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Swali 1 Ripoti
You have noticed a general decline in the level of discipline and morality in your society. In an article suitable for publication in a national newspaper, discuss some instances of this decline and its probable causes; and suggest ways in which the trend can be reversed.
THE ALARMING DECLINE IN DISCIPLINE AND MORALITY
It is impossible for any thoughtful observer to ignore the general decline in the level of discipline and morality in our society today. Values that our forefathers held sacred are being trampled underfoot, and unless the trend is reversed, we shall bequeath to the coming generation a society without conscience.
The instances of this decline are everywhere to be seen. Corruption has become a way of life, and public officers plunder the treasury without shame. Examination malpractice is rampant in our schools, so that certificates no longer guarantee competence. Respect for elders and for authority has all but vanished; young people dress indecently, speak rudely and glorify violence. Cybercrime, cultism, drug abuse and the reckless worship of wealth, however dishonestly gained, complete this sad picture.
The causes of this moral collapse are not hard to find. The first is the breakdown of proper home training, as many parents, chasing after money, have abandoned the moral upbringing of their children. Secondly, the mass media and the internet ceaselessly promote vulgarity, greed and loose living as the ideal life. Thirdly, our society itself is to blame, for it honours the rich without asking how they became rich and allows wrongdoers to escape punishment, thereby suggesting that crime pays. The general poverty in the land also tempts many to abandon honesty for survival.
Yet all is not lost, for the trend can be reversed. Parents must return to their sacred duty of raising their children in sound morals, both by teaching and by good example. Schools and religious bodies should place fresh emphasis on moral and civic instruction. The government must fight corruption without fear or favour, ensuring that wrongdoing is promptly and justly punished, so that discipline is seen to pay. The media, for their part, should promote wholesome values and celebrate men and women of integrity as models for the young.
A society is only as healthy as the character of its people. If home, school, government and the media rise together to this challenge, decency and discipline can be restored, and our nation can be saved from the ruin towards which it is drifting. The work is urgent, and it must begin at once.
Maelezo ya Majibu
THE ALARMING DECLINE IN DISCIPLINE AND MORALITY
It is impossible for any thoughtful observer to ignore the general decline in the level of discipline and morality in our society today. Values that our forefathers held sacred are being trampled underfoot, and unless the trend is reversed, we shall bequeath to the coming generation a society without conscience.
The instances of this decline are everywhere to be seen. Corruption has become a way of life, and public officers plunder the treasury without shame. Examination malpractice is rampant in our schools, so that certificates no longer guarantee competence. Respect for elders and for authority has all but vanished; young people dress indecently, speak rudely and glorify violence. Cybercrime, cultism, drug abuse and the reckless worship of wealth, however dishonestly gained, complete this sad picture.
The causes of this moral collapse are not hard to find. The first is the breakdown of proper home training, as many parents, chasing after money, have abandoned the moral upbringing of their children. Secondly, the mass media and the internet ceaselessly promote vulgarity, greed and loose living as the ideal life. Thirdly, our society itself is to blame, for it honours the rich without asking how they became rich and allows wrongdoers to escape punishment, thereby suggesting that crime pays. The general poverty in the land also tempts many to abandon honesty for survival.
Yet all is not lost, for the trend can be reversed. Parents must return to their sacred duty of raising their children in sound morals, both by teaching and by good example. Schools and religious bodies should place fresh emphasis on moral and civic instruction. The government must fight corruption without fear or favour, ensuring that wrongdoing is promptly and justly punished, so that discipline is seen to pay. The media, for their part, should promote wholesome values and celebrate men and women of integrity as models for the young.
A society is only as healthy as the character of its people. If home, school, government and the media rise together to this challenge, decency and discipline can be restored, and our nation can be saved from the ruin towards which it is drifting. The work is urgent, and it must begin at once.
Swali 2 Ripoti
Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions on it.
