The Ginja View

Politicians like former Gov. Isa Yuguda whip up ethnic sentiments with their barefaced lies intended to engender ethnic pride but which spread hate speech like wildfire.  And Sokoto Gov. Aminu Tambuwal was sabre rattling at the aggrieved PDP G5 governors on supporting a rival presidential candidate. His principal, Abubakar Atiku ignores them because he weirdly calculates that he would win the presidential poll this way: sweep Katsina, Kaduna and Sokoto, pocket his north-east zone, wangle the required 25% of votes in 14 other states and do a last-minute Arewa deal with NNPP’s Rabiu Kwankwaso for Kano’s 5.4 million votes

Briefs, snips, clips, analyses on everything Naija!

This week, over 39 international NGOs providing disaster relief in Boko Haram afflicted Borno state will halt operations and send foreign and national staff home as a safety precaution ahead of presidential polls on February 16. Already, the UN agencies have closed shop in Borno since February 4 and will remain shut for three weeks. Will the donors come back to Borno after February 16?

Two weeks ago I conducted a writing workshop and made a slide presentation. It provides a “how-to” write a journalistic piece in four steps.

Health Minister Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole</strong> yesterday empanelled a group of food industry experts to unearth the facts about the court declared toxic Fanta and Sprite. He had this to say:

“Nigerians need to know that we will put their safety first. The questions are: Is the Coca-Cola produced in Nigeria safe ? Is the acidity level acceptable ? What is the difference between Coca-Cola products available in Nigeria and the United Kingdom?

“Nigerians are justifiably angry as it concerns the recent verdict of a case involving an exporter . I have instructed NAFDAC to liaise with SON to address Nigerians immediately concerning the<span class="text_exposed_show"> safety of Coca-Cola products made locally.”

Will the probe amount to anything? Remember that the same health minister stopped by in Lagos last month at the height of the Queen's College mass food poisoning scandal. He held a meeting with the school principal, Dr Mrs Lami Amodu and that was the last heard from federal authorities on a blistering problem in a federal facility with close to 4,000 pupils entrusted to federal care by citizens. The Lagos state government had to rise up, shut the school and order an investgation.

Briefing media on the investigation report yesterday, Dr. Jide Idris, the state health commissioner, announced that 1,222 pupils fell ill in a 36-day period from January 11. Sixteen were hospitalised, three are still critical and two died. All this, while federal officers entrusted with the children's care were non-chalant and indeed derelicted their duty of public health safety.

The principal, the director of basic education, director of higher education, minister of education and minister of health should answer questions on the laxity in health and hygiene standards in a federal school that led to such an aweful, tragic turn of events. Beyond that, the principal should be prosecuted for culpable negligence leading to double manslaughter.

If you are a parent or a concerned citizen, stand up and write. Write to your representative or your senator and demand answers, it is your right. Write to the police and DSS to demand an open investigation and prosecuction of those culpable. It is your right. Write to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights <a href="http://www.achpr.org/#">(au-banjul@africa-union.org)</a> and the UN Human Rights High Commissioner&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/UNHumanRights?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">(@UNHumanRights)</a> and ask them to sanction the federal government of Nigeria for poorly treating its citizens. It is your right. Write.