Category: Opinion

As the uproar continues over the demolition of the replica of the Ikom monoliths at Zone 6 roundabout in Calabar, and its replacement with the sculpture of Jesus the Good Shepherd, CrossRiverWatch today sent a team to Alok, the original sites where the monoliths were found. Government aparachiks have continued to insist that Jesus must reign over our State and everything that represents idolatry, in their judgment, must be brought down. Now what exactly is the bone of contention.

The stone monoliths of Alok in Ikom LGA of Cross River State, originally consisted of around 400-450 engraved standing stones of varying heights between one to two meters, distributed around thirty communities, and are thought to be up to 3000 years old. The carved stones are grouped in circles facing each other. They bear a form of writing and a complex system of codified information.

According to the United Nation’s World Heritage site, “Although they seem to share the same general features, each stone, like the human finger print, is unique from every other stone in its design and execution. They are similar in arrangement and ordering to the Stone Circles in the Gambia, but unique in their complexity of design and interpretation. Like most rock art works in Africa, like the one in Tanzania, the Ikom monoliths could be West Africa’s answer to the United Kingdom’s Stonehenge monoliths.

“The geometric images on the monoliths suggest that their makers possessed more than a basic knowledge of mathematics, not only because they are geometric, but also because of the obvious implication that there were computations and numbers on the layout of the stones. While the images and texts carved on the monoliths remain undeciphered, researchers and linguists believe that the inscriptions represent a prehistoric form of writing and visual communication.”

An environmental study of the site identified the most immediate threats to the stones to include, neglect, effects of weathering, erosion, exposure to heavy rainfall, extreme heat and sun, biological attack caused by high humidity, damage from falling trees, theft, vandalism, local agricultural practices such as bush burning.

The threats have depleted the number of the stones and there are now estimated to be less than 250, with many having been distributed amongst major museums throughout the world. Because of these threats, in 2007 the monoliths were added to the World Monuments Fund’s list of sites in danger and are being considered for inclusion into UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list.

The Stonehenge monoliths generated more than £30m in tourism income to the UK, in the past five years, according to Tourism Minister John Penrose on BBC. Average of £6m annually. Tanzania is ramping efforts to open up the ‘Rock Arts’ in Kondoa to increase tourism revenue and Gambia has completed plans to massively promote the ‘Rock Circles’ of Senegambia, to also boost tourism revenue. But the attempt at Christianizing Cross River State by our new leader, is not only demonizing our monoliths, it is threatening the value and history behind the famous Ikom monoliths.

The replica of the monoliths which was erected at the Zone 6 roundabout in Calabar, by the Duke administration was meant to draw attention and tourists to the original sites. Like putting an advertorial bill board on a highway or at the airport. It was meant to arouse curiosity in both indigenes and visitors to our State, of the existence of a pre historic civilization and academia in our State, that is older than the birth of Christ, and draw them to the original site with a view to generating tourism income. But that replica has been destroyed and replaced with the sculpture of Jesus the Good Shepherd. While the monoliths in Ikom are threatened by environmental and human factors, the replica in Calabar has been demolished by the antics of political gerrymandering

What exactly will be the value of the new statue to us? Does the erection of religious statues increase the godliness of the people? Will the new religious statues springing up in Calabar stop our leaders from stealing our money and make them govern us well? Will these statues survive beyond Governor Otu’s administration if his successor isn’t interested in the Christianization agenda or are we going to continue wasting tax payers money on statues in every administration? Are those who harbor and are implementing this agenda aware that there are Cross Riverians who are not Christians? Were these leaders voted to govern us or to teach us God? Can these leaders tell us a roundabout in Israel, the holy land, that is decorated with the statue of Jesus? I just say make I ask.

Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in this article is strictly that of the author, Agba Jalingo, and does not represent TheLumineNews, its agent or the organization the author works for.

Nigerians today boasts of the biggest churches in the world. For the members of those ministries, it is a huge achievement. For many who understand the dynamics, it is a sign of endemic poverty, deprivation and bad governance.

Let me try to explain. Some of the most pressing things that force our people to churches are basic needs that are essentially the responsibility of government. Health, security, education, housing, food, and money. Our people go to pray for what their government is meant to provide for them. They even pray fervently for the thieves who have stolen their dues.

Let’s take examples from a place where the government is functional.

