₦airaland Forum

If Atiku is displaying his recalcitrance in the open and he is distancing himself from the 3rd term ambition of the president, it is because the inevitable has dawn on him: There is no vacancy in Aso Rock. Besides, it is an open secret that there is no love lost between Atiku and OBJ.  On numerous ocassions, the president and his men have humillated the person and office of the VP.  How many times has OBJ removed the personnel in the office of the VP without consulting with him?  Not once, not twice.  What about the redeployment of his ADC by executive fiat?  It happened at least a couple of times.  At the height of the feud between the duo, when they both had to attend a government function, OBJ did not acknowledge the presence of his deputy.  Also as a ploy to weed out the influence of Atiku and his supporters in PDP, the re-registration exercise of party members was initially done to exclude the Vice President and his teeming supporters nationwide until the party had to succumb to public outcry and criticism on the issue.  Who is/are the brain behind this? Your guess is as good as mine.
One does not need the services of a soothsayer to say that the days of VP Atiku in the government of OBJ are numbered.  But if he manages to hang out till 2007, and if (God forbid) OBJ secures another term, Atiku is not likely to be part of that government.

Wish you good luck.

Alams may not be against OBJ but Dariye, I do not think so. Did you read in the newspapers (This Day) in which Dariye is calling for a truce with the presidency? You are right to some extent but the point is, the EFCC is selective in their prosecution because "the hand is that of Esau but the voice is that of Jacob". Has Olabode George beien prosecuted? (Remember Ports Authority scams) What about Mantu? (Hajj Scam and part loot from ecology fund from Plateau State diverted to PDP for the 2003 elections campaign fund) And Anenih? ( the 300 billion supposedly spent on roads that cannot be accounted for). No to all of the above. Why? They are third term agitators and close confidants of the president.
Point of correction - The office of the IG is a political office and whoever occupies that office does so at the mercy of the president. He can hire and fire him. So to say that the former IG is not a politician is far from the truth. He is a police-tician. It is an open secret that the IG bagged only six months for the economic crime preffered against him. Whatever happens to the loot amounting to 1.8billion naira? As far as know he did not forfeit the money to the FG. Why? Go and sin no more, keep your loot, don't say anything about the 2003 elections, etc.

The employer does not matter. What is important is the job responsibilities that you handled. If Domino's Pizza is offering you accounting internship, accept it. I was at their Corporate Office - the World Resources Center in Ann Arbor penultimate thursday and I was impressed by what I saw. One of my school mates is working there as an Accountant.

Pertaining to the transcript, try the following options:
1. If it is possible to retrieve a copy from your school record on the web, save a copy on your hard drive and forward it as an attachment with your application.
2. Forward a hard copy to the office, and mention this in your application that a copy is being forwarded by snail mail.
3. Obtain a hard copy, scan it and save it on your hard drive. You can then forward it to prospective employers on request.

Most important: Are you a US citizen? I think there are a lot of internship opportunities with the Fed Agencies. USAJobs recently sent job info to me and I am positive that they are looking to fill vacancies for college interns. Let me know, so I can search for you.

If you are living in Salem, Oregon, there is a posting by the Secretary of State for Audit Interns - 2-4 positions are available. The link to the site is: http://www.sos.state.or.us/audits/internships/index.html

How about this:

http://www.gannett.com/job/jobs/internopportunities.htm

Good luck with your search and please keep me posted on developments.

http://www.austincc.edu/hospmgmt/internshipopportunities.htm
Navigate thru the site and select those that catches your fancy

Look at the AICPA's web page - http://www.aicpa.org/nolimits/job/intrnshp/index.htm

Try this:http://www.inroads.org/interns/internPublic.jsp

Hi Toni,
You are a jewel of an inestimable value. It is in the nature of people to display ingratitude, but trust to your convictions, and do not be discouraged. So often, people who have benefitted from your kindness and altruism may choose not to appreciate you or the good work you are doing. Rest assured that there are people out there who are motivated by your efforts, appreciate you and want to be like you - in altruistic behaviour.
Keep it up.

