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Joya Banerjee's Friends
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Niger Delta: Tippers or (armoured) tanks
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I have lived in Umuahia over the past 11 months, the closest to the Niger Delta that i have stayed for more than a week.
While visiting the Federal Government Girls college in Umuahia a couple of weeks back, i discovered that the road that leads to the school from the main road was graded and apparently abandoned by the contractor.
While speaking to one of the teachers later on about this, she laughed and said, the contractor came to site and soon as they were mobilised by the Federal Government, but as soon as they commenced work, a group of fierce, armed to the teeth, young men stormed the site and requested for the communities''share of the federal government largesse (contract money). In all, they are asking for a princely sum of 7million naira in order for them to allow contractors to work on a road that is less than 0.5km.
As i write, the graders and the tippers have dissapeared, because of the subtle threat of comply or be kidnapped, the contractors have wisely abandon the project while they seek alternative means to pacify the youths.
This is just an example of what happens in communities across the niger delta, where after years of neglect, Government is beginning to concentrate on infrastructure development in the region (schools, roads, hospitals, power plants e.t.c.).
However, the youth and indeed, sometimes the entire community have decided to eat their tommorrow today.
Out of fustration, government is beginning to roll out tanks to deal with the very ruthless ones amongst these several gangs of militants in the Delta and the people are crying foul.
I cringe too at the idea of rolling in tanks on the people, they, in actual fact have suffered, their sons (Saro Wiwa and the Ogoni 9) and several others have been murdered because they lent their voice to the struggles and pains and rape of their people and their land., However, the Niger Deltans are confused, i believe.
If not, who do they cry everyday for development, infrastructure and roads, and then go ahead to kidnap the very workers who have been commisioned to make this things happen in their society.
I am at a loss. I pity Mr. President. I am glad i am not in his shoes.
If i were, i am not sure i wont roll in tanks myself, to pave way for the tippers.
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Omar, President of Gabon, and world's longest ruler is dead
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Africa yesterday lost one of its sit-tight leaders, Gabonese President Omar Bongo, who died of heart attack in a Barcelona hospital.
Bongo, felt to be one of the world's wealthiest leaders, became its longest-serving ruler when Cuba's Fidel Castro handed power to his brother last year.
A lieutenant in the French Air Force before joining the civil service, Bongo kept a tight grip on the oil-rich former French colony after becoming president in 1967.
He banned opposition parties until 1990, and elections held since stirred unrest and rigging charges. While greatly feared, Bongo governed without the sustained brutality characteristic of many dictators.
His security staff was said to number 1,500 while the entire military has just 10,000 troops.
Africa's history has been checkered by sit-tight leaders who dot the continent, a number of them still remain to include the President of Egypt who has ruled for 22 years, and president of Senegal who has ruled for 9 years.
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host communities delay NIPP project
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The inability of host communities where the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) are sited to allow vital work on transmission lines has slowed down the pace of work, the Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan - led Presidential Steering Committee on Power Projects has said.
The committee, which made this known at a meeting chaired by Jonathan and attended by six governors from the six geo-political zones in the country, and Ministers of Power, Finance, Justice and Petroleum, also lamented that even though there is over 4,500 megawatts available, constraints thrown up by inadequate gas supply, pipeline vandalism, inferior quality gas as well as security concerns had resulted in the delivery of just 2,500 megawatts as at today.
Addressing State House Correspondents on behalf of the committee in Abuja yesterday, the Governors of Kaduna, Namadi Sambo and Delta, Emmanuel Uduaghan, said the recent Niger Delta crisis involving the militants and the Joint Task Force (JTF) damaged one of the pipes that supplies gas to power the turbines.
The duo announced a 75-per cent average completion level of power projects in the country but appealed to host communities to allow vital work on transmission lines to continue.
The committee however, declined to name the restive communities, but said the committee members who divided themselves into four groups toured power projects in Calabar, Sapele, Afam, Egbema, Papalanto, Omotosho, Omoku and Egbenema.
Sambo said the tour revealed that 50 per cent of civil works had been done while almost 100 per cent of materials needed to complete the projects were on ground.
He said: “It is with pleasure that I inform you that the average completion stage of all the power plants is as at today 75 per cent. I must seize this opportunity to call on those communities that have the privilege of hosting these projects to continue to give their full cooperation particularly in the area of the transmission lines where we are having challenges with the communities.
“Work is going on in earnest and at today’s meeting we have reviewed the position and we are pleased with the amount of work; almost 100 per cent of the equipment are on site. The civil work in all the sites is over 50 per cent; the gas supply project is in progress; the substation and transmission lines are also in progress. But the challenges with the communities with regard to leeway and land areas are becoming great. And these services we are rendering are in the interest of first and foremost those communities that are hosting these projects.”
The Kaduna State governor said the cooperation of the host communities would lead to completion of the projects on time. “I am calling on behalf of the steering committee for the cooperation of all Nigerians to ensure that we complete these projects in good time. It is one thing to complete the plant; it is another transmitting. So we should allow the contractors easy and fast access in completing the projects”.
He said the governors of the communities affected were already negotiating with the inhabitants with a view to ensuring that the challenges were overcome especially as issues of compensation to them had long been dealt with.
Sambo also said the challenges with the communities as it concerned the NIPP projects, was not in any way affecting the target of 6,000 megawatts of electricity by December this year as promised by the administration.
