₦airaland Forum

Professor Max Fuller in his Hibbert Lectures said it all: "RELIGION IS NOT A NEW INVENTION. IT IS, IF NOT AS OLD AS THE WORLD, AT LEAST AS OLD AS THE WORLD WE KNOW. THERE NEVER WAS A FALSE GOD NOR WAS THERE EVER A FALSE RELIGION, UNLESS YOU CALL A CHILD A FALSE MAN. ALL RELIGION, SO FAR AS I KNOW THEM, HAD THE SAME PURPOSE. ALL WERE LINKS IN A CHAIN WHICH CONNECTS HEAVEN AND EARTH, AND WHICH HELD, AND ALWAYS WAS HELD, BY ONE AND THE SAME HAND."

dridowu: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/11/presidential-scholarship-scheme-623-candidates-qualify-screening/

He is the president of all nigerians. Organising a test for presidential scholarship scheme does not make sense to me because it will create an avenue for preferential and biased selection as usual. I am of the opinion the scheme will have more impacts on common Nigerians if beneficiaries are selected from all schools accross the nation based on their performances by simply picking the highfliers from each school.

[quote author=ifeanyi_ja]CALABAR- A Seventeen year old female student of the University of Calabar, name withheld, was raped to a state of coma by armed robbers who raided the hostel she and several  other colleagues are living on Tuesday night  in Calabar.

The robbers, according to a fair complexioned  male student who gave his name as Ngoli, attacked  the hostel located at Mount Zion Road/ Inyang Edem Street  at about 2am and raped all the female students and carted away all their  laptops and cell phones.

“They stared by firing warning shots into the air to warn us that they came for serious business and thereafter went from room to room battering everybody and raping the female students one after the other”.

He said the girl that went into coma was still a virgin that made all the robbers want to have a taste of her.

“The first one to pounce on her announced to the rest that she was still a virgin and that made everyone of them go after her and in the process she bled seriously yet they would not allow her go”.

More details soon

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/11/robbers-raid-students-hostel-rape-female-student-coma/[/quote]I am an ex malabite and I am based in Calabar but I have never heard that Unical has an off campus hostel except the final year medical students hostel situated at Moore road beside former teaching hospital to facilitate their practicals. I doubt if that hostel is still being used by Unical because the teaching hospital has been relocated to their new permanent site.

[quote author=ifeanyi_ja]CALABAR- A Seventeen year old female student of the University of Calabar, name withheld, was raped to a state of coma by armed robbers who raided the hostel she and several  other colleagues are living on Tuesday night  in Calabar.

The robbers, according to a fair complexioned  male student who gave his name as Ngoli, attacked  the hostel located at Mount Zion Road/ Inyang Edem Street  at about 2am and raped all the female students and carted away all their  laptops and cell phones.

“They stared by firing warning shots into the air to warn us that they came for serious business and thereafter went fruom room to room battering everybody and raping the female students one after the other”.

He said the girl that went into coma was still a virgin that made all the robbers want to have a taste of her.

“The first one to pounce on her announced to the rest that she was still a virgin and that made everyone of them go after her and in the process she bled seriously yet they would not allow her go”.

More details soon

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/11/robbers-raid-students-hostel-rape-female-student-coma/[/quote]

BBC African Footballer of the Year 2013: Profile - Yaya Toure

By Ian Hughes
BBC Sport
Widely recognised as one of the finest midfielders of his generation, Yaya Toure is an absolute powerhouse - a general on the pitch who commands respect form every quarter.
He joined his current club Manchester City in 2010 and helped them win the English Premier League in 2012 - their first league title for 44 years - as well as the FA Cup and the Community Shield.
Toure has already racked up 109 games for City and scored 23 goals, including a portfolio of sensational free-kicks, and he continues to be perhaps the most important player for the club.
2013 AWARD NOMINEES
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang profile
Victor Moses profile
John Mikel Obi profile
Jonathan Pitroipa profile
Yaya Toure profile
He joined City from Barcelona, where he spent three years and amassed a fantastic collection of honours, including two Spanish league titles, a Champions League title, a Uefa Super Cup and a Fifa Club World Cup.
Toure has also won a league title in Greece with Olympiacos and a league title in his native Ivory Coast with ASEC Mimosas.
However, Toure has experienced much disappointment on the international stage, where a golden generation of Ivorians have failed to deliver the trophy that has been expected of them - being beaten in the 2012 final by Zambia was one of the greatest shocks in African football.
Now aged 30, Toure shows no sign of slowing down and has made an excellent start to the new season with City, having already hit seven goals in all competitions and produced consistently brilliant performances.
A two-time winner of the Confederation of African Football's player of the year award, Toure is also the only African on the 23-man shortlist for this year's Fifa world player of the year.
Source:
http://bbc.in/1jmfmWn

if I doubt an information, I always make use of the available tools at my disposal for confirmation:


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Al-kitāb al-mukhtaṣar fī ḥisāb al-ğabr wa’l-muqābala (Arabic: الكتاب المختصر في حساب الجبر والمقابلة‎, "The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing", also known under a shorter name spelled as Hisab al-jabr w’al-muqabala, Kitab al-Jabr wa-l-Muqabala and other transliterations) is a mathematical book written in Arabic language in approximately AD 820 by the Persian mathematician Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī in Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate at the time.
The book was translated into Latin in the mid 12th century under the title Liber Algebrae et Almucabola (with algebrae and almucabola being simply Latinized corruptions of the words in the Arabic title). Today's term algebra is derived from the term الجبر al-ğabr in the title of this book. The al-ğabr provided an exhaustive account of solving for the positive roots of polynomial equations up to the second degree.[1]
Several authors have also published texts under the name of Kitāb al-ğabr wa-l-muqābala, including Abū Ḥanīfa al-Dīnawarī, Abū Kāmil Shujā ibn Aslam,[2] Abū Muḥammad al-ʿAdlī, Abū Yūsuf al-Miṣṣīṣī, 'Abd al-Hamīd ibn Turk, Sind ibn ʿAlī, Sahl ibn Bišr,[3] and Šarafaddīn al-Ṭūsī.
Contents [hide]
1 Legacy
2 The book
3 References
4 Further reading
5 External links
Legacy[edit]

R. Rashed and Angela Armstrong write:
"Al-Khwarizmi's text can be seen to be distinct not only from the Babylonian tablets, but also from Diophantus' Arithmetica. It no longer concerns a series of problems to be resolved, but an exposition which starts with primitive terms in which the combinations must give all possible prototypes for equations, which henceforward explicitly constitute the true object of study. On the other hand, the idea of an equation for its own sake appears from the beginning and, one could say, in a generic manner, insofar as it does not simply emerge in the course of solving a problem, but is specifically called on to define an infinite class of problems."[4]
J. J. O'Connor and E. F. Robertson wrote in the MacTutor History of Mathematics archive:
"Perhaps one of the most significant advances made by Arabic mathematics began at this time with the work of al-Khwarizmi, namely the beginnings of algebra. It is important to understand just how significant this new idea was. It was a revolutionary move away from the Greek concept of mathematics which was essentially geometry. Algebra was a unifying theory which allowed rational numbers, irrational numbers, geometrical magnitudes, etc., to all be treated as "algebraic objects". It gave mathematics a whole new development path so much broader in concept to that which had existed before, and provided a vehicle for future development of the subject. Another important aspect of the introduction of algebraic ideas was that it allowed mathematics to be applied to itself in a way which had not happened before."[5]
The book[edit]

