At a point I did fear that Mr. Ogbonna Onovo wouldn't be made the inspector-general of the Nigeria Police. But on that evening the news of his elevation flashed on the television screen, I instinctively felt, for reasons I couldn't even understand, that justice had been done. I   may   not   know a thing about Nigeria Police politics, but I had always regarded the present IG as a likeable officer. If my memory serves me right,  I  think  I  once  watched him strum a guitar on a Charley Boy Show; and perhaps that could have been it. My thought then: for a very senior   Police officer to push aside the seedy world of the Nigeria Police to play the guitar, for me, had meant "here's a regular, quiet, artsy guy who, if given that high office, can, at once, connect with the real people and the real situation to fully grasp the rhythm and the reality of things. He could stroll down the neighbourhood and shake up some hoodlums by their scruff," such were the extent of my imaginations.

That sort of reasoning made me happy when Mr. Onovo took over from Sir Mike. The seat of the IGP of Nigeria is understandably red-hot, trying and demanding. Nigerians have seen it all. IG Onovo is currently having it full, as would be expected. My impression is that his approach to handling public reaction to police conduct has to be overhauled to reflect, not only a willingness by the police, as a public institution, to listen to criticisms, complaints and exhortations, but also to take time to explain its many difficulties, without resorting to evasions and counter-arguments.

Last year, there was a case of "fight-them-back" reaction of the police to a report of the Amnesty International on the police. That report documented possible graphic instances of police brutality; their institutional failings, operational difficulties, etc, and without much spadework,  the  police dismissed it.

Police Affairs Minister, Dr. Ibrahim Lame, recently harangued the Force, citing some grave incidents of insecurity in the country and told its management to buckle up. The most gruesome of such incidents was the killing of 20 passengers in an  armed  raid along the Benin-Ore road. I am a reporter, but the first time I saw the picture in the press, I gasped. The accounts of the massacre depressed me, and so I didn't worry about the correct date, time or such other particulars of news reporting. Now, the police are out with an uncommon zing to prove the media wrong over possible finer details of that report. First, I had heard the charge that the picture was a product of modern photographic technology deployed to morph what we saw. Then came the hair-splitting details of the actual hour, date, month, year and the circumstances in which poor Nigerians were run over by a motor vehicle because they hadn't money on them to give rampaging highway robbers. OK, the killings didn't happen on February 25, 2010, as the media accounts put it, but rather on July 1, 2009. Yes, it wasn't the luxury bus driver that ran over the passengers, ordered down by the robbers, as reported in the media, but rather another vehicle that came on the scene did the smashing. Of course, all these were never reported by the Police then, in order not to "heat up the polity."

The Police authorities may desire to talk classical journalism, but you'd have to wonder about how the variations in the accounts of the gory event can explain, or even make it a less significant piece of news, that Nigerians now, cannot travel if they don't hold sufficient money to pay armed robbers on the highway.

Let's hear more of the lamentable woes of the Nigeria Police, not some scape-goating narratives, because the truth is that the police in Nigeria perform under very severe operational situations. The public barely trusts the Force to protect or save lives. That's the greatest danger. We should, therefore, stick to these problems and explore ways of convincing the government to run its police well.An Evening With Ghanaian FriendsGhanaians resident in Calabar, last weekend, marked the 53rd  National Day of their ever forward-looking nation. I was in Calabar on their invitation. Let's say that this part of Nigeria has had age-long interaction with Ghana. In music (highlife), common names, (Ansa, Essien, Oko, Edem, Ama, etc) and some slices of cultural life, Ghana and the Calabar area of Nigeria are remarkably similar.With their glorious yards of kente, slung over their shoulders, the Ghanaians strutted about the venue of the ceremony, extolling the quality of the early hard work done by their nation's founding father, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and with highlife lyrics on their lips.As one of the patrons honoured at the occasion, I was seized by the instant magic of justified sense of patriotism eloquently displayed by Ghanaian brothers and sisters. Whither Nigeria my native land!

When I wrote my piece last week entitled "Incapacity and Illegitimacy", I did not know that it would attract many reactions. From text messages, voice mails and even phone calls, I got over a hundred reactions. Those who liked it were as passionate as those who did not like it. There was a lady from the office of the minister of information who insisted that I was not fair to her principal. And I asked her to write a counter-argument pointing out what is not true or not correct and I would publish it. There was a young man who left me six voice mails and considered me "not worth being a human being". By and large, I think that piece has achieved its purpose and I stand by everything I wrote.

There was a message from somebody who is obviously very sympathetic to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. It must be realised that I have nothing personal against Dr. Jonathan. As far as I am concerned, both Jonathan and Mallam Umaru Yar'Adua belong to the same Peoples Democratic Party that has had the opportunity and means to turn around this great country for the better in the last 10 years but has allowed us to remain stagnant and static. I am not a journalist. I am just an ordinary columnist. And, God knows, I am not interested in any personal glory. That is why even my picture does not appear on this page. I am only a concerned citizen who is desirous of positive changes in the only country I can call mine.