Returning home after a decade-and-half abroad, our geography master remained incurably addicted to foreign ways and ideas for years after landing here. He would for ever stick to his theory of Africans suffering ring from a curse inflicted on them by the Almighty God for some heinous sins committed centuries ago. He would in support of this theory ask listeners: Why would our mosquito inflict deadly malaria on us whereas the British mosquito does not bite? Why aren't there poisonous snakes in Britain whereas here most snakes are deadly? Why should the deadly sickle cell disease be peculiar to the black race?
Of course. he hardly waits for answers to these and similar questions before jumping to the same inevitable conclusion. However, he met his match one day when a new student joined the class and heard the litany we were used to. The new boy calmly said. "Sir, I happen to know a few white men who suffer from the sickle cell disease: some are Italians and some are Spanish. The mosquito is equally deadly in India, South-east Asian countries and South America. The United States and some other South American countries have their deadly snakes. And. Sir. I know many white men: some of them British, who would prefer our brilliant sunshine to their horribly cold winter". And he sat down.
I had never before that day. seen our master so consumed with anger. He directed a burning look at the poor boy, who had no answer to this new battle. Without as much as saying a single word. the master stalked out of the classroom. Needless to say, our anger was turned on the new boy who had decided to rock the boat without taking the time to sound the water. A delegation was sent to the master to apologize to him. He was appeased. But we all noticed something rather unusual thereafter. Never again did he dwell on the issue of Africans being the accursed people.
(a) What point of view is the Geography master fond of advancing?
(b) Mention the three arguments he used to support view.
(c) What extra argument did the new boy offer countering each of the master's points?
(d) Why do you think the master fought back with his look rather than with further argument?
(e) ". . rock the boat" (i) What figure of speech is this expression?
(f) "who had no answer to this new battle, " (i) What is the grammatical name given to the above expression? (ii) What is its function in the passage?
(g) For each of the following words, find another word or phrase that means the same and can replace it as it is used in the passage: (i) addicted to: (ii) heinous: (iii) inevitable: (iv)brilliant: (v)stalked:
(a) The Geography master's point of view
He was fond of advancing the view that Africans (the black race) are suffering under a curse inflicted on them by God for some heinous sins committed centuries ago, that is, that Africans are an accursed people.
(b) The three arguments he used to support the view
(c) The extra argument the new boy offered against each point
(d) Why the master fought back with a look rather than argument
Because the boy's replies had completely demolished his theory and he had no logical counter-argument to offer. Unable to answer, he could only express his wounded pride and anger through a burning look before stalking out.
(e) “rock the boat”
(i) It is an idiom (an idiomatic expression).
(f) “who had no answer to this new battle”
(i) It is an adjectival (relative) clause.
(ii) It qualifies the noun “boy,” describing the poor boy.
(g) Words and their replacements as used in the passage
Maelezo ya Majibu
(a) The Geography master's point of view
He was fond of advancing the view that Africans (the black race) are suffering under a curse inflicted on them by God for some heinous sins committed centuries ago, that is, that Africans are an accursed people.
(b) The three arguments he used to support the view
(c) The extra argument the new boy offered against each point
(d) Why the master fought back with a look rather than argument
Because the boy's replies had completely demolished his theory and he had no logical counter-argument to offer. Unable to answer, he could only express his wounded pride and anger through a burning look before stalking out.
(e) “rock the boat”
(i) It is an idiom (an idiomatic expression).
(f) “who had no answer to this new battle”
(i) It is an adjectival (relative) clause.
(ii) It qualifies the noun “boy,” describing the poor boy.
(g) Words and their replacements as used in the passage
Swali 3 Ripoti
Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions on it.
We are interested in the various kinds of injury that can occur in road traffic accidents, how to prevent them and their first aid management. Most of us have probably witnessed one form of road traffic accident or another. The universal reaction of eye-witnesses is panic as they rush to the scene and stand there looking in dismay. Road traffic accidents are great crowd-pullers as everyone wants to stop and have a look. However, the three most useful things you can do if you are at the scene of a road traffic accident are to assist in the rescue of the trapped victims; to render first aid treatment to victims; and to help in conveying injured people to the nearest hospital.