The book was a compilation and extension of known rules for solving quadratic equations and for some other problems, and considered to be the foundation of algebra, establishing it as an independent discipline. The word algebra is derived from the name of one of the basic operations with equations (al-ğabr) described in this book. The book was introduced to the Western world by the Latin translation of Robert of Chester entitled Liber algebrae et almucabola,[6] hence "algebra".
Since the book does not give any citations to previous authors, it is not clearly known what earlier works were used by al-Khwarizmi, and modern mathematical historians put forth opinions based on the textual analysis of the book and the overall body of knowledge of the contemporary Muslim world. Most certain are connections with Indian mathematics, as he had written a book entitled Kitāb al-Jamʿ wa-l-tafrīq bi-ḥisāb al-Hind (The Book of Bringing_together and Separating According to the Hindu Calculation) discussing the Hindu-Arabic numeral system.
The book classifies quadratic equations to one of the six basic types and provides algebraic and geometric methods to solve the basic ones. Historian Carl Boyer notes the following regarding the lack of modern abstract notations in the book:[7]
... the algebra of al-Khwarizmi is thoroughly rhetorical, with none of the syncopation (see History of algebra) found in the Greek Arithmetica or in Brahmagupta's work. Even the numbers were written out in words rather than symbols!
— Carl B. Boyer , A History of Mathematics
Thus the equations are verbally described in terms of "squares" (what would today be "x2", "roots" (what would today be "x" and "numbers" (ordinary spelled out numbers, like 'forty-two'). The six types, with modern notations, are:
squares equal roots (ax2 = bx)
squares equal number (ax2 = c)
roots equal number (bx = c)
squares and roots equal number (ax2 + bx = c)
squares and number equal roots (ax2 + c = bx)
roots and number equal squares (bx + c = ax2)
Islamic mathematicians, unlike the Hindus, did not deal with negative numbers at all; hence an equation like bx + c = 0 does not appear in the classification, because it has no positive solutions if all the coefficients are positive. Similarly equation types 4, 5 and 6, which look equivalent to the modern eye, were distinguished because the coefficients must all be positive.[8]
The al-ğabr (in Arabic script 'الجبر') ("forcing " or "restoring" operation is moving a deficient quantity from one side of the equation to the other side. In an al-Khwarizmi's example (in modern notation), "x2 = 40x − 4x2" is transformed by al-ğabr into "5x2 = 40x". Repeated application of this rule eliminates negative quantities from calculations.
Al-Muqabala (in Arabic script 'المقابله') ("balancing"or "corresponding" means subtraction of the same positive quantity from both sides: "x2 + 5 = 40x + 4x2" is turned into "5 = 40x + 3x2". Repeated application of this rule makes quantities of each type ("square"/"root"/"number" appear in the equation at most once, which helps to see that there are only 6 basic solvable types of the problem, when restricted to positive coefficients and solutions.
The next part of the book discusses practical examples of the application of the described rules. The following part deals with applied problems of measuring areas and volumes. The last part deals with computations involved in convoluted Islamic rules of inheritance. None of these parts require the knowledge about solving quadratic equations.
References[edit]

Jump up ^ Boyer, Carl B. (1991). "The Arabic Hegemony". A History of Mathematics (Second ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 228. ISBN 0-471-54397-7.
"The Arabs in general loved a good clear argument from premise to conclusion, as well as systematic organization – respects in which neither Diophantus nor the Hindus excelled."
Jump up ^ Rasāla fi l-ğabr wa-l-muqābala
Jump up ^ Possibly.
Jump up ^ Rashed, R.; Armstrong, Angela (1994). The Development of Arabic Mathematics. Springer. pp. 11–2. ISBN 0-7923-2565-6. OCLC 29181926
Jump up ^ O'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F., "Arabic mathematics: forgotten brilliance?", MacTutor History of Mathematics archive, University of St Andrews.
Jump up ^ Robert of Chester (1915). Algebra of al-Khowarizmi. Macmillan.
Jump up ^ Carl B. Boyer, A History of Mathematics, Second Edition (Wiley, 1991), page 228
Jump up ^ Katz
Further reading[edit]

Barnabas B. Hughes, ed., Robert of Chester's Latin Translation of Al-Khwarizmi's Al-Jabr: A New Critical Edition, (in Latin language) Wiesbaden: F. Steiner Verlag, 1989. ISBN 3-515-04589-9
Boyer, Carl B. (1991). "The Arabic Hegemony". A History of Mathematics (Second ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0-471-54397-7.
R. Rashed, The development of Arabic mathematics: between arithmetic and algebra, London, 1994.
External links[edit]

19th Century English Translation
Al-Khwarizmi
Annotated excerpt from a translation of the Compendious Book. University of Duisburg-Essen.
The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing In the Arabic original with an English translation (PDF)
Ghani, Mahbub (5 January 2007). "The Science of Restoring and Balancing – The Science of Algebra". Muslim Heritage.
[hide] v t e
Mathematics in medieval Islam
Mathematicians
9th century
'Abd al-Hamīd ibn Turk Sind ibn Ali Al-Abbās ibn Said al-Jawharī Al-Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf ibn Maṭar Al-Kindi Al-Mahani Banū Mūsā Hunayn ibn Ishaq Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī Thābit ibn Qurra Na'im ibn Musa Sahl ibn Bishr Habash al-Hasib al-Marwazi
10th century
Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi Abū al-Wafā' al-Būzjānī Abū Ja'far al-Khāzin Abū Kāmil Shujāʿ ibn Aslam Abu'l-Hasan al-Uqlidisi Abu-Mahmud Khojandi Ahmad ibn Yusuf Al-Nayrizi Al-Saghani Brethren of Purity Ibn Sahl Ibn Yunus Ibrahim ibn Sinan Muhammad ibn Jābir al-Harrānī al-Battānī Sinan ibn Thabit Al-Isfahani Abu-Mahmud Khojandi Nazif ibn Yumn Abū Sahl al-Qūhī
11th century
Abū Ishāq Ibrāhīm al-Zarqālī Abu Nasr Mansur Abū Rayḥān al-Bīrūnī Alhazen Ibn Muʿādh al-Jayyānī Al-Karaji Al-Sijzi Alī ibn Ahmad al-Nasawī Avicenna Ibn Tahir al-Baghdadi Kushyar ibn Labban Yusuf al-Mu'taman ibn Hud
12th century
Al-Khazini Ibn Yahyā al-Maghribī al-Samaw'al Omar Khayyám Jabir ibn Aflah Abu Bakr al-Hassar
13th century
Muhyi al-Dīn al-Maghribī Nasīr al-Dīn al-Tūsī Shams al-Dīn al-Samarqandī Sharaf al-Dīn al-Tūsī Ibn al‐Ha'im al‐Ishbili Ibn Abi al-Shukr
14th century
Yaʿīsh ibn Ibrāhīm al-Umawī Ibn al-Banna' al-Marrakushi Ibn al-Shatir Kamāl al-Dīn Fārisī Al-Khalili Qotb al-Din Shirazi Ahmad al-Qalqashandi
15th century
Abū al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī al-Qalaṣādī Ali Qushji Jamshīd al-Kāshī Qāḍī Zāda al-Rūmī Ulugh Beg Ibn al-Majdi
16th century
Al-Birjandi Muhammad Baqir Yazdi Taqi al-Din Ibn Hamza al-Maghribi Ibn Ghazi al-Miknasi
Treatises
Almanac Book of Fixed Stars Book of Optics De Gradibus Encyclopedia of the Brethren of Purity Tables of Toledo Tabula Rogeriana The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing The Book of Healing Zij Zij-i Ilkhani Zij-i-Sultani
Concepts
Alhazen's problem
Centers
Al-Azhar University Al-Mustansiriya University House of Knowledge House of Wisdom Istanbul observatory of Taqi al-Din Madrasah Maktab Maragheh observatory University of Al-Karaouine
Influences
Babylonian mathematics Greek mathematics Indian mathematics
Influenced
Byzantine mathematics European mathematics Indian mathematics
Categories: History of algebraMathematical works of medieval Islam9th-century Arabic books

