Life is a teacher; the more we live, the more we learn. It's certain that some will never learn

“Change Begins With Me,” launched last week by President Muhammadu Buhari as a national re-orientation campaign, may be a confession: a government confessing it has lost the mission plan.
The launch was undertaken days after Nigeria’s police force had announced, ignorantly and arrogantly, it would ban the BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) group from holding its public rallies.
For two and a half years, BBOG had campaigned relentlessly and courageously for the release of over 200 schoolgirls abducted from a secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, by Boko Haram militants.
Predictably, and to its credit, the group told the police it would not recognize the ban, as it lacks the authority to ban public demonstrations. It is a shame that in 2016, the police are being educated by the public that their responsibilities in the context of public demonstrations are simply to ensure it is peaceful.
In a fascinating coincidence, news then broke on Wednesday, two days after the “ban,” that President Buhari had invited an armada of top journalists to his presence on Friday for a 10am “security” briefing.
10am Friday has always been prime time for BBOG, being its traditional weekly rally in Abuja’s Eagle Square.
On Thursday, with the government failing to distance itself from the ban, it announced “Change Begins With Me,” which we shall call CBWM.
In principle, in a chaos such our Nigeria’s, such an idea is not a bad one at all. Change ought to begin with every Nigerian.
Among others, this means the campaign should have arrived with the new government in May 2015, or soon after that, led by its officials as well as its sponsors, the All Progressives Congress (APC), using the instrument of example.
It didn’t. They waited for all of 16 months, during which little of note had taken place in the direction of change, to say the words.
That is why CBWM is being seen for what it is: a cynical and defensive policy, rather than as a bold invitation to Nigerians to seize ownership of their fate. By introducing the policy well after the public, including supporters of the government, had begun to question the content of “change,” the government stands accused.
Clearly, it has been introduced not to stimulate the participation of Nigerians in changing their country, which seems to be the hope, but in response to the criticism that the Buhari government has failed to champion the change it promised when it sought power.
That is why CBWM is a confession that the government is unsure of itself, or that—if it was every really different from the very negatives it pledged to combat—it has capitulated to them. In essence, it is the government telling the people to save themselves.
CBWM ought to have been introduced no later than when Ministers were installed in office. In that sense, or at that time, the scheme would have been marketable as a “We, The People” collaboration with the government, an invitation to all citizens to see themselves as essential to the change vanguard.
Introduced exactly one-third of the way into the life of the government, and with only about that amount of time left before it is consumed by re-election concerns, CBWM will become the butt of ridicule.
At a time of economic turmoil and recession, nobody wants to hear about a new government scheme that does not fight hunger or pay the bills. At a time that Nigerians can see no difference between the PDP government and the government that came to save the day from the PDP government, CBWM is but the government trying to scream back at its critics.
This is an uncomfortable spot to be in, for a government that arrived last year with so much promise, bragging about its support not only among Nigerians but within the international community. The president travelled a lot to shore up that support, claiming he needed to make those trips to take advantage of that pool of support.
One year later, President Buhari will in a few days travel to New York for the 71st United Nations General Assembly with a considerable popularity drop. He will find the United Nations to be much colder than on his previous trips, but that will not be because we have not had a Permanent Representative this year.
How did we get here?
Yes, previous governments made a cynical mess of the task of governance, including failing to diversify the economy, which left Nigeria exposed when the world oil market collapsed. The truth is that we knew all of that coming into May 2015.
While that will always be an important component in explaining our economic crisis, it is not all of it. What really irks the people is that the current government has failed to justify its self-acclaimed mission to arrest corruption.
In 16 months, the government has not seized the challenge before it with the robustness it promised, somehow seeming to expect the people Nigerians to accept its tokenism for an ethical revolution. The government continues to make announcements about the great things it will undertake or achieve, without setting the example necessary to confer credibility on its words. There is no clear difference between the past that it criticizes, and the present for which it is responsible. Its administrative incoherence is outstripped only by its lack of urgency.
But it is not too late for the Buhari government to remove its finger from the self-destruct button.
The first public relations point it can make for itself is to apologize to BBOG and allow the group to continue with its activities. You do not slap a grieving woman so she stops crying for your benefit. BBOG represents our conscience as a people.
In fact, at the UN last September, President Buhari said it was one of his major objectives to rescue the Chibok girls “alive and unharmed.” He told the UN General Assembly, “We are working [around] the clock to ensure their safety and eventual reunion with their families. Chibok girls are constantly on our minds and in our plans.”
If that is true, how does suppressing BBOG from peaceful assembly reflect the empathy of the government, or reflect CHANGE in Nigeria?
President Buhari also told the world leaders: “We intend to tackle inequalities arising from massive unemployment and previous government policies favouring a few people to the detriment of the many…”
This is irreconcilable with a practice where the same government has tolerated recruitments in certain offices which favour its officials and friends.
Next, the Buhari government has contradicted even its limited anti-corruption efforts by maintaining in office and keeping protected, several top officials who have been exposed by the public and the press. That is no way to fight corruption.
CBWM? That is simply propaganda, especially if the public is left with persistent images of #Corruption Begins With Me.”
It is these contradictions that are responsible for Buhari’s biggest problems. The only problem that is bigger is the presumption they are not being noticed, or that they will soon be forgotten.

