₦airaland Forum

Death threats have been flying around over Yar Adua. Here's one such story;

[size=14pt]Jonathan: Senator Alleges Death Threat[/size]
From Sufuyan Ojeifo in Abuja, 02.15.2010

Chairman of the National Interest Group (NIG) in the Senate, Senator Bala Mohammed (ANPP, Bauchi South), has alleged that his life is under threat by unknown persons.

He claimed that the threat was not unconnected with the role he played in galvanising his colleagues in pushing through the historic resolution by the Senate empowering Vice President Goodluck Jonathan as Acting President.

Mohammed, according to a report, which circulated in Abuja yesterday, confirmed the threats, saying: “The threats are not by text messages; they have been made through voice telephone calls.”

He said he had decided to keep a low profile and said he strongly believed that his life was in the hands of the Almighty God.
Mohammed said he suspected that those putting the threat calls to him were those opposed to his role in the NIG and his home political enemies in his state (Bauchi).

Reacting to the development, Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Anthony Manzo said: “It is very unfortunate and we condemn all that.”

Manzo declared: “The Senate in all sincerity condemns death threats against people who express an opinion and it (threat) has no place in a democracy.”

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=166487

God! How many failures of state in just one life? It is so sad!

[size=14pt]Giving the Chinese a break from oil bids [/size]
By Elisha Bala-Gbogbo

The Federal Government's plans to release new acreages for bids by oil companies has continued to generate diverse reactions from the industry despite indications that Acting President Goodluck Jonathan may have halted further actions regarding a 2010 licensing round entirely.

Analysts mostly complain about the discretionary tendencies in the Federal Government's oil deals with some Chinese investors.

Emmanuel Egbogah, special adviser to the president on petroleum affairs had said two weeks ago that government was considering releasing an unspecified number of new blocks with over two billion barrels of oil in reserve.

The Federal government have two key objectives for growth in the oil sector: to raise reserves to 40 billion barrels and to raise production capacity from the existing 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) to 4 million barrels by the end of this year.

To meet these targets, Nigeria would have to attract large-scale new investment and new players, which implies offering up new acreage. However, these targets remained elusive in spite of four licensing rounds held in the last decade - the 2000, 2005, 2006 and 2007 bid rounds.

Post amnesty bids

Although some industry players are upbeat about the possibility of a bid round this year, others are still concerned about the security situation in the Niger Delta. An amnesty deal struck with the militants have failed to progress beyond the promises of rehabilitation and re-integration of the ex-militants.

Two weeks ago, Jomo Gbomo, spokesperson of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said the militant group has decided to call off its ceasefire after government's failure to continue with a planned peace talk with the group. Consequently, the group attacked the Shell Trans-Ramos pipeline, and promised to "re-visit the Trans-Ramos pipeline which we attacked in June last year after it has been repaired, as well as other oil facilities around the Niger Delta in the weeks to come." The militants had earlier attacked Chevron's Makaraba pipeline in Delta State on Friday, January 8, to re-launch their attacks on oil facilities, which started in 2006 allegedly as a quest for greater access to the oil wealth. This has significantly impacted on operational costs, and dampened investments and investor confidence to Africa's largest oil and gas producer.

"Bid rounds are okay but the only problem is if you're trying to do post amnesty and you've not basically shown anybody that you're serious about the Niger Delta, then why are you doing bid round?" asked Toyin Akinoso, oil industry analyst and publisher of the Oil and Gas Report.

"I think that this is diversionary. Not looking at the man who has the land in the Niger delta and who government have asked to lay down arms and cool down. Government is not doing what it promised but rather it is politicizing the whole process. I think government is just insensitive" he said.

"My problem basically is peace. Let's resolve this (peace) thing to some extent before you talk about bids," Mr Akinoso added. "But I think that what Mr. Egbogah did was a teaser. I'm not sure he's going to do a bid round. These government people, there's a way they do things to check if people are going to line up behind them."

But there are some who argue that the industry would be excited about a 2010 bid round because it will provide more opportunities for local oil services companies in the long term, and inject more funds for investment into an industry that has been hit by the global credit crunch.

"A lot of people look for opportunities to invest in Nigeria," said Afe Mayowa, managing director of Danvic Concept, a geoservices company. "Nigeria is a good place to invest in spite of all our problems. Nigeria is a very important part of the global oil business, so everybody will be looking forward to participate in the bid round. If there are more companies involved, the better."

