₦airaland Forum

nigeria1:
first mr, i was speaking pingin, i would assume you are not a nigerian. My educational level. I was a straight A student. And i am an electrical engineer.

GBAM!!!

@Bankole01,

Happy new year.

So you have not stopped believing anything negative about OBJ? Dis na 2008 ooo!!!

Enjoy

tundewoods:
[font=trebuchet ms][color=#000099]
So many of you folks are simply scared of the word Outsourcing simply because you haven't the slightest understanding of what it entails to outsource a job or maybe you haven't gotten that life changing web contract.

Life changing contract? This is where the problem lies, people are busy chasing the life changing contracts when others are establishing very solid foundations that will stand the test of time.

Any big web project aka life changing contract cannot be relied upon because any slight change in management or IT contact is enough to make you kiss the project good bye.

Successful companies all over the world don't depend on life changing contracts, they play around with supply and demand, service delivery and after sales service.

A lot of people are actually looking for money where it is hardest to get and the few wise ones are looking for money where many don't even care to look for it.

Reality is important, dreams are good but if you dream all day you won't have the time to implement any of them.

Start today, establish credibility and integrity in all you do, be honest about your services and remain professional no matter what.

If you can do a project, do it well, if you cannot do the project be honest about it.

Sometimes, you earn the respect and trust of a client by admitting what you don't know.

tundewoods:

Must you always use the word "Web enable a Process"

Yes, that is what web projects are all about, web enabling regular offline tasks or processes.

smartsoft:
if i understood you what u saying now in essence is that those developers can go to hell and wait for all you care, instead of them waiting, they should go and source for jobs right ?

I don't know anything about going to hell. Waiting for other web developers to push jobs is something that is wrong and unworkable.

Why would someone be even waiting for a client to ask or pay for a project when you have the skills to initiate a project?

Do you think that google, yahoo, youtube were projects that clients asked other developers to setup? Most of the successful web projects out there were started by programmers with a passion to web enable a process.

Humility is key, honesty is important, we like to talk big all the time even when little things around us matter the most.

It is common to see web developers brag about not doing a project for less than N100K and in 1 year such a person may not have up to 2 web projects.

We should learn to be real and practical.

@tundewoods,

When people do not share your point of view it doesn't mean they are narrow minded, it may infact mean that they know better than you do.

Outsourcing is not new, many big organizations have tried it in the past (spanning up to 6 years), some regretted doing so, other benefited from doing it.

My point remains that outsourcing is not a magic wand that will make life easier or tasks simpler.

Learn to address issues and stop attacking personalities.

I am surprised that some web developers sit down and wait for others to get projects and outsource to them. Something is surely wrong with this position, my opinion.

Big B1:
Nairaland Politic column deserves much better and intellectual topics; this topic got to go!

Like your numerous topics on Ribadu and confirmed but very wrong information you post here?

To the uninitiated outsourcing is the magic word that does automagical things.

Sooner all later you will realize that there is no magic wand out there to solve any problem.

If you outsource for the sake of it or because people are now talking about it you will certainly be sorry in no time.

Fundamental understanding of issues is important before talking about how best to go about solving a problem.

Unfortunately, in Nigeria many web designers do all there work on discussion forums looking for other developers to run down, in reality people like these don't last in the business.

Enjoy!

Obama kind of resembles Mandela sha, abi dem relate too?

1a. Ribadu is not perfect and he should give way for a more reliable person just after 4 years

1b. IBB should be given another chance to rule Nigeria as he will make amends and even apologize to Nigerians for his misdeeds.

For a long time now I have made it clear that you are insincere about your comments on Nigeria especially whenever the name IBB comes up.

fakande:
@ Afam
D fact that Ribadu claims he rejected N2Billion, if in deed such an amount was offered, is no proof that he ddint collect bribe. Even an averagely intelligient person knows that receiving even a dime from Ibori is akin to drinking from a poisoned chalice, the attendant repercussions will be dire. I asked earlier where Ribadu got money to buy Ehindero's former house. I have received no answer. Please, Ribadu is nothing better than an average Nigerian. All this sanctimonious posturing are nothing but a facade. Like his former paymaster, Obasanjo, the truth will soon come to light.

I stated that he rejected N2B bribe from Ibori as was reported. I do not no Ribadu from Adam neither am I a police officer so would not know whether he has been receiving bribes all his life or not.