There was a heavy rain few minutes towards the end but that did not prevent the fans to stay back and celebrate after the final whistle blow. A lot of fireworks and memorable jubilations.

ABOUT TO START!

Warming up....

Je parle l'anglais,le français,le haussa et un peu du Zarma.
Bien sûr l'anglais de la rue

The public shocked by Madonna’s ‘rape story’

NOVEMBER 9, 2013 BY GBENRO ADEOYE

Madonna was the top earner on the recent Celebrity 100 list, raking in $125m between June 2012 and June 2013, but the singer shocked the public in a recent article where she detailed how she was raped at knifepoint.

The Michigan-born singer moved to New York in 1978. And in an article for Harper’s Bazaar she wrote: “New York wasn’t everything I thought it would be. It did not welcome me with open arms.”

She added: “The first year, I was held up at gunpoint. Raped on the roof of a building. I was dragged up to with a knife in my back, and had my apartment broken into three times. I don’t know why; I had nothing of value after they took my radio the first time.”

Madonna, who had just turned 20 at the time of the attack, wrote that she found New York a daunting place.

“I felt like a warrior plunging my way through the crowds to survive,” she said, telling how she posed nude for art classes to pay her rent while trying to become a professional dancer.”

She also wrote about her conversion to the Kabbalah faith, writing “what the teacher was saying blew my mind.”

“I began to search for a meaning and a real sense of purpose in life. I wanted to be a mother, but I realised that just because I was a freedom fighter didn’t mean I was qualified to raise a child. I decided I needed to have a spiritual life. That’s when I discovered Kabbalah,” she said.

She said that she was surprised by the public response to her new-found faith.

“Now, you would think that studying the mystical interpretation of the Old Teastament and trying to understand the secrets of the universe was a harmless thing to do. I wasn’t hurting anybody. Just going to class, taking notes in my spiral notebook, contemplating my future. I was actually trying to become a better person. For some reason, that made people nervous,” she said.

She added that she had begun studying the Koran, believing it was important to study all the holy books.

The 55-year-old also said that she was taken aback by the controversy that followed her adoption of two children from Malawi, calling the outrage “a real low point in my life.”

She wrote, “Trying to save a child’s life was not something I thought I would be punished for. I decided that I had an embarrassment of riches and that there were too many children in the world without parents or families to love them.

“I applied to an international adoption agency and went through all the bureaucracy, testing, and waiting that everyone else goes through when they adopt.

“As fate would have it, in the middle of this process a woman reached out to me from a small country in Africa called Malawi, and told me about the millions of children orphaned by Aids.”

Madonna currently lives in New York with her four children – Lourdes, 16, whose father is her former personal trainer, Carlos Leon; Rocco, 13, her son from her marriage to Guy Ritchie, and her two adopted children David Banda, eight, and Mercy James, seven.

The Material Girl lives on

Material girl Madonna is one of the biggest stars of her generation, and officially the most successful female solo artist. By the way, ‘Material Girl’ was a song performed by Madonna in 1984, which became a hit.

Born in Bay City, Michigan in 1958, pop music singer Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone’s parents’ strict observation of the Catholic faith played a crucial role in her childhood which later became the subject of her controversial works. The loss of her mother at the age of five made her determined to make her voice heard, and eventually she rebelled against her traditional upbringing and rejected her religious background.

A disciplined and scholarship winner dancer, Madonna dropped out of college and moved to New York to further her dance skills. She did various odd jobs for her survival, and gradually fell in love with the combination of dance and music and went on to form several different bands of her own. Her first single ‘Everybody’ became a club hit and she used this success as leverage, and went on to record her full length album, ‘Madonna’ in 1983.

Madonna’s distinct sense of fashion, lace lingerie, fishnet stockings and large crucifix necklaces made a statement among the girls all over the country, and she became a sensation on the male dominated music scene of the 80s. Madonna’s life became a whirlwind of activity; she acted in movies, continued to deliver more hit albums and married actor Sean Penn. In spite of her scandalous behaviour and performances exploring religious symbolism and sexual themes, she became more popular than ever.

Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognised as the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records. Time considered her to be one of the “25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century” for being an influential figure in contemporary music.

In 2008, Billboard ranked her at number two, behind only The Beatles, on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, making her the most successful solo artist in the history of the chart. She was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the same year. In 2012, she was crowned the “Greatest Woman In Music” by VH1.

As of 2013, some sources report that Madonna’s net worth has crossed over one billion dollars. Forbes magazine named Madonna the fifth most powerful and the highest earning celebrity of 2013 with net earnings of $125m between June 2012 and June 2013.

Listed as world’s wealthiest female musician by Forbes, Madonna lived up to her name and proved her versatility as a star in both music and films. There is nothing this woman can’t do; she’s an author of adult and child books, a self-marketing genius, a philanthropist and one of the most diverse music stars with a sexiness that extends way beyond her looks.

After originally finding fame in the ‘80s with hits like Papa Don’t Preach and True Blue, Madonna has gone on to have hits across four decades, establishing herself as one of the biggest pop icons of all time. She is still releasing music and performing, and wowed with an energetic performance at the 2012 Super Bowl.

But Madonna has not been lucky with relationships. Her marriage to actor, Penn lasted just four years while the latter one to British film director, Guy Rithcie, lasted eight. Following her last divorce, Rithcie got the couple’s 1,200 acre Ashcombe House, worth $16.1m while Madonna got to keep the couple’s £7million townhouse in Marylebone in central London. Rithcie also received $16.1m from Madonna as divorce settlement.

Madonna also has a four story Georgian-style townhouse in New York, which was reportedly bought for a whopping $40m. The Material girl owns a prestige Audi A8, a Cooper S and a Maybach 57.