Why not utilize your school's career resources. Accounting and Finance majors are usually the envy of other majors because of the multitude of career opportunities that abound for them. My suggestion is: join your school's NABA (National Association of Black Accountants) or the Accounting Club if you are still in your junior year. And what about career job fairs? I am sure these organizations are active in your school and should provide you with the opportunity to meet with prospective recruiters. How do I know this? I am a recent graduate of accounting and I was the Assistant Treasurer and later Treasurer of the Accounting Club for our College. I was also a member of NABA. We invite recruiters and they also come to the campus on their own volition to talk to students and recruit. I did not get an internship because I do not need one but a lot of people got internship which later metamorphosed into full time employment. You really need the internship and you should be really serious in your search for one, otherwise it will be very difficult to find an employment after your graduation.
Recruiters usually look for people who are active at school, especially those taking leadership roles or helping fellow students. Consider signing up for volunteer activities or if you have good grades in your lower level accounting courses, sign up as a tutor in one of those classes, if it will not impinge on your studies. I am sure you will reap the benefit when you face a recruiter for a job interview.
Good luck.

While it may take falsehold a lifetime to sojourn, truth will catch up with it in an instant. When EFCC was created by OBJ, everybody hailed the move as a welcome development to rid the polity of corruption. But the citizens now know better. It has become clear that the government, nay, OBJ is only using EFCC to settle political score with perceived enemies of his 3rd term ambition.

@ Kave, according to my dictionary, if two people smooch, they kiss and hold each other in a romantic way, especially while dancing. So you are not really smooching her but you are performing the act i.e. penetration. Unless the girl is an alcoholic and was drunk at the time of the act, I do not think it is possible for her to feign ignorance of your actions.

Did you mean deflowered?  Let me say upfront that I do not speak for the two genders, because I have not had the opportunity of discussing this subject with a female,  so my point of view is that of a male.  Though not confirmed by scientific testing, there is this hypothesis that if you have the singular honour of deflowering a girl, you have her undivided loyalty and love.  We will need the help of statisticians however to prove the truth or fallacy of this claim.  If it can be proven in the affirmative, then a virgin may be a safer alternative than a disflowered girl because she will be faithful to her partner, not be involved in extra-marital affairs, and  she will love her partner wholeheartedly. What about her partner? The ball is in the court of ladies to pass judgment.

As far as I know,  the Hausas and Fulanis are two distinct tribes that inhabit the Northern Nigeria and most of the countries in West Africa.  The Fulanis are by occupation cattle rearers hence naturally are nomadic. The Hausas are not.  It is only in Nigeria that the two tribes are treated as one ethnic grouping. Why are they co-joined?  Is it to give them an overwhelming majority over the Yorubas and the Ibos? If it is because of intermarriage, does the Efiks and the Ibiobios not intermarry? Why don't we refer to these ethnic groupings as Efik/Ibiobio? and so on and so forth.  Methinks this kind of siamese grouping is fraudulent, because of the false impression that they outnumbered the Yorubas and the Ibos.  If you treat them as separate tribes, they will fall back to the 3rd and 4th positions behind the Yorubas and the Ibos or even be displaced by the sprawling Ijaw tribe.
Can anyone educate me and the rest of the forum why this fraud has been allowed to stand unchallenged?

I am going through the interview process and I have done a lot of research on it.  I hope you find these contributions timely, but if not they will be useful to others in future.

Familiar questions posed by American recruiters:
Why should we hire you? Here is the chance to really sell yourself. You need to briefly and succinctly lay out your strengths, qualifications and what you can bring to the table.
Why do you want to work here? Your answer to this question will demonstrate to the recruiter that you have done your home work.  Before attending an interview, you need to research the company, to find out its mission, vision and the industry it plays.
What are your greatest weaknesses? Be honest about a weakness, but demonstrate how you have turned it into a strength.
What strength do you bring to this job You want to back up your answer with a concrete evidence. An example of a weak answer would be - I am a self starter and I can work without close supervision.  A strong answer would be - I am a self starter who can work without close supervision.  In my last job, I spent roughly two weeks of every month on the road.  I was responsible for organizing my own schedule, calling on customers, keeping records, and sending in reports to the home office.  In my most recent performance, my manager wrote that handled responsibility well without needing close supervision.  I have a copy of the evaluation form here if you will like to see it.
Why did you leave your last job? Even if your last job ended on a sad note, be careful about being negative in answering this question.  You want to be as displomatic as possible.  If you point out some negatives, also remember to say positive things as well.
Describe a problem situation and how you handled it? Sometimes it is difficult to come up with an answer to this type of question, especially if you are just coming out of college.  Interviewers are usually interested in seeing that the interviewee can think critically and come up with solutions regardless of the issue.  Be creative and show your ingenuity. Even if your problem was not havng enough time to study, describe the steps you took to prioritize your schedule.  That will demonstrate that you are responsible and can think through situations on your own.
What accomplishments gives you the most pride? The secret to this question is being specific and selecting an accomplishment that relates to the position you are seeking.
What are your salary expectations? Unless pressed for a more specific answer, steer clear of discussing salary specifics before receiving a job offer.  Let the interviewer know that you willbe open to discussing fair compensation when the time comes.  Case of I do not want to count my chickens until they are hatched.
Tell me about yourself The important thing to know is that the recruiter is trying to figure you out professionally.  Pick up a couple of points about yourself, your professional experience and your career goals, and stick to those points.  Wrap up your answer by bringing your desire to be part of the company.