That said, anyone that claims to have offered him bribe and he collected it should be able to substantiate such a claim else the person should forever keep shut.

What if I claim that you are a confirmed armed robber even though I don't know you, do it make sense? We cannot discuss based on baseless accusations.

@BigB1,

Take a break, relax and come back, your many inconsistent positions are beginning to make nonsense of your posts.

From my inbox. Read and enjoy.

_____________________________________________________

Democracy: An existential threat? - By Ali Abunimah

As two of the authors of a recent document advocating a
one-state solution to the Arab-Israeli colonial conflict
we emphatically intended to generate debate. Predictably,
Zionists decried the proclamation as yet another proof of
the unwavering devotion of Palestinian -- and some radical
Israeli -- intellectuals to the "destruction of Israel."
Some pro-Palestinian activists accused us of forsaking
immediate and critical Palestinian rights in the quest of
a "utopian" dream.

Inspired in part by the South African Freedom Charter [1]
and the Belfast Agreement [2], the much humbler One State
Declaration, authored by a group of Palestinian, Israeli
and international academics and activists, affirms that
"The historic land of Palestine belongs to all who live
in it and to those who were expelled or exiled from it
since 1948, regardless of religion, ethnicity, national
origin or current citizenship status." It envisages a
system of government founded on "the principle of equality
in civil, political, social and cultural rights for all
citizens."

It is precisely this basic insistence on equality that is
perceived by Zionists as an existential threat to Israel,
undermining its inherently discriminatory foundations
which privilege its Jewish citizens over all others.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was refreshingly frank
when he recently admitted that Israel was "finished" if
it faced a struggle for equal rights by Palestinians.[3]

But whereas transforming a regime of institutionalized
racism, or apartheid, into a democracy was viewed as a
triumph for human rights and international law in South
Africa and Northern Ireland, it is rejected out of hand
in the Israeli case as a breach of what is essentially
a sacred right to ethno-religious supremacy (euphemist-
ically rendered as Israel's "right to be a Jewish state."

Palestinians are urged by an endless parade of Western
envoys and political hucksters -- the latest among them
Tony Blair -- to make do with what the African National
Congress rightly rejected when offered it by South
Africa's apartheid regime: a patch-work Bantustan made
up of isolated ghettoes that falls far below the minimum
requirements of justice.

Sincere supporters of ending the Israeli occupation have
also been severely critical of one-state advocacy on moral
and pragmatic grounds. A moral proposition, some have
argued, ought to focus on the likely effect it may have
on people, and particularly those under occupation,
deprived of their most fundamental needs, like food,
shelter and basic services. The most urgent task, they
conclude, is to call for an end to the occupation, not
to promote one-state illusions. Other than its rather
patronizing premise, that these supporters somehow know
what Palestinians need more than we do, this argument is
quite problematic in assuming that Palestinians, unlike
humans everywhere, are willing to forfeit their long-term
rights to freedom, equality and self-determination in
return for some transient alleviation of their most
immediate suffering.

The refusal of Palestinians in Gaza to surrender to
Israel's demand that they recognize its "right" to
discriminate against them, even in the face of its
criminal starvation siege imposed with the backing of
the United States and the European Union, is only the
latest demonstration of the fallacy of such assumptions.

A more compelling argument, expressed most recently by
Nadia Hijab and Victoria Brittain, states that under
the current circumstances of oppression, when Israel
is bombing and indiscriminately killing; imprisoning
thousands under harsh conditions; building walls to
separate Palestinians from each other and from their
lands and water resources; incessantly stealing
Palestinian land and expanding colonies; besieging
millions of defenseless Palestinians in disparate and
isolated enclaves; and gradually destroying the very
fabric of Palestinian society, calling for a secular,
democratic state is tantamount to letting Israel "off
the hook."[4]

They worry about weakening an international solidarity
movement that is "at its broadest behind a two-state
solution." But even if one ignores the fact that the
Palestinian "state" on offer now is no more than a
broken-up immiserated Bantustan under continued Israeli
domination, the real problem with this argument is that
it assumes that decades of upholding a two-state
solution have done anything concrete to stop or even
assuage such horrific human rights abuses.

