Cornerstone99's Posts
Nairaland Forum › Cornerstone99's Profile › Cornerstone99's Posts
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (of 10 pages)
People are complaining now because the value of Naira has fallen. All our roads are bad. The economy is nothing to write about. Education sector nothing to write about. Electricity 0% rating. One thing I know is that the government is working hard to take Nigeria back to the old time, where we will be getting free education and buying fuel at a low price. By 2020 the true change will be seen. Do you believe this can happen? Share your view Don't to add me on Palmchat. Id: 100210876
|
ogorwyne:you are funny, how will that be possible? |
My brother's wife always have issue with my mum. I don't understand why, they use to be best of friends before she moved to my brother's house. What can be the cause? Advise me please... I don't want to marry and start having this kind of issue. I am single now and am enjoying myself meeting singles on Palmchat. |
How would you like to start your business BIG or SMALL? Someone on Palmchat said "If you invest big money in your business, you will get big return on your investment". Another person say "it's only a fool that will invest big in a new business". Who is right? |
The German carmaker Audi is rolling out technology that will allow its vehicles to communicate with traffic lights. Audi of America, which is owned by Volkswagen, said select 2017 Q7 and A4 models built after 1 June 2016 would be equipped with the system. Audi’s version of technology known in the industry as “V-to-I”, or vehicle to infrastructure, displays a countdown before a red light turns to green, with a countdown also appearing when it is too late to get through an approaching signal before it turns red. “This is our foray into V-to-I,” said Pom Malhotra, general manager of Audi’s connected vehicles division. “This is designed not as a safety feature but a comfort and convenience feature.” The display would disappear a few seconds before the light turned green so the driver could pay attention to the intersection, said Malhotra. Future versions could be it linked to a car’s navigation system or its stop/start functions, or traffic signals could advise a vehicle to keep to a certain speed in order to match the flow of lights, executives said. Audi said it planned to roll out the capability in five to seven US cities in 2016, with cities to be switched on one by one. The company would not disclose which cities would be first. Carmakers are trying to bring in the technology alongside vehicle-to-vehicle communications (“V-to-V”) allowing cars to talk to each other to reduce accidents and relieve traffic congestion, as manufacturers move towards greater automation on the road. But the systems require secure communications infrastructure as well as cooperation with municipalities and transportation agencies. Follow me on Palmchat: 100210876 |
ABUJA—Chairman of Federal Civil Service Commission, FCSC, Deaconness Joan Ayo, has discovered some irregular/unauthorized appointments in the civil service. Deaconess Ayo, who disclosed this in Abuja yesterday, said the appointments in question, uncovered by the on-going staff auditing at the FCSC, were null and void. She explained that staff auditing was aimed at fishing out irregular/unauthorized appointees and de-listing them from the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System, IPPIS. She maintained that this action was necessary because the appointments were not backed by any vacancy from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and as such, were not budgeted for. She further stated that the appointments were in gross violation of the Federal Character principle and also disclosed that vacancies in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation would soon be advertised. Ayo assured that all Nigerian children who qualified would be given the opportunity to compete for limited but available jobs, while selection would be strictly based on merit within the context of the principle of Federal Character. The chairman, who spoke extensively on the core values of the public service, stressed that merit was a major plant recruitment into the civil service was based. This, she added, was subject to meeting certain standards, such as prescribed minimum educational qualifications, satisfactory performance in the qualifying examination and at interviews, etc. without prejudice to the principle of Federal Character. She further stated that the Federal Civil Service Commission would continue to ensure that promotion was strictly based on merit, pointing out that the guidelines for appointment, promotion and discipline was currently being reviewed to meet the increasing demand of the time. Furthermore, she said procedure for accelerated promotion had been clearly defined and spelt out in the new revised guidelines to motivate civil servants towards enhanced productivity. Deaconess Ayo, who called for attitudinal change among the civil servants, stressed the need for them to imbibe the core values which characterized the profile of a public servant in the days of founding fathers of the civil service. Guys please download Palmchat and vote for me in the ongoing #RapKing competition. ID:100210876 |
•Plead he fights hunger too, not only corruption •Past govt failed to save for rainy day—FG •Says genuine effort being made to revamp economy By Chidi Nkwopara, Luka Binniyat, Samuel Oyadongha, Jimitota Onoyume, Peter Duru, Daud Olatunji, Suzan Edeh, Francis Igata & Abudulsalam Muhammad In the twilight of the Goodluck Jonathan-led Peoples Democratic Party administration, Nigerians lamented that they had never had it that bad. The challenges confronting them appeared insurmountable. There was pervasive corruption that threatened to sweep away the entire nation. Insurgents were having a field day in the north, declaring their own republic within the Federal Republic of Nigeria and annexing towns and villages while the government looked helpless. There was massive unemployment and the energy sector was in comatose with unending and seemingly impossible fuel and power shortages. The generality of Nigerians, with the exception of those who were directly benefiting from the government of the day were totally disillusioned. They cried for change and yearned for a messiah that would restore sanity in the land. When the former military ruler, General Muhammadu Buhari therefore emerged the presidential candidate of the then opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, there was wild jubilation in many parts of the country. For someone who hated corruption with a passion, Buhari was seen as the only person who could fight corruption to a standstill. He was known for his fight against indiscipline when he was military head of state. With his large following and his pedigree, his victory at the presidential polls in April 2015 was not a surprise. He had tremendous goodwill both at home and abroad. Alluding to this in his inaugural speech on May 29 2015, President Buhari said “my fellow Nigerians I can not recall when Nigeria enjoyed so much goodwill abroad as now. The messages I received from East and West, from powerful and small countries are indicative of international expectations on us. At home the newly elected government is basking in a reservoir of goodwill and high expectations”. To whom much is given, much is therefore expected. Nigerians expected President Muhammadu Buhari to hit the ground running. The president himself promised to tackle the challenges head on. “Nigerians will not regret that they have entrusted national responsibility to us. We must not succumb to hopelessness and defeatism. We can fix our problems”, Buhari declared in his inaugural speech. One year after assuming office however, Nigerians have expressed total disappointment in his administration. They are agonising that they have not felt the