Road traffic accidents have a great potential for causing injury to the human body. The high velocity at which the motor vehicle is travelling the sudden deceleration on impact and the hard rigid nature of the motor-car body, all contribute to increase the potentials of injury Probably. the most risk-laden road traffic accidents are those which involve motor-cyclists as they d. o not have a solid motor-car body to protect them from the direct impact of an oncoming vehicle on the road.
Road traffic accidents involving motor-cyclists are the cause of high mortality as the human skull is often fractured on impact with the hard surface of the road. Road traffic accidents involving cars and their passengers can cause some serious problems as the wreckage of the i car may trap some people inside. This may mean that the crumpled car body needs-to be cut away before the victims can be saved. If the road accident results in a fire, then this can be disastrous as the fire will prevent rescuers from i coming near, thus resulting in the quick demise of the victims from burns. This is why every car-driver must possess a fire extinguisher in his vehicle. This little device may save lives in some situations.
(a) What, according to the writer, do eye-witnesses usually do as soon as an accident occurs?
(b) What three things does he suggest that eye-witness. es should do. ?
(c) Mention two of the factors that can increase injuries during accidents.
(d) Why are motor-cyclists risk when accidents occur?
(e) Why does the writer suggest that every car-driver should have a fire extinguisher in his vehicle?
(f) "If the road accident results in a fire..." (i) What is the grammatical name given to the above expression?
(ii) What is its function in the passage?
(g) For each of the following Words, find another word or phrase that means the same and can replace it as it is used in the passage: (i) universal: (ii) conveying: (iii) velocity: (iv) potentials: (v) disastrous:
(a) What eye-witnesses usually do when an accident occurs
They panic and rush to the scene, then stand there merely looking on in dismay, since everyone wants to stop and have a look.
(b) Three things eye-witnesses should do
(c) Two factors that can increase injuries during accidents (any two)
(d) Why motor-cyclists are at risk when accidents occur
Because they have no solid car body to shield them from the direct impact of an oncoming vehicle, and the human skull is often fractured on impact with the hard surface of the road, causing high mortality.
(e) Why every car-driver should have a fire extinguisher
Because if an accident results in a fire, the fire keeps rescuers away and can quickly kill the victims through burns; a fire extinguisher can put out such a fire and so save lives.
(f) “If the road accident results in a fire...”
(i) It is an adverbial clause of condition (a conditional clause).
(ii) It states the condition on which the main clause depends, modifying the verb by showing when the disastrous consequence would occur.
(g) Words and their replacements as used in the passage
Maelezo ya Majibu
(a) What eye-witnesses usually do when an accident occurs
They panic and rush to the scene, then stand there merely looking on in dismay, since everyone wants to stop and have a look.
(b) Three things eye-witnesses should do
(c) Two factors that can increase injuries during accidents (any two)
(d) Why motor-cyclists are at risk when accidents occur
Because they have no solid car body to shield them from the direct impact of an oncoming vehicle, and the human skull is often fractured on impact with the hard surface of the road, causing high mortality.
(e) Why every car-driver should have a fire extinguisher
Because if an accident results in a fire, the fire keeps rescuers away and can quickly kill the victims through burns; a fire extinguisher can put out such a fire and so save lives.
(f) “If the road accident results in a fire...”
(i) It is an adverbial clause of condition (a conditional clause).
(ii) It states the condition on which the main clause depends, modifying the verb by showing when the disastrous consequence would occur.
(g) Words and their replacements as used in the passage
Swali 4 Ripoti
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.
Every child, whether he comes to his family by birth or adoption, discovers what a family is through the experiences family life. The new-born infant has no way of knowing which of the many faces that hover above him belongs to a parent. He has no way of knowing what a parent is. He only knows that he is comfortable or uncomfortable, hungry or satisfied Gradually, as the months-go by, he begins to know who brings comfort when he is uncomfortable and food when he is hungry. He comes to know the feel of the arm that holds him close when he eats and holds him safe in his bath. He knows the voice that soothes him and sings to him. He grows to know who responds to his needs when he cries out. This is the special person in the whole strange new world who belongs specially to him This is his first recognition of a parent.
