Nairaland Forum

Excellent. Thanks for the link!

You guys are living in fool's paradise. Who says 9ice's career is dead? He appeals more to Yoruba peeps especially in the South West. And his double album is not bad at all.

Black Magic for the mature minds.
Black Magic because its Hip Hop meets Afrobeat meets Jazz.
Black Magic because its about the message not the messenger.
Black Magic because he doesn't even try.
Black Magic over Burna whatever, Vector and even Wizkid.

@Op, you should have a poll up there, y'know?

I guess she's quite photogenic.

Guys, I really feel at home here. Yep, I'm definitely eager to learn and I promise to keep the house posted with 'my progress'. Ikenna, apologies. I had to run some errands and I'm just getting to relax now. I'll buzz you and send the info you requested. Hopefully, we can hook up sooner rather than later. Many thanks!

Thank you Ikenna for the quick response. Guess what, I was already planning on saving 150k for a new engine. Though I was also thinking that as long as I rely on these 'wack' 'mechanics', I would end up in the same situation.

Yep. I stay in Abuja - Apo Legislative Quarters. I believe by DMM, you mean Digital Multimeter. I don't own one and guess I have to learn to use it. Online, I see I can get it for about $20. Can you recommend where to get one in Abuja and how much?

How do I confirm the extent of havoc the mechanic has wrecked on the car? Are there physical inspections I can carry out or do I need to run a diagnostic tool on the engine? Though the dashboard shows enough oil, when I gauged the oil it was too low. Should I top the oil or carry out certain checks first?

Ikenna, would you be willing to look at the car? That's if I can get the car into a drivable state first without causing more harm. Thanks man.

Hi guys. I'm honoured to be a member of this cliche. I own a 406 - 2.0L (136bhp) - EW10J4 - R6F. Sadly after serious abuse by my last mechanic some days ago, the car is now in a virtually undrive-able state. I'm sure if the car was owned by car enthusiasts like you guys, it would the back on the road with minimal effort.

Anyways, before the last trip to the mechanic, the car was fine except that it was emitting thick black smoke and whenever I switch on the AC, I get the message "engine coolant temperature too high" after a few minutes. I had earlier gotten advice from various quarters to:
1. get a new engine
2. buy a half engine
3. change the catolic sensor (which I now believe to be the catalytic converter)

However, this last mechanic assured me that he would ring the engine(20k), change the top gasket(5k) and replace the oil and all the problems would disappear. He said if I brought the car in the morning, it would be ready in the evening. However, the car wasn't ready until 5 days later.

When I tested the car, the exhaust was still emitting thick black smoke. After driving for a few minutes (without the AC), I started getting the message "Oil pressure too low" and then "Engine coolant temperature too high" and to STOP. Then the gears became very hard and I had to use excess force to switch gears. I had to stop the car 3 times before I got home.

I would love to enjoy my Peugeot the way you guys do. I am tired of mechanic headaches. I know nothing about cars and I need help! Thank you in advance.

I seem to understand where theLastPope is coming from. Peeps don't have to attack him personally to prove their points.

Let's err on the side of courtesy here. It's true that Nigeria could do much better than we are doing right now. However, in the process of trying to make your points, don't overdo it. Yeah yeah, 'some' traffic lights and drainages need maintainance in Abuja. But don't give the impression that 'all' or 'most' of these facilities don't work. Let's criticise non-performance but be humble enough to applaud performance. What percentage of traffic lights don't work in Abuja? I can confirm that in the last couple of weeks for example, lots of traffic lights have been fixed and new ones erected in many parts of Abuja. But nobody is talking about that. Mr. poster, if indeed you live in Abuja, you should be able to acknowledge this!

How can we make progress when every discussion degenerates into insults and flame wars? Why can't we pocket our egos and try to communicate mutually to address issues? Why can't we be objective about truths? Why can't we respect the other poster's point of view and counter it logically?

