If you cheered Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu on for slapping Mrs. Ebelchukwu Obiano and now condemning Will Smith for slapping Chris Rock, then you are a hypocrite, and you are one of the things wrong with the society. It is totally hypocritical to support one slapper and condemn the other slapper.

You cannot support one and frown against the other. Let us all agree that both actions are wrong, crude, unlawful, and a jailable offense, it doesn’t matter in which society it happened or who was the slapper, or who was at the receiving end of the slap.

Those calling for Will Smith’s apology should as well bring it home and call our Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu to publicly apologize to not just Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano but the entire public for engaging in such a demeaning action and disrupting a good and ceremonial day with an unceremonious slap.

I’m aware that in Bianca/ Ebelechukwu’s case, the evidence proved that Ebelechukwu asked for it by first approaching the seat of Mrs. Ojukwu and engaging her in a verbal brawl but whatever the action or grievances are, you cannot and should not physically attack or assault another person unless you are physically attacked first. The defense of personal defense can only avail you in law if the other person physically attacked you first and for this defense to avail you, your retaliatory physical attack must be proportional or in proportionate measure to the prior attack you are reacting to.

Therefore, a person cannot verbally abuse you or slander you and you react with a fist and physical assault claiming you have a defense, the law does not work that way and he who wants equity must do equity and whoever is coming to equity must approach the equity palace with a clean hand.

When highly placed individuals who ought to know better engage in the public display of tomfoolery and public show of crudeness and shenanigan then you will be forced to wonder where the society is heading; if the society is heading back to its natural state where the big and powerful feast on small at will and jungle justice is the only justice available to man.

The problem with actions like these in the aftermath of it on society. If it is not sternly punished to deter others from doing it then slapping or physically assaulting people at the slightest opportunity or provocation will become the order of the day. Predictably, some netizens are already sending mild threats and calling out some people asking them to be careful how they address them in public henceforth if not what befell Chris Rock will befall them.

A female Corp member was decamped last week from the NYSC orientation camp in Gombe for her failure to abide by the stipulated camp dress code and ethics, and some people have been clamoring that it fringes on her fundamental right of religion since her choice to be on that attire was based on her religious background.

The religious corp member who was decamped for wearing a long pleated skirt in the Gombe state orientation camp has become an internet sensation and has also caused a mixed reaction as to whether her not being permitted to wear whatever her religion permits her on the grounds of her religious sentiment does not conflict with her fundamental right to choose and belong to any religion of her choice as guaranteed by s.38 of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

People should understand how these fundamental human rights as provided in S. 33 up till S. 44 of the constitution really work; it is never an open Cheque. Its provisions have their restrictions and limitations. The cliche that your right stops when another’s right starts is absolutely correct.

For instance, because you have the fundamental right of movement does not give you the right to trespass into another man’s property or walk into where you should not walk into in the purported exercise of your right, if you do that you are an offender and the law will come against you.

The decamped religious fanatic lady’s right to her choice of religion stops immediately she gets into the NYSC orientation camp gate and she must drop her religious sentiments at the gate and be ready to comply with the rules and regulations guiding the camp which one of it is complying with the standard and approved dress code.

Rules are to be obeyed, constituted authorities are to be respected. Anybody in disobedience of constituted laws of the land or organization is a sinner. These are not my words but the words of the holy book (the Bible) which is the handbook of rules and corrections for the Christians and the believers of Jesus Christ.

The Bible for instance says in Romans 13v1-7:

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience”.

Subsequently, 1 Peter 2:13-17 also says; “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor”.

Moreover, Hebrew 13vs 17 aptly put: “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you”.

I can go on and on in quoting the scriptures and different sections of the Bible which had already admonished those that believe in it to obey constituted authorities and rules including the NYSC bye-laws, dress code, rules, and regulations, and if you go in disobedience due to your Christianity religious sentiments then you are already a sinner who is also ignorant of what your Bible says.

Schedule 2, S.1 (2) of The National Youth Service Corps Bye-laws (reprinted in the year 2000) Provides that Failure to wear the uniform provided for any particular activity in the orientation camp is an offense and the penalty is that the Corps member should be informed to go and wear the appropriate uniform if he or she then failed to obey the individual will be asked to leave the camp.

This is not the first time religious sentiment is having a huge clash with the stipulated rules of an organization. Remember in December 2017 when one Ms. Amasa Firdaus, a Muslim faithful missed her chance of getting called to the Nigerian Bar that year due to her religious sentiments of trying to dress in her Hijab for the call to bar ceremony which was totally unacceptable then.