The mother and father who care for a child, who listen for his voice and try to interpret what he means, who comfort him, feed him and play with him discover for the first time what it is to be parents. They do not become parents by virtue of conception and birth alone. They grow to be parents just as the infant grows to recognize them as such. They corn' to know the developing personality of their child in a way that no other person really can. They recognize whether he is i a lusty eater or a nibbler: vivacious or reserved: adventurous or cautious. By observing his intellectual and physical abilities, they also get to know what he may become in future. They are concerned with meeting his needs and wants: and fostering his growth to maturity.
Sometimes because of their responsibility to their child, parents have to do unpleasant things. They have for instance, to take him for injections. He can have no choice about taking medicine when he is ill. He must learn quickly and not necessarily at his own pace, that fire is not a play-thing. In the intimacies of daily living, the child and the parents learn the bitter and the sweet of family relations. It is through the experiences of family life that a child and his parents grow to be a family. For every parent, biological or adoptive, it is the daily loving care of the child and his responsiveness that build up the parents' feelings. For every child, it is being loved and being cared for that produce family closeness.
(a) In two sentences, state how the new-born infant perceives his environment.
(b) In one sentence, say what an infant first learns about its parents.
(c) In two sentences, say what parents learn about their child as he grows up.
(d) In one sentence, summarize what a responsible parent often has to do in the interest of the child.
(a) How the new-born infant perceives his environment (two sentences)
The new-born infant has no way of knowing which of the faces above him belongs to a parent or even what a parent is. He is aware only of his own sensations, whether he is comfortable or uncomfortable, hungry or satisfied.
(b) What an infant first learns about its parents (one sentence)
He first learns to recognise the special person who consistently brings him comfort, food, safety and a soothing voice whenever he cries out.
(c) What parents learn about their child as he grows up (two sentences)
They come to know the developing personality of their child, recognising whether he is a lusty eater or a nibbler, lively or reserved, adventurous or cautious. By observing his intellectual and physical abilities, they also learn what he may become in the future.
(d) What a responsible parent often has to do in the child's interest (one sentence)
A responsible parent sometimes has to do unpleasant things for the child's own good, such as taking him for injections, giving him medicine when he is ill and teaching him firmly that fire is not a plaything.
Maelezo ya Majibu
(a) How the new-born infant perceives his environment (two sentences)
The new-born infant has no way of knowing which of the faces above him belongs to a parent or even what a parent is. He is aware only of his own sensations, whether he is comfortable or uncomfortable, hungry or satisfied.
(b) What an infant first learns about its parents (one sentence)
He first learns to recognise the special person who consistently brings him comfort, food, safety and a soothing voice whenever he cries out.
(c) What parents learn about their child as he grows up (two sentences)
They come to know the developing personality of their child, recognising whether he is a lusty eater or a nibbler, lively or reserved, adventurous or cautious. By observing his intellectual and physical abilities, they also learn what he may become in the future.
(d) What a responsible parent often has to do in the child's interest (one sentence)
A responsible parent sometimes has to do unpleasant things for the child's own good, such as taking him for injections, giving him medicine when he is ill and teaching him firmly that fire is not a plaything.
Swali 5 Ripoti
During the last holidays, you had the opportunity to travel to another state and to witness some of the traditional festivals in the area. In an article suitable for publication in your school magazine, describe one of these festivals.
THE COLOURFUL NEW YAM FESTIVAL OF UMUAHIA
During the last holidays I travelled to Umuahia to spend time with my grandparents, and there I had the rare privilege of witnessing the famous New Yam Festival. It was a spectacle so rich in colour and meaning that I feel compelled to share it with my readers.
The festival is held every year to mark the end of the farming season and to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. From the crack of dawn, the whole town was alive with excitement. The compounds were swept clean, the streets were decorated with palm fronds, and the air was filled with the aroma of freshly cooked yam. Everywhere I looked, people were dressed in dazzling traditional attire, the men in flowing robes and red caps, the women in bright wrappers and glittering beads.
