₦airaland Forum

“I applied but wasn’t issued a visa. However, they did not decline me categorically either. They’ve only said my application is going through administrative process. It is the sole prerogative of America to determine who they want in their country or not. I’m not running away from America,” he said.

Atiku, William Jefferson and the FBI Search Warrant

The sold property attracted international media attention in 2005 after the FBI videotaped Mr. Jefferson, who was the congressman representing Louisiana, receiving $100,000 worth of $100 bills in a leather briefcase as part payment of a $500,000 bribe allegedly demanded by Mr. Abubakar, who was vice president at the time, to facilitate the award of contracts to some two American telecommunication firms in Nigeria.

On August 2, 2005, the FBI applied for a search warrant from William Connelly, a US judge in Maryland, to search the Potomac mansion.

A day after the affidavit was filed, the FBI raided the congressional office of Mr. Jefferson and discovered $90,000 “wrapped in aluminum foil and stuffed inside frozen-food containers” and hidden in a freezer. The serial numbers on the bill matched those the FBI had given to an informant.

The affidavit filed by FBI special agent, Edward Cooper, in support of the application for a search warrant of the Maryland home further revealed the details of the bribery scandal.

Mr. Cooper told the court that the search of the property was necessary because the FBI has probable cause to believe that the there are evidence of the violations of Title 18 United States Code, Section 201, which relates to the bribery of a public official; Title 18 United States Code, Sections 1343, 1346, and 1349, which deals with wire fraud, deprivation of honest service and scheme defraud.

Mr. Cooper also claimed that the evidence he sought in the Atikus’ mansion were believed to be in violation of Title 15, United States Code, Section 78dd-1, which deals with the bribery of a foreign official, Title 18 United States Code, Section371, which deals with the conspiracy to commit bribery and the bribery of a foreign official.

Mr. Cooper also listed the items to be seized from the mansion as:

1. Cash in $100 denominations or higher.

2. A new, reddish-brown coloured briefcase retailed or manufactured by Bosca.

3. A reddish-brown coloured cloth bag with two drawing strings on top of the bag.

4. All video recording devices, surveillance videotapes, CDs, digital media or any other electronic devices related to the surveillance of the house grounds, driveway and premises.

5. All recording of visitors to the premises recording arrival, departure or length of stay information.

6. All records, logs, schedule of employees or personnel working at the premises from Monday July 18, 2005 at 6 pm to the present.

7. Records, documents from January 2001 to the present relating to IGate incorporated, Rosecom.net, NDTV, Multimedia Broadband Services Inc, and W2 IBBS Limited.

8. All records and documents relating to communication to and from Atiku Abubakar and William Jefferson regarding the proposed business venture in Nigeria.

The bribery investigation started in March 2005 when a “cooperating witness”, who has since been identified as a Virginia-based businessman, Lori Mody, approached the FBI after he suspected that he had been a victim of a fraudulent scheme involving Mr Jefferson, Vernon Jackson, and Brett Pfeffer.

Mr. Mody told the FBI that he suspected that the trio were scheming to defraud him of $3.5 million using Mr. Jackson’s company, iGate Incorporated.

He said he paid the money to Mr Jackson, who had developed a technology that could enable the transmission of data, audio and video through copper called “Triple Play”, for its reacquisition from another company which had acquired it from iGate. However, Mr. Jackson, after collecting the money, could not produce proof that he had reacquired the technology.

He also told the FBI that Mr. Jefferson promised to assist him with his business dealings in Nigeria for a percent share of his business, which he directed to be issued in the names of his children.

At the time, Mr. Jefferson was a member of the congressional African Trade and Investment caucus as well as member of the congressional caucus for Nigeria.

The FBI revealed that Mr. Jefferson had already received a 30 per cent equity in a Nigerian company controlled by Mr. Mody in exchange for promoting communication equipment and services offered by iGate in Nigeria. Mr. Jefferson also requested that the 30 per cent stake be placed in a Nigerian company controlled by his children.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/261868-exclusive-blocked-from-america-atiku-sells-controversial-2-95-million-u-s-home.html

A luxury mansion co-owned by a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and his fourth wife, Jennifer Douglas, in the posh neighbourhood of Potomac, Maryland, United States, has been auctioned.

The property gained international notoriety in 2005 after it was searched by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in connection with a bribery scandal involving disgraced former U.S. Congressman, William Jefferson.

