₦airaland Forum

rip. who killed him? why? gangs? rip

So why did they make me get this one first and not the e-passport directly? (Stupid people always looking for how to fleece customers). How soon can I apply for the e-passport and how much does it cost?

Sorry, I meant passport.

I sent my passport to the Nigerian Embassy in DC for renewal. The website says it will be renewed for 5 years. It came back to me with a stamp saying it had been renewed till April 2011. Why is this? And what should i do?

Since, I came to NL, I have been empowered to insult people very acutely and sometimes without provocation because of the anonymity the internet provides.

What about you?

@Mama-gee

I have taken note of your posting pattern on NL, and it seems to me that you are always in search of relevance and thus always post stupid things just to get noticed or so others can know you are around. There is no award for person with most posts on NL. By the way, I think you quite cute. Now, just add a brain to the face and I will be drooling.

There are some irregularities,we all know that but u are going too far by saying what u say above

Lagos state,Edo state,Anambra state,Kano state,Plateau state and a couple of other states are where the will of the people generally held in the last election

There is no way PDP can win Lagos or Kano,and there is no way ANPP can win Plateau state or Anambra and so on. .

You make a valid point. But I wonder why PDP cannot win those states? At the risk of sounding like a cynic, the possible reasons why PDP didnot win those states are:

a.They were out-rigged by the opposition.
b.They do not have the power of incumbency needed to successfully rig in Nigeria.
c.Or they were so unpopular that the effect of rigging would have been disastrous e.g. riot,bloodshed, assassinations etc

The good news is we are improving, especially with the dominant role the judiciary now plays in settling electoral dispute. Now candidates from other parties apart from PDP are more likely to run for election and be confident that if voted in, they will be sworn-in, whether sooner or later. That is progress.

By the way, what is all this talk about "election gimmick?" You guys do realize that no election takes place in Nigeria and your votes don't count, right? Jonathan does not need to woo you or convince you to vote for him; he just needs to win the PDP nomination. I know, its sad but true. No such thing as platform of party ideology in Nigerian politics, its all a desperate attempt to associate civility with Nigerian politics. We have a long way to go.

How is it a variant of OBJs 3rd term for someone who has not even spent a full term in office?. .

Also is there not a possibility that another party can win,why must it be PDP?

For example lets say ANPP with their Northern bent wins the election,u can be rest assured this whole privatisation process will be scrapped

because it will be alledged that it doesnt favor the North. . . .

I believe the way Jonathan can handle this without putting us through the risk of a potential third term is to lay down solid fundamental structures of governance that will make development not dependent on the party in power. The truth is advanced democracies like the United States make policy changes in small increments because there are strong institutions that prevent radical change in a particular direction but encourage incremental change in a particular direction. The reality of politics and policies is that you do not always get what you want, but that is not an excuse to be in government for ever. Even Obama will not achieve all of his liberal agenda by the end of is term, that is why he had a list of priorities at the top if which was healthcare. So Jonathan should start work on the power reforms and concentrate on creating institutions/apparatuses of government that make reversal on major policy issues like power reform almost impossible/unfeasible. This is the foundation on which advanced democracies like America's are built and, I believe, this is the only guarantee that our democracy will grow.

National delusion of grandeur
BY KADARIA AHMED
July 5, 2010 03:36PMT
print email


President Goodluck Jonathan put the cat among the pigeons when, together with his cabinet, he took a decision to unilaterally suspend Nigeria’s participation in international football competitions for the next two years. Since then, FIFA has issued an ultimatum to Nigeria to rethink her stand or face sanctions. As I write this, that ultimatum has not expired. But if the reaction of people in government is anything to go by, it is unlikely that the federal government position will change.

Some people believe Mr. Jonathan and his team were wrong, others say this is a necessary move and gives the country an opportunity to overhaul its football. Regardless of the rightness or wrongness of the decision, what struck me was part of the statement made by presidential spokesman, Ima Niboro. He said “… there is need to withdraw from all international football competition so that we can put our house in order”.

Traditionally, we are not a self-critical nation. We don’t seem to have that ability to look inward and examine openly that which is wrong with us as a people and as a society. Instead, what we seem to specialize in is over hyping the very little that we achieve.

Listen to Nigerians speak about our golden age of sports and you would think we dominated the world during this period. However, all those moments glowingly discussed amount to a couple of gold and silver medals won at various times by outstanding individual athletes. Chioma Ajunwa‘s medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics springs to mind. Yes, we also got the football gold medal that year and a handful of other medals, and maybe another couple here and there in a few other Olympic tournaments and Commonwealth games. While these represent monumental achievements for the individual athletes who won them, they cannot and should never be seen as great feats. At least, not for an oil producing nation of 150 million people.

In the almost 50 years we have existed as a nation, we have for too long been ever ready to extol to high heavens our miniscule achievements. This may explain why complacency seems to settle very quickly into everything we do. Minor becomes major, and ok becomes excellent. We therefore do not expend the time, energy and resources necessary for greatness. Instead we hype and over hype.