At the heart of the ceremony was the eldest man of the community. In a solemn moment, he lifted the first roasted yam, offered thanks to God and the ancestors, and tasted it before the cheering crowd. Only then was everyone free to eat the new yam, for custom forbids anyone to eat it before this rite is performed.
What followed was pure delight. Masquerades of every shape and size sprang into the arena, leaping and twirling to the rhythm of talking drums, wooden gongs and flutes. Groups of maidens danced in perfect step, their anklets jingling, while wrestlers displayed their strength to the applause of the spectators. Long tables groaned under mounds of pounded yam, spicy soups and roasted meat, and no visitor was allowed to go hungry.
As the sun went down, the celebration reached its peak with a grand cultural display in which the entire community, young and old, joined hands in song and dance. I stood among them, thrilled and deeply moved, marvelling at the unity and joy that the festival inspired.
The New Yam Festival of Umuahia is far more than mere merriment; it is a beautiful celebration of gratitude, hard work and community. It is an experience I shall treasure for a very long time, and one I heartily recommend to anyone who loves our rich cultural heritage.
Maelezo ya Majibu
THE COLOURFUL NEW YAM FESTIVAL OF UMUAHIA
During the last holidays I travelled to Umuahia to spend time with my grandparents, and there I had the rare privilege of witnessing the famous New Yam Festival. It was a spectacle so rich in colour and meaning that I feel compelled to share it with my readers.
The festival is held every year to mark the end of the farming season and to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. From the crack of dawn, the whole town was alive with excitement. The compounds were swept clean, the streets were decorated with palm fronds, and the air was filled with the aroma of freshly cooked yam. Everywhere I looked, people were dressed in dazzling traditional attire, the men in flowing robes and red caps, the women in bright wrappers and glittering beads.
At the heart of the ceremony was the eldest man of the community. In a solemn moment, he lifted the first roasted yam, offered thanks to God and the ancestors, and tasted it before the cheering crowd. Only then was everyone free to eat the new yam, for custom forbids anyone to eat it before this rite is performed.
What followed was pure delight. Masquerades of every shape and size sprang into the arena, leaping and twirling to the rhythm of talking drums, wooden gongs and flutes. Groups of maidens danced in perfect step, their anklets jingling, while wrestlers displayed their strength to the applause of the spectators. Long tables groaned under mounds of pounded yam, spicy soups and roasted meat, and no visitor was allowed to go hungry.
As the sun went down, the celebration reached its peak with a grand cultural display in which the entire community, young and old, joined hands in song and dance. I stood among them, thrilled and deeply moved, marvelling at the unity and joy that the festival inspired.
The New Yam Festival of Umuahia is far more than mere merriment; it is a beautiful celebration of gratitude, hard work and community. It is an experience I shall treasure for a very long time, and one I heartily recommend to anyone who loves our rich cultural heritage.
Swali 6 Ripoti
You have received information that your brother, who is schooling in another part of the country, is playing truant and keeping bad company. Write a letter warning him of the consequences of such behaviour and urging him to turn over a new leaf.
15, Unity Estate,
Ibadan,
Oyo State.
15 June, 2024.
Dear Chuka,
How are you, my dear brother? I trust that you are keeping well, though the news that has reached me lately has robbed me of my peace and moved me to write to you at once.
I have been reliably informed that you have taken to playing truant and to keeping the company of bad friends. Chuka, I refused to believe it at first, but the reports are too consistent to be ignored. As your elder brother, I cannot keep silent while I watch you drift towards ruin.
Let me remind you, in all love, of the dangers that lie on this path. A boy who abandons his classes falls hopelessly behind and soon fails his examinations, throwing away the golden opportunity that our parents are struggling so hard to give him. Worse still, bad company is a snare. It was Cicero who said that we become like those we walk with, and the friends who lure you from school today will draw you tomorrow into stealing, drugs, cultism and crimes that end in disgrace, prison or an early grave. Remember how our own townsman, Uche, once so promising, wasted his life through such companions.