In the USA for example, public schools from pre-kindergarten to high school are free and don’t need prayer and fasting for a child to be in school. There are no hidden charges by teachers. In college, if you have made good grades, there are scholarships for you to the university for free. And there are well established government scholarships too for Masters degrees that you may not have to pay a Dollar till you finish.

But if you do not qualify for scholarships then you will get a grant, and grant is free money. Depending on the type of university that you enrolled in, the grant might be able to cover your tuition and some fees. The rest you could take a student loan to make that up. It is a federal government loan. You will start paying the loan small small every month, six months after your graduation and starting a job.

It is college fees that are typically paid for by students and the way college fees are paid can vary widely depending on the individual circumstances of each student and their family. It could be paid by your parents or via student loans which could come from the government (federal loans) or private lenders or scholarships and grants, which could come from the college itself, private organizations, or government sources, or by work-study programs, where students work part-time jobs on campus to help cover their expenses, or from other sources such as contributions from relatives, crowdfunding campaigns, or other creative ways to cover their college expenses.

But on the whole, public schools provide free education to children in the United States. They are paid for by the government with local taxes, State money, and federal resources. Any child can attend public school. There are children from different cultures who speak many different languages in public schools across the USA. Even if you bring in your child for vacation and decide not to return the child back to Nigeria, the child will be enrolled in school for free. So if you were in the US, your children’s school fees prayer point and fasting is useless because there is a functional government.

On health, kids in the US have health insurance either through their parents jobs or the government issues a health insurance policy for the kids within a certain age bracket. Even if that is not the case, no hospital has the right to refuse a child treatment. You treat and send the bill to the home address. The parents will take it to what they call “Charity Care” and address it with the department. It could be cancelled or reduced or you will be asked to pay in small instalments.

For adults, there are senior citizens. Those ones are seen and cared for with what they call Medicare Supplementary Insurance. This comes from what the government took from you during your working days. This will be used when you retire from work at 65 years. But you could even use it at your young age depending on the situation that you are in. But for the younger adults from 18 years of age, it is expected that you should be working and most jobs will insure you. If that isn’t the case, your parents can resubmit your birth certificate to their job and the child will be included in parents insurance. So if you were in the US and you are sick, it is not Olive oil you will carry or phone your pastor, you will call the hospital and emergency services will come over.

On housing, even with all the homeless immigrants you see on TV, there are over 95 thousand immigrants in New York today as we speak. They live in government shelters for free until their documents are ready. If you engage in drugs or other crimes, you may not qualify to get a room. But the government is providing shelters for the citizens.

Typically, when Americans go to Church, their prayers revolve around thanksgiving. They have food, shelter and still have public assistance(money) from the State. It is because your government has abdicated its functions and resorted to palliatives that don’t even get to the citizens, that is why our churches are still filled up with people shouting at God, everyday of the week to do things we are supposed to hold government accountable for. We pray even more fervently for thieves we are meant to hold accountable.

America is not even the best example. The Scandinavian nations provide adequate welfare for their citizens from cradle to death. They have the lowest church attendance in the world. So the halls, domes and auditoriums in Nigeria are filled up not because our people are filled with God. On the contrary, the more the crowds, the more the poverty and wickedness in the land. It is because the government has failed the people. It is because the basic needs of the people aren’t met and there are no jobs to go to, so people have time in their hands to loiter around. When these problems are fixed, if they ever will, then we will return to this conversation again to compare notes.

Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.

DISclaimer: The opinion expressed in this article is strictly that of the author, Agba Jalingo and does not represent TheLumineNews, its agent or the organization the author works for.

Inside Afokang Prison in Calabar, the place I spent my time the most was in the welfare department where we make phone calls, receive counseling and where the prison library is. I was always borrowing their books. I had a favorite counselor, Madam Nancy. A wonderful Ikom woman that was so kind and generous to me.

Different NGOs and religious organizations used to come with different welfare packages including cooked food for us inmates. Having spent quite some time in the facility, I started interacting with several of them freely. Many of the Christian preachers who came for evangelism also came purposely to preach to me after hearing about my incarceration in the news. They were genuinely concerned.

I made friends with a couple of them. One day, one of the regular Pastors who was coming with a particular prison ministry from a popular church engaged me in the welfare department and one thing led to the other and he told me how he hasn’t gone home for over two decades because of the wickedness of his family people.

