WHAT DO YOU THINK OF A BUS CONDUCTOR

February 22, 2008 at 200800000029p00000029: 2:19 p02 (Uncategorized)
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Commercial bus driving and the bus conductor’s role on the buses are usually dated to the 1970th .The bus conductor has continued to be a regular feature, especially on the double deck buses that ply in towns and cities, not only in London Routemaster but in parts of Africa,Asia and America. 

Gradually, this bus conductor’s service has graduated to become  an appreciated part of the service expected when a passenger is on board a commercil bus, whether it is a double deck or not. 

Today, issues on the History  of the place and job of the bus conductor in commercial buses is become a subject to varied opinions.Despite these different stands, every commercial bus plying intra and inter states, no matter the distance it covers;of two or three hours kilometre drive,the driver’s  mate; bus conductor, service becomes more impotrant.  

The bus conductor is expected to exhibit good sense of business to the passengers patronizing the bus to which he is a conductor.Often times his work is a volunteered service,to provide assistance to the driver, attend and give the passenger best attention.Sometimes the bus conductors scrabble for passengers’ attention and persuade them to patronize the vehicle to which they are attentants.  

Litrarily, they lift off from the hands or heads of the passenger any load the passenger is carrying unto the loading bus.It is also a perceived duty of the bus conductor to direct the passengers and lead them unto a convenient sitting position.It is, however, not unlikely for such supposed assistance from the bus conductor to be despised. 

The passengers think they have a right and are entitled to any sit of their choice. But the bus conductors’ assistance in conducting the passengers to appropriate seat positions, sometimes, saves unpleasant situations. 

Such situation like a ‘big sized’ passenger who stubbornly sits near to the car door could make it  either difficult to close the door or further inconvenience both the conductor or other passengers. The greater inconvenience is caused when the pre-supposed sitting position meant for the bus conductor is staked.

 When this is so, the accruing fares from the seat becomes unaccounted for.It belongs to the bus conductor.The driver can not request for it.This is a standing concessional provision for the bus conductor. It is also a common belief among members of the public that the bus conductor is a notorious tout and miscreant added to this inconvenience he caused the passengers.

This belief is usually not suffiently substantiated.

 There are bus conductors who do not live on the streets as miscreants.The lack of descent jobs has made some of them to undertake the service as a way of supporting themselves economically.Their dress code, however, give them away.But the job is a dirty one and would not require a ‘very low’ income earner him to have a big wardrobe budget.  

Whatever is the goodwill they enjoy during the day of service, sometimes they could pilfer the entire collection before giving account to the driver at the end of each trip.The bus conductor knows that at the end of the day, he would be given at least a five hundren naira wage. 

That is the macre wage they labour for each day.This is aside the breakfast,lunch and sometimes, dinner allowance, he receives.The bus conductor is not expected to be a ‘zombi’.Not slothful.Not a weakling.But smart, capable to ‘shine eye’ when it is needful.So much ‘monetary intelligence’ is required of the bus conductor to attend to the passengers needs as they are on board the bus. 

He also as collect the fares accurately form the passenger as they come on board  and alight at bus stops,opening the bus door for them.The bus conductor connexions-direct.com who is good at social relations could engage the passengers in varied discussion on social, political, economic and ‘yabbies’. 

Those who have good sense of humour tell interested jokes. At other times,they  engage or roughly confront the passengers.This could create a fierce tension and assaulting results.When the tension hieghtens, the driver intervenes in the squabble. 

He calls the bus conductor to stop the rift.At other times, other right thinking passengers mediate in the brewed tension. But there is always a general feeling of complex and anger among bus conductors because of the disdain they suffer in the public palace. 

This is part of the content of animousity that make them pensive and sometimes unfriendily to the members of the public.Other complaints include the deliberate keeping back of ‘a change’ for the passenger who has offered a high currency and lack of regular bath that has stamped on them offensive body ordour.  

The bus conductor is also accused of selling his seat position and rather choice to hang on the front seat passengers’ back rest or sit on the metalic cover of the engine adjoining to the front seat.  On a number of times there has been an outright physical between the bus conductor and some passengers over some of the observed complaints.