Enter the Chinese

Given Nigeria's important position in the global oil market and China's growing appetite for oil, it was surprising that the Chinese did not show an earlier active interest in acquiring oil blocks in Nigeria.

But the Chinese have now made a major move, with the promise to invest about $50 billion in 23 licences, including 16 operated by Shell, Chevron and ExxonMobil, which expired last November and were up for renewal, for reserves estimated at six billion barrels according to Mr Egbogah. He also said this year's bid round will include oil licenses relinquished by Western oil majors. None of the majors concerned was willing to talk when NEXT contacted them on the matter. However, analysts insist that there must be a level playing field for all instead of adopting discretionary allocations. "If government wants to give anybody anything, let them do bid round. That has always been my take," Mr Akinoso argued. "All that talk about the Chinese looking for six billion barrels, and talking to government, is not a market place thing. It doesn't allow for transparency."

The industry is unanimous that new entrants, particularly the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), on whose behalf China's Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi led a high level delegation to Nigeria in January, to discuss the oil blocks deal, should participate in the bid round, if there will be any this year.

"If government have these acreages that they want to give out, if there are other people that have shown interest for them apart from the existing ones, well so be it," Isaac Arowolo said. Mr Arowolo, who is president of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), added that: "If they compete and win, it's good; now that we no longer give these things out for free anymore." But the Department of Petroleum Resources, the regulator of oil and gas operations in the country and supervisor of the bid rounds, refuted insinuations of discretionary allocations in the government/Asian deals.

According to Belema Osibodu, a deputy director of Public Affairs, "The era of discretionary bid rounds is over. Government will disclose the date (for the 2010 bid round) at the appropriate time."

However, many are not convinced that this is the fact. Moreover, things are not helped by the fact that all the promises made by the Asian operators in exchange for exploration rights have not been fulfilled, especially promises of investing in some downstream infrastructure.


http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Money/Business/5526415-147/story.csp

PDP = corruption + Aondoakaa type characters
AC = corruption + assassins

Nigerian politics ain't funny.

^
. . .And the "Hausa/Fulani Niger Deltans" are flying around like ecstatic little winshes, running around and praying to Africom.
In your dreams. Olodo!

www.nairaland.com/attachments/229503_ROFLMAODog_gif3fa44b12f55ba64fc785c3a5794ba92e

[quote author=ndu_chucks link=topic=398877.msg5521215#msg5521215 date=1266286309]Stop your pitiful attempt to derail this thread - this must be the new plan of attack that you guys have adopted. Please start your own thread if you have particular issues to raise pertaining to whatever tribe you wish. This thread is not about ndu_chucks or any ethnic group.

MEND is disintegrating, deal with it, Rakoomin dadje.[/quote]Okay, I see that MEND is really not to your taste. . . But how about the Hausa/Fulani parasites that have ra'ped and pillaged the Niger Delta for decades? How about dealing with the reason MEND was formed?

I find your interest to be Hausa/Fulani parasitic; for the simple reason that you took an article without a single mention of the words "crime" or "criminal" and in the abracadabra that is unique to mischievous people like yourself, it has become "about the criminal elements of MEND". You can't even keep to the gist of an article you posted.

Damn! . . .Some Hausa/Fulani people sha

^
I am just very worried that a lot of Hausa/Fulani remain intensely "interested" in the ND, especially at this auspicious times for our nation. Perhaps, being one, you could enlighten me?
Too many of our women have been r'aped and our men murdered, don't you think? Wo ko re ebe?

PS: I keep reminding you that olodo doesn't mean fullstop.

There are firefox addons that do that. Try PhProxy, there's an add-on and a website.

I am sure they are "Hausa/Fulani Niger Deltans".

www.nairaland.com/attachments/229503_ROFLMAODog_gif3fa44b12f55ba64fc785c3a5794ba92e

Of course, MEND is a thorn in the flesh of Hausa/Fulani parasites, therefore some of the Hausa/Fulani have now started claiming ND citizenship and membership of ND organisations.
We ND people are very hospitable and will welcome any genuine Hausa/Fulani citizens, but we will deal with any unrepentant bunkerer's, blood suckers and Boko Harams among them.

I don't believe the shameless man has resigned, but he will surely be sacked or pushed overboard. He is a corrupt old dinosaur;

Although he is the minister of petroleum resources, Rilwanu Lukman is a major shareholder and director of a raft of offshore companies active in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria and the surrounding Gulf of Guinea, our investigations showed.