Since the Palestinian-Israeli Oslo agreements were signed
in 1993, the colonization of the West Bank and all the
other Israeli violations of international law have
intensified incessantly and with utter impunity. We see
this again after the recent Annapolis meeting: as Israel
and functionaries of an unrepresentative and powerless
Palestinian Authority go through the motions of "peace
talks," Israel's illegal colonies and apartheid wall
continue to grow, and its atrocious collective punishment
of 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza is intensifying
without the "international community" lifting a finger
in response.

This "peace process," not peace or justice, has become
an end in itself -- because as long as it continues
Israel faces no pressure to actually change its behavior.
The political fiction that a two-state solution lies
always just around the corner but never within reach is
essential to perpetuate the charade and preserve
indefinitely the status quo of Israeli colonial hegemony.

To avoid the pitfalls of further division in the
Palestinian rights movement, we concur with Hijab and
Brittain in urging activists from across the political
spectrum, irrespective of their opinions on the one
state, two states debate, to unite behind the 2005
Palestinian civil society call for boycott, divestment
and sanctions, or BDS, as the most politically and
morally sound civil resistance strategy that can
inspire and mobilize world public opinion in pursuing
Palestinian rights.

The rights-based approach at the core of this widely
endorsed appeal focuses on the need to redress the
three basic injustices that together define the
question of Palestine -- the denial of Palestinian
refugee rights, primary among them their right to return
to their homes, as stipulated in international law; the
occupation and colonization of the 1967 territory,
including East Jerusalem; and the system of discrimination
against the Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Sixty years of oppression and forty years of military
occupation have taught Palestinians that, regardless
what political solution we uphold, only through popular
resistance coupled with sustained and effective
international pressure can we have any chance of realizing
a just peace.

Hand in hand with this struggle it is absolutely necessary
to begin to lay out and debate visions for a post-conflict
future. It is not coincidental that Palestinian citizens
of Israel, refugees and those in the Diaspora, the groups
long disenfranchised by the "peace process" and whose
fundamental rights are violated by the two-state solution
have played a key role in setting forward new ideas to
escape the impasse.

Rather than seeing the emerging democratic, egalitarian
vision as a threat, a disruption, or a sterile detour, it
is high time to see it for what it is: the most promising
alternative to an already dead two-state dogma.

Ali Abunimah is co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and
author of One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-
Palestinian Impasse. Omar Barghouti is an independent
analyst and a founding member of the Palestinian Campaign
for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. This
article was originally published by the Guardian: Comment
is Free and is republished with the authors' permission.

See also The One State Declaration:
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9134.shtml


Endnotes:

[1] The Freedom Charter
(http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/charter.html)

[2] The Belfast Agreement
(http://www.nio.gov.uk/the-agreement)

[3] "Israel risks apartheid-like struggle if two-state
solution fails, says Olmert," The Guardian, 30
November 2007.
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,2219485,00.html)

[4] Nadia Hijab and Victoria Brittain, "Struggle for
equality" The Guardian, 17 December 2007.
(http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/nadia_hijab_and_victoria_brittain/2007/12/struggle_for_equality.html)

------------------------------------------------------------

bibiking1:
i
i personally know a man Ribadu collected bribe from as EFCC chairman so pleae lets stick to facts and not hearsay

Maybe the man is selling some lies to you and you bought them, too bad.

How much bribe? Is the bribe bigger than N2B Ibori offered him?

Be careful about making statements you may never be able to substantiate.

At a recent meeting of OPEC member states it was reported that Nigeria's President Umaru Musa Yar'adua stated that the developed nations may be conspiring to push for alternative sources of energy and as such would negatively affect the economy of oil producing and exporting states since they are the ones benefiting from the high oil prices right now.

While I agree that crude oil will remain a major source of energy for quite some time it will be dangerous for anyone to assume that alternatives cannot replace crude oil supply because those who do not want to adjust, prepare or acknowledge change may be consumed by the change itself.

Energy and power drive the economy of so many nations especially the developed nations. Non oil producers and unfortunately some oil producing and even oil exporting nations like Nigeria must buy crude oil at the international prices which is at least $100.00 per barrel.

Power plants especially gas fired ones, factories, industries, automobiles all require one form of fuel or the other to run and for now the bulk of the energy requirement is met by crude oil.