The seven-bedroom cream-coloured single family brick house on 9731 Sorrel Ave, Potomac, Maryland, was originally listed for $3.25 million on Zillow and other online real estate websites on January 25, 2018 but was eventually sold for a pending offer of $2.95 million on February 26, 2018 after an online auction.

A pending offer means a buyer and seller of the property have reached a deal. However, a buyer can still pull out from the deal (which is very unlikely) if they cannot resolve issues like cost of repair or they cannot get a bank to approve a loan for the purchase of the property.

Mr. Abubakar and Ms. Douglas bought the 7,131 square feet house in December 1999 for $1.75 million. Built in 1988, the house was described on Zillow as one of the finest in the tony neighbourhood of Falconhurst, Potomac, where houses are valued between $2 million and $10 million.

The Atikus’ mansion is a colonial-style building that sits in the middle of a 2.3 acres premises of lush green trees. The mansion has a total of 21 rooms, multiple terraces which are said to be ideal for outdoor parties, a pool sauna, a gazebo, a gourmet kitchen and an outdoor swimming pool.

Sources with knowledge of the state of the mansion but who requested not to be named because they did not want to be publicly associated with this story, said the Atikus had not lived in the mansion since Mr. Abubakar left office as vice president in 2007.

One source told PREMIUM TIMES that after 2007, house service staff lived in the mansion for some years, but the place was later locked up, and had remained unoccupied.

Tax records from the Montgomery County, Washington DC, show that Ms. Douglas consistently paid property taxes on the mansion from 1999 to 2016. She, however, is in default of $27,913.77 being that for 2017.

The house was not in foreclosure as it was paid for completely by the Atikus and available records showed that no bank loan was involved in its purchase.

The sale of the mansion was not listed as a public auction, which is an auction done under a court order on behalf of government or its agencies.

There is also no evidence that the sale is connected to the now infamous 2005 case or any other unknown criminal investigations.

Paul Ibe, the spokesperson for Me. Abubakar, told PREMIUM TIMES the sale of the mansion was voluntary and strictly an investment decision.

“Atiku Abubakar is a successful businessman who has a long history of real estate investments,” Mr. Ibe said in response to an enquiry by this newspaper.

“The U.S. home was simply one of such numerous investments. The home was no longer serving the purpose for which it was bought. Consequently, it has to be put up for sale via open auction, a growing and preferred method of selling high end properties. The proceeds thereof will be deployed to business aimed at creating jobs.”

Mr. Abubakar has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the Jefferson corruption saga that led to the search of his home.

But the former vice president’s political rivals have always harped on that episode to discredit him.

What is more, Mr. Abubakar, believed to be nursing a fresh bid to become president of Nigeria in 2019 after several failed attempts, has not travelled to the U.S. for a long time. That has fuelled speculations that he might be avoiding a possible arrest or prosecution.

But in an interview with the BOSS newspaper last December, he explained he had made attempts to visit the U.S. but was turned down for administrative reasons.
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/261868-exclusive-blocked-from-america-atiku-sells-controversial-2-95-million-u-s-home.html

Reserved

N13.5M Monthly Illegal Allowance: Lawmakers angry, plot against Whistle-blower Shehu Sani

The Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has angered a number of his colleagues for lifting the veil on the N13.5million illegal allowances members of the upper legislative chambers receive each month in addition to their legitimate salaries and allowances.

Some lawmakers who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES but asked not to be named said the revelation by Mr. Sani has damaged the reputation of the federal legislature while possibly pitting constituents against their representatives.

The aggrieved senators and members of the House of Representatives said some of their colleagues were already discreetly working out modalities to deal with the Kaduna lawmaker.

Mr. Sani had in an interview with TheNews revealed that he and his colleagues receive N13.5 million monthly as “running cost”, aside a N700,000monthly consolidated salary and allowances which they also receive.

Mr. Sani’s revelation is the first by a lawmaker from the Senate since the clamour by Nigerians for a full disclosure of lawmakers’ earnings.

The revelation has sparked widespread anger among Nigerians who had always criticised the lawmakers for arbitrarily allocating jumbo pay to themselves at a time the country remained in dire need of funds for developmental projects.

Ironically, Mr. Sani’s colleagues are criticising him for coming clean on the secret allowances lawmakers receive while majority of Nigerians wallow in poverty and disease.

Some of the lawmakers who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES said the revelation has the tendency of turning their constituents against them.

They said the revelation might instigate their constituents to make more financial demands from them

The lawmakers vowed to take necessary steps to make the next one year difficult for the Kaduna senator.

