FAMILY PLANNING

A  situation  where parents  or couples  give  birth  to children  beyond the numbers  they can cater for,  has been seen as not only leading to  increase  in population, but economic  hardship and sometimes  death of either pregnant  mother or baby during delivery.

In today's  news analysis  correspondent underscores the important of family  planning  which is also known  as "child spacing", in addressing  issues  of over population, economic  hardship, and death of pregnant  mother and baby during delivery

The term family  planning  can still be referred  to as child spacing, which simply means leaving  the woman to rest for a while before  conceiving again and bearing  the next child.

In most climes of the world husband  and wife or  man  and women  often sat down to plan the number  of children they  want.

Some of these countries  government usually specify the number  of children  from  a family  that can enjoy govt social  welfare  packages, that is to say if a family  exceed the number, such family  takes care of the exceeded number.

In the Africa society  in those days, our forefathers used to give birth  to a very large numbers of children  as possible  as they can.

It  was a known  fact then, that our forefathers  used to have a very large vast of farmlands, where these large number of  children  are allocated  to their various  portions  to till from  farm thereby leading  to increase  of production in farm produce to  be sold for money  and also in turn address  the issue of hunger in the family.

But the reverse  is the  case in today's  African society,  where man and woman  or husband and  wife give  birth  to many children, without having  large land to be used for farming.

Many of these parents  or couples are jobless,  while some of them are  doing menial jobs or petty trades, businesses at best civil  servants.

Statistics have shown  that family that give birth to a sizable number of the children of at most four, do have less difficulties in taking care of them, than a family that has a large number.

Ignorance has been identified as one of the few reasons why most African parents or couples do not observe family planning.

This is  why the government through the ministry of health must champion the cause in creating awareness on the importance of family planning.

Furthermore, the ministry of education should make it compulsory for family planning to be taught in schools, so that the children who are our future leaders of tommorow.

Faith base institutions also have a role to play by preaching the benefit of giving birth to the number of children they can cater for.

There are different contraceptive a medical expert can recommed fit for one to use, which will help in child spacing or prevent pregnancy.

No doubt family planning is the way to go in reducing mortality rate, economic hardship amongst others.

RAILWAY TRANSPORTATION

The effective utilization of the Nigerian rail transportation system has been said to be an impetus to the socio economic development of the nation Nigeria.
In today's news analysis correspondent examines the need for stakeholders to revive the rail transportation system in the country in line with global standard.
Rail transportation is a means of transporting people, goods and services on wheeled vehicles running on rail, also known as tracks, from one point to another.
Rail transportation is one of the oldest means of transportation in the world.
In Nigeria during the colonial era and after independence, rail transportation was effectively used to transport human beings as well as goods and services from one part of the country to the other.
Today the railway system in Nigeria has become dysfunctional, no thanks to political instability and high level of financial corruption.
However in the latter part of the Jonathan administration, some steps were taken towards reviving the nation's railway system, while the Buhari administration has gone further to consolidate on the Dr Jonathan's initiative.
Countries such as Great Britain, Russia, Holland, France, China, Japan, and South Africa amongst others all effectively utilize their railway systems with positive multiplier effects on their various economies.
Nigeria needs to copy these lofty examples by building more train stations and constructing more rail tracks to more parts of the country.
No doubt rail transportation has proven to be one of the safest and cheapest means of transporting goods and services for a long distances.
Furthermore rail transportation also helps to minimize traffic congestion and pressure on the roads, thereby reducing the rate of motor accident and increasing the life span of Nigeria roads.
The ease of doing business as championed by the Federal Government, through it's economic policy will receive a boost when the country's rail transport system is revamped and effectively utilized.
If the Federal Government is sincere about it's efforts at boosting mass transit in the country, then more resources should be deployed towards revamping the rail transportation sub sector.

TECHNICAL AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Over the years, the Nigerian Labour Market has been characterized by increasing number of unemployed youths who roam the streets in search of one job or the other.
In today's news analysis correspondent underscores the use of vocational, technical and entrepreneurship education to help reduce the high unemployment rate in Nigeria.