Think, too, of the pain you are causing our beloved parents, who count on you to make them proud. Would you repay their sacrifice with shame? Would you trade a bright future for the fleeting pleasures of idle company?
I beg you, dear brother, to turn over a new leaf without delay. Cut off these harmful friends, return faithfully to your books, and give your teachers no cause for complaint. It is not too late to become the fine young man we all know you can be. Choose your friends from among the diligent and the disciplined, and set your eyes firmly on your goal.
I have great confidence in you, Chuka, and I shall be watching your progress with hope. Please write back to tell me that you have heeded my counsel. Give my regards to your housemaster.
Your loving brother,
Ikenna.
Maelezo ya Majibu
15, Unity Estate,
Ibadan,
Oyo State.
15 June, 2024.
Dear Chuka,
How are you, my dear brother? I trust that you are keeping well, though the news that has reached me lately has robbed me of my peace and moved me to write to you at once.
I have been reliably informed that you have taken to playing truant and to keeping the company of bad friends. Chuka, I refused to believe it at first, but the reports are too consistent to be ignored. As your elder brother, I cannot keep silent while I watch you drift towards ruin.
Let me remind you, in all love, of the dangers that lie on this path. A boy who abandons his classes falls hopelessly behind and soon fails his examinations, throwing away the golden opportunity that our parents are struggling so hard to give him. Worse still, bad company is a snare. It was Cicero who said that we become like those we walk with, and the friends who lure you from school today will draw you tomorrow into stealing, drugs, cultism and crimes that end in disgrace, prison or an early grave. Remember how our own townsman, Uche, once so promising, wasted his life through such companions.
Think, too, of the pain you are causing our beloved parents, who count on you to make them proud. Would you repay their sacrifice with shame? Would you trade a bright future for the fleeting pleasures of idle company?
I beg you, dear brother, to turn over a new leaf without delay. Cut off these harmful friends, return faithfully to your books, and give your teachers no cause for complaint. It is not too late to become the fine young man we all know you can be. Choose your friends from among the diligent and the disciplined, and set your eyes firmly on your goal.
I have great confidence in you, Chuka, and I shall be watching your progress with hope. Please write back to tell me that you have heeded my counsel. Give my regards to your housemaster.
Your loving brother,
Ikenna.
Swali 7 Ripoti
Narrate to your classmates an experience you have had or heard about which illustrates the saying: "You reap what you sow"
Fellow students, lend me your ears, for I have a story that proves, beyond all doubt, that we reap what we sow.
In my home town there lived two brothers, Ojo and Dele. Ojo, the elder, was hardworking, honest and kind. Even as a boy he helped the aged, shared his little with the needy, and never turned a poor man away from his door. Dele, the younger, was the very opposite. He was lazy, greedy and cruel; he mocked the weak, cheated whoever trusted him, and cared for no one but himself.
As the years rolled by, the seeds each had sown began to bear their fruit. Ojo, though he started with nothing, was helped at every turn by the many people he had once assisted. A wealthy trader whose son Ojo had rescued from drowning set him up in business, and before long he became a respected and prosperous man, loved by all.
Dele, on the other hand, reaped the bitter harvest of his own wickedness. The people he had cheated turned their backs on him in his hour of need. When a fire consumed his little shop, not a soul came to his aid, for he had sown no kindness to reap. He sank deeper into poverty and misery, a lonely man reaping exactly what he had planted.
One evening, humbled at last, Dele came to his brother's house and wept. Ojo, ever gracious, forgave him and took him in, saying gently, "Brother, our lives are the harvest of our own hands."
My dear classmates, let this story sink deep into your hearts. Whatever we plant in this life, whether kindness or cruelty, honesty or deceit, hard work or laziness, we shall surely harvest in its season. Truly, you reap what you sow. Thank you for listening.
Maelezo ya Majibu
Fellow students, lend me your ears, for I have a story that proves, beyond all doubt, that we reap what we sow.
In my home town there lived two brothers, Ojo and Dele. Ojo, the elder, was hardworking, honest and kind. Even as a boy he helped the aged, shared his little with the needy, and never turned a poor man away from his door. Dele, the younger, was the very opposite. He was lazy, greedy and cruel; he mocked the weak, cheated whoever trusted him, and cared for no one but himself.