Mr. Lukman's tangled web of business interests are indisputably a conflict of interest for the 70-year-old minister, perhaps Nigeria's most famous oilman. He became minister on Dec. 18 2008 and, before that, served as President Umaru Yar'Adua's special adviser for the same industry. He also had previously been minister or adviser under various past administrations, and served also as Opec secretary general, based in Vienna.

As of Monday, Mr. Lukman remained a director and major shareholder in at least four companies actively pursuing business in the industry over which he presides as minister, according to official records obtained by NEXT on Sunday.
Mr. Lukman claimed South African citizenship in the registration documents of one of the companies, Africa Heritage Oil & Gas Ltd, while declaring himself a Nigerian in the others. It is perfectly legal for a Nigerian to also maintain citizenship of another country, and that fact alone would not disqualify from membership of Mr. Yar'Adua's cabinet.

More here (Sahara Reporters)

buffnaija:
what makes it a difficult language ?

Read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%2B%2B#Criticism then read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D_(programming_language)

[quote author=akenzua_II link=topic=398035.msg5520205#msg5520205 date=1266271230]@Baef

It would not be wise to abstract away too much from the underlying subject area - programming or otherwise - it may work as an introduction or something similar but once you start to get into complex hierarchical architectures and multi-inheritance things start to get messy. It  would be an enormous task to design and implement ( not to mention the arguments as to what is the best language to use) and some may argue that why can't Africans just learn as everyone else.

My thoughts were really in what can be quickly (being relative) and conveniently implemented and have a major impact - yet have a valid business case to be run profitably. I was thinking more in terms of '`distance learning' without the distance. Imagine an internet cafe with desks and monitors, as 'dumb' terminals - an instructor projected on the screen, doing exactly what you described but using a simple whiteboard and pen - his annotations printed and handed out. He can be based anywhere in the world - can be done in real-time or off-line (imagine multi-cast algorithmic model). Imagine these centres being located everywhere you see an internet cafe right now, with the added benefit of being centres of excellence with little capital expenditure.

Mind you this will not be limited to programming but one can see how if we need to move the nation forward, in a fast moving world we have to move an extra yard  - right now we are playing catch-up.

Oh and please do not mention UML - I loathe it with a passion - give me DOxygen any day.[/quote]Hmmm. You might be interested in this, they also collaborate with 3rd parties; http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/training/format-classroom.aspx#tab3
You might also want to try ConferenceXP, it enables you to do video conferencing, distance learning etc http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/conferencexp/ I believe you can get the source code on codeplex as well.
I too, don't like UML. It is for non-technical managers and architects.

[quote author=akenzua_II link=topic=398035.msg5520243#msg5520243 date=1266271738]@ candylips

I have no idea but it may have to do with the lack of an industry rather than lack of skills but that may just be one of a multitude of factors.

Which brings me to my original question, I refuse to believe that Nigerian graduates are 'dumb' - the major contributing factor must be the quality of our universities and their principals. I have yet to read a paper or get an insight into any research methods used in universities which strongly correlates to the quality of the professors and researchers (note: my opinion). If I am wrong please provide a link, I would be happy to be proven wrong, I may be looking in the wrong places.[/quote]Research in our universities? Talk less of methods!
. . .Quite a few lecturers and "researchers" have to sell handouts to students for a living, that's as far as research goes. Quite a few students too, tend to have one or two things to sell as well.
All over the World, universities are tied to business and entrepreneurship through research and collaboration. In Nigeria, it's just handout sales. Embarrassing.

By every index, Nigerian education is miserable. It isn't the graduates, it's the system.

We thank God! Can you imagine a petroleum minister who owns oil blocks? Where else, but Nigeria? Corrupt old dinosaur!!
Thousands have died in the ND to protect the corrupt interests of people like him.

. . .Soooo, the Attorney General was going to buff Nigeria's tarnished image? [size=14pt]"Attorney General"?!!![/size]
What happened to the diplomatic corps and information ministry?

Aondoakaa will smell jail soon.

These are incredibly serious allegations.
If there is no retaliatory law suit, then we can draw conclusions.

Damn!

As far as this man is concerned, the tea leaves seem to be falling in the right directions.
. . .We might be in for a very good times, I really pray this is the man Nigerian's have been yearning for. But, let's wait and see.

Good riddance to an old, corrupt dinosaur.

Source: http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/feb/14/national-14-02-2010-01.htm

marocguy:
Wrong investment. It will neva boom because of our business environment aod culture in nigeria. The originators shud go and take a luk @ wots happening to tinapa business resort and the calabar free trade zone,in crossriver state. Gud plan but unfavourable business environment frm d federal government.

