By Donu Kogbara
LAST week, I praisedEsther Salami, a beautician who displayed remarkable integrity by telling me that I had accidentally overpaid her by N1000.

I hoped that several readers of this column would contact me to tell similar tales about equally honest people they had encountered over the years. But I only received two such messages – one from a Lagos gentleman who told me that an airport cleaner found an expensive phone handset he had carelessly left on a plane seat, called the last number he had dialled, which happened to be his wife’s number, and returned the phone to him without asking for anything.

Abdulaziz Badamasi (+2348035990022) also wrote in to say:

Dear Donu, I am happy to write that many Esther Salamis reside in our community. My experience is with a woman whom respectfully I will say is poor because she sells odd things like garri,maize, yams, eggs, etc. I had not seen her having more than three crates of eggs on her sales counter, on the roadside. I patronise her because I noticed she needs such patronage. Just yesterday, I was on my way out when I bought a crate of eggs from her. To my surprise she stopped me on my way back that I overpaid her by N500.00. which to God be the glory, I would not have noticed. N500.00 would go a long way for her, but she was honest enough to return it.

Ben Udechukwu ([email protected]), a reader, had this to say:

Nigeria is richly endowed. It is a country full of varying opportunities and personalities. And you would have seen more Esthers here if our system had not been designed to promote false life, ill-gotten wealth and elevated treachery…

Let Nigerians learn to encourage worthy virtues when they encounter them. Let us learn to appreciate honest people so that others will key into this fresh orientation. Many would regard Esther as a ‘mugu’ for missing an opportunity to make money. This is how far the psyche of most Nigerians have been distorted…”

Inspiring anecdotes about honourable individuals. But given that thousands of people purchased Vanguard last Friday, should we not be shocked that these were the only anecdotes about honourable individuals that were sent to me?

What does this near-total silence tell us about the moral climate in this country? That Nigeria has become such a den of iniquity that honesty is as rare as hen’s’ teeth?

Take heed!
LAST week, I  accused President Jonathan and Elder Godsday Orubebe, his Niger Delta Minister (whom I described as “a reappointed disappointment), of not doing enough for the still-neglected region they come from…and of pampering ex-militant leaders while ordinary Niger Deltans continue to suffer.

The above observations attracted a barrage of emails and texts. A  handful of  correspondents disagreed with me, but most shared my views. Some, like this Yoruba businessman who requested anonymity, are even angrier than I am:

Anytime I take a trip to the creeks, I usually weep for  these neglected nice people. Most of their requests are surprisingly meagre and harmless. All they ask is “don’t pollute our rivers so we can obtain our livelihood, fishing”.
Sadly, their big brothers in government have to bribe touts at the expense of true regional development. Uneducated rogues are now driving jeeps in Warri, Yenegoa,etc. Wannabee big boys whose acquisition of  wealth represents further oppression of their impoverished people. Shame.

+2348037137310 Ekenwan Akwagbe
The problem with most Nigerians is that they expect magic wands from people in public offices. The Niger Delta problem has been there more 50 years now. It is only in September  2008 that a government in Nigeria accepted the fact that the people had been cheated for too long and created them ministry. The two ministers then, Chief Ekaette and Orubebe unlike most Nigerian public office holders had to start the Ministry by putting together experts to work out an Action Plan for the ministry. It was from there they proceeded to embarking on some projects like the East West road. We should also take note of the paltry sums the Ministry had had to contend with. I expect people condemning people to also try to find out the problems facing our public officers before crucifying them on newspaper pages.

+2348037940788 Abe
Orubebe is a disappointment. In an interview the other day, he was saying 90 percent  of the  dualised  Niger Delta road has being completed. I was shocked that a man of his status can lie about himself and his communities. It is a shame.

+2348028429067 Anonymous
As far as I am concern, Orubebe is a failure not only to the people of Niger Delta but to the entire nation. Imagine the common East-West road that links the two major oil cities of Warri and  Port Harcourt, cannot be completed with so much billions of naira pumped into it and cannot be accounted for yet requesting for more fund. Today, he has been appointed again into the same ministry for non-performance. It’s a shame.

+2348032669716 Ayodele Joseph
I want to thank GOD for people like you, because you give me hope that one day, good things will happen in this country. I will not relent in prayers for change.

+2347081739362 Clark Abide
Thanks for taking note of the non chalant and politicised manner the  Niger-Delta ministry is been manned. With this prevailing attitude,we are to win a path where the amnesty benefits will end, bring about a regeneration of the fallen tree of violence. The President has to wake up to fast track the much needed infrastructural development in the  region or crack the  dented image he already has.

+2348026201736 Somnazu Francis
I strongly believe that both Godsday Orubebe and President Goodluck Jonathan have run out of ideas on what to do in the Niger Delta region – especially in the impoverished reverine villages.

+2347052624455 Solo Aloba
Orubebe being reappointed as minister in the Niger Delta ministry is a virus. He neither know or feels the sufferings of the people of the region.  His privilege presently is his closeness to the presidency.  As long as he remains there, it would be like a ‘short one’ that is a team playing with ten players in a football game.

+2348125557179 Ebiowei Adaka
As far as we are concerned Orubebe is not representing the oppressed and until now dehumanised people of the Niger Delta region, but to favour selected miscreants who cal themselves ex-militant leaders.Mr. President should probe both the ministry of Niger Delta and the Amnesty office,if not his government should expect more disaster in the oil rich region.

+2348027974928 Preye
Your write up on Orubebe is a masterpiece. Unless Mr. President is using Niger Delta Ministry and Orubebe for some other reasons, there is no justification for  his reappointment. He is  a total failure.