To this end, there is a growing mixed feeling about the role played by the bus conductor and the level of relationship that should subsist.  

Some conductors like Biran Gbara, Nwabueze Chukwu, Boniface Peter and Monday Udoh said most passengers are always paranoid and transfer aggression of whatever ill they have suffered else where on conductors.This makes them less tolerant, pensive and emotional. 

Usually, they intentionally present high currency notes in spite of the advice given to them not to  join the bus if they do not have the exact fare. Bus service operation and scheduling. However, such passengers bluntly would join the buse just to cause such conflicts.Wht they do is to pair passengers to share and sort themselves. 

This,usually, aggreviates the passengers. But that would be the best to do in the circumstances.

 On the part of the passengers like John Ufo, Ebi James and Madam Ruby Chukwu acknowledged the important role the bus conductor plays. They, however, want the bus conductor to be more civil, have regular bath, be more respectful and stop pairing passengers who are not bounded to similar destinations. 

They also complaint that the bus conductor sometimes indulge in ‘stealing act’ of lougage.Which he had assisted to load up unto the boot of the bus. At the point of stopping, the passenger may be very unlunky to discover that his baggage did not make the journey after all.At such point, the bus conductor acts a good sympathizer’s role.

After the hues, the passenger goes home without his baggage.If only they can change for the better there will be not misunderstanding and querrels. 

 An official of the Garrison-Slaughter Trans-Amadi unit of the National Union of Road transport Workers, Henry Okotto said it is often times difficult to identify the character of a conductor before engaging his services.But what they do, as a union, is to dismiss any unruly bus conductor when  discovered.But he is first cautioned,then observed for a notable change. 

  The unit also organises a regular briefing sessions for them to streamline behaviour of bus conductors. Members of the public are also encourage to make formal report on any conductor who was found   to be unruly.He assert that the unit is doing the best possible to maintain a good passenger relationship.

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UNHEALTHY RURAL COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS

February 18, 2008 at 200800000029p00000029: 2:19 p02 (Uncategorized)
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Health is wealth.Evidences at every turn one takes proves this to be true. A healthy man/woman works with assured strides of steps. Howbeit, such person could not be said to be free of any presence of disease, aches and virus in his body system.

But he knows that he is healthy to pursue his daily businesses and catch up with appointments. He is fit to contribute productivity to the socio-economic growth of the nation. It is this need to ensure the creation of wealth .irinnews.org  both on individual, state or national basis and level that efforts seemed geared to  instituting a dependable health care delivery system worthy to trust, for the people.

It is first of all a prime function of the government, in spite of what the citizens can do, to keep a healthy environment and good hygiene,to provide the mechanism and facility for health care delivery. A healthy people makes a properous nation.ahro.kabissa.org So that when a sound health care delivery programme beginning at the grassroot is streamlined, the people feel to have been integrated into government programme.

Doing otherwise, would scuttle the expected national prosperity. Rural health care centers are built to cater for the primary health care needs of the the rural dwellers africaaction.org. This is where the village people live, those who make up the greater population of the people.

When a village man is incapacitated by the stroke of ill health,actionaid.org his fate hangs in a balance. The first remediation conceived by such ill health affected village man is to consult the native doctor<herbal medical practitioner<debia> . 

He does this because he is financially poor. Can not afford the orthodox medicine and the services provided by the clinic.This is the understanding,globalissues.org no doubt, that has made the state government to establish the health centers. The medical services there are to be subsidized to make health care accessible to the people. This is an enormous challenge.

But every year budgetary allocation is made not only to pay the personnel nor to maintain the facility but to regularly provide the equipment; drugs, beddings and other accessories, required at these centers.When this attention is not adequately provided by the government, it is not only considered to have failed or abdjucated  its responsibilty but subjects its citizens to “health suicidal living”. 