But things are changing, albeit slowly but surely. Distributed systems are becoming common place in some parts of the world today, individuals can generate their own electricity by using solar panels or wind turbines. As more and more people generate their own power the revenue of power generation companies will reduce and the need to generate energy that may not be purchased will reduce as well.

In other words, distributed energy generation systems are enough to case a major change in the way people demand energy from power generating companies which have a direct bearing on the cost of crude oil vis a vis the economy of nations that depend on crude oil revenue to survive.

Do not forget the fact that if individuals can generate their own electricity, companies with more financial base can as well.

Automobiles are yet another major consumer of oil whether in the form of fuel (PMS) or diesel. Even though the use alternative source of fuel for automobile is not common here in Nigeria we must realize that in some countries today bio ethanol is already being used by individuals and government programs like mass transit systems like what Brasil is doing today.

Hybrid cars are already on the roads today and many automobile makers are thinking in the direction of manufacturing cars that would utilize alternative sources of energy.

If I generate electricity using solar panels or wind turbine and my car runs on bio ethanol (used vegetable oil plus methanol and caustic soda are enough to produce cheap fuel for diesel engines) then I may as well not give a damn what PHCN charges per kilowatt of electricity consumed or what the price of fuel or diesel is at the petrol station.

If gradually people embrace these alternative sources of energy what becomes of our crude oil that we depend on for our survival? What will happen when the demand for crude oil reduces? Many argue that the demand will always increase due to population increase and industrialization though.

Unfortunately, those that are seriously seeking alternative sources of energy are the same people that will spend time and money on research, they will do all they can to find alternatives that make economic sense.

Put differently, we are not in any position to decide whether they will depend on us or not, we simply have to hope and pray they do or we begin now to weigh our options because the change or shift in the current energy regime may come sooner than expected or anticipated.

Considering the abundant quantity of renewable energy sources like wind and sun in this part of the world it is still surprising that we are not at the forefront of research into these viable alternative sources of energy even if only to guarantee steady power supply to Nigerians.

By the way, why are we making so much money from crude oil today and yet the majority of Nigerians are living in poverty? It seems we have a way of rubbishing all known economic theories and postulations.

If Nigerians cannot benefit from the current high price of crude oil today, is it when the price crashes or when the world must have found alternatives that we will benefit?

The only constant thing in life is change and we must either prepare for it or be consumed by it.

In the past the media was controlled by governments, information used to be properly vetted and filtered by governments, today just about anyone can set up an information system by owning a website or a blog and immediately begin to publish information thanks to the power of the internet. Today, governments are even forced to react to issues raised by individuals who publish information that would never have seen the light of the day in the past.

If the people in Nitel were told some 10 years ago that one day mobile phones will be in the hands of practically every Nigerian and that people would be able to communicate without running wires from their homes or offices to telephone boxes or poles across the streets I am sure they would have laughed off the idea, today we know better.

Though patriotism may make one dismiss anything that appears not to be in our own interest we must remember that there is a thin line separating reality and perception of reality. It is very possible to replace crude oil as a major source of energy, the earlier we believed this the better for us.

Big B1:
Afam:
what's up with the curved ball?
Wetin i do you sef?

BigB1,

You no do me anything but you must remember that sometimes your positions actually try to make us stupid and I believe it makes perfect sense to tell you that you are not addressing stupid people.

You are ready to crucify people yet hold IBB in high esteem in spite of what he did to Nigeria and Nigerians in terms of corruption.

Condemning what needs to be condemned and praising what needs to be praised is the best way to go my man.

Stand up and be counted.

Big B1:
This is a great idea.
In fact, after 4 years I think another reliable person needs to be given a chance.
It is not an honorary position; it's time to move on and witness what another Nigerian is capable of doing.

The hypocrisy of BigB1 is stinking.

He believes after 4 years Ribadu should give chance for another reliable person.

This same BigB1 believes that IBB should be given another chance to rule Nigeria and this should allow IBB make amends and apologize to Nigerians.

Who is fooling who here?

boro43:
[font=trebuchet ms ]
The painful truth is that Websites are not meant for everyone especially in Nigeria where a good percentage of websites in cyberspace are results of band wagon effect or "me too must own a website by force" mentality

Its better to have a few sensible website that deliver the content and functionality that the target users require than to have tons and tons of crap we have in the Nigeria's cyberspace.[/font]

Unfortunately, you are not in a position to determine whether people will own websites or not just as they do not depend on you for the money they are using to pay for the services.

celemel:
Na wa o! Some people are just blind, deaf and dumb

Answer the simple question. It is obvious that you tried to get a raise and when it didn't work out you started talking about financial crime.

