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Business › Re: Starting A Magazine - Is Print Media License Required ??? by alphabeta(op): 10:54am On Nov 18, 2008

Thanks lawyer. I'll see what I can dig up in the direction of NUJ. From what I've gathered so far the activities of the Nigerian chapter of ABC is practically moribund and membership is optional rather than obligatory.

However as you have stated I'm beginning and more inclined to think that there are no other requirements apart from that of being a regisrered company with the scope of business declared in the M and A of Association covering intention to produce related publications.

Thanks for the direction provided.

Business › Re: Is A Print Media License Required To Publish A Magazine? by alphabeta(op): 12:27pm On Nov 17, 2008

Any helpful info anyone?

Business › Re: Starting A Magazine - Is Print Media License Required ??? by alphabeta(op): 12:26pm On Nov 17, 2008

Thanks for your response. I'll contact the email indicated and the facebook group as well.

I'm still also hopeful that I can get a direct info from a Nairalander here. Someone must sure know about this.

Business › Is A Print Media License Required To Publish A Magazine? by alphabeta(op): 12:46pm On Nov 15, 2008

All,

I wish to start a special interest / trade magazine and have been doing some feasibility studies on starting/publishing a magazine in Nigeria.

Up till now I am unable to find out any information about if any print media license (or if it goes by any other name) is required and if so which body is reponsible for this and what requirements/costs are involved.

I have done a quick magazine related search here on Nairaland (and on google) but the results obtained didn't give any indication that the people involved had to acquire a license - however I want to go down the appropriate legal route, if one is required I would like to get it at least to assure against any related legal issues in the future.

Please anyone with a good idea on the media license requirements in Nigeria (if any) should please contribute helpful information.

I am aware that a license is definitely required for publishing a newspaper. I'm not looking at this but just for a magazine like say an IT, Electronics or Technology related magazine for instance.

Thank you all in anticipation of your helpful contributions.

Politics › Re: Child Witches Of Nigeria by alphabeta(f): 8:21pm On Nov 13, 2008

Yes I understand it might happen in some other African countries but I beg to disagree that this is continent wide without adequate proof.

My emphasis still is on the fact that the program only shows an incident in one state in Nigeria and yet the title generalises with 'Africa' as if the program covers incidents in multiple African countries to justify the continental title.

Very much the similar way in which someone living in lagos for instance might (either out of ignorance or deliberately) lump together people from Ogoja, Etinan, Calabar, Oron, Eket, Ikot-Ekpene etc as 'Calabar men' when in reality there is no basis for such grouping.

Politics › Re: Child Witches Of Nigeria by alphabeta(f): 8:10pm On Nov 13, 2008

I watched the program as well and it was really saddening and so unfortunate that this is happening in Akwa Ibom. All boils down to poverty and ignorance I would say. So sad.

I do think though that the program should have been titled 'Saving Akwa-Ibom or Nigeria's Witch Children' rather than the 'Saving Africa's Witch Children'. One is bound to get the impression that the incident happened continent-wide. Don't these folks ever get it that African is not a country and stop lumping us together like that. Imagine an African media reporting something like 'Saving European drunken kids from booze' in response to the binge drinking culture in Britain.

Business › Re: Starting A Magazine - Is Print Media License Required ??? by alphabeta(op): 8:01pm On Nov 13, 2008

Anyone with any information on this please ?

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Business › Starting A Magazine - Is Print Media License Required ??? by alphabeta(op): 9:35pm On Nov 12, 2008

Folks

I have been doing some feasibility studies on starting/publishing a magazine in Nigeria. Up till now I am unable to find out any information about if any print media license (or if it goes by any other name) is required and if so which body is reponsible for this and what requirements/costs are involved. A quick magazine related search here on Nairaland didn't give any indication that the people involved had to acquire a license - however I want to go down the appropriate legal route, if one is required I would like to get it at least to assure against any related legal issues in the future.

So nairalanders, please anyone with a good idea on the media license requirements should please contribute helpful information.

I am aware that a license is definitely required for publishing a newspaper. I'm not looking at this but just for a magazine like say an IT, Electronics or Technology related magazine for instance.

Thank you all in anticipation of your helpful contributions.

Car Talk › Re: Driving A Newly Bought Car From Lagos To The East by alphabeta(f): 9:24am On Sep 28, 2008

Your best bet is to get an officer with his full uniform - army, police, navy to accompany you on the trip. it would make your path easier. It would mostly be a matter of the officer saluting 'esprit de corps' at every checkpoint you encounter.

Note though that you still need to have the complete papers for the car - having an accompanying officer only makes the journey smoother (reduced delays and settlement at check points). Investing some 10-20k in the officer would pay for itself by the end of the trip grin

considering that you might settle with much more if you go for it alone.