Organizational rules can be amended to accommodate religious sentiments and cultural differences just like the Nigerian police force recently amended its dress code to accommodate some cultural differences and religious sentiments for the female police officer and also the Body of Benchers amended some of the call to bar dress code to accommodate some religious fanatics like Ms. Amasa Firdaus which allowed her to get called to the Nigerian Bar the following year but not until the rules are amended, you can either choose to stay away from the organization since it is not mandatory or you are forced to participate or join, and if you must join or participate you must be ready to comply with their rules and regulations guiding that institution.

Rules are not just made to be strict on man or to limit an individual’s freedom but rules are made to instill a sense of discipline, ensure conformity and achieve uniformity. In the NYSC orientation camp, if anybody could be allowed to wear whatever he or she likes based on any reason then there won’t be uniformity, and everywhere will be disorganized and disoriented. 

The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has launched a new safety app dubbed NPF Rescue Me, designed to help people in Nigeria to get quick help when they’re in trouble.

The Police Public Relation Officer, Olumiyiwa Adejobi, in a series of tweets during the weekend, explains that the app was created to help the Force to respond as quickly as possible to distresses.

Nigeria is among the countries where people find it hard to get police services with a phone call, unless you’re a member of the elite or you’re connected. The app is expected to change the status quo. Adejobi said the initiative is to take policing to the grassroots and it’s free and effective.

“It’s an app, and every police formation police formation has been integrated on it and some other operational units to respond to distress,” he said.

https://twitter.com/Princemoye1/status/1508105150602399748?t=I1kvQYSnkyEgiVCuJsMdpQ&s=19

Below are the app’s six major functions published by the NPF.

Emergency Alert: At the tap of the emergency button, your alert will be automatically sent to the Nigerian Police Force command and control team, where operators will track your location with GPS and dispatch the necessary help your way.

Report Crime: The app has a report crime feature which uses a web-based dispatch system for quick help and intervention by men of the Nigerian Police Force. Users are required to press the feature button when they notice a crime is being committed or an individual’s safety is being threatened.

Navigation: The app also has a navigation feature which will pinpoint your current location and accurately guide you to your destination using GPS in case you miss your way and need a guide to ascertain your location and route.

Contact Address: With this feature, you can save the contact details of your relatives or those you’ll like to reach out to in case of an emergency at the tap of the button.

Report A Police: This feature helps users to report police officers found exhibiting discourteous behavior or acting contrary to the law. The app makes it easier to reach out to the Nigerian Police Public Complaints Rapid Response Unit. You can file a report by simply clicking on this feature on the app with an option to upload your evidence.

Request An Ambulance: This feature is spot on if you have a medical emergency or see people in medical emergencies like road accidents, and fire outbreaks. A simple tap on the request of an ambulance will get an ambulance and a medical team dispatched to your location via web-based GPS tracking.

Nigeria has many phone call-based emergency channels including the national 112 and Lagos State-owned 767.  However, the telephone-based emergency services are said to fall short of emergency needs around the country. Thus, emergency services have been prioritized so that only calls on heftier issues such as armed robbery, accidents and fire outbreaks get responses. Launching an app that broadens the chances of Nigerians getting the needed response in times of emergency marks a shift from the call-only system. Nigerians say they hope the app, which is available on app stores, is as effective as the police have described it.

The use of gas by mankind over the years has hitherto remained unending and inevitable, but the numerous dangers inherent in its exploration remains a thing of tremendous worry to all concerned.

Gas flaring in Nigeria has over past decades remained an environmental phenomenon of great concern within the shores of the oil-producing areas in the country.

A gas flare, alternatively known as a flare stack, is a gas combustion device used in industrial plants such as petroleum refineries, chemical plants, natural gas processing plants as well as at oil/gas production.

 Gas flaring is the burning of natural gas that is associated with crude oil when it is pumped up from the ground. In petroleum-producing areas where insufficient investment was made in infrastructure to utilize natural gas, flaring is employed to dispose of this associated gas.

 Flares are important safety devices used in refineries and petrochemical facilities. They safely burn excess hydrocarbon gasses which cannot be recovered or recycled. During flaring, excess gasses are combined with steam and/or air, and burnt off in the flare system to produce water vapour and carbon dioxide.

A flare system comprises a flare stack and pipes that feed gas to the stack. Because natural gas is valuable, companies would rather capture than flare it. However, there are several reasons it may be necessary to flare gas during drilling, production or processing.

In industrial plants, flare stacks are primarily used for burning off flammable gas released by pressure relief valves unplanned over-pressuring of plant equipment. However, during plant or partial plant startups and shutdowns, flare stacks are equally utilized for the planned combustion of gases over relatively short periods.

The fact is that gas flaring at several oil and gas production sites protects against the dangers inherent in over-pressuring industrial plant equipment. This is the reason the practice has seemingly become inevitable to the various oil firms operating within the shores of countries like Nigeria.