•Sources: www.telegraph.co.uk; www.mirror.co.uk; www.bornrich.com; www.forbes.com; en.wikipedia.org

Yes, it is true, it is not easy. There are always multitude women to choose from; there are loads of choices and for you to choose someone at the end of the day, it is not primarily based on beauty. If you love someone because she is beautiful, trust me there are so many other beautiful women that you would go for when you see them. At the end of the day it is about how that person makes you feel. The fact that they stay when everyone has left. It is definitely hard for an artiste to settle down. The truth is I have never been single for two weeks. It is crazy.
I am an economist, I can service my car and my generator; I do carpentry work.
Source: http://u.punchng.com/mlr

A land of opportunities ! A land of opportunities ! A land of opportunities ! I love Naja

I guess it is happening in Calabar!

Safety is a number one priority in my organization. The below information was shared today by our safety unit to enlighten staff on the upcoming solar eclipse.
To play my part, i decided to share the tips with nairlanders.
Please remember to play your parts also by sharing with your loved ones. ENJOY.....
ALERT: PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has predicted that Nigeria will witness a partial solar eclipse on Sunday 03rd November, 2013 between 1pm and 4pm.

Solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, and the moon fully or partially blocks the sun.
This phenomenon is usually associated with adverse effects, in this case, damage to the eyes (for individuals who look directly at the sun during this time). The ray from it is destructive. It contains harmful rays which can destroy the tissue of the eyes. The damage to the eye can range in severity from mild to very severe forms of blindness.

Staff and dependents should avoid looking at the sun directly or even the use of mirror to visualize the event. Do not use sunglasses, binoculars, telescopes. In the absence of the eclipse shades, people could watch the eclipse in a bowl of water in an open space where the phenomenon would be reflected in the bowl of water.

The critical time would be when the shadow had come and pass, some who did not get the shades would love to watch to see what had happened. This could also lead to permanent impairment.
As sensational as the phenomenon would be, people should be careful not to risk damaging their eyes.

Remember your eyes play an important role in your life! Avoid damages to it.

Oduah: Groups plan nationwide mass protest
Source: http://www.punchng.com/news/oduah-groups-plan-nationwide-mass-protest/

OCTOBER 27, 2013 BY LEKE BAIYEWU AND ALLWELL OKPI
26 Comments

Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah
SOME civil society groups have said unless those found culpable in the N255m — armoured cars scandal rocking the Ministry of Aviation are investigated and prosecuted, they will take to the streets in mass protests.

The groups include the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, the Campaign for Democracy, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, the Joint Action Front, the Civil Liberties Organisation and the Committee for Democracy and Rights of the People.

In separate interviews with our correspondents on Friday, the groups said only a thorough investigation and prosecution of those indicted, including the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, would stop them from protesting.

The National Coordinator, CDRP, Mr. Amitolu Shittu, told one of our correspondents that civil society groups had met and had started mobilisation for a mass protest.

Shittu said with the way President Goodluck Jonathan handled previous cases of corruption and misappropriation of funds by public officials, he was not likely to punish Oduah, even if the probe panels indicted her.

He said, “From the look of things, it seems Jonathan is trying to exonerate her. But, we will not let that happen. There was a meeting in Osogbo by the civil society groups two days ago on this issue. We discussed, argued on it and we decided that we are fighting these people to a standstill. We are not keeping quiet on this.

“As part of the plan, there will be protest, but we want to come out unannounced. We are not afraid of arrest and detention. We will not announce the date of the protest because we don’t want hoodlums in government and those on the streets to take advantage of this.”

Shittu added that apart from demanding the sacking and prosecution of Oduah, the planned protest would be in solidarity with the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

“Mobilisation is ongoing. Some people are in schools making adequate preparations because we are in support of ASUU. It would be a combined protest, both to show support for ASUU and also protest against that woman (Oduah). It’s going to be a very strong protest,” he said.

Similarly, the Executive Chairman, CACOL, Debo Adeniran, said, “We have written to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission; we submitted the letter on Wednesday and we gave them seven days. After that expiration, CACOL is taking its independent action.

“We are going to hit the roads to protest the issue.”

In her submission, the President, CD, Joe Okei-Odumakin, said impunity should not be encouraged. She described Oduah’s trip to Israel for pilgrimage in the heat of the crisis as an affront to Nigerians. She said it showed the aviation minister was not remorseful and not in tune with the masses.

Okei-Odumakin said although Oduah had the right to fair hearing, she, however, said the panel set up by President Jonathan was only for “administrative purposes.”

The CD President said the group would take to the streets, if the investigation panel was found wanting.

The Executive Director, SERAP, also said Adetokunbo Mumuni, the group was waiting for President Goodluck Jonathan’s action on Oduah’s response to the query issued to her.

He said the group was also waiting for the outcome of the probe by a presidential panel.

Mumuni said, “We’ll support whatever other civil rights organisations are ready to do in respect of the matter (scandal). We may take it a little bit further by filing a court action, once we are able to make up our mind on the substance of the case before the court.

“If no action is taken by the President, we may be compelled to go to court.”

Likewise, the Executive Director, CLO, Mr. Ibuchukwu Ezike, said the group would take necessary actions, if the Federal Government failed to punish all those indicted in the scam, including Oduah.

“The President has set up a committee to investigate the matter and the House has asked its committee to look into the matter. One thing we know is that Nigerians are not happy with this and we will not allow them to sweep it under the carpet.”

Ade Cisco,
U don configure ur routers finish b4 u come dey open thread on NL?
Your topic may get to the front page (courtesy of bigotism) but do not be surprised when your name is excluded from the topic in case you don't belong to the same subnet with the moderators. Na der ways be dat. Preferential treatment is equal to mediocrity.
I dedicate this post to Nairaland moderators.

Lagos private wooden bridge owners make millions of naira everyday – Investigation
Source: http://m.?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.punchng.com%2Fnews%2Flagos-private-wooden-bridge-owners-make-millions-of-naira&h=QAQE3oeM2&s=1

OCTOBER 26, 2013 BY GBENRO ADEOYE
66 Comments

A wooden bridge linking Igando and Ayobo communities in Lagos... on Friday. Inset: Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge.
Private individuals in Lagos have been capitalising on government’s failure to provide link bridges and good roads for its people and this has gone on from generation to generation.

For over 40 years, such investors have constructed wooden bridges, popularly called pako bridges, across the state and tolled users in return. The rush by investors to go into the business has, however, reached an unprecedented level in recent years.

In places where the toll bridges exist, pedestrians are tolled N30 each, while motorists pay N200 per vehicle. Besides, each occupant of the vehicle aside from the driver, is also required to pay N30. Meanwhile, the feeling has been mixed for users and residents that benefit from the linkages provided by such bridges.

While most users cringe at the weight of the tolls imposed by the investors, nevertheless, they identified with the important roles played by the toll bridges in connecting communities and opening up new areas. Many of the bridges are constructed over swamps, where only brave residents dared trudge across prior to the construction of the bridges.

So, in spite of the heavy tolls on the communities, some of which are poor, residents have resigned to fate, particularly with the government not showing interest in their situation.

Some examples of the toll bridges are found in Alimosho Local Government Area, linking Ashipa, Ayobo-Ipaja community to Igando community; Lanre through Sanni Thomas Street to Igando New town; Igesu and Egan communities; Baruwa inside community and Diamond Estate; Obadore and Ijagemo communities; Abegunrin and Idowu-Egba; and Pako community to Ketu community.