This is so because the rural communities are distance from the urban cities where medical services are said to be handy with a larger number of health practitioner available.In times of health emergency at the rural communities,plutius.com it will be cumbersome for such sickness afflicted person to go through the pains of beating the transportation hurdles or the communication difficulties to access medical service. 

While almost every rural community has health care centers, usually located at the local government headquarters, it has not elicited greater or wider reach to the hinterland.The health personnel also do not reflect the training and humanity they are expected to possess. There is need for regular retraining.

Sadly, it is said that only one fully accredited medical doctor if not a youth corper or nurses are posted to such centers. Most rural health centers are increasing becoming less functional.Not only because of the poor work attitude of the personnel but also for the fact that the supervisory authority shelf their responsibilities. 

By this, health care delivery continued to deteriorate. Drugs are almost always unavailable under the scarcity syndrome. This is a severe set back. The scarcity of drugs is however a common syndrome  in clinics and hospitals. This has contributed largely to the low status of public hospitals seen as glorified diagnosing centers. 

At the private clinics, there seems to be a  conspiracy against the patient who most times is short changed and made to pay for services hcpartnership.org  not provided him or asked to stay a little longer at the hospital bed to incur more financial expenses. 

Every year, government budget spells out how adequate supply of drugs and health services should be made available to the rural health institutions and by extension the people.This, usually, do not follow the outlined  intentions, regrettably. The question that is asked often is where does the money go.

Can any one give an explanation?. Statistics continued to show high rate of mortality and morbidity in the rural areas. Poor water supply, sanitation and illiteracy make worse the situation.The more neglect the rural health service suffers, the higher the records and indeed a proof right of the ranking of the country as the forth among polio-endermic nations in the world, aside the threat tuberculosis [TB] is posing. 

Truly, life expectancy for both men and women has dropped to 43 years and death is put at 13.7%.The  nations’ health care spending ,as a percentage of gross  demestic product[GDP] is just at 2.2% and hospital beds per one thousand of the population is only 0.9%.The  implication is that one bed is used by one thousand people. 

Though this is a rough estimate, it shows how the rural communities’ health care delivery is some what deplorable. Stakeholders have continued to decry the situation .It is no wonder that the rural community people are left with the choices of self help efforts and they do this by patronizing quacks, trado-medical herbs or the itinerant medicine peddler who often presents one drug as potent to cure a catalogue of diseases and ailment.

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SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF DESTITUTES ON STREETS

February 13, 2008 at 200800000029p00000029: 2:19 p02 (SEARCH)
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It is a common sight, should one take a drive round the wide and breadth of the country, especially in major cities, to see disused cars, caravans and other form of scraps on streets and roads.Combined with this picture are stalls and kiosks that traders along the roads use to display their wares. 

The presence of this illegal ‘operators’ and scraps are not only a blight on the beauty of the cities but a real threat to society.Not too long ago, in fact, as he assumed office,the governor of Rivers State,Mr Chibuike Amaechi, inaugurated the committee on the evacuation of scrapes and road decongestion. 

The mandate was to make the roads free of any obstruction and ensure free flow of traffic in Port Harcourt and the entire  Rivers State.The chairman of the committee, Mr Chukwuemeka Woke, with the ugency of the job kick started and had continued to supervise evacuation exercises, urging all traders along the roads to vacate the areas.

 Mr Woke had aways warned that the evacuation team would not entertain any plea while at location to remove any obstruction that impede traffic flow.Giving the assurance that government is determined to ensure that people do the right thing as well as obey traffic laws in the state. It is hoped and prayed that the steam for this exercise do not fizzle out.

But an imposing visible threat is the ever growing number and presence of beggers and other categories of destitudes on streets and major roads across the country; Rivers State is not exclusive.In fact, in the state capital,Port Harcourt, and its environs, the sight has continued to be an issues of concern to right thinking members of the public.

 Not only is it a way of life for adult men and women but children also.Orphans are also found among them.They disguise as sickly,blind, deaf, lame and with visible body burnt to elicit public sympathy.They sometimes take to robbery,become ‘pick pockets’ at bus stops, and pose other social problems.They become very antagonistic to society,as it were, vetting their depravity and anger on the people.