EMBER MONTHS

The period between September 1 to December 31 every year is usually referred to as ember months.
This segment of the year is mostly characterized by anxieties such as how to raise funds to celebrate the Xmas and New Year, as well as how to meet up other expenses thereby pushing many people to get involved in all sorts of nefarious activities.
In today's news analysis correspondent writes on how to prepare for the ember months to avoid stress and tension during the period.
The ember months are September, October, November and December.
These months are mostly characterized by all sorts of events and increased rate of social vices.
Some religious bodies usually organized different prayer programmes to avert death and other calamities during the ember months.
In ember months, public and private schools open for the new academic session from September and end the first academic term in December.
Most parents and guardians during these months are so anxious to pay their children's school fees, buy Christmas and New Year clothes, as well as raise money to meet other needs such as buying of gift items for in laws and friends.
Transporters during these months tend to be in a hurry to cover most trips so as to make more money thereby indulging in over speeding which often leads to accidents and deaths.
In ember months, most youths try to please their female friends and sometimes pushing them into stealing and other crimes.
Some of them want quick money with which to enjoy the Christmas but sometimes terminated their lives by being killed or when caught they are imprisoned.
What many people fails to understand is that ember months require adequate planning, budgeting and hard work, so that goals and aspirations can be actualized.
Therefore parents and guardians should endeavour to budget and plan for their children' s school fees, as well as cut their coats according to their available materials rather than incurring debts to celebrate Xmas or New Year, because life continues after the yuletide.
Furthermore, commercial drivers should make sure that their vehicles are in good conditions and also avoid over speeding which leads to loss of lives and property.
Young men who are in relationships with the opposite sex should be engaged in productive ventures, rather than being idle and looking for free money by committing crimes.
The Nigerian Police and other security agencies should come up with more proactive measures in curtailing crimes and social vices and also beef up security in the nooks and crannies of the society.
Road safety officials should intensify their efforts at preventing road accidents during the ember months.
All stakeholders should contribute their respective quotas to ensure that the ember months are stress free, accident free and crime free

NAIRA NOTES ABUSE

The daily abuse of the Nigerian Naira has become worrisome, thereby necessitating urgent steps to be taken towards ensuring respect for the Nigerian National Currency.
In today's news analysis correspondent examines ways by which some Nigerians have abuse naira notes vis a vis measures to put in place to prevent the abuse of the naira.
Money as a legal tender, is a currency that is generally accepted as a medium of exchange or means of payment.
Apart from being a means of transacting business, the currency of a country is also a national symbol.
Nigeria as a country make use of the naira as her currency.
In the past, the Nigerian naira used to compete favourably with foreign currencies such as the U S Dollars, Euro, Pounds.
The Nigerian naira also in those days was highly valued and respected.
But today however, the story is different, as Nigerians themselves are the ones abusing the naira at events such as marriages, birthday parties, burial ceremonies, or even political gatherings by throwing naira notes in the air, as a way to show off or you honour a celebrant.
Money vendors now go to social events where they hawk the naira notes in different denominations openly for invitees or guests to buy and throw in the air or on the body of the celebrant.
This money being throw around in parties or events, are being trampled upon by dancers.
But this practice is not obtainable in developed countries, as one hardly see a Briton, an American or a French citizen debasing the U S Dollar, Euro and Pound the way Nigerians abuse the naira in public.
Furthermore, some Nigerian traders, transporters, and other Nigerians rough handle or squeeze naira notes when transacting businesses or even when giving offering in places of worship.
To address this ugly trend therefore, the Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, should put measures in place to prevent the abuse of the naira.
Penalties should also be spelt out for those hawking naira notes at social events and for those throwing the naira in public places.
Nigerians must learn how to package their naira notes neatly in their wallets, pockets or purges.
Those Nigerians who are of the habit of throwing the naira notes in parties or events should refrain from it.
They should learn how to neatly package their naira notes in an envelop or present the naira notes by hand to the celebrant, thereby preventing the naira notes from being trampled upon by dancers.
Taxi drivers, traders and other Nigerians involved in one form of business or the other, should learn how to arrange their naira notes properly in their hands or pockets.
Bankers who are in the habit of selling naira notes to money vendors for them to hawk in public places, should stop it or be made to face the wrath of the law.
The State Assemblies and the National Assembly should rise up to the occasion by legislating against the abuse of the naira notes.
Local Government Chairmen, State Governors, and the Presidency should come up with policy statements that will help to criminalize the abuse of the naira.
Enough is enough to naira notes abuse in the country.
Be warned.