What is most important is for whoever has a contrary view to dazzle us with facts and figures and not to baffle us with sentiments and emotions. If the last piece was perceived as pro-Yar'Adua, then, it must have been unintentional. I was just trying to point out the wrong approach of those who are trying to unseat him. I have never read in the constitution or in any law where being sick is a crime. And if one is trying to dig the ditch of evil, one should remember to dig it wide and not deep, for the digger may be the one to fall inside.

In any case, why should I serve any narrow, personal pro-Yar'Adua interest and not our collective national interest? For one, Mallam Yar'Adua does not know how to attract loyalty. Instead, he repels it. Secondly, by most accounts, the last three years of this administration have not witnessed any qualitative improvement in the lives of our people. And, thirdly, those perceived as closest to him, the so called kitchen cabinet, have not been associated with any spectacular achievements since they came to office. Abba Sayyadi Ruma is the agriculture minister and from Ruma village to every other part of Nigeria, what improvement has he brought to this important sector? Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi is the economic adviser. He will only be remembered as one of the most arrogant and inaccessible public officials in Nigeria's history.

These are the people around Yar'Adua. They are also his greatest baggage. No. I have no reason to stick my neck out for this obviously anti-people regime. And Dr. Jonathan is constitutionally the chairman of the National Economic Council. In all honesty, what is the economic policy of this administration? Can anybody tell me? But for the singular intervention of the Central Bank governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the whole of the Yar'Adua/Jonathan regime would have been uneventful; and only God knows what the banking industry would have been like. That is why I consider Yar'Adua and Jonathan as two sides of the same coin until I am convinced otherwise As the Fulani say, an antelope will not jump and its child will only crawl.

So, I honestly, do not understand the hysterical view of those who think Jonathan should be supported and Yar'Adua should be opposed. This must be a sectional agenda which has no basis in logic. And I also cannot comprehend the calls for the removal of some military officers for giving protection to Yar'Adua when he came back from Saudi Arabia. With all the hypocritical posturing of some high government officials, can anyone blame the military for organising such secret protection for him? Was it not at the airport that Rwanda's Habyarimana was blown up, which led to the genocide in that country? Thus, if these soldiers cannot be commended, they should not be condemned.

My attention was also drawn to page 44 of the Vanguard newspaper of Wednesday, March 3, 2010, where an advertorial entitled "Southern Nigeria will go if..." was carried by a group called the Southern Protectorate Movement.  In paragraph 24, they wrote that "these Northern rascals should be careful; Southerners are no fools. Recall that Lagos and Kano states were created on the same day in 1967. While Lagos state remains as a single state, Kano has since been split into three states of Kano, Katsina and Jigawa. Lagos State today has 20 local government areas while Kano, Katsina and Jigawa together have 105 LGAs and contributing nothing to the federal purse they share from".

In their conclusion, they wrote: "Therefore if the Northern elements refuse to accept Goodluck as the President of a united Nigeria, then we will gladly endorse him as the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Protectorate of Nigeria.  In which case, the Northern Protectorate can go with the content of the air ambulance."

First of all, either out of mischief or sheer ignorance, these people mentioned that Katsina was part of the old Kano state, which indeed is a big lie. Katsina was part of the old Kaduna State. And because Lagos has small landmass, there has never been any clamour for a new state from there since it was created in 1967. Anyway, very soon all these issues they raised will be properly addressed here.

Also, if these people are doing this to help Jonathan, then, it is counter-productive and may achieve the opposite. In the first place, how did Jonathan become acting president without the support of the North? In fact, how would he have become vice president without the North's support? And, if really he is interested in being a national leader, why is he not dissociating himself from these terribly costly adverts and calling them to order? What efforts have anyone made to create the sea or oil that is in the South and which these faceless groups are using as propaganda weapons?

We must not lose our heads just because of some individuals who are actually fighting for power and ego and not any common good. No amount of cheap blackmail or baseless intimidation can make anyone achieve his or her objectives. Nigeria will never be the same without any part or section. We must learn to accept, respect and accommodate each other in the spirit of unity and brotherhood. If Jonathan wants to be a national leader either now or in the future, he knows that he needs to build confidence, convince others to trust him by his deeds and actions and not by propaganda, lies and deceit from faceless groups. We must also know that our problems are not tribes, religions or sections but a certain corrupt class of people that have been retarding our progress since independence. God save Nigeria.

Plateau Again!

Just as I was writing this, the issue of reprisal attacks in Jos came up again. I sympathise with the victims and condemn any destruction of life and property by anybody or group. It is a most deplorable and despicable act. May God bring peace to Plateau and to our nation. Amen.

On Sunday, in faraway Los Angeles,   American female director Kathryn  Bigelow made history by becoming the first woman to win the coveted Academy Award (Oscars) for Best Director. Kathryn's big win made many women the world over so proud; it came on the eve of the celebration of International Women's Day. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the occasion that was first proposed in 1910 by a German socialist leader, Clara Zetkin. In her work promoting women's rights, Mrs Zetkin urged every county to mark a special day for women with the aim of addressing gender demands. Although the initial aim of the annual celebration was to tackle various areas of gender disparity, the annual celebration is now largely dedicated to inspiring women and celebrating their achievements. In this regard, Ms Bigelow's historic triumph could not have come at a better time.