desired change they voted for in President Buhari. Great efforts have been made to curtail insurgency and the government deserves huge commendation for that. The fight against corruption is well appreciated but it appears targeted at politicians only as the customs, the police, the civil servants are still corrupt. It is still business as usual in so many sectors. There is a groundswell of criticisms of the government’s response to the economic crisis which led to increase in prices, growing unemployment, job losses, pay cuts and owed salaries. Even President Mohammadu Buhari’s ardent supporters like fiery Catholic Priest, Ejike Mbaka are commending him for the fight against corruption but accusing him of not equally responding to an economic emergency that has left many families struggling or unable to feed. Mbaka, in a sermon to his congregation on July 23, said “hunger is everywhere. As the president is fighting corruption, some of us are praying that he will equally fight hunger. The landlords are crying, tenants are lamenting. Sellers are crying, buyers are lamenting. Many students are being rusticated from school because they can’t pay school fees. Proprietors are distressed. Many companies are winding up. The economy is hard”. Nigerians across the country agree with the Catholic Priest who however maintains that the blame of today’s condition should go to the Jonathan administration. Nigerians are now saying that what they are experiencing now is not the CHANGE they bargained for, that they have been deceived by the APC government that led them out of the biblical Egypt and the government has now abandoned them in the wilderness to die of hunger and misery. We sought the views of many Nigerians especially the commoners. And their common saying is that the Buhari CHANGE has not brought the expected change but gloom. Salisu Saidu, bricklayer, Kaduna state “I used to make about N1,500 to N2000 everyday I went out to site, and there was plenty of work up to 2015. We thought we were suffering even at that time and I was a strong supporter of APC. Today, I cannot believe what I am going through. I am a Muslim, my religion forbids lies. The two men I supported, Muhammadu Buhari and Nasir el-Rufai were supposed to abide by this rule. But, I can tell you that it is unfortunate that they have not tell us the truth. For the past one month, I have got only four jobs and the pay was below N1,500. People are not building anymore and prices of foodstuff are getting out of hand. It is very sad, that Muslims would be like this. I had to argue with my Iman the other day, when he kept saying that we should be patient and I asked ‘should we be patient until we die?’ Idris Makama, butcher, modern market, Kaduna state “I am very sure that baba Buhari means well for this country. Yes, there is suffering, no doubt, because even in my business you can see that. The only problem Baba has is that he has allowed very wicked people who were formerly in the PDP to close his eyes. But, if you look at the way he is arresting those who stole our money, you will know that there is hope for this country. I’m sure that things will improve. Bad aides and former PDP members in APC today are the problem, not Buhari. I expect him to sack them and bring people who have the genuine love of Nigerians.” Shegun Akinola, Barber, Waff road, Kaduna state “Look, Buhari did not go to school. There is no man with simple education that will not be able to know that you cannot just give appointments to your brothers and friends in a country of 170 million people in 36 states. That is why he is not able to understand simple advice on how the economy works. He thinks everything is by force. As a graduate, I have been living fairly well in this barbing business, because of my location and because people came here not only to barb, but to also buy clippers and perfumes here. But since these people came to power, I’m now regretting not having a formal job. Patronage has dropped badly, and my wife is worried that we may not be able to pay our rent this year. They say he is fighting corruption. Let him fight hunger first, let him provide security too. Let him stop selection in fighting corruption, let him do something about the value of the Naira, jobs etc. Everyday prices of things keep going up and there is even no money to buy them. I’m very angry, sir.” Hassana Awolu, Food vendor, Kano road, Kaduna state “I don’t like talking about Baba Buhari, because if you are not careful people will insult you anyhow. There was a day that I quarrelled with my husband and he almost beat me up in the presence of the children. He was one of those who campaigned for Buhari, but now he hates to hear that name. As for me, I love Buhari. He is a honest man and he does not care about the things of this world. We are suffering now because Goodluck Jonathan left so many problems for this honest old man, and he did not know that the problem is this much. We should be praying for him and not abusing and cursing him. At the beginning we shall suffer, but in the end we shall enjoy. I don’t want to lose hope on him. Because, if Baba Buhari is not there, I don’t see anyone that is good enough for this country. The change will surely come”. Grace Onyebuchi, food and drinks vendor, Kakuri, Kaduna state “I beg sir, don’t ask any question about that man. Are you not in this country to see what is going on? Since my husband died five years ago, this business of selling drinks has been feeding me and my children. I used to have five girls working here, apart from the woman who prepares my pepper soup in the afternoon and leaves. I paid each one of them, N10,000 every month, apart from giving them transport money. It was from this business that I completed the house which my husband started before he died in 2014. But now I can barely pay two girls, and I have to stop the woman from coming. I now prepare the pepper soup myself. From selling about 50 cartons of assorted drinks everyday, I now manage to sell five, and many people are owing me. I could sell 50 plates of pepper soup, Nkwobi, Goat Head before but now if I sell ten plates, then it is a good day. Governor El-Rufai is not paying workers, business is not moving for many people and food is too costly. Is it not when you eat that you can afford to drink? If things continue like this up till next year people will die like flies. I hate APC now” Tabitha Markus, Trader, Sabo Tasha market, Kaduna state “In 1984, I was nursing my four months old first baby, Kazah when Buhari and Idiagbon removed Shagari from power. I cannot ever remember being so hungry like in those days. We would queue for hours and days just to buy milk, rice and bread and there were soldiers flogging us. That year, people were stealing other people’s food while it was being cooked. I told these young boys shouting “change! Changi Changi!” that Buhari would bring hunger, but they would not listen. I can see another 1984 coming again. People are suffering. My shop is full of goods, I cannot sell, because people don’t have money. Please help us tell the president that people are dying of hunger.” Dr. Ben Tantua, Teacher, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state “The present slogan of Change is rather a situation of bad to worse economy. There is high inflation rate coupled with the exchange rate of Naira to the Dollar now fluctuating between 350 and 400 to one dollar. This clearly shows the kind of change we have, this change has no economic policy direction.” Comrade Alagoa Morris, Niger Delta activist, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state “What I have observed so far is that, the President has the zeal he had when he was a military head of State to tackle those things which have continued to embarrass Nigeria in the committee of nations. These include corruption, indiscipline and unethical behaviour in our individual and collective lives. His lack of confidence in the judiciary speaks volume, especially in his desire to tackle the hydra-headed monster called corruption. Please download Palmchat and follow me. ID: 100210876 |