What this does is to give us a confidence – others call it arrogance – that is not rooted in anything solid. But we, as a people, do not seem to have any problem with that; not just in sports but in all facets of our national life. We regularly boast of being ‘the giant of Africa’ and not bat an eyelid doing it or even feel a sense of shame. This, despite the fact that our oil wealth has not translated into developing a country with functional infrastructure and institutions or even an economy that would give regular people a chance at a decent life.

In all this, we don’t even have the self awareness to realize that we were involved in grand self deception. For the few that realized what was going on, perhaps there was a sense in which we felt if we talked loud and long enough about our greatness, it would somehow become manifest. It is clear to me that, as Nigerians, we have for a long time suffered from what can be termed national delusion.

We seem to typify that adage of constantly ‘blowing hot air’; except this time it was up our own ass. Even now, some Nigerians retain a certain cockiness and self belief that is not based on anything concrete or tangible, except a warped and unrealistic sense of our own importance.

Of course the twin evils of corruption and ineptitude have contributed greatly to our inability to realize our potential as a nation and, it is the context of all of these issues we must examine the decision taken by President Jonathan. If those two years, in which we are not taking part in international footballing events, are used for critical examination of the state of football and an overhaul and as a result, real and lasting changes are made to the way sport is run, only good can come out of it.

What would be really monumental, however, is if the government extends this same decisiveness to our other problems. Corruption, epileptic power supply and electoral reform, would all benefit from bold actions, similar to what has been done for football. Only then, can I be convinced that this government is capable of much more than populist decisions.


http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Opinion/Columns/5589517-182/observations572010.csp


Originally Written By Kadaria Ahmed for NEXT

National delusion of grandeur
BY KADARIA AHMED
July 5, 2010 03:36PMT
print email


President Goodluck Jonathan put the cat among the pigeons when, together with his cabinet, he took a decision to unilaterally suspend Nigeria’s participation in international football competitions for the next two years. Since then, FIFA has issued an ultimatum to Nigeria to rethink her stand or face sanctions. As I write this, that ultimatum has not expired. But if the reaction of people in government is anything to go by, it is unlikely that the federal government position will change.

Some people believe Mr. Jonathan and his team were wrong, others say this is a necessary move and gives the country an opportunity to overhaul its football. Regardless of the rightness or wrongness of the decision, what struck me was part of the statement made by presidential spokesman, Ima Niboro. He said “… there is need to withdraw from all international football competition so that we can put our house in order”.

Traditionally, we are not a self-critical nation. We don’t seem to have that ability to look inward and examine openly that which is wrong with us as a people and as a society. Instead, what we seem to specialize in is over hyping the very little that we achieve.

Listen to Nigerians speak about our golden age of sports and you would think we dominated the world during this period. However, all those moments glowingly discussed amount to a couple of gold and silver medals won at various times by outstanding individual athletes. Chioma Ajunwa‘s medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics springs to mind. Yes, we also got the football gold medal that year and a handful of other medals, and maybe another couple here and there in a few other Olympic tournaments and Commonwealth games. While these represent monumental achievements for the individual athletes who won them, they cannot and should never be seen as great feats. At least, not for an oil producing nation of 150 million people.

In the almost 50 years we have existed as a nation, we have for too long been ever ready to extol to high heavens our miniscule achievements. This may explain why complacency seems to settle very quickly into everything we do. Minor becomes major, and ok becomes excellent. We therefore do not expend the time, energy and resources necessary for greatness. Instead we hype and over hype.

What this does is to give us a confidence – others call it arrogance – that is not rooted in anything solid. But we, as a people, do not seem to have any problem with that; not just in sports but in all facets of our national life. We regularly boast of being ‘the giant of Africa’ and not bat an eyelid doing it or even feel a sense of shame. This, despite the fact that our oil wealth has not translated into developing a country with functional infrastructure and institutions or even an economy that would give regular people a chance at a decent life.

In all this, we don’t even have the self awareness to realize that we were involved in grand self deception. For the few that realized what was going on, perhaps there was a sense in which we felt if we talked loud and long enough about our greatness, it would somehow become manifest. It is clear to me that, as Nigerians, we have for a long time suffered from what can be termed national delusion.

We seem to typify that adage of constantly ‘blowing hot air’; except this time it was up our own ass. Even now, some Nigerians retain a certain cockiness and self belief that is not based on anything concrete or tangible, except a warped and unrealistic sense of our own importance.

Of course the twin evils of corruption and ineptitude have contributed greatly to our inability to realize our potential as a nation and, it is the context of all of these issues we must examine the decision taken by President Jonathan. If those two years, in which we are not taking part in international footballing events, are used for critical examination of the state of football and an overhaul and as a result, real and lasting changes are made to the way sport is run, only good can come out of it.

