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 Politics › Re: Nnaji's Exit Is Affecting Power Supply. by dadde(op): 12:15pm On Sep 04, 2012 |
Obiagu1: It still does not make sense that you have a construction company and then became a governor. Because of that, your construction company is barred from bidding for contracts else you have to resign your position as a governor before your company becomes eligible again. If you are in this position, what would you do? Continue being the governor (if your intention is not to steal money) or resign and promote your company that is your life struggle?Hello my brother,am not in any way castigating Nnaji for what he has done. it all shows his level of credibility. if i were him, i would have probably done the same to show all my integrity. kudos to him. |
| Politics › Re: Nnaji's Exit Is Affecting Power Supply. by dadde(op): 11:21am On Sep 04, 2012 |
i think nnaji had to chose between Nigeria and his personal goal.he definitely opted his personal goals. 1 Like |
| Politics › Nnaji's Exit Is Affecting Power Supply. by dadde(op): 10:28am On Sep 04, 2012 |
The current erratic electricity supply being experienced in some parts of the country has been linked to the poor attitude to work by officials of the successor companies of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), THISDAY has learnt.http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/erratic-power-supply-linked-to-nnaji-s-resignation/124002/ |
| Politics › How Security Agents Aid Oil Thieves –investigation by dadde(op): 9:47am On Sep 03, 2012 |
A high level syndicate of oil thieves that specialises in vandalising oil pipelines in Lagos and Ogun states with the connivance of the security agents has been uncovered. The government is reportedly losing millions of naira daily in products stolen from National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, pipelines by highlyorganised gangs at several points in the two states. Our correspondent gathered that the oil thieves also siphon petroleum products from vessels waiting to discharge imported fuel at the Lagos ports. Investigation by National Mirror showed that the thriving oil theft operations is the backbone of an illegal underground economy along the coastal towns and villages in both states. The illegal trade is allegedly being perpetrated by residents with the connivance of staff of the NNPC depot located in Mosimi, a settlement around Ikorodu; Arepo, a settlement town along Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Majidun and Ishawo near Ikorodu and Ajegunle popularly called, “The Jungle City”. Other towns include Akute, on the border of Lagos and Ogun states, Takwa Bay Island and Epe, a famous fishing town. National Mirror gathered that workers at the Mosinmi Depot supply information about products being piped and the oil thieves puncture the pipelines and siphon products into 50 litre plastic jerry cans, which are evacuated by boats to “markets” in both states. Some of the more established oil thieves have used money made from the illicit business to build houses along the coast, which function as illegal jetties to receive the stolen products and also as sales outlets. Investigations conducted in Takwa Bay, an island in Lagos waters, also revealed that policemen, naval officers and Immigration officers benefit from the trade as they set up illegal check points on the waterways and collect “tolls” from thieves and buyers of fuel stolen from vessels waiting to berth in Lagos ports. Each post is said to collect a N50 toll on each 50-litre keg. While the policemen, immigration and Customs officers are said to limit their involvement to the “tolls” collection, some of the illegal oil traders told our correspondent that the naval officers participate in the siphoning of oil products from vessels they are supposed to guard. A smuggler, Toyin Arepa (not real name) oblivious of the identity of National Mirror reporter, boasted about his exploits in the trade and the full extent of the illicit business. “I started about eight years ago and I have made a lot of money from it. My man, I have realised my dream of becoming a millionaire through this business. For you to succeed, just get your own boat. Then get a naval man to give you information and supplies. They always call us when they have market for us. We all come around in the night and before day break, we buy oil and disappear. Who day break meet, na him dem go take clean market floor. The Navy people have especially made pipes, which they always use to pump oil from the vessels into our own kegs in our boats,” Arepa told National Mirror. Another source said crew members of the oilladen vessels also sell fuel from their vessels waiting to discharge in Lagos. Expectedly, officials of the security agencies denied the involvement of their men in the illegal trade. Joachim Olumba, an Assistant Comptroller of Immigrations, who is the spokesman for the outfit said that it will be ridiculous to associate his men with the trade as it is not like the Customs service that regulates what comes into the market. “People used to say that Immigration officers bring in illegal aliens into the country, now they are saying that they are involved in illegal bunkering. It is ridiculous. How can they be involved when the Customs are there?” he said.“If anybody gives Immigration officer money anywhere regarding that, it means the person just want to dash the officer money. Our officers are not involved in illegal bunkering activities at all,” he said emphatically. |
| Politics › Re: Another ASSU Strike by dadde(op): 9:09am On Aug 31, 2012 |
I wonder when all this will come to an end. |
| Politics › Another ASSU Strike by dadde(op): 8:43am On Aug 31, 2012 |
Academic activities in several universities across the country were grounded Thursday as members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on a one-day warning strike to press home their demand for the appointment of a fresh vice-chancellor for the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Port Harcourt. The strike marred the 69th inaugural lecture of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), as members of the union boycotted the event in deference to the strike order by the national body of the union. Chairman, UNN chapter of ASUU, Aloysius Okolie, who gave reasons for the action, said it was in compliance with the ASUU national body's directive that all members should stay at home yesterday. ASUU had declared the one-day strike in solidarity with members of its RSUST chapter who had been on strike over an alleged subversion of laws at the university by Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi. “The union monitoring team is already at work to fish out erring members," Okolie said. He said that ASUU national body would be forced to take further action if after the one-day strike, the governing council and the governor fail to obey the laws of the university and follow due process in the appointment of the RSUST vice-chancellor. He said: “The National Assembly has a law signed by President Goodluck Jonathan that VCs should spend only a single tenure of five years and we wonder why RSUST will be an exception. “The acting VC, Prof. Barikeme Fakae, has no business in RSUST, since he had exhausted his five-year tenure. Appointing