At least the poster didn't post pictures of potholes in Abuja.

Surprised Azarenka beat Kuznetsova in straights. She played so well in the first. Anyone watching Serena - Stephens?

A reputable project management company in Abuja requires the services of a young female front desk officer. The applicant must have completed their NYSC. Please forward your resumes to bioyexx@yahoo.com. Thank you.

A company in FCT involved in provision of revenue generation solutions to the FCT Administration desires an individual or group experienced in providing workable revenue generation, revenue assurance, debt recovery and training consultancy services. Interested parties please forward resumes to bioyexx@yahoo.com. Thank you.

Lagos

Lagos, Nigeria (Lagos Island to be specific)

Kudos to the debaters. Though I am for State Police, I don't think it would automatically work if adopted. However, we can hope that some states would get it right first, and then other states would have to follow.

You see, we need to be weary of the fact that the Police is NOT the only institution that doesn't 'work' in Nigeria. Institutions are being peopled by those who lack merit but political 'connections'; institutions are not properly funded or funds diverted; the labour market is grossly under-educated or under-qualified; and the moral fibre of Nigerians is almost depleted.

We need the few of us who still possess hope and who are bold to help the rest of us who have given up.

Because “Evil only triumphs, when good people keep quiet”

oyb:
it is clear from all that has happened that these kids were not 'in the street'. they were four or five boys in a community where they were not known at an odd time - 12am, 3 am , 5am who knows? the villagers went too far, but i really don't know what explantion you can give for their being there at that time then there are all these 'the real story' - where there is a mysterious 5th man who has refused to come forward, and who some say had a gun. there is the mysterious debtor, who no one can identify and who none of the friends of the deceased seem to know - a fellow who apparently owed them 200k.this is a tragedy, but all these attempts to whitewash the boys as some sort of innocents who somehow managed to stumble into the hands of vigilantes wont wash.

i am trying to picture similar circumstances in which i will be caught that will make my captors assume i am an armed robber

1) i will have to be in a strange community/neighbourhood at an ungodly hour
2)i will no be able to give a coherent reason for being there
3) no one will be able to vouch for my presence there
4) i will be carrying some sort of weapon or tool that will mark me as a robber
5)i will be engaged in suspicious activity
6)i will be in a group - three or four others

i have heard stories of people getting beat up by overambitious vigilantes, but there is clearly more to this story that is not being told or is being swept aside have you read bonfire of the vanities? this case draws some clear parallels. no one, none of the other friends have been able to come forward and say exactly how the kids got to be at aluu - there's no we were all reading in class till 3 am, we were at a party and they left, we were at night vigil, nothing. all we have is bam - the boys were in a community where they were not known and caught in extremely suspicious circumstances. two of the boys are said to be mobile with SUVs - were the SUVs found around the area? the place where they were caught - was it fenced? how did they enter allu?

there are far too many questions, though the people with the answers are quiet. even that story sef get as e be as stated before - no one knows the name of this debtor. there's an aboki who defrauded me of 200k - someone told me he had traced the guy - but i cannot see myself going to where the guys stays in the dead of the night to get my money that story just does not add up at all.

This is the only post of yours that I have a semblance of agreement with. There is too much disquiet about the details of the boys' defence. What is the name of the 5th guy who happens to be a cultist? What is the name of the debtor? Do both of these mysterious guys have house addresses in Aluu? All these questions and more need to be answered to make a valid case for the unlucky 4 boys.

Going by the responses to this thread, it truly shows how ignorant the youth of this country are. God help us!

The website link is blank. Can you try to fix it?

I believe the Wikipedia founder. Just because majority of Nigeria has slow or no internet does not mean there aren't a few super fast connections here and there. With the advent of Main ONE, Glo-1, Sat-3 and MTN WACS intercontinental undersea fibre optics services in recent years, internet connectivity in Nigeria is witnessing a major boost.