“He has brought his useless activism to the chamber creating the impression that we are all thieves without telling Nigerians details of what the money is used for ,” one lawmaker said. “There are are always ways of dealing with characters like that. Just wait and see.”

Part of the punishment the angry lawmakers are considering is to pressure the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to exclude Mr. Sani from subsequent ‘secret meetings’ of the senate, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

They plan to prevail on Mr. Saraki to stop inviting him for such meetings, especially those where finances might be discussed.

The lawmakers are also weighing the option of recommending a probe of the whistle-blower to Mr. Saraki.

For them, Mr. Sani would have to explain why he turned himself to the senate spokesperson, speaking on behalf of others
Shehu Sani

If adopted, Mr. Sani would be investigated by the senate’s ethics committee which shall recommend a punishment.

But some lawmakers are cautioning against any open rebuke of the senator, saying that might generate even more public anger against the Senate and its members.

Many Nigerians, including civil society organisations have commended Mr. Sani’s action.
However, if eventually probed and found guilty by the ethics committee, Mr. Sani faces up to six to 12 months suspension.

In March 2017, when the former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume asked for investigation of allegations of importing a bullet proof range rover with fake documents involving Senate President Bukola Saraki and that of perjury involving Dino Melaye, the committee recommended 12 months suspension.

The suspension was later reduced to six months by the lawmakers.

Similarly, in the House of Representatives, a lawmaker from Kano, Abdulmumin Jibrin, was suspended for 180 days for revealing what is today known as budget padding.

His suspension was recommended by the House Ethics Committee which also prescribed that Mr. Jibrin will also not be able to hold any position of responsibility for the span of the current National Assembly.

Contacted on Saturday, Mr. Sani said he preferred not to comment on his colleagues’ moves. He promised to make comments if the need arises in future.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/261358-n13-5m-monthly-illegal-allowance-lawmakers-angry-plot-whistle-blower-shehu-sani.html

Why is PDP Skittish ?

Why is PDP Skittish ?

One of the great video by Prince EA, it will be good for your career


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FonBwwDBxN4

Pastors Use Threat Of Curses To Force Church Members To Pay Tithe, Bishop Mike Okonkwo Confesses


It was a time of confession for Bishop Mike Okonkwo, one of the prominent leaders in Nigerian christian community recently as he told members of his congregation that he has been deceiving them on the issue of payment of tithe.

Okonkwo, who is the founder of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), told members of his church that contrary to what he has been telling them over the years, anyone who refuses to pay tithe will not be under any form of curse.

He also confessed that he and his colleagues employ the 'threat of curse' to frighten church members to part with their money.

In a video that has now gone viral, the Bishop said pastors are in the habit of using certain “semantics” to manipulate their members into paying tithe.

He said, “The first mention of tithe, there was no curse in it. Abraham gave the tithe of all to Melchizedek which was before the law. There was no curse and he did it willingly.

“I have frightened the church with curses for not paying tithes and that was because I didn’t know any better.

“You know we conjure all kinds of semantics like, ‘If you don’t pay your tithe, your life will be tight,’ and the people pay out of fear without God’s blessing.

“God wants you to pay tithe out of love, it shouldn’t be about the money, but about Jesus.”

In another video, the pastor dispelled the first fruit doctrine - a teaching by some pentecostal pastors to their members to give all of their first salaries in the year or the first profit realised from their business undertakings as offerings.

Bishop Okonkwo said other pastors have approached him to also enforce payment of first fruit in his church, but he had always refused the counsel.

“Can you imagine all the businessmen, all the profit you made and you bring them at my feet. Even if I did not read it in the bible, my conscience will not allow me.

“It is not all the gifts you take, take only the one you will be able to go to bed," he said.

He said he had to let go of a pastor who wanted to imbibe the first fruit doctrine in his church.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAyZW0z5lLQ

http://saharareporters.com/2018/03/07/pastors-use-threat-curses-force-church-members-pay-tithe-bishop-mike-okonkwo-confesses

Pastors Use Threat Of Curses To Force Church Members To Pay Tithe, Bishop Mike Okonkwo Confesses


It was a time of confession for Bishop Mike Okonkwo, one of the prominent leaders in Nigerian christian community recently as he told members of his congregation that he has been deceiving them on the issue of payment of tithe.

Okonkwo, who is the founder of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), told members of his church that contrary to what he has been telling them over the years, anyone who refuses to pay tithe will not be under any form of curse.

He also confessed that he and his colleagues employ the 'threat of curse' to frighten church members to part with their money.