him for a second term amounts to an illegality.” And in Ekiti State, ASUU members in the state-owned university also joined the one-day solidarity strike. They blamed Amaechi and the Chairman of the RSUST Governing Council, Justice Adolphus Karibi Whyte, for violating the law in the reappointment of Fakae. Addressing a press conference in Ado-Ekiti, ASUU Chairman, Ekiti State University (EKSU) chapter, Dr. Ayan Adeleke, called on the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mohammed Abubakar, to investigate the alleged brutalisation of ASUU members by some policemen and students on August 15. He described the reappointment of Fakae, in acting capacity, as irrational, despite his poor performance, adding that having come fourth among the four professors interviewed for the job by the Governing Council, he should not have been considered. He said that it amounted to the outright subjugation of the university’s autonomy to have reappointed him. Justifying ASUU’s action, Adeleke pointed out that the Rivers State government announced Fakae’s reappointment through the Secretary to the State Government instead of allowing the Governing Council of the university to do so. According to him, the reasons adduced by Justice Karibi-Whyte for Fakae’s reappointment was vague and violated the law that established the institution, noting that such justification had further debased the university system in the country. “Prof Fakae’s foot soldiers are all out on a campaign of calumny against the leadership of ASUU in RSUST. On daily basis, they harass and intimidate our members who are unwilling to fall for their cheap blackmail,” Adeleke said. Also in Jos, the University of Jos branch of ASUU protested the alleged imposition of Fakae on RSUST. The Chairman Unijos chapter of ASUU, Dr. Pam Yakubu, while addressing the press at the union’s secretariat, reiterated the point that the appointment of Fakae fell short of due process and due diligence. He decried the arbitrary and uncoordinated manner in which the VC governed the university, which caused hiccup sessions all through his tenure. “On the basis of these, the government, the governing council, and unions, alongside the VC agreed that upon the expiration of his tenure he would not return. This gentlemanly agreement was aimed at achieving the greater good of the institution. But it is now being breached. “The breach of the agreement started from allowing Fakae to participate in the interview. The deliberate attempt to politicise the process of appointing a VC within the university without recourse to due and diligent process has grave implications for our agreement and especially the provision of university autonomy which our union has pursued so far,” he added. He said the union would not give up on the matter until the right thing is done. The story was not different in Sokoto, where ASUU members in Usmanu Dan Fodio University condemned the imposition of Fakae on RSUST. Local ASUU Chairman, Dr. Lawali Abubakar, described as illegal the reappointment of Fakae. He recalled how Amaechi had persuaded the lecturers at the time, to accept Fakae’s appointment, promising that his tenure would not be renewed. According to him, the recent renewal breaches the understanding the ASUU members had with Amaechi. “What we are witnessing at RSUST is the peak of arbitrariness and should be condemned by law-abiding citizens," Abubakar said. He urged members of ASUU in RSUST to remain steadfast, assuring them that the union would do everything to ensure their rights to freedom of expression and lawful assembly. Similarly, at the University of Ibadan, teaching and learning were suspended, as lecturers shunned classrooms. While speaking on the level of compliance, Chairman of the ASUU University of Ibadan chapter, Dr. Segun Ajiboye, said members complied fully. He described the incident at the RSUST as an injustice which could not be allowed to stand so as not to be copied in other universities. The ASUU chief called on the president to prevail on Amaechi to obey the rule of law and decency in the governance of RSUST. Tags: News, Nigeria, Featured, ASUU, Warning Strike, Varsity |
| Politics › Re: Indicted Oil Marketers Have Started Repaying Subsidy Funds- NEC by dadde(op): 8:41am On Aug 28, 2012 |
Dollarman101: Bros if your DSTV don expire, make you tune in to NTA so that u fit they watch news.and what will be the outcome of the arraignment? i guess its going to be another plea bargain. |
| Politics › Re: Indicted Oil Marketers Have Started Repaying Subsidy Funds- NEC by dadde(op): 3:03pm On Aug 24, 2012 |
another 419 cover up in the pipe line. Nigerians should shine there eyez |
| Politics › Indicted Oil Marketers Have Started Repaying Subsidy Funds- NEC by dadde(op): 11:59am On Aug 24, 2012 |
The Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, Thursday disclosed that some of the oil marketers indicted in the fuel subsidy scam have started refunding the money they stole from the Federal Government. Obi, who was among the governors who rose from the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting chaired by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, supported the move by the Federal Government to recover the N400 billion that had been fraudulently claimed as subsidy by the oil marketers. Briefing the State House correspondents after the meeting, Obi, though did not disclose the names of the marketers who have started repaying the stolen money, said the Federal Government needs to be supported to recover the money. “From the report we got today some have started refunding. It is a serious case that people were paid for vessels that were not anywhere near the Nigerian waters. And I think when the Federal Government do a thing that is courageous and right, they should be encouraged and can at least give them the courage to do more. “So, we support the Federal Government in the effort to clean up the entire value chain and process of petroleum industry; they have our full support.” “We support the Federal Government in their effort to clean up the entire value chain and process of petroleum industry, they have our full support. Council went further to commend the Federal Government on its present stand in the prosecution of those who were wrongly paid subsidy money and the need for them to refund it fully and also support the Federal Government in its determination to privatise power,” Obi said. The governor admonished Nigerians to show support for the Federal Government to recover the funds. The AIG Imokuhede-led Presidential Committee on Verification of subsidy claims had indicted no fewer than 25 companies some of whom are sons of prominent Nigerians already being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Just on Wednesday, there were unsubstantiated reports that the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers Association (NUPENG) was compromised by the alleged subsidy fraudsters. The OM&Ts allegedly sourced and distributed the sum of N1 billion to NUPENG and the National Association of Tanker Drivers, to encourage them to help it frustrate the attempt by the apex government to bring them to book over the criminal role they played In the last couple of days, the oil marketers under the aegis of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMA), the Jetty