[color=#770077][/color] Seriously, this is righteousness at another level....hope those polithiefians can follow. But never, not all dream comes true

The word “Africa” often evokes romantic images of elephants crossing the Kalahari, thundering water at Victoria Falls, or panoramic views from Table Mountain.

But an increasingly common sight for Africans — especially those in Nigeria — is that of smog, rubbish and polluted water, according to a new report.
Four of the worst cities in the world for air pollution are in Nigeria, according to data released by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Onitsha — a city few outside Nigeria will have heard of — has the undignified honor of being labeled the world’s most polluted city for air quality, when measuring small particulate matter concentration (PM10).
Watch: Delhi’s pollution-control measures
A booming port city in southern Nigeria, Onitsha recorded 30 times more than the WHO’s recommended levels of PM10.
Named and shamed
The other three cities named and shamed in the WHO report for high PM10 levels are the transport hub of Kaduna, in the north, which came fifth, followed by the cities of Aba — in sixth place — and Umuahia, in 16th position, which are both trade centers in southern Nigeria.
Last year, the World Bank reported that94% of the population in Nigeria is exposed to air pollution levels that exceed WHO guidelines (compared to 72% on average in Sub-Saharan Africa in general) and air pollution damage costs about 1% post of Gross National Income.
The WHO study tracked the growth in the two different sizes of particulate matter, PM10 and PM2.5, per cubic meter of air.
PM2.5 particles are fine, with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers (µm) to more than 40 micrometers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
PM10 particles are less than or equal to 10 micrometers in diameter.
Nigeria did not feature in the top 10 for PM2.5 levels.
Why is Nigeria so polluted?
The cause of Nigeria’s pollution problem is a complex story.
“The contributing factors to pollution are a reliance on using solid fuels for cooking, burning waste and traffic pollution from very old cars,” Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, tells CNN.
At home, due to unreliable electricity supplies, many Nigerians rely on generators, which spew out noxious fumes often in unventilated areas.
On the street, car emissions go unregulated.
Neira adds: “In Africa, unfortunately, the levels of pollution are increasing because of rapid economic development and industry without the right technology.”
Indeed, Nigeria’s economy has raced forward in the past decade, overtaking South Africa as the continent’s largest economy in 2014, following a recalculation of its GDP.
Agriculture, telecoms and oil are all driving this growth — at a certain environmental cost.
Steps towards a solution
The latest WHO report may highlight Nigeria, but the true story in other parts of the African continent remains unknown.
The report only included pollution levels from cities with a population of over 100,000 residents that monitor their pollution levels — something many African cities don’t do.
Read: India slaps new taxes on cars to curb pollution
“We need to do an assessment of the sources of pollution at city level, also work on better planning of urban collective transport systems, and take very old cars out of service,” says Neira.
“Regarding the four cities in Nigeria, we would actually like to praise them. They are at least monitoring the pollution levels, others are not even monitoring the air, we know that some are very polluted.
“These four cities are moving towards taking action to reduce pollution.”
With more than 50% of the African population predicted to live in cities by 2030, according to global accounting firm KPMG, the health of the continent’s urban areas is a key concern.

http://www.lasumolue.com/2016/06/05/onitsha-the-worlds-dirtiest-city-cnn-survey/

Mushin "moonshine" ought to be number one on that list. gun shot is so synonymous with mushin to the extent that it has been termed Mushin Banger. No day they won't fight, small or large scale. They don't fight with cutlass in mushin...Na Gun O....no follow anyhow person argue for mushin, just say sorry and go or else, dem go just "shook" you bottle. OP is so right about mushin. Akala z notorious for Cannabis and all other types of rubbish. A street in Mushin has about 3 churches and 2 mosques, some even more, agege motor road houses Regina Mundi Catholic Church amongst a host of others, yet bad boys overflow.