By the way, Mr. Jimmy Wales is lodging at Eko Hotel whose ISP is Hyperia. Both outfits are owned by the multibillion-dollar-rich Chagouri brothers. Hyperia currently provides high speed fibre optics and VSAT internet connectivity.

CBN Vs The People

HUHUADMIN


The advocacy for a deregulated foreign exchange market to facilitate economic growth and social welfare enhancement commenced over ten years ago. In spite of the validity and strength of the prescription, those government agencies responsible for monetary and fiscal policies have buried their heads deep in the sand, so that they cannot hear or indeed, see the progressive rationale of the argument. When confronted, the outgoing CBN Governor before Charles Soludo offered a feeble response about the sanctity of certain government policies. Professor Soludo, on the other hand, remained boastfully in denial of the validity of this advocacy until he capitulated suddenly in August 2007, with his Strategic Agenda for the naira, which some in the media readily recognized as the wholesale lifting of what we had consistently preached for over five years at that time!

However, some Nigerians will recall that in February of the same year, CBN had released new design note issues and freshly minted coins in replacement of the existing profile. Billions of naira had been expended in production of the new currency and billions more in a media blitz to encourage public recognition and acceptance. In the light of what would apparently become a huge waste if Soludo’s Agenda, which also included production of fresh currency profile, were accepted, Mr. President politely asked the erudite Governor to keep the matter on ‘pause’, and claimed that his office had not been carried along on the matter.

In the aftermath of Yar’Adua’s stop order, presumably, Soludo’s conscience led CBN into attempts to publicly recognize and empathise with the plight of the very poor, particularly the children from deprived homes from the North.

Later, Lamido Sanusi induced some level of hope that new CBN Governor would recognize that the poison in the economy was the existing framework that induced CBN’s monopoly of the forex market.

In spite of CBN’s inability to achieve its prime mandate of price stability, i.e. reduced inflation rate, lower single digit conducive cost of borrowing to facilitate industrial capacity utilization and growth with increasing employment level, Sanusi has refused to reexamine the causative factors for depleting purchasing power and demand and the deepening poverty level in the land.

Curiously, however, in like Soludo, Sanusi has also latched onto an overt advocacy on relief for the poor, even though his aggressive insistence on fuel subsidy removal in January this year exposed the underlying hypocrisy of his real concern for the welfare of the masses!

Indeed, each of the CBN Governor’s mentioned above has gone out of the traditional confines of the office to demonstrate their ‘love’ for the poor! The majority tribe of disadvantaged Nigerians may not have heard them, but they certainly feel the pains caused by the poisonous monetary model that all three Governors have been unwilling or unable to address. Inexplicably, these Governors have often blamed our economic predicament on excessive spending by the three tiers of government.

However, the universally appropriate policy for reviving a comatose economy is expansion in fiscal spending, without which you cannot effectively stimulate demand and create jobs for the people!

The failure of the regulatory process has been identified as the cause of the serious dislocations and immense fraud in the banks and in the capital market. In recent times, Nigerians have wondered if banks could have continued milking the system for so long without the knowledge of CBN. Infractions like round tripping , money laundering, margin loans, insider practices, the list is endless, were overtly sustained in the full glare of all and sundry but the regulatory agencies assured us that the banks were very sound, and Nigeria was immuned from the world’s financial crisis! It is unbelievable that no one in CBN was ever found culpable in the subsequent financial mess.

Incidentally, both Soludo and Sanusi have received the Financial Times Awards as best Central Bank Governors during their tenure. It is certain, however, that the respected London Newspaper would dare not hint of such award for the Governor of the Bank of England, if prevailing monetary policy rate was 12%, and inflation remained as high as over 10%, while 20% of the population was jobless!!