and Petroleum Tank Farm Owners of Nigeria (JEPTFON) and the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), have been threatening to shut down their facilities if the Federal Government continues to delay the payment of their outstanding subsidy entitlements. This action, although still at the level of a threats, has affected the supply and distribution of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and some parts of Kogi and Niger States thus creating artificial scarcity of the product. NEC also considered a presentation by the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, on the planned non-partisan Good Governance Publicity Tour being jointly organised by his Ministry and the National Planning Commission. Realising that the tour is meant to monitor, evaluate and showcase federal and states projects across the six geo-political zones, the council deemed it worthwhile and approved it, Obi explained, stating that the Governor’s Forum has been directed to set up a committee that will meet with the Federal Ministry of Information and National Planning Commission (NPC) to review the logistics for the tour and agree on the date of commencement. Tags: News, Nigeria, Featured, NEC, OIL MARKETERS, Subsidy Funds |
| Politics › Re: You Can Now Claim To Be An Indigen Of Any State. by dadde(op): 6:04pm On Aug 10, 2012 |
Chyz*:this day newspaper 10th of august 2012. 1 Like |
| Politics › Re: Africans Are Lazy Intellectuals And Gullible. by dadde(op): 5:35pm On Aug 10, 2012 |
Ki-Katanga:thanks a great deal. but all accolades should go to Omojuwa |
| Politics › Re: Africans Are Lazy Intellectuals And Gullible. by dadde(op): 5:03pm On Aug 10, 2012 |
Ihedinobi: Oh my God! Oh my God!!! I just hit the frigging jackpot. Hisblud, mehn, am I glad am following you. This post by dadde is awesome.thanks for your comments. however i think government goes a long way to determine the fortunes of a country. this is most evident in the areas of policy formulation. a single failed policy from government could crumble someone's business the reverse is true as well. i have never seen any country that is higher than the level of its leaders. most ironically, today's leaders were yesterday's followers. Africans(leaders and followers) should learn how to rise above their present problems of greed and ethnicity for them move ahead. 1 Like |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Northern Christians To Pastor Bakare: Timothy II 2:24 by dadde(m): 3:09pm On Aug 10, 2012 |
if only we have other pastors to join Tunde bakare in his quest for justice and a better Nigeria, nigeria would have better off. what most Guilible Christaians are use to is saying " its well" when everything is bad. Taliking of prophets that chastized the government. 1. Nathan criticized David 2. Elija Humiliated Ahaz and his blood thirty wife Jezebel 3. Jerimiah Openly chides the government of the day. 4. Amos condems the Nother kingdom of Israel do u want more 11 Likes |
| Politics › Re: Africans Are Lazy Intellectuals And Gullible. by dadde(op): 1:52pm On Aug 10, 2012 |
“I see you are getting pissed off,” Walter said and lowered his voice. “You are thinking this Bwana is a racist. That’s how most Zambians respond when I tell them the truth. They go ballistic. Okay. Let’s for a moment put our skin pigmentations, this black and white crap, aside. Tell me, my friend, what is the difference between you and me?” “There’s no difference.” “Absolutely none,” he exclaimed. “Scientists in the Human Genome Project have proved that. It took them thirteen years to determine the complete sequence of the three billion DNA subunits. After they were all done it was clear that 99.9% nucleotide bases were exactly the same in you and me. We are the same people. All white, Asian, Latino, and black people on this aircraft are the same.” I gladly nodded. “And yet I feel superior,” he smiled fatalistically. “Every white person on this plane feels superior to a black person. The white guy who picks up garbage, the homeless white trash on drugs, feels superior to you no matter his status or education. I can pick up a nincompoop from the New York streets, clean him up, and take him to Lusaka and you all be crowding around him chanting muzungu, muzungu and yet he’s a riffraff. Tell me why my angry friend.” For a moment I was wordless. “Please don’t blame it on slavery like the African Americans do, or colonialism, or some psychological impact or some kind of stigmatization. And don’t give me the brainwash poppycock. Give me a better answer.” I was thinking. He continued. “Excuse what I am about to say. Please do not take offense.” I felt a slap of blood rush to my head and prepared for the worst. “You my friend flying with me and all your kind are lazy,” he said. “When you rest your head on the pillow you don’t dream big. You and other so-called African intellectuals are damn lazy, each one of you. It is you, and not those poor starving people, who is the reason Africa is in such a deplorable state.” “That’s not a nice thing to say,” I protested. He was implacable. “Oh yes it is and I will say it again, you are lazy. Poor and uneducated Africans are the most hardworking people on earth. I saw them in the Lusaka markets and on the street selling merchandise. I saw them in villages toiling away. I saw women on Kafue Road crushing stones for sell and I wept. I said to myself where are the Zambian intellectuals? Are the Zambian engineers so imperceptive they cannot invent a simple stone crusher, or a simple water filter to purify well water for those poor villagers? Are you telling me that after thirty-seven years of independence your university school of engineering has not produced a scientist or an engineer who can make simple small machines for mass use? What is the school there for?” I held my breath. “Do you know where I found your intellectuals? They were in bars quaffing. They were at the Lusaka Golf Club, Lusaka Central Club, Lusaka Playhouse, and Lusaka Flying Club. I saw with my own eyes a bunch of alcoholic graduates. Zambian intellectuals work from eight to five and spend the evening drinking. We don’t. We reserve the evening for brainstorming.” He looked me in the eye. “And you flying to Boston and all of you Zambians in the Diaspora are just as lazy and apathetic to your country. You don’t care about your country and yet your very own parents, brothers and sisters are in Mtendere, Chawama, and in villages, all of them living in squalor. Many have died or are dying of neglect by you. They are dying of AIDS because you cannot come up with your own cure. You are here calling yourselves graduates, researchers and scientists and are fast at articulating your credentials once asked—oh, I have a PhD in this and that—PhD my foot!” I was deflated. “Wake up you all!” he exclaimed, attracting the attention of nearby passengers. “You should be busy lifting ideas, formulae, recipes, and diagrams from American manufacturing factories and sending them to your own factories. All those research findings and dissertation papers you compile should be your country’s treasure. Why do you think the Asians are a force to reckon with? They stole our ideas and turned them into their own. Look at Japan, China, India, just look at them.” He paused. “The Bwana has spoken,” he said and grinned. “As long as you are