The West African Examinations Council has dismissed a report that its Registrar, Dr. Iyi Uwadiae, made some disparaging remarks about the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun.
The council, in a statement, on Wednesday said it found the story “embarrassing”.
Reports on Tuesday claimed that the registrar faulted the minister’s presentation during her budget defence at the National Assembly last week and so offered her “a free chance to resit her Mathematics examination.”
WAEC Head, Public Affairs in Ghana, Mr. Abiodun Aduloju, said the story was aimed to cause disaffection between the council and the government of Nigeria.
He added, “The publication is worrisome and embarrassing to WAEC, as the registrar did not make the statement credited to him and could not have responded as purported to an allegation in which the name of his organisation was not mentioned.
“The registrar does not reside in Nigeria and has not granted a press interview or engaged in an informal chat with any Nigerian media representative or authorised anyone to speak on his behalf concerning the minister’s statement.
“Uwadiae is an experienced public personality and a seasoned diplomat, who holds sacrosanct the entrenched culture of mutual understanding and respect that exists among all operatives and representatives of the governments of the five member countries of the council.”
dailypost.ng/2016/02/25/waec-denies-offering-kemi-adeosun-free-form-to-resit-maths-exam/

This mobile court sounds fantastic but it is a well concocted rubbish whose decision will be easily upturned in a higher court of competent jurisdiction. before you can listen to cases like this, in tandem with the principle of fair hearing, you have to give the defendant a reasonable time to prepare their defence. A speedy trial like this negates the principle of fair hearing which is cardinal in any proceeding.

The suspension is actionable in the court of law. If they really love their education, the can challenge the decision based on Nemo judex in causa sua and Audi alteram partem. No authority Judicial or quasi judicial can find anyone guity of any offense without hearing his own side of the story.

Just give that guy a job. I swear he wont do it again

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has threatened to sanction any airline operator that arbitrarily increases miscellaneous charges included in airfares without the authority’s approval.
NCAA’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr Samuel Adurogboye, in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday, said any further breach would attract sanctions.
The statement warned that NCAA would mete out sanctions on any airline that increased its airfare arbitrarily without filing the proposed add-on charges with the regulatory authority for approval.
“The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority is directing all airlines to file any proposed add-on charges, surcharges or other miscellaneous charges with it with immediate effect, or risk being sanctioned.
“In the procedure of filing same, all justifiable reasons for increment must be adduced in accordance with parts of the Nigerian Civil Aviation regulations which relate to the approval of charges on all flights within Nigeria or originating from Nigeria to international routes.
“This is as contained in the Nigerian Civil Aviation regulations in requesting for approval of any add-on charges or surcharge, “ it said.
The statement said that an air carrier was required to provide justifiable basis for the proposed increment with a consideration of all relevant factors
According to the statement, this will include a new linear rationalisation for the specific aggregated costs sought to be recovered and consumer interests.
The statement said that when approving any application for an add-on charge or surcharge related to fuel, NCAA shall take into account changes in prices of aviation fuel.
“Others to be considered are the relevant hedging policies of the air carrier, the justifications provided by the air carrier and other relevant factors.
“NCAA will also ensure that the revenue so generated would not exceed the additional fuel costs borne by the airline operators during the corresponding period,“ it said.
The NCAA, in the statement, warned all operators that any add-on charge, surcharge or other miscellaneous added on passenger tickets without regulatory approval should cease forthwith.

leadership.ng/business/aviation/492665/stop-arbitrary-increase-airfares-ncaa-tells-airline-operators

Cc: ladyF, farano, lalasticlala, Seun, tosyne2much, Mynd44, danyel09, IamDejman, Eduntee, DisGuy, Justwise

Na today....E b like say Oga GEJ get bullet proof. All dis baseless accusations would have killed some people

Its allowed....

Good Job