It would be inappropriate to just sit and fold our hands and let this drama of deceit continue. Ultimately, after 10 years of dialogue with the deaf, we had no other choice than to advise our Legal Counsel, the respected patriot and eminent activist, Mr. Femi Falana to demand for certain information to clarify our understanding of CBN’s operations. The deepening poverty level in spite of increasing wealth and the systemic contradiction, present enough reasons to suspect the apex bank may also be riddled with waste, inefficiency and corruption, as we have seen in prime government agencies such as NNPC, SEC and the Pensions Task Force, lately.

The text of Mr. Falana’s letter to the CBN is as follows:

“March 5, 2012

“Dear Sir,

“REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON SUBSTITUTION OF FOREIGN

CURRENCIES PAID INTO THE FEDERATION ACCOUNT



“We are Solicitors to Messrs. Henry Olujimi Boyo and Adaighofua Ojomaikre (hereinafter referred to as “our clients”) on whose behalf we write this letter.

“Our clients’ instructions are briefly stated as follows:

“1. By virtue of Section 162 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended “there shall be a Federation Account into which all revenues collected by the Government of the Federation shall be paid except the proceeds from the personal income tax of the personnel of the armed forces of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force, the Ministry or department of government charged with responsibility for Foreign Affairs and the residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.”

“2. It is further stipulated that “any amount standing to credit of the Federation Account shall be distributed among the Federal and State Governments and the Local Government Councils in each State on such terms and in such manner as may be prescribed by the National Assembly.”

“3. Contrary to the aforesaid provision of the Constitution the Central Bank of Nigeria has been substituting foreign currencies paid into the Federation Account with Naira funds before distributing same to the three tiers of government i.e the Federal and State Governments as well as the local government councils in each state of the Federation.

“4. The adverse effects of the said substitution of revenues in foreign currencies with Naira funds on the national economy include the followings:

i. sustaining high double digit cost of funds,

ii. increasing production costs thereby occasioning national de-industrialization.

iii. Fueling inflation at rates that pauperize and make pension contribution a worthless pursuit, (current projected inflation of 15% compared to less than 5% in successful economies)

iv. Creating increasing unemployment with over a third of our working population idle with the collateral risk of rising insecurity.

v. Weakening the Naira value and instigating high fuel prices with increasing subsidy component, and

vi. Instigating national debt accumulations at exceedingly high cost projected at over N500 billion in the 2012 budget.

vii. Creating an adverse economic ripple that deepens poverty, when dollar revenue increases.

“5. Compliance with the aforesaid constitutional provision and payment of foreign accruals to beneficiaries of the Federation Account by means of dollar certificates (which prevent capital flight, money laundering and smuggling) will ensure monetary and price stability and promote a sound financial system as well as dispel the perennial scourge of excess liquidity and its negative chain of high inflation/interest rates and collapsing industrial landscape, and will promote an enabling environment with the following prime features:

i. Low single digit cost of borrowing across the board (in contrast to current over 20% rate of interest), which hurts businesses;

ii. Low production costs for made-in-Nigeria products;

iii. Low fuel prices, much below the old level of N65/litre;

iv. Minimal inflation rate of not more than 3%!;

v. Strong stable and realistically valued Naira with attendant increased purchasing power for all income earners;

vi. Low motivation for capital flight;

vii. Rapid increase in employment through sustainable industrialization thereby checking widespread poverty;

viii. Minimal national debt and reduced debt service charges;

“6(a) In the light of the foregoing our clients have instructed us to find out why the Central Bank has refused to comply with the aforesaid provision of the Constitution. Indeed, the Monetary Policy Thrust of the Government Transformation Blueprint Vision 2020 states that “one potentially enduring solution which would avoid the creation of new money and boost the Naira value in the foreign exchange market, relates to the allocation of foreign exchange earned from oil to the three tiers of Government rather than monetizing it.” The use of dollar certificates eliminates capital flight, money laundering and smuggling. Consequently, our clients demand to know by which authority CBN continues to violate Section 162 of the Constitution.

“6(b) Our clients also demand for clear information on the following:

(i) All dollar revenues, which have been substituted with naira in monthly allocations (and the applicable rate for substitution) in the past five years.