dependent on my plane, I shall feel superior and you my friend shall remain inferior, how about that? The Chinese, Japanese, Indians, even Latinos are a notch better. You Africans are at the bottom of the totem pole.” He tempered his voice. “Get over this white skin syndrome and begin to feel confident. Become innovative and make your own stuff for god’s sake.” At 8 a.m. the plane touched down at Boston’s Logan International Airport. Walter reached for my hand. “I know I was too strong, but I don’t give it a damn. I have been to Zambia and have seen too much poverty.” He pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled something. “Here, read this. It was written by a friend.” He had written only the title: “Lords of Poverty.” Thunderstruck, I had a sinking feeling. I watched Walter walk through the airport doors to a waiting car. He had left a huge dust devil twirling in my mind, stirring up sad memories of home. I could see Zambia’s literati—the cognoscente, intelligentsia, academics, highbrows, and scholars in the places he had mentioned guzzling and talking irrelevancies. I remembered some who have since passed—how they got the highest grades in mathematics and the sciences and attained the highest education on the planet. They had been to Harvard, Oxford, Yale, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), only to leave us with not a single invention or discovery. I knew some by name and drunk with them at the Lusaka Playhouse and Central Sports. Walter is right. It is true that since independence we have failed to nurture creativity and collective orientations. We as a nation lack a workhorse mentality and behave like 13 million civil servants dependent on a government pay cheque. We believe that development is generated 8-to-5 behind a desk wearing a tie with our degrees hanging on the wall. Such a working environment does not offer the opportunity for fellowship, the excitement of competition, and the spectacle of innovative rituals. But the intelligentsia is not solely, or even mainly, to blame. The larger failure is due to political circumstances over which they have had little control. The past governments failed to create an environment of possibility that fosters camaraderie, rewards innovative ideas and encourages resilience. KK, Chiluba, Mwanawasa, and Banda embraced orthodox ideas and therefore failed to offer many opportunities for drawing outside the line. I believe King Cobra’s reset has been cast in the same faculties as those of his predecessors. If today I told him that we can build our own car, he would throw me out. “Naupena? Fuma apa.” (Are you mad? Get out of here) Knowing well that King Cobra will not embody innovation at Walter’s level let’s begin to look for a technologically active-positive leader who can succeed him after a term or two. That way we can make our own stone crushers, water filters, water pumps, razor blades, and harvesters. Let’s dream big and make tractors, cars, and planes, or, like Walter said, forever remain inferior. A fundamental transformation of our country from what is essentially non-innovative to a strategic superior African country requires a bold risk-taking educated leader with a triumphalist attitude and we have one in YOU. Don’t be highly strung and feel insulted by Walter. Take a moment and think about our country. Our journey from 1964 has been marked by tears. It has been an emotionally overwhelming experience. Each one of us has lost a loved one to poverty, hunger, and disease. The number of graves is catching up with the population. It’s time to change our political culture. It’s time for Zambian intellectuals to cultivate an active-positive progressive movement that will change our lives forever. Don’t be afraid or dispirited, rise to the challenge and salvage the remaining few of your beloved ones. Field Ruwe is a US-based Zambian media practitioner and author. He is a PhD candidate with a B.A. in Mass Communication and Journalism, and an M.A. in History Via Mindofmalaka. 1 Like 1 Share |
| Politics › Africans Are Lazy Intellectuals And Gullible. by dadde(op): 1:51pm On Aug 10, 2012 |
So I got this in my email this morning… They call the Third World the lazy man’s purview; the sluggishly slothful and languorous prefecture. In this realm people are sleepy, dreamy, torpid, lethargic, and therefore indigent—totally penniless, needy, destitute, poverty-stricken, disfavored, and impoverished. In this demesne, as they call it, there are hardly any discoveries, inventions, and innovations. Africa is the trailblazer. Some still call it “the dark continent” for the light that flickers under the tunnel is not that of hope, but an approaching train. And because countless keep waiting in the way of the train, millions die and many more remain decapitated by the day. “It’s amazing how you all sit there and watch yourselves die,” the man next to me said. “Get up and do something about it.” Brawny, fully bald-headed, with intense, steely eyes, he was as cold as they come. When I first discovered I was going to spend my New Year’s Eve next to him on a non-stop JetBlue flight from Los Angeles to Boston I was angst-ridden. I associate marble-shaven Caucasians with iconoclastic skin-heads, most of who are racist. “My name is Walter,” he extended his hand as soon as I settled in my seat. I told him mine with a precautious smile. “Where are you from?” he asked. “Zambia.” “Zambia!” he exclaimed, “Kaunda’s country.” “Yes,” I said, “Now Sata’s.” “But of course,” he responded. “You just elected King Cobra as your president.” My face lit up at the mention of Sata’s moniker. Walter smiled, and in those cold eyes I saw an amenable fellow, one of those American highbrows who shuttle between Africa and the U.S. “I spent three years in Zambia in the 1980s,” he continued. “I wined and dined with Luke Mwananshiku, Willa Mungomba, Dr. Siteke Mwale, and many other highly intelligent Zambians.” He lowered his voice. “I was part of the IMF group that came to rip you guys off.” He smirked. “Your government put me in a million dollar mansion overlooking a shanty called Kalingalinga. From my patio I saw it all—the rich and the poor, the ailing, the dead, and the healthy.” “Are you still with the IMF?” I asked. “I have since moved to yet another group with similar intentions. In the next few months my colleagues and I will be in Lusaka to hypnotize the cobra. I work for the broker that has acquired a chunk of your debt. Your government owes not the World Bank, but us millions of dollars. We’ll be in Lusaka to offer your president a couple of millions and fly back with a check twenty times greater.” “No, you won’t,” I said. “King Cobra is incorruptible. He is …” He was laughing. “Says who? Give me an African president, just one, who has not fallen for the carrot and stick.” Quett Masire’s name popped up. “Oh, him, well, we never got to him because he turned down the IMF and the World Bank. It was perhaps the smartest thing for him to do.” At midnight we were airborne. The captain wished us a happy 2012 and urged us to watch the fireworks across Los Angeles. “Isn’t that beautiful,” Walter said looking down. From my middle seat, I took a glance and nodded admirably. “That’s white man’s country,” he said. “We came here on Mayflower and turned Indian land into a paradise and now the most powerful nation on earth. We discovered the bulb, and built this aircraft to fly us to pleasure resorts like Lake Zambia.” I grinned. “There is no Lake Zambia.” He curled his lips into a smug smile. “That’s what we call your country. You guys are as stagnant as the water in the lake. We come in with our large boats and fish your minerals and your wildlife and leave morsels—crumbs. That’s your staple food, crumbs. That corn-meal you eat, that’s crumbs, the small Tilapia fish you call Kapenta is crumbs. We the Bwanas (whites) take the cat fish. I am the Bwana and you are the Muntu. I get what I want and you get what you deserve, crumbs. That’s what lazy people get—Zambians, Africans, the entire Third World.” The smile vanished from my face. 1 Like 1 Share |