A visit to some of the bridges showed a similar mode of construction but varying physical conditions and modes of operation. Each bridge also posed its own peculiarity based on the environment it is sited.

The bridges at Ashipa-Igando and Lanre through Sanni Thomas Street to Igando New Town were estimated at around 300 metres each, while the Igesu-Egan bridge was estimated to be around 540 metres.

A small neighbourhood market had formed at the foot of the Ashipa end of the toll footbridge connecting the community to Igando. Residents descending the bridge into their community or transiting beyond Ashipa could get groceries, pepper, vegetables, and other items like footwear. Commercial motorcylists have also turned the feet of the bridge into major parks.

A resident of Ashipa, Mr. Lukman Mudasiru, said the bridge was constructed some 20 years ago.

“But before then, we used to tread the water or practically swim to cross over to the other side, even though, it was deep. Only the brave could try it then. Many people would pull off their clothes and put them on their heads to prevent them from getting wet,” he said.

Mudasiru said the other option was to spend a much longer time to reach a community just across the swamp, adding that the infamous bad roads in the area has continued to give the bridge relevance. According to him, the bridge also serves people coming from or going as far as Ogun State from Lagos.

He said, “The bridge has opened up this area and aided development. The route is shorter for people working in Ikeja or even Lagos Island and living in far distances like Ejigbo, Olorunisola and Ishefun. Instead of spending hours going through Ayobo-Ipaja, which has very bad roads, they come through here.

“Even people living in places as far as Ota, Aiyetoro and Lafenwa in Ogun State or returning there after work pass through here. The only problem is that it’s a pedestrian bridge; we need one that will accommodate cars.”

Human traffic is often busy on the bridge, especially during peak hours. A number of beggars, also attracted by the number of users, sit on the bridge to solicit help.

The bridge is open between 4 and 12am everyday and has a gatehouse, where users pay tolls. It is understood that the bridge ought to open officially between 5am and 11.30pm, but for the pressure of users who wake up early to beat the morning traffic. So, electric bulbs supported by wooden stands and cables run the length of the bridge to provide light when it is dark.

“The bridge is always busy and there is a generator which is used to power the bulbs, so we see one another at night,” added Mudasiru.

But not everyone shared Mudasiru’s enthusiasm for the bridge.

Another resident, Alani Ogunlade, said the situation could get tricky for someone who could not afford the toll.

He said, “It’s not every time that people have money to pass, so sometimes, it can cause a serious issue. Some could decide to stay at home while some would want to force their way through.”

The traditional ruler of Ashipa, Baale Ayemojuba of Ashipaland, Chief Mudasiru Amusa, was even less enthusiastic about having a toll bridge within his community. He said the community had laid planks on the swamp before the bridge construction, but, however, admitted the overwhelming volume of the water, particularly during rainy seasons.

Amusa said he often suffers “heartaches” seeing his people being tolled on the way to and from their community.

He said, “It saddens me every time to see my people suffer like that, having to pay each time they leave the community or come in, but there is nothing I can do. I pity people who have to pay N60 to leave their home and come back and even spend more when they need to go out more than once.

“What we want is for the government to come in and build a concrete bridge for us so that people can enjoy the service without being ripped off. The queue in the morning on the bridge is massive. Many of such bridges are springing up in Lagos now. Many people are going into the business because of the huge profit in it. All the people working there (at the bridge) have grown big tummies.”

The bridges are either directly managed or contracted out to someone under an agreement to remit a certain amount daily to the investor.

It was learnt that Ashipa toll bridge was contracted out and investigation showed that about N250,000 is being remitted daily by the managers to the investor.

“About three years ago, it was N180,000 that was being remitted daily but today, it’s around N250,000. The police also come on Fridays to get their share from the managers,” a source close to the managers of the bridge, said.

However, the workers at the bridge declined to comment, insisting that the manager was not around.

Normally, the operation of the pako toll bridges involves identifying the communities in need of a linkage, usually separated by water or swamp, buying the land from the land speculators (omo onile) and putting the construction in place. Then the bridges have to be periodically maintained to prevent any mishap.

Investigation showed that one of the major wooden materials needed in large quantities for the bridge construction are the 4 by 2 hardwood and the 4 by 12 ft plank, locally called ‘Eki’ wood. It is said to be the best under the circumstance because it grows in water.

There have been reported cases of disputes over control and ownership of some of the bridges, particularly when the investor has to deal with more than one family (omo onile) in the process of buying the land or when too many people are involved in its operation.

A classical case is the multi-use wooden transit bridge at Lanre, which could accommodate automobiles. Some parts of the bridge appeared to be badly depressed, giving motorists undulating rides.

Investigation showed that the bridge was being managed by Mr. Oladipo Omojolowo, but that there was a dispute over its ownership and control, which were said to be in court.

The Chairman, United Ifesowapo Community Development Area and aggregate Chairman of Igando New Town CDAs, Mr. Sanni Thomas, said the dispute was responsible for the poor maintenance of the bridge.

He said, “The person managing the bridge now doesn’t want to fix the bridge since the case is in court and no one knows what the outcome will be.”

Thomas added that the idea of putting the bridge had sounded noble to community members, but that eight years on, the community had experienced more pains than gains.

He said, “Ordinarily, it could have been a very good business and it could have helped the community. Initially, what they (investors) told the community was that they wanted to link the road so that our children could go to school on the other side. So, the initial impression was that it would benefit the community but we’re not benefiting from it. The bridge brings a lot of traffic to the community that sometimes, we can’t even get into our own houses.

“The traffic damages our road quickly and it’s the CDA that’s taking care of the road without any support from the people collecting tolls from the bridge. It’s the same community that’s paying the security men patrolling the area and overseeing the bridge as well. It’s wrong that they toll the people and make so much from the community, and yet, can’t assist with grading the roads in the community. And the development and markets we thought it would bring did not happen; people don’t stop here, they go straight to Lanre. Same for the commercial motorcyclists.”

Also, Thomas said that vehicles sometimes fall off the bridge inside the swamp, spending days before they are removed.

Another resident on Sanni Thomas Street leading to the bridge, David Adigun, called on the government to “come to the aid of the community and construct a proper bridge.”

Enforcement seemed to be harder on the multi-use pako bridges since the attendants have to deal with pedestrians, motorists, motorcyclists and tricycle riders.

It was observed that to enforce payment of tolls, particularly from motorists and motorcyclists, attendants often had to close the gate to stop stubborn vehicle owners from passing through.

A mild drama ensued when a woman who identified herself as Alhaja Rasida, refused to pay for her children, none of who was older than seven years old. She insisted that she would not pay “a kobo” more than the N260 she was willing to pay for herself and two adults in the vehicle.

She later told Saturday PUNCH after about five minutes of having a tussle with the attendants, which she won. “How could they say they would collect N90 on these little children too? It’s N200 for a vehicle and N30 for each occupant apart from the driver, but I’d never agree to pay an additional N90 on these little children. The money is too much; it’s killing us. What kind of rubbish is that? Who gave them the rubbish permission to stand here and collect money?”