(ii) Monthly balances in the Excess Crude account, and the details of all withdrawals from the Excess Crude account

(iii) Total value of monthly borrowings with sales of Treasury Bills and Bonds and related interest rates and service charges.

(iv) Total value of monthly auctions of dollars to commercial banks and applicable exchange rate

(v) Total value of monthly allocation of dollars to Bureau de Change and applied exchange rate.

(vi) Total monthly profit made by CBN on all auction sales of dollars

(vii) Total monthly credit balances in foreign reserves account.

(viii) Total value of fuel subsidies paid monthly for fuel imports

(ix) Tabulation of annual budget deficits

(x) Tabulation of annual rates of inflation

All above information are required for the period 2007 to 2011

“6(c) Our clients also demand for clear information on the source of the total amount of bailouts advanced to the banks since 2007.

This information should clearly distinguish the total sums and the sources of AMCON intervention in the banking crisis.

“6(d) Our clients also demand for a clear statement on

(i) Nigeria’s debt portfolio (external/domestic) and the tenor and applicable interest charges on these loans

(ii) The structure and yield on our foreign reserves and their current locations.

“TAKE NOTICE that this request is anchored on Section 2 of the Freedom of Information Act. Therefore, you are required to accede to our clients’ request within seven days of the receipt of this letter. Otherwise, we shall be left with no other alternative than to pray the Federal High Court to compel you to justify the decision of the management of the Central Bank to treat section 162 of the Constitution and the Monetary Policy of the Government with disdain.

“Yours sincerely,

FEMI FALANA”


BY: LES LEBA

Link:http://www.huhuonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4435:cbn-vs-the-people&catid=56:you-your-family&Itemid=412

What's the update on this project, please?

philip0906:

my friend stop making noise. . .U r replying a post in which d op gave u a link.so can u also put up a link of this story u typed here 2 refute his?or r u bankole's right hand man giving us eye witness account?or u r just blinded by tribalism? 

BusinessDay: http://www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php/news/76-hot-topic/32499-alleged-n40bn-fraud-court-acquits-discharges-bankole-nafada
Vanguard:http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/02/how-court-dismisses-n40bn-case-against-bankole-nafada/

Excerpts from the articles

BusinessDay

The judge also described as improper, the charge of criminal conspiracy, as the evidence and testimonies of prosecution witness did not supply sufficient proof.

He said: “The EFCC failed woefully through the evidence and witnesses to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt; rather, some witnesses whom the EFCC brought to court have confirmed that the two accused persons did not benefit from the money in question.”

He held that the clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, had confirmed that the House of Representatives took the said loan from the banks, to pay running costs for members.

“Maikasuwa’s testimony that the loan was taken because members of the Sixth House of Representatives had all agreed to increase their running costs from N27 million to N42 million, shows that the two accused did not unilaterally take the loan for personal use.

“The same Maikasuwa’s testimony, admitting that no financial transactions can take place without him appending his approval, was strong to prove that the accused persons were not signatories to the loan taken.

“The clerk, deputy clerk and director of finance and accounts, also all testified that the two accused did not benefit from the sharing of the said amount.

“The three mentioned people were signatories to the House of Representatives account and responsible for the disbursement of the money.”

The judge also held that the testimony of Abdullahi Imam, a manager of UBA, National Assembly branch, also revealed that the loan, which “was actually N25 billion and not N40 billion, had been repaid.”

Vanguard

Judge dismisses case

Before he dismissed the case, Justice Belgore maintained that having gone through the totality of proof of evidence before the court as well as the oral testimonies of all the witnesses that were called by the EFCC, he was convinced that the two accused persons did not commit any offence known to the Nigerian law.

He said what the accused persons did while in office was not salary or allowance increase but enhancement of the running cost of members in tune with the approved budgetary allocation for the lower chamber, adding that there was no nexus linking the accused with any case of conspiracy or theft as was alleged by the EFCC.