| Politics › Re: You Can Now Claim To Be An Indigen Of Any State. by dadde(op): 11:58am On Aug 10, 2012 |
THESE ARE SENSITIVE NATIONAL ISSUES. I DONT KNOW WHY ITS NOT ON FRONT THE PAGE |
| Politics › Re: You Can Now Claim To Be An Indigen Of Any State. by dadde(op): 11:12am On Aug 10, 2012 |
the political class has always been the source discord in the country. i took us over 100 years to get to the mess we are now. i hope we would be wise enough to put an end to it sooner than expected. ethnicity almost destroyed Bosnia Herzegovina. we should wake up b4 Nigeria becomes history. 1 Like |
| Politics › Re: You Can Now Claim To Be An Indigen Of Any State. by dadde(op): 9:16am On Aug 10, 2012 |
I THINK SOME SECTS ARE LOOSING IN THE BATTLE FOR GRAZING LANDS . THIS EXPLAIN THE REASON FOR THE PROPOSED ABROGATION OF INDIGENSHIP. |
| Politics › Insecurity In Nigeria Could Affect Naighbouring Countries. _ Clinton by dadde(op): 8:50am On Aug 10, 2012 |
Security, especially the wave of terrorism unleashed on Nigerian by Boko Haram, and bilateral issues dominated discussions Thursday between United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and President Goodluck Jonathan, along with other top government officials. Clinton, who was in Nigeria as part of her whistle-stop tour of 11 countries in Africa, during her discussions with Jonathan, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), and service chiefs, pledged to continue supporting Nigeria to tackle insecurity. Clinton, who was briefed on efforts the Federal Government has been making in changing the nation’s security architecture to rise to the challenge of terrorism, renewed the US’ offer of assistance to enable the country secure its porous borders through which foreign insurgents, suspected to be affiliated to Boko Haram, enter Nigeria. On her arrival at the State House, she met for about 20 minutes with Jonathan after which she held talks with key cabinet members, including Dasuki, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Minister Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Gbenga Ashiru; Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji; Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke; Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke. THISDAY gathered that Clinton offered US assistance to help Nigeria develop forensic and investigative procedures that will strengthen the fight against terrorism. Other sectors that will receive attention include how to help stimulate Nigeria’s economy, agriculture, health and anti-corruption campaign. Clinton, wearing red top and black trousers, arrived at the State House at about 3.54pm and left at about 6:15 p.m. after holding a closed door meeting with Dasuki and the service chiefs. Although details of the discussions with the various government officials were not disclosed, it was learnt that the US also offered to assist Nigeria to monitor the movement of goods, particularly weapons and explosive devices smuggled to the Islamic sect through the borders of Nigeria and Cameroon. A State Department official, who craved anonymity, shed light on the details of the US offer to Nigeria, saying: "We can help them (Nigeria) develop mechanisms for tracking and determining individuals who are likely to be engaged in supporting Boko Haram actively. "This is a problem for Nigeria, but also Northern Nigeria borders Cameroon, it borders Niger." A source told THISDAY that Clinton at the meeting with the service chiefs expressed concern about the threat of the Boko Haram sect and how that could spread and undermine the security of neighbouring countries. He said that was why Washington offered to help Nigeria develop an intelligence coordination centre that would assist the country in integrating information, adding that the US wants to encourage Nigeria to establish a "comprehensive programme in the North that combined a security strategy with a socio-economic plan”. In June, the US designated suspected Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau and two other Nigerian militants "global terrorists", a move that would enable the US to freeze any asset they may have in America. At a joint press briefing, Jonathan commended President Barack Obama and Clinton for their interest in Africa, and Nigeria in particular. He said within the time Clinton had been Secretary of State, the relationship between Nigeria and America had reached a high level that "we have never reached for quite some time by personally chairing the bi-national and we have discussed various things— security, economy and so on and so forth. She has been very supportive. "And of course, the President of America, President Obama administration is also quite passionate about Africa and Nigeria. He has always been very supportive of us for the past five years. From the days I came in as Vice-president, especially that period as a nation we faced a lot of challenge when the late President (Umaru Yar’Adua) was very ill and we passed through turbulent period,” the president added. He described the support that the US has been giving the country as the reason for the stability in the Nigerian polity. "And the support they gave us is one of the supports that stabilised this country. And when we insisted we must conduct an election that is free and fair and that is the only way we can stabilise democracy, they were very supportive. They gave us moral support, technical support to INEC and assisted us to make sure that we conducted elections that national and international observers declared as quite free and fair,” he explained. Clinton, in her address at the joint press conference, said: "I appreciate that you know how committed United States and the Obama administration is to our partnership with your country. We consider it vital to our Bi-National Commission, which as you have mentioned has helped us to expand and deepen our cooperation on full range of issues. "We are working on economic matters, the improvement of productivity in agriculture, education and health, security, diversification of your economy and so much more. "We intend to remain very supportive on your reform efforts. We were also very supportive of anti-corruption reform efforts, more transparency in the work that you and your team are also championing because we really believe that the future for Nigeria is limitless but the most important task that you face, as you have said, is making sure that there are better opportunities for all Nigerians, South, East, West; every young boy and girl to have chance to fulfil his God-given potential. "We want to work with you and we will be by your side as you make the reforms and take the tough decisions that are necessary." Clinton has been on an African tour since July 31, having already visited Senegal, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, Malawi and South Africa. She is also expected to briefly visit Benin and will travel to Ghana Friday for the funeral of President John Atta-Mills, who died on July 24. Tags: News, Nigeria, Featured, Security, Agenda, Clinton, Jonathan, MINISTERS |