A source in the community said the bridge generates about N400,000 daily.

However, a lady at the office of Omojolowo, which was in the neighbourhood, said her boss was “not in town at the moment.”

Many owners and managers of the toll bridges live big in their communities. For instance, residents said Omojolowo’s house and office, which sit opposite each other on Oladipo Omojolowo Street, Igando New Town, easily dwarf other buildings on the street.

Residents, meanwhile, said Omojolowo’s fortune changed about seven years ago when he got into the business.

A resident who did not want to be named, said, “He used to work as a caretaker and later started selling palm-wine. His house was even draped in polythene bags. But things looked up for him when he linked up with others to start the tolling business.”

Meanwhile, a new multi-use pako toll bridge had just opened at Igesu, linking the community to Egan. A source in the area said the owner had invested about N33m in the project.

The bridge was new, so it was firmer and looked much neater, with modern lights to aid visibility for motorists at night.

A resident, Akeem Olawale, said going to Sango, Ogun State, from Egan would not take more than one hour using the bridge, while the other known alternative would not take less than two hours, if the traffic is light.

He said, “The bridge assists us to beat traffic. The road around here is very bad, so if you’re not taking the bridge to Sango, for instance, it will mean going round from Egan through Iyana-Ipaja and that could take close to more than two hours if there is no traffic.”

Efforts to reach the Chairman of Alimosho Local Government Area, in which many of the bridges fall, Mr. Israel Adekunle, were unsuccessful.

He did not answer his phone nor respond to a text message sent to his mobile line.

The State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, however, told our correspondent that private initiatives were an important part of the environment.

He said, “Private initiatives are always necessary in all human endeavours in all societies. That is why there are private hospitals, schools and all others. As long as there are options, private initiatives will always be available.

“Remember, the state is adding to her infrastructure portfolio regularly. Can the deficit be eliminated in a year? No. So we have to keep attacking, which is exactly what the state is doing.”

The tale of toll bridges and roads in Lagos already appears to be twofold. While the wooden bridges on one side, service a section of the state that is largely dominated by modest dwellings, the tolled Lekki-Ikoyi suspension bridge and the Lekki-Epe Expressway are servicing another section believed to be living in more affluence.

For instance, the Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge which opened to the public in May 2013, did so amid controversies. Motorists are required to pay N250 toll on each car to use the suspension bridge, which the state government said it had handed over to a concessionaire. The proposal to toll the bridge had generated a prolonged debate by the state lawmakers at a plenary session, but the state government went ahead to open the bridge nonetheless.

Earlier, the controversial tolling on the 49.36km Lekki-Epe Expressway was also stiffly rejected by residents when the first of the toll gates was introduced at the Lekki Admiralty Way area in 2011. The state government claimed that the tolling was necessary because the reconstruction of the road was done under a concession deal with a private company. The controversial agreement signed between the parties was worth N50bn, with motorists paying N120 and N150 as toll on each car and SUV, respectively.

However, the state government recently said it had bought back the deal from the Lekki Concession Company Limited ahead of the 30-year period stipulated in the design, build, operate and transfer concession agreement.

pro01: The simple way to contexualise this theory/question is this: Girls generally get introduced to sexuality and sexual experiences/encounters before (or more than) their male peers, and this is often with much older people. You'd be shocked by how many 14 year old girls are already phucking their 30 year old teachers and 40 year old principals, while receiving sweet enticement from countless agbayas in their neighbourhood and elsewhere. This continues all the way to early adulthood. These experiences invariably expand girls' orientations and emotional maturity. Boys don't get to 'enjoy' such experiences for the most part. . .until they become adults and the equation begins to balance gradually.

That is the basis for the perceived differences in maturity and experience between females and males in teenage years and early adulthood.

You are reasoning like an insider!!! Are you a teacher? Lol

[quote author=Okija_juju]Is that 'islamic'?! [/quote]1. Tayammum literally means “Intending”, but in Islamic Shariah the words refers to intending or looking to find soil to wipe one’s hands and face so as to be prepared for Salah and other acts requiring Wudhu or Ghusl

[4:43]O you who believe! Do not go near Salāh when you are intoxicated, until you know what you say, nor in a state of ‗major impurity‘; save when you are traversing a wayuntil you take a bath. If you are sick, or in travel, or if one of you has come after relieving himself, or you have had contact with women, and you find no water, go for some clean dust and wipe your faces and hands (with it). Surely, Allah is Most-Pardoning, Most-Forgiving.

Abu Dhar (RA) reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The soil is a purifier for a Muslim, even if he does not find water for ten years.” [Tirmidhi]

Abu Umamah (RA) related that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “All of earth has been made for me and my people a place of Salah and purifier.” [Ahmed]

There is a consensus on the legitimacy of Tayammum. [Al-Kasani]

2. Tayammum is a special blessing of Allah (SWT) on the Ummah of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah (RA): Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said, "I have been given five things which were not given to any amongst the Prophets before me. These are:

1. Allah made me victorious by awe (by His frightening my enemies) for a distance of one month's journey.

2. The earth has been made for me (and for my followers) a place for praying and a thing to perform Tayammum. Therefore my followers can pray wherever the time of a prayer is due.

3. The booty has been made Halal (lawful) for me (and was not made so for anyone else).

4. Every Prophet used to be sent to his nation exclusively but I have been sent 1o all mankind.

5. I have been given the right of intercession (on the Day of Resurrection.) [Bukhari]

3. In the Madhab of Imam Abu Haneefa (RA), Tayammum is permitted in the following circumstances:

a) When water is not available (*)

b) When one lacks the means to get the water

c) When there is a danger lurking between him/her and the water e.g. a beast or human

d) When one is a prisoner under harsh conditions

e) When the quantity of water is only sufficient to meet the basic necessities e.g. drinking, cooking, or water for the animal

f) When one is ill or feels that using water will aggravate the illness

g) When one is in a state of Janabah (sexual impurity) and fears that one will die from cold or become ill if Ghusl is made with water (provided that one has no means to heat the water or use public bathrooms). Tayammum is a substitute for Wudhu or Ghusl.

Narrated 'Aisha (RA): (The wife of the Prophet) We set out with Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) on one of his journeys till we reached Al-Baida' or Dhatul-Jaish, a necklace of mine was broken (and lost). Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) stayed there to search for it, and so did the people along with him. There was no water at that place, so the people went to Abu- Bakr As-Siddiq (RA) and said, "Don't you see what 'Aisha (RA) has done? She (RA) has made Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and the people stay where there is no water and they have no water with them." Abu Bakr (RA) came while Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) was sleeping with his head on my thigh, He (RA) said, to me (RA) : "You have detained Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and the people where there is no water and they have no water with them.