As the years rolled by, the seeds each had sown began to bear their fruit. Ojo, though he started with nothing, was helped at every turn by the many people he had once assisted. A wealthy trader whose son Ojo had rescued from drowning set him up in business, and before long he became a respected and prosperous man, loved by all.
Dele, on the other hand, reaped the bitter harvest of his own wickedness. The people he had cheated turned their backs on him in his hour of need. When a fire consumed his little shop, not a soul came to his aid, for he had sown no kindness to reap. He sank deeper into poverty and misery, a lonely man reaping exactly what he had planted.
One evening, humbled at last, Dele came to his brother's house and wept. Ojo, ever gracious, forgave him and took him in, saying gently, "Brother, our lives are the harvest of our own hands."
My dear classmates, let this story sink deep into your hearts. Whatever we plant in this life, whether kindness or cruelty, honesty or deceit, hard work or laziness, we shall surely harvest in its season. Truly, you reap what you sow. Thank you for listening.
Swali 8 Ripoti
Write a letter to the Commissioner for Agriculture in your state deploring the low level of food production in the state and suggesting measures which the government should take to ensure that there is sufficient food for all.
18, Market Road,
Makurdi,
Benue State.
15 June, 2024.
The Commissioner for Agriculture,
Ministry of Agriculture,
Makurdi,
Benue State.
Dear Sir,
THE LOW LEVEL OF FOOD PRODUCTION IN OUR STATE
I write with a heavy heart to deplore the low level of food production in our state, and to suggest measures which the government may take to ensure that there is sufficient food for all.
It is a matter of great concern that a state once famed as the food basket of the nation can no longer feed its own people. Foodstuffs have become scarce and costly; families that once ate well now go hungry, and the little that is produced is quickly exhausted. This sad state of affairs is the result of several factors: the ageing of our farmers as the youth flee to the cities, the use of crude and outdated tools, the high cost of fertilisers and improved seeds, the ravages of pests and floods, and the poor roads that make it hard to move produce to the market.
In view of this, I respectfully suggest the following measures. First, the government should grant farmers soft loans and supply them with fertilisers, improved seeds and modern implements at subsidised rates, so as to raise their output. Secondly, agriculture should be made attractive to the youth through training schemes, farm settlements and incentives that will draw them back to the land. Thirdly, rural roads should be built and repaired, and storage and processing facilities provided, so that farm produce reaches the markets without waste. In addition, extension officers should be deployed to teach farmers modern methods and to help them combat pests and diseases.
I am confident that, if these measures are earnestly pursued, our state will once again overflow with food, and hunger will be banished from our homes. I look forward to your prompt and favourable consideration.
Thank you, Sir.
Yours faithfully,
Terhemba Aondo.
Maelezo ya Majibu
18, Market Road,
Makurdi,
Benue State.
15 June, 2024.
The Commissioner for Agriculture,
Ministry of Agriculture,
Makurdi,
Benue State.
Dear Sir,
THE LOW LEVEL OF FOOD PRODUCTION IN OUR STATE
I write with a heavy heart to deplore the low level of food production in our state, and to suggest measures which the government may take to ensure that there is sufficient food for all.
It is a matter of great concern that a state once famed as the food basket of the nation can no longer feed its own people. Foodstuffs have become scarce and costly; families that once ate well now go hungry, and the little that is produced is quickly exhausted. This sad state of affairs is the result of several factors: the ageing of our farmers as the youth flee to the cities, the use of crude and outdated tools, the high cost of fertilisers and improved seeds, the ravages of pests and floods, and the poor roads that make it hard to move produce to the market.
In view of this, I respectfully suggest the following measures. First, the government should grant farmers soft loans and supply them with fertilisers, improved seeds and modern implements at subsidised rates, so as to raise their output. Secondly, agriculture should be made attractive to the youth through training schemes, farm settlements and incentives that will draw them back to the land. Thirdly, rural roads should be built and repaired, and storage and processing facilities provided, so that farm produce reaches the markets without waste. In addition, extension officers should be deployed to teach farmers modern methods and to help them combat pests and diseases.