| Politics › Re: You Can Now Claim To Be An Indigen Of Any State. by dadde(op): 8:36am On Aug 10, 2012 |
it is a great idea i think. but it was this same leaders that separated us. we have a long way to go if this must actually come to fruition. if we are united by tribe how about religion? |
| Politics › You Can Now Claim To Be An Indigen Of Any State. by dadde(op): 8:24am On Aug 10, 2012 |
The Federal Government Thursday said it would take steps to abolish indigeneship clause in the country’s laws to put an end to the crisis and rancour associated with the dichotomy of non-indigenes and settlers scourge in the country. The Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, spoke on the new policy thrust when he received in audience leaders of the National Peace Forum, led by Senator Sunday Fajinmi. He said: “Federal government is proposing the abrogation of non-indigenes hip or dichotomy of non settlers as a means of putting an end to the issue in every part of the country. No meaningful achievement can be made without peace.” He said the President has this week waded into the crisis in Plateau State by convening a peace meeting with leaders of the North-east zone to explore how to find a lasting solution to the problem. According to him, insecurity situation in the country has become a national problem and all hands must be on deck to maintain peace and unity in the country. “It does not speak well of us to make utterances emphasising what divides us. It is in this vein that this government is so committed towards achieving peaceful co-existence,” he said. The Adviser, who also met with several other groups Thursday, who were on peace and solidarity visit to the President, alleged that there were some people who wanted to see Nigeria disintegrate or degenerate into anarchy. He expressed concern over the unguarded utterances of some leaders and urged Nigerians to ignore calls for disintegration of the nation. Earlier, Fajinmi said the Forum had many prominent Nigerians as members, including Senator M.T. Mbu, Senator John Damboye, former Senate President, Dr. Joseph Wayas, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama, Governor Rochas Okoroacha of Imo State and Justice Maman Nasiru. He said the visit was to see how the group could partner the Federal Government in order to address the insecurity challenges in the country. “If there is anything that we can do in the normal traditional peace-making ways, we can come in as non-governmental organisation to assist in appealing to our people and appease them to make sure that we can all live together as one people,” he said. The Special Adviser said the group had initiated peace moves to the hot-bed of the violent crisis in Borno and Bauchi States and was hopeful that something meaningful would come out of it when eventually the country becomes peaceful. Tags: News, Nigeria, Featured, Indigeneship Clause 1 Like |
| Celebrities › Re: Tonto Dike Without Make-up; Awful Or Awesome ??? by dadde(m): 10:46am On Aug 07, 2012 |
MAKE UP IS COVER UP |
| Politics › Re: Lagos Insists On Ban Of NURTW. "We Will Comply"-NURTW by dadde(m): 10:39am On Aug 07, 2012 |
how about the local government official that collect tolls from commercial motor cycle owners? |
| Christianity Etc › The Curse Of Religion by dadde(op): 9:46am On Aug 07, 2012 |
To the peripheral onlooker, the title of this article is quite misleading. For they think, how can religion be a curse ? Nigerians hold their religion tightly to their chest. They practice it with such vigour and fervour ,you’ll think God lives in their backyard. A man buys a car, he ties it to God. He embezzles money, he points to God as the source. Our corrupt rulers hold thanksgiving services in church, after successfully rigging elections, insulting God as the source of their ‘win’. For the average Nigerian, missing Church services or not going to the Mosque is a taboo in itself. Religion is man’s major link to God. It is the gift of God to us. How has this gift become our curse ? Religion largely responsible for where Nigeria is today. The average Nigerian, instead of demanding for good governance, that is rightly his, says he leaves everything to God. The other day, when Japheth Omojuwa was tweeting about his Ipad saga, with an airline, someone told him the usual; “Leave everything to God” . The average Nigerian man or woman, expects a miracle in every situation. He wants a job, he leaves everythi ng to God. He wants money he leaves everything to God. He wants to rise in life, he leaves every thing to God. God has become an integral part of the average Nigerian’s daily vocabulary. For how long will we continue to leave everything to God ? God will not do for you, what you can do for yourself. Roll up your sleeves and get to work. This same curse of religion is responsible for our stale ways of thinking. We have been unable to come up with novel, innovative solutions to problems. That rigid, within-the-box thinking, some of us have conferred on ourselves because of religion, is the cause of our problems. Religion is the same reason we have become complacent as a nation. For how long Nigeria ? When will we stop praying about the situation of our nation and start doing something ? Leaving everything to God, is the same reason why we have compromised standards of excellence that hold true all over the world and are functioning as a mediocre nation. Even in sports, our days of glory are history. We cut corners, hoping for a miracle each time. Why do we expect miracles ? Even God will not break protocol, for a man who is unprepared. God will never perform miracles for those who are not ready to obey laws. He laid the foundations of the universe based on laws. The law of gravity, does not ‘hang’ just because someone asked for a miracle .The standards of God stand sure, He will not compromise them for any man. Nigeria is one of the most religious countries on earth, with a church on every street. What has made us become such hypocrites ? Despite our religion, we still have such greed, inter tribal wars, corruption ,intolerance and massive bigotry. Has our religion done a lot for us? Where did we go wrong ? Let us trace the problem back to the roots. Why is there so much evil and corruption and bloodshed in our land ,when we have so much religion ? Do check yourself today .Is your religion a sham ? Do you stay true to your maker, even when no one is watching ? Do you obey His laws, when it seems no one will know ? Do you say one thing in public, while you do another in private ? Are you a bigot ? Do you truly practice every tenet of your religion ? Do your have a solid relationship with your creator ? If you honestly answer all these questions and seek positive change, Nigeria may just be on her way to greatness, starting with you. Peace. |