Interviews are supposed to be a two -way affair.  After the interviewer is done with the interview, the ball will be passed over to you to ask some questions.  Ask questions to learn more about the job and the organization. For example, you can ask:
Where does the job fit into the organizational structure?
How will your work be evaluated?
What opportunities for enhancement exist?
What kind of orientation and training are available to new employees?
How will you describe a successful candidate in this position?

MOST IMPORTANT - after the interview, remember to send a thank you letter to the interviewer within one or two days of the interview.  Reiterate your interest in the position and your qualification.  Also it will be better if you mention some of the salient points that were discussed during the interview, especially the interviewer's response to to your questions.
For more interviewing resources look at the following website: http://www.acinet.org/acinet/default.asp
navigate to career resource library.
Good luck

Corruption is a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the economic fabric of the nation. Establishing the EFCC to fight this menace is a welcome development. That is why well-meaning Nigerians gave kudos to the administration when the EFCC was signed into law. But if you take a poll of Nigerians today on whether they supported the administration on the establishment of EFCC, opinion will be divided. This is because OBJ has turned the EFCC into a willing tool in his hand to wage real and imaginary war against his perceived enemies using Ribadu as the hatchet man. EFCC has no real autonomy; it takes instruction from OBJ. The head of the commision is behaving as somebody that is above the law, not respecting people's rights to a fair trial. He sees himself as a judge and accuser at the same time. He tries the accused on pages of the newspapers, in the process boosting his ego, and condeming the accused before their appearance in the law court.
An example of people that have been tried or are in the process of being investigated will help drive home the point succintingly- Alams, Ngige, Uzor Kalu, Brig. Marwa, Dariye, the Plateau state house of assembly (perceived threats or enemies) - Chief Olabode George, Mantu, Anenih (supporters and praise singers - not charged).
I am not resident in Nigeria, so I cannot give many names. If you know of people who falls between the two extremes- i.e. perceived threats/enemies or the supporters/praise singers, please do not hesitate to inform the forum accordingly.

@Obong - On paper, privatisation is a better option because it will allow for better organization and effective management of resources. Privatisation is often intended as an economic remedy to a social malaise that is stunting the growth of a public sector organization. But why prescribe privatisation for a market like Oshodi that is not a public sector organization? I fail to appreciate the rationale. Most of the traders captured in that aerial picture are gatecrashers, if I may use that word, who are trying to make a hurried living from the attractiveness of Oshodi as a central bus terminal for commuters in the Lagos metropolis. By so doing, they are denying legitimate traders, who own shops or rent them, and who must pay tenements and all kind of taxes to the Oshodi local government authorities. These traders that I nicknamed gatecrashers only congregate in the evening and night, when the local government officials must have retired to their homes, effectively evading taxes. And they do so spreading there wares in unfathomnable places - in the slum, on the rail lines, on the road, thereby creating a chaotic experience for commuters, pedestrians and motorists alike. The problem as I see it is not one of organization, but of lawlessness of Nigerians at display. Your prescription should be an antidote to curing the traders of their lawlessness.

No doubt, you are destined for the top, and you will get there, God willing. Do not rest on your oars.

According to the UN, the population of Lagos in 2000 was estimated as 13.4 million, and by 2015, it is projected to reach 23.2 million. Source: http://www.unescap.org/ttdw/Publications/TPTS_pubs/pub_2157/review2001_ch2.pdf (scroll down to page 3 for the data).

According to US Census Bureau, the population of Nigeria in 2005 was estimated as 128.766 million. Using the forecast growth rate of 2.0%, the current population census will be in the neighbourhood of 131.470 million give or take.
Check out my web site - a project that I submitted for my Computing Concept and Competencies class in Spring 2004 at: http://www.msu.edu/user/a/h/ahmedras/web/UBT/ on Population Explosion