In a video that has now gone viral, the Bishop said pastors are in the habit of using certain “semantics” to manipulate their members into paying tithe.

He said, “The first mention of tithe, there was no curse in it. Abraham gave the tithe of all to Melchizedek which was before the law. There was no curse and he did it willingly.

“I have frightened the church with curses for not paying tithes and that was because I didn’t know any better.

“You know we conjure all kinds of semantics like, ‘If you don’t pay your tithe, your life will be tight,’ and the people pay out of fear without God’s blessing.

“God wants you to pay tithe out of love, it shouldn’t be about the money, but about Jesus.”

In another video, the pastor dispelled the first fruit doctrine - a teaching by some pentecostal pastors to their members to give all of their first salaries in the year or the first profit realised from their business undertakings as offerings.

Bishop Okonkwo said other pastors have approached him to also enforce payment of first fruit in his church, but he had always refused the counsel.

“Can you imagine all the businessmen, all the profit you made and you bring them at my feet. Even if I did not read it in the bible, my conscience will not allow me.

“It is not all the gifts you take, take only the one you will be able to go to bed," he said.

He said he had to let go of a pastor who wanted to imbibe the first fruit doctrine in his church.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAyZW0z5lLQ

http://saharareporters.com/2018/03/07/pastors-use-threat-curses-force-church-members-pay-tithe-bishop-mike-okonkwo-confesses

Since the return to democratic rule in 1999, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has conducted the general elections on a two-tier or three-tier basis. Even though the national assembly had attempted in the past to use the Electoral Act to alter the sequence of elections fixed by the INEC it did not succeed. In spite of the ongoing controversy surrounding the sequence of elections our recent experience as a nation has shown that there is nothing sacrosanct about it. In 1999 and 2007 the presidential election came up last while it came up first in 2015. In influencing the order of elections in 2015 the ruling party had thought that holding the presidential election first would have bandwagon effect on the outcome of the other elections. But the result was a disaster for the ruling party.

It has equally been confirmed that when elections into the legislative houses were held before other election in the past majority of sitting legislators lost their seats. So, there is no indication that President Muhammadu Buhari stands to benefit electorally from the decision of the INEC to retain the 2015 sequence of elections. But notwithstanding the reactions of the presidency and the national assembly to the sequence of elections announced by the INEC it is pertinent to review the relevant provisions of the Constitution, the Electoral Act and judicial authorities on the vexed issue.

In preparations for the 2019 general elections the INEC recently released a timetable for party primaries and the elections into the various offices in exercise of its powers under Sections 76, 116, 132 and 178 as well as paragraph 15 of Part 1 of the Third Schedule made pursuant to section 153 (1) of the Constitution. Under the arrangement the presidential and national assembly elections will be held on February 16, 2019 while the governorship and house of assembly elections will take place on March 2, 2019. But in the Electoral Bill 2018 recently passed by the national assembly the sequence of the general elections has been altered. The sequence proposed by the new amendment is A. National Assembly Election, B. Governorship and State Assembly Elections and C. Presidential Election.

No doubt, the matter has generated a needless controversy to the extent that little or no attention is paid to the other provisions of the Electoral Bill which have the capacity to promote internal democracy and enhance the credibility of the electoral process. Perhaps not aware of the state of the law the INEC has announced its intention to approach the Supreme Court to test the constitutional validity of the Electoral Bill 2018 if it is eventually signed into law by the President. Since there are indications that the President may withhold his assent in the circumstance, the national assembly has threatened to override his veto. Having watched the trend of the debate it is regrettable to note that the parties involved in the dispute have not studied the decision of the Court of Appeal in the case of National Assembly v. President (2003) 9 NWLR (PT 824) 104 at 143-144. In that case, President Obasanjo had refused to assent to the Electoral Bill 2002 which had been passed by both Chambers of the National Assembly and transmitted to him June 24, 2002. Subsequently, by a motion of veto-override the national assembly passed the bill into law. In an originating summons filed at the Federal High Court the INEC challenged the validity of the passage of the Bill into law and the constitutionality of Section 15 of the Act which had provided that general elections shall be held in one day. The trial court held that the Bill was properly passed into law but that Section 15 thereof was inconsistent with Sections 76, 116, 132 and 178 of the Constitution. Dissatisfied with the annulment of Section 15 of the Electoral Act, the national assembly filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal. On his own part, the Attorney-General of the Federation filed a cross appeal to challenge the passage of the Bill into law. In its judgment the Court of Appeal held that the manner of passing the bill into was unconstitutional but declined to set it aside on ground of public policy as the 2003 general elections were being conducted under the law. However, the Court of Appeal affirmed the decision of the Federal High Court on the illegality of Section 15 of the Electoral Act. In his contribution to the judgment of the Court, Oduyemi J.C.A (as he then was) stated that “in so far as Section 15 of the Electoral Act, 2002 seeks to fetter that discretion and limit the 3rd Defendant to only one day in the year for all elections to the offices concerned, that provision of the Act is inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution above referred to and is to that extent a nullity. Section 1(3) of the Constitution… All in all, I agree with the reasoning in the judgment of the lower court and with the conclusion in the judgment that Section 15 of the Electoral Act, 2002 is inconsistent with the specific provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 in Section 132(1), 76(1), 178(1), 116(1), 78, 118 and Item 15(a) of the 3rd Schedule: that it infringes upon the absolute discretion vested by the Constitution on the 3rd Respondent with regard to the fixing of dates for election into the various offices concerned.” Alteration of the Constitution However, the national assembly took advantage of the 2010 Alteration of the Constitution to attempt to overrule the judgment of the Court of Appeal in the case of the National Assembly v. The President (supra).