Eid El Kabir

Eid El Kabir a Muslim festival known as the feast of sacrifice is celebrated by Muslims faithful all over the world.
Correspondent in today's news analysis underscores the significance of Eid El Kabir  celebration to the Muslims communities and Nigeria as a Nation.
The Holy Quran defined Eid El Kabir as the celebration of Ibrahim willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael on the mount of Moriah, as a sign of obedience and devotion to Allah.
Eid El Kabir also known as Eid al Adha is therefore a festival or feast of sacrifice.
It is the second of the two Muslim festivals celebrated worldwide every year and it is considered the holier of the two.
Eid El Kabir honored the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his beloved son Ishmael, as an act of obedience to Allah's command, before Allah's intervention by sending his Angel to provide a ram in exchange for Ishmael for the sacrifice to Allah.
The celebration is observed by Muslims worldwide to render service to Allah the merciful.
The date of the celebration varies in accordance with the Islamic lunar calendar.
It falls on the tenth day of the twelve month known as Dhul Hijja.
In Nigeria and other part of the world, it is customary for the government to declare a national public holiday, so as to avail Muslim faithful the opportunity to celebrate the feast.
The festival usually begins with prayers in various praying grounds, which is followed by exchange of food and gifts as well as visit to love ones, family get together among others.
Muslims are also expected to give alms to the less privileged to enable them take part in the celebration and also to have a sense of belonging.
Muslim Worshipers are expected to slaughter animals that have blemishes, as a sign of purity towards Allah, as was exemplified by Ibrahim in the Holy Quran.
The meat of the sacrifice animal are shared into three parts, with the family retaining one part, the second part goes to relatives, friends and neighbors and the third part goes to the poor or needies in the society.
As Muslims in Delta State, Nigeria and the rest of the world celebrate Eid El Kabir it is expected that they should emulate the habit of complete submission to God and the law as demonstrated by Ibrahim in the Holy Quran's account.
It is also expected that Muslims should show love not only to their fellow Muslims but to Nigerians of other religions, which will help go a long way to enhance national unity and religion tolerance.
True Muslims should use the occasion to condemn Islamic extremists by Boko Haram insurgency,armed bandits among other vices in parts of the country.
Eid El Kabir should be used to condemn corruption that has post the most singular threat to national growth and development.
Muslims in position of authorities at all levels government as well as those heading different sectors of the nation's economy should shun fraudulent acts and figures manipulation practices, so that Nigeria can move forward.
All Nigerians irrespective of their religion affiliation should learn how to rejoice with their Muslims neighbors.
That way Nigeria will not only be a geographical entity but indeed a nation of one people with common history.

Political Thuggery

Electoral violence in Nigeria is perpetrated mostly by political thugs, most of whom are youths who allowed themselves to be used by greedy politicians.
In today's news analysis correspondent writes on the need for Nigerian youths to refrain from being used as political thugs to destabilize the nation's electoral process.
Since Nigeria's independence, the nation's electoral process has been characterized by violence,assassination,cancellation of election results and many other crimes.
Most of those used in perpetrating electoral violence in the country are youths who are full of energy and strength, as well as ample resources and smart thinking, which if utilized can bring about societal growth and advancement.
But why are some Nigerian youths not using their youthful potentials and resources to contribute meaningfully to nation building and why do they allow selfish politicians to manipulate them to cause havoc?.
In most of the political disturbances,it is the youths who usually suffer and sometimes die in the process, others are physically deformed, while their political masters run into hiding to foreign lands with their children and sometimes family members.
Political analysts have traced youths involvement in electoral violence to illiteracy, greed and poverty amongst other social indices.
Surprisingly most selfish politicians during their youthful ages held one political position or the other and they still hold on to power even at their old ages.
The practice of using Nigerian youths to forment trouble, kill political opponents, distort the electoral process, snatch ballot boxes amongst other is highly condemnable.
The popular saying that youths are the leaders of tomorrow is gradually losing relevance, due to the non preparedness of some youths in taking up leadership responsibilities.
The way forward is to eradicate political violence in Nigeria by training illiterate Nigerian youths to acquire knowledge and useful skills to enable them contribute meaningfully to the growth of the Nigerian society.
Nigerian youths who could not acquire education due to one reason or another, should strive to acquire skills that will make them self employed, employers of labor, productive and busy, thereby leaving no room for an idle mind that will be possessed by the devil.
Nigerian youths who are aides to politicians should be bold to tell their political masters to use their own children or family members to perpetrate political violence instead.
The youths of Nigeria, should see themselves as too important to be used as political thugs in the hands of politicians.
They should see themselves as change agents who have all it takes to drive the nation's economy on the path of sustainable growth and development.
Nigerian youths should view election period as a time to vote out politicians who have not delivered on their campaign promises to the people, rather than being used and dumped after elections.
With the signing into law of the not too young to run bill, Nigerian youths should aspire towards political elective positions and refrain from being used as political thugs.
The time for Nigerian youths to say no to political violence and thuggery is now.