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Contraceptives: Stock-Outs Threaten Family Planning
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Kenya's new national plan for reducing maternal mortality recognises the importance of a steady supply of contraceptives across the country. In principle, contraceptives are already available for free or heavily-subsidised at government clinics and hospitals, but for women who rely on public health system, the reality is somewhat different.The country has been rocked by massive stock-outs of some critical contraceptive methods in recent years. Health officers say because of the shortages in public facilities, many women cannot afford to purchase the birth control commodities which are expensive from private drug stores and therefore end up getting pregnant.
"Most clients come asking for Implanon (a contraceptive inserted under the skin of a woman’s upper arm) but they cannot get what they are asking for," Mohammed Salat Dagane, a provincial nursing officer in Kenya's North Eastern Province told IPS, "What will stop them from becoming pregnant? The pregnancy rate in this region is high."
Karen Owuor, his counterpart in the western province of Nyanza had the same story. "Majority of our clients prefer injectable or surgical contraceptives but these are not accessible in most of our facilities. Even though they are available in the market, not many people can afford them so they either have to wait until they are supplied to the hospitals or get pregnant," she said.
Kenya's last Demographic Health Survey (KDHS) in 2003 found that 24 percent of women who do not want another child within the next two years are not using contraception due to unavailability. The lack of access to family planning commodities, particularly surgical and injectable contraceptives, is a major contributor to the figure, coupled with a lack of awareness on methods available.
According to Josephine Kibaru, head of the Family Health Department within the ministry of health, the stock-outs have been largely due to insufficient funds to purchase the commodities. Bureaucratic obstacles between different ministries - specifically enormous difficulties and delays in securing the release of funds to the health ministry by the treasury - have been criticised.
The government drug supply body, the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA), has also been faulted for failing to deliver promptly contraceptives to government health facilities.
"If a woman comes and misses contraceptives of their choice at our hospitals, even if they are brought later, it will not make a difference. The next time she comes it will be when a traditional birth attendant sends her to us dying from complications of an unplanned pregnancy," Kibaru said.
The KDHS puts the maternal mortality rate (MMR) at 414 deaths per 100,000 live births, far in excess of the U.N. target of 147 deaths per every 100,000 live births by the year 2015. Two-thirds of these due to birth-related complications and the remainder to unsafe abortions.
The National Contraceptive Commodities Security Strategy 2007-2012, published by the health ministry, puts the government on the spot for its low budgetary allocation for family planning.
Even though the past three years have seen authorities allocate about 6.7 million dollars for procurement of family planning commodities, an estimated 20 million dollars needed annually to ensure adequate supply.
Family planning in Kenya was previously supported exclusively by donors - who are expected to finance the deficit this year. The donor community has also been partly blamed for the stock-outs.
"We need partners to deliver their pledges on time. There is no need of them giving us funds two months after the stock-outs. We need to ensure uninterrupted supply of contraceptives to all people that need them whenever and wherever they need them," Kigen Bartilol, deputy head of the Division of Reproductive Health in the health ministry told IPS.
Increased funds have to go hand in hand with prompt delivery of services. Health experts at the launch of the national plan on Apr. 16 called on KEMSA to include contraceptives in its essential drug kits when delivering medicines to health facilities across the country.
"Family planning commodities are as important as medicines for other diseases. We want KEMSA to include in the kits contraceptives that are equivalent to the specific needs of every region. By this we will not be working on assumption but on actual requirements and figures, ensuring that everyone is catered for on time," Kibaru said.
But the lack of qualified personnel to administer the commodities still remains a challenge. "For example surgical contraceptives must be managed by skilled health care providers, and these are lacking especially in low level institutions like dispensaries and health centres which are closer to communities," Monica Agutu, head of Kisumu Medical and Education Trust, a community organisation, said in an interview with IPS from Kisumu, western Kenya.
She added, "A woman will think twice before travelling miles away to a provincial or district hospital where she may be able to access these services. Before she knows it, she will be pregnant. If it is unplanned, no one will stop her from procuring an abortion; if it goes sour, another death."
(END/2009)
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I am a non-patriot!
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According to the closing remarks of the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in his statement made today (19 May) when he declared that the war is officially over he said that, either you are with us or you are with the terrorist. Anyone who will criticize what the government is doing; what the president and his handful of ministers doing; etc. will be labeled as non-patriots.
According to the true spirit of democracy, if a state declares that they follow the true spirit of democracy, in that system the first condition is that the government, the president, the ministers and all the processes of that system can be criticize by the opposition, public and by the media.
So does this mean either we do not have democracy or we are non-patriots or both? Therefore, I claim myself to be a non-patriot!
I am a non-patriot!
     
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It is not over yet!
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The military victory declared by the President of the Democratic, Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka today (18) May is not the end of this war. Well, I personally think that this is just the beginning of the scene and if the government does not keep up to their promises this situation would be worse. Hundred years of grievances cannot be solved in less than a year and it is a fact.
Now that the terrorist are gone there is a greater responsibility to the government of Sri Lanka to look back to the reason why the LTTE was formed. It was the mistakes our leaders made long time back and continued to grow on the mistakes repeated over and over again. I would be happy if the leaders of today rectify this mistake and bring in a solution, which is universally accepted and until then I will not celebrate this military victory.
Even though I do not believe in ‘karma’, I believe that all the lives we have lost, was the cost we had to pay for the mistakes we have done in the past. We need to honor all those lives and the only way to honor them is by bring peace to this war torn country and establishing true democracy. I have never lived in a Sri Lanka without the war and I do not know Sri Lanka as a country without war, how it feels to live in peace, how it feels to celebrate, but I hope this will end hear and the next generation will not experience the same.
The war might be over, but the war of corruption; injustice; inequity; are wars yet to be fought! And it is not over yet!
It is not over yet!
     
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