Thus, in the first alteration made to the Constitution, the national assembly amended sections 132(1), 76(1), 178(1), 116(1), 118 and 178 of the Constitution by adding the phrase “in accordance with the Electoral Act”. Although the power of the INEC to “organize, undertake and supervise” the general elections conferred on it by paragraph 15 of part 1 of the third schedule made pursuant to section 153 of the Constitution was left intact, the national assembly members erroneously believed that they had conferred on themselves the power to fix the dates for general elections in Nigeria. Hence, in the 2018 Electoral Bill, the national assembly is alleged to have tampered with the discretion of the INEC to fix the dates for the 2019 general elections. Apart from the illegality of subjecting the provisions of the Constitution to the Electoral Act, the Alteration of the Constitution did not confer on the national assembly the power of fix dates for holding the general election in Nigeria. To that extent, the national assembly cannot use the Electoral Act to usurp the powers exclusively conferred on the INEC to appoint dates for holding the general elections in the country. Indeed, the Supreme Court has had cause, after the first 2010 Alteration of the Constitution, to confirm the discretionary power of the INEC to fix the dates for holding the general elections. In PDP V. SYLVA (2012) 13 NWLR (PT 1316) 85 the respondent challenged the decision of the INEC to cancel and reschedule the 2012 governorship election in Bayelsa State. In dismissing the contention the Supreme Court (per Rhodes Vivour JSC) held that ‘’INEC has the sole responsibility to fix dates for election and to my mind if INEC fixes a date for elections and for whatever reason, be it logistic, I do not think anyone has a cause of action against INEC for canceling an election (not held) and rescheduling elections for another day’’. Similarly, in NDP V INEC (2013) 20 WRN 1 at 45 the Supreme Court (per Ariwoola J.S.C.) held that “It is not in doubt that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that is, the respondent, has the sole responsibility to decide when elections are to hold. See Peoples Democratic Party v Timipre Sylva & Ors (2012) 13 NWLR (Pt 1316) 85 at 122. The respondent also reserves the prerogative to decide what Timetable of Activities to publish for a General Election.” Furthermore, in Hon. James Abiodun Faleke v INEC (2016) 50 WRN 1 the Supreme Court reiterated the view that by virtue of paragraph 15 of Part 1 of the Third Schedule made pursuant to section 153 (1) (f) and (i) of the Constitution, the Independent National Electoral Commission has power to organize, undertake and supervise all elections to the offices of the President, Vice President, the Governor and Deputy Governor of a State and the membership of the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly of each state of the Federation. No doubt, the national assembly would have achieved its objective if it had incorporated the sequence of the general elections in the Constitution. But by providing that the INEC shall fix election dates “in accordance with the Electoral Act” the interference in the exercise of the discretionary power of INEC’s constitutional power to fix the dates for the elections cannot be justified in law. As far as the Constitution is concerned, the power of the INEC to organize, undertake and supervise the elections which has been interpreted to include the power to fix the dates for the general elections or determine the sequence of the elections has not been altered in any material particular. It is the height of legislative absurdity to say that the power donated to the INEC by the Constitution shall be exercised in accordance with the provision of an interior legislation. In Attorney-General, Abia State v. Attorney-General of the Federation (2002) 1 WRN 1 at 45 Kutigi CJN (as he then was) held that “where the provision in the Act is within the legislative powers of the National Assembly but the Constitution is found to have already made the same or similar provision, then the new provision will be regarded as invalid for duplication and/or inconsistency and therefore inoperative.

