₦airaland Forum

I don't know why anybody is complaining about the quality of Pidgin English. The show was a political expose targetted at a UK audience and a very solid 2.3 million British folk watched it! Pidgin English isn't spoken in the UK.
. . .But you can always trust dunces like sagamite to evade the shocking political issues raised (too heavy for the smaller mind) and be concerned with Pidgin English and disgrace of an imaginery church (all the while hauling childish abuse).

These are some of the issues raised in the movies:
[list]
[li]The underlying question was if Tobodo was the future (answered by the heroine packing back to 9ja to join him)[/li]
[li]Tobodo goal was to create a brand new country with true federalism as its bedrock[/li]
[li]MEND are true freedom fighters and heroes of the exploited and underpriviledged[/li]
[li]Govt was blowing up Western oil wells, so they could frighten the West off, sell to the Chinese and blame it on MEND[/li]
[li]Govt wanted to destroy MEND because they saw them as true freedom fighters who wanted to upset "business as usual"[/li]
[li]The govt represents criminality, exploitation, confusion, corruption, death and zero representation[/li]
[li]The govt and oil are separated from the people by armed men, tinted 4x4's and gated communities, luxury vs stark poverty, opulence vs hopelessness[/li]
[/list]

The above is the koko. We should be discussing if it was right to convince 2.3 million British people that Nigeria indeed operates in that way (100% correct in my opinion).

Something tells me that most of the ministers are figureheads to douse tension. The real work will be done by the Presidential Advisory Council (PAC).
Only a handful of ministers like Aganga and Ogiemwonyin will be given a free hand.

Enjoy this cartoon.
[img]http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/cartoons/cart01/010410[/img]

He will be the next to escape dressed as a woman. Bloody cabal houseboy!

^
Ah! Don't forget there are different time zones!
. . .Now watch as a few others click.

[quote author=tayo_ast link=topic=423229.msg5808351#msg5808351 date=1270089148][color=#B03060]U'RE LATE!!!

OFF TARGET[/color][/quote]April foooooooool!

[size=14pt]Jonathan adds Turai's name to ministerial list[/size]
By Tolu Ogunlesi
April 1, 2010 01:15AM

Acting President Goodluck Jonathan took Nigerians by surprise Wednesday with his last-minute nomination of President Yar'Adua's wife, Turai, for a ministerial position.

Mrs. Yar'Adua's subsequent confirmation by the Senate instantly took her into the history books, not only as the first ever Nigerian First Lady to simultaneously hold a cabinet-rank position, but also as the only Nigerian ever to be screened for a ministerial position in absentia.

The inclusion of the First Lady's name in the list of nominees took the Senators by surprise, becoming known only after the final batch of nominees had been screened. Moments after Mr. Segun Aganga, the last of the candidates scheduled for Wednesday, took his bow before the Chambers, the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Mohammed Abba-Aji, was sighted making his way to the front of the chambers, where he spent minutes conferring with the Senate President.

While the conversation was going on, Mr. Abba-Aji handed over some documents to the Senate President, who broke into a smile when he browsed through them. When the Senate President finally addressed the Chambers, it was to make the surprise announcement - that Acting President Jonathan had, in a bid to increase the quota of women represented in the incoming cabinet, submitted the name of the First Lady for screening.

The Senate Chambers erupted in uproar, which took the Senate President several minutes to calm.

The Senate President then asked Senators to make an exception for the First Lady and screen her in absentia, taking into consideration the fact that her convalescing husband required her presence at his bedside.

There were a few voices of protest, but most of Senators agreed on a symbolic screening. The Senate President proceeded to announce Mrs. Yar'Adua, and then asked her to "bow and go in absentia." This was followed by loud cheering spearheaded by the female Senators present.

With Mrs. Yar'Adua's confirmation, the number of women in the incoming cabinet has risen to six, and the total number of screened nominees to thirty-nine.

The Yar'Adua family is also making history as the only family in recent times to have two nominees in a federal cabinet; as Mrs. Yar'Adua joins Murtala, her husband's nephew, who was screened on Tuesday.

It is being speculated that Mrs. Yar'Adua will be assigned the proposed ‘Power Ministry', which insider sources in the Presidency say should not be confused with the Ministry of Power.

Oh, it's April Fools Day!