He said: “Under all the relevant statutes and the constitution, obtaining loan by any department is not a crime and there is no penal provision for it. It is therefore my considered view that the proof of evidence did not connect the accused persons with committal of any offence or such acts that should warrant their continued trial before this court.”

Besides, the court also noted that going by the allegations raised by the anti-graft commission, the Clerk of the House and other management staff of the National Assembly, being the accounting officers, ought to have been prosecuted by the EFCC over the alleged illicit loan saga, stressing that the commission rather resorted to “chasing shadows.”

Nevertheless, the court observed that, “though it is morally wrong, morally indefensible and morally insensitive for the members of the House of Representatives led by Bankole and Nafada to have increased their “running costs” from N27million per quarter, per member, to N42million, it did not amount to a criminal offence but a moral wrong.”

The court reasoned that the legislature, being a different arm of government, the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) could not fix the “running costs” for members of the House of Representatives. They are at liberty to increase their “running costs” to whatever amount they so collectively wish, adding that RMAFC can only fix “wages” and “allowances” and not “running costs” and that “running costs” do not qualify as “allowances”.

alj harem:

Mr Bankole secured a 10bn naira ($65m; £40m) loan, which was then shared out among senior figures in parliament.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13664911

Yep. the report you quoted references Nigeria's local newspapers and refers to the fraud as 'alleged'. The so-called N10bn loan has been fully paid back by the House of Reps. The money was meant for 'House Running Costs' and was already captured in the 2010 budget before it was borrowed. No crime was ever committed. What they did was to increase their budget between 2009 and 2010 which is what every government agency does anyways. EFCC and Bankole's enemies were looking for ways to punish him without proper investigation and they have failed so far. The 2nd case is still in court and we shall soon see its outcome. Good luck.

alj harem:


How was he able to afford 10 billion for Sariki sister and Ini edo ?

Ok. You are a consumer of dem junk magazines that made unfounded claims against poor Bankole. Bankole never dated Ini Edo. Bankole was a colleague of Saraki because they were both well-educated legislators. Gbemi Saraki herself is quite well-to-do as she was born with a silver spoon and has been a top Senator for years.

Oh you don't know? Poor you!

bayooooooo:

Six or half a dozen, it still the same thing. For a case not to go beyond no case submission, the charges were indeed weak.
The inflation of contracts , if well prosecuted, is the one that will eventually nail him.

Yours is almost the only informed response on this thread.  However, the Inflation of Contracts case is even weaker than this Loan case if you attempt a simple introspection of the merits of the case.  Bankole as Speaker has absolutely no business regarding contract awards.  That is the business of the Procurement office of the National Assembly.  Also, unless you can trace funds into his personal accounts that is linked to this contract awards, there would be a 'quick no case' ruling on that as well.

alj harem:

SMH

Why would bankole be freed ?

did he not embezzle money ?

and someone that stole a stereo in delta got death sentence

Nigeria is messed up I no go lie

Bankole was freed because he did not embezzle money. A lot of people have been misinformed about the Bankole case however.

bayooooooo:

The case against Bankole was weak, you don't have to be emotional. They were pursuing shadows while the more weighty allegation of inflation of contacts was not preferred against him.

You are wrong.  The inflation of contracts case is still in court.  Bankole was being prosecuted in 2 different courts at the same time.  The second case (inflation of contracts) will resume before Justice Okorowa in February.

Meanwhile, let us treat this Bankole/Nafada case based on its merit.  The judge that gave the verdict, Justice Belgore, did an excellent and thorough analysis of the prosecution and the defence.  I was in court.  We are all literate.  Get a summary of the ruling for the case and get educated.

r231:

FYI


Nairaland to the Rescue of the Obuhs

“Statistics has shown about 75percent of the Nigerian population live below the poverty line of 1USD which is about N161.00 per day. So many people simply cannot afford to pay rent let alone purchase their own dwelling place at the end of the month. This was the case of Mr. Monday Obuh a factory worker who was laid off from his job, evicted from his home and was left to put up under the newly constructed Cele Bridge with his pregnant wife and kid” Ebere Nwiro writes.