No sanctions for Dogara, Jibrin, says APC ABUJA — The All Progressives Congress, APC, has said it would not sanction its members involved in the budget-padding scandal rocking the House of Representatives. Dogara and Jibrin House Speaker, Yakubu Dogara and sacked chairman of Appropriation Committee in the House, Abdulmumuni Jibrin, have been locked in a battle of wits regarding allegations of padding. However, speaking with journalists, yesterday, in Abuja, Deputy National Chairman (North) of the party, Senator Lawal Shuaibu, said APC could only sanction members who run foul of its constitution. He said: “Article 7 subsection 5 of APC gives us the power to do certain things; you see what we are doing we are doing the right thing but only that we don’t want it in public gallery. “What is padding? The party does not sanction anybody on that. What concerns us is where any member contravenes the party constitution in his conduct. ‘’That is why I referred you to Article 7 subsection 5 of our party constitution. We are not a law enforcement organization and so we do not enforce law. ‘’We only ensure that the constitution is complied with; every member of the party is answerable to the party and answerable to its constitution. ‘’The two members that are subjected to this are elected or appointed members of the party including those that are holding public office. ‘’So, you expect the party to sit down and watch? No, we have to do our work. The issue of us sweeping anything under the carpet does not arise at all. But we do not do it in the market place, we do it in the party secretariat.” Our 12.7million members pay N100 each On funding of the party, he said the APC currently had a membership of over 12million who paid a due of N100 each to the party. “We have a credible source of funding. Every member of APC in this country shall pay N100. So far, on our data base, we have 12.7million registered members, others are still waiting for us to just open our portal to do their membership registration. Anybody can do anything in this country and get away with. Please follow me on Palmchat. Id: 100210876 |
ABUJA—Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State yesterday described as criminal non-payment of salary by some state governments. Lagos State Governor & Chairman, APC National Campaign Council, Edo Governorship Election 2016, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (left), with his Edo State counterpart, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole during his courtesy visit to the Edo State Governor, at the Government House in Benin City, Edo, recently, Some governors in the country are owing their workers up to nine months salary, blaming their failure on the shortfall in the allocation from the Federal Government and are, therefore, canvassing the decentralization of the National Minimum Wage by removing it from the exclusive list. But Governor Oshiomhole noted that if governors could enjoy unified salary structure, they and other politicians had no moral right to criticise national minimum wage for Nigerian workers. Speaking at The Podium, tagged From Activism to Political Power: The Challenges of Democratic Governance in Nigeria, organised by The Kukah Centre, TKC, in Abuja, the governor noted that priority was given to payment of workers’ salary in Edo State. He said it was inconceivable for governors to canvass decentralisation after enjoying a fixed national salary structure in the same manner as National Assembly lawmakers, only to now turn around and say that the national minimum wage should not be applicable to states. “Governors claim that they need maximum security regarding the cost, but it is not realistic to pay workers. Non-payment of wages is a criminal breach of law of contract, whether in recession or in prosperity. “What I questioned and which I don’t accept is that you cannot have a centralised system of compensation for executives, governors, commissioners and local government chairmen. Their pay is centrally-determined and the economy can afford that. ‘’What Lagos State governor is receiving is what Edo State governor is receiving. If we have national compensation, how can these governors turn around and question the wisdom of a national wage structures for workers. “It is that selective application of fiscal federalism that I find extremely offensive and unacceptable. Even today, I remain firm that we must maintain a national minimum wage and we must find ways to implement and adjust it to reflect the cost of living. ‘’It is the duty of government and employers to find the revenue to pay those they hired to work, whether in private or government employment,” Oshiomhole said. Also, former governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, said the country’s economy was in bad shape because civil servants were not being paid. He urged Governor Adams to appeal to his counterparts in other states, particularly in Imo, to pay his workers, as civil servants were not employed to be farmers. In his remarks, chairman of the event and former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, said it was sad that politicians in the country were mostly jobbers and budget padders advocating for themselves and not the society. He said: “They cleverly and surreptitiously apply the word change. I, of course, won’t use that word because as a member Please follow me on Palmchat. ID: 100210876 |
MEGAN McKenna's dad revealed a VERY embarrassing story about her last night on TOWIE to her boyfriend Pete Wicks. The reality star's family were sharing funny childhood stories about Megan to Pete when Dave decided to go one step further. Dave said: "You wanted to please everyone, but you didn't please me all the time. "You used to go behind the settee and poo behind the settee, Megan. "It wasn't very nice." Megan was left speechless as her dad relived the moment and opened her mouth in shock. And Pete put his head in his hands. But fortunately, her hunky beau managed to see the funny side. Pete joked: "Hold on, I keep blaming it on the dogs..." While Megan shot back with: "Don't make out I do it all the time, dad. Oh my God, are you joking? Once..." Luckily, the 23-year-old's mum, Tanya, was able to give some context to the story. Tanya added: "But she was only 2 at the time. "It was just in the potty training stage, I must say." TOWIE fans thought the story was hilarious and took to Twitter to share their thoughts. One viewer put: "HAHAHAHAHAHAH @Megan_Mckenna_ pooing behind the sofa I can't cope hahahahaha #towie". "Love @Megan_Mckenna_ daddy he should be a full towie cast member" another said. Follow me on Palmchat for celebrity new. my Id: 100210987 |
People say Nigeria is corrupt.Some say the government is corrupt. My question is it the government that is corrupt or the People? MY friend on Palmchat said is Buhari but I said his the one that is corrupt. What is your Opinion about the issue of corruption? |