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5548575-146/jonathan_adds_turais_name_to_ministerial.csp

[quote author=UcheUwadi_ link=topic=423196.msg5808020#msg5808020 date=1270083587]The oil companies are at fault, while at the same time, our inept leaders are at fall as well. We cannot continue to blame foreigners for our own problems. Our leaders are ok with the status quo, and the oil companies are making money as they suppose to do so you cannot place the blame solely on them. Companies are in it for the money, but our leaders should be the ones who have the people's interest at heart. However, they do not and many Nigerians are suffering.[/quote]You are wrong about blaming the oil companies. Nobody will set up a neighbours household or country for them.

Why doesn't Shell buy guns and hire the Saudi army to shoot Saudi's as they do in Nigeria?
Why doesn't Shell pollute Saudi soil as they freely pollute the ND?
Why doesn't Shell flare gas in Saudi Arabia as they do in Nigeria?

This is the answer to the above questions;

“There is no rational basis for that to be occurring, other than you have a number of people in Nigeria who are looking after their own interest and not the broader public interest.”

- Phillip Crowley

Insightful analysis.

Those Nigerians that have been asleep must begin to open their eyes.

[size=14pt]Nigeria’s dependence on imported fuel ‘makes no sense,’ says US[/size]
By Agency Reporter, Published: Thursday, 1 Apr 2010

United States has described Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel as something that “makes no sense.”

At a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon in New York, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, Mr. Phillip Crowley, said there was no reason for Nigeria, an oil-producing country, to be importing refined petroleum products except for the actions of some unnamed selfish people, Empowered Newswire reports.

On Monday, new Nigerian Ambassador to the US, Prof. Adebowale Adefuye, met with President Barack Obama at the White House, where he presented his letters of credence. Obama told the ambassador that “the prolonged absence of President Yar‘Adua has triggered much uncertainty in Nigeria.”

Speaking exactly 24 hours after the Obama-Adefuye meeting, Crowley recalled that “when Secretary Clinton was in Nigeria last August, she was very firm in her discussion with President Yar’Adua and other ministers about rooting out corruption, about making sure that the government was performing better.”

According to Crowley, “Nigeria is a significant country, one of the anchors of Africa, and yet – you see that it is a country that is blessed with considerable resources; and yet it has to import refined petroleum products. It makes no sense.”

“There is no rational basis for that to be occurring, other than you have a number of people in Nigeria who are looking after their own interest and not the broader public interest.”

He also spoke about the request of the US government for information on the true nature of Yar’Adua’s sickness. He said that it was indeed the right of Nigerians to be given such information.

The matter, Crowley added “is a question that we have. We are concerned about – we were concerned when President Yar’Adua was flown back from Saudi Arabia and there were questions about his ability to govern. I think those questions have, for the moment, been answered. We recognise the acting presidency of Goodluck Jonathan. We are very supportive of him.”

But he declared that the question is not really “for us. It is actually for the Nigerian people. They deserve to know that there is a government in place working on their behalf.”

But he assured that the US government remained “very supportive of effective governance in Nigeria, and we think that is crucial to making sure that Nigeria remains stable, remains an anchor in that part of Africa, and can play the role it has played regionally, and more broadly in terms of helping Africa advance.”

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201004013305540

^
Blood and Oil!

^
Very "smart" guy!

hackney:
Over $380bn stolen or wasted since 1960.

Money that even hong-kong did not have till early '90's.
Na wa for naija.

That just makes one want to weep.

Ibro Yaya:
I strongly agree that Tobodo is the future. Beaf u have to understand that he doesn't have to mention hausa or fulani to convey the message. What U should know is that, the way the Niger Deltans are going about it, even Ijaws don't want to share it with Igbos or Yoruba. And still within the Ijaws some certain group still want to claim higher share. A nation doesnt exist that way. I still say it every part of the country  can leave on its own resources, but the benefits we derive as a nation is more.

You are guilty of several wild generalisations against the Ijaws.
MEND has always asked for true federalism, they have never asked for secession. Something that will shock you is that since Jonathan took over, a lot of the oil disruption has been done by other ethnicities (eg Isoko's and Urhobo's) with the Ijaws stepping back a bit. Secession will be the last card if we cannot acheive justice and equity through true federalism.

Tobodo's mention of ethnicities included the biggest Southern ethnic groups and the Southern minorities that produce the most oil (Itsekiri was missed out strangely, perhaps grouped as Yoruba).
In my opinion, it is very telling that Tobodo mentioned Igbo and Yoruba without mentioning Hausa. It couldn't have been in error, because that film was very well researched.

real4life:
Again I wish that is true, but it is difficult to know that for sure. Are you in MEND?

Look closely, critically and logically like the BBC has done. The story was not even half told.
. . .No, I'm not in MEND.