What would be really monumental, however, is if the government extends this same decisiveness to our other problems. Corruption, epileptic power supply and electoral reform, would all benefit from bold actions, similar to what has been done for football. Only then, can I be convinced that this government is capable of much more than populist decisions.


http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Opinion/Columns/5589517-182/observations572010.csp


Written by Kadaria Ahmed for NEXT.

I am planning to come to the UK for graduate school. Is there any chance that I can get a full scholarship? Where? If not what is the highest percentage of my tuition and fees I am likely to receive as scholarship?

Also does anyone know of good study-abroad programs and can you share your experience on its merits and demerits?

Thanks

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/04/19/california.student.stabbed/index.html?hpt=T1

California college's student president stabbed; hate crime allegedBy the CNN Wire Staff
April 19, 2010 7:05 p.m. EDT

Joseph Igbineweka is expected to recover from the stabbing that happened Sunday near the university, police say.STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Police: Joseph Igbineweka stabbed Sunday after two men yelled racial slurs at him
Man stabbed Igbineweka when he turned around, police say
Nigeria native is student body president of California State University, Chico
Igbineweka expected to recover, police say; 19-year-old suspect arrested

RELATED TOPICS
Stabbings
California
Hate Crimes
(CNN) -- The student body president of California State University, Chico, was recovering Monday from stab wounds suffered in what police believe was a hate crime, officials said.

Joseph Igbineweka, who was born in Nigeria, was stabbed early Sunday while walking in a Chico neighborhood near the college where mostly students reside, Chico police Sgt. Rob Merrifield said.

Igbineweka passed two men who began to make racial slurs, Merrifield said. He ignored them and continued to walk, but they followed him and continued to yell at him.

Igbineweka eventually turned around, and one of the men struck him, Merrifield said. He fought back, but the man pulled a pocket knife and stabbed him at least four times, in the neck, chest, stomach and arm, according to Merrifield. The attacker fled on foot.

Several police officers were in the area and were alerted to the situation, Merrifield said. An officer found Igbineweka and was able to get a description of the attacker and alert other officers in the area.

A suspect, 19-year-old Barry Sayavong, was found and arrested a few blocks away, Merrifield said. Sayavong, of Chico, is facing charges of attempted murder and a hate crime, according to Merrifield.

Igbineweka was hospitalized Monday but is expected to recover, Merrifield said. His worst injury was a deep gash on his arm.

Igbineweka was in stable condition, said Joe Wills, spokesman for the university, which is commonly known as Chico State.

"While violent crimes happen in this and other communities, this is very disturbing," Wills said. "Lots of people know Joe." The student body president is akin to a public figure in Chico, a university town of about 100,000 people, he said.

Igbineweka "is very well known in the local community," Wills said. "This is a hate crime and a very big deal."

Wills said the mood on campus "is one of shock and sadness and concern for Joe."

"And also there is looking forward to what people can do so that these kinds of crimes aren't repeated," Wills said.

"Today, our thoughts are with Joseph hoping for his full recovery," said a statement from Chico Mayor Ann Schwab and university President Paul Zingg. "We, and several others, have visited with him. , He is in good spirits considering what he has been through."

Igbineweka "is looking forward to getting back on campus and looking for solutions to reduce violence in the community," Wills said. "He is motivated to stay active."

Igbineweka moved to the United States at the age of 15, and is from Richmond, California, Wills said.

The attack "is an assault on the values of civility and respect for other people that both Chico State and the city of Chico work so hard to ensure," Schwab and Zingg said in their statement. "We choose not to be defined by hate-filled and criminal acts."

"From his hospital bed, Joseph urges us to 'continue the conversation' around violence and prejudice," the two said. "We assure Joseph we will do that."

An open forum was set for Monday afternoon for anyone wishing to address the incident and discuss efforts for the community to move forward, they said.

CNN's Sara Pratley contributed to this report.

shit.

And nairalnders gather again for their regular wankfest and mutual-ego massaging!

9ja rap is wack. We are only good at Afro-beat, juju, and Fuji. Lets stick to waht we are good at.

@OP

My gut, sorry ooo. U don enter one chance.

@Fhemmy

It is arrogance like yours that makes me detest NL. Who made you the judge of what is true or not? And you have the temerity to ask the poster defend himself. Shior.

wtf are we talking about here? Primary six kids playing police-and-thief?

dude, u go enter one chance be that. lol.

I do die ooooo. K-obo-junk-kid is back. The evil one herself. You will not see my rear-light on NL for at least 3 months. Very vile person.

Uju, u too dey be like benjamin.

self-righteous/self-important/arrogant

Innovative BS.

The many times I threatend to run away from home.

A good education
Potential for a better future
And because America was supposed to be heaven.

May God help and be with you serubawon. This thread gives me a dose of reality and reawakened the human side in me.

The guy is mutallabcious.

Who else thinks that genevieve's a.s.s is the enough to make a man gon crazy?