Also worrisome is the sight of healthy looking individuals who do not disguise into any sickly looks but would do nothing else but begging.They take great pleasure to do this.These crop of people,of course, are part of the productive class of the nation’s population who should meaningfully contribute their productive quota to national growth. 

But no.They rather carry on with their begging.Doing so on the roads and streets, especially where human and vehecular traffic is high.Sometimes, they run through moving and slow going vehecular traffic.What a risk they take.

The River State government had undertaken several raid to keep them away from public places.Aside adults,in september,2007, the riversstatenigeria removed about forty children from the streets and took them to the Port Harcourt children home at Borikiri. In addition to this, government also identified the non-indigenes among the adult destitutes when they picked them away from the streets.

The non-indegenes of the adults were transported back to requisite agencies in their respective state of origin. But like every other raid, the effort did not solve the problem.A drive round some major streets reveals, however, that not only has the number of adult destitudes doubled but the number of children and orpnans has also continued to be on the increase. 

Studying the situation and commenting on the trend, some members of the public said a serious re-orientation programme should be planned for destitutes.The programme should be packaged in a manner so that it will encourage them to take up meaningful ventures. 

They argued that most of the destitutes would have lived all their lives on the streets without the show of love from friends and relations.This could result from the hard economic situation that they had experienced.The only way to survive may just be living like destitutes. 

While condemning their dogged interest in taking of arms from members of the public, they said government should also consider instituting a lesgislature against able bodied people parading as destitutes. 

The General Secretary,Assemblies of God Rivers State Dr. Dabipi Daddy Sun Ibulubo said the church has  planned evangelism activities aimed at destitutes within the immediate environment of their operations.From their findings, some people are forced into destitutes as a last resort to survive.

 He said those who responded to their programme had been provided accommodation and employment but confessed that it is a cost intensive venture. Dr. Daddy Ibulubo said the growing number of destitutes requires a collaborative effort between government and corporate organisations to provide these groups of people some lease of life.

 Mr Mustafa Audi is a cripple in his thirties.He plays on the handicap football team and appears very hopefully about life.He has a family of a wife and two children.But he is also a begger on the streets of Port Harcourt.

He said taking of arms is about the only regular means to raise money for the upkeep of his family. This is in spite of the fact that he had received some fund in 2004 from the state government to start a meaningfull livelihood for himself when a raid was made then.

Having eaten up the money, he had returned to the roads may be to await another ‘free money’. Sharing his experience at the rehabitation center, he said it is wrong for government to put both the mentally disturbed people with the sane.These two groups of people can not stay together without problems. 

The Director, planning, research and statistics in the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare, Mrs Deinma Okoroma said the ministry undertakes what she callled a raid on destitutes to move them to the state rehabitation centre and Port Harcourt children feed to feed them free of charge. 

Mrs Okoroma decried the situation where destitutes taken to their states of origin are allowed to return to the state.She said it is rather unfair for state not doing enough to gave their citizens appropriate attention.Mrs Okoroma said the issues has taken a national dimension with a policy soon to be made public.this will unify all efforts under a central supervision. 

The articipated Federal government involvement gives a more convincing perspective to the effort to curb this social ill. A rewarding, holistic and national approach towards addressing the menace in major cities across the country could just be what was been awaited for the challenge. 

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REPAIRS:FRAGILE RURAL COMMUNITIES

February 13, 2008 at 200800000029p00000029: 2:19 p02 (Uncategorized)
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Rural Africa communities<voices>are predominately poor and educationally backward.Most indigenous and young people said their parents told them so,they have grown up to see it so and have lived with it for years. This picture is a typical third world countries’ features.

It seems to persist despite the prevailing potentials, in terms of the natural resources, that could be harnessed in the area to economically empower the people. Conventions, bilateral talks by world leaders and affected countries have been adopted and projected to give meaning to life.

This is to improve the  living standards of the people within a partnerships ventures.But the impact is still far from achieving requsite result.These poor rural commnunities with such issues have continued to dot and attracted global voices. 