In this retro series, Palmchat looks back at what led to the launch of the first War Against Indiscipline in 1984 by the administration of the then General Muhammadu Buhari. The re-launch of the War Against Indiscipline by President Muhammadu Buhari has brought back memories of a similar move he made when he was the military head of state in 1984. Buhari overthrew the then president, Shehu Shagari on December 31, 1983, amid allegation that the administration was corruption-ridden. Buhari came in on the mantle of clearing the alleged rot that had permeated the administration of Shagari. The infamous Dikko affair was a highlight that showed the strong stance the administration of Buhari and his deputy, Tunde Idiagbon had against corruption and indiscipline and it soon became a reference point in describing the high-handed and intolerant manner the duo engaged acts perceived to reek of corruption and indiscipline. Brigadier Sani Abacha who master-minded the coup that ushered Buhari into power gave a broadcast that would show the reason for the coup and what Nigerians should expect. Read the speech below: Fellow countrymen and women, I, Brigadier Sani Abacha, of the Nigerian army address you this morning on behalf of the Nigerian armed forces. You are all living witnesses to the great economic predicament and uncertainty, which an inept and corrupt leadership hasnimposed on our beloved nation for the past four years. I am referring to the harsh, intolerable conditions under which we are now living. Our economy has been hopelessly mismanaged. We have become a debtor and beggar nation. There is inadequacy of food at reasonable prices for our people who are now fed up with endless announcements of importation of foodstuffs. Health services are in shambles as our hospitals are reduced to mere consulting clinics without drugs, water and equipment. Our educational system is deteriorating at an alarming rate. Unemployment figures including the undergraduates have reached embarrassing and unacceptable proportions. In some states, workers are being owed salary arrears of eight to twelve months and in others there are threats of salary cuts. Yet our leaders revel in squandermania, corruption and indiscipline, and continue to proliferate public appointments in complete disregard of our stark economic realities. After due consultations over these deplorable conditions, I and my colleagues in the armed forces have in the discharge of our national role as promoters and protectors of our national interest decided to effect a change in the leadership of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and form a Federal Military Government. This task has just been completed. The clerk of the National Assembly, the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives shall, within two weeks, render account of all the properties of the National Assembly. All the political parties are banned; the bank account of FEDECO and all the political parties are frozen with immediate effect. All foreigners living in any part of the country are assured of their safety and will be adequately protected. Henceforth, workers not on essential duties are advised to keep off the streets. All categories of workers on essential duties will, however, report at their places of work immediately. With effect from today, a dusk to dawn curfew will be imposed between 7pm and 6am each day until further notice. All airways flights have been suspended forthwith and all airports, seaports, and border posts closed. External communications have been cut. The Customs and Excise, Immigration and the Police will maintain vigilance and ensure watertight security at the borders. The area administrators or commanders will have themselves to blame if any of the wanted people escape. Fellow countrymen and women, the change in government has been a bloodless and painstaking operation and we do not want anyone to lose his or her life. People are warned in their own interest to be law-abiding and to give the Federal Military Government maximum cooperation. Anyone caught disturbing public order will be summarily dealt with. For avoidance of doubt, you are forewarned that we shall not hesitate to declare martial law in any area or state of the federation in which disturbances occur. Fellow countrymen and women and comrades at arms, I will like to assure you that the Armed Forces of Nigeria is ready to lay its life for our dear nation but not for the present irresponsible leadership of the past civilian administration. You are to await further announcements, 1 NIGERIA! On March 20, 1984, Idiagbon formally announced the War Against Indiscipline scheme that was meant to combat acts of corruption as well as seemingly minute issues like rushing into a bus and littering the environment. It also extended to a crack-down on the inflation of goods in the market. However, the administration was criticised for its high-handed nature as was considered a catalyst for the overthrow of the administration by General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. |
Rebekkah:As far as Rio 2016 in concern they are out till next Olympics. Good Luck to them... |
Rebekkah:As far is Rio 2016 in concern they are out till next Olympics. Good Luck to them... |
Sixteen years ago, the Williams sisters, then aged 17 and 19, made their Olympic doubles debut on a hard court in Sydney. The expectations were sky-high for the sisters from Compton who'd been famous years before they turned pro and were just beginning their decorates careers - coming off their first singles Grand Slam titles at the U.S. Open (Serena) and Wimbledon (Venus). Unseeded, the sisters won that first match 6-3, 6-1 over Canadians Vanessa Webb and Sonya Jeyaseelan. It was the beginning of one of the great runs in Olympic history, as the sisters, over a span of three Olympics (they skipped 2004), went a perfect 15-0 with three gold medals. In their first two gold-medal matches, they lost a total of four games, combined. At Wimbledon, which hosted the 2012 tennis competition, they won 6-4, 6-4 over a pair of Czech players. In their 15 matches they lost a total of five sets. Of all the accomplishments of the sisters Williams, their Olympic dominance might have been one of the greatest. LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 05: Gold medalists Serena Williams of the United States and Venus Williams of the United States celebrate during the medal ceremony for the Women's Doubles Tennis on Day 9 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on August 5, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) (Getty Images) The streak ended quickly and without fanfare on Sunday night as Venus and Serena, the top seeds at the Olympic doubles tournament, fell in an oddly inevitable straight sets to Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-4. (Neither had been in the aforementioned 2012 gold-medal match.) Only once this century had the sisters been eliminated in the first round of a Grand Slam. Serena, who is favored to repeat as singles gold medalist, looked listless in the loss, playing down to the level of her sister, whose serve barely registered and then was picked on by the Czechs, who forced shots her way to great success. There were reasons for it. On Saturday, Venus was on the court for 3:19 in a devastating 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) singles loss to world No. 62 and 2013 Wimbledon semifinalist Kirsten Flipkens. That'd be enough to fatigue any tennis player, let alone a 36-year-old with an affliction that affects her energy and, on top of it all, some sort of cold. (And you know it was bad if Venus admitted to being "dehydrated, with some cramps and upset stomach," even if those words were from U.S. coach Mary Joe Fernandez, not Venus herself. The elder Williams sister is not one to complain.) When the draw was released, this matchup drew immediate attention. Safarova has won two Grand Slam doubles titles with American Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Strycova is a fine doubles player with multiple Grand Slam quarterfinal and semifinal appearances. But they'd only played one match together so the Williams' were still heavy favorites, until Venus showed up less than 100%. She looked like it on Sunday and now, the most dominant tennis team in Olympic history is out of the Games. More Rio Olympics on Palmchat. |