| Politics › Re: How Northern Governors & NSA Is Defrauding Nigeria On Boko Haram by dadde(op): 6:11pm On Aug 06, 2012 |
asha 80: so people are using bokoharam for racketing.the security vote is the pocket money for Northern governors and NSA. |
| Politics › How Northern Governors & NSA Is Defrauding Nigeria On Boko Haram by dadde(op): 11:49am On Aug 06, 2012 |
SaharaReporters has exclusively learnt that some Northern State Governors, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki, and other prominent government officials and businessmen are lavishing vast public funds on a series of bogus citizens who claim to have access to the leadership of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnati Lidda Awati wal Jihad, otherwise known as Boko Haram. A security source told SaharaReporters they are all being duped by conmen who are exploiting the name of the sect for their selfish ends. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that various individuals, including religious leaders and some members of civil society, have been milling around the state governors and the NSA with strategic proposals on how to reach the sect and put to end the insurgency. He noted that the continued attacks and bomb explosions by the sect are a clear indication that these officials are dealing with swindlers and insincere Nigerians who are taking advantage of the desperation by the government as an avenue to siphon off their own “share” of the security vote. The source said, “In all the affected states, the governors have been spending millions and yet there is nothing to show for it. This is holy month of Ramadan but the attacks have even become more frequent than before, in the process the so-called mediators or facilitators have crowed everywhere. They [militants] struck in Sokoto seat of the caliphate and home of the NSA. Where then is the justification from all these middle men who have overshadowed our superiors that they know them and can influence stoppage.” He added, “If the middle men are real, we will have seen changes but the situation is taking another complex dimension. They have not solved it and have also not stopped deceiving government by collecting public funds. This is purely security issues and must be dealt in that regards. It is all lies there is no any dialogue with real Boko Haram sect under the leadership of Imam Abubakar Shekau.” He concluded that something urgent must be done and end the ‘jamboree’, saying, “Our suggestion is simple: let government end this jamboree and face reality. If the middlemen are real, why is the Boko Haram still attacking and bombing places with increasingly sophistication? Why? Just last week 10 RPGs were intercepted from the sect in Nigerian-Chad border.” It will be remembered that President Goodluck Jonathan swore to end the Boko Haram menace by June; two months ago. He also changed his top security adviser, his previous one having traced origin of the situation to the shenanigans in the People’s Democratic Party. Still, the Boko Haram militancy has simply grown. |
| Politics › Plateau Govt Withdraws Patronage From MTN by dadde(op): 2:30pm On Aug 04, 2012 |
Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State and his commissioners, including his political aides have withdrawn patronage from MTN over the removal of MTN Call Centre from Jos on the basis of alleged insecurity. The decision by the state government was announced Thursday at the state Executive Council meeting presided over by the governor. The state Commissioner for Information, Mr Yiljab Abraham, while briefing journalists after the meeting, said the decision of the MTN to recall its call centre on grounds of insecurity was baseless as the same call centre was established in Jos in late 2010 and had been functioning well till recently when the issue of poor remuneration to over 1,700 staff became pronounced. “If they closing down operation in Plateau on account of insecurity, what are they going to do with other call centres in crisis ridden parts of the country,” he queried. Abraham wondered why the MTN call centre workers in Jos should be made to collect monthly take home pay which was below what other MTN call centre members of staff collect on a monthly basis. He said for this very reason, the state executive council, after looking carefully at the long battle the workers were subjected to by the management of MTN, the government had decided to black list MTN services in the state. The National Union of Postal and Telecommunication Employees (NUPTE) MTN Jos Call Centre branch, Plateau State had called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to beam its searchlight on the activities of the Communication and Support Service Limited (CNSSL) over what the union described as unlawful deduction and unjust termination of employment of its members. Tags: News, Nigeria, Featured, PLATEAU, Patronage, MTN |
| Politics › Re: Fashola Signs Lagos Road Traffic Bill Into Law-trucks Are Prohibited B/w 6am-9pm by dadde(m): 11:40am On Aug 03, 2012 |
we need laws that will prosicute government for not building and maintaining Roads  1 Like |
| Politics › Re: Our Governors And Their Misplaced Priorities by dadde(op): 11:03am On Aug 03, 2012 |
We conclude with a brief comment on the huge sums state governments allocate as security vote. The bulk of these funds are usually budgeted under the Governor’s Office, the Chief of Staff or the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), and spent at the discretion of the governors. Take for example, in a state like Bauchi, its security vote under the SSG’s office is about N17.6bn (12.6%) of its budget. This senseless amount is higher than the state’s allocation to each of Agriculture, Health, Education and Water Resources. Indeed, the state’s combined budgetary allocations of N13.7bn for Health, and N3.2bn (2.3%) for Water Resources, would account for 12.1% of its budget, and less than Yuguda’s ‘pocket money’ called the security vote. This is not the picture of a government that takes the interests of its citizens seriously. The situation is slightly better in other states; happily my state of Kaduna allocated only N1.6bn (1%); Nasarawa about N2bn (1.9%); Lagos N2.4bn (0.4%); and Edo N4.5bn (2.9%). Some other states have hidden these votes in their budgets, but know where to find it. The need to beef up security to counter threatening forces currently terrorizing our states is understandable, but Nigerians are aware that security is mostly a federal responsibility today. And the solution to the rising wave of insecurity is immediate job creation, investing in the future and transparent governance, not bloated security votes, which add zero value to their state governance. In conclusion, the budgets’ analysis has exposed the administrative and political incompetence of many state governments. We therefore need to rethink the role and size of states as constituted, as units of governance and economic development. There is therefore an urgent need for a constitutional review that will among other restructure the federating units to give way to a smaller number of states, regions and regional governments as political and economic management units. This calls to question the current and senseless clamor for creation of more states which would be even more unviable!. |