The title was changed to 'Travails of the Obuhs under Cele Bridge' in the published newspaper edition.

The Obuhs - A Series of Unlikely Events

In a world where millions live in abject poverty, what are the possible routes from slum to basic comfort?  The Obuh story showcases one.

Call it the Nigerian dream if you will; it is a story of the human condition; of chaos and order; it is a case study in sociology; a Nairaland story, indeed.

If there's ever a thing as thread of the year or Nairaland hero of the year, then this thread presents a few contenders.

In the world we find ourselves today, there exists insincere leaders whose true motives we may never know.  The world fails to develop.  The gap between the rich and the poor continually widens.  And our leaders pretend that they care.  What about the media?  Do they tell a true story?  In the case of the Obuhs, they certainly did not.  Why?  The answer to that question will be told another day if you believe in hope.  I do.

Chance, Destiny, Providence, Luck.  Whatever you call it, many obstacles lay in the path of the Obuh's route to comfort.  As the story unfolded, we saw the
opportunists who would rather benefit from a a fellow man's suffering so much so that you could call them evil.  Some were sceptical.  Many were condescending and quick to pass judgement.  However, a minute few would stop at nothing to render unconditional assistance to this disadvantaged family.

I was taught in school that Newton's first law, the law of inertia, states that an object will remain static unless a very powerful force is applied.  In the case of the Obuhs, and probably in many cases of poverty in our world, it would require a plethora of forces to bring a ray of hope to a seemingly hopeless situation.

A series of unlikely events.

An article in PM News.
A Nairaland post referencing the PM News story.
A Nairaland member who took the amazingly unusual step to visit the Obuhs.  Not once, but numerous times, in a matter of days.
A Nairaland member who refused to believe the numerous 'disappointing news' that developed since the story broke, begged all to seek for the truth firsthand, and insisted on showing the Obuhs unconditional love.
The Nairaland members who contributed the unquantifiable amount of coordination to the success of this project along with transparent financial accounting.
The Nairaland members who contributed financially to this cause.

If there ever is such a thing as thread of the year or nairaland hero of the year, then this thread presents a few contenders,   For you are our heroes despite your collective modesty.  You have shown the rest of us examples of how to live happily and be fulfilled.  You have once again convinced us that there is hope, that the greater good can still trump the many great evils of our world.  This may be the beginning of greater things to come.  Great things that may outlive Nairaland itself.  

Unconditional love.  Intervention in the lives of the needy without 'question'.  Honest reporting.  Transparent charities.  A highly organised system. Virtues that many would rather forget quickly.  Are these not the seeds that would grow to thwart the menace of corruption in our society?

This may be the beginning of greater things to come.

A series of unlikely events, the first being that moment in time when that young man founded a website called nairaland.com.

Come to think of it, every page I open on Nairaland I see Google Trader adverts.  Seun and Google Trader are clearly partners in crime.  The question is which of the two parties benefits more from this symbiosis in the near term?  Only time will tell.

Seun, is it just mi or do I sense you struck a deal with Google and you are smiling back from the bank already?  If that's the case, then a wise entrepreneur is he who knows the right time to execute the exit strategy.  If I'm wrong, oops!

El-Rufai, thank you for sharing this with us. You have spoken the truth. And only the truth can set us free. Those of you who choose to feed problems while you starve opportunities, open your minds. Learn. Equip yourself with all the knowledge you can. Because, some time very soon as always, it is the pen that will emancipate you and not the sword. God help us all.

Wow! Nairaland! I like the picture. Though he looks like a military dictator sitting on a throne. Rather stiff. But it's a break from the usual photo shoot. It's different. And that's what matters most to mi.