So he (RA) admonished me (RA) and said what Allah wished him to say and hit me on my flank with his hand. Nothing prevented me (RA) from moving (because of pain) but the position of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) on my thigh. Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) got up when dawn broke and there was no water. So Allah revealed the Divine Verses of Tayammum. So they all performed Tayammum. Usaid bin Hudair (RA) said, "O the family of Abu Bakr! This is not the first blessing of yours." Then the camel on which I was riding was caused to move from its place and the necklace was found beneath it. [Bukhari]

Narrated 'Imran bin Husain Al-Khuza'I (RA): Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) saw a person sitting aloof and not praying with the people. He (ﷺ) asked him, "O so and so! What prevented you from offering the prayer with the people?" He replied, "O Allah's Apostle (ﷺ)! I am Junub and there is no water." The Prophet said, "Perform Tayammum with clean earth and that will be sufficient for you." [Bukhari]

Said Ibn Jubayar (RA) narrated from Ibn Abbas (RA) saying, “It is allowed for an ill person to do Tayammum with the soil”. [Darqutni]

Jabir (RA) said: We set out on a journey. One of our people was hurt by a stone which injured his head. He then had a wet dream. He asked his companions, “Do you find concession for me to do Tayammum?” They said, “We do not find any concession for you while you can use water.” He did Ghusl and died because of it. We then went to Rasul-ullah (ﷺ) and the incident was reported to him. He (ﷺ) said, “They killed him, may Allah (SWT) kill them. Why did they not ask about what they do not know? The cure for ignorance is to ask. It would have been enough for him to do Tayammum and wrap his wound, then to wipe it and wash the rest of the body.” [Abu Dawud]

Amr Ibn Al-Aas (RA) said: I had a wet dream on a cold night in the battle of Dhat Al-Salasil. I was afraid if I did Ghusl I would die, I therefore did Tayammum and led the Fajr Salah with my companions. They mentioned this to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and He (ﷺ) said, “Amr, you led your companions in Salah while in the state of Janabah?” I informed him of the cause which impeded me from Ghusl and I said, “I heard Allah (SWT) say, “Do not kill yourself. Indeed, Allah has been Very-Merciful to you (4:29).” the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) just smiled and did not say anything. [Abu Dawud]
Imam Ahmed (RA) says, “Many amongst the Sahaba (RA) did Tayammum and kept the water for drinking and there is no disagreement amongst scholars in this matter”. [Al-Mughni]

If the water is available but there is danger to one’s life or property in getting to it or there is a danger that one will be separated from his companions, or that one will be ambushed by enemy while getting the water, or there is nothing to draw the water from the well then all of these conditions will make Tayammum permissible and there is no disagreement amongst scholars in this matter. [Al-Mughni]

Note: Scholars in the Hanafi Madhab have stipulated that the distance of water not being available is roughly 1 mile.

4. Person considering Tayammum does not have to search for water if he/she does not think in all likelihood that there is no water in the vicinity. However if he/she does think that there is a likelihood that there water may be found then Tayammum will not be permissible (on account on lack of availability of water) until he/she has searched for it.

Note: Scholars in the Hanafi Madhab have stipulated that the distance of water not being available is roughly 1 mile.

5. If a traveller forgets that he/she had water in their belongings and does Tayammum and performs Salah then according to Imam Abu Haneefa (RA) and Imam Muhammad (RA) he/she does not need to repeat the Salah but according to Imam Abu Yusuf (RA) Salah needs to be repeated.

Note: Scholars in the Hanafi Madhab have stipulated that the distance of water not being available is roughly 1 mile.

6. Tayammum is only permitted with clean earth (*).

[5:6] O you who believe, when you rise for Salāh, (prayer) wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, and make MasH (wiping by hands) of your heads and (wash) your feet up to the ankles. If you are in a state of major impurity, cleanse yourselves well (by taking bath). If you are sick, or on a journey, or if one of you has come after relieving himself, or you have had sexual contact with women, and you find no water, then, go for some clean dust and wipe your faces and hands with it. Allah does not like to impose a problem on you; He, rather likes to cleanse you and to complete His favour upon you, so that you may be grateful.

Sa’id in this verse is understood to mean whatever covers the earth’s surface and is of the same genus as dust, stone etc.

Note: Imam Abu Haneefa (RA) and Imam Muhammad (RA) allow Tayammum with dust (Turab), sand, pebbles, lime, Kohl antimony, arsenic and stone while Imam Abu Yusuf (RA) allows it with dust, earth and sand. A list of items on which Tayammum is permissible in the Hanafi Madhab is given in Ta’leemul-Haq as:

a) Clean Earth

b) Sand

c) Stone

d) Limestone

e) Baked Earthen Pots (unglazed)

f) Walls of mud, stone or brick

g) Clay

h) All items with think dust on them

7. Bismillah should be recited and then Intention must be made before Tayammum e.g. “I am making Tayammum for Wudhu (or Ghusl).” There is no disagreement amongst scholars on this matter.

Rasul-ullah (ﷺ) has said, “Every action is based on Intention, and everyone shall have what he intended”. [Bukhari]

Note: Intention doesn’t need to be uttered verbally or loudly, it is an action of the heart.

8. After intention strike both hands on the clean earth, dust the hands, then blow the excess dirt off the hands and then rub the hands on the face completely (without leaving any space). Then strike both hands on the clean earth, dust the hands, then blow the excess dirt off the hands and then rub the right hand completely over the left hand including the elbow and then rub the left hand completely over the right hand including the elbow.

Narrated 'Abdur Rahman bin Abza (RA): 'Ammar (RA) said to 'Umar (RA) "I rolled myself in the dust and came to the Prophet (ﷺ) who said, 'Passing dusted hands over the face and the backs of the hands is sufficient for you.' " [Bukhari]

Narrated 'Ammar (RA): The Prophet (ﷺ) stroked the earth with his hands and then passed them over his face and the backs of his hands (while demonstrating Tayammum).

9. Nullifiers of Tayammum are divided into two categories:

a) General: Everything which nullifies Wudhu will nullify Tayammum

b) Specific: Accessibility of water with ability to avail it while or before Salah will nullify Tayammum; Person in this case must do Wudhu or if during Salah break Salah and do Wudhu and then resume Salah

Narrated 'Imran (RA): Once we were travelling with the Prophet (ﷺ) and we carried on travelling till the last part of the night and then we (halted at a place) and slept (deeply). There is nothing sweeter than sleep for a traveller in the last part of the night. So it was only the heat of the sun that made us to wake up and the first to wake up was so and so, then so and so and then so and so (the narrator 'Auf said that Abu Raja' had told him their names but he had forgotten them) and the fourth person to wake up was 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (RA). And whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) used to sleep, nobody would wake up him till he himself used to get up as we did not know what was happening (being revealed) to him in his sleep. So, 'Umar (RA) got up and saw the condition of the people, and he was a strict man, so he said, "Allahu Akbar" and raised his voice with Takbir, and kept on saying loudly till the Prophet (ﷺ) got up because of it. When he got up, the people informed him about what had happened to them. He (ﷺ) said, "There is no harm (or it will not be harmful). Depart!" So they departed from that place, and after covering some distance the Prophet (ﷺ) stopped and asked for some water to perform the ablution. So he performed the ablution and the call for the prayer was pronounced and he led the people in prayer. After he (ﷺ) finished from the prayer, he saw a man sitting aloof who had not prayed with the people. He (ﷺ) asked, "O so and so! What has prevented you from praying with us?" He replied, "I am Junub and there is no water. " The Prophet s(ﷺ) aid, "Perform Tayammum with (clean) earth and that is sufficient for you."