Get a better job and get real and stop playing to the gallery. You cannot deceive everybody on this issue.

Sky-walker:
@poster
Is it a crime for every tom,privates and harry to have a website?

Help me ask him.

We have always had wonderful policies that are never implemented.

This time around we saw someone that was ready to damn the consequences and did what many would not have done.

It is not about the institution in this case, it is about the man Ribadu and the timing is suspect. Why choose this time when very serious cases against powerful governors are on the table?

While I agree that no one (including Ribadu) is indispensable removing him now and talking about making the institution strong is nothing but balderdash.

Big B1:
At the right time my good name will be restored and many will witness my sincerity in rebuilding this country.

What is your stand on IBB as regards corruption?

What do you think should be done to him as regards looted funds?

Please, remember to be sincere in your responses.

Big B1:
Afam:
It will be better to go way back to 1960.

What do you think?

I think you are right my friend. But the war would have destroyed a lot of the evidences for activities prior to 1967.

I like your comments when you are not defending IBB.

Saw the website of DAAR Communications PLC (AIT and Ray Power) being advertised on AIT.

www.daargroup.com

Your thoughts. Think they deserve something better, personal opinion.

Well, let us hope that someone like Abubakar Umar gets the job and please can the EFCC be asked to probe financial crimes that were committed before 1985 so that we can recover some of the ill gotten wealth some of our leaders and rulers are still enjoying till today.

Knowing Abubakar Umar the likes of OBJ and IBB will not get any preferential treatment.

Again I ask, can you state the fraud you think your former employer has committed or is committing.

So, far the only thing that can be termed fraud is the claim that your signature was forged even though you avoided reaffirming that claim.

Paying any amount less than what is being invoiced in not fraud and it is important you get that clear.

See www.justalternativepower.com

Read the articles on the site and contact some of the satisfied clients yourself.

Never believe anything a service provider tells you until you can independently confirm and in the area of inverter backup solutions remember that the unit will be working all the time so reliability and safety must be guaranteed.

There is usually a thin line between an inverter system and a potential fire hazard in your home.

We have a lot of bad experiences out there but in reality people are using inverter backup solutions without problems.

Honesty on the part of the end user and service provider will ensure you get what you want.

Good luck.

I think I made a mistake referring to you as a clown, you are indeed a slowpoke.

Terrorists are murderers according to you and governments that maim and kill innocent people all in the name of fighting terrorists are not murderers abi?

Get yourself a real education.

People often fail exams because they don't even understand the questions and yet they will proceed to provide answers to them.

@jakumo,

419 is a code for the relevant section that deals with Advance Fee Fraud and as such references to 419 emails are made to those relating to Nigeria or Nigerians.

However, this article is not about 419 emails as 419 emails remain one of the several forms of online scams.

Stop ridiculing yourself. Understanding an issue before commenting on them is not a bad thing.

Meanwhile your position on the Igbo is well noted but I am certain that quite a number of well known fraudsters in Nigeria are not from Igbo land.

@astronp7,

And I think we have a confused clown around. My opinion.

davidif:
If war is not the solution, then what is? Baking cookies for the Taliban? You naive liberals need to go sit down someplace before opening your mouth to talk.

Haven't you guys ever heard of self defense or kill before you get killed.

Liberals? Another clown on rampage, welcome to the party but try to use your brain to think before vomiting trash here abeg.

@those that saw reason with the article based on facts,

Thanks.

@those that would rather play politics with this and will readily absolve the West from any wrong doing while ever ready to crucify Nigerians,

Una try but facts don't lie. Facts usually stand the test of test no matter how we want to twist them.

@buluti,

I can't lay my hands on the report I saw some 3 years ago.

@topic,

As someone earlier pointed out, this article is not about 419 (which is just 1 version of online scam) but about online scams in general. So, trying to discuss 419 and basing your comments on them is really a dead end because that would amount to setting a totally new question and attempting to answer it.

Happy new year in advance.

@those that are seeing ghosts on this piece,

Abeg, it is not compulsory you understand an article so just waka pass if e hard you to comprehend.

Una happy new year in advance.