The crossriver market is mainly aimed at tourist related business, while this is aimed at oil and gas; the target markets couldn't be more different. Tourism is still struggling for attention, but the petroleum areas have plenty.

I imagine that, there are plans to build in tourism after the success of this investment.

“The ship was arrested at Escravos after receiving stolen crude oil brought to her in barges at Parkinson Creek. The arrested ship was heading for the high sea to transload the stolen product into the MT Sea BRILLER, a mother ship anchored at the high sea.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201002113503992

So, why wasn't the MT Sea BRILLER arrested and placed under guard in Warri as well? Something is being hidden.

HARRY S HANS: the JTF is not doing there job why because the girl in her interview said she has been working with thesame vessel for 12 months doing thesame job were has the JTF all this while,and why is it that the moment goodluck took over power the JTF could now discover such opperation. i think some body from the presidency has some question to answer. and to the JTF is it that the vessel is too small for them to notise all this while? i think something is missing in this story. thanks

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201002113503992

. . .Questions

[size=14pt]Navy arrests 17 persons, seizes fuel-laden vessel [/size]
Thursday, 11 February 2010 01:22

The Nigerian Navy has seized a vessel loaded with petroleum products and its 17 crew members. A statement signed by Navy Captain S.A. Adebari on Tuesday in Warri said that a woman was among the arrested crew members.
It said that a naval ship, NNS DELTA, was carrying out surveillance duties in the Escravos channel on Tuesday morning when it ran into the vessel.

It said that the vessel, MV SHEKINA, with an International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Registration Number 7722877, was accosted when returning to harbour under armed escort.

The statement said that investigations on the vessel and its activities had commenced. There has been an upsurge in illegal bunkering and vandalism of oil facilities early this year.

A source at the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), who preferred anonymity, told newsmen that the vandals often attacked the oil facilities of Shell and Chevron. He said that the worst hit areas included the Sapele-Forcados Domestic gas pipeline and the Trans-Escravos Pipeline at Yokri, all in Delta.

The source said that vandals, between January 18 and 29 damaged about 14 points on the Trans-Escravos Pipeline. He said that Shell lines in Rivers also came under serious attacks, adding that all these damages caused leakages. The Niger Delta Waterways Vigilante (NDWV) earlier blamed the resurgence in illegal bunkering on a syndicate that deceitfully obtained a work-permit from the Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

The spokesman of the NDWV, Gabriel Okolosi, said that approval was given to the organisation to go into the creeks to evacuate barges and boats trapped therein.

Okolosi alleged that the group, however, used the approval to beat security arrangements in its plot to siphon crude oil from the well-heads or trunk-lines of Shell and Chevron. (NAN)

http://businessdayonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8373:navy-arrests-17-persons-seizes-fuel-laden-vessel-&catid=85:national&Itemid=340

. . .It's begging time for some.
Jonathan should just summarily sack 90% of the cabinet and fill their places with people who are ready to work.
Weed out the psycophants and jobbers.

[size=14pt]Ministers in desperate moves for Jonathan’s favour[/size]
By Ihuoma Chiedozie, Published: Sunday, 14 Feb 2010

Indications emerged on Saturday that ministers, special advisers and other top political appointees in the Presidency have intensified moves to get into the good books of Acting President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan following concerns that he would make good his earlier threat to remove officials who engaged in acts of mischief to advance their personal aggrandizement.

Their worry, our correspondent gathered, was based on the fact that the Acting President is aware of the roles they played in the wake of the constitutional crisis that arose following the prolonged absence of ailing President Umaru Yar‘Adua. Yar’Adua has been hospitalised at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for 82 days now.

It was gathered that the hitherto subtle lobby for Jonathan‘s goodwill has heightened since he redeployed the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mike Aondoakaa, to the less visible Ministry of Special Duties.

Also, the ministers and other top government functionaries are worried at the unceasing calls from many quarters on Jonathan to dissolve the cabinet if he must make any meaningful progress in discharging the affairs of the government in the absence of President Umaru Yar‘Adua.

The Action Congress, as well as a frontline Niger Delta nationalist, Chief Edwin Clark, had advised Jonathan to drop the ministers, particularly those seen to be underperforming.

These calls, as well as current regrets over their previous attitude to Jonathan when Yar‘Adua was around, have combined to make the ministers feel insecure in their positions.