The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) last week intervened in the raging conflict between its members in the House of Representatives over the budget padding scandal, but the move to reconcile the key actors – the Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Yakubu Dogara and former Chairman of the Appropriation Committee Abdulmumuni Jibrin – has not yielded positive results. The party had summoned the two key actors in the ongoing crisis to appear before it and brief the panel it set up to resolve the matter in-house. But after hours of separate meetings with the duo, the party said it was yet to resolve the issues. Both sides have continued with their diatribes despite the party’s intervention, an indication the crisis is far from being over. Although the party tried to extract a commitment from the warring parties that they would refrain from further excalating the conflict through media exchanges, it remains to be seen how they have complied with that order. Before the meeting with Jibrin, the party first met with the Speaker in his residence where they discussed extensively on the conflict between him and Hon. Jibrin. The party also explored possible compromise as way of stemming the crisis in the lower legislative chamber. Speaking shortly after meeting with Jibrin which lasted about three hours, the Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Lawan Shuaibu, said that all the party wanted to know was really what went wrong and that the panel tried to see how it could handle the situation. Lawan said that contrary to insinuations that the party was summoning Jibrin to discipline him, there was no basis for such. He added that APC believes that immunity covers whatever happens in the House of Representatives or the Senate. Explaining further, he said: “We are discussing with them and it is an ongoing consultation, we are not done with them, we sat with the speaker, we just finished sitting with him and we would continue to sit with him. “I want to say that what we discussed, honestly speaking, was to get a better brief on what is happening because we have to be carried along. They are our members, we should know from them directly what is really going on so that we can see how we can handle the situation without necessarily making it a town square dance. In respect of what is going on in the House of Representatives which you people know more than all of us but I asked him to come and brief the party, honestly speaking we never thought it would be covered by the media. “I that summoned him, the national secretary of the party and the national vice chairman of his zone sat down to discuss, there is nothing like passing any Judgment on any member of the party, we only play our role as the umpire in this matter to see how we can create some atmosphere of peace and unity among our members. But when certain things go wrong of course, the party needs to call it’s members to know how best to unite any feuding member and that is exactly what we did. “What we did actually was that we heard from him. We have heard earlier from the speaker but because it was not in the newspapers, like you just went and published nobody knew we held a meeting with the speaker.” On his part, Jibrin who was apparently not at ease with the party’s embargo on him not to make public statements on the issue, managed to utter a few words to journalists. He said the meeting with the APC panel was centered on the budget padding crisis that has pitted him against the Speaker and the leadership of the House of Representatives. “I’m here on the invitation of our party, the APC. We discussed extensively on the crisis in the House of Representatives. We will continue to discuss and engage ourselves, I will continue to honour the invitation of our party and I am sure that whatever it is we decide you will know in due course,” he said. The lawmaker who was decked in a white brocade with cap to match, entered the party secretariat in company of a team of lawyers and aides at about 2: 05 PM in a Black Land Cruiser with registration number BWA 768 AM, and headed to the office of the Deputy National Chairman, Sen Lawal Shuaibu, where he was received by the NWC led by the party’s National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni, National Treasurer, Bala Muhammed Gwagwarwa, and National Vice Chair, Inuwa Abdulkadir. The APC leadership under the National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, had come under heavy criticism for its lukewarm attitude towards the unfolding developments in the National Assembly, especially the prosecution of the Senate leadership for forgery and now the face-off over allegations of budget padding in the House of Representatives. Among the critics is the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Timi Frank, who blamed the party leadership for its silence, which according to him, has enabled the conflict to fester. “Yes I commend them for this but I feel it’s already too late. This is what they ought to have done before the whole issue. Why I said this has become too late is that, it is very clear that this is like medicine after death and it is sad we allowed it to get to this level. This still boils down to my earlier statement about the incompetency of our party leadership. … “Whether we like it or not as a party, what is happening to Honourable Dogara, the Speaker of the House of Representatives is not just embarrassing to him as the number four man in Nigeria but embarrassing to the APC leadership and Nigerians at large who have confidence in our party. “At this point in time, I want to use this opportunity to advise my party leadership, we must not let this type of mistake to repeat itself again, we must be prompt to respond to issues before they get to the public.” But Shuaibu, the man who along with the other members of the NWC have been saddled with the task of negotiating a peaceful settlement, has promised that everything possible would be done to stop the matter from escalating. He explained that the panel had only conducted preliminary findings on the conflict areas, adding that the next stage of engagement will be to bring the warring parties to meet face-to-face on a round table discussion that will smoothen the rough edges and possibly laid the matter to rest. The Controversy The House has been embroiled in crises following the removal of Abdulmumini by Speaker Dogara, over mismanagement of the 2016 budget passing process. Abdulmumini, employing a scorched earth policy after his ouster, accused Dogara, Deputy Speaker Yussuff Sulaimon Lasun, Chief Whip Alhassan Ado Doguwa and Minority Leader Leo Ogor of allocating N40 billion to themselves out of the N100 billion appropriated for the National Assembly, and making “senseless’ insertions into the 2016 budget”. He also petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Nigeria Police, demanding the arrest and prosecution of the speaker, three principal officers, and 11 committee chairmen for corruption and abuse of office. The 11 chairmen listed in the petition are Chairman, Committee on Federal Capital Territory, Hon. Herma Hembe, Chairman, Committee on Basic Education, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, Chairman, Committee on Health Services, Hon. Chike Okafor, Chairman Committee on Power, Hon. Dan Asuquo, Chairman, Committee on Interior, Hon. Jagaba Adams Jagaba, Chairman, Committee on Police Affairs, Hon. Haliru Jika, Chairman, Committee on House Services, Hon. Babanle Ila and Chairman, Committee on Public Petitions, Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta. Before the fallout, Abdulmumuni and Dogara were allies, with the former contributing to the emergence of the latter as Speaker of the House. Infact, Abdulmumuni was the spokesperson for the Consolidation group, backers of Dogara during the tussle for the distribution of principal officers positions. It was therefore not a surprise that he was appointed Chairman of the most coveted committee, Appropriation. Resignation not an option for Dogara Last week, there were reports in the media on the undercurrents in the House over the budget padding scandal. There were even reports of alleged moves to effect leadership change or to force the speaker to resign. But Speaker Dogara has ruled out the possibility of