A good example of the consequences of failure to flare escaping gas was evident in the Bhopal disaster on 3rd December 1984 in India when a flare tower was broken and couldn’t flare escaping Methyl isocyanate gas. The gas in question had reportedly been in an over-pressurized tank and released by a safety valve, which resulted in its release into the surrounding area.

When petroleum crude oil is extracted and produced from oil wells, raw natural gas associated with the oil is brought to the surface, especially in areas of the world that are lacking pipelines and other gas transportation infrastructure. Vast amounts of such associated gas are commonly flared as waste or unusable gas.

It’s noteworthy that the flaring of associated gas may occur at the top of a vertical flare stack or it might occur in a ground-level flare in an earthen pit. Preferably, associated gas is often re-injected into the reservoir, which saves it for future use while maintaining higher well pressure and crude oil production.

When industrial plant equipment items are over-pressured, the pressure relief valve is invariably an essential safety device that automatically releases gasses and sometimes liquids. These pressure relief valves are usually needed by industrial design codes and standards as well as by law.

The released gasses and liquids are then routed through large piping systems known as flare headers to a vertical elevated flare. They are thereby burned as they exit the flare stacks. The size and brightness of the resulting flame depends solely upon the flammable materials’ flow rate.

To keep the flare system functional, a small amount of gas is continuously burnt, like a pilot light, so that the system is ceaselessly ready for its basic purpose as an overpressure safety system.

It’s worth noting that flaring can affect wildlife – likewise other living creatures – by attracting them such as birds and insects, among others to the flare. Survey indicated that about 7,500 migrating songbirds were attracted to and killed by the flare at the liquefied natural gas terminal in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada on September 13, 2013. Similar incidents have taken place at flares on offshore oil and gas installations in some other countries.

A few years back, two bodies were reportedly inaugurated, namely: the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialization Programme (NGFCP) Ministerial Steering Committee and the Programme Management Office (PMO), were directed to activate the NGFCP Community, Awareness and Sensitization/Participation Plan (CASP) to ensure widespread awareness and full participation of key stakeholders in the Niger Delta areas.

Nigerians were equally notified that a Proposal Evaluation Committee (PEC) was also set up to receive applications and aptly consider applicants who are ably qualified to handle the contracts by painstakingly scrutinizing their respective qualifications.

It’s disheartening that over three years of initiating the said lofty policy, the Nigeria’s government is yet to make any tangible move towards considering the clauses enshrined therein, let alone implementing them.

The bitter truth is that the ongoing practice of gas flaring, in which the natural gas associated with petroleum extraction is burned off in the atmosphere rather than being removed by alternative means such as subterranean re-injection or confinement to storage tanks for eventual sale, is particularly controversial to assert the least.

Gas flaring immensely contributes to climate change by emitting carbon dioxide – the main greenhouse gas – which has serious implications for both Nigeria’s environment and the rest of the world.

More so, the unending industrial practice causes the surrounding communities to suffer from increased severe health risks to include respiratory illnesses and other related diseases, thereby leading to premature deaths.

Gas flares have potentially-harmful effects on the health and livelihood of the people in the affected areas, as they release poisonous chemicals. This is why it is high time the governments at all levels expedited action with a view to bringing the societal menace to a full stop.

Apart from the dwellers who died owing to hardship occasioned by gas flaring and allied matters like oil spillage, it’s worth noting that several environmental activists had lost their precious lives – or been reportedly killed – while fighting for a better life for the people of the Niger Delta. A good example of members of this group is the Late Ken Saro-Wiwa who fought doggedly till he was executed by the military regime.

In spite of all the countless bad omens and ordeals that transpired in the past as a result of gas flaring, the government is ostensibly yet to learn a lesson, or be moved by the untold sufferings of the Nigerian people whose lands have hitherto been the major – if not sole – surviving point of the entire country.

Aside from the health and environmental effects of gas flaring, reports show that Nigeria invariably loses about N197bn to the practice in just nine months. It was reliably revealed that oil and gas firms operating in the country flared approximately a total of 215.9 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas in the first nine months of 2018 alone, amounting to a potential loss of the aforementioned sum of money.

For Nigeria to get it right, a strict and genuine tech-driven measure is earnestly required from the concerned authorities. Hence, the constituted committees, which apparently went into moribund on arrival, must endeavour to embrace all the needed technicalities towards aptly delivering on the mandate given to them.

Most importantly, for all the regulations and extant laws forbidding gas flaring to be fully adhered to, the government is expected to wear the required political will like clothing. This is a step we must see as a priority and inevitable.

We can’t continue to dwell on a retrogressive approach at a time we are yearning for progressive one.