The same fate will befall any provision of the Act which seeks to enlarge, curtail or alter any existing provision of the Constitution. The provision or provisions will be treated as unconstitutional and therefore null and void.” From the foregoing, it is submitted that the interference in the exercise of the powers of the INEC to appoint dates for holding the general election in Nigeria is illegal as the provision of the Electoral Bill, 2018 is inconsistent with Sections 76,116,132 and 178 of the Constitution. To the extent of such inconsistency, the provision of the Electoral Bill is illegal, null and void as stipulated by section 1 (3) of the Constitution. In other words, since the INEC has been empowered to organize, undertake and supervise all elections the National Assembly cannot rely on the provision of the Electoral Act to usurp the powers of the INEC to fix the dates for the elections. In view of the settled position of the law the INEC should not waste public funds by rushing to the Supreme Court to contest its own constitutional duty to organize, undertake and supervise the 2019 general elections.

http://www.streav.com/docs/national-assembly-lacks-power-to-fix-election-dates/

Thursday Fans...

A train station was built in just nine hours by 1,500 workers in China.

Organised with military precision, the project which reportedly took place over the weekend, was completed in the southern Fujian Province.

Seven trains and 23 diggers were used in the huge construction project at the Nanlong Railway Station in the south China city of Longyan, the Xianhua News Agency reported.

Workers were split into seven units to take on seven simultaneous tasks, according to Zhan Daosong, a deputy manager at China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group, the communist country’s main railroad construction company.

The high-speed Nanlong Railway line is under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

Around 152 miles long, it will provide a main transport link between the south-east of the country and central China.

The railway is designed to support trains travelling at speeds of up to 124 mph.

The project is one of series of impressive infrastructure projects completed by China in recent years.

Two years ago, the world’s largest radio telescope began searching for signals from stars and galaxies and, perhaps, extraterrestrial life in the remote Pingtang county in southwest China’s Guizhou province,Measuring 500 metres in diameter, the radio telescope is nestled in a natural basin within a stunning landscape of lush green karst formations.

It took five years and $£129m to complete and surpasses that of the 300-meter Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, a dish used in research on stars that led to a Nobel Prize.

The country has also completed the Tianhuangping hydroelectric project, which is the biggest in Asia and plays a vital role in supplying power to eastern China and The Guangzhou Opera House, one of its three biggest theatres was opened in 2009.

http://www.streav.com/groups/china/forum/topic/chinese-workers-build-railway-station-in-just-nine-hours/

Sad...but true

Nice one

TonyeBarcanista:
Well, rightly or wrongly, same way Nigerians will decline to assent their thumbs for him in next year's election

Why are you people so intellectually daft, instead on commenting on the substance or form of the topic, by contributing on the merits or otherwise of the topic, you choose the part of diverting and deviating from the message to attack the messenger.

I pity you

The Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, also known as Ranking Web of Universities, is a ranking system for the world's universities based on a composite indicator that takes into account both the volume of the Web contents (number of web pages and files) and the visibility and impact of these web publications according to the number of external inlinks (site citations) they received. The ranking is published by the Cybermetrics Lab, a research group of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) located in Madrid.

The aim of the Ranking is to improve the presence of the academic and research institutions on the Web and to promote the open access publication of scientific results.The ranking started in 2004 and is updated every January and July. Today it provides Web indicators for more than 12,000 universities worldwide.

“A LION IN THE NORTH SEA: THE BATTLE FOR CHEVRON NETHERLANDS.”

It was October 2013, two years had passed since I had left the family business in Lagos, Nigeria and moved to London, England to start my own oil trading company. My time in the family business, as a director in the telecoms division and upstream oil & gas company was challenging to say the least but engaging and ultimately rewarding. However, I have never felt comfortable with sitting back and getting a golden pass through life. Whilst the easy thing to do was to be a “good boy and good son” and enjoy all the luxuries of being in a family business – I decided that striking it out on my own once again was the best course of action.

I’ve always loved the oil & gas business, like many other Nigerians. However, what I love about the business, particularly the exploration and production (upstream) side, was the mixture of strategy, operational capability, technical know-how, politics and business acumen which all had to be married with a gambling spirit and sheer luck to be successful. In my decision to move to London, I decided I would only be in the oil & gas business as long as it didn’t pose a direct conflict to the family’s interests. There is striking it out on your own and then there is just being plain foolish. Luckily for me, I had stopped being foolish by then.