resigning over the scandal. In a chat with State House correspondent on Friday, the speaker said padding was not an offence under the Nigerian law, and as such he had not breached any known law. He said he had not heard the word ‘padding’ until now, even though he studied law and had been in the legislature for some time. Divergent views on way forward As the controversy continues to rage, there are however divergent opinion on the way forward. The Nigeria Labour Congress, in a statement by its National President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, sums the feelings of many Nigerians that developmental projects are not need based, but prioritised on the basis of ‘who is who’ in the political arena. It however cautioned against using the crises to settle political scores, a move it noted could weaken the National Assembly. “It also reveals the imperfections and the distrust in project identification/implementation system and consequent failure of the present model of capital budgeting without a development plan framework.” “The on-going controversy over the padding of the 2016 budget is an incontrovertible evidence of the inherent weaknesses in our budgeting process and accordingly underscores the need for a thorough revisit.” Sebastian Hon, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, called for a thorough investigation which he however cautioned should be unbiased and un-political so as not to be regarded as a product of scheming from fifth columnists to change the leadership of the National Assembly. The Abuja based lawyer emphasised that budget proposals or estimates submitted to the National Assembly by the Executive, do not have to be taken hook, line and sinker, else there would be no purpose for having a legislature. “The National Assembly is there to vet what the Executive has brought and to make inputs. So if those inputs are made, I do not at this stage see any criminality in the allegations being made by him,” he said. Hon added that all the issues raised by Abdulmumini are in the realm of allegations, and proving them are a completely different ball game. “I will quickly add that even I do not know the facts so well, but looking at them on the surface, I have to say he is just trying to raise a red herring, unnecessarily, because he lost out. Considering the moral aspect of his outing, he has been part of the so-called budget padding and he did not cry wolf until he was removed from office, it means he is not someone who should be trusted. This also goes to his credibility even on those allegations, because he was wining and dining with the Speaker and the leadership of the House and enjoying the perks of office. He did not complain until he was removed. He has cast a big cloud on his credibility and character, so much so that he should not be believed at this stage,” he said. President of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) Comrade, Marwan Mustapha Adamu, also called for investigations into allegations and counter-allegations raised on both sides, but insists Abdulmumuni has no moral standing to point fingers at his colleagues and accuse them of ‘senseless’ budget padding, when he did exactly the same thing. “He claims others inserted into the budget, then he should explain how the Kano film village entered into the budget. The fact that the project has entered controversy means he did not even consult with the constituency first, means he simply used his power, ‘senselessly’ as Chairman of Appropriation, to insert what he wanted into the budget.” Civil Rights activities and social media commentator, Kayode Ogundamisi, on his twitter handle said the embattled lawmakers serves a purpose, even if he is a hypocrite. “Even hypocrite @AbdulAbmJ serves a positive purpose for the people, we must assist him in bringing down his fellow rogues.” Tunde Asaju, Canada-based social commentator and columnist, said it was too early to start to consider the legal implications of the actions of Abdulmumuni, as the drama was still unfurling. “For one, it is difficult to buy Abdulmumini’s presumptive moral high ground here. We would need more consistency to take this seriously. What is his track record? What happened to turn a boy against his master/hero? Is it ego? Was he losing out before deciding to save face? Is this pure posturing or Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus? We need answers to all these questions.” Asaju called on journalists to resolve the questions and profile Dogara and Abdulmumuni: , who are they? What were their antecedents? How have they voted on issues of public importance? What is their political pedigree? What’s at stake here? “With answers to these questions, we’ll know if this is another posturing that could give birth to another Farouk Lawan denouement? No legal implications that I see, not with APC attempting to pull in a gag order. It’s another circus and the audience are laughing at the tragi-comedy that spins daily from one arm of our national embarrassment,” Asaju added. Follow Palmchat Public account for more: www.palmchatnow.com |
Ranieri craves glorious start to the season against Man United... but remains wary of 'champion' Zlatan What is your take on this match? I am going to make Prediction on Palmchat. |
When I was still “wet behind the ears” mobile telephones and supermarket scanners were still a “pipe dream” in the minds of the technical whiz kids, we gazed in amazement at the huge shiny new Xerox copier in the general office at my place of gainful employment. Now the trick in those days, performed by the joker, that was to be found in every office, was to sit on the machine minus trousers and underpants and pin the result of the magic photo copy in some conspicuous place. Naturally episodes such as this were frowned upon by the management and short of getting all staff to UnCloth and inspect their rear ends, photocopy in hand, it was not possibly to find the offender. Such juvenile behaviour is quite frankly “peanuts” compared with what happened in a supermarket in Seattle. This joker thought it would be great fun to plop his penis onto the self-service scanner and call over an unsuspecting female shop worker, perhaps disappointed that it would not give him a price! Well naturally she was shocked and somewhat surprised at the display, much to the amusement of our joker. A male worker saw his colleague reacting and came over to see what was happening. Naturally the police were called and the staff described to the long arm of the law that the man’s penis was simply resting on top of the scanner; how delightful. Well we have to hope that this is not going to be the “new Xerox trend” but, we will have to wait until he appears in court and hear what the Judge has to say. The man fled the premises, but he decided to return to the scene and was recognised and caught by the police. Not content with his previous dubious performance he got into a shoving match with security trying to escort him from the premises. When arrested and told why, the joker shouted at the cops “I didn’t whip my c**k out”. Well no, you just placed it carefully onto the scanner didn’t you? Copied from Palmchat news. |
Luckylife:Do you want to be kidnapped too by women? |