[size=14pt]Nigerian Senate approves president's cabinet nominees[/size]
By Ola Awoniyi (AFP) – 3 hours ago

ABUJA — Nigeria's Senate on Wednesday approved all but one of Acting President Goodluck Jonathan's ministerial nominees after he recently sacked the entire cabinet in the West African oil giant.

"We hope when these ministers are deployed they will live up to the expectations of Nigerians, earnestly do what they promised us here," said Senate President David Mark, a former army general and minister.

"I think we will ensure that, through our oversight functions, they do precisely what they told us here."

Mark said the vetting was speeded up "in the interest of the country" and to "move the nation forward as quickly as possible."

Of the 39 nominees, only one, who was absent at the screening session, was not confirmed. It was unclear why the nominee from northeastern Taraba State was absent from the three-day exercise, shown live on national television.

Jonathan's cabinet line-up includes a top banker from Goldman Sachs, Olusegun Aganga. The confirmed nominations included some ministers from the old 42-member cabinet he dissolved two weeks ago.

It also includes Murtala Yar'Adua, a nephew of President Umaru Yar'Adua, whom Jonathan replaced last month due to his ailing health.

Jonathan dissolved the cabinet as he moved to assert his authority after taking power from Yar'Adua, who only recently returned to Nigeria after three months in Saudi Arabia for treatment for a heart condition.

Former junior ministers Remi Babalola for finance, Odein Ajumogobia for petroleum and Godsday Orubebe for the oil-rich Niger Delta region are among the returnees confirmed by the senate.

Others confirmed were ex-information minister Dora Akunyili, former finance minister Samsudeen Usman, ex-justice minister Adetokunbo Kayode, and former minister of planning in the 1999-2007 administration of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, Sanusi Daggash.

Jonathan is eyeing a pro-reform government for Africa's most populous nation, where much of the population of 150 million lives in poverty without basics such as water and electricity despite its oil wealth.

The approved ministers -- to be handed their portfolios and formally inaugurated by Jonathan -- are expected to serve until next year when elections are to be held.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gC5RnbKgZgNEDyXxOVBru-7bgFqw

real4life:
Nice drama!

Fact is common man is the Niger Delta is suffering just like other common people in other parts of the country. Just look at that beautiful hotel owned by the former Governor, while the people he governed mastered are living miserable lives; not far from what obtains in real life.

I wish the militants in the Niger Delta are like they were portrayed in the drama.

The film makes a clear distinction between other so called "militants" and MEND, the true heroes fighting for a just cause. MEND is actually much better than as portrayed in the movie.

. . .meanwhile, the female population increased by one.

[size=14pt]Jilted Java teenager cuts off Joystick, throws it into well[/size]
By Agency Reporter, Published: Wednesday, 31 Mar 2010


Devastated by the news that his girlfriend was going to marry another man, a teenager from a village in Central Java cut off his own Joystick in a fit of despair.

Any hopes of reattaching the severed member were dashed after the 19-year-old threw the appendage into a well and it could not be found by residents of Bantasari village.

According to Indonesian newspaper, Jakarta Globe, director of Cilacap General Hospital, Dr. Sugeng Budi Susanto, said on Monday that it was extremely fortunate that medical personnel were able to save the life of the teenager, who was identified only by the initials AMD.

He arrived at the hospital last Thursday in critical condition from blood loss, Sugeng said. “It was a critical time,” he said. “Cutting off a Joystick can be fatal.”

Sugeng said that after several days in the intensive care unit, the teenager had been transferred to a standard recovery room, though he was being provided with additional security to ward off the swarm of journalists besieging the hospital.

Sugeng appealed to journalists not to bother the family given the sensitive nature of the injury.

“The patient is in shock over what he experienced,” he said. “Reporters can ask the family about this case, but do not interfere with their comfort.”

Though family members declined to comment, a source confirmed that AMD had cut of his Joystick after he discovered his girlfriend intended to marry another man.

“The sliced-off Joystick has not been found,” the source said. “Allegedly, AMD threw it into the well with the intention of committing suicide because he thought nobody would be able to save his life.”

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art2010033113101867

Sagamite:
What the hell are you talking about? You think the BBC operate under a Nigerian system?

The BBC dare not broadcast shows that go against UK govt positions. That is a well known fact; seriously, you need to re-educate yourself, here's one example (there are many more), https://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/resources/bbcandgov/hutton.shtml
Please stop trying to derail the thread with all that cheap nollywood rubbish, it is a very grave topic.

