Abiola, you have been very helpful and I wish you well in the management of this facility to the best interest of Nigerians. God bless you ma.

The pleasure is mine

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The Independence of the Judiciary in a Democratic Dispensation (Pt. 4)

Published

4 months ago

July 19, 2024

Eric

By Mike Ozekhome

Introduction

In the last part of this intervention, we examined the abuse of ex-parte orders as part of our survey of the independence of the judiciary. We then moved on to political pressures exerted on the judiciary. We continues with this theme today and extend economic/fiscal pressures which undermines judicial independence. We shall also x-ray the intellectual dimensions of the judicial remit as well as the relevant legal codes for their appointment. Come with me.

POLITICAL INDEPENDENCE (continues)

The duty of maintaining a Judiciary that is free from political influence, an independent and impartial Judiciary in line with section 17(2)(e) of the 1999 Constitution, rests on the honourable men and women on the bench, the political class, the other two arms of government and all and sundry. An independent Judiciary that inspires confidence is a sine qua non for sustainable democracy. Judges have a special role to reject any attempt to undermine the independence of the Judiciary in this dispensation. It is sacred! The admonition of Hon. Justice (Prof.) A.F.D. Kuti in this wise is instructive.

“Of course, judges make laws by interpretations, as judges, by nature and training do not succumb to partisan considerations they are political, they should be abstinat a fabia. They must not allow themselves to be torn apart by any form of differences in our societies… The judges have a duty to chart an independent course and let it be known that the independence of (the) judiciary is of vital importance to the democratic process to maintain Human Rights Provisions and to maintain the non-adoption of sate Region… The Judiciary itself must be like Cinderella living in a glass house, above board like Caesar’s wife, also above suspicion”.

Economic/Fiscal Independence

It is a trite warfare strategy that the easiest way to weaken an army and overrun it is to cut off its supplies and starve it. Vital in the question of independence of the Judiciary is the issue of fiscal autonomy, and proper funding. As soon as we institutionalize the practice of judicial officers going cap in hand to beg for funds from the Executive, the idea of independence of the Judiciary has been trampled upon and blown into smithereens! Independence must involve economic ‘self-reliance’ and fiscal autonomy. By these, we mean that the Judiciary under this dispensation should always be able to have the funds due to it constitutionally falling directly to it without having to approach the Executive for any form of lobbying before funds can be released to it. The Constitution has substantially taken care of this area. It only remains for the frontiers of fiscal autonomy to be widened so that the Judiciary, (especially State Judiciaries) would be able to carry out capital projects so as to maintain befitting physical infrastructure for the Judicial institution. Agbakoba has argued that:

“Judicial Independence is meaningless if it is not accompanied by economic independence. Dishonest judicial staff has no credible claim to judicial independence. It is necessary to take steps to ensure that judges and magistrates can enjoy a professional status capable of guaranteeing them the required amount of professional independence coupled with an adequate remuneration package that can effectively isolate them from pecuniary pressures.”

In Nigeria and under this democratic dispensation, some jurisdictions have had to contend with dilapidated office buildings, inadequate supplies and regular power outages. Starvation of funds is a weapon used by the Executive, the keeper of the Federation purse, to achieve a balance of judicial power by giving judicial officials a sense of economic/fiscal dependency.

To stave off starvation of funds, many countries have had to increase budgetary allocations significantly in favour of the judiciary both to provide adequate physical facilities and to allow for the continuing education of judges, magistrate and their staff. In some cases, as in Madagascar, this new approach has resulted in the establishment of a school solely dedicated to the training of judicial personnel.

The poor state of fiscal ability of the Judiciary in Nigeria today aptly depicts the observation of the Federalist, Alexander Hamilton that:

“The Judiciary is beyond comparison the weakest of the three departments of power. It has no influence over either the sword or the purse; no discretion either of the strength or the wealth of the society; and can take no active resolution whatever. It may be said to have neither FORCE NOR WILL, but merely judgment.”

Although the salaries and recurrent expenditures of the Judiciary are constitutionally charged upon the Consolidated Revenue Fund, it does not appear that the Constitution specifically ensures the provision for the capital expenditure of the Judiciary. This is another ploy to still keep the Judiciary low and check its ferocity in holding the balance over government excesses. There are other pockets of ploys and half-truths.