Three Hot women have left a man seriously dazed after they kidnapped him and forcefully took turns to have s*x with him for three days. A 24-year-old man has narrated how he was kidnapped and detained for days by three suspected female rapists who sexually abused him several times before releasing him on Sunday last week. The police confirmed the incident and now have launched a manhunt for the suspects. It was reported that Manicaland police spokesperson, Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa, said on July 28, and at around 0700hrs, the victim (name withheld) got a lift in Marondera which had three women on board. According to the police, the suspects were travelling in a black Mercedes Benz vehicle and headed towards Harare, Zimbabwe. However, after driving for about a few minutes, the driver turned around and headed towards Mutare. The victim reportedly asked where they were now going but was threatened with a pistol by one of the ladies. Quote “One of the women who was occupying the back seat produced a pistol and they blindfolded the man with a cloth,” said Kakohwa. Speaking about the incident, ZRP spokesman said the women took the complainant to an unknown house where they undressed him and took off the blindfold. They reportedly gave him sadza which later made him feel dizzy but sexually aroused. Quote “The three culprits took turns to have sexual intercourse with the man on several occasions for three days,” said Inspector Kakohwa. “They kept him in captivity from the 28th to the 31st of July.” On Sunday morning, the suspects allegedly blindfolded the complainant again and took him to Mutare where they dropped him off at Christmas Pass where he was helped by traffic cops to make a police report. Quote “As police, we urge people to avoid boarding private cars when travelling. We encourage people to use public transport which is safe,” said Inspector Kakohwa. Get more here: www.palmchatnow.com |
The first sexy voice on listened to on TV was in 2000 #Sexy voice My Sexy Voice was from Micheal Jackson RIP. What is yours? |
Usain Bolt's story began with a schoolyard race in 1998 with the offer of lunch on the table for the victor, courtesy of the local priest Bolt's original passions were cricket and football but his focus shifted Athlete Pablo McNeill taught at Bolt's school and took him under his wing Bolt's mother and father would not let him get away with anything. This is the story of the young boy who became an Olympic phenomenon. It begins in 1998 on the playground of William Knibb Memorial, a high school in Trelawny, a small town in the north of Jamaica. It is lunchtime and two good friends, Usain St Leo Bolt — a gangly, awkward 12-year-old who enjoyed sport far more than immersing himself in his books — and Ricardo Gedes are bickering about who can run the fastest. Gedes is adamant he cannot be beaten. Bolt knows he is quick but, privately, wonders if he has the speed to outgun his pal. Only a race will settle this argument but before they get on their marks, the local priest Reverend Nugent — who was listening in — offers an incentive. ‘If you beat him,’ Rev Nugent says, looking towards Bolt, ‘I will buy you your lunch. If you can run faster than him, your lunch is free.’ With the spur of food, the challenge is accepted. Bolt takes off and dashes past Gedes. It is a scene that happens on schoolyards all over the world but this one has far-reaching connotations. True to his word, Reverend Nugent buys lunch but on the way to the canteen, he imparts some advice. ‘If you can beat Ricardo,’ Reverend Nugent says. ‘You can beat anyone.’ Back to the present and that surge across the yard is being happily recalled. ‘We remember it well,’ says Lorna Jackson, who has been teaching at William Knibb since 1981 and is now vice-principal. ‘Usain told him that he had never enjoyed lunch so much.’ That may be true but that was the day something clicked. Bolt’s passion back then was cricket — he was a bowler — and he was also a keen footballer but high school teachers had seen special athletic qualities in him when he took to the track; they realised all he needed was some coaxing for the vast potential to be unlocked. Bolt, from an early age, could run like the wind, thanks to that long stride and pumping arms. He was so quick that when sports day came around, he was limited to participating in two events to give others a chance of winning. He developed so quickly that in 2001, he won his first medal at the Jamaican High School Championship. #Rio2016 Now trending on Palmchat. Join now... |
You can predict match on Palmchat and Win Big for yourself...
|
Rio de Janeiro is getting set to host the Summer Olympic Games, with 207 nations set to participate There is sure to be a carnival atmosphere, With 10,500 athletes expected to compete in 206 events Here, I will be taking you through some stunning promotional campaign on Social media about Rio Olympics 2016. Harness the opportunity on social media to increase your income in this 2016 Rio Olympics. |
Niyi Akinnaso When I applied for admission to the university in the 1960s, I knew nobody. There was no godfather or godmother. Neither my parents nor my older siblings could assist me, because they were all stark illiterates. As the first person in the entire Akinnaso lineage to ever go to school, I was virtually on my own. Without any guidance whatsoever, I applied for direct entry admission to the University of Ibadan and the University of Ife, after passing the required General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level) papers at the end of my first year of the Higher School Certificate class. I was admitted by both institutions, each one acting independently and without recourse to a superior authority. Ife, then, was a regional university, while Ibadan was federal. I chose to go to Ife to read English. The rest is history. I told my admission story to a senior female civil servant, who approached me last year for assistance in getting her daughter admitted to study law at the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko. She listened attentively to my story and replied: “That was then, sir. The country has changed. You have to know somebody who knows somebody in order to get things done.” I’m sure she did not like my next statement: “It’s people like you, who beg around, that caused the country to change”. She was not done: “No sir, it’s the system”. There really is plenty of blame to go round, just as there are many sharers of the blame, including the students and their parents; the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board; the universities; the Federal Government; and the society at large. But my focus today is the government, which is now like that wild elephant, reported in the media recently, which killed an admirer who wanted to take a selfie with it. The Federal Government has been known to be the enemy of quality tertiary education in this country. It has earned that status by (1) over-centralising the institutions, procedures and regulations governing the activities of the universities and then starving them of the resources needed to carry out those activities. Even where some resources are available, such as the tertiary education funds, the procedures for accessing them are again over-centralised. In a distinguished lecture, titled ‘Education sector in crisis’, given by Professor Ladipo Adamolekun at the Joseph Ayo Babaloa University in 2012, over-centralisation was one of the three major causes of the crisis in the education sector, the other two being implementation failure – due largely to inadequate funding – and the de-emphasis of the value of education, including quality decline in the teaching profession. Adamolekun gave five examples of over-centralisation, namely, the Universal Basic Education programme; the establishment and operations of the unity secondary schools; the centralisation of the labour unions; the establishment of the National Universities Commission with its centralising functions; and the allocation of the lion’s share of the nation’s resources to the Federal Government. Adamolekun rightly traced these developments to over 30 years of military dictatorship, which began its stranglehold on the nation’s universities by federalising erstwhile regional universities. Today, however, perhaps the most controversial centralising agency is the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, empowered to conduct the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations and oversee university admission. Enough controversy was generated recently between the Director of JAMB, Professor Dibu Ojerinde, and