Then the Prophet (ﷺ) proceeded on and the people complained to him of thirst. Thereupon he got down and called a person (the narrator 'Auf added that Abu Raja' had named him but he had forgotten) and 'Ali (RA) , and ordered them to go and bring water. So they went in search of water and met a woman who was sitting on her camel between two bags of water. They asked, "Where can we find water?" She replied, "I was there (at the place of water) this hour yesterday and my people are behind me." They requested her to accompany them. She asked, "Where?" They said, "To Allah's Apostle (ﷺ)." She said, "Do you mean the man who is called the Sabi, (with a new religion)?" They replied, "Yes, the same person. So come along." They brought her to the Prophet (ﷺ) and narrated the whole story. He (ﷺ) said, "Help her to dismount." The Prophet (ﷺ) asked for a pot, then he (ﷺ) opened the mouths of the bags and poured some water into the pot. Then he (ﷺ) closed the big openings of the bags and opened the small ones and the people were called upon to drink and water their animals. So they all watered their animals and they (too) all quenched their thirst and also gave water to others and last of all the Prophet (ﷺ) gave a pot full of water to the person who was Junub and told him to pour it over his body. The woman was standing and watching all that which they were doing with her water. By Allah, when her water bags were returned the looked like as if they were more full (of water) than they had been before (Miracle of Allah's Apostle) Then the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered us to collect something for her; so dates, flour and Sawiq were collected which amounted to a good meal that was put in a piece of cloth. She was helped to ride on her camel and that cloth full of food-stuff was also placed in front of her and then the Prophet (ﷺ) said to her, "We have not taken your water but Allah has given water to us." She returned home late. Her relatives asked her: "O so and so what has delayed you?" She said, "A strange thing! Two men met me and took me to the man who is called the Sabi' and he did such and such a thing. By Allah, he is either the greatest magician between this and this (gesturing with her index and middle fingers raising them towards the sky indicating the heaven and the earth) or he is Allah's true Apostle."
Afterwards the Muslims used to attack the pagans around her abode but never touched her village. One day she said to her people, "I think that these people leave you purposely. Have you got any inclination to Islam?" They obeyed her and all of them embraced Islam.

Abu 'Abdultah said: The word Saba'a means "The one who has deserted his old religion and embraced a new religion." Abul 'Ailya said, "The Sabis are a sect of people of the Scripture who recite the Book of Psalms.". [Bukhari]

Abu Said Al-Khudri (RA) said that two men went out for a journey. The time for Salah came and as they had no water, they did Tayammum with pure earth and did Salah, then they found water during the time for the same Salah and one of them repeated the Salah while the other didn’t. When they joined the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) , they mentioned this to him and he (ﷺ) said to the one who did not repeat his Salah, “You have acted according to Sunnah and your Salah is sufficient for you” and he (ﷺ) said to the other, “You will get double the reward”. [Abu Dawud]

Compulsory actions of Tayammum (Faraidh):

1. Making intention

2. Rub both hands on the face after striking them on the earth

3. Rub both hands on the arms up to the elbow after striking them on the earth

Permissible items for Tayammum:

1. Clean (Taahir) earth

2. Sand

3. Stone

4. Limestone

5. Baked earthen pots (unglazed)

6. Walls of mud, stone or brick

7. Clay

8. All items with thick layer of dust on them

Impermissible items for Tayammum:

1. Wood

2. Metal

3. Glass

4. Food items

5. All items which burn and turn into ash, rot or melt

The Northern Elders Forum has expressed its support for the national conference proposed by President Goodluck Jonathan, stating that the country was in need of such a dialogue.

The spokesman of the forum, Dr. Paul Unongo, in a telephone interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, said northern elders had decided to support Jonathan’s proposal for a national conference and would participate if they are invited.

He said, “As an organisation, the Northern Elders Forum supports fully the President’s position on dialogue; whether it is the national conference, or the one that some other people are calling for, which is the sovereign national conference.

“We fully support the President’s resolution that Nigerians need to talk to one another. Any forum provided for us to talk about our country, we will be part of it. We will attend if we are invited.”

Unongo, who participated in previous national conferences, said his personal reservation about the proposed conference was that it could turn out to be a smokescreen.

He said, “I’m just hoping and praying that this will not be just a talk shop, where people will go and waste their time. I remember my experience at the national political forum, which the then President Olusegun Obasanjo provided for Nigerians to talk. Some of us took it very seriously and we did tremendous amount of work and we made copious suggestions. Obasanjo did not implement most of the fundamental recommendations pertaining to strategising to get Nigeria in better shape. We were disappointed.

“When the third term issue came, we saw that he brought about that forum for the purpose of ensuring that his third term agenda was realised. We were very annoyed and he was annoyed and he threw us away unceremoniously. Some of us said if there was any other thing like this in Nigeria, we will be sceptical about being a part of it.”

He said the conference would be Jonathan’s greatest achievement as President, if convened transparently, allowing Nigerians are allowed to talk freely.

Unongo disagreed with the position of the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, who had argued that the conference would be a distraction.

“I don’t share Tinubu’s opinion that Jonathan wants to divert attention from serious issues of governance facing him. I think it is a good move. Nigerians desperately need to sit across the table and talk to one another,” he said.

On the issues to be discussed, Unongo, who was the Second Republic Minister for Steel Development, said everything could be discussed except disintegration of the country.

“We have recreated Nigeria from what it was in the days of the Obafemi Awolowo, when he described Nigeria as a mere geographical expression. Nigeria is now a nation state bought with volumes of our blood.

“If anybody thinks that we will go through a civil war; kill two million men; and mere 43 years after we will forget the slaughter and all the sufferings this country went through, that person must be joking.”

BMZK: Roasting Progress status,
ETTBR is 6pm (expected time to be ready).

I am getting set for real business.

TONYE001: D'accord is used to express agreement, mostly.

No, it isn't called [i]Harish potatoes[/i]. It was a mistake and I've made the necessary corrections.

Thanks...

It is widely called pomme de terre in west francophone countries.

BMZK: Yes it true! Your eyes are not deceiving you. That is the way we do it . Eid Mubarak to All, May Allah accept our sacrifice!,

Roasting Progress status,
ETTBR is 6pm (expected time to be ready).

Yes it true! Your eyes are not deceiving you. That is the way we do it . Eid Mubarak to All, May Allah accept our sacrifice!,

Eid Mubarak to all, Celebrating in our usual way!

DeevaB: CAREER!

Noted.
Thanks.

Monsieur l'aventurier, j'aime ton style. Tu es un bon redacteur. It is not easy to be multi lingual. You will make a good carrier in writing.
Impatiently waiting for updates. Keep it up!!

All I see is a coordinated group of smart persons that formed a mafia claiming to have demons delivering power as ground breaking to set up an online church. Nairanders are potential patronisers to help them achieve their dream. No one wants to be left behind in the race of joining luxury tax payers group. Private jet here I come!!!!

Respected analyst firm Gartner is set to recommend that all BlackBerry enterprise customers find alternatives to the struggling vendor's smartphones and enterprise management software over the next six months.
Source

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9242767/Update_Gartner_tells_IT_shops_that_it_s_game_over_for_BlackBerry