| Politics › Re: Our Governors And Their Misplaced Priorities by dadde(op): 11:03am On Aug 03, 2012 |
Budgeting for education is one thing, getting commensurate outcomes in quite another thing. Most state governments invest in building schools and classrooms instead of the improvement of teacher quality and welfare, providing books and materials and ensuring that children remain in school. A free meal daily, free transportation to schools and back and enhanced welfare and incentive packages for teachers improve academic performance far more than spending on lucrative building contracts for political party apparatchiks. In education as in everything in public finance, the quality of spending is as important as amount and proportion of the total budget. The health sector across Nigeria reveals an area of national life that is in dire need of rescue through new policies, regulations and strengthened institutions. In the two-part column titled “No Health, No Wealth”, we x-rayed these problems at national level. Across the country, treatable diseases like malaria and cholera are still killers, infant and maternal mortality rates are amongst the worst in the world, while our life expectancy seems to be dropping. The state governments have greater responsibility for healthcare than any other tier, being in charge of primary and secondary healthcare. We had hoped that our states’ budgets would be more effective, and higher in both quantity and quality. Sadly, that is not the reality the budgets revealed. The World Helath Organisation (WHO) recommends that 15% of national budgets be allocated to healthcare. The 2012 federal budget of N282.77 billion is just about 6%. With many of the sampled states, the budgetary allocation is higher than the dismal FGN number, though nowhere near to the 15% benchmark. For instance, the only sensible thing about Bauchi’s generally hopeless budget was the allocation of N13.7bn or 9.8% to health; Gombe 7.4%; Lagos 6.7%; and Nassarawa 6%. Edo’s allocation is 5.5%; Kaduna 4.3%; Benue and Akwa Ibom 4% and Zamfara’s, a very low 3%. Zamfara in particular is plagued by a tragic lead poisoning crisis that has claimed the lives of hundreds of children and it would need well above 15% of its budget to sanitize its health sector. With the widespread dysfunctions in governance that we are experiencing as a country, the under-budgeting for the sector is worsened by the fact that actual releases are usually far less than the amounts allocated. Additionally, effective utilization of the little that gets released is hindered by the corruption and incompetence that exist in the public sector agencies. |
| Politics › Re: Our Governors And Their Misplaced Priorities by dadde(op): 11:02am On Aug 03, 2012 |
Not only have the states neglected the economic sector but also the social sector. It is generally acknowledged that investment in healthcare is necessary to maintain a healthy and quality population. Similarly, investment in education is important for human resource development. In effect, education and health sectors are necessary for social and economic development. A healthy and educated population enhances the competitiveness of a nation. Unfortunately, these two sub-sectors are neglected by both the federal and states governments. Given the contribution of education to development, the United Nations recommends that countries allocate 26 percent of their resources on education. In 2012 neither the federal government nor state governments meet this budgetary target. The Federal government allocated only 8 percent of its budget to the education sector, which is lower than comparable African countries such as South Africa (26%), Cote d’Ivoire (30%), Ghana (31%), Kenya (23%) and Uganda (27%). Like the federal government, the ten states reviewed in this column did not meet the recommended benchmark. Gombe – the best of the sample – allocated about 17% of its N93.5bn budget; Edo (14%), Nasarawa (10%), Lagos (10%) and both Akwa Ibom and Zamfara (5%). This poor funding partly accounts for the deteriorating state of Nigeria’s education system. Using the 180-point benchmark in JAMB amongst the 10 states analyzed, Lagos State had the best performance of 80% achievement improved upon by the large number of private schools in the megacity, in addition to investing a whopping N45bn in public education. This amount is over a third of Zamfara’s entire 2012 budget. As expected, Zamfara State which invested least in education also had one of the lowest pass rates of 44%. What is striking is that Nasarawa which invested the second highest percentage in education (14%) in 2012 did so mostly in response to poor performance of the state (43% pass) in the 2011 JAMB UTME. An open ended question here is, with our paltry allocations to education, is it possible that we can be among the 20 most developed economies in 2020? |
| Politics › Our Governors And Their Misplaced Priorities by dadde(op): 11:01am On Aug 03, 2012 |
The paltry amounts allocated to agriculture exemplified the misplaced priorities of most of the states’ budgets. Rural Anambra budgeted less than 2% for agriculture, Bauchi with 80% of its population engaged in farming allocated only 5.5% of its budget to agriculture, Edo allocated only 1%, and Gombe with its arable land and 80% of its population engaged in agriculture allocated only 5% to agriculture. These poor allocations are in contexts of high levels of poverty and unemployment. In Kaduna and Gombe the rate of unemployment is respectively 25.7% and 29%, which are above the national average of 21.1%. For states like these, attracting businesses and encouraging SMEs should be the front-burning issue. Increasing the budgets of agriculture, mining and tourism to address constraints in the value chains should be the governors’ priorities. The budgets’ analysis therefore showed that most states in the country are not viable economic entities, and the so-called ‘rich, oil-producing states’ are far more dependent on the federation than the rest in proportionate terms! Standing alone, virtually all states will be unable to perform their basic functions like providing education and healthcare to citizens. Most states in the country will be illiquid in months without federal allocations, which in turn are largely derived from oil and gas revenues. The six Northern states in our sample are engaged in significant borrowing to sustain their operations. An example of this is Bauchi where 40% of its 2012 budget is funded by loans. To develop their states and meet the needs of the people, governors will have to change their strategic focus in a manner that will enable them to increase their IGR and reduce dependence on federal allocation. Among others, these will require increased capital investment in social and physical infrastructure and to create conditions to diversify their economies, including promoting manufacturing-based industrialization. Each state needs to develop a blueprint for a post-oil economy and identify and promote investments in sectors that will generate jobs. Finally, as we can see from states like Lagos, developmentally-oriented leaders are required to pilot the affairs of the regional governments that will emerge from such political rearrangement. With these steps, may be our children will have a nation that has truly attained its potential. |