The modus operandi of my oil trading business was simple. I kept an office in Lagos with a small team of five to run operations and logistics. I converted one of the bedrooms in my townhouse in London into a study. My team in Lagos under my guidance would get oil trading contracts and I, sitting in London, would either market these contracts to the global oil trading houses to execute in Nigeria on a joint venture (JV) basis or in some instances, I would find the capital to execute the contract from end to end. This formula proved effective and it was good enough to pay my bills and afford me an above modest lifestyle...............

Read the more at :http://www.streav.com/groups/business-1403715703/forum/topic/how-i-nearly-bought-chevron-netherlands/#post-4145

Companies taking the lead in risk management practices are shifting away from protection mode, tying in risk management with strategic initiatives and decision-making, and placing more risk decision-making in the hands of business units.

PwC characterises these risk leaders as Front Liners in a new survey report, which gathered the opinion of nearly 1,600 corporate officers in 80 countries. The report singled out Front Liners as just 13% of respondents globally.

Front Liners are more likely to project revenue and profit growth in the next two years, and they are more resilient in the face of uncertainty. Front Liners say their companies view risk management as a catalyst rather than impediment for growth, and they are more likely to budget adequately for risk and embed risk management in day-to-day operations.

“Creating a viable risk culture may not necessarily mean fewer disruptions, but it will mean a faster bounce-back from risk events,” Brian Schwartz, PwC’s US Financial Services Internal Audit, Compliance, and Risk Management Leader, said in a PwC video accompanying the report.

Across five types of risk management best practices, Front Liners lead lower-performing peers by at least 12 percentage points. For example, 69% of Front Liners say that risk appetite and tolerance has been defined across a number of key risk categories, compared with 53% of others. Sixty-five percent say their company has a well-defined risk appetite statement and clearly communicated framework, compared with 49% of others.

Another report on risk management shows that some companies have a difficult time embedding risk management into strategic initiatives: Just 45% of companies say that risk exposures are considered mostly or extensively when evaluating new strategic initiatives, according to The State of Risk Oversight: An Overview of Enterprise Risk Management Processes, by North Carolina State University.

The goal of robust risk management is not to eliminate risk but to shrewdly adapt to it.

“We don’t want to stop the risk-taking; we want smart, informed risk-taking that’s done with eyes wide open, and within the overall risk appetite of the company,” Nick Hirons, senior vice president for global ethics and compliance at pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, said in the PwC report.

About two-thirds of Front Liners said they recovered effectively from disruptions caused by changes in business models or strategy, compared with 48% of other respondents.

The report offered five steps organizations should take to meet the challenges of today’s risk landscape:

Set a strong organizational tone. This should start with the CEO and board and permeate the organization.
Align risk management with strategy at the point of decision-making. This helps to ensure risk management is embedded into planning and anticipation of business risks when setting tactical priorities.
Recalibrate risk management across all three lines of defense. The first line (senior management and business units) owns business risk decision-making. The second line (risk and compliance functions) monitors the first, and the third line (internal audit) provides objective oversight.
Implement a clearly defined, organization-wide risk appetite and framework.
Develop risk reporting that enables the C-suite and board to effectively carry out their risk oversight responsibilities.
http://www.streav.com/2017/06/19/5-habits-top-risk-managers/

As demand for accounting and finance professionals increases, firms of all types are facing competition not only to court top talent, but also to keep it.

This can be especially challenging considering what we know about the rising generation of Millennial workers. According to a 2016 Gallup report, less than a third of the more than 50 million Millennials in the workforce say they feel engaged at work, and Millennials are less willing to stay in their current jobs than workers from previous generations. That turnover costs the U.S. economy an estimated $30 billion annually.

A lack of engagement is a major contributor to turnover, said Tamera Loerzel of ConvergenceCoaching LLC. Loerzel, a partner with the firm who has coached executives for more than 15 years, provided insights for an audience Wednesday at the AICPA ENGAGE conference in Las Vegas. In an interview prior to her presentation, she offered suggestions for managers to cultivate engagement and keep employees motivated.

Consider the strengths of the Millennial generation. Millennials have become known for a willingness to hop from gig to gig seeking better opportunities. But in many cases, these are driven and motivated individuals, and that motivation holds powerful potential, Loerzel said.

“Our young people have a lot of courage, and they’re willing to take risks,” she said. “That’s what you want to figure out how to harness and capitalize on.”