@topic
Once again, kudos to the BBC for airing the Niger Delta issue to 2.226 million people. I can bet you, that this show will either be aired in the US or the US will come up with its own version, its a sea change from the colonial master mentality. Nigeria is viewed as a basket case Worldwide, we better shape up or split. . . As the newspaper headline in the show screams over and over and over, "Is Tobodo the future?". Tobodo's own vision was neatly wrapped up at a political rally with the earth shaking words concerning the nation he wanted the people to rise up and create, "A nation exists when all the people share the profits of the land together; not just the Ijaw, the Igbo or the Yoruba, but the Ogoni, the Isoko and the Urhobo ". . . No mention of Hausa or Fulani.

So, yes! "Is Tobodo the future?"

Fhemmmy:
This is more than ridiculous . . . . . EFCC belongs to the public and they being paid with public fund and now they are not compelled to make their finding public?
But they can publish other people's name on the front page of national papers? different law for different people

That is "cover up 101" for you!

Abba Ruma - in progress.
Tanimu Yakubu - in progress.
Bankole. . . Next?

[size=14pt]EFCC sued over N2.3b car-scam [/size]
By Odunayo Abiodun

March 31, 2010 12:53AM

The Coalition of Nigeria Civil Right Activists (CNCRA), a nongovernmental organisation has, filed a suit before the Federal High court sitting in Lagos, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over the alleged N2.3 billion car-scam at the Federal House of Representative in 2009.

The organisation is asking the court for an ‘order of mandamus’ compelling the commission to make public the report of its investigation into the alleged scam. It also wants the court to compel the EFCC to prosecute all persons found culpable or otherwise indicted in the course of its investigation.

According to the papers filed on behalf of the organisation, sometime in 2008, it was alleged that the House of Reps fraudulently purchased units of cars for its various committees to the tune of N2.3 billion. It was also alleged that the total unit cost of the cars was allegedly inflated to the benefit of some principal officers of the House.

Where’re the findings?

It further held that, at the request of various civil groups in the country including the CNCRA, the commission started investigation into the allegation, by inviting the suppliers of the vehicles and also some members of the House, who were allegedly involved in the scam.

However the paper states that although the commission concluded its investigation in March, 2009, it has not deemed it fit to let Nigerians, including the applicant know the content of its investigation report or findings.

The organisation added that, despite several letters addressed to the commission asking for the investigation report, the EFCC has failed to let the public know its findings. According to it, the commission hinged its refusal on the claim that there is no law in the EFCC Act which stipulates that it must make its activities known to the public.

The CNCRA submitted, that unless the court grants it leave to apply for an order of mandamus against the EFCC to show cause why it will not be compelled to make the report public, the commission may deny Nigerians from knowing the outcome of its investigation.

Hearing of the suit has been fixed for April 12, 2010, before Okechukwu Okeke.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5548017-146/efcc_sued_over_n2.3b_car-scam_.csp

hardywaltz:
I always laugh when people especially Nlanders expect so much from Jonathan, In a civilised society Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan would be serving 4 life sentences without possibility of parole. Yar'dua and Turia are angles compared to those two.
Patience legendary greed has no rivalry, she grabs everything and anything, word has it that she charges as much as N5-10m for consultation fee to see her.
In 2005, my client was who building a hotel for her in Yenegoa, on that fateful day she came to site and started shouting like a mad dog about the slow progress, my client tried to calm her down explaining that Pilling works are not rushed, he got a slap in return. My Client a full blooded Ijaw man severally tried to slap her back but was prevented by her orderliness, the matter was later settled by womanwrapper Goodluck.
In 2006, her convoy hit the car of my friend's wife here in PH and zoomed off, my friend's wife double crossed her as they were about to enter the Bayelsa State liason office in Olg GRA, she and her friend were beaten up and locked-up as suspect militants. However this time she picked a wrong person to play with. My friend (her husband) who was IYC (Ijaw Youth Congress) Secretary General practically shut down yenegoa with his boys, till his wife was released and compensated by womanwrapper Jonathan because she kept insisting she must slap Patience back. My Friend and Goodluck have remainded friends till day, that how we got to hear about her toll gate fee at aso rock just to see her.
I dont want to go into his track record in Bayelsa state they are nothing but thieves.

A man with a thousand friends! It is easy to know paid hacks. Jealousy will kill many people o!
Anyways, the top cabal members passports have been seized by somebody's friends. . .

This is an exercise on "how to sell your mother"!
Enbong Jimie Idiong and his Global Corp must be stopped!

sage:
I dont think it lets you download or watch if you are in the US.