Travel › Re: Stripped Completely By British Immigration Officials by alphabeta(f): 11:36pm On Aug 20, 2008

While the Customs officers might have been acting within the ambits of their jurisdiction and authority, isn't there a possibility that they might have been overzealous while doing this.

It is surprising that quite a lot of people are quick to condemn the woman with "she must have been exaggerating', 'cavity search is a usual procedure', 'Nigerians carry drugs and since the bad ones have tarnished our names, what else do we expect'. Does this belies the possibility that her narration could have been just as it was described and the officer(s) doing the search could have carried this out in such a manner that goes beyond being mere procedural. Let's not be quick to condemn because a Nigerian decides to speak up in a foreign country.

Check the link below.

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=273220&in_page_id=34&in_a_source=

Andrew Carter, 44, was told 'F*** off, this is police business' when he protested about the officers breaking traffic laws.

When he photographed the police van outside a Bristol fish and chip shop, PC Aqil Farooq told him he was under arrest for assault, resisting arrest and being drunk and disorderly.

Mr Carter, a self-employed plumber who lives nearby, was handcuffed and bundled into the back of the van then locked in a police cell for five hours.

He was also forced to give a sample of his DNA and had his fingerpints taken. After his release he spent a week on bail before he was he told he would not be charged.

F*** off, this is police business

Mr Carter said last night that he was off work for a week with a prescription for valium. 'My blood pressure was so high I thought I was going to have a heart attack,' he added.

Now his business is struggling to survive and he has been left with a fear of the police.

Describing his 'frightening' ordeal, Mr Carter said: 'The officer reversed from the main road through the no entry signs, parked up and went into the fish and chip shop with his colleague on what he says was legitimate police business.

'I was nearly knocked down once so when the police van did it I said, ''Hey mate, no entry'' but he just shouted out the window, ''F**k off, this is police business''.

'When I took a photo of them he came running out, battered the camera from my hand on to the floor and arrested me for three crimes, none of which I'd committed.'

PC Farooq and a woman officer claimed they needed to visit the takeaway shop to view CCTV footage. yeah right (sic)

The officer faced a disciplinary inquiry and was made to apologise in person to Mr Carter but still held on to his job.

Avon and Somerset deputy chief constable Rob Beckley also wrote to Mr Carter, apologising for the officer's 'totally unacceptable' behaviour.

Mr Carter said he was pleased with the apology but was still pursuing a compensation claim.

We have trigger happy cops (and surprisingly - not only in Nigeria), overzealous Policepersons enforcing the law in some undesirable manner. What makes us think that law enforcement agents in the first world countries are always acting in line with their designated authority especially when the targets involved are non first world citizens.

The woman's ranting and raving in a Nigerian newspaper might have no effect (my personal opinion, I don't think it would) but does that put her in the wrong for speaking up using a medium of opportunity available to her ?

Properties › Looking For A Ground Floor Office/shop In Calabar by alphabeta(op): 12:07am On Jul 21, 2008

I am looking to rent a ground floor office that could be used for office / shop in Calabar. Ideally a good sized office space with about 3 rooms and a toilet.

I am looking at these locations - in order of preference.

Mariam Road

Etta Agbor

White House or anywhere in the Vicinity of Watt market but not within the market.

Mount Zion

Goldie

or any other major streets.

Let me know if you have any leads. Thank you.

Travel › Re: Common Mistakes Foreign Students Make In Uk by alphabeta(f): 11:32pm On Nov 24, 2007

@Akolawole

Don't get my last posting wrong. I'm not raising doubts about your credibility or capabilities to author a thread like this. Far from it. I think the beauty of a forum for public discourse such as this is that opinions, even when they are vividly reasonable are not misconstrued as a legal position. Suggestions of reinforcement of stated opinions with credible sources are not out of place but should be viewed as a healthy development.

Subject matter experts like yourself should thrive on constructive critique from forum members rather than expectations of yes-men responses to postings. Saying this i've gone through a lot of your posting on threads on immigration matters and i'm not in doubt as to your knowledge in this area, however expect that i'll be inclined to a positive engagement on issues that seems unclear to me, this is natural and not an attempt to cast aspersions which has never been my style. Continue with your good work and don't get distracted by my digressions.

Travel › Re: Common Mistakes Foreign Students Make In Uk by alphabeta(f): 1:03am On Nov 24, 2007

Akolawole:
10) CARD-FILLED WALLET

Having credit card by foreign students is "SOMEHOW" illegal.

Why should a foreign students rely on borrowed money?