I am confident that, if these measures are earnestly pursued, our state will once again overflow with food, and hunger will be banished from our homes. I look forward to your prompt and favourable consideration.
Thank you, Sir.
Yours faithfully,
Terhemba Aondo.
Swali 9 Ripoti
A vehicle in which you were travelling was involved in an accident and several passengers including yourself were injured. Describe to sympathizers. who have come to visit you in hospital how the accident happened and what followed.
My dear well-wishers, I thank you most sincerely for taking the trouble to visit me here in hospital. Your kindness has lifted my spirits, and since you have asked, let me tell you exactly how the dreadful accident happened.
It was last Saturday afternoon. I had boarded a luxury bus travelling from Lagos to Benin, and I took a seat near the middle. The weather was fine and the journey was smooth at first, but I soon noticed, with growing unease, that our driver was recklessly fast. Again and again he overtook other vehicles on sharp bends, ignoring the pleas of passengers who begged him to slow down. He merely laughed and pressed on, boasting that he knew the road like the back of his hand.
Then came the moment of disaster. As we sped round a bend near Ore, a trailer suddenly appeared, broken down in the middle of our lane. Our driver stamped hard on the brakes, but it was too late. The bus swerved violently, skidded off the road, and somersaulted into the bush. There was a deafening crash of shattering glass and twisting metal, and the screams of passengers filled the air. I felt a sharp blow to my head and leg, and then everything went dark.
When I came to my senses, I found myself pinned beneath a broken seat, my leg trapped and bleeding, and passengers groaning all around me. Mercifully, kind villagers and other motorists rushed to the scene. They forced open the twisted doors, pulled us out one by one, and stopped vehicles to rush the injured to hospital. Some passengers, I am sad to say, were beyond help.
Here in this hospital, the doctors and nurses have cared for me with great devotion. My leg is broken and my head is bandaged, but they assure me that I shall make a full recovery in a few weeks.
I have learnt a bitter lesson from all this, that reckless driving is a killer, and that we must always speak up firmly against it. Once again, I thank you all for your comfort and your prayers. Your visit means more to me than I can say.
Maelezo ya Majibu
My dear well-wishers, I thank you most sincerely for taking the trouble to visit me here in hospital. Your kindness has lifted my spirits, and since you have asked, let me tell you exactly how the dreadful accident happened.
It was last Saturday afternoon. I had boarded a luxury bus travelling from Lagos to Benin, and I took a seat near the middle. The weather was fine and the journey was smooth at first, but I soon noticed, with growing unease, that our driver was recklessly fast. Again and again he overtook other vehicles on sharp bends, ignoring the pleas of passengers who begged him to slow down. He merely laughed and pressed on, boasting that he knew the road like the back of his hand.
Then came the moment of disaster. As we sped round a bend near Ore, a trailer suddenly appeared, broken down in the middle of our lane. Our driver stamped hard on the brakes, but it was too late. The bus swerved violently, skidded off the road, and somersaulted into the bush. There was a deafening crash of shattering glass and twisting metal, and the screams of passengers filled the air. I felt a sharp blow to my head and leg, and then everything went dark.
When I came to my senses, I found myself pinned beneath a broken seat, my leg trapped and bleeding, and passengers groaning all around me. Mercifully, kind villagers and other motorists rushed to the scene. They forced open the twisted doors, pulled us out one by one, and stopped vehicles to rush the injured to hospital. Some passengers, I am sad to say, were beyond help.
Here in this hospital, the doctors and nurses have cared for me with great devotion. My leg is broken and my head is bandaged, but they assure me that I shall make a full recovery in a few weeks.
I have learnt a bitter lesson from all this, that reckless driving is a killer, and that we must always speak up firmly against it. Once again, I thank you all for your comfort and your prayers. Your visit means more to me than I can say.
Je, ungependa kuendelea na hatua hii?