Yes, Millennials tend to want to ascend in their careers fast, she said. But with a predicted talent shortage in the coming years, firms need to support the development of young workers. As technology frees CPAs to spend less time on traditional compliance services and more time evolving into clients’ trusted analysts and advisers, this is an opportune time for young workers to focus on rising faster, Loerzel said.

“In this new age of technology, we need them to progress faster and take on more meaningful work,” she said. “We have to give them the experience—and—they want it. That’s the good news.”

Give frequent feedback. Workers—those texting and Skyping Millennials, especially—are accustomed to having information at their fingertips, and value frequent feedback. According to the Gallup report, 44% of Millennials who say their managers meet with them regularly describe themselves as engaged. Among those who don’t regularly meet with their bosses, just 20% describe themselves as being engaged in their work.

Gallup found that just 21% of Millennials and 18% of non-Millennials meet with their bosses weekly. It can be difficult to make time to meet, but these conversations can be concise, Loerzel said.

“You can do it at the end of a meeting, while riding in the car, et cetera,” she said. The sessions don’t have to be formal. Loerzel suggested the “keep-stop-start” framework—something the staffer is doing well and should keep up, something he or she should try to let go (sometimes this is a task that should be delegated to another team member), and a suggestion for something the staffer could start doing.

“The item to start could be developmental, from a performance improvement perspective, or something they could do to progress to the next level,” Loerzel said. The key is to be specific—feedback that is vague or uses phrases such as “you’re not ready yet,” or “you need to improve your technical ability” may be ambiguous and can be demotivating, she said.

“If we could do a better job setting specific expectations, people will know what to do and will step up to the challenge,” Loerzel said.

Don’t ignore your non-Millennials. Many firms have successful onboarding programs that start on college campuses and engage students and prospective job applicants from the very first recruiting encounter.

But when it comes to onboarding and training midlevel hires, firms might not do as good a job, and it can become difficult for that more experienced hire to find his or her niche.

Organizations need to be mindful of how they prepare and empower new employees at every level to help them feel connected and feel a sense of belonging in the organization, Loerzel said.

Allow workers to learn by doing. Many leaders instinctively step on the brakes when a less experienced associate wants to step up his or her role in serving a big client. But Loerzel said that there are strategies to maintain quality and oversight while giving associates a chance to learn the ropes, such as the gradual release of responsibility model, a four-step technique often used in teaching. It sounds a bit like this:

Step 1: Focused lesson—“I’ll complete the task while you observe.”

Step 2: Guided instruction—“I’ll lead us through the steps, but I’ll need your help.”

Step 3: Collaboration—“Please lead us through the task. I’m here if you get stuck.”

Step 4: Independence—“Why don’t you take over? We’ll check in halfway through to see how things are going.”

Establish a clear sense of purpose. Your best and brightest employees need to feel that their work is meaningful, Loerzel said.

Firms traditionally have focused on serving clients. And although day-to-day operations still should cater to client needs, many younger employees also value social responsibility, she advised.

“They want to know, ‘What’s our commitment to our community and how does our organization contribute to that,’” Loerzel said. “To truly engage people, they have to have a sense of belonging and a sense of purpose aligned with the organization’s mission.”

That mission should go beyond just a tagline on a strategic plan—it should result in tangible actions, both inside the workplace and in the community, such as offering volunteer hours for a beautification project or a food drive, or helping build a home for a family in need.

“Purpose, belonging, and empowerment—they’re all intertwined,” Loerzel said. “You have to make them feel like they have meaningful work and that they can see a path for themselves where they and their organization are making a difference.”

Source:http://www.streav.com/2017/06/21/create-workplace-employees-want-stay/

lalasticlala

Can Man ever satisfy a woman? How can she measures the level of love the man has for his mother?

interested

Nice piece

jolyment:
Wish me well for my introduction tomorrow.

All the best

"As the electioneering season approaches politicians must avoid exploiting ethnicity and religion by linking ethnicity with religion and religion with politics. Such must be avoided at all costs if we are to live in harmony.

In this respect the rest of Nigeria could learn from the South Western States who have successfully internalized religion, ethnicity and politics.

Political discourse should be conducted with civility, decorum and in a constitutional manner. We all have a collective responsibility to strengthen our democracy and entrench the rule of law. We should draw encouragement from the series of bye-elections conducted by INEC last year which were generally violence free and their outcomes adjudged to be free and fair" -

President New Year Speech

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