Does obtaining and using credit cards falls under the 'recourse to public funds' classification? Are you making a definitive statement on the illegality of credit cards ownership by foreign students, or just emphasising the need to exercise caution in owning such?

I could recall a personal situation when we first came to the uk and my partner needed to buy recommended texts for his course. The cheapest quoted prices available were on the net but unfortunately he could not purchase these as he only had debit cards from his bank. However some months later, he applied for a credit card and he has used this for several books purchases which had been paid back. Would this be regarded as 'recoursing to public funds' or 'using UK money to fund his education'. I would be surprised if this is so.

However this is not to say that borrowing a sizeable sum from a cc company and using this to pay school fees (with such transactions captured on a credit card statement) won't have adverse effect with the HO. However i think further clarifications are needed from credible sources like BIA or HO to confirm if credit card ownership by foreign students are really illegal.

Travel › Re: Common Mistakes Foreign Students Make In Uk by alphabeta(f): 1:13pm On Nov 16, 2007

@Akolawole

Thanks for your prompt response. I understand if you don't want to digress on the topic of the thread. Just the point you made about student visa and nursing that caught my attention since it applies to my situation. I have done due diligence findings on my own as well and had wanted to know for sure that self paying foreign student are able to study nursing here.

The paragraph quoted on lsbu seems to point to the fact that NHS won't sponsor non uk resident, non eec, no uk citizen for nursing courses, but this says very little about foreign students that are self funding. i don't want to strech your advisory capacity here but i still need to find out more on these 'restrictions' on foreign students to study nursing. Fine if they can't switch to nursing while here on another student visa but to have a restriction to say a particular course of study is restricted to citizens only (even for self funding international student who doesn't need any bursary or nhs funding - and that some potentially might have no wish to pursue their post-study nursing profession in the uk), i'll be really surprised at this.

I don't mean to clutter up this thread with digression so maybe another thread to discuss this might be more meaningful. Thanks for your insight however.

Travel › Re: Common Mistakes Foreign Students Make In Uk by alphabeta(f): 8:16am On Nov 16, 2007

funkybaby:
@ topic

another BIG mistake that foreign students make in UK is collecting credit cards. whether it is store cards : Marks and Spencer, Topman, etc. Anything, credit card, just stay clear.

In my opinion, getting a credit card is not a bad thing in itself. The problem lies with how it is used. For students wishing to stay back and looking at settlement in the uk, i think having a credit card to their name is a step forward in building a credit history. But like i said, it's the misuse of the card that is really a problem. With a strong sense of self discipline, i think an individual should take one and never go above the limit, ideally maybe make very little and insignificant purchases (about 20 to 40 quid) on the card in a month at most and pay back in time. Best to have such a properly used credit card for those critical days when it would desperately be needed than no credit at all.

On the other hand, for students not wishing to stay back after their studies, it might not be a good idea. Whichever way,spending on your card should be done in moderation and not give into the false sense of financial security.

Travel › Re: Common Mistakes Foreign Students Make In Uk by alphabeta(f): 2:03am On Nov 16, 2007

Akolawole:
CHANGE OF COURSE

Some students is of the opinion that they can change course anyhow. Home office regard that as "student with no pattern". Most especially, courses that are inconsistent with each other.

9) Nursing Students

Foreign student cannot study Nursing AGAIN in UK, even if you are ready to pay £21,000 for the three years course. I have seen guys withdrawing from their course, go for "access to nursing" as a step towards studying Nursing. They eventually met their waterloo along the way.

This was the cause of my disagreement with londonCool months ago.

Hi Akolawole

I have been going through this thread and my attention is on the point you made about student nurses.

I am a student dependent presently in the uk and i am looking at studying nursing at one of the universities in the uk hopefully next year september. Your statement about foreign students not being able to study nursing - is this a matter of home office blanket policy covering all intending foreign students or is this just to prevent students on one course getting to the uk and switching to nursing - how does this affect someone in my situation wanting to study nursing or someone from nigeria with nursing as the first choice of course of study. Can you please explain further on the requirements to study nursing here in the uk as a non-eec citizen or are you saying that this is impossible (I'll be really surprised if it is as the uk stands to lose more with such restrictions) Your explanation is appreciated.

In addition, are student dependant able to pursue a 3 year undergraduate course (hopefully nursing) on their visa. My partner has a 14 months visa for a pg course and would be looking at staying for another 1 year for igs after graduation. How does this affect me in terms of being able to study here legally (and dv paying international student fees). Would i need to go back to nigeria to apply for a full student visa or can i switch (or do i need to) to student visa while here.

Thanks in anticipation of your response. I'll appreciate other nairalanders thoughts on this as well.

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