Some of the ministers had engaged in a series of actions that undermined Jonathan‘s authority in the early days of Yar‘Adua‘s trip to Saudi Arabia, and the situation had degenerated to a point where the then Vice-President had to call them to order.

Jonathan had on January 16, warned that ministers and other heads of the ministries, departments and agencies who went about causing acrimony in the polity risked losing their jobs.

In a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Ima Niboro, Jonathan had warned against ”efforts by some well placed individuals, within and outside the administration” to take advantage of the President‘s absence to cause mischief.

A reliable source in the vice-president‘s office, who craved anonymity told our correspondent that, following Aondoakaa‘s redeployment on Wednesday, ministers and other top government officials ”are no longer sure of their positions in the government and as a result have intensified efforts to seek the favours of the Acting President”.

Currently, they are channeling their efforts to ingratiate themselves with Jonathan through his aides.

Findings by our correspondent reveals that ministers and other top government officials intent on gaining the Acting President‘s confidence now court his aides, many of whom were not reckoned with in the power equation in the Presidential Villa.

Previously, the Vice-President‘s aides were relegated to the background in the scheme of things in the Villa, as the President‘s aides received all the attention from ministers and other visitors.

But the situation has changed dramatically, as ministers who now call at the Vice-President‘s Wing make out time to visit some of his aides in their respective offices.

It was also discovered that, apart from making overt efforts to ingratiate themselves with Jonathan‘s aides, another means being employed by the ministers seeking the Acting President‘s favours is constantly reporting at his office for even unsolicited consultations.

The source described the practice as ”eye service”.

Further indications that the Acting President would brook no nonsense from any top government functionaries emerged during the last FEC meeting, when members of staff of the Council Secretariat, who record proceedings, were excused from the Council Chambers, venue of the meeting, so that Jonathan and the council members could have an ”off the record session.”

The source informed our correspondent that, during the session, Jonathan did not mince words in making the ministers “understand who was actually in charge of the government.”

”He made it clear what is expected and not expected, of any one of them who intends to keep his or her job in the cabinet,” the source said.

The source added that some individual ministers were made to explain particular actions, or statements, ascribed to them during the course of the crisis over the supposed power vacuum in the Presidency.

However, our correspondent gathered that Jonathan has remained ”accessible” to the ministers and SAs ”as usual” since he effectively became Acting President.

Jonathan is said to be only concerned with how to move the country forward and not punishing anybody.”

The source explained that what happened to Aondoakaa was not ”punishment” but ”a development that became necessary due to some conflict of interests and predispositions.”

Meanwhile, it was also gathered that Jonathan has admonished his aides and other staff in the Vice-President‘s office to ”maintain a low profile” in the midst of excitement over his elevation to the position of Acting President.

A source who spoke to our correspondent on the development, said it was borne out of the need to ”maintain balance and harmony in the Presidency especially after the protracted power struggle that preceded his emergence as Acting President”.

The source noted that many individuals among Jonathan‘s aides, as well as officials in the Vice President‘s Wing, were disposed to see his elevation as their personal victory and as a result indulge in some forms of celebration.

This disposition, according to the source, was ”mostly due to the fact that they had always played second fiddle in the Presidential Villa”.

Also, Jonathan‘s aides knew that, with their principal now Acting President, they would automatically enjoy more advantages and opportunities, particularly those hitherto exclusively enjoyed by the presidential aides.

”It was as a result of the need to avoid a situation whereby the presidential aides would develop a sense of loss as a result of the prolonged absence of their boss that Jonathan gave an unwritten directive to his aides and staff to maintain a low profile and go about their duties as usual.

”It is very important to him that nobody among Yar‘Adua‘s staff gets any impression that his (Jonathan‘s) aides are celebrating, or even rejoicing over the opportunities that might come their way as a result of the President‘s ill-health.

”Jonathan himself is maintaining a low profile, of course it comes naturally to him, it has taken him this far and he would not have any of his aides causing unnecessary problems in the Presidential Villa”, the source said.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201002144405245

Nice!

Yar Adua is dead until proven alive.

I don't care much about this thread but. . .

Shoot2Kill = EmperorOlu

What can be done? I have never, really thought about programming as a particular case, but it isn't impossible to create a piece of software that is similar to current UML outings in drawing and code handling. However, there will be at least two major differences:

[list]
[li]The diagrams would simple and have to be tailored to more explicitly suit logic, instead of the current UML types[/li]
[li]It would contain code quizes and design patterns[/li]
[/list]

These are just tentative thoughts, but maybe you have a better idea or can improve on my suggestion. Lets hear from you.