Is there anybody in the US that has been able to watch it?

You can with a proxy. See http://www.anonymous-proxies.org/2009/02/using-iplayer-abroad-viewing-bbc-via.html

“Those involved will start campaign of calumny against Bankole soon, but I don’t care. I’m now used to it. You call me speaker and I will speak. When they start abusing me in the next few days, just know why.

Thieves become prophets when jail is nearing.
. . .Meet his "holiness", Bankole Christ.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/250588_bankole_jpg1a874218f087c39be3a1491aee59b38a

MandingoII:
It does not play in the United States,

You can watch or download it here;
Episode 1 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00rw5mp/Blood_and_Oil_Episode_1/
Episode 2 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00rw69w/Blood_and_Oil_Episode_2/

The program was watched by 2.266 million people. They have just won approximately 2.266 million folk to the Niger Delta cause!!!

On BBC2 the two part drama Blood and Oil, about the kidnapping of western oil workers in Nigeria, launched with 2.266 million (9.3%) over 80 minutes from 9pm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/mar/30/tv-ratings-ask-the-chancellors

We now need another drama showing how oil spills and gas flaring have ruined lives, it will make excellent showing as a season long soap.

mistakay:
seconded! How ever im worried what kind of development does the O.P has in mind considering the fact that he has been shoting secession to high heavens and rigging polls to that effect

I'm talking the sort of development that the donkeys, non-starters and dunces that hold this country back cannot understand.

The man is simply scared that 99% of Nigerians are plotting to escape bad govt, cross the Sahara on foot and land his country.
He has tried the cruelty of shooting some of us, yet still more damn the consequences and breach Libyan borders!
The only thing left for him to do is, cure Libyan pain by tackling the obvious defects in the structure of Nigeria; that way, ex-Nigerians would be happier and remain in their countries; he requested we do the obvious and split.

He did well with that request.

If we don't like it, then we must set about the road to true federalism were no community is the next community's donkey.

cap28:
i thought it was really good, the non nigerian actors all had really dodgy nigerian accents though, perhaps they could have cast a few nollywood actors in some of the roles rather than the black british actors that they used.

i enjoyed it though, although im not sure all of it was shot in nigeria.

David Oyewole (Tobodo) was brilliant as usual, the lead actress - naomi harris, was acting like a typical brainwashed coconut, totally oblivious to the misery and suffering that shell brings to nigeria but apart from that quite good, looking forward to seeing episode two.

It was shot in South Africa (cant shoot dat kain tin in 9ja ) and quite a few of the actors were either South African or Black British.
Naomi Harris represents the average Nigerian that doesn't understand the way the country works. What a rude shock she got! But then, much worse things than she saw happen in the ND.

Onye Babe:
@beaf - I lived in Warri till I was 16 and I would be going back when I finish studying. U ve absolutely no basis for saying I am ignorant because you don't know me. I understand that you may be confused as to what I am saying. I am not saying that what shell does is acceptable, I am saying that as Nigerians we can do more. We know about the incompetence of our leaders so I don't understand why we are waiting for them.

There is Warri and then. . . Behind the facade, there is the real Warri.

That real Warri you can never find in "dem say"; if you don't feel the pain directly you really have to look for the real Warri. Shine your eyes, your  statements might have been innocent, but the massacres in Odi and Gbaramatu were real enough (a total of 5000 lives). The massacres happen because there is a deliberate blanket of falsehood by those that benefit and because unaffected Nigerians find the "cozy" stories to be comfortable.

frosbel:
When I recently watched the Bayelsa governor showing around a news correspondent his palatial building, I was so upset that he seemed so detached from the day to day struggles of the people.

Surely leadership change has to occur first with the cooperation of the people before any visible difference can be made.

Lets hope Goodluck will brings these realities to bear on our leaders.

The timing of the shows airing cannot be a coincidence.

Pk001:
I just finished watching the final episode. I must confess, I was almost crying. The story might not be accurate enough, but at least it gave an insight to what is really happening. I like the final speech by kene said it all. It is true both the government(indigene & non indigenes) and the international community are to be blamed , but for us to be a nation we must consider each ethnic group as part of us.

Forget that politically correct crap until there are enough people who can reason rationally across ethnic boundaries, otherwise you will become the next victim.
It will do you well to listen carefully to the groups Keme mentioned will form the new nation. It will also do you well to sift through Nigerian politics with great wisdom. . . Then your eyes will open and never shut again.