These communities which are predominantly, small in sizes also have the largest collection of the nation’s population.Political delimitation places them within the jurisdiction of the local government councils;the third tier of government. 

The creation of this polical structure was for easy administration and bring government nearer to the people.This is to facilitate the development of infrastructure in the rural communities and ensure a good living for the people. 

Increasingly, it is now widely accepted that national development; economically,politically, socially and educationally,should be driven from the grassroot.This makes more sense.The reverse would be a lopsided effort that could be in futility. 

This was what the councils were expected to do at the time they were set up.Society then was neighbourly with an eviable community spirit.While this was the essence, what has transpired over the years has appeared to have scuttleed the intentions. 

Supervision over local government activities and how fund should be  used has long being a tossed issues between the federal and state government.The debate and the seemingly uncertainity of effective control line,openned a lophole for local government personnel. They now run the councils as  personal affairs.

Their biggest attention and visible duty seems to be the payment of  workers salaries only.What happens to the remaing amount of  the allocated fund after then, is usually not questioned or investigated. 

One only wonder what will become of the call to question of caretaker committee chairmen  by the Rivers State House of Assembly, to give account of stewardship.The revelation on the floor of the house was outragious.

Where, for example, a chairman who had not more than thirty thousand naira in his acount before assumption of office, now has about a whooping sum of eighteen million naira in two months in office.  

This culture is carried on with impunity;a national challenge and concern, that is. The prolonged non-performance of the local government councils to ensure a healthy living environment has resulted in an endermic rot.It has heightened fears on the minds of both indigenous people and visitors alike.

The youths  have become restive and manefestly angry with the situation. A situation of marked neglect and irrational use of the allocated fund for personal aggradizement by elected or appointed political leaders.

 The anger that has been incurbated over the years is now visible in the speech pattern,activities and levels of relationships among society individuals.A fragmented and fragile communities is what has sufficed. 

 Volitility becomes a ‘sensed’ and a felt fear by a cross section of the society.There is a combined force of anger and hunger.There is low capacity of  the people;youths.The sight of a comtemporary suddenly becoming aflunt is offensive. 

The growing tension from this situation has become the reason often given by corporate companies’ why their operations’ headquarters can not be located in the communities where they scoop large profit.But there is  the complain by indigenous people that they are also largely denied placement with the companies.

Making the society to have a large number of its youths’ population unemployed.This poses threat. When rural community development fund is not used for the provision of good roads,water, education, economically empower the people and provide employment to the youths,it leaves hallow strings of hardship. 

This neglect pricks the fabric of the communities wellbeing<issues>.Often times, the deeper ideological character is not known.At such times, dialogue may fail because trust has been murdered. 

 A television journalist, who was to engage a youth on a media chat, to share his opinion africanews.com  on a plagueing youth and social issues,warned that if all that he said was not reflected in the broadcast, he would smoke out the reporter  from  his hiding place. 

This was an enormous threat but the youth was to risk his position, show his identity on air to damn the consequesis.In a volitile society,as it is prevailing in the Niger Delta,the threat was what taking to heart. 

The village square meeting that would have been used maximally to generate indigenous ideas on local development imperatives is also turned into a theatre where ‘privileged’ persons make speeches for applauds and snack sharing.This forum ,rather should be cultivated to be a ground for repairs of the manifest fragmentation. 

Sustainable development in the spirit of village family neighbourliness is a great essence researchandmedia.ning.com . This will provide the needs of today and solve the problems of tomorrow. Communities’ affairs should be centre of government programmes.

Democratic dividend and community good can also blend to move society forward. The individual members of the community should be trained to develop their capacity, restore confidence and trust for the traditional stool as well.This is the pride of traditional Africa society. 

Government remains a stabilizer,mediator and convener of talk sessions that would seek to repair and rebuild mutual trust where dissatisfaction has  cut deep.Leaders do not know it all.They,therefore should confer with communities<issues> stakeholders on ways of serving the communities effectively. But global voices would continue to make sense.                       

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