He told me about the many wicked acts his family people had wrecked on him, including killing his younger brother and how he swore never to have anything to do with them. He revealed with relish, how happy he is anytime he hears that the family members are dying one by one and quoted a scripture to buttress his point, ‘suffer not a witch to die.’

There is no privacy in the welfare department. There are correction officers around and they are constantly eavesdropping on all the inmates. So Madam Nancy was keeping tabs on us. She is still in the yard. I remember interjecting the Pastor at a point and asking a question that got him into a conundrum. What was the question?

“Man of God, you appear to harbor so much hate against your family members for unproven allegations of witchcraft and even killing your brother. You are happy that they are dying in penury one after the other, according to you. Yet you cook and come to prison every week to give to people who have committed the most heinous crimes? There are people in CC (condemned cell), who murdered and butchered several human beings who eat the food you bring here. Yet you cannot treat your own family members who have wronged you with the same love? What is the color of the God you serve?”

He was dumbstruck. And Madam Nancy had a good laugh. Topic changed. Now, look at yourself. Do some introspection and ruminate on your recent actions. Are you like that Pastor?

Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in this article is strictly that of the author, Agba Jalingo and does not represent TheLumineNews, its agent or the organization the author works for.

The Economist Magazine estimates that, as at 2019, there were over 100,000 registered tailors in Nigeria. That figure is quite conservative to say the least. There is not much reliable data on the precise number of artisans countrywide. But millions of them, including, barbers, hair dressers, tailors, business center operators, welders, frozen food sellers, carpenters and wood workers, bars and pubs owners, etc, are out of work and finding it extremely difficult to cater for themselves and their families. And the only reason they are out of work is the shameful epileptic supply of electricity in Nigeria.

Yet, instead of working to improve power supply, in the 2023 national budget, N81.7 billion was allocated to the purchase of solar street lights, surpassing schools and primary health centers, which were allocated N77.9 billion and health centers, which got N3.1 billion. Yet these lights die off after a few months. They can’t power anything. Not even a blender or a clipper to cut your hair or a dryer to dry your hair. I do not know how much of that budget came to my senatorial district but I think we can separate ourselves from the pack.

What do I think we can do other than the street lights? I do not have any perfect idea. I am sure that elected leaders were trusted by the voters and do have their own solutions, but there are some thoughts racing through my mind which I will share with you. I am deliberately restricting my suggestions in this article to the five LGAs in Cross River North, where I come from. My only desire and goal here is to see how my suggestions may help to revamp the informal sector, check urban migration and drive investment to our place.

In March 2023, President Buhari signed into law, the constitutional amendment allowing states in the country to licence, generate, transmit, and distribute electricity. Under the Act, states can issue licenses to private investors who can operate mini-grids and power plants within the State. This de-monopolization of Nigeria’s electricity generation, transmission, and distribution empowered states, companies, and individuals to generate, transmit and distribute electricity.

The best bet for us from Cross River North is to explore the Obudu Dam Resort. The Federal Government on Wednesday 14th August 2012, at a meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, approved the contract sum of N1.165 billion, awarded to Consolidated Construction Limited, CCL, for the rehabilitation of the dam, which has a storage capacity of 1.25 million cubic meters and was meant to serve the entire northern Cross River, up to Ikom LGA. But the former Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Stella Ochekpe, was accused of misappropriating the money and she is serving a jail term in Jos.

Our National Assembly Members from the North need to constitute and support a lean technical committee to immediately determine the encumbrances surrounding the project and the possibility and plausibility of intervening to even make the place work partially.

Where that is not possible immediately; the technical team can work with experts to identify an artesian well within the proximity of the dam where groundwater can be harnessed for power generation. In the 2025 budget year, our three NASS Members can then deliberately accommodate into their joint constituency project, the development of a small dam and mini grid that can generate between 2-5 megawatt of electricity from that artesian well. Five megawatt can power Cross River North and energize a designated industrial zone within any of the LGAs in the Senatorial district. Experts say, without corruption and padding, N500 million can achieve that.

The project can be funded from NASS constituency intervention, PPP where citizens will be encouraged to own equity, and private capital. But I do not think that N500million is too much money to raise for such a vital project by our legislators. The generated energy can then be isolated from the national grid and be promptly evacuated to a designated technology hub or economic zone, that will be specially designed and allocated for all those artisans listed in my first paragraph that are currently out of jobs and other private investors who would want to come and utilize the regular power supply for small scale processing of our wasting agricultural produce and other electricity dependent business endeavours.

Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.