It has, for example, been argued from the Bench that the concept of accountability has often been relied upon to justify restricting the administrative independence of the Judiciary. The Executive must, in this democratic dispensation, allow unfettered fiscal independence for the judiciary by freeing its funds from all restrictions so that judges do not have to continue to go to the Executive to seek for funds for capital projects and recurrent expenditure or extra budgetary expenses.

Judicial accountability, in fact, complements and reinforces judicial independence by creating the public confidence on which judicial independence ultimately depends. There is no gainsaying that the point is sometimes made that in relation to their judicial functions, judges are subject to a higher degree of accountability and transparency than any other public officers, or even with the present democratic dispensation, than indeed any holder of political office, be they ministers or special advisers or chairmen or members of parastatals.

It has also been argued from the Bench that financial independence of the Judiciary can only be guaranteed where the ‘order’ allows physical projection and administrative control of finances by officers accountable to the Judiciary.39 The notion of Independence of the Judiciary would remain mere rhetoric without complete fiscal autonomy for the Judiciary.

Intellectual Independence

This subhead is used here in a technical sense as an issue of judicial independence. But, it can best be described by the story in the Bible of Israel’s sojourn in the land of Egypt. A wicked king that hated the Hebrews and was afraid of their independence and prosperity had given an instruction to midwives in this manner,

“When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women….if it be a son, then ye shall kill him but it if be a daughter, then she shall live…Every son that is born ye shall case into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.”

Pharaoh preferred Hebrew females because he was afraid of male power in the event of war with the Hebrews. The same stratagem has been employed to destroy the intellectual vibrancy of the judiciary so as to weaken its independence. The calibre of judges that can stand their ground against assault on judicial independence are those imbued with high independent, incorruptible and analytical mind laced with profound intellectual fecundity. While the High Court Bench has a mixed multitude of judges, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court are filled with such high calibre of intellectually vibrant and independent-minded justices. This would explain why the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court have not only set impressive records of independent-mindedness and incorruptibility. Those two courts can hardly be faulted in the area of independence and absence of external influence. The problem of intellectual freedom mainly lies at the High Court Bench, and the lower benches.

Appointment

By virtue of section 250(3), 256(3) and 271(3) Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, a person shall not be qualified to hold office of Chief judge or a judge of the Federal High Court, Chief Judge or a judge of the High court of the Federal Capital Territory and a judge of a High Court of a state, respectively:

“Unless he is qualified to practise as legal practitioner in Nigeria and has been so qualified for a period of not less than ten years”.

We are not really concerned here about the procedure for appointment of High Court judges. What has threatened the system with collapse is the bare assumption in these constitutional provisions that tends to imply that once a person has spent ten years on earth since he/she was called to the Bar, the person automatically has all the intellectual capability to be appointed a judge.

More than anything else, judicial incompetence (encompassing law intellectually, law productively etc) has contributed to rob the Judiciary the necessary intellectual freedom it needs to assert and guard its independence. According to Schewart:

“The quality of justice….depends more upon the quality of the men who administer the law then on the content of the law they administer.”

In his keynote address at the recent Bar Conference at Enugu, Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, observed on the constitutional qualification for appointment as a judge as follows:

“This allows great latitude for the appointment of ‘any lawyer’ who has met the ten years requirement regardless of where he is prior to his appointment. This explains why a new wig from the Nigerian Law School who, immediately after his call (and probably Youth Service) went straight to work in a company, multinationals and the life without any experience whatsoever in practice could be and are being appointed as High Court Judge”.

At the swearing in of the new Senior Advocates of Nigeria on Monday, September 8, 2003, the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Akin Olujinmi, SAN hinted that more stringent criteria for appointment of judges would be introduced. According to the Chief Law Officer of the Federation:

“We will propose that only those who can furnish evidence of contentious cases they handled in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and the High Court within, say, three years preceding their application should be considered for appointment. By so doing, it will be possible to select only seasoned practitioners to occupy positions on the Bench.” (To be continued).

Thought for the Week

“I believe that an independent judiciary is the crown jewel of our constitutional republic. Brett Kavanaugh”. (Charles Evans Hughes).