This year's International Women's Day came with the theme, "Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All". The theme is such an appropriate and vital subject of discussion, especially in a country like Nigeria where there continues to be gender inequity in the labour and employment sector. Even though the Nigerian constitution provides "equal pay for equal work without discrimination on account of sex or any other ground", discrimination and disparities still persist in the wages and opportunities for women as opposed to those of men. Every day in this country, women struggle with the impediment to professional employment and adequate salary representation. While more women are venturing into a career in male-dominated fields, they do not receive the equal opportunity, equal pay and equal treatment that men do for the same kind of work. The disparity in the treatment, opportunity and wage gap for men and women could not be more blatant in spite of the fact women tend to be just as passionate and dedicated to their work as men are.

In the private sector, it is very common to find competent women prematurely reaching a plateau in their career because of a lack of promotion. This, in many instances, is arguably due to the fact that most employers tend to favour the promotion of a male over that of a woman.

No matter which way we look at this matter, there is very little doubt that women face enormous challenges within the workforce. The genesis of the callenge lies in our cultures and the restrictions on education for women. In many communities here in Nigeria, from the very begining of their lives, women are already at a disadvantage in terms of schooling because they have no access or poor access to education. The situation is all the more dire in rural areas where educating boys is preferred to sending girls to school. In almost all Nigerian cultures, society seems more comfortable with a woman staying at home rather than being in the office or workplace.

Then, there is also the notion that women are not suitable for certain kinds of work. Although there is no law that prohibits women from working in certain sectors, save mining, the dictates of culture proscribes able females from venturing into many areas of work. But our different cultures and beliefs should not be an excuse for the subjugation of women who want to work. In many Asian countries, it is common to find women in leadership roles simply for the fact their society allows and encourages them. And it is not so much about cultural divide because the Asian community is just as authoritarian, religious and traditional as ours. Take Islamic countries that have had female presidents and prime ministers such as Pakistan, Turkey and Indonesia, for instance.

I have heard the argument many times that the very nature of a woman limits and even prohibits her from being physically, emotionally and mentally built for work in an office or in a leadership position. When I have heard people speak in such a manner, I have never bothered to respond to them because I believe that such a notion is misguided at best. If one agrees with the fact that a woman is capable enough to withstand labour pain and bear children, clean the home, cook and pound yam or look after her husband, then, she is adept enough for the challenges in the workplace. Thinking clearly, making responsible decisions, whether in the office or the home, is a subjective matter determined by the personal responsibility of an individual; it has absolutely nothing to do with gender. If a woman can successfully participate in policy making and leadership in her own house, she can just as effectively exhibit those same leadership qualities and intelligence in the workplace or office.

The most erroneous and slighting notion of a woman who works is the one where a working woman is considered not to be respectable or responsible. Of all the beliefs and analysis of women, this is the most ridiculous because instead of encouraging the determination of a female who strives to succeed in a male-dominated field, she is odiously labelled. But the truth is that anybody who accuses a woman of indecency purely because she is dedicated to her work and career is simply ignorant and insecure.

The plight of single and divorced women is even worse. Unmarried women in Nigeria endure many forms of prejudice in and out of the workplace. Some years back, officials in one particular state released a directive requiring all single and divorced women working in the civil service to get married or lose their jobs. Pregnant married women in the workforce have also been victim to this kind of discrimination. It is a given that career women at some point in their lives may have to juggle and find a balance between work and family. However, some employers have been reported to dismiss female employees who become pregnant during the course of their employment. The situation was so bad that some banks required women employees to sign a bond specifying that they would not become pregnant or marry within the first three years of employment. Women who did either were usually dismissed on the theory of a breach of contract. Even in some private businesses, employers operate a get-pregnant-get-fired policy. Though labour law stipulates that all women are entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave during which period they must receive at minimum 50% of their regular wages, bias against mothers and pregnant women in the workforce continues.

I once read that a human being must have occupation if he or she is not to become a nuisance to the world. By disallowing women to tap into their potential or discriminating against those who do, we limit the scope of our possibility as a people and create futility around us. The negative attitude towards women in the workforce is universally damaging with a ripple effect.

Women who have the knowledge and experience of work or career are in a good position to harness the benefits of that knowledge and exposure in educating their children, running their homes and contributing to their communities. We still have a long way to go before we can overcome the hurdles and misconceptions of women in employment. The first step must start with education because only education can change the social training that encourages our society to discriminate against women who are trying to improve their lot in life. Women have so much to offer, they should not be discriminated against. Not all women choose to work but, for those that do, they should be treated equally and with respect.

Hopefully, with exposure, social conditioning and law reform, the treatment of women in employment and leadership will keep changing in Nigeria. We should see the achievement of one woman at the Academy Awards ceremony in America as a victory for all women. I certainly do. And as women across the globe celebrate the centenary of our day, we hope the vision of that other great German woman leader 100 years ago will be a reality in every aspect of every woman's life. That way, come the next International Women's Day, we truly will be celebrating "equal rights, equal opportunities and progress for all women".