the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, to send significant ripples through the university system. There are three knotty issues. First, who or which institution should admit students to the university? It normally should be the Senate of the university, which often delegates the authority of processing the necessary papers to the admissions office located within the Academic Affairs Unit in the Vice-Chancellor’s office. That was the case when I was admitted to the university. Today, however, JAMB has taken over this function, while the admission offices of the various public universities are being used as clearing houses. After weeks of controversy as to how this function should be performed, Ojerinde issued this clarification recently: “The public and all tertiary institutions should note that admission will only be approved by the board after appropriate screening of the candidates by the institutions”. Yet, the Education minister still believes that this does not “in any way affect the statutory role of the Senate of any university or the academic boards of any tertiary institution conducting its admissions.” It would appear that what the minister understands as the role of the Senate is reduced to shortlisting. According to him, the universities will shortlist the candidates, using the agreed guidelines and return the shortlisted candidates to JAMB for verification of compliance to the guidelines. JAMB will subsequently issue admission letters to the shortlisted candidates. The said guidelines appear to be the minister’s main target and it is the second knotty issue. According to him, the admission exercise rests on the tripod of merit, catchment area and educationally disadvantaged states. The last two criteria are intended to trump merit so that low-scoring students from particular localities or states could be admitted. This is not only an affront to the Senate’s ability to control standards in its admission; it also questions the business of the Federal Government in the admission of students to state universities. What should my state government care about admitting low-scoring students from another state because that state is educationally disadvantaged? How is educational disadvantage measured and who measures it? Wasn’t this kind of admission policy the killer of the unity secondary schools, where standards plummeted because many under-performing students were admitted? The third and final knotty issue is university autonomy. The Federal Government and two of its agencies, namely, JAMB and the National Universities Commission, have killed whatever is left of university autonomy. The truth is that it is JAMB which admits students, while the NUC regulates everything else from the accreditation of courses to curriculum guidelines and the classification of degrees. The Federal Government completes the process by appointing Council members and ratifying the appointment of Vice-Chancellors. Little wonder many a Vice-Chancellor spends substantial time in Abuja these days. To the extent that Nigerian universities are run like extensions of the ministry of education, to that extent will they continue to rot away like that ministry where there is neither institutional memory nor policy consistency. True, this problem is not peculiar to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Nevertheless, there are genuine concerns that his administration has yet to have a grasp on education. This university admission is the administration’s second major foray into education. The first, the school feeding programme, has yet to take off. With the lacklustre handling of this year’s admission procedure so far, it is unclear what the future of education holds in the administration. Certainly, the present Minister of Education has yet to begin the bend in his learning curve. |
It's a New Era for Chocolate City's New Artist - Qritiqal | Get the Scoop After losing both parents within a space of two months upon entering his teenage years, Eric Onyango Omollo better known as Qritiqal, turned to music as a cathartic expression of deep seated feelings no one should endure at such a young age. Born in 1989 and raised in Mombasa Kenya, he ventured into music through school festivals. He hung out with local artistes who mentored him through his personal struggles, including the loss of one of his siblings, as he passionately pursued music as both therapeutic and a career path. After a chance meeting with Gyptian at a local show, he was inspired to record original material and debuted in 2010 as a sensational dance hall artiste with the single ‘Weak Inside’ – a nation-wide hit. The single won him the ‘Best Video of the Year 2010’ at the Nzumari Awards and the Best Video of The Year Coast Music Awards. In 2012, he dropped another hit single ‘Kupe’ where he was featured by Ogopa Deejays Artist. Having also shared a stage with the likes of Jaguar and Sauti Sol, he decided it was time for him to pause and develop his own unique sound, later on meeting and collaborating with local producer, Motif On The Beat (Morris Kobia). Their collaboration produced successful DJ Dubplates for local DJs, at a time when he also doubled as a jingle maker for some advertisement agencies. His consistency and passion for music developed Qritiqal’s signature sound; a go between dancehall, soul and R&B, where his high tenor range, in contrast with his laid back delivery gives him a unique tone and flow. This had him hand picked for the theme song of Kenya’s legendary DJ Joe Mfalme. Still, success and the right attention seemed to elude him as he kept doing pro-bono gigs while trying his best to cater for his younger brother and only surviving family member. He eventually settled in Nairobi – the music capital of Kenya, where he was discovered by Chocolate City Music Kenya, the sister company to Chocolate City Music Nigeria; home to internationally known acts like Ice Prince, Koker and M.I Abaga. Get ready Africa, it’s about to get Qritiqal! |
Got News to Share? |
The Celestial Church of Christ, CCC, which ordained Francis Taiwo a pastor and deployed him to head one of its parishes in the Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, yesterday, issued a statement condemning the man’s action concerning his nine-year-old son. A statement made available by the Church and signed by Superior Evangelist (Prof) Bola Akinterinwa, Secretary, Board of Trustees, BoT, CCC Worldwide, said the Church’s Spiritual Head, Pastor Mobiyina Oshoffa and the BoT are saddened by the incident. Prophet Francis Taiwo chained his son and starved him of food for weeks, after the boy was accused of habitual stealing. The boy was eventually rescued by men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, within the church premises a few days ago. Taiwo, Shepherd in Charge, CCC, Key of Joy Parish, Ajiwo at Ajibawo in Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, has since been arrested with the help of his church members. The CCC statement read in part: “The report has drawn the ire of the public and our great church has been receiving undeserved flaks. ”We are, therefore, compelled to issue this statement to correct whatever misconceptions that might have been created about the church in the minds of the public by this shameful and totally unacceptable incident. “Let it be known that the Celestial Church of Christ does not condone child abuse and violence of any form. We recognise and place a high value on our youths and children as we do acknowledge them as the salt of the earth and a vital part of the future of any given stratum of society, organisation, church or nation. ”Our belief is that children must be raised in an atmosphere of love, Christian values and reasonable and acceptable parental discipline.” |
You alone are Holy. by Benny Hinn |
Hiroto:this is serious oooooo. Double wahala for